I Am Running ( a short science fiction story )

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Introduction to “I Am Running” In 1969 my parents decided to leave our safely suburban, three-bedroom, two-bath house for a dumpy little place with one bathroom and no air-conditioning that was one block off the water in another part of… READ MORE

I Feel My Body Grow ( a short horror story )

Image courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

Introduction to “I Feel My Body Grow” The genesis of this story was simple: I wanted to sell a story to “100 Wicked Little Witch Stories.” During the ‘90s writer and editor Stefan Dziemianowicz helmed a number of anthologies for… READ MORE

Animal ( a short horror story )

Photo courtesy of ph.

INTRODUCTION I say this story was written in 1988 but don’t quote me on that. It was written in the 1980s, of that I’m sure. It has the tone of my ’80s fiction – bleak sketches set in a rural… READ MORE

‘Mall of the Dead’ ( a flash horror story )

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INTRODUCTION Have you ever been creeped out by a mannequin? I have. I don’t care what anybody says – they’re creepy. Every time I find myself in the presence of a mannequin I can feel the thing watching me. Sometimes,… READ MORE

‘Mister Dark’ (a short horror story)

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INTRODUCTION I’ve made no secret of the fact Stephen King greatly influenced my work, but there was another writer who played an equally important role in my evolution as a writer: Dennis Etchison. In the mid-’80s my friend and coworker… READ MORE

‘Nightwalk’ ( a short horror story )

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INTRODUCTION According to my-not-very good publication notes, I wrote “Nightwalk” in 1983. I wonder if that’s true. My recordkeeping back then was spotty. I never thought it necessary to keep track of production dates or publication credits. Now, as you… READ MORE

Object d’Art ( a flash fiction horror story )

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INTRODUCTION “Object d’Art” breaks all the rules. It’s the story of a man who takes his press releases too seriously. And it’s the story of a woman who is just as serious about her revenge. Finally, it’s a story about… READ MORE

Paradise Cafe (a short horror story)

INTRODUCTION Obviously I wrote this story a looong time ago. I mean, c’mon. A Falcon? The last Falcon rolled off the Ford assembly line in 1970, according to Dr. Google. But that’s OK because the central conceit of  “Paradise Café”… READ MORE

Post Office ( a short horror story )

Image courtesy of Phillip Pessar by way of a Creative Commons license. https://www.flickr.com/people/25955895@N03

INTRODUCTION I hate writing. I really do. I think my attitude toward writing is similar to that of my friend, Ray Aldridge, who once said (and I think he was quoting yet another writer), “I enjoy having written.” That suits… READ MORE