I have a reprint in First Contact: A Science Fiction Anthology from Indie Authors Press, out now in ebook and paperback.
Garden of Fog and Monsters: They pitch it to the volunteers as a contest that can be won, but there’s no such thing as a free paradise.
They created a whole new branch of physics to make sense of it, but everybody was way more interested in the practical applications than the theorems. Rolling green hills and crystal blue lakes? You got it. A skyscraper fifteen miles high? You got it. Furry purple dinosaurs? You got it. In this garden, everybody’s God.
Read the rest of the story in First Contact
Sunday, June 9, 2019
Saturday, June 1, 2019
New Podcast! Sometimes You’re the Windscreen, Sometimes You’re the Fly at Toasted Cake
Sometimes You’re the Windscreen, Sometimes You’re the Fly (Fantasy, 877 words) has been published in audio at the marvellous Toasted Cake.
Life -- especially a very long one -- is nothing but a game...
Listen to the story here.
Life -- especially a very long one -- is nothing but a game...
Monday, April 15, 2019
Latest Story News!
OUT NOW:
Wolf, or Faith in the Future (SF, 621 words) was podcasted at Manawaker Studio
In the Fog, There's Nothing but Grey (Horror, 1,437 words) was published in Black Static Issue 67
God State (SF, 1,299 words) was reprinted in Sins and Other Worlds edited by Eric S Fomley
FORTHCOMING:
Not Recommended for Guests of a Philosophically Uncertain Disposition (Fantasy, 2,600 words) will be podcasted at Drabblecast, 2019
Wolf, or Faith in the Future (SF, 621 words) was podcasted at Manawaker Studio
In the Fog, There's Nothing but Grey (Horror, 1,437 words) was published in Black Static Issue 67
God State (SF, 1,299 words) was reprinted in Sins and Other Worlds edited by Eric S Fomley
FORTHCOMING:
Not Recommended for Guests of a Philosophically Uncertain Disposition (Fantasy, 2,600 words) will be podcasted at Drabblecast, 2019
Saturday, February 9, 2019
Reprint - God State in Sins and Other Worlds
Sins and Other Worlds is a dark Science Fiction short story anthology comprised of reprint stories from 30 talented authors. The stories range from deep space, alien planets, alternate realities and beyond. Most stories within are flash fiction interspersed with several longer works from both emerging authors and titans in the field. The anthology collects some of the best dark sci-fi in recent memory.
Includes my story God State (1,299 words) Originally published in Daily Science Fiction.
When you get to a certain age, conversations with your mates often turn into a nostalgia-fest about The Good Old Days. Is the past better than the present? Maybe. Maybe not.
On the way out of the gig, I stop at the merchandise stall to get a t-shirt. I find one in my size and pull out my wallet, then hesitate. It looks good quality, but the colour — almost exactly the same blue as a scanner booth — puts me off. I read somewhere they call that shade ‘Spectral Indigo,’ and ever since then it’s given me a slight case of the creeps. On the way out of the gig, I stop at the merchandise stall to get a t-shirt. I find one in my size and pull out my wallet, then hesitate. It looks good quality, but the colour — almost exactly the same blue as a scanner booth — puts me off. I read somewhere they call that shade ‘Spectral Indigo,’ and ever since then it’s given me a slight case of the creeps.
Read the rest in Sins and Other Worlds, available in ebook now.
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
New story in Black Static -- In the Fog, There's Nothing but Grey
I have a new story in Issue 67 of the always-marvellous Black Static!
In the Fog, There's Nothing but Grey is a pending-apocalypse story taking place during an epidemic of amnesia, and is about finding out who you are by watching what you do...
In the Fog, There's Nothing but Grey - 1,437 words
Nobody’s gone in or out of the pub for a long time, so it makes us all jump when the door opens. I hadn’t even realised it was unlocked.
‘Here comes trouble,’ Gil says. He says that about everything, from Chrissie coming back from the Ladies to pigeons landing on the roof, but this time I think he could be right — there’s something about this newcomer that sets my spidey-sense humming. I can’t put my finger on what, but sometimes that’s how it is: the eyes send a message straight to the hairs on the back of the neck, bypassing the brain completely. Which maybe isn’t such a bad thing, considering the brain’s not the be-all and end-all it used to be.
Read the rest of the story in Black Static 67, available now from TTA Press.
