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Halcyon Afternoon and Why I Wrote It

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This is a particularly pleasant time for me. To begin with, I'm at the World Fantasy Convention, where I'll see a lot of old friends and serve as toastmaster. And I have two new Mongolian Wizard stories coming out (I apologize for the delay), one today and one tomorrow at Reactor Magazine.

Today's story, "Halcyon Afternoon," is atypical for the series. It's not as violent as these stories tend to be. That's because I felt that after undergoing so much suffering and loss, Franz-Karl Ritter deserved at least one afternoon of contentment and bliss. Even his wolf, Freki, got the day off.

Of course... Ritter's luck being what it is, and all of Europe being entangled in a wizard war, the afternoon would not prove entirely blissful.

You can read the story here. Or you can find the entire series of Mongolian Wizard stories--ten so far--here. Or you can simply go to Reactor Magazine and wander about happily. It's full of great stories and terrific non-fiction.

And tomorrow . . .

Ritter's luck takes a downturn--along with everyone else's--in "Dragons of Paris." An old friend pops up, a relationship turns difficult, and a battle where victory seems certain goes sour.

(And now, I'm off to the convention!)


Above: Illustration by Dave Palumbo. It's not only beautiful but true to the story. I'm grateful for both of those.

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"Dragons of Paris" and the Role of Time in the Mongolian Wizard Series

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The kind people at Reactor Magazine have posted my two latest Mongolian Wizard stories, one yesterday and the other today. Thursday's "Halcyon Afternoon" took place during a rare moment of peace for Franz-Karl Ritter. But in today's "Dragons of Paris," it's warfare as usual. 

Time has always been a little tricky in this series. The first story was clearly set in the Nineteenth Century but, though only a few years have passed, the series has now reached what is recognizably World War I. Mostly this occurred for reasons explained in "The Phantom in the Maze" and "Murder in the Spook House." (And which I anticipate giving me increasing difficulties in writing the next ten stories.) But also, in a more literary background sense, I wanted to cover the transition from a way of life now alien to us to something more modern, if not contemporary. 

So time may get a bit more slippery in the future. That's if, of course, the stories go in the direction I intend. Sometimes the fiction has its own ideas where it wants to go and the author can only follow along meekly in its wake.

You can read the story here. Or just go to the ezine and poke around. It's a good place to poke around.


Above: The illustration is by Dave Palumbo. I'm grateful for that.


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My Halloween Season Story, "Unquiet Graves," in CLARKESWORLD

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I am always happiest when a story of mine comes into print. Today, I have the joy of introducing you to "Unquiet Graves," a seasonal tale of graveyard misbehavior and betrayal. Oh, and there's nothing supernatural about it at all.

You can read the story here. But if you're like me, you'll just go to Clarkesworld, look over the table of contents, and decide which story you want to read first. Mine by preference, but follow your whim.

 

And for those who like trivia . . .

I came up with the handheld's app many long years ago and it took forever to come up with a story for it. You'll notice that it is left unnamed in the story. That's because its secret name was "The Graveyard Reader." Which is the title of a well-known story by Theodore Sturgeon.  While I was writing the story, I thought of it as "The New Graveyard Reader." But Sturgeon's story and mine go off in totally different directions, and giving mine (or even the app) a title suggesting there was some implicit connection between the two would only cause confusion.

The title I finally came up with was derived from "The Unquiet Grave" by that most prolific of all poets, Anonymous. If you look it up, I suggest you do so after reading my story. It gives away some of the plot.


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drink brother

Today on Married To The Sea: drink brother


This RSS feed is brought to you by Drew and Natalie's podcast Garbage Brain University. Our new series Everything Is Real explores the world of cryptids, aliens, quantum physics, the occult, and more. If you use this RSS feed, please consider supporting us by becoming a patron. Patronage includes membership to our private Discord server and other bonus material non-patrons never see!




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second notice

Today on Married To The Sea: second notice


This RSS feed is brought to you by Drew and Natalie's podcast Garbage Brain University. Our new series Everything Is Real explores the world of cryptids, aliens, quantum physics, the occult, and more. If you use this RSS feed, please consider supporting us by becoming a patron. Patronage includes membership to our private Discord server and other bonus material non-patrons never see!




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do not curse

Today on Married To The Sea: do not curse


This RSS feed is brought to you by Drew and Natalie's podcast Garbage Brain University. Our new series Everything Is Real explores the world of cryptids, aliens, quantum physics, the occult, and more. If you use this RSS feed, please consider supporting us by becoming a patron. Patronage includes membership to our private Discord server and other bonus material non-patrons never see!




