Category: Fantasy

I asked fellow The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey anthology contributors to share some things about themselves prior to publication and those generous enough to do so will be appearing here for the next week or so.

Each entry gives a taste of their contribution, a little about them, how to contact them, how their story came about, and definitely a link to The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey (which you should purchase because it would make each and every one of us happy.
you do want to make us happy, don’t you?
i mean, considering what we wrote, you want us to know you’re a good person, right?).

Let’s start with an introduction to the anthology as a whole:

“Life is a journey, not a destination.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Emerson’s point has been echoed by many, but in the Land of the Weird the question arises, “A journey to what destination?” At the same time, you might ask, “Is the journey therefore the destination?” The journey may well be an individual’s destination, because it will define them physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And in the Land of the Weird, that journey can take twists and turns that amuse, sadden, or horrify.
This trip into the Land of the Weird offers you 39 unique trails to follow, assisted by 35 different guides, each leading you down their own singular paths, manifesting their own view of journey as destination, some laughing, some weeping, and some, eyes wide with fear, shaking as they point out the spectral footpath for you to follow on your way down The Rabbit Hole.

A Writers Co-op Production
Stories by: Chere Taylor, Brian R. Quinn, Arthur M. Doweyko, Donna J. W. Munro, Tom Howard, Kayla Whittle, Leslie Muzingo, Pete Barnstrom, Emmie Christie, Thomas Nicholson, GD Deckard, Richard DeRobertis, M.C. Schmidt, James Dorr, Rosalind Goldsmith, Margaret Karmazin, J.W.Wood, James Rumpel, Bill McCormick, v.f. thompson, Fran Tabor, David K. Slay, Joseph Carrabis, Jane Frankel, Alice Baburek, Susan R. Morritt, Bobby Rollins, Lee Clark Zumpe, Denice Penrose, Stephen McQuiggan, H. Donovan Lyón, Anna Ross, Michael Pudney, Beth Gaydon, and Tom Wolosz.

Leslie’s contribution is Emerald Eyes. Here’s the opening:

The last stretch of new train tracks had been laid in catty-corner fashion. Funny how the engineer who directed this strange design was never seen again once the last spike was driven and the champagne toast drunk. Perhaps he knew the chaos he’d caused and wanted to get away before his crime was discovered. Those passengers returning to the station had no problems as the tracks were split and only the tracks for outgoing trains were affected. But what an effect those catty-cornered train tracks had on those who dared to ride! You’d think you were on the train to Boston and arrive in Timbuktu, or to New York and find yourself lost in Shanghai. It was unbelievable. It was magical.

How the story came about:
I wrote this story for a contest. That contest had a theme. Honestly, it was so long ago that I don’t remember much about it! So I guess it goes without saying that I didn’t win the contest, huh?
Continue reading “Leslie Muzingo’s ‘Emerald Eyes’ in Writers Co-op Production’s The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey Anthology”

I asked fellow The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey anthology contributors to share some things about themselves prior to publication and those generous enough to do so will be appearing here for the next week or so.

Each entry gives a taste of their contribution, a little about them, how to contact them, how their story came about, and definitely a link to The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey (which you should purchase because it would make each and every one of us happy.
you do want to make us happy, don’t you?
i mean, considering what we wrote, you want us to know you’re a good person, right?).

Let’s start with an introduction to the anthology as a whole:

“Life is a journey, not a destination.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Emerson’s point has been echoed by many, but in the Land of the Weird the question arises, “A journey to what destination?” At the same time, you might ask, “Is the journey therefore the destination?” The journey may well be an individual’s destination, because it will define them physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And in the Land of the Weird, that journey can take twists and turns that amuse, sadden, or horrify.
This trip into the Land of the Weird offers you 39 unique trails to follow, assisted by 35 different guides, each leading you down their own singular paths, manifesting their own view of journey as destination, some laughing, some weeping, and some, eyes wide with fear, shaking as they point out the spectral footpath for you to follow on your way down The Rabbit Hole.

