The novellas THE SILENCE & THE HOWL (2020) and, TATTER (2020) by Kaiter Enless are now available from Gumroad in EPUB formats.
Previously, Logos Literature ebooks were available exclusively to our Patreon patrons, but, understandably, not everyone will want to support on a continual basis; and so, for those who wish to purchase our ebooks directly, Gumroad will now be the place to do so.
§.00 The first book known to have been printed in English-America is the Whole Book of Psalms (Bay Psalm Book, or, New England Version Of The Psalms) and was printed by Stephen Daye in Massachusetts, 1640 (20 years after the pilgrims landed at Plymouth).
§.01 The New England settlers were partial to Henry Ainsworth’s version of the psalms, the first edition of which was published in 1612, titled The Book Of Psalms: Englished Both In Prose And Metre. With Annotations, Opening Words And Sentences, By Conference With Other Scriptures. However, Ainsworth’s Psalms, unsurprisingly, were not ubiquitous in their popularity; the Puritans of Massachusetts Bay favored T. Sternhold & J. Hopkin’s Psalms (featured in the Geneva Bible of 1569), yet Sternhold & Hopkin’s version was considered unacceptable by numerous nonconformists of the time (Cotton Mather, in his Magnolia Christi Americana, 1663-1728, described the Bay Colony Puritan’s opinions of the Ainsworth’s Psalms as a “Offence” to “The Sense of the Psalmist”). Thus, there was a desire for a book of psalms which was more true to the original Hebrew.
§.02 The book may be read online and in-full here.
Sources
THE LOGOS FICTION CIRCULAR is a weekly series which collects independent fiction from around the web so as to treat the works to a wider audience. Recommendations for new author/publisher inclusions are welcome.
§00. Editor’s note: Links affixed to author/publisher’s name (if any) will redirect to author/publisher social media; links affixed to story/article titles will redirect to a relevant site whereupon the named piece is archived. The ‘authors’ section focuses exclusively on individuals who author and publish their own literary work; the ‘organizations’ section focuses exclusively on independent presses (lit-mags, e-zines and other literary outlets comprised of more than one person) who publish fictive work of (at least) more than one author. Lastly, the ‘literary ephemera’ section focuses on non-fiction work, including (but not limited to) certain poems, such as news articles, reviews, interviews and critiques. All author/publication names arranged by alphabetical order (including ‘the’ and ‘a’).
§01. Editor’s note on criteria for inclusion: A publication is considered ‘independent’ if it does not rely upon the staff, organizational prowess, or financial backing, of one or more large corporation, academy, government or other large institution. For example, Sink Hollow Litmag will not be included in the circular, not due to the quality, or lack thereof, of their work, but rather, because they are supported by Utah State University (and thus, are not independent); Thin Air Magazine, likewise is supported (in part) by university funding and hence, will not be included.
§02. Editor’s note on timing of publication: All works included are those read by the editor during the week of publication; their inclusion does not mean that they were written / published the same week as the circular containing them.
AUTHOR (FICTION)
From Jane Dougherty, Ambush.
“… if I sit here much longer I’ll be so old I’ll have forgotten how to string a bow.” (J. Dougherty, Ambush)
From Jeff Coleman, The One That Got Away.
Giles has the man right where he wants him. He’s not a man, of course—at least on the inside—but something much worse… (Jeff Coleman, The One That Got Away)
From Little Fears, Be Someone.
“Is that another Sprite?” asked Cuttle.
“I think so,” sighed Parrotfish. “It’s depressing. They pass on so fast. They barely have time to figure out who they are.”
“I don’t care,” replied Cuttle. “When I was young, my mum said I could be anyone I wanted.”
“Isn’t that called identity theft?” asked Parrotfish. (LF, Be Someone)
From Shantanu Baruah, Whimsical—A Flash Fiction.
She was a mystery, no one knew where she came from. (S. Baruah, Whimsical)
From The Dark Netizen, the microfiction, Beast.
Its appearance disturbed the quiet of the forest.
The legendary beast was as beautiful as it was ferocious. It made quick work of most of the party. I was enthralled by its presence as it chewed up my last remaining partner. I did not want to harm it.
It didn’t resonate with those thoughts… (Netizen, Beast)
ORGANIZATION (FICTION)
From 101 Words, Exist To Nowhere by Lauren Everhart-Deckard.
We ripped the doors off my rusty mustang, Joni and I. They came off easy, like moth wings. (L. Everhart-Deckard, Exist To Nowhere)
From Aphotic Realm, Sherrick And The Train by Dan Maltbie.
A single BOT stood before the executive area with its blaster mechanically trained on the bounty hunter as a swarm of cleaning drones sprayed and tidied the offices beyond. When Sherrick neared, an electronic croaking emerged from the dingy security robot.
“HALT! Bounty hunter!” (D. Malbie, Sherrick & The Train)
From Crystal Lake Publishing, Shallow Waters Vol.1: A Flash Fiction Anthology (Kindle Edition) edited by Joe Mynhardt.
Shallow Waters—where nothing stays buried.
With twenty-two dark tales diving beneath the surface of loss, love, and life. (Amazon promo synopsis for Shallow Waters Vol.1)
From Horror Sleaze Trash, The Night I Drank With Bukowski’s Ghost by Benjamin Blake.
I took a sip of whiskey, and started playing air guitar along to the bluesy track coming over the speakers. (Benjamin Blake, The Night I Drank With Bukowski’s Ghost)
From Jellyfish Review, Repeat Visitor by Rachel Wagner.
he runs down the hill away from the green monster and steps down its steps to rescue his toys from the car. (R. Wagner, Repeat Visitor)
From Literally Stories, Beneath Your Skin by Rose Banks.
You weren’t yourself, that night. (R. Banks, Beneath Your Skin)
From Milk Candy Review, Bodily Fluids by Marissa Hoffmann.
Nicole Kidman says she doesn’t kill spiders or even ants. I wonder if that’s because she has people to do that for her? (M. Hoffmann, Bodily Fluids)
From New Pop Lit, Jerusalem by Zachary H. Lowenstein.
The air was crisp and cool. The scent of pine was wafting and the Earth continued to exist despite anyone’s desires. (Z. H. Lowenstein, Jerusalem)
From Reflex Press, Hagstone by Chloe Turner (excerpted from her book, Witches Sail in Eggshells).
She’d thrown off last night’s childish panic; had woken calm, absolved, a greedy hunger in her belly. The answer would come from the stones. (C. Turner, Hagstone)
From Short Prose, Bones (excerpted from Glass Lovers).
“This city lost its compass, I am telling you, Miguel. Bones. This city is filled with bones.” (Excerpted from Glass Lovers)
From Spelk, The Promise Of Science by Tim Love.
Mathematicians love finding connections between once unrelated topics.
Descartes connected geometry and algebra. He had less luck with body and mind — as different as time and space, he wrote. Einstein created space-time but couldn’t connect gravity with quantum mechanics.
Meanwhile entropy and aging took their toll, random mutations accumulating with each cell division, not all bad. The strongest survive. (T. Love, The Promise Of Science)
From The Cabinet Of Heed, Suppose by B. Lynn Goodwin.
Suppose Hannah, age 9, closed her eyes and announced, “I have windowless eyelids”? Would she be creative or silly? (B. L. Goodwin, Suppose)
From The Drabble, Spittin’ by Maura Yzmore.
After Mom turned the house into a shrine, with Father’s photos everywhere, his college graduation portrait spat on me from the windowsill. (M. Yzmore, Spittin’)
From The Fiction Pool, Suvvern Cabman by Tommy Sissons.
The occasional hedonistic partygoer, donned in the macabre, or barely donned at all, was passed out on the yellow lines, dreaming of fluidity – ex-partners and money. Slews of drunken plague doctors, Pennywises, Day of the Dead señors, mime artists, brash women with demonic and celestial get ups bustled into pools of human jungle at every doorway. (T. Sissons, Suvvern Cabman)
From Story Shack, The Lone Pine by Martin Hooijmans (with art by Lars de Ruyter).
In his grief he did not notice that the square had filled up with people, all looking up at him in expectation. When an amplified voice started speaking he noticed though. He also noticed that no one was laughing at him. Then, one by one, lights started flicking on in the buildings surrounding the square, and that’s when he saw. His fellow trees, all decorated as well, surrounded by people laughing happily, brightened the numerous rooms of the buildings. When they saw ‘Lone Pine’ in the middle of the square, he could swear many of them began to glow even more. His heart lifted. (M. Hooijmans, The Lone Pine)
LITERARY EPHEMERA (NONFICTION)
From Alina Hansen, Ceramic (poem #417).