In the Fog, There's Nothing but Grey is a pending-apocalypse story taking place during an epidemic of amnesia, and is about finding out who you are by watching what you do...
In the Fog, There's Nothing but Grey - 1,437 words
Nobody’s gone in or out of the pub for a long time, so it makes us all jump when the door opens. I hadn’t even realised it was unlocked.
‘Here comes trouble,’ Gil says. He says that about everything, from Chrissie coming back from the Ladies to pigeons landing on the roof, but this time I think he could be right — there’s something about this newcomer that sets my spidey-sense humming. I can’t put my finger on what, but sometimes that’s how it is: the eyes send a message straight to the hairs on the back of the neck, bypassing the brain completely. Which maybe isn’t such a bad thing, considering the brain’s not the be-all and end-all it used to be.
Read the rest of the story in Black Static 67, available now from TTA Press.
Thursday, December 20, 2018
Latest Story News!
Out Now:
For Your Safety and Comfort, Please Keep Arms, Legs and Tentacles Inside the Car At All Times (Fantasy, 3,210 words) was reprinted in Issue 3 of The Weird Reader.
The Visiphorical Art (Supernatural, 917 words) was podcasted at Manawaker studio.
One Free Go (Horror, 2221 words) was reprinted in Issue 41 of The Sirens Call, October 2018
And in the End, They All Lived Happily Ever After (Fantasy, 500 words) was reprinted in Issue 24 of Three Drops from a Cauldron, Nov 2018
Dead Bodies Don't Scream (Horror, 4,033 words) was published in Tales from the Lake Volume 5, from Crystal Lake Publishing, Nov 2018
Forthcoming:
Sometimes You’re the Windscreen, Sometimes You’re the Fly (Fantasy, 877 words) will be podcasted at Toasted Cake, May 2019.
In the Fog, There's Nothing but Grey (Horror, 1,437 words) will be published in Black Static
For Your Safety and Comfort, Please Keep Arms, Legs and Tentacles Inside the Car At All Times (Fantasy, 3,210 words) was reprinted in Issue 3 of The Weird Reader.
The Visiphorical Art (Supernatural, 917 words) was podcasted at Manawaker studio.
One Free Go (Horror, 2221 words) was reprinted in Issue 41 of The Sirens Call, October 2018
And in the End, They All Lived Happily Ever After (Fantasy, 500 words) was reprinted in Issue 24 of Three Drops from a Cauldron, Nov 2018
Dead Bodies Don't Scream (Horror, 4,033 words) was published in Tales from the Lake Volume 5, from Crystal Lake Publishing, Nov 2018
Forthcoming:
Sometimes You’re the Windscreen, Sometimes You’re the Fly (Fantasy, 877 words) will be podcasted at Toasted Cake, May 2019.
In the Fog, There's Nothing but Grey (Horror, 1,437 words) will be published in Black Static
Friday, December 14, 2018
Reprint: And in the End, They All Lived Happily Ever After at Three Drops from a Cauldron
My fairy-tale flash 'And in the End, They All Lived Happily Ever After', a different view of the Cinderella story, is available to read in the latest issue of the marvellous Three Drops from a Cauldron, full of weird and wonderful, magical and mystical prose, poetry, and art.
And in the End, They All Lived Happily Ever After - Fantasy - 500 words
The coachman knows his place, so he stays outside, even though the music swirls in his head and tries to draw him into the ballroom, with all its vibrant colours and beautiful dancers — glamorous, graceful people whirling around the floor in complicated patterns, not needing to look where they’re going because they fit so perfectly into the shape of this grand, wonderful design; people who belong, who follow their steps and play their roles and smile so gloriously because they know, they all know, that they are precisely where they are meant to be.
Read the rest in Issue 24 of Three Drops from a Cauldron
And in the End, They All Lived Happily Ever After - Fantasy - 500 words
The coachman knows his place, so he stays outside, even though the music swirls in his head and tries to draw him into the ballroom, with all its vibrant colours and beautiful dancers — glamorous, graceful people whirling around the floor in complicated patterns, not needing to look where they’re going because they fit so perfectly into the shape of this grand, wonderful design; people who belong, who follow their steps and play their roles and smile so gloriously because they know, they all know, that they are precisely where they are meant to be.
