New Work Published (Sort of): Deluge of Dolphins by Joshua Price

Out now, you can (and should) buy "Deluge of Dolphins" by Joshua Price, third in his absurdist genre-crossing series, "Annals of Absurdity". 
If you'll recall, I had created art for the first two books in this series, "A Drizzle of Zombies" and "A Downpour of Apes".  As of the third novel, Joshua's gone with a slightly different look for the entire series, but he's retained some of the elements I designed for him, and he had me do the design and some fiddly bits of art for this new cover.  Honestly, I like the direction he ended up choosing, as I think it ended up suiting the tone of his books better than the original idea.  That's not to say that the original covers are any slouch, just that the current versions are better.
Of course, having read the first two novels in this series, as well as the related short story, "A Mind Not Worth Controlling", I strongly recommend giving them a read, under any cover.  Summer's just around the corner, and you're going to want some good beach reading, or something to amuse yourself as you sit in your lawn chair sipping a cold beverage of choice and pretending not to ogle the girl/guy sunbathing next door.  I can't think of anything better to while away those summer hours than this set of highly entertaining and reasonably priced novels.  They're guaranteed to put a smile on your face, and possibly a zombie in your toolshed.
Deluge of Dolphins....get it now, and at the very least, when the great dolphin rebellion arrives, you'll be able to say you saw it coming.

By the way, and just for fun, here's my currently unused cover art for the second book in the series, "A Downpour of Apes".  Enjoy.

New Work Published: Lovecraft EZine #24

Up today is issue 24 of the Lovecraft Ezine, featuring an illustration of mine for the story "Less a Dream Than This We Know" by Christopher M. Cevasco.  This is a surprisingly touching semi-fictional, semi-biographical piece concerning the passing of the Elder One, H.P. Lovecraft himself, and is very much worth a read.

My illustration for this story was inspired by, and is clearly a homage to, Hannes Bok.  Bok is my favorite golden age pulp illustrator of Lovecraft's work, with his picture for "Pickman's Model" being an early iconic influence on my vision of monsters in general, and Lovecraft in particular.  With this piece, I tried to evoke his subtle stipple-tone style in a way that I felt complemented the story.

One of my favorite things about being an illustrator for Lovecraft Ezine, aside from how easy on the deadlines publisher Mike Davis can be, is the fact that I get to switch up my art style for each issue, and often get to play around in the sandboxes of some of the greats who have gone before me. 

Go check out issue 24 of the Ezine...it's free to read online, and will shortly be available for your mobile device.  Either way, it's worth a read.

Meantime, here's my photo-manipulation from issue 23's "Not With a Bang, But With Waves Whispering", featuring one of my family waiting at the shore....for the Old Ones to rise from the deep?  Ftaghn!

New Work Published: Lovecraft EZine # 23

After a bit of a delay, the latest Lovecraft EZine is online with a raft of new stories for your enjoyment.  Once again, I've got a bit of work featured with one of their pieces.  This time, it's not an illustration but a photo from my personal archives that I've manipulated a bit for the poem, "Not With A Bang, But Waves Whispering" by Wendy Wagner.

Last summer, I visited family in Newfoundland and took some photos with the intention that they would be used either as reference for illustration, or as illustrations themselves.  The photo attached to this story was set up with one of my daughters on the beach.  I spent a lot of time playing on these particular rocks when I was growing up, and thought it was great to be able to photograph my own kids in the same setting.

Editing this one for the magazine was simple; I just desaturated the whole thing, ran the History brush over the central figure, then duplicated the rocks to a new layer set to Multiply, applied Threshhold and made judicious use of the eraser.

As always, Lovecraft EZine is free to read online, but I heartily recommend supporting the magazine by purchasing the mobile edition for $2.99, or at least getting the podcast edition for just 99 cents.  It's well worth the money, and helps this fantastic publication survive.