From A Maldivian’s Passion For Romance, a review of Before Jamacia Lane by Samantha Young.
From Cajun Mutt Press, A Perceived Shift by Jonathan Hine.
From Cristian Mihai, Do You Want More Readers? Write Like Yourself.
From David A. Estringel, the poem AI! AI! AI! (A Tartarus For Youth) at Blood Moon Rising Magazine(Issue #77).
From Examining The Odd, Lord Dunsany (Edward Plunkett).
From Human Pages (Tim Miller), My Mother’s Sister by C. Day-Lewis.
From Jaya Avendel, the poem Inside The Heart.
From Joanna Koch (Horrorsong), Clutch.
From JPC Allen, a writing prompt for those seeking to try their hand at historical fiction.
From Monica Carroll, I Am A Thorn.
From New Pop Lit, a short piece on the literary works of Ayn Rand.
From Okay Donkey, the poem Wound Study by H. E. Fisher.
From Søren Gehlert, the poem I Care Beneath The Alcohol.
From The Mystique Books, a review of The Farm by Joanne Ramos.
From The American Sun, a rumination on American culture as reflected in the nation’s fiction in Quiet Desperation is the American Way.
And lastly, from Thoughts Of Steel, The Crucible.
THE LOGOS FICTION CIRCULAR is a weekly series which collects independent fiction from around the web. We are consistently on the look-out for new authors and publishers—recommendations are always welcome.
§00. Editor’s note: links affixed to author/publisher’s name will redirect to author/publisher social media, links affixed to story/article titles will redirect to the site whereupon the named piece is archived. The ‘authors’ section focuses on individuals who author and publish their own literary work, the ‘organizations’ section focuses upon independent presses, lit-mags, e-zines and other literary organizations who publish fictive work of multiple authors and ‘literary ephemera’ focuses on non-prose non-fiction literature, such as certain poems, news and art theory articles, reviews, interviews and critiques. All author/publication names arranged by alphabetical order (including ‘the’ and ‘a’).
§01. Editor’s note on criteria for inclusion: a publication is considered ‘independent’ if it is self-contained and sustaining, that is to say, if it does not rely upon the staff, organizational prowess or financial backing of large corporations, academies, governments or other large entrenched organizations. For example, Sink Hollow Litmag will not be included on the list, not due to the quality or lack thereof of their work, but rather, because they are supported by Utah State University (and thus, are not independent). All works which are included are those which were read by the editor during the week of publication; their inclusion does not mean that they were published the same week as the circular containing them.
AUTHORS
From Ian Kelly, Box Office.
Sex scandal followed drug rehab, relationship turmoil ran concurrent to family fall-outs.
All of it was box office. (I. Kelly, Box Office)
From Ramya Tantry, Human Trial.
“Subject 23 is not responding. Should we call it?”,the resident asked.
“Yes. Clear it and bring in Subject 24.”, the doctor replied.
“Doctor, Why are we killing humans?”
“We are not killing.Everything is trial and error until we find a perfect match.We are creating Super-humans.” (R. Tantry, Human Trial)
From Shreya Vikram, Like Dying, Yes.
There is no death without the dying, and yet there can be no comparison between a corpse and its body. (Vikram, Like Dying, Yes)
From Steve Hart, Promise of Shaconage—Act 85: The world changed (serialized novel).
This night was still and muggy. The river flowed slowly from the lack of rain. Everything seemed hot, even the cool grass and bed of ferns upon which he rested. (S. Hart, Promise of Shaconage)
From The Dark Netizen, The Misty Stone. The story of a jungle expedition gone awry. Reminiscent of H. Rider Haggard.
“Boss, why are we rushing it so much? Why not wait until this deathly fog reduces? We have lost half our men trying to navigate the perils of this jungle in such poor visibility. All this just for a stone?” (TDN, The Misty Stone)
From Thoughts of Steel, “Nomad” (our ending was your beginning).
It’s been so long since our brief eternity passed from wonderland. (Thoughts of Steel, Nomad)
ORGANIZATIONS
From our own site, the poem The Lord of Want and the short fictions, Lanterns In The Night, The Fissure, &, Strawberry Moon by K.E.—as well as Roadkill, a short story by D. A. Estringel.
For a moment there was nothing in all the world but those eyes. The fleeing shadows unmasking a face, bloodless as the white-bone of the moon which loomed above them like the half-formed relic-egg of some unimaginable beast, aborted-fetal in the endless gyre of its galaxial womb. (K E, Lanterns In The Night)
From Examining The Odd, a republication of American writer, Clark Ashton Smith’s short story, The Forbidden Forest (1943), and Dunce by Mike Russell.
‘What’s underneath the plaster, mister? Show us!’
They swear he has a third eye under there. (M. Russell, Dunce)
From Fictive Dream, The Storm by Suzannah V. Evans. The story a town which undergoes a strange, amphibious transformation.
When she undressed, it seemed to him that her skin was water. (S. V. Evans, The Storm)
From Gone Lawn, Home by Cecile Barlier.
Above the seat next to Jacqui, the head of my brother Guil surfaced like a puppet. (C. Barlier, Home)
From Jellyfish Review, A Great Fall by Mark L. Keats. Appears to be some of kind of political metaphor.
When it was reported on later, no one questioned how it had gotten up there, on the wall. There were no ladders or even built-in footholds. No trees to climb. Only an immense sense of presence. (Keats, A Great Fall)
From Jokes Review, Memo From Senior Management by Josh Trapani.
Hey, Team! Wasn’t last week’s mandatory active shooter awareness training a blast? Those instructors did a bang-up job. We were blown away! So glad we bit the bullet and shelled out for it. (J. Trapani, Memo From Senior Management)
From Literally Stories, Evil Is Afoot by Frederick K. Foote. A macabre tale of betrayal and retribution. That which is evil is not necessarily that which appears so.
“The night creature finds me sitting, waiting on the doorstep of the inn. It comes not as a raging monster, but as a handsome young gentleman dressed in quality and taste. I’m thankful for that consideration.” (F.K.F., Evil Is Afoot)
From Lost Balloon, Terrarium by Amanda Hays.
He never watches reality television, says it makes him feel weird to spy on all those other humans. He stares at the lizard. (A. Hays, Terrarium)
From Molotov Cocktail, Slip The Collar by Kelsey Ipsen.
The physiotherapist is pulling and tugging at me. We hear a crack in my shoulder and see that a bone has popped out of my skin. We both stare, the bone is shiny-white and oddly sharp.
“It will get worse before it gets better,” the physiotherapist reminds me, and I nod before arranging my next appointment. On my way home, I purchase a lightweight and oversized jacket to cover up my protrusion. I don’t want to offend anyone. (K. Ipsen, Slip The Collar)
From Musepaper, President Marilyn Monroe Devours Her Young by Joanna Koch.
I’m going to disappoint you. But you know that already. If I don’t, you’ll keep me around and alive. And where will that leave us? Like an old married couple. (J. Koch, President Marilyn Monroe Devours Her Young)
From Okay Donkey, Ganymede by Chelsea Harris.
The owners before us were in their seventies, stabbed in the heart and the neck by a couple high on junk, looking for money. (C. Harris, Ganymede)
From Poetry Under Cover, Traitor by Indira Reddy.
i sigh,
my traitor body,
slipping towards
evolutionary dead-end,
evokes moments
where we touched
the soul (I. Reddy, Traitor)
From Reflex Fiction, Arigatou by Max Riddington. A somber meditation on fading memory.
My dad is speaking Japanese. With a Leicester accent. He is not Japanese but was in Hiroshima during the war, after the bomb dropped, so he picked up a few phrases, none my mum ever wanted to hear. Back then he was eighteen and had hair. Small compensation for knowing every day you might die. (Riddington, Arigatou)
From Short Fiction Break, Forked Tongue by Jess Bagnall.
I try moving to shift the feeling; only to find my body frozen in place. (J. Bagnall, Forked Tongue)
From Spelk, I Love Our Voices When We Sing Off-Key by Timothy Boudreau.
I tell you we have our own light, our own suffusion (T. Boudreau, I Love Our Voices When We Sing Off-Key)
From Splonk, Drowning A Mermaid by Gerard McKeown.
I asked where all the water went.
‘All around the world,’ you said, then dived in yourself. (G. McKeown, Drowning A Mermaid)
From The Arcanist, What Do You See When You’re Both Asleep? by Christi Nogle.
It was strange at first, like seeing colors you haven’t seen before.