Read the rest in Issue 24 of Three Drops from a Cauldron
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
New story: Dead Bodies Don't Scream in Tales of the Lake Volume 5
Tales of the Lake is a marvellous horror anthology series from Crystal Lake Publishing, and the latest volume is out now -- including my story 'Dead Bodies Don't Scream,' which is a variation on one of my favourite themes: Be careful what you wish for...
Dead Bodies Don't Scream by Michelle Ann King (Horror, 4,033 words)
Allie wipes her eyes, then stands up and kisses Rae’s hair. ‘I’ll be back soon,’ she says.
Because the universe doesn’t care about right and wrong; she’s always known that. It doesn’t care about fairness or justice or providing miracles.
If you need any of those things, you have to go and get them for yourself.
Read the full story in Tales of the Lake Volume 5:
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2q8Edtz
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2O01VBx
Universal Link: http://getbook.at/Lake5
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/
Dead Bodies Don't Scream by Michelle Ann King (Horror, 4,033 words)
Allie wipes her eyes, then stands up and kisses Rae’s hair. ‘I’ll be back soon,’ she says.
Because the universe doesn’t care about right and wrong; she’s always known that. It doesn’t care about fairness or justice or providing miracles.
If you need any of those things, you have to go and get them for yourself.
Read the full story in Tales of the Lake Volume 5:
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2q8Edtz
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2O01VBx
Universal Link: http://getbook.at/Lake5
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
New reprint: One Free Go in The Sirens Call
My Halloween story 'One Free Go,' along with a ton of other dark and creepy stories, his available to read for free now, in Issue 41 of The Sirens Calls 👻 🕷️💀
One Free Go (Horror, 2,221 words)
When I was a kid, a Halloween party meant a couple of ghost stories, some bat-shaped gingerbread, and a bag of fun-sized Mars bars. That was it, job done. These days you have to decorate the whole house, get everyone fancy dress costumes, lay on enough chocolate to sink a battleship and buy boxes of specially-made black cupcakes topped with fondant-icing eyeballs.
Read the story for free in Issue 41 of The Sirens Call now!
When I was a kid, a Halloween party meant a couple of ghost stories, some bat-shaped gingerbread, and a bag of fun-sized Mars bars. That was it, job done. These days you have to decorate the whole house, get everyone fancy dress costumes, lay on enough chocolate to sink a battleship and buy boxes of specially-made black cupcakes topped with fondant-icing eyeballs.
Read the story for free in Issue 41 of The Sirens Call now!
Thursday, November 1, 2018
Kickstarter for The Weird Reader
Kickstarter for volume three of The Weird Reader, which includes my story 'For Your Safety and Comfort, Please Keep Arms, Legs and Tentacles Inside the Car At All Times' -- this is the cheapest option for print copies, so if you fancy one, get in now!
Monday, October 22, 2018
New podcast! The Visiphorical Art at Manawaker Studio
My domestic ghost story The Visiphorical Art has been podcasted by the fine folks at Manawaker Studio. To listen to the story (9 minutes) click here.
The Visiphorical Art (917 words)
There are remnants of lives all over the house, drying out and growing mould like abandoned plates of half-consumed meals. They lie in wait under the surface of reality like landmines, like unexploded bombs. Waiting for the unwary, the ones who don’t watch their step, to explode them back into the world...
The Visiphorical Art (917 words)
There are remnants of lives all over the house, drying out and growing mould like abandoned plates of half-consumed meals. They lie in wait under the surface of reality like landmines, like unexploded bombs. Waiting for the unwary, the ones who don’t watch their step, to explode them back into the world...
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
New story at The Weird Reader
One of my favourite stories (definitely one of my favourite titles), 'For Your Safety and Comfort, Please Keep Arms, Legs and Tentacles Inside the Car At All Times' has been reprinted in Issue 3 of The Weird Reader a literary magazine of the strange, disturbing, fantastic, and otherworldly.
This is a fabulous publication with lots of stories and poems, and some marvellous art, too (I particularly like the illustration for Horseface by Justin Tolman). It's free to read, so check it out here!
For Your Safety and Comfort, Please Keep Arms, Legs and Tentacles Inside the Car At All Times (Fantasy, 3,210 words)
Lia waved a hand. ‘Hon, I’m sorry, but you’ve just got to hear this.’ She grinned and leaned back in her seat. ‘I found God.’