Meantime, here's my illustration from issue #21's story, "Dunwich Redux" by Tim Scott.  It was a bit of a rush job, but it got the job done.  Enjoy.

New Work Not Published: Tsathoggua!

Recently, one of the podcasts I enjoy, "The Double Shadow", ran a contest in which they asked listeners to submit artistic interpretations of the fictional deity Tsathoggua, created by Clark Ashton Smith.  Tsathoggua is described as: 

"He was very squat and pot-bellied, his head was more like a monstrous toad than a deity, and his whole body was covered with an imitation of short fur, giving somehow a vague sensation of both the bat and the sloth. His sleepy lids were half-lowered over his globular eyes; and the tip of a queer tongue issued from his fat mouth."

Below is my own entry for that contest, showing the frog-like on himself, squatting above a basin of Formless Spawn in his dwelling.  The rest of the entries for this contest can be seen here, but for some reason (likely just overlooked) they did not include mine in the slideshow, so I'm posting it here for your...enjoyment?

The Sound of Lovecraft EZine

Did you know that as of issue # 19 you can get Lovecraft EZine as a podcast, in which all the month's stories are read aloud for your enjoyment?  Well you can.
Did you know that each episode of the podcast is available for only 99 cents?  Well it is.
Did you know that I created the art that graces the page for this podcast?  Well now you do.  Go.  See.  Buy.  Hear.  FEAR.

New Work Published: Drabblecast 272

Fresh on the web, Drabblecast episode #272 features the story "Power Armor: A Love Story" by David Barr Kirtley, for which I have provided the cover illustration.  For this one, I mixed together influences from J.C. Leyendecker and manga comics to capture the impressions that the story made on me.
If you're not aware of it, Drabblecast is a weekly podcast that bills itself as "strange stories by strange writers for strange listeners", and always manages to live up to that description.  Host Norm Sherman is one of my favorite podcast readers, and a darn fine musician as well.  Any episode of the show is worth listening to, even more so when they have the good sense to put my art on the cover.

For the best mecha love story on the web, check out the episode for yourself.

New Work Published: Lovecraft Ezine 21

Once again, I get the honour of gracing the virtual pages of Mike Davis's wonderfully eldritch publication, The Lovecraft EZine.  This time, I'm illustrating the exellent pastiche/tribute/unofficial sequel story "Dunwich Redux" by Tim Scott.  The illo for this one is, frankly, a compendium of all the Photoshop cheats I know how to employe, including digital painting, photo manipulation, blending layers, custom brushes, and straightforward copying. I've even managed to, very subtly I think, blend in public domain work by Bosch and Brueghel.  Despite being a bit of a dog's breakfast, and a rush job too, I think it's actually rather good.

Issue 21 is available for reading on your portable device (Kindle and Nook) right now at Lovecraft EZine.   The price has just gone up to $2.99 per issue, but it's well worth it at that price, especially considering that the money also gets you a podcast version of the stories in this issue.  I strongly recommend you check it out.

In the meantime, here's my illustration from issue 19 for young author Logan Davis's story "The Amtopians".  It was a fun little piece done from Logan's concept sketch and rendered in Photoshop and ArtRage, the latter being not my favorite tool, but a fun toy to try once in a while.  Enjoy.

New Work Published: A Downpour of Apes

When it rains...it downpours.

Out now is the second in the "Annals of Absurdity" series by Joshua Price, "A Downpour of Apes".  As with his first book in this series, I have been lucky enough to provide the cover art, as well as art for the chapter headings.
"Downpour" continues the adventures of Captain Rescue begun in "A Drizzle of Zombies".  It's a comedic blend of superhero/action/horror genres that is as entertaining a read as you could ask for.  I haven't yet read this particular volume, but if it approaches anywhere near the first book, it will be a feast worth consuming. 