You’re supposed to train for several months before it’s safe to use full-time. (C. Nogle, What Do You See When You’re Both Asleep?)
From The Drabble, Riding Motorcycles by Dianne Moritz.
Driving down Flying Point
Road today, I thought
of you and me winding
up Mount Tamalpais,
dust coating our happy lips. (D. Moritz, Riding Motorcycles)
From The Fiction Pool, The Carriage by Adam Kieffer.
My forehead yawns above my eyebrows to the brown grey tufty triangle formerly known as my hairline. I can live with the grey hairs (in fact I think they are quite distinguished for a man of my position) but the thinning & the receding? (A. Kieffer, The Carriage)
From X-R-A-Y, The Call Was Coming From Inside The Cockroach by Maggie Dove (RomComDojo), a charming tale about the peculiarities of regional pride in America.
I found out that day that the real, scientific term for the legendary New York cockroach is the “American Cockroach”.
They were the same goddamned bug.
And New Yorkers still said theirs were superior. (Dove, The Call Was Coming From Inside The Cockroach)
LITERARY EPHEMERA
From Drunken Pen, Facing Rejection & Fighting Imposter Syndrome.
From the Guildy Pleasures podcast (S01 E05, 01-28-2018), Dan Klefstad reads a excerpt, entitled, Hauptsturmführer Soren, from his novel-in-progress, The Guardian.
He’s also come up with a Hollywood pitch-line.
From JPC Allen, Writing Tip—Benefits of Screenwriting.
From HorrorMadam, a interview with horror author, Nick Stead.
From New Pop Lit, The Literary Brat Pack, on the authorial trio of Bret Easton Ellis, Jay McInerney and Tama Janowitz.
From Rebecca Gransden, news on the release of her new novella, Sea of Glass.
From Silent Motorist Media, a interview with author, S. L. Edwards.
§00. Editor’s note: links affixed to author/publisher’s name will redirect to author/publisher social media, links affixed to story/article titles will redirect to the site whereupon the named piece is archived. The ‘authors’ section focuses on lone individuals who publish their own literary work, ‘organizations’ section focuses upon independent presses, lit-mags, e-zines and other literary organizations who publish fictive work of multiple authors and ‘literary ephemera’ focuses on non-prose non-fiction literature, such as certain poems, news and art theory articles, reviews, interviews and critiques. All author/publication names arranged by alphabetical order (including ‘the’).
§01. Editor’s note on criteria for inclusion: a publication is considered ‘independent’ if it is self-contained and sustaining, that is to say, if it does not rely upon the staff, organizational prowess or financial backing of large corporations, academies, governments or other large entrenched organizations. For example, Sink Hollow Litmag will not be included on the list, not due to the quality or lack thereof of their work, but rather, because they are supported by Utah State University (and thus, are not independent).
§. AUTHORS
From Shreya Vikram, Paper Doll, by Shreya Vikram. A phantasmal and cautionary digression on art and emotion.
The heart, you see, is a deceitful thing. Its blood will choke you as fast as it gushes with life. In the end, it’s your heart that will guide the knife to your own throat.
— Paper Doll
From Steve Hart, Promise of Shaconage (pronounced Sha-co-NAH-hey), a novel in serialized form. One of the most interesting new literary projects I’ve yet come across. Highly recommended.
The river teemed with danger.
Timpoochee sensed it and was, suddenly, unsure about it all.
Water was Timpoochee’s love. The river, the long man, running from the tops of the mountains of the blue world to the great salt water was the beginning of all life. The water feeds his rich land, tapped by tall, stately pines which sway in the wind and moan soft, low protests to the disturbance…
— Promise of Shaconage, Act 1: The Water
From The Dark Netizen, Purpose. A (very) short horror story.
“I noticed you. That proves you are unusual,” said the Scarecrow; “and I am convinced that the only people worthy of consideration in this world are the unusual ones. For the common folks are like the leaves of a tree, and live and die unnoticed.”
— Purpose
§. ORGANIZATIONS
From 101 Words, The Visitor, flash-fiction by Renate Schiansky. Anticipation and diffidence. Feels like a story half-told. Like so many flash-fiction pieces, I wish it were longer.
“Everything must be in perfect shape for him! She vacuums the carpet and swipes the tiles. The doorbell rings. Her heart beats faster.”
— The Visitor
From Fictive Dream, Being The Murdered Professor, by Cathy Ulrich. On a death in a family and life thereafter. Curious in that it is written in the style of a eulogy, but to the dead, rather than the living. There isn’t much in the way of a resolution but, perhaps, that was the point.
The minister will stand at the front of the chapel. He’ll barely need the microphone clipped to his lapel, his voice rising like riverflow. He’ll read the words of Matthew, Mark, John, Paul. He’ll say this song was written by a man who lost everything, have the congregation sing It Is Well With My Soul. The minister will relate to your death through the words of men, the minister will fill the chapel with the words of men.
— Being The Murdered Professor
From Flash Back Fiction, From Darjeeling, With Love, by Kiira Rhosair. The tale of beleaguered field worker. The story, like many of Flash Back Fiction’s published pieces, is accompanied by a audio reading of the text. Ms. Rhosair has a novel forthcoming.
“Uphill, lush rows of foliage are speckled with faded cotton saris. Her sisters in suffering have moved on. She wonders if one might have a drop to spare. Neither her legs nor her voice will carry up. The country is free but she is not, trapped in the mazes of this place the sahibs call Heppi Balli.”
— From Darjeeling, With Love
From Flash Fiction Magazine, A Touch of Glass, by Rob McClure Smith. A tale of a deranged man who believes he is made out of glass. I don’t agree with the illusioned man that we are “all glass” but many people are certainly more brittle than they might outwardly appear. Additionally, Mr. Smith’s prose is very good. Looking forward to more of his work.
“You think a mirror lies?”
“A window is not a mirror,” I informed him.
“We are all glass,” he said, looking very serious. “The slightest touch of another breaks us, and we return to nothing. You are a glass man for I see right through you.”
— A Touch of Glass
From Monkeybicycle, An Imaginary Number, by Sian Griffiths. A whimsical tale of a mathematically talented girl who encounters waltzing beings from another planet.
“That night, she danced with aliens. They spoke to her in math.”
— An Imaginary Number
From Public House Magazine, Solstice (1998), by Dan Klefstad. The story of a seemingly normal man who works for a extraordinary being, a alluring and mysterious vampire named Fiona; however, problems arise when another vampire, the cold and aristocratic Søren Fillenius, arrives at their residence.
A fantastic work. Highly recommended.
“Fiona never spoke with me about anything like this. She’s only 230. I assumed she’d be fine as long as I set my alarm each night before dawn. My voice cracks: ‘Fiona expects to die before you do?'”
— Solstice
From Reflex Press, Have We Got A Story For You?, by Al Kratz. A flash piece wherein a fly named Notorious is slain and creativity is embraced in all its undulations, its peaks and pitfalls.
“Why should the dull get light? We shove notes into our back pockets and judge the end of the storm.”
— Have We Got A Story For You?
From Surfaces, A Good Thing In Bad Shape by Shane Jesse Christmass. A short tale of a hard-scrabble American couple living fast in metropolis. Mr. Christmass wields a unique, quicksilver style that, to my knowledge, bares few comparisons. *best of the week
“A great dome full of machinery … intricate mechanisms … molten metal.”
— A Good Thing In Bad Shape
From Terror House Magazine, First Day In Hell, by Dior. A black comedy of a hapless souls argent passage through the fiery deep. The story is quite humorous, though the writing feels a bit rushed. In my opinion, the author has quite a promising career ahead as a social satirist.
The man came across another person for the first time since his arrival. It was a man hanging from a medieval-style gallows, but his eyes were open and moving. “Hello?” the man asked, as more of a test rather than a greeting. “Hello. You’re new, I assume,” the hanged man replied. “Yeah, I just got here,” the man replied, still hopping from foot to foot. “How long have you been up there?” “Since 2006,” the hanged man replied with a sigh. “Why are you down here; you seem like a normal old man,” he asked, looking up at the elderly man dangling from the rope. “Well, it’s a long story. When you get to reception, ask the Devil if you can use a computer and Google John Money; that’s my name. That will tell you all that you need to know-”
— First Day In Hell
From The Arcanist, Lucky Albert, by K. C. Shaw. A tale of a man who is continuously assailed by a mysterious assassin and yet remains completely and impossibly unscathed. Things are not as they seem…
“Someone tried to kill me!” Albert joined a group of his followers and accepted the first of what he expected would be many pints. “I was on my way down the Varner Fell when a boulder tumbled in front of me. It missed me by inches!”
