Category Archives: Human Transfer

“The Nightmare Cycle” by Lawrence Dagstine – Dark Owl Publishing

So today is here. Today is the day of my third official story collection: THE NIGHTMARE CYCLE, from Dark Owl Publishing. It is available in print and digital formats (Paperback and on Amazon Kindle). And as the year goes on, straight thru 2024, will be available at book fairs, from various literary vendors, horror and comic-themed conventions, the odd novelty or specialty store, or wherever other fine horror books or goods are sold. I will keep you updated on this website. The spooky fun starts in Arizona first and New York second.

A short story collection is a book of tales by one single author, where an anthology is a book of stories usually centered around a theme from not one but many authors, from many different states or countries or diverse backgrounds. The Nightmare Cycle was an idea for a book that came to me one day in a dream (go figure), but is not about being in a dream. It gets its title from every single story being “A Nightmarish Scenario,” one warped tale leading into the next (the theme of cycling and unending), and then the one thereafter. There is no finality. Just horrific circumstance after circumstance. Undulated terror. Beginning, middle, end. Think Rod Serling’s The Night Gallery, but modern day, my take.

THE NIGHTMARE CYCLE by Lawrence Dagstine

From Dark Owl Publishing – NOW AVAILABLE worldwide

You have mostly new stories between the pages, but you have some obscure offerings as well. Tales from my humble beginnings as a horror author. The 2000s era. There are stories like Thursday’s Children. Imagine pitting zombie youth against each other the same way people hold backroom cockfights for money. The Adopted, where werewolf adoption in Southeast Asia is more complex than you think. Human Transfer, a very dark and dystopic tale of population control, and betrayal by the people you thought you knew and trusted most.

There are Dark Owl exclusives, tales which are theirs and theirs only, such as The Thing about Eden. Imagine Mars in the future where life under one dark leadership only becomes concerning, overbearing, and darker with the next. The Acrylic Man, about a painter of spectral portraits who captures his love interests with not just grace but permanence. The Show Must Go On, a story about a sharpshooting djinn and her western travels, but also her wretched past.

You have new offerings such as Princely Homecoming, a unique take on Snow White, who longs for her long dead prince. There is Pet, a tale set during the backdrop of the Nixon era, which puts a twist on just “who” or “what” constitutes man’s best friend. Genetically speaking, of course. There is Our Family Awaits, a witch’s tale unlike any other, about foster care and deep dark secrets. This is one which will have you clutching the blankets. And there is so much more; there’s even a novelette within The Nightmare Cycle’s pages.

AMAZON KINDLE “EBOOK” VERSION:

(Sample a few pages below, or shoot for the paperback version)

AMAZON LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Nightmare-Cycle-Lawrence-Dagstine-ebook/dp/B0C27TTD24

DARK OWL LINK: https://www.darkowlpublishing.com/the-nightmare-cycle

Here’s the horror convention calendar for Dark Owl Publishing and The Nightmare Cycle. This calendar will obviously grow. I will be away in July (after the 4th), but I will have my netbook with me, keep in touch via social media. Dark Owl will also have some of their horror wares and anthologies available from a talented stable of other authors as well, so be sure to keep tuning in to this link below:

https://www.darkowlpublishing.com/our-schedule

Oh, by the way, the fabulous cover art was done by Fernando JFL (Giotefeli), who is a professional horror illustrator and death metal artist from South America. He takes a rather retro, vintage approach to his work. If you are looking for an artist, might I recommend him: https://www.instagram.com/giotefeli, and https://giotefeli.tumblr.com/

The book is available first on Amazon, then Terror Trader second (Arizona’s Number One Horror Marketplace). Then it will go to the usual vendors and themed cons, and through the usual distribution channels/networks.

http://www.terrortrader.com

And finally, here is some early praise for the collection from horror-themed review sites such as The Sinister Scoop:

https://www.thesinisterscoop.com/post/the-nightmare-cycle-lawrence-dagstine

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos, Digital Credits”

SATIRICA: An Anthology of Satirical SF… (Now on Radio!)

The most promising-filled anthology of science fiction is now available from Cowboy Logic Press, and it’s slowly creeping up in bookstores.  With over 110,000 words and 24 stories set in futuristic societies, post-apocalyptic dystopias, and more! Featuring pro authors such as Steven J. Dines and David Thorpe (Harper Collins Children’s Books). It’s also available on Amazon.