If you're a fan of Terry Pratchett style humour, or if you fondly remember the Neil Gaiman edited series "Temps", you would do well to treat yourself to the Annals of Absurdity books.  Actually, while you're at it, why don't you also check out Price's shorter works in this series, "A Mind Not Worth Controlling" and "The Dawn of Malevolence/Urinal Cakes All the Way Down"?  Heck, you can get the whole lot for under 5 bucks, so what have you got to lose?

New Work Published: Lovecraft EZine #19

Issue 19 of the Lovecraft Ezine is up, and once again, I have contributed an illustration for your viewing pleasure.
It's a bit of a special occasion this time.  Publisher Mike Davis's young son Logan has written a story titled "Amtopians", for which Mike has had several of the contributing artists create illustrations.  It's  fun little story, and a good start a budding author.  With my own daughters beginning to branch off into creative fields, I'm all for supporting your kids' efforts like this if you have the opportunity, so it was a pleasure to create an illustration to support Logan's story.
With this one, a scene in his story reminded me of some of the covers of the schlocky horror paperbacks I used to read in the 80's and 90's, so I tried to create an illustration reminiscent of that period.  Check it out here and see how well you think I did.
Lovecraft EZine is, as always, free to read online, or you can grab a copy (with illustrations) for your mobile device for under a buck.  Either way, it's always worth a read, and just seems to be getting better with each issue.

Meantime, to whet your whistle, here's my illustration for Derek Ferreira's "A Counting Game" from last month's Roger Zelazny tribute issue.

New Work Published: Air Out My Shorts #162

Well....."work" in the sense that it took some time and effort to create something that someone else can use.  Certainly nothing of any lasting or redeeming value, but fun all the same.

The literary (for want of a better word) and very comedic podcast "Air Out My Shorts" features another of my short stories in their latest, and in my opinion one of their best, episode, # 162 - Cake or Death.
Longtime readers who are keeping count will realize that this is indeed my fifth time going to this well, previous appearances being in episodes 39, 80,  103, and 122.  This time around, I take a crack at their patented Plot Plunger and come up with something that I can't describe in 25 words or less, but to which you should give a listen.  Show hosts Preston Button and the Word Whore really do a tremendous job of butchering the story in their signature way, and it makes for a very entertaining experience.

Click the link to download the episode directly, or go to their website to check out the other great things they have to offer.

New Work Published: Sky Pirates of Valendor 2.6

Fresh up from Jolly Rogue Studios, it's "Sky Pirates of Valendor" Vol. 2, Issue 6.   I had the pleasure of doing the cover for this one, my second piece of work for this series (I had a pinup back in Volume 1).

From the book's description:

"Welcome to the World of Valendor, a bold new world where steam-powered ships sail across the sky and where you’ll find that the standard heroes come in any shape or form—even Pirate!

Change is coming to the Elven people of Galia. The oppression of the Death Guard will come to an end. Change is a very dangerous and deadly game though. No one knows this better than Tobin Manheim. Good thing he brought back up and his name is Bryan Sprighammer. With hammer and gun in hand, Bryan has a tough enough job fighting the hordes of the Death Guard. Imagine the added responsibility of watching Tobin's backside.

 

Join us for the epic conclusion to Volume 2 of Sky Pirates of Valendor!"

 

 It's got steampunk, action, elves, a catwoman and a talking bear with a warhammer.  What more do you want from a comic book?

 

The current issue and all back issues are available right now at DriveThru Comics. Sky Pirates of Valendor...check it out!

New Work Published: Lovecraft Ezine # 18

I've been very busy lately with a series of small, private commissions that I, unfortunately, cannot run here.  Meantime, though, I've been able to squeeze in a couple of more public pieces of work that I will be sharing here as they become available.  First and foremost is the latest issue of Lovecraft Ezine, issue #18.