A Writers Co-op Production
Stories by: Chere Taylor, Brian R. Quinn, Arthur M. Doweyko, Donna J. W. Munro, Tom Howard, Kayla Whittle, Leslie Muzingo, Pete Barnstrom, Emmie Christie, Thomas Nicholson, GD Deckard, Richard DeRobertis, M.C. Schmidt, James Dorr, Rosalind Goldsmith, Margaret Karmazin, J.W.Wood, James Rumpel, Bill McCormick, v.f. thompson, Fran Tabor, David K. Slay, Joseph Carrabis, Jane Frankel, Alice Baburek, Susan R. Morritt, Bobby Rollins, Lee Clark Zumpe, Denice Penrose, Stephen McQuiggan, H. Donovan Lyón, Anna Ross, Michael Pudney, Beth Gaydon, and Tom Wolosz.

Tom’s contribution is Rufus. Here’s the opening:

God, my arms hurt. My knees hurt. I been scrubbin’ this floor for I don’t know how long, and this damn stain won’t come out.
Oh, shit! Look at those clouds! I gotta get the storm shutters in place or this bookstore is toast!

#

Man, am I tired. From the way the rain is beatin’ down I can tell I got those shutters down just in time. Hope there’s no close twister this time. That could wreck the hell outta this place.
Funny thing though. Lookin’ out the window and seein’ those clouds takes me back. I remember the first day I came here to the bookstore. Seems like a lifetime ago.

How the story came about:
This is actually a story that came as a dream. I guess watching all the news reports of the damage done by tornadoes had an effect on me.
Continue reading “Tom Wolosz’s ‘Rufus’ in Writers Co-op Production’s The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey Anthology”

I asked fellow The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey anthology contributors to share some things about themselves prior to publication and those generous enough to do so will be appearing here for the next week or so.

Each entry gives a taste of their contribution, a little about them, how to contact them, how their story came about, and definitely a link to The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey (which you should purchase because it would make each and every one of us happy.
you do want to make us happy, don’t you?
i mean, considering what we wrote, you want us to know you’re a good person, right?).

Let’s start with an introduction to the anthology as a whole:

“Life is a journey, not a destination.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Emerson’s point has been echoed by many, but in the Land of the Weird the question arises, “A journey to what destination?” At the same time, you might ask, “Is the journey therefore the destination?” The journey may well be an individual’s destination, because it will define them physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And in the Land of the Weird, that journey can take twists and turns that amuse, sadden, or horrify.
This trip into the Land of the Weird offers you 39 unique trails to follow, assisted by 35 different guides, each leading you down their own singular paths, manifesting their own view of journey as destination, some laughing, some weeping, and some, eyes wide with fear, shaking as they point out the spectral footpath for you to follow on your way down The Rabbit Hole.

A Writers Co-op Production
Stories by: Chere Taylor, Brian R. Quinn, Arthur M. Doweyko, Donna J. W. Munro, Tom Howard, Kayla Whittle, Leslie Muzingo, Pete Barnstrom, Emmie Christie, Thomas Nicholson, GD Deckard, Richard DeRobertis, M.C. Schmidt, James Dorr, Rosalind Goldsmith, Margaret Karmazin, J.W.Wood, James Rumpel, Bill McCormick, v.f. thompson, Fran Tabor, David K. Slay, Joseph Carrabis, Jane Frankel, Alice Baburek, Susan R. Morritt, Bobby Rollins, Lee Clark Zumpe, Denice Penrose, Stephen McQuiggan, H. Donovan Lyón, Anna Ross, Michael Pudney, Beth Gaydon, and Tom Wolosz.

Tom’s contribution is OUROBOROUS. Here’s the opening:

Standing by the pond he was struck, as always, by what was missing.
The mixed stand of maples, paper birch and evergreens swayed gently, a palette of gentle pine- and deep forest-green needle and leaf, with the nut-browns, greys and dirty streaked whites of trunks and branches peeking out from within and beneath the canopy. Sapphire pond waters rippled gently in time to the swaying of the trees, and fluffy cotton-ball clouds gently frolicked through the azure sky; all crying out to him that a gentle breeze caressed them, propelled them, danced with them.
Yet he felt nothing.

