Free SF, Fantasy and Horror Fiction for 9/24/2013
Today’s post includes some bacon-wrapped links from Dave Tackett’s QuasarDragon.
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What’s special about today’s free fiction?
- Tim Maughan has a near future science fiction short story
0714, Wanstead
Nicki is awake even before her mum calls her from the other side of the door. She’s sat up in bed, crackly FM radio ebbing from tiny supermarket grade speakers, her fingers flicking across her charity shop grade tablet’s touchscreen. She’s close to shutting down two auctions when a third pushes itself across her screen with its familiar white and green branded arrogance. Starbucks. Oxford Circus. 4 hour shift from 1415.
She sighs, dismisses it. She’s not even sure why she still keeps that notification running. Starbucks, the holy fucking grail. But she can’t go there, can’t even try, without that elusive Barista badge.
– “Zero Hours”
- Strange Horizons has a slipstream short story from Rose Lemberg for its 2013 Fund Drive [thanks, OM!]
I see it on my shelf sometimes, tucked between the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and Kari Gade’s study of skaldic poetry. On other days it sticks out like a dejected crow among the seven small red books of the Medieval and Modern Welsh series, somewhere east of Pwyll and west of Branwen Uerch Lyr. I trace a finger on the spine—its faded dark blue leather tooled with tiny clover flowers, each petiole lovingly painted with a sable-tip brush as tiny as an eyelash.
That book is Teffeu, though the title is not on the cover.
– “Teffeu: A Book from the Library at Taarona”
- Relic Radio has a treasure trove of radio dramas, including a ghost story that aired in 1978
- Lovecraft eZine #26 – August 2013 is free for Kindle or Nook for the rest of the month
Written
- @Black Gate: “Tsathoggua” by Michael Shea [Fantasy]
- Escape Pod #414 – “Knowing” by Matt Wallace [Science Fiction] (also available in audio)
- @Mad Scientist Journal: “Quality Control” by JC Hemphill [Science Fiction]
- via Medium: “Zero Hours” by Tim Maughan [Near Future Science Fiction]
- @Strange Horizons: “Teffeu: A Book from the Library at Taarona” by Rose Lemberg [Slipstream]
- @WMG Publishing: “Victims” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch [Paranormal Fantasy]
Written – Flash
- @365 tomorrows: [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Book Review” by Bob Newbell
- “Self-Regulating” by Jae Miles
- “Timecasting” by Duncan Shields
- @Daily Science Fiction: “Pavlov’s Final Research” by Gary Cuba [Science Fiction Comedy Flash]
- @Every Day Fiction: “Sacrifice” by Wendy Turbin [Fantasy Flash]
- @Quantum Muse: “This Too Solid Flesh” by Robert Hegwood [Science Fiction Flash]
Written – Serialized
- @Legend of the Five Rings: Face the Madness by Shawn Carman & Seth Mason – Part 1 [Shared World Fantasy Serialization]
- @Mad Genius Club: Elf Blood by Sarah A. Hoyt – Chapter 5 [Fantasy Serialization]
- @Weird Fiction Review: The Divinity Student by Michael Cisco – Chapters Nine and Ten [Neo-Gothic Horror Novel Serialization]
- @Author’s Site: The Greenland Diaries by Patrick Marsh – Day 88 [Post Apocalyptic Serial]
- @Author’s Site: Vessel by Andrew J. Morgan – Chapter 4 [Science Fiction]
Audio
- The AntiSF Radio Show #182 [Speculative Flash Fiction]
- @BBC Drama of the Week: “The Exuberant” by Jeff Young [Science Fiction Comedy]
- Cast of Wonders #96 – “Gift Cards of an Ex-Goddess” by Melissa Embry [Fantasy]
- @Clarkesworld: “Out of Copyright” by Charles Sheffield [Science Fiction – from 1989]
- @Classics On-the-Go: King Frost [Children’s Fantasy]
- Escape Pod #414 – “Knowing” by Matt Wallace [Science Fiction]
- Every Day Fiction Podcast #136 – “Over-Exposed” by Patrick Mahon [Science Fiction]
- @Pseudopod: [Horror]
- #351 – “The Blues” by Cameron Suey
- #352 – “Enough With The Crazy” by Emily Dayne [Zombies]
- @Relic Radio:
- CBS Radio Mystery Theater – “The Figure In The Moonlight”, Adapted from “The Mezzotint” by M.R. James [Ghost Story Radio Drama – from 1978]