I've sung the praises of this magazine here before, not only for having the wisdom to accept me onboard as an illustrator, but also because I am a rabid Lovecraftian fiction fan who regularly scours the net for new sources of eldritch fiction.  The Lovecraft Ezine is, at present, one of the two best and most reliable feeders of my particular addiction (the other being Innsmouth Free Press, who haven't had the wisdom to take me on board yet, but I'll work on that...).  Editor and publisher Mike Davis works tirelessly each month to put together a package that's sure to please any fan of HPL's work, and lovers of good, dark fiction in general.  And let me tell you...this month he's outdone himself.

Issue 18 of Lovecraft Ezine is a tribute to not only Lovecraft himself, but also to another writer who, until recently, I had no idea had written anything in the Mythos....Roger Zelazny.  I've long appreciated Zelazny's "Amber" series as one of the most entertaining fantasy/sci-fi series of its time, and I've read a few short pieces by Zelazny that I thought were entertaining, but to my chagrin, that's about as far as my involvement with the writer went.  Then, recently, Mike Davis announced that this month's issue of the Ezine would be themed around Zelazny's novel, "A Night in the Lonesome October", which I had never before heard of, let alone read. 
Unable to resist the call to illustrate something related even loosely connected with such a writer, and discover some new Lovecraftiana at the same time, I grabbed a copy immediately and plowed through it as quickly as possible.  And thoroughly enjoyed it.  For anyone who hasn't read it, Zelazny's novel brings together a group of important 19th Century literary figures in a series of events closely related to the Mythos of Lovecraft's fiction, in a story that crosses genres from mystery to horror to historical fiction nimbly and enjoyably in a way that few writers can.  Here's the kicker:  the story is told from the perspective of the characters' pets.  Mainly from the viewpoint of a dog.  See, each character has an animal "familiar" - a dog, a cat, a snake, etc. - who assist their human counterparts in the proceedings of the novel, and the story told is as much, if not more, their story as it is that of the significant figures involved.
Aside from lifting the story from a pastiche of Lovecraft, this device allows Zelazny to inject a level of wry humour into what could otherwise be a very serious, almost bleak, story.  It is this unusual perspective that provides much of the raw entertainment of the story and makes it stand out from most of the other works written in the context Lovecraft created.

With this issue of the Ezine, Davis put the call out to writers to submit stories based around the events and characters in "A Night in the Lonesome October", and got back a wealth of fantastic work.  The list of authors includes authors such as William Meikle, Edward Morris, and Orrin Grey, among many others.  Eight stories and an essay in all, each illustrated by the talented crew of the Ezine, including yours truly.  Here's the thing:  the introduction for this issue is written by none other than Trent Zelazny, Roger's son and a successful author in his own right.  It's as close as the magazine could come to getting a blessing from the man himself.

This time around, I had the pleasure of illustrating "A Counting Game" by Derek Ferreira, a macabre tale featuring a certain prototypical vampire hunter and a famous detective...and a small menagerie of animals, including a vampiric bunny rabbit.  No joke. 
For this one, having recently been inspired by the art of Mark Summers in a Poe collection we had kicking around the house, I decided to try out a new style.  I'll let you decide how well I succeeded at it.

So, while I know I've urged this before, let me say with all sincerity that if you only ever try one issue of Lovecraft Ezine, it should be this one.  Not that you're likely to stop at one, what better place to start?
Remember, this thing is free to read online.  Of course, I highly recommend you do as I will do and support the magazine by purchasing a Kindle or Nook edition to read on your e-things, but that's up to you.  Either way, you should check it out, and don't forget to leave a comment, either here or at the Ezine's website, to let me or the other creators know what you think of the work.

Lovecraft Ezine #18 - perfect pre-Halloween reading.

Stuff I Like: District of Wonders

In my previous "Stuff I Like" post, I explored my enjoyment of podcasts with Marc Maron's "WTF", and I commented that podcasts are like magazines for my ears.  I think that statement is most true in the context of the shows available through the "District of Wonders" podcast network, podcast magazines from producer Tony C. Smith. 