“Just an accident, unfortunately,” someone muttered.
“Oh yes?” Albert said, instantly belligerent — his defining trait. He swaggered over to the man who had spoken, an elderly shepherd with a dog under his chair. “That’s the third time this week alone I’ve had an accident.”
— Lucky Albert
From X-R-A-Y, Now He Sees Shadows, by Gregg Williard. On George W. Bush, Heinlein and art.
“I appreciate your point of view,” he told me. “But many Americans do not enjoy modern art or space stories. That’s what makes our democracy great. And why the enemies of freedom hate us.”
— Now He Sees Shadows
§. LITERARY EPHEMERA
From New Pop Lit, How To Change Literature, by Karl Wenclas. A short update on NPL’s still-congealing literary model, which they dub the “3D Story.” Very interested to see its debut (and if you’re a author or avid reader then you probably should be too).
“EVERYONE involved in the literary game in any way needs it– including at the highest levels, which are filled with caretakers and functionaries as much as literary artists. The scene is starved for a new kind of product– akin to the automobile business in the early 1950’s before the arrival of the Corvette, the Thunderbird, and the Mustang. (Especially had the only models available back then been stodgy Studebakers and Ramblers. Which is the condition of today’s established literary world.)”
— How To Change Literature
Thank you for reading. If, in place of buying a cup of (probably over-priced) coffee, you would like to support our work, you can do so here.
§00. Editor’s note: links affixed to author/publisher’s name will redirect to author/publisher social media, links affixed to story/article titles will redirect to the site whereupon the named piece is archived. The ‘authors’ section focuses on lone individuals who publish their own literary work, ‘organizations’ section focuses upon independent presses, lit-mags, e-zines and other literary organizations who publish fictive work of multiple authors and ‘literary ephemera’ focuses on non-prose non-fiction literature, such as certain poems, news and art theory articles, reviews, interviews and critiques. All author/publication names arranged by alphabetical order (including ‘the’).
§01. Editor’s note on criteria for inclusion: a publication is considered ‘independent’ if it is self-contained and sustaining, that is to say, if it does not rely upon the staff, organizational prowess or financial backing of large corporations, academies, governments or other large entrenched organizations. For example, Sink Hollow Litmag will not be included on the list, not due to the quality or lack thereof of their work, but rather, because they are supported by Utah State University (and thus, are not independent).
§. AUTHORS
¶From Glahn, Goats. The less that is said about Glahn’s absolutely fantastic tale of chanting stick-pointers, the better. Highly recommended (if, that is, it is still up, the author’s posts are removed at regular intervals).
*Best of the week.
“Merrily we walked out of the town in the opposite direction of the bridge. Out of the town. Grand, huh? to expel yourself, to follow the inclinations of self-exile! I had forgotten I was a single thing back there but now I felt my rugged old heart swell and spill-”
— Goats
¶From Julian Gallo (via Medium), An Ashcan Burns At The Feet Of Christ. An allegory, equal parts poetic and grim.
“In the back alleys of Jerusalem a prophet lies naked, drunk and covered in sick-”
— An Ashcan Burns At The Feet Of Christ
§. ORGANIZATIONS
¶From Cheap Pop, Hell, by Jennifer Wortman. A story of dogma and youthful social fracture.
“She’s a part of your world, like the buckeye tree at the edge of your yard and the cardinals and robins that land there, and the dandelions everywhere, and the fat worms shining on the sidewalk after it rains.”
— Hell
¶From Literally Stories, The Shroud of Tulsa, by John B. Mahaffie, a story of the ways in which the most mundane and miniscule details can be transmogrified into myth.
“So before too long, starting with Tina retelling the stories all that day, and forgetting details and substituting some of her own, we ended up with water turned into wine, a man walking on water, and what came to be called the Shroud of Tulsa, now Plexiglass-encased at the Free and Independent Church of the Almighty on Leedy Turnpike, out past the landfill. “Tulsa,” since “Shroud of Springdale” doesn’t sound like anything.”
— The Shroud of Tulsa
¶From STORGY, I Did Not Push My Wife Off A Cliff, by Steve Gergley.
“I was there. And let me just say that that game was a heck of a lot closer than fifty-eight to nothing would suggest to the layman—er, excuse me—laywoman—God forbid I offend anyone…”
— I Did Not Push My Wife Off A Cliff
From Terror House Magazine, Anfisa, by Serge Clause. A tale of longing set in Russia.
“As time went on, spring came and the frost stopped. My friends took out their iron horses, and we from Stars Town began to ride our motorcycles in Ulan-Ude.”
— Anfisa
¶From The Arcanist, Leave No Trace, by Gabrielle Bleu.
“The damage from the wildfire five months ago was extensive. The park still needed all hands to aid in its recovery. And there was that increase in poaching on protected lands, an abnormal thinning of elk and deer herds started shortly after the wildfire had subsided. Beth eyed her rifle case. Funny that, the way the two coincided.”
— Leave No Trace
¶From The Dark Netizen, Clouds. Ms. Jadeli (a commentator on Netizen’s site) had noted that, to her, it sounded like a “excellent beginning to a book.” I’d agree. Hopefully it will be expanded upon at a future-date.
“The villagers speculated that the boy was not right in his mind. They asked the other children to stay away from this child who seemingly suffered from poor mental health. However, the little boy did not mind being alone. He would hunt for food, bathe under the waterfall, and sleep on trees. He did not need anybody.”
— Clouds
¶From Surfaces, Terminal Lux, by Nick Greer, a peculiar, esoteric digression on simulation and class.
“:: dwell not on the epsilon beyond your binds.”
— Terminal Lux
¶From X-R-A-Y Literary Magazine, The Whole Flow, by Angie McCullah, the story of motherhood, illness and the fluidity of emotion.
“It is now just the boy and me and boxes of a chemical his own body can’t supply and also the beta fish in a bowl I bought to cheer him up. We sit in a small rowboat, bobbing. If you were to pull back from the tiny craft, a sunset pink behind us and a whole gray ocean slippery with fish and other sealife below, we would look like two brightly colored scraps barely tethered by my outrage, which is better, at least, than liquefying and drowning.”
— The Whole Flow
§. LITERARY EPHEMERA
¶Nothing to report.
Thank you for reading. If, in place of buying a cup of (probably over-priced) coffee, you would like to support our work, you can do so here.
Editor’s note: Links affixed to author/publisher names will redirect to author/publisher social media; links affixed to story/article names will redirect to the named story/article.
INDEPENDENT AUTHORS
First up, Andrea Nicosia published a untitled short story concerning a dream.
A dire battle, and I was fighting. — A. Nicosia
Jason Simon published, On Returning, a fever dream rumination on social isolation and personal transformation.
-my heart no longer felt affection for these alien people and their barbaric rituals, their trivial matters of fleeting importance or their malevolent, false gods. — On Returning
Noah J. Wayne published the long-form short story, Convict. A story of one woman struggling within a partially automated prison. Highly recommended.
“Five minutes have been added to your sentence due to disobedience,” the guard said. — Convict
Sara Codair published Are We Like The Phoenix? A steampunk flash-fiction concerning volcanoes and time-travel. Whilst the plot and characters were interesting, it suffered from the perennial problem which afflicts nearly all flash fiction: being too short.
Even over the rhythmic growl of the ships engine, Lisbeth heard thousands of micro gears churning away. Of all the arcane devices she possessed, this one was the most powerful. — Are We Like The Phoenix
Stumbled across Vic Smith‘s 2018 short story, Caged, a gritty crime thriller.
He’d got Frank out of Dartmoor, and had to stand guard over him in this dingy flat and wait for orders.
They hadn’t come. Whatever the plan had been, it had failed. — Caged
INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS
From Cheap Pop, Sanctus Spiritus, 1512 by Sarah Arantza Amador.
The camp cried and prayed, and she sat in her cage, focused on the smell of sea brine and the cook’s meaty neck. — Sanctus Spiritus, 1512
Also from Cheap Pop, Still Life With Prairie, 1860, by Natalie Teal McCallister.
Little girls be brave, brave as your mother. Little boys be meant for the earth, let your blood water the prairie and come alive again in the red of sunset. — Still Life With Prairie
From Coin Man Stories, Puzzles, Part 1, by José Alves de Castro.
– And now, for 200 points: Find the difference!
The audience stared excitedly as the contestants probed into the two universes looking for anything that might be different, each of the contenders searching differently for the tiniest changes. — Puzzles, Part 1
From Flash Fiction Magazine, Dead by Joe Cappello.