SATIRICA: An Anthology of Satirical Speculative Fiction

Published by Cowboy Logic Press; Edited by Dudgeon

Last I looked, the book was riding at around 900,000 on Amazon; I’d like to see that number drop below the 100,000 mark again.  I’d especially like to congratulate one of the book’s authors who helped get SATIRICA carried in the state of Wyoming and has been interviewed on radio.  Major thanks go out to Bill Housley, who can be friended at: http://www.myspace.com/sfandf 

Other promotion efforts include the Midwest, Canada (British Columbia & Winnipeg), Great Britain, and NYC locals Jason K. Chapman and Myself.  But Bill, nobody’s done a better job so far than you.  Thank you!

Bill Housley in the Unita County Herald:

http://www.uintacountyherald.com/fe_view_article.php?story_id=1664&page_id=75&heading=0 

Bill Housley on Evanston Radio:

http://www.evanstonradio.net/calendar/calendar_day/2750320/2008-11-7.htm

Bill Housley is the author of the very topical piece, “Another Man’s Terrorist”.  A science fiction writer, he can often be found at Jim Baen’s place (the JBU slush). 

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”

Satirica: An Anthology of Satirical SF… (Now Available!)

A quick reminder that one of the most promising-filled anthologies of science fiction is now available from Cowboy Logic Press.  The hardcover is a gorgeous beast — a feat in spec-fic.  More than 110,000 words and 24 stories set in futuristic societies, post-apocalyptic dystopias, and more! A helluva lineup, too, to go with it.

SATIRICA: An Anthology of Satirical Speculative Fiction

Edited & Compiled by Roy C. Dudgeon

Published by Cowboy Logic Press

COWBOY LOGIC PRESS – ORDER HERE:

http://www.cowboylogic.net/CLP_Books.htm

VISIT DUDGEON’s HOMEPAGE:

http://www.myspace.com/dudgeon369 

If you want to learn about the authors, their links, and story previews…

Go to AMAPEDIA beta: http://amapedia.amazon.com/view/Satirica/id=861680

SATIRICA: Anthology of Satirical SF… (Pre-Order Now!)

This project has turned up some of the most professional and promising stars of speculative fiction today, and you can Pre-Order it now from Cowboy Logic Press.  The hardcover is a gorgeous beast — a feat in modern, satirical science fiction.   Trust me, with more than 110,000 words and 24 stories set in futuristic societies, post-apocalyptic dystopias, and featuring dozens of speculative characters, you’ll want to pick this baby up for your collection! And, when the time comes, get FREE SHIPPING when you order it from Amazon.  Full contents and author lineup below…

SATIRICA: An Anthology of Satirical Speculative Fiction

Edited & Compiled by Roy C. Dudgeon

Published by Cowboy Logic Press

COWBOY LOGIC PRESS – ORDER HERE:

http://www.cowboylogic.net/CLP_Books.htm

VISIT DUDGEON’s HOMEPAGE:

http://www.myspace.com/dudgeon369 

CONTENTS/PREVIEWS:

1. Imagine
The collection opens with a sublime alternate history by Edward Morris, in which we learn what our world would be like if Ronald Reagan had been assassinated by a disgruntled rock musician whose career he had destroyed.  

Previously published in Interzone.

2. Some Things Never Change

Tomas L. Martin takes us on a surprising journey into an alternate present, in which a young English soldier yearns for a glimpse of true sorcery in the war in Iraq; if he can survive the experience.

3. Perfection (convenient, chewable, indispensable)

In the first of two stories, David Thorpe offers up a disturbing and surreal satire filled with social commentary on multiple levels, far beyond its surface theme concerning designer drugs.

4. Aliens Attack!

R. J. Astruc provides us with a thought provoking examination of the senselessness of war, in which tiny green aliens fall like snow from the skies. But are their intentions peaceful or malevolent?

5. Thank You, Death Robot

A soldier returning from war abroad encounters and befriends a death robot. What happens when he discovers that it is responsible for his fiancee’s murder? Victor Giannini provides us with the startling answers in the first of his stories.