My love of genre-based, fiction oriented magazines goes back to my teenage years when I was gifted with a subscription to "Fantasy and Science Fiction" magazine.  Through it's page, still pulpy at the time, I discovered for the first time such great fiction as Robert Holdstock's "Mythago Wood" and Stephen King's "The Gunslinger", but I also was given the opportunity to explore such treats as science-based nonfiction articles, editorials by and about the greats of science fiction, poetry (some of it laughably and intentionally bad), and, oddly, the cartoons of Gahan Wilson.  From that springboard, I spread my appreciation of the format to include such titles as "Omni", "Twilight Zone", "Asimov's", and then back into the past with "Weird Tales", "Astounding" and the many other pulps I have discovered, and am still discovering along the way.

These days, life and schedules being what they are, I don't have nearly as much time to devote to chasing and enjoying these magazines as I used to, and for years there's been a slightly immature part of my brain urging me to put aside my responsibilities more often and spend more time in my reading chair with a stack of good magazines.  That's why I was so pleased (or, as the aforementioned Tony C. Smith might say, "chuffed") to discover Tony Smith's first podcast "Starship Sofa" and plug it's feed into my podcatcher, as it comes as close as anyone can to recreating the format of those beloved magazines in audio format.  The fact that it does so on a weekly basis is just gravy.  Sweet, sweet gravy.
 
Each week, Smith combines fact articles such as Amy H. Sturgis explorations into genre history and J. J. Campanella's science articles with at least one usually fantastic and generally long piece of science fiction, with stops along the way for poetry, novel previews and other amusing asides.  The fiction is usually the main focus of the episode, with such featured authors as Michael Moorcock, Gene Wolfe, Ray Bradbury and other giants of the genre.  The readings are well produced and of the highest quality, as the stories deserve.
The blend of fiction and nonfiction in a structured format with such a commitment to quality and reliability make this a true podcast magazine, and one well deserving of the listener's attention.

Earlier this year, Smith expanded his network to include the so far excellent horror-based podcast "Tales to Terrify", hosted by Lawrence Santoro.  Carrying on the format and standards developed by Starship Sofa, this show boasts some unique and informative movie reviews and insights into genre history, as well as presenting fiction from some of the greats of its own genre such as William Hope Hodgson, H. P. Lovecraft , Kim Newman and John Shirley.  Santoro makes for a genially creepy host, with much first hand knowledge about the genre and a connoisseur's eye for fiction.  As a longtime fan of old time radio shows, I'm always especially pleased to hear him evoke E.G. Marshall in his closing each week.

More recently, the District of Wonders network has expanded again with two new podcasts, Crime City Central, based on mystery stories, and (the frankly unfortunately names for purposes of alliteration) Protecting Project Pulp, presenting stories from the golden age of pulp magazines.  Although new, each of these promises to become foremost in the field for their genre, acting as much as archivists of the best in their respective genres as much as audio entertainment. 

With such a wealth of audio on a weekly basis, the only problem is keeping up with it all.  Just these four shows alone could satisfy a normal audio-fictionophile's (I just made that word up; didja notice?) appetite.  In combination with the other excellent podcasts out there (more about which in another post), it's a veritable auditory cornucopia.

The District of Wonders podcasts are, I think, reigniting a love of the genres they represent.  Through their deliberate and intelligent selection of material, they are at the same time providing a sense of artistic and cultural validity to that material.  Fans of well-presented literature in general, and sci-fi, horror, mystery and pulp in particular, owe it to themselves to plug the District of Wonders shows into their podcatchers and discover some of the best audio magazines the internet has to offer.