Martin Aurely was dead inside. It wasn’t physical, but a persistent feeling that there was no feeling. Where there is no feeling, there can be no life. — Dead
From Hagstone Publishing, Let Me In by Michelle Simpkins.
She can deal with the fingertips scuttling over the glass window of her front door. She can pretend they are tree branches scraping the house. She doesn’t mind the muddy footprints on the porch. If she doesn’t look too closely in the morning, she can tell herself an animal visited during the night.
It’s the voice that sends her diving under the blankets with crawling skin and clenched teeth. — Let Me In
From Jokes Review, Tropicana On Steroids by Sean Trolinder.
“You don’t drink juice from a needle.” — Tropicana On Steroids
From New York Tyrant Magazine, I Called Shotgun When You Died by Christopher Kennedy.
I come to understand eventually: There is no sun. There are no stars. The coast is never clear. — I Called…
From Reflex Press, Night Swimming by Susan Carol.
She could not swim but we still swim for her. Search the ocean for her and find her only at night. — Night Swimming
From Spelk Fiction, Roachburn, 1908 by Neil Campbell.
In the village of Roachburn, all blinds are drawn. The pregnant woman cries night and day. Another woman cries. A mother and an aunt cry too, behind walls buffeted by winds across the moorland. — Roachburn, 1908
From Terror House, Moments, Part 1 by Chika Echebiri.
I feel my shoulders slump as I begin to weep softly, thinking that Richard could be lying helplessly somewhere, seriously wounded or even dead. — Moments, Part 1
From X-R-A-Y, Blood! by Oliver Zarandi.
I remember, he says. Your life is one filled with tragedies. I may order another soup. — Blood!
LITERARY EPHEMERA
From Ghost City Press, Bird Bereavement by Alisa Velaj.
Morning was slow to come,
with a lonely canary in the other cage,
now facing the empty one in front.
Oh, how long we waited for our canary to sing!
Thanks for reading.
If you have recommendations for inclusions in the next LOGOS fiction circular, or wish to submit work to LOGOS, feel free to contact our administrator.
“All words are pegs to hang ideas on.” – Henry Ward Beecher
INDEPENDENT AUTHORS
The Dark Netizen published a installment in his on-going flash fiction horror series.
Part 1- Twittering Tale: Campfire
Part 2- Flash Fiction: Boots
Part 3- Flash Fiction: Stay Out
Part 4- Flash Fiction: Into The Woods
Part 5- Flash Fiction: Into The Woods 2
Part 6- Flash Fiction: The Woods
Roger and Gary heard their friend’s cries for help coming from the woods.
— The Woods
♦
Next, Ventures Heart by Westley Nash, from his personal website, Thoughts of Steel. The form of the short story is unusual in that it is written more akin to a play than a typical prose work, however there is a reason for this, as the entire story is relayed via the transmission logs of a one Captain Taylor of the colonial ship, Venture’s Heart.
This is Captain Taylor of the colonial ship “Venture’s Heart” recording my final log prior to our departure towards the Perseus system. I am pleased to say that we have a clean sheet! Not that I want to tempt fate of course, but all in all the first stage of this mission has been a resounding triumph. — Ventures Heart
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Stacey Chesters published her debut novel, To Play With Sadness, on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback editions.
Synopsis:
A story of music and memory…
a forgotten daughter wants to help her father to remember who she is after over 20 years of silence.The fear of not being recognized.
♦
INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS
From Jokes Review, The Racoonist by Lee Blevins, wherein Mr. Blevins proves himself quite an agile, energetic and off-kilter humorist.
Rex considered himself quite animal-friendly but his instincts and training were violence personified and PETA wouldn’t like it if I told you what he did to that critter after it bit him. — The Racoonist
From 101 Words, Emma’s Ghost, a ghastly piece of flash fiction from Gudrun Roy.
“What is it, Emma?” I asked, finding her at the front door. “Stop screaming; it’s okay.”
“Ghost!” Emma yelled, hysterical. She pointed to the warped panel of glass in the door-frame; a pale, hazy stranger hovered just behind it. — Emma’s Ghost
♦
From The Stray Branch, Family Tree by Dan Klefstad, a grim and captivating tale of vampiric lust.
Childbirth hurts because a woman’s organs force a living thing from her body. It’s a pity mortals don’t feel this pain more often. — Family Tree
♦
From X-R-A-Y, Domestic Terrorist by Meeah Williams. A distinctively styled short story, as humorous as it is fragmented and perplexing.
“Do you happen to know where this train is headed?” He said, “No. But wherever it’s going I hope they serve hamburgers there.” — Domestic Terrorist
♦
From Terror House Magazine, MadDog78 by A. Elizabeth Herting, a sad and moving tale of troubled man in failing health. A peeling away of simulacrum.
One of the best short stories I’ve read in a very long time.
Whenever she asked him for a picture, he’d send one at least five years old or make excuses about why he couldn’t take a new one. He knew he was being dishonest, but he didn’t want to scare away the only woman he’d ever loved. MadDog78 was his link to a possible future—or any kind of happiness—and he wasn’t about to screw it up with reality. — MadDog78
♦
LITERARY EPHERMA
Completed the illustrated novel Goblin Slayer (Vol. I) by Kumo Kagyu (which inspired the comic and animated series of the same name). The book recounts the tale of a man obsessed with exterminating goblins in a cliche-ridden tabletop-inspired fantasy world (the gods are capricious beings who control the characters in the story by rolling dice, not unlike players in a D&D campaign). Rather than the mythic heroes one typically expects to find in high fantasy works, the titular Goblin Slayer is more like a janitor, who does the dirty and seemingly trivial work which, out of pride and indolence, his compatriots refuse. Originality by way of cliche. Better than expected.
“Imagine that one day your home is suddenly attacked by monsters. They swagger into your village like it belongs to them. They kill your friends, they kill your family, they loot your home. Imagine that they assault your sister. They torture her, they rape her, they kill her. They desecrate the bodies of your family, do whatever they want, cackling all the while. And you see it all from where you’re hidden, trying not to breathe. How could you ever let that go? So you get a weapon, you train yourself, you learn, you grow. Everything you do is to help you take revenge. You search them out, hunt them down, you fight, you attack, and you kill them and kill them and kill them and kill them. Sometimes things go well, and sometimes they don’t. But each time you ask—how will I kill them next time? What’s the best way to kill them? Day after day, month after month, that is all you think about. When you get a chance, of course you test every idea you have. And when you’ve been doing all that long enough… You start to enjoy it.” — Goblin Slayer
♦
The American Literary Blog published a wonderful piece on the love poems of American writer, Albert Pike.
I am the soul of the Universe,
In Nature’s pulse I beat;
To Doom and Death I am a curse,
I trample them under my feet.Creation’s every voice is mine,
I breathe in its every tone;
I have in every heart a shrine,
A consecrated throne.— Albert Pike
♦
Lastly, from Rachelle Gardener, Tightening Your Writing, a brisk and insightful guide to shearing away superfluous words in a text. She follows a lot of time-tested advice such as omitting excessive use of passive voice (indicated by words such as “was,” “were,” and, “that”). Seasoned writers
♦
Thanks for reading.
If you have any recommendations for writers or outlets you think should be included, feel free to let us know.
Circular Notes: Fiction Circular is focused on unearthing, presenting, congratulating and critiquing the best in new, independent fiction. By independent, we mean small presses, litmags and e-zines (with a particular, though not exclusive, focus on American works). Work is separated into three categories: Independent Authors (which covers self-published prose-works), Independent Publishers (which covers work from self-sufficient sites that feature the work of independent authors) and Literary Ephemera (which covers everything that isn’t prose-fiction, ie. poetry, experimental works, literary reviews, news, etc). If you know a piece, author or site of literature that you think we should include in our circular, do let us know, either through our email (logosliterature@yandex.com) or via the social media account of our admin (Kaiter Enless).
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INDEPENDENT AUTHORS
Nothing to report.
♦
INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS
X-R-A-Y published LAND SPEED by Alex Evans.
“On October 24th, 2011, Oscar Valentine broke the land speed record riding his Schwinn through a suburb outside of Madison, Wisconsin. People said that this was impossible, that Oscar Valentine, being neither a professional high-speed driver nor a legal adult at the time of the achievement, could not have exceeded 760 miles per hour.” — LAND SPEED, A. Evans.