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dont show me your damn emotions

Today on Married To The Sea: dont show me your damn emotions


This RSS feed is brought to you by Drew and Natalie's podcast Garbage Brain University. Our new series Everything Is Real explores the world of cryptids, aliens, quantum physics, the occult, and more. If you use this RSS feed, please consider supporting us by becoming a patron. Patronage includes membership to our private Discord server and other bonus material non-patrons never see!




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you cannot perceive

Today on Married To The Sea: you cannot perceive


This RSS feed is brought to you by Drew and Natalie's podcast Garbage Brain University. Our new series Everything Is Real explores the world of cryptids, aliens, quantum physics, the occult, and more. If you use this RSS feed, please consider supporting us by becoming a patron. Patronage includes membership to our private Discord server and other bonus material non-patrons never see!













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You Seem To Have Picked Up Another Pickup There, Buddy

One is never enough.




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This Plan is Full of Hot Air




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Protecting Itself From The Impending Cactus Attack

He'll just wait this one out. Cacti can't survive without water, right? ~NSHA




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Not A Good Thing To See When Entering a Cab

Buses don't have seat belts. I don't see the problem.

~NSHA





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GAA votes to adjust training ban

The GAA's annual Congress in county Laois votes to make adjustments to the controversial winter training ban for intercounty teams.




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USC football placed on 1 year of probation, fined for coaching staff violations

Southern California’s football program has been fined $50,000 and placed on probation for one year by the NCAA because of multiple violations of coaching staff rules over two seasons




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Christian Pulisic & Tim Weah headline USMNT November roster drop | SOTU

Alexi Lalas and David Mosse reacted to the second United States Men's National Team roster release of the Mauricio Pochettino era, with Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, and Weston McKennie headlining the squad.




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Kyler Murray, Brock Purdy move up, Caleb Williams on bottom of Mahomes Mountain | First Things First

Nick Wright reveals who climbs up and down his Week 11 QB Tiers, including Kyler Murray and Brock Purdy, who will face each other in the final game of the regular season with playoffs on the line. Watch as Nick explains why Caleb Williams is not off Mahomes Mountain yet despite a change in the Chicago Bears coaching staff.




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College Football Playoff Rankings: Oregon, Ohio State on top; Alabama enters top 10

The second set of College Football Playoff Predictions were released Tuesday night, with Oregon, Ohio State and Texas listed in the top three spots. See the complete rankings!




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2024 Fantasy football: Top performers in Week 10

Check out which players had the top performances in Week 10 of the fantasy football season.




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College Football Playoff rankings takeaways: Colorado's path, Indiana undervalued

FOX Sports' RJ Young offers up three takeaways from the second set of College Football Playoff rankings, including Colorado's path to the CFP ... and the national title game.






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You Could See Whole Other Galaxies




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Trump Posts a Photo of Himself Working on His Inaugural Address and it Gives Spark to a New Meme

Yesterday Trump tweeted a photo of himself hard at work on his inauguration speech and the internet has been having a field day with it. 

It started on twitter with people guessing at what The Donald might be drawing. Shortly thereafter it got a small photoshop battle. 

'What's Donald Drawing' definitely has the potential to catch on.

Get More Trump Memes that are simply tremendous, people tell me how amazing these memes are all the time.





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The Internet Took the Opportunity to Photoshop Donald Trump With a Blank Sign and Ran With It

Has Trump seen people holding signs on the internet before? It never turns out well.




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The Funniest Protest Signs By People Who Think Trump's Presidency Is a Terrible Mistake

These people are not afraid to carry on hilarious protest signs and tell the world what they really think of Donald Trump's Presidency. Via: Sad and useless  




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The Untouched Picture of Kim Jong-Un Started a Supreme Photoshop Battle

North Korea released a smiling picture of Kim Jong-Un and were VERY specific about pointing out the fact that the image was untouched. Obviously the first thing the internet did when they got a hold of the image was to touch it up a bit. The results were glorious.





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Bernie Sanders Writing On A Whiteboard Gets Meme'd With Hot Takes

What started as Bernie Sanders writing an innocent thank you note to his field staff on a white board turned into memers filling it in with hotter takes and less savory messages. Seriously, people should know better at this point than to post images on the internet of people with white boards. It's just asking for bad news.