New Work Published: Tummy Ticklers

Fresh out on Amazon is something for the little 'uns that I've had the pleasure of illustrating.  It's "Tummy Ticklers:  151 Funny Jokes for Kids" by Ella Kennan, with my own work in color on the cover and in black and white at various spots throughout the book.
This is not the sort of thing I usually do, but every once in a while it's nice to break out of my usual genre-based mold and do something fun with a sense of humour.  For this particular project, I drew a little on the style of classic artist Jack Davis to try to produce illustrations that had a good visual punch to back up the jokes written by Ella.
Make no mistake:  this book is for kids, or at least the young at heart.  You're not going to find sophisticated humour a la George Carlin or Bill Hicks in these pages.  Not even Jackie the Joke Man, for that matter.  The good news is:  this book is for kids.  It contains the kind of puns and wordplay I love to torture my own kids with, and that I find always engaging enough for young minds to get them started coming up with their own jokes and one liners.  If you're looking for a conversation starter with your child or something amusing to share with your classroom, this book would be a good place to start.
Even better is the price.  It's available on Kindle right now for a meager 99 cents.  At that price, you could even gift it to your young one(s) to get them reading on their own.  Just be sure you get them to tell you how much they liked the illustrations.

Avast Me Hearties! Sky Pirates Ahead!

Sky Pirates of Valendor, for whom I'll be doing the cover of their next issue, is running an Indiegogo campaign to raise some funds to print the 2nd collection of their comics.  For your buy-in (as little as $10!) you can get all kinds of goodies, ranging from a limited edition print by a Marvel artist, up to a starring role in the comic, complete with a custom comic story, written and drawn around your own character.  It's some pretty cool stuff, from a pretty cool publisher.  Even better, 14% of their proceeds will be going to benefit victims of the Colorado Dark Knight shooting.  I recommend you head over there and check out their project page...or I might just have to make ye walk the plank.  Yarr, and other piratey noises.

If you want to see what Sky Pirates is all about before you throw tons of cash at them, or if you just want to read some good comics, you should head over to their DriveThru Comics page and check out their incredible bundle deal.  For a meager $5.00, you get the whole story so far, including the collected Sky Pirates Vol. 1 and all 5 issues of Vol. 2 to date. That way, you'll be all primed when issue 6 with my cover hits the virtual stands. 

New Work Published: A Drizzle of Zombies by Joshua Price

Available now at Amazon's Kindle store, "A Drizzle of Zombies" by Joshua Price features a cover created by your truly.  This book is the latest in Price's "Annals of Absurdity" series, for which I'll also be providing the next two covers. 
From the book's description:

"Four unlikely heroes. One absurd undertaking.

Like any good supervillain, Dr. Malevolent robs banks, but when the incompetent Captain Rescue intercepts her latest heist, they accidentally trigger a most undeadly threat: zombies! The two sworn enemies must band forces to save the world, dragging along the perfect allies: a shotgun-toting cop, and... a bunny?

The group ventures to the heart of the undead sea to discover who wants to annihilate humanity. Because zombies are only the beginning. Dun dun dun.

The flood starts in... A Drizzle of Zombies."

The basic design for the cover came from Joshua himself, but in my creative contribution, I tried to keep the tone of the piece light to complement the work inside.  In rendering the elements for the cover, I deliberately tried to recall the style of some of the popular humour novels on the market now (see Amy Sedaris's books , for example), while using darker tones and linework to communicate the more genre-based elements of the book.  Joshua's work is an entertaining blend of humour, action and sci-fi/superhero fiction, so the trick was to find the right balance between light and dark.  I think the end result works rather well.  Comments?

A book like this would make for some excellent summer reading, especially for those fond of work by authors like Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams or Christopher Moore.  Just the thing for an afternoon at the beach or a few idle hours spent hanging around the coffee shop.