♦
From Terror House Magazine, Cannae (2019) by Proteus Juvenalis, a gripping and emotional tale of an unhappy and unfulfilled life and a fantastical flight from it. Mr. Juvenalis displays a unique prose style which mixes crisp minimalism with biting social commentary. He follows one of the best rules for short stories: omit needless words, as a consequence, we’d highly recommend his work.
“College-degreed, underemployed, on the wrong side of thirty. The scorn of my fellow American. Yeah, fuck you too.” — Cannae, P. Juvenalis.
♦
North-Californian literary journal, Jokes Review has released Issue 5, featuring both prose-fiction and poetry.
“It’s my ritual,” he told Kurt the night he set fire to his first Applebee’s. “It helps me really hear the record.” — Thomas Burned Down The Applebees But The New Record Sounds Amazing, Kevin Sterne.
♦
LITERARY EPHEMERA
Avani Singh of Blogggedit published a collection of her horror stories in the Kindle-available volume, Existence: They Do Exist (2019). I’m not really sure what to make of the name. Those who wish to support independent horror authors you can pick up a copy of her book through Amazon Kindle.
♦
Alina Hansen announces work has begun on her first novel and promises future updates on the process.
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Seasoned horror writer Laird Barron announces the definitive release date of book two of the Coleridge Series, Black Mountain.
♦
Thanks for reading.
If you enjoy our work you can support us here.
If there are any authors or publications you think should be included in the next circular, feel free to let us know in the comments.
E. M. Forster once said, “English literature is a flying fish.” Logos has gone fishing and below provides the bounty of our catch.
absquatulate — to leave somewhere abruptly
adscititious — additional
anfractuous — winding or circuitous
anguilliform — resembling an eel
apple-knocker — (US informal) an ignorant or unsophisticated person
argle-bargle — copious but meaningless talk or writing
argute — shrewd
astrobleme — an eroded remnant of a large, ancient crater made by the impact of a meteorite or comet
barn burner — (N. Amer.) a very exciting or dramatic event, especially a sports contest; first used in relation to an exceptionally good hand at bridge
benthos — the flora and fauna on the bottom of a sea or lake
bergschrund — a type of crevasse
bezoar — a small hard, solid mass which may form in the stomachs of animals such as goats or sheep
bibliopole — a person who buys and sells books, especially rare ones
bilboes — an iron bar with sliding shackles, used to fasten prisoners’ ankles
bindlestiff — (N. Amer.) a tramp
bingle — (Austral. informal) a collision
blatherskite — a person who talks at great length without making much sense
bobsy-die — a great deal of fuss or trouble
boffola — (N. Amer. informal) a joke that gets a loud or hearty laugh
boilover — (Austral. informal) a surprise result in a sporting event
borborygmus — a rumbling or gurgling noise in the intestines
bruxism — involuntary and habitual grinding of the teeth
bumbo — a drink of rum, sugar, water, and nutmeg
burnsides — a moustache in combination with whiskers on the cheeks but no beard on the chin
cacoethes — an urge to do something inadvisable
callipygian — having shapely buttocks
callithumpian — like a discordant band or a noisy parade
camisado — a military attack carried out at night
canorous — melodious or resonant
cantillate — to chant or intone a passage of religious text
carphology — convulsive or involuntary movements made by delirious patients, such as plucking at the bedclothes
catoptromancy — foretelling the future by means of a mirror
cereology — the study or investigation of crop circles
chad — a piece of waste paper produced by punching a hole
chalkdown — (S. African informal) a teachers’ strike
chiliad — a thousand things or a thousand years
claggy — (Brit. dialect) sticky or able to form sticky lumps
clepsydra — an early clock using the flow of water into or out of a container
colporteur — a person who peddles books, newspapers, or other writings
commensalism — an association between two organisms in which one benefits from the relationship and the other derives neither harm nor benefit
comminatory — threatening, punitive, or vengeful
concinnity — elegance or neatness of literary or artistic style
coprolalia — the involuntary repetitive use of obscene language
coriaceous — like leather
couthy — (Scottish; of a person) warm and friendly; (of a place) cosy and comfortable
criticaster — a minor or incompetent critic
crottle — a lichen used in Scotland to make a brownish dye for wool
croze — a groove at the end of a cask or barrel in which the head is fixed
cudbear — a purple or violet powder used for dyeing, made from lichen
cupreous — of or like copper
cyanic — blue; azure
dariole — a small round metal mould used in French cooking for an individual sweet or savoury dish
deasil — clockwise or in the direction of the sun’s course
decubitus — (Medicine) the posture of someone who is lying down or lying in bed
deedy — industrious or effective
defervescence — (Medicine) the lessening of a fever
deglutition — the action or process of swallowing
degust — to taste food or drink carefully, so as to fully appreciate it
deipnosophist — a person skilled in the art of dining and dinner-table conversation
dight — clothed or equipped; to make something ready for use
disembogue — to emerge or pour out (used of a river or stream)
disenthral — to set someone free from enslavement
divagate — to stray or digress
divaricate — to stretch or spread apart
donkey engine — a small auxiliary engine on a ship
donkeyman — a man working in a ship’s engine room
doryphore — a pedantic and annoyingly persistent critic of others
douceur — a financial inducement or bribe
draff — dregs or refuse
dumbsize — to reduce the staff numbers of a company to such low levels that work can no longer be carried out effectively
dwaal — (S. African) a dreamy, dazed, or absent-minded state
ecdysiast — a striptease performer
edacious — that which is fond of eating
emacity — fondness for buying things
ensorcell — to enchant or fascinate someone
entomophagy — the eating of insects, especially by people
erf — (S. African) a plot of land
ergometer — an apparatus which measures energy expended during physical exercise
erubescent — reddening or blushing
eucatastrophe — a happy ending to a story
eviternity — eternal existence or everlasting duration
exequies — funeral rites
exsanguine — bloodless or anaemic
extramundane — outside or beyond the physical world
flews — the thick pendulous lips of a bloodhound or similar dog
floccinaucinihilipilification — the action or habit of estimating something as worthless
flocculent — having or resembling tufts of wool
forehanded — (chiefly N. Amer.) prudent or thrifty
frondeur — a political rebel
fugacious — transient or fleeting
funambulist — a tightrope walker
furuncle — a boil
fuscous — dark and sombre in colour
futz — to waste time or busy oneself aimlessly
gaberlunzie — (Scottish archaic) a beggar
gaita — a kind of bagpipe played in northern Spain and Portugal
gallus — (Scottish) bold or daring
gasconade — extravagant boasting
glabrous — (of skin) hairless or (of a leaf) having no down
glaikit — (Scottish & N. English) stupid, foolish, or thoughtless
gnathic — having to do with the jaws
gobemouche — a gullible or credulous listener
guddle — (Scottish) to fish with one’s hands by groping under the stones or banks of a stream
habile — deft or skilful
haruspex — a religious official in ancient Rome who inspected the entrails of sacrificial animals in order to foretell the future
hirquiticke — “one past fourteene yeeres of age, beginning to bee moved with Venus delight” (Henry Cockeram, An English Dictionary, 1623)
hoddy-noddy — a foolish person
hodiernal — of today
howff — (Scottish) a favourite meeting place or haunt, especially a pub
humdudgeon — an imaginary illness
hwyl — a stirring feeling of emotional motivation and energy which is associated with the Welsh people
illywhacker — (Austral. informal) a small-time confidence trickster
incrassate — thickened in form or consistency
incunabula — books printed before 1501
ingurgitate — to swallow something greedily
inspissate — to thicken or congeal
inunct — to apply ointment to someone or something
jumbuck — (Austral. informal) a sheep
jumentous — resembling horse’s urine
keek — (Scottish) to peep surreptitiously
kenspeckle — (Scottish) conspicuous or easily recognizable
kinnikinnick — substance consisting of dried sumac leaves and willow or dogwood bark, smoked by North American Indians
kylie — (Austral.) a boomerang
labaruma — banner or flag bearing symbolic motifs
logomachy — an argument about words
lollygag — to spend time in an aimless or lazy way
luculent — (of speech or writing) clearly expressed
macushla — Irish an affectionate form of address
meacock — a coward or effeminate person
merkin — artificial covering of hair for the pubic area
merrythought — a bird’s wishbone