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Roundup Of Democratic Debate Memes That Roast Last Night's Total Freak Show

Last night's democratic debate in Nevada got pretty damn spicy to say the least. So much so that many are calling it the most entertaining debate of the election cycle so far. Pete spoke Spanish, Warren (and every other candidate, for that matter) came out swinging against Bloomberg, and many, many other things that warranted a monumental cringe fest. 

So please enjoy the following roast-y memes from the night and you can watch a more in-depth recap of it here!





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Memes Ensue After Judge Barrett Holds Up A Notepad

On day two of the supreme court confirmation hearings, Amy Coney Barrett held up a blank notepad to reveal that she hadn't been referencing any notes during questioning. Many republicans were impressed by this 'epic ownage' of the libs, but memelords of the internet knew exactly what was about to go down. We all know what happens when a public figure holds up a piece of paper: memes, baby. 

We've narrowed it down to some of our favorite ACB notepad memes and even included examples of other times the internet did its thing with a blank canvas. These politicians make it way too easy. 




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36 Memes That Double As Boredom Antidote

Bored? Forget the Snickers. What you need is a healthy serving of humor. These memes cover all the bases: nerdy, historical, relatable, and just plain dumb. As a bonus, we can guarantee they won't give you cavities or leave bits of peanuts stuck in your teeth. 




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The Best Memes & Tweets About Four Seasons Total Landscaping

If you haven't been living under a rock for the past week, you're probably familiar with the Four Seasons Total Landscaping drama that occurred earlier this week in Philadelphia. On November 7th, President Trump tweeted that a press conference would be held at the Four Seasons in the Pennsylvania capital. Eight minutes later, Trump tweeted an update - that the conference would actually be taking place at Four Seasons Total Landscaping in the same city. 

The tweets led to a great deal of speculation as to whether the administration had intended to book the hotel. The speculation grew when it became clear that the location, between a sex shop and a crematorium, was probably not their first choice. After Rudy Giuliani spoke to crowds about voter fraud, and even used a convicted sex offender as a witness, the occasion was largely seen as a massive blunder. And as expected, the memes began flowing freely. We've put together some of our favorite examples from the last week, but we're willing to bet this press conference will be talked about for quite a while. Here's hoping Four Seasons Total Landscaping is enjoying the free publicity. 




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Falco Space Shooter

Experience the nostalgia of gaming's golden age with this classic primitive space arcade game. Perfect for collectors and enthusiasts, this game captures the essence of early arcade fun with its simple yet addictive gameplay and retro aesthetics. Classic Gameplay: Navigate your spaceship through waves of enemies. This game is a must-have for anyone looking to relive the excitement of early arcade gaming or add a piece of gaming history to their collection. Whether you're a seasoned gamer or new to the arcade scene, this game promises hours of fun and challenge. Don’t miss out on owning a piece of arcade history!




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One year after Pulse Nightclub tragedy, new NFPA standard for preparedness and response to active shooter and/or hostile events being developed

As the nation marks the one-year anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub massacre in Orlando this week, a group of experts on active shooter/hostile incident response will assemble at National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) headquarters to develop NFPA 3000, Standard for Preparedness and Response to Active Shooter and/or Hostile Events. It is expected that the initial standard will be completed by early 2018; then the public will have the opportunity to offer input for immediate review.




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Fire chiefs share lessons learned from recent high profile emergencies including hurricanes, hi-rise fires and hostile shooting incidents at the Urban Fire Forum

Fire chiefs from France, the United Kingdom, and the United States gathered in Quincy, Massachusetts at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Urban Fire Forum (UFF) to listen to first-hand accounts of some of the biggest emergency response incidents over the past 15 months, including hurricane response in Texas and Florida, the Grenfell Tower fire in London, and the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando.




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Mike Fu’s Book Notes music playlist for his novel Masquerade

"Every song is a portal into the past, a chance to connect with countless mundane moments from before: where you were, what you felt, who you were with when you happened to be listening to the same thing."




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Andie Davis’s Book Notes music playlist for her novel Let Me Liberate You

"I didn’t listen to music while writing the manuscript, but I was attuned to its musicality. "




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S. H. Fernando Jr.’s Book Notes music playlist for his book The Chronicles of DOOM

"For an artist who departed way too soon, at age 49, Daniel Dumile aka MF DOOM also left behind a huge body of work for us to dissect, reflect upon, and enjoy from here ‘til eternity."