Katie stared at her. ‘I’m sorry, you did what?’
‘I found God. And I don’t mean I became a born-again Christian or anything, I mean I literally discovered the omnipotent creator of the universe. While I was doing that house clearance in Balham.’
Read the full story at The Weird Reader!
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Tales from the Lake Vol 5
Very nice early review of the upcoming anthology Tales from the Lake Vol 5, including my story 'Dead Bodies Don't Scream':
https://scifiandfantasyreviewer.wordpress.com/2018/09/28/tales-from-the-lake-volume-5-kenneth-w-cain-ed-review/
https://scifiandfantasyreviewer.wordpress.com/2018/09/28/tales-from-the-lake-volume-5-kenneth-w-cain-ed-review/
Tuesday, August 28, 2018
Latest Story News!
OUT NOW:
1. Gifted (Horror/SF, 3744 words) was reprinted by Dark Fire Fiction, Jun 2018
2. My second collection, Possibly Nefarious Purposes and Other Stories, came out in paperback, Jul 2018
3. Precious Things (Horror, 100 words) was reprinted in the anthology Drabbledark, Jul 2018
FORTHCOMING:
1. God State (SF, 1,299 words) will be reprinted in Sins and Other Worlds from Shacklebound Books
2. The Visiphorical Art (Fantasy, 917 words) will be podcasted at Manawaker Studio
3. Wolf, or Faith in the Future (SF, 621 words) will be podcasted at Manawaker Studio
1. Gifted (Horror/SF, 3744 words) was reprinted by Dark Fire Fiction, Jun 2018
2. My second collection, Possibly Nefarious Purposes and Other Stories, came out in paperback, Jul 2018
3. Precious Things (Horror, 100 words) was reprinted in the anthology Drabbledark, Jul 2018
FORTHCOMING:
1. God State (SF, 1,299 words) will be reprinted in Sins and Other Worlds from Shacklebound Books
2. The Visiphorical Art (Fantasy, 917 words) will be podcasted at Manawaker Studio
3. Wolf, or Faith in the Future (SF, 621 words) will be podcasted at Manawaker Studio
Friday, July 20, 2018
New anthology -- Sins and Other Worlds
Forthcoming from Shacklebound Books:
'Sins and Other Worlds is a dark Science Fiction short story anthology comprised of reprint stories from 28 talented authors. The stories range from deep space, alien planets, alternate realities and beyond. Most stories within are flash fiction interspersed with several longer works from both emerging authors and titans in the field. The anthology collects some of the best dark sci-fi in recent memory.'
Including mine! My story 'God State,' about a rather dystopian utopia, is being reprinted in this marvellous collection.
Check out the kickstarter page here!
'Sins and Other Worlds is a dark Science Fiction short story anthology comprised of reprint stories from 28 talented authors. The stories range from deep space, alien planets, alternate realities and beyond. Most stories within are flash fiction interspersed with several longer works from both emerging authors and titans in the field. The anthology collects some of the best dark sci-fi in recent memory.'
Including mine! My story 'God State,' about a rather dystopian utopia, is being reprinted in this marvellous collection.
Check out the kickstarter page here!
Thursday, July 5, 2018
Paperbacks!
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Reprint: Precious Things in Drabbledark anthology
My creepy little story Precious Things has been reprinted in Drabbledark from Eric S Fomley (@PrinceGrimdark), available to preorder from Amazon now!
The drabble (100 words long) is a perfect form for ‘hint fiction’—the story makes a suggestion, the specifics are left up to the reader. I think it was Stephen King who said that the scariest thing in the world is a half-open door, and drabbles are a wonderful way to open that door and invite the reader inside...
Drabbledark: An Anthology of Dark Drabbles is an anthology of drabbles, stories of exactly 100 words in length. Within these pages are 101 tales of dark fantasy, horror, and science fiction from 87 new and veteran voices of speculative fiction. This anthology combines both original fiction and reprints, with a majority of original fiction, celebrating the power of micro flash fiction in the form of dark plots and themes.
To be released on 20th July. Available for preorder now!
The drabble (100 words long) is a perfect form for ‘hint fiction’—the story makes a suggestion, the specifics are left up to the reader. I think it was Stephen King who said that the scariest thing in the world is a half-open door, and drabbles are a wonderful way to open that door and invite the reader inside...