Previously published in Silverthought: Ignition, Silverthought Press.

6. The Babies at Nae-long

John Parke Davis offers up a dark examination of child soldiers in an Africa in which the Globalista forces have retreated from whence they came. But do those who remain any longer know what they are fighting for?

7. Another Man’s Terrorist

Two young freedom fighters seeking refuge behind the lines arrive upon a space station now in enemy hands. In a true satire for our times, Bill Housley describes a brother and sister’s struggle to escape from the shadow of their terrorist past.

8. All For One

In a quirky satire filled with social commentary, Steven J. Dines takes us on a journey through the future of road rage, and government efforts to quash it…sort of.

Previously appeared in Darker Matter.

9. Miss Gohrman’s Trip

Joshua Allen examines Miss Gohrman’s fate when the representatives of a newly formed police state knock upon her door. But are they any match for a little old lady whose favorite cat has just been killed?

10. The Book of New Man

In his first story, Dudgeon examines a world in which a young gang member struggles to understand the unfortunate truth, that religion truly is an “opiate for the masses.”

Previously published by silverthought on-line.

11. Printed Matter

In a tale of psychological horror, Gary Cuba examines the unusual life of a bibliophile who is prevented from reading by an extreme form of dyslexia, and the lengths to which he is willing to go to create a book of his own.

12. In Your Box

Mike Philbin relates the story of a loner’s transformation into a pet fetishist, as he searches for meaning in a world where humans have become “a grid of drug-softened pulp being squeezed out of a factory’s rectum like societal spaghetti.”

13. Kubla Khan

In a fascinating satire of the future of gaming, Kevin Spiess takes us on a surreal journey through designer drugs and virtual reality, in which the line between game and reality blurs to gray.

14. Visitation

In a captivating story filled with vivid imagery, Roger Haller examines the nature of crime and punishment in an alien society, where one’s rehabilitation may take more than one lifetime.

Originally published by silverthought on-line.

15. Strings Attached

What happens when you awaken with blood on your hands? Jason K. Chapman provides the answers in this dark examination of a new form of cybernetic prostitution, in which a “Mario” struggles for his life and freedom.

16. Brain Takes A Sick Day

Sometimes taking a day off can be the best career move you can possibly make. Dan Kopcow explains in a delightfully funny satire of the corporate world, which is laced with so much irony and coincidence that a more detailed review could not do it justice.

17. Doc Chaos: The Last Laugh

David Thorpe’s second story provides us with a dark and cautionary tale of nuclear apocalypse resulting from the “peaceful” uses of atomic energy. But who will survive to tell the tale?

18. The Ambassador of Hate

In this dark satire concerning the psychology of interplanetary travel, and the politics of social control through drugs, Paul Mannering examines the nature of both madness, and revenge.

19. Human Transfer

In a chilling examination of the effects of desperation on society, Lawrence R. Dagstine takes us to a dark future in which population control measures have become so extreme that they can turn family against family.

Previously published in Escape Velocity.

20. The Shark Engine Enigma

A surfer dude’s untimely demise is just the beginning. Victor Giannini’s second story takes us beyond fear, suffering and superstition, in search of the ultimate truth concerning the enigmas of life and death.

21. A War Beyond War, and I Am the Only Soldier

In a brilliant satire of Christian mythology, we journey with Anden Sharp to 13th century France, where a young monk is called upon “for a work even more important than Our Lord’s.” But this is just the beginning in the eyes of those around him.

22. Foray

Who will survive a trip clinging to the world cliff, looking down upon the madness of Hades below? In this dark tale of Social Darwinism, Dan Marcus provides the answers, and they are not what you expect.

23. Return to Oz

Roger Haller’s second story is a delightful little satire with a twist: the tale of Earthers’ return to their slowly recovering, ecologically devastated planet of origin in the far future. But do they deserve a second chance?

Previously appeared in silverthought on-line.

24. The Pembina Valley Mushroom Massacre

Finally, a young man who embarks upon an unconventional vision quest gets more than he bargained for in Dudgeon’s second tale. We join him as he struggles to come to terms with the shocking truth concerning humanity’s future…and his own.

Here’s that pre-ordering link again: http://www.cowboylogic.net/CLP_Books.htm

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”