- CBS Radio Workshop – “Time Found Again” [Time Travel Radio Drama – from 1957]
- Lights Out – “The Spider” [Horror Radio Drama – from 1943]
- Toasted Cake #89 – “Aunty Merkel” by Deborah Walker [Science Fiction]
Audio – Serialized
- Beam Me Up #378 – Part 2 of Dave by Dean Giles [Science Fiction]
- Cthulhu Podcast #158 – The Wrong side of the Tracks by T.C. Mcqueen – Part 5 [Horror]
- @Author’s Site: The Bones Are White – Nine Disturbing Short Stories by Scott Sigler – #11 – “Passenger, Part 3” [Horror]
Free eBooks (at time of listing)
- Science Fiction:
- Dominant Species Volume One — Natural Selection by David Coy
[Science Fiction Novel – First of Series – Amazon] - Intwine (Intwine Saga) by Christina Moss
[YA Science Fiction Novel – First of Series – Amazon] - Jabin & the Space Pirates by Bev Allen
[YA Science Fiction Adventure Novel – Amazon] - The Magic Wakes by Charity Bradford
[Science Fiction Romance Novel – Amazon] - Mercenaries of Earth by Tomas Braun
[Military Science Fiction Novel – Amazon] - Psy Mind: Deadly Reckoning (Book One) by Val Chanda
[Science Fiction Novel – First of Series – Amazon] - The Returners: Season One Omnibus by Mikey Neumann
[Science Fiction Adventure Omnibus – Amazon] - Strength (Aigis Trilogy, Book 1) by S.M Welles
[YA Science Fiction Adventure Novel – First of Series – Amazon]
- Dominant Species Volume One — Natural Selection by David Coy
- Fantasy:
- “The Black Fortress” (The Death Wizard Chronicles) by Jim Melvin
[Fantasy Short Story – Prequel to Series – Amazon] - Blood Bound (A Gallows Novel) by Sharon Stevenson
[Horror Novel – Amazon] - Demonsouled by Jonathan Moeller
[Dark Fantasy Novel – Amazon | B&N | Smashwords] - Even Hell Has Knights (Hellsong) by Shaun O. McCoy
[Sword & Sorcery Novel – First of Series – Amazon] - Forever After (Forever After #1) by David Jester
[Dark Urban Fantasy Novelette – First of Series- Amazon] - Heiress of Lies (Bloodtruth #1) by Cege Smith
[YA Paranormal Fantasy Novel – Amazon | B&N | Smashwords] - Markings by S.B. Roozenboom
[YA Paranormal Fantasy Novel – Amazon] - Reluctant Medium by G G Collins
[Paranormal Mystery Novel – Amazon] - See by Jamie Magee
[Urban Fantasy Novel – Amazon] - The Soulkeepers (The Soulkeepers Series) by G.P. Ching
[YA Paranormal Fantasy Novel – First of Series – Amazon | B&N | Smashwords] - The Source (The Mountain State Vampire Series) by J.B. Stilwell
[Paranormal Fantasy Novel – Amazon]
- “The Black Fortress” (The Death Wizard Chronicles) by Jim Melvin
- Horror:
- The Accidental Exorcist by Joshua Graham
[Horror Novelette – Amazon] - Lovecraft eZine #26 – August 2013
[Lovecraftian Horror Magazine – EPUB, MOBI] - Zombie Games (Origins) by Kristen Middleton
[YA Zombie Novel – First of Series – Amazon | B&N | Smashwords]
- The Accidental Exorcist by Joshua Graham
- Post-Apocalyptic and Dystopian:
QuasarDragon Birthdays – Free Fiction from authors on the anniversary of their birth
- September 21st: Celebrating the Births . . . H. G. Wells, Stephen King, Kelley Eskridge, Andy Duncan, and Cassandra Rose Clarke
- September 22nd: Celebrating the Births . . . Elizabeth Bear and David J. Schwartz
- September 23rd: Celebrating the Births . . . Justine Larbalestier and Richard Wilson
Excerpts
- @Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist: Excerpt from Old Mars, Edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois – Teaser from “Martian Blood” by Allen M. Steele
[Science Fiction Collection – Pre-Order Here] - @Suvudu: Excerpt from The Plague Force by Jason Hough
[Science Fiction Adventure Novel – Third of Series – Pre-Order Here] - @Tor:
- Excerpt from Ghosts Know by Ramsey Campbell
[Horror Novel – Pre-Order Here] - Excerpt from The Iron Wolves by Andy Remic
[Sword & Sorcery Novel – First of Series – Pre-Order Here]
- Excerpt from Ghosts Know by Ramsey Campbell
For Post-Apocalyptic Lovers: The Post Apocalyptic Link Roundup for 9/24/2013
And For Writers: Speculative Fiction Writing Wroundup for 9/24/2013