Short Fiction
“Hero of the Five Points”
“Hero of the Five Points” is a rollicking short adventure set in 1853 in the world of the League of Seven fantasy series for middle-grade readers. Grab your aether pistol and your favorite stovepipe hat and join Dalton Dent as he tracks down the foul creature known as Mose.
“Join, or Die”
Originally published as a limited edition chapbook, “Join, or Die” features Benjamin Franklin, his young assistant Willow Dent, and their indefatigable machine man Mr. Rivets as they battle sea serpents and fish-men in the true story of the Boston Tea Party.
“It’s On Like Donkey Kong”
Donkey Kong’s tired of being the villain in Mario’s adventures, especially when Mario’s not such a nice guy himself.
“The Ghost Who Came to Breakfast”
A modern Japanese family is visited by a warashi — a “good luck ghost” — whose friendship is financially rewarding. But as one member of the family will learn, good luck comes at a high price…
“Don’t Wet the Bed”
What’s worse than having to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night? The thing that’s waiting under the bed to get you, of course.
“The Silence of the Llamas”
Twelve authors based in or near Western North Carolina celebrate Malaprop’s Bookstore’s 30th Anniversary with their contributions to the serial collaborative novel, Naked Came the Leaf Peeper.
“Okiku and the Nine Plates”
A re-imagining of the classic Japanese ghost story of the same name. In this version, a samurai “Special Investigator” with a knack for dealing with yōkai — Japanese spirits — is sent by the Shogun to deal with a mysterious phenomenon menacing one of his faithful daimyo.
“To Honor Ichiko and Defend Japan”
Welcome to Ichiko, the First Higher School of Japan, where life is so difficult in the Meiji period that a number of students die at school each year. Fatal Accidents, illnesses, and suicides are all common—but what if the latest student death was a murder? With no teachers or administrators overseeing the dorms, one boy takes the investigation into his own hands.