Drabbledark: An Anthology of Dark Drabbles is an anthology of drabbles, stories of exactly 100 words in length. Within these pages are 101 tales of dark fantasy, horror, and science fiction from 87 new and veteran voices of speculative fiction. This anthology combines both original fiction and reprints, with a majority of original fiction, celebrating the power of micro flash fiction in the form of dark plots and themes.
To be released on 20th July. Available for preorder now!
Monday, June 18, 2018
Reprint: Gifted at Dark Fire Fiction
My SF/Horror story 'Gifted' has been reprinted by the fine folks at Dark Fire Fiction and is now free to read online here!
As they always say, 'Be careful what you wish for...'
GIFTED by Michelle Ann King - 3,744 words
Francie sat cross-legged on the floor. The rough carpet scratched her legs and she shifted position.
‘Concentrate, please, Francie,’ Dr Lomax said. Concentration was a virtue. So was obedience.
Francie sat still and focused on the items in front of her: a cotton wool pad, a fifty pence piece, a yellow tennis ball and a large textbook called Gifted: Developing Extraordinary Potential in Ordinary Children by Dr Paulina Lomax. Francie had tried to read it once, to be polite, but she didn’t get very far. She liked the photos of all the brains, though.
Read the rest at Dark Fire Fiction...
As they always say, 'Be careful what you wish for...'
GIFTED by Michelle Ann King - 3,744 words
Francie sat cross-legged on the floor. The rough carpet scratched her legs and she shifted position.
‘Concentrate, please, Francie,’ Dr Lomax said. Concentration was a virtue. So was obedience.
Francie sat still and focused on the items in front of her: a cotton wool pad, a fifty pence piece, a yellow tennis ball and a large textbook called Gifted: Developing Extraordinary Potential in Ordinary Children by Dr Paulina Lomax. Francie had tried to read it once, to be polite, but she didn’t get very far. She liked the photos of all the brains, though.
Read the rest at Dark Fire Fiction...
Monday, June 11, 2018
Reprint: You Pay Your Money and You Take Your Chance at Luna Station Quarterly
Very pleased to have one of my stories reprinted in Issue 34 of the awesome Luna Station Quarterly: 'You Pay Your Money and You Take Your Chance'
I’d jotted that phrase down at some point, with the note great title for a story. When I came across it, the idea of the Time Pocket and its ‘gain a year/lose a year’ gamble immediately sprang into my mind as something people might pay to take a chance on (because of course, any supernatural discovery would be instantly commercialised). For most people, the stakes wouldn’t be that high—betting a year wouldn’t bankrupt them, as it were—but there are some, like Disa, where it’s effectively going all in. I’ve still never been able to make my mind up whether I would have a go or not. Would you?
You Pay Your Money and You Take Your Chance (SF, 1248 words)
The smiling Time Pocket receptionist showed Disa into the waiting room. It had sofas and leather recliners, a free bar where discreet white-coated staff poured tiny measures of top class spirits, and tables laid out with finger food: miniature scones and delicate cucumber sandwiches cut into crustless triangles. It evoked a sense of separateness, of floating in a stream cut off from the rest of the world. A kind of civilised timelessness. Which was, Disa supposed, the point.
Read the rest at Luna Station Quarterly!
I’d jotted that phrase down at some point, with the note great title for a story. When I came across it, the idea of the Time Pocket and its ‘gain a year/lose a year’ gamble immediately sprang into my mind as something people might pay to take a chance on (because of course, any supernatural discovery would be instantly commercialised). For most people, the stakes wouldn’t be that high—betting a year wouldn’t bankrupt them, as it were—but there are some, like Disa, where it’s effectively going all in. I’ve still never been able to make my mind up whether I would have a go or not. Would you?
You Pay Your Money and You Take Your Chance (SF, 1248 words)
The smiling Time Pocket receptionist showed Disa into the waiting room. It had sofas and leather recliners, a free bar where discreet white-coated staff poured tiny measures of top class spirits, and tables laid out with finger food: miniature scones and delicate cucumber sandwiches cut into crustless triangles. It evoked a sense of separateness, of floating in a stream cut off from the rest of the world. A kind of civilised timelessness. Which was, Disa supposed, the point.
Read the rest at Luna Station Quarterly!
Latest Story News!