mim — (Scottish) modest or demure in an affected or priggish way
mimsy — rather feeble and prim or over-restrained (coined by Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking Glass)
minacious — menacing or threatening
misogamy — the hatred of marriage
mistigris — joker or other extra card played as a wild card in some versions of poker
mollitious — luxurious or sensuous
monkey’s wedding — (S. African) simultaneous rain and sunshine
mouse potato — a person who spends large amounts of their leisure or working time on a computer
mudlark — person who scavenges in riverside mud at low tide for anything of value
muktuk — the skin and blubber of a whale, eaten by the Inuit people
nacarat — a bright orange-red colour
nagware — computer software which is free for a trial period and thereafter frequently reminds the user to pay for it
natation — swimming
noctambulist — a sleepwalker
noyade — an execution carried out by drowning
nugacity — triviality or frivolity
nympholepsy — passion or rapture aroused in men by beautiful young girls
obnubilate — to darken, dim, or obscure something
ogdoad — a group or set of eight
omophagy — the eating of raw food, especially meat
omphalos — the centre or hub of something
onolatry — the worship of donkeys
operose — involving or displaying a lot of effort
opsimath — a person who begins to learn or study late in life
orectic — having to do with desire or appetite
orrery — a clockwork model of the solar system, or the sun, earth, and moon
ortanique — a cross between an orange and a tangerine
otalgia — earache
paludal — living or occurring in a marshy habitat
panurgic — able or ready to do anything
parapente — aerofoil parachute, used for gliding
parapha — flourish after a signature
patulous — (of the boughs of a tree, for example) spreading
pavonine — to do with or resembling a peacock
pedicular — to do with lice
peely-wally — (Scottish) looking pale and unwell
peever — (Scottish) hopscotch
periapt — an item worn as a charm or amulet
petcock — a small valve in a steam engine or boiler, used for drainage or for reducing pressure
peterman — a person who breaks open and robs safes
pettitoes — pig’s trotters, especially as food
piacular — making or requiring atonement
pilgarlic — a bald-headed man, or a person regarded with mild contempt
pinguid — resembling fat; oily or greasy
piscatorial — connected with fishermen or fishing
pleurodynia — severe pain in the muscles between the ribs or in the diaphragm
plew — a beaver skin
pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis — an invented term said to mean ‘a lung disease caused by inhaling very fine ash and sand dust’
pogey — (Canadian informal) unemployment or welfare benefit
pollex — (Anatomy) the thumb
pooter — a suction bottle for collecting insects and other small invertebrates
portolan — a book containing sailing directions with hand-drawn charts and descriptions of harbours and coasts
posology — branch of medicine concerned with the size and frequency of doses of a medicine or a drug
possident — a possessor, i.e. a person who owns something
pother — a commotion or fuss
pre-loved — second-hand
presenteeism — the compulsion to spend longer at work than is required or to continue working despite illness
previse — to foresee or predict an event
probang — a strip of flexible material with a sponge or tuft at the end, used to remove a foreign body from the throat or to apply medication to it
prosopagnosia — an inability to recognize the faces of familiar people, typically as a result of brain damage
puddle jumper — a small, light aircraft which is fast and highly manoeuvrable and used for short trips
puddysticks — (S. African) children’s word very easy
pyknic — a technical description of a stocky physique with a rounded body and head, thickset trunk, and a tendency to fat
pyroclastic — relating to fragments of rock erupted by a volcano
ragtop — a convertible car with a soft roof
ratite — (of a bird such as the ostrich or emu) unable to fly because of having a flat breastbone, to which no flight muscles are attached
rawky — foggy, damp, and cold
razzia — a raid carried out by Moors in North Africa
rebirthing — a form of therapy involving controlled breathing and intended to simulate the trauma of being born
resurrection man — a person who, in past times, illicitly exhumed corpses from burial grounds and sold them to anatomists for dissection
retiform — resembling a net
rhinoplasty — plastic surgery performed on the nose
rubiginous — rust-coloured
rubricate — to add elaborate capital letters (typically red ones) or other decorations to a manuscript
rude boy — Jamaican a lawless or rebellious unemployed urban youth who likes ska or reggae music
rug rat — (N. Amer.) a child
rumpot — (N. Amer.) a habitual or heavy drinker
sangoma — a traditional healer or witch doctor in southern Africa
sarmie — (S. African informal) a sandwich
saucier — a sauce chef
saudade — a feeling of longing or melancholy that is supposedly characteristic of the Portuguese or Brazilian temperament
scofflaw — a person who flouts the law
screenager — a person in their teens or twenties who has an aptitude for using computers and the Internet
scrippage — one’s baggage and personal belongings
selkie — (Scottish) a mythical sea creature like a seal in water but human on land
serac — a pinnacle or ridge of ice on the surface of a glacier
sesquipedalian — (of a word) having many syllables or (of a piece of writing) using many long words
shallop — a light sailing boat used chiefly for coastal fishing
shamal — a hot, dry north-westerly wind that blows across the Persian Gulf in summer and causes sandstorms
shavetail — (US military slang) a newly commissioned officer, or any inexperienced person
shippon — (Brit. dialect) a cattle shed
shofar — a ram’s-horn trumpet used in Jewish religious ceremonies and, in ancient times, to sound a battle signal
skanky — (N. Amer. informal) revolting
skelf — (Scottish) a splinter or sliver of wood
skimmington — a kind of procession once undertaken to make an example of a nagging wife or an unfaithful husband
skycap — a porter at an airport
snakebitten — (N. Amer. informal) unlucky or doomed to misfortune
snollygoster — a shrewd or unprincipled person
sockdolager — (US informal) a heavy blow
solander — a protective box made in the form of a book, for holding items such as botanical specimens, maps, and colour plates
soucouyant — a kind of witch, in eastern Caribbean folklore, who is believed to shed her skin by night and suck the blood of her victims
soul case — (N. Amer. & W. Indian) the human body
soul catcher — a hollowed bone tube used by a North American Indian medicine man to keep a sick person’s soul safe while they are sick
spaghettification — the process by which (in some theories) an object would be stretched and ripped apart by gravitational forces on falling into a black hole
spitchcock — an eel, split and then grilled or fried
splanchnic — having to do with the the viscera or internal organs, especially those of the abdomen
spurrier — a person who makes spurs
stercoraceous — consisting of or resembling dung or faeces
sternutator — something that causes sneezing
stiction — the frictional force which hinders an object from being moved while in contact with another
strappado — a punishment or torture in which the victim was hoisted in the air on a rope and then allowed to fall almost to the ground before being stopped with an abrupt jerk
strigil — an instrument with a curved blade used by ancient Greeks and Romans to scrape sweat and dirt from the skin in a hot-air bath or after exercise
struthious — having to do with or resembling an ostrich
studmuffin — (N. Amer. humorous) a sexually attractive, muscular man
stylite — a early Christian ascetic who lived standing on top of a pillar
subfusc — the dark formal clothing worn for examinations and ceremonial or formal occasions at some universities.
submontane — passing under or through mountains, or situated on the lower slopes of a mountain range
succuss — to shake something vigorously, especially a homeopathic remedy
sudd — an area of floating vegetation that impedes navigation in a stretch of the White Nile
suedehead — a youth like a skinhead but with slightly longer hair and smarter clothes
sun-grazing — (of a comet) having an orbit which passes close to the sun
superbious — proud and overbearing
superette — (N. Amer.) a small supermarket
taniwha — a mythical monster which, according to Maori legend, lives in very deep water
tappen — the plug by which the rectum of a bear is closed during hibernation
tellurian — of or inhabiting the earth, or an inhabitant of the earth
testudo — a device used in siege warfare in ancient Rome, consisting of a wheeled screen with an arched roof (literally a ‘tortoise’)
thalassic — relating to the sea
thaumatrope — a scientific toy devised in the 19th century. It consisted of a disc with a different picture on each of its two sides: when the disc was rotated rapidly about a diameter, these pictures appeared to combine into one image.