How the story came about:
I’ve been fascinated by the prospect of emulations — basically the copying of human consciousness into a computer, creating a facsimile of a human being within the machine which could perform all the tasks the original could. Of course, there are downsides to everything…
Continue reading “Tom Wolosz’s ‘OUROBOROS’ in Writers Co-op Production’s The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey Anthology”

I asked fellow The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey anthology contributors to share some things about themselves prior to publication and those generous enough to do so will be appearing here for the next week or so.

Each entry gives a taste of their contribution, a little about them, how to contact them, how their story came about, and definitely a link to The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey (which you should purchase because it would make each and every one of us happy.
you do want to make us happy, don’t you?
i mean, considering what we wrote, you want us to know you’re a good person, right?).

Let’s start with an introduction to the anthology as a whole:

“Life is a journey, not a destination.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Emerson’s point has been echoed by many, but in the Land of the Weird the question arises, “A journey to what destination?” At the same time, you might ask, “Is the journey therefore the destination?” The journey may well be an individual’s destination, because it will define them physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And in the Land of the Weird, that journey can take twists and turns that amuse, sadden, or horrify.
This trip into the Land of the Weird offers you 39 unique trails to follow, assisted by 35 different guides, each leading you down their own singular paths, manifesting their own view of journey as destination, some laughing, some weeping, and some, eyes wide with fear, shaking as they point out the spectral footpath for you to follow on your way down The Rabbit Hole.

A Writers Co-op Production
Stories by: Chere Taylor, Brian R. Quinn, Arthur M. Doweyko, Donna J. W. Munro, Tom Howard, Kayla Whittle, Leslie Muzingo, Pete Barnstrom, Emmie Christie, Thomas Nicholson, GD Deckard, Richard DeRobertis, M.C. Schmidt, James Dorr, Rosalind Goldsmith, Margaret Karmazin, J.W.Wood, James Rumpel, Bill McCormick, v.f. thompson, Fran Tabor, David K. Slay, Joseph Carrabis, Jane Frankel, Alice Baburek, Susan R. Morritt, Bobby Rollins, Lee Clark Zumpe, Denice Penrose, Stephen McQuiggan, H. Donovan Lyón, Anna Ross, Michael Pudney, Beth Gaydon, and Tom Wolosz.

James’ contribution is Marcie. Here’s the opening:

There were two kinds of zombies. Of course, Marcie realized that — she wasn’t stupid. There was the bad kind, the kind they were always showing in movies, that ate human flesh. Sometimes, even, they only ate brains. But that was just an addiction, she understood. Like coke or meth, it got you all screwed up — not that she was into those kinds of things herself. Well, maybe she and her sisters a little bit in college, but. . . . But the point was, you couldn’t condemn a whole class of people because of the bad habits of just a few of them.

How the story came about:
“Marcie and Her Sisters” was first published in the cinema-horror anthology REEL DARK (BlackWyrm, 2015), in part for thematic similarities to the Woody Allen film HANNAH AND HER SISTERS, though oddly that hadn’t been a factor in my original inspiration. Rather, it was a thought that just came to me, of a couple of women where one says to the other, “Let’s go to the zombie store and buy ourselves husbands.” That led to my thinking of the medieval tale of “Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell” (one variant is “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” in Chaucer’s THE CANTERBURY TALES — so, okay, I have a MA in English Lit with specialization in the Middle Ages) in which he marries a woman under a spell where she can be either beautiful at night when they’re alone together, but hideous by day when they’re with others, or vice versa. So too perhaps with zombies then, where the women must choose between these different aspects — and why not, for that matter, add a third? And then — one more notion — some stories don’t always have entirely reliable narrators.
Continue reading “James Dorr’s ‘Marcie’ in Writers Co-op Production’s The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey Anthology”