OUT NOW:
1. You Don't Want What I Get (Horror - 1,197 words) came out in The Siren's Call ezine, Feb 2018
2. No Past, No Future, Just Now was reprinted at Literally Stories, Mar 2018
3. You Pay Your Money and You Take Your Chance was reprinted in Issue 34 of Luna Station Quarterly
4. Possibly Nefarious Purposes (story collection - 55,000 words) came out in ebook at:
FORTHCOMING:
1. Precious Things (Horror - 100 words) will be reprinted in the anthology Drabbledark, 2018
2. God State (SF - 1,299 words) will be reprinted in the anthology Sins & Other Worlds, 2018
3. Gifted (Horror - 3,744 words) will be reprinted in Dark Fire Fiction, 2018
1. You Don't Want What I Get (Horror - 1,197 words) came out in The Siren's Call ezine, Feb 2018
2. No Past, No Future, Just Now was reprinted at Literally Stories, Mar 2018
3. You Pay Your Money and You Take Your Chance was reprinted in Issue 34 of Luna Station Quarterly
4. Possibly Nefarious Purposes (story collection - 55,000 words) came out in ebook at:
FORTHCOMING:
1. Precious Things (Horror - 100 words) will be reprinted in the anthology Drabbledark, 2018
2. God State (SF - 1,299 words) will be reprinted in the anthology Sins & Other Worlds, 2018
3. Gifted (Horror - 3,744 words) will be reprinted in Dark Fire Fiction, 2018
Thursday, May 24, 2018
New Short Story Collection! 'Possibly Nefarious Purposes and Other Stories' Available Now!
Very thrilled to say my second short story collection, Possibly Nefarious Purposes and Other Stories is available in ebook now!
Paperback coming soon!
Come for Christmas dinner at the house of a little girl with very particular interests; let the residents of an old folks’ home show you how to save the world with self-hypnosis; celebrate (or mourn) the death of a supervillain; consult with Clarity, who can tell you why things happen as they do (if you really want to know); and learn how to score points for decapitation in a never-ending game of life and death.
Featuring all of the above plus protective aliens, bickering ghosts, gangster vampires, robot ninjas, and floods of man-eating hamsters, the second collection of stories from the wicked imagination of Michelle Ann King will horrify, amuse, and chill you in turn.
“Don’t get upset. You know that’s a bad idea. It only leads to severed limbs and evisceration.”
Available now at:
Paperback coming soon!
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
Stories available at Curious Fictions
I've recently joined Curious Fictions, a place where you can subscribe to me to support my work and read my stories. Visit my author page at http://curiousfictions.com/authors/113-michelle-ann-king to check it out and subscribe!
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
Forthcoming Anthology: Drabbledark
I love drabbles (stories of exactly 100 words): so easy to read, so hard to write 😀
Editor Eric Fomley is putting together an anthology of dark SF, fantasy, & horror drabbles that looks awesome (and will feature my story 'Precious Things'). Check out the kickstarter!
Editor Eric Fomley is putting together an anthology of dark SF, fantasy, & horror drabbles that looks awesome (and will feature my story 'Precious Things'). Check out the kickstarter!
Friday, April 20, 2018
Reprint at Literally Stories - No Past, No Future, Just Now
My sad, pre-apocalyptic story No Past, No Future, Just Now was reprinted at Literally Stories, a site with some marvellous stories and great reader interaction.
This story came about because I started thinking about who survives the end of the world. With a specific enemy—zombies, invasions—it's going to be people good at fighting. With a plague, it’ll likely be the fit and healthy. But what if it’s a different kind of problem?
No Past, No Future, Just Now (1,661 words)
I’m pretty sure I treated most of my doctors rather badly. I don’t feel good about that, but it’s too late to apologise now. Ellis, though. Ellis I liked. The others were all about tests and pills and forms and charts, but they never once looked me in the eye. Ellis was the only one who talked to me like I was still a person rather than just a malfunctioning brain.
Read the full story at Literally Stories now
This story came about because I started thinking about who survives the end of the world. With a specific enemy—zombies, invasions—it's going to be people good at fighting. With a plague, it’ll likely be the fit and healthy. But what if it’s a different kind of problem?