New Work Published: Lovecraft Ezine Issue 15

Available now, for your eldritch enjoyment, is issue #15 of the Lovecraft Ezine.  This time around, I illustrate the lead story, "Bus Stop" by Jerod Brennen.  I had a lot of fun producing art for this creepy little tale, helped by the fact that I was watching the new version of "The Thing" while I drew it, so I think it has an extra little bit of tentacular goodness.
You can read the story and see the illustration for free here, or, as always, you can get the magazine on your Kindle or Nook. 
Also, while you're at the site, why not check out their store...there's lots of interesting Lovecraft related goodness there, including some fantastic statues that are at least worth looking at.
Meantime, here's my illustration from issue 12 of that same magazine, from the story "A Catechism for Aspiring Amnesiacs" by Nicole Cushing.  It's really more of a photo-manipulation, but I think it was very effective, and earned me some good comments from the story's author, so I must have done something right.  Enjoy.

New Work Published: Powers vs. Power Volume 3!

It's been too long since we've had a new volume of stories from Robin Reed, so I am happy to report that the latest and final chapter in the Powers Vs. Power saga has just been released.  Once again, I am happy to have provided the cover art for this collection of superhero-based stories, this time with a tribute to some classic superhero comic book covers (a cookie for you if you can name the issues being referenced!).  You can see a preview of the cover below, but to get the book you've got to head over to Smashwords and grab it for just 99 cents!  While you're there, be sure to grab the first two volumes in this series, and let me also recommend Robin's other book, "Mama" and "Halloween Sky",  two of the finest works of horror available on Smashwords.  You could grab the lot of them for just a few bucks and have yourself a summer's worth of good reading.  I know I've just nabbed a copy of "Powers vs. Power" vol. 3 and am looking forward to diving back into that world.  With a cool cover like this, how could you say no?

He Sung the Body Electric: RIP Ray Bradbury

Naturally, the net is abuzz with the news that Ray Bradbury passed on. To say that his work has been influential on me is beyond understatement. "Something Wicked This Way Comes" gave my consciousness a good kick in the pants when I first read it, and I think "Halloween Tree" should be recommended reading for every young person. I have had the pleasure not only of reading his work, but also of hearing recordings of him reading his own stories, listening to dramatizations of his work in OTR show like "X Minus One" and seeing him host television adaptations of his stories in "Ray Bradbury Theatre".  Actually, I don't think there's a medium I enjoy where I haven't encountered Bradbury at some point.
I still find myself turning to Bradbury time and again, most often when I'm looking to experience that wistful, bittersweet sentimentality of which he was clearly a master.  I don't think there's an October that passes without my breaking open at least one of his stories, and knowing that there's still a lot of his work I haven't read, I don't know that there ever will be such an October.

 In his collection "Quicker Than the Eye", Bradbury had a story, "Last Rites", in which a time traveler visits famous authors on their deathbed to see them off with the knowledge their work would long outlive them and move readers for generations to come.  While I cannot see that an author like Bradbury was unaware of his own effect on literature, I do like to fancy that in his final days he was blessed with a time traveler of his own.  Certainly if any author in this last century deserved such a visit, it was him.

"I give you my hand on it, and pledge my soul and my heart's blood." The visitor
moved to do just this, and the two men's fists fused as one. "Take these gifts
to the grave. Count these pages like a rosary in your last hours. Tell no one
where they came from. Scoffers would knock the ritual beads from your fingers.
So tell this rosary in the dark before dawn, and the rosary is this: you will
live forever. You are immortal."

Lovecraft eZine - Now on Amazon!

Did you know that you can now get the Lovecraft eZine via Amazon?  I mean, you've always been able to get it for your Kindle via their own website, but now the most recent issues, including the latest one, are available on Amazon as well.  Given the low price (just 0.99 per issue!) and the ease of Amazon's One-Click service (this is not just shilling....it really is about the easiest way to buy an ebook), it's got to be the best way of getting a regular dose of great writing on your ereader or mobile thingy.  I don't have any work in the May issue due to scheduling issues, but there's lots of talented people who do, and if you even slightly enjoy weird fiction, this magazine is well worth a look.

By the way, I am scheduled to have an illustration in the June issue, so make sure you grab that one as well.