thirstland — (S. African) a desert or large arid area
thrutch — (N. English) a narrow gorge or ravine
thurifer — a person carrying a censer, or thurible, of burning incense during religious ceremonies
tigon — the hybrid off spring of a male tiger and a lioness (the offspring of a male lion and a tigress being a liger)
tokoloshe — in African folklore, a mischievous and lascivious hairy water sprite
toplofty — (N. Amer. informal) haughty and arrogant
transpicuous — transparent
triskaidekaphobia — extreme superstition about the number thirteen
triskelion — a Celtic symbol consisting of three radiating legs or curved lines, such as the emblem of the Isle of Man
turbary — the legal right to cut turf or peat for fuel on common ground or on another person’s ground
umbriferous — shady
uncinate — (of a part of the body) having a hooked shape
uniped — a person or animal with only one foot or leg
uroboros — a circular symbol depicting a snake (or a dragon) swallowing its tail, intended as an emblem of wholeness or infinity
vagarious — erratic and unpredictable in behaviour or direction
velleity — a wish or inclination which is not strong enough to lead one to take action
verjuice — a sour juice obtained from crab apples or unripe grapes
vicinal — neighbouring or adjacent
vidiot — (N. Amer. informal) a habitual, undiscriminating watcher of television or videotapes
vomitous — (N. Amer.) nauseating or repulsive
wabbit — (Scottish) exhausted or slightly unwell
waitron — (N. Amer.) a waiter or waitress
wakeboarding — the sport of riding on a short, wide board while being towed behind a motor boat
wayzgoose — an annual summer party and outing that used to be held by a printing house for all its employees
winebibber — a heavy drinker
wish book — (N. Amer. informal) a mail-order catalogue
wittol — a man who knows of and tolerates his wife’s infidelity
woopie — an affluent retired person able to pursue an active lifestyle (from the initials of well-off older person)
wowser — (chiefly Austral./NZ) a puritanical, prudish person or a killjoy
xenology — the scientific study of extraterrestrial phenomena
ylem — (in big bang theory) the primordial matter of the universe
zetetic — proceeding by inquiry or investigation
zoolatry — the worship of animals
zopissa — a medicinal preparation made from wax and pitch scraped from the sides of ships
zorro — a South American kind of fox
Zyrian — a former term for Komi, a language spoken in an area of Russia west of the Urals
If, in your fiction writing, you can describe something in but a single word, sentence or paragraph, but choose instead to write in excess of the requisite amount for the task-to-hand, pause to consider precisely why. There are, sometimes, good reasons for writing in excess of the amount for the task-to-hand, but if due consideration of the reason(s) for the length of one’s writing is not paid, one places oneself in danger of waxing unduly wordy and this, in turn, can entail a whole host of additional problems (such as the inducement of bordem to the reader through repition, given that the more you describe a single, discrete thing, the more likely you are to repeat yourself and at a certain point this becomes superfluous; for instance, there are only so many ways to describe the roundness of a ball and, generally speaking, a limited need to do so).
One example of such a exception would be what I term dialogic consistency, by which I mean: writing in keeping with the verbal style of a particular character (such as a loquacious individual). The principal of dialogic consistency can best be described by an illustration; let us turn our attention to the cover image, which contains two figures, from left to right: a chic woman and a suave man, respectively. Let us call them Stacy and Sven and let us further flesh out the characters by attributing to Stacy a extremely loquacious, easily-distracted and gossipy turn and to Sven, let us attribute the faculties of precision and focus in combination with an extreme stoicism. In this example, when writing both of these characters in conversation, from the above descriptions alone, one would write Stacy in a far more wordy and talkative way (because Sven is by nature, reserved).
The best test of a writer’s dialogic consistency can be found in whether or not the reader can differentiate characters in conversation by their dialogue alone (without the writer telling the reader who is speaking, either directly or indirectly). Let us use Stacy and Sven to illustrate.
“Oh, hey, hey, come here – I almost forgot to tell you. Kelly is pregnant. I know right. Totally out of the blue. But Joey doesn’t know so… don’t tell him or anything. Ok?”
“My lips are sealed.”
“Ok, good, so anyways… Why do you look so glum?”
“I don’t like keeping secrets.”
Now from this brisk exchange alone, after some comparative study, we must determine whether or not the most average of readers would be able to pick out which speaker is Stacy and which is Sven. As you likely were able to tell, the first speaker is Stacy and the second is Sven; this process will, of course, be made easier on less discerning readers in a lengthier text where the speakers are referred to (at least once) before speaking, in some variation of the form: Stacy, whirled around around the corner, squealing with glee, “Oh, hey, hey… etc”.
With October underway, Halloween swift encroaches — which means a bevvy of horror fiction will be cropping up as a prelude to Samhain festival and fantasy.
INDEPENDENT AUTHORS — SELF PUBLISHED WORK
First up from circular regular, The Dark Netizen, a serialization of microfictions culminating in the unnerving and surreal short, Uninvited Guest 2. Here are all the parts in the series in chronological order:
Cave Trip — Cave Trip 2 — Uninvited Guest — Uninvited Guest 2
“Dear uninvited guest, you don’t have the right to refuse my offer…” —Uninvited Guest, 2.
From the excellent Iain Kelly, the humorous microfiction, View Askew.
“Archie heard the ominous creak.
After the dust settled, Agnes poured Winnie a top up. They watched Archie pick himself up and dust himself off, before charging after the small squirrel, profanity turning the air blue.” — View Askew.
From Jhedron, The Dark (excerpt from Revenge Of The Hyrm). A intense, visceral slice of scifi fury.
“Schripp was focused on the eyes of the girl. His sword, razor sharp, a fractions gap from her throat, and then the world exploded. His face was an agony of pierced flesh and his vision was gone.” — The Dark.
From Blogggedit, a new horror story, IT’S OVER. Its little jumbled (we’d recommend a editor) but her concepts are always gripping.
“So how can I stop all this?” Alice pointed towards the broken mirror on the wall of the dance room and said “that’s the exit. Go. Go fast-” — Its Over.
BaronZM Magazine published the amusing fantasy micro, Goblins Nest.
As I picked up the helmet, I started to hear them move in. “No take” said one of the goblins while shaking his club. “I can punt you into sky, Goblin.” — Goblins Nest.
INDEPENDENT LITERARY MAGAZINES
From Terror House, The Bunnies Are Killing Themselves by Adam Matson.
“We hit a squirrel, honey,” said her father.
“Cool!” said 8 year-old Logan. “Do it again!” — The Bunnies Are Killing Themselves.
You ask me they had it coming, given their crass lack of rapprochement, especially the beavers…
From X-R-A-Y, Noose Tattoo by Nick Farriella.
“”He said something about casting his own judgment, that the rope was a reminder.” — Noose Tattoo.
LITERARY EPHEMERA
Dead End Follies (very aesthetically crisp website) has a Book Review of Laird Barron’s mystery novel, Blood Standard (2018). The site’s overall impression is positive, with particular applause for Barron’s complicated characters.
Blood Standard’s best asset is Isaiah Coleridge himself. Career criminals are dime a dozen in literature and they’re too often derivative of the same kind-hearted outlaw archetype. There is some of that in Coleridge, but he’s much more complicated and, let’s say it better crafted character than most. He has personal stakes outside of the job, feuding with his father, who’s also a dangerous and shadowy type, over the death of his mother. He has a personality, you know? Fears and desires that make us bond with him and give a shit when his life is endangered. Coleridge might’ve not chosen this life if he hadn’t been ushered into it by an abusive father a shady uncle. — Dead End Follies.
However, the reviewer also notes that sometimes the old-school pulp vibes Barron goes for don’t always translate well when…
Full disclosure: I had a love/hate relationship with the aura of romanticism around Isaiah Coleridge. Sometimes it made him really cool and larger than life and others where his misplaced tough guy banter made him sound like a 12 year old who’s never got a whooping in his life. It’s an unfortunate side effect of Laird Barron alternating between old school pulp and more of a high brow literary approach throughout Blood Standard, but it didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the novel. Truth is, I just love the man’s writing. It speaks to me in a powerful, visceral way. He understands how to write inner darkness better than most and while Blood Standard doesn’t nail that concept constantly, it gets transcendent when it does. — Dead End Follies.
Dead End Follies gives Blood Standard a 9/10.
We have not yet read Blood Standard, but it was a text we were certainly looking forward to and we’ll be publishing a thorough review once we acquire a copy.
Fantasy author, Baron Z. M. announces the launch of his official Patreon account — so if you enjoy his work consider skipping on the expensive lattes and giving him some support.
Library of Nell, published the seasonal poem, After Michaelmas by Nell.
“After Michaelmas, when the bramble turns sour; is when our love is put to bed, smothered by gold. Its last breath is warmth – to guard against the Winter, and the cruelest scratch of cold.” — After Michaelmas.
From the surprisingly good Patreon Blog, How To Make Money As A Writer With 43-Time Published Author Seanan McGuire by Olivia Seitz.
Recently, we stumbled across a excellent book promotion, Indie Books Promo, which is geared to raising the visibility of independent authors (much the same as us). Check them out.
And lastly, to celebrate the advance of October, Alina Hansen offers up A Brief History of Halloween (Samhain).
Thanks for reading. If you wish to support our work publishing and promoting independent works of fiction, you can do so here.
End note: Simply using “professional” in PROFESSIONALLY PUBLISHED as short hand to mean that one’s work was vetted by a individual or individuals (typically an editor) other than themselves.
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