No Past, No Future, Just Now (1,661 words)
I’m pretty sure I treated most of my doctors rather badly. I don’t feel good about that, but it’s too late to apologise now. Ellis, though. Ellis I liked. The others were all about tests and pills and forms and charts, but they never once looked me in the eye. Ellis was the only one who talked to me like I was still a person rather than just a malfunctioning brain.
Read the full story at Literally Stories now
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
POSSIBLY NEFARIOUS PURPOSES AND OTHER STORIES
BY
MICHELLE ANN KING
Come for Christmas dinner at the house of a little girl with very particular interests; let the residents of an old folks’ home show you how to save the world with self-hypnosis; celebrate (or mourn) the death of a supervillain; consult with Clarity, who can tell you why things happen as they do (if you really want to know); and learn how to score points for decapitation in a never-ending game of life and death.
Featuring all of the above plus protective aliens, bickering ghosts, gangster vampires, robot ninjas, and floods of man-eating hamsters, the second collection of stories from the wicked imagination of Michelle Ann King will horrify, amuse, and chill you in turn.
“Don’t get upset. You know that’s a bad idea. It only leads to severed limbs and evisceration.”
— Amy, ‘Possibly Nefarious Purposes’
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
New audio story at Tales to Terry - Not With a Bang
My apocalyptic SF story Not With a Bang (SF - 1,275 words) came out in audio at the wonderful podcast Tales to Terrify...
'She logs back in and the console lights up immediately. She clears her throat. ‘Thank you for calling the Central Health Advice Line, my name is Elizabeth, can you please tell me your primary symptoms?’
Listen to the story at Tales to Terrify now!
'She logs back in and the console lights up immediately. She clears her throat. ‘Thank you for calling the Central Health Advice Line, my name is Elizabeth, can you please tell me your primary symptoms?’
Listen to the story at Tales to Terrify now!
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Reprint in The Sirens Call issue 37 (Women in Horror Month) - You Don't Want What I Get
The latest issue of The Sirens Call magazine (Women in Horror month) is out now, featuring my 1,197-word 'don't underestimate a female gangster' story You Don't Want What I Get
The others don’t like me. Partly because I’m a girl and partly because I don’t like them either, but mostly because I’m treated differently. When they go up to collect their cut I stay where I am, sitting on the table. Smoking. They don’t like that either, some of them. Bunch of tough guys, worried about lung cancer. Crazy.
Read the rest in The Sirens Call now!
The others don’t like me. Partly because I’m a girl and partly because I don’t like them either, but mostly because I’m treated differently. When they go up to collect their cut I stay where I am, sitting on the table. Smoking. They don’t like that either, some of them. Bunch of tough guys, worried about lung cancer. Crazy.
Read the rest in The Sirens Call now!
Monday, February 5, 2018
Latest Story News!
OUT NOW:
1. Getting Shot in the Face Still Stings (Horror, 3786 words) came out in audio at Tales to Terrify
2. Behind Glass (Horror, 2,181 words) was reprinted in The Sirens Call Ezine
3. The World Doesn't End, Even When it Should (Horror, 2,443) was reprinted in The Misbehaving Dead anthology from A Murder of Storytellers
FORTHCOMING:
1. You Don't Want What I Get (Horror, 1,197 words) will be reprinted in The Sirens Call Ezine, Feb 2018
1. Getting Shot in the Face Still Stings (Horror, 3786 words) came out in audio at Tales to Terrify
2. Behind Glass (Horror, 2,181 words) was reprinted in The Sirens Call Ezine
3. The World Doesn't End, Even When it Should (Horror, 2,443) was reprinted in The Misbehaving Dead anthology from A Murder of Storytellers
FORTHCOMING:
1. You Don't Want What I Get (Horror, 1,197 words) will be reprinted in The Sirens Call Ezine, Feb 2018
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Reprint in The Misbehaving Dead - The World Doesn't End, Even When it Should
One of my absolutely favourite things about selling to anthologies is getting the contributor's copy -- and I'm loving this one!
The Misbehaving Dead from A Murder of Storytellers features a feast of marvellous zombie stories, including my 'The World Doesn't End, Even When it Should', in which zombies are a commodity to be used, rather than a monster to be feared.
The World Doesn't End, Even When it Should - Horror - 2,460 words
Yes, it was morally ambiguous. Potentially blasphemous, depending on your religious affiliation (although what was Lazarus, really, if not a zombie?) and, of course, highly illegal. But since when had any of that stopped anybody? Lucy wasn’t some kind of anarchist—she believed in the need for rules and principles as much as the next civilised person. But it was her dad. What was she supposed to do? It all looked very different when someone you loved was at stake.
Read the rest in The Misbehaving Dead
The Misbehaving Dead from A Murder of Storytellers features a feast of marvellous zombie stories, including my 'The World Doesn't End, Even When it Should', in which zombies are a commodity to be used, rather than a monster to be feared.
The World Doesn't End, Even When it Should - Horror - 2,460 words
Yes, it was morally ambiguous. Potentially blasphemous, depending on your religious affiliation (although what was Lazarus, really, if not a zombie?) and, of course, highly illegal. But since when had any of that stopped anybody? Lucy wasn’t some kind of anarchist—she believed in the need for rules and principles as much as the next civilised person. But it was her dad. What was she supposed to do? It all looked very different when someone you loved was at stake.
Read the rest in The Misbehaving Dead
Saturday, January 13, 2018
Reprint in The Sirens Call Ezine - Behind Glass
Thrilled to be part of this creepy zombie issue with my story 'Behind Glass'!
Behind Glass - Horror - 2,181 words
At lunchtime, after four hours of achieving absolutely nothing, Tom decides to pack it in and go home. It’s the firm’s own fault, anyway. Old McKay makes such a fuss over sick time that everyone always crawls into the office no matter what’s wrong with them. And then, what with the dodgy air con recycling all the germs, everyone else immediately goes down with it.
Today, the place looks like a ghost town. Even McKay himself hasn’t shown up, and if that isn’t a sign of the apocalypse Tom doesn’t know what is.
Read the rest in The Sirens Call issue 36,
Behind Glass - Horror - 2,181 words
At lunchtime, after four hours of achieving absolutely nothing, Tom decides to pack it in and go home. It’s the firm’s own fault, anyway. Old McKay makes such a fuss over sick time that everyone always crawls into the office no matter what’s wrong with them. And then, what with the dodgy air con recycling all the germs, everyone else immediately goes down with it.
Today, the place looks like a ghost town. Even McKay himself hasn’t shown up, and if that isn’t a sign of the apocalypse Tom doesn’t know what is.
Read the rest in The Sirens Call issue 36,
Friday, December 8, 2017
Latest Story News!
Out now
1. Light Winds With a Chance of Velociraptors (Fantasy, 2,592 words) - was published in Metaphorisis Magazine
4. Where There's Magic (Fantasy, 6,980 words) came out in audio at Far Fetched Fables.
5. Failure's Not an Option (Horror, 1,997 words) came out in Bourbon Penn issue 14
6. The World Doesn't End, Even When it Should (Horror, 2,460 words) was reprinted in The Misbehaving Dead from A Murder of Storytellers
Forthcoming
1. Not With a Bang (SF, 1,275 words) will come out in audio at Tales to Terrify
2. Dead Bodies Don't Scream (Horror, 4,032 words) will come out in Tales from the Lake Volume 5, from Crystal Lake Publishing
3. Behind Glass (Horror, 2,127 words) will be reprinted in The Sirens Call eZine.
1. Light Winds With a Chance of Velociraptors (Fantasy, 2,592 words) - was published in Metaphorisis Magazine
2. Never Leave Me (Fantasy, 1,281 words) came out in audio at Far Fetched Fables
3. 15 Things You Should Know Before You Say Yes (SF, 520 words) came out at Daily Science Fiction
3. 15 Things You Should Know Before You Say Yes (SF, 520 words) came out at Daily Science Fiction
4. Where There's Magic (Fantasy, 6,980 words) came out in audio at Far Fetched Fables.
5. Failure's Not an Option (Horror, 1,997 words) came out in Bourbon Penn issue 14
6. The World Doesn't End, Even When it Should (Horror, 2,460 words) was reprinted in The Misbehaving Dead from A Murder of Storytellers
Forthcoming
1. Not With a Bang (SF, 1,275 words) will come out in audio at Tales to Terrify
2. Dead Bodies Don't Scream (Horror, 4,032 words) will come out in Tales from the Lake Volume 5, from Crystal Lake Publishing
3. Behind Glass (Horror, 2,127 words) will be reprinted in The Sirens Call eZine.
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