The Abomination in the Crypt

 

Winter of Sci-fi & Fantasy Volume 1 is coming soon with a little dark fantasy tale of my own in it, "The Abomination in the Crypt".

 

 

New Writings in Horror & the Supernatural Omnibus from PS Publishing

 

My contributor's copy of New Writings in Horror & the Supernatural Omnibus from PS Publishing arrived today. This is a reprint of volumes one and two of New Writings in Horror & the Supernatural edited by David A. Sutton in 1971 and 1972 by Sphere Books. I had a story in both volumes and these are included in the Omnibus: "The Farmhouse" and "A Bottle of Spirits".

 

There was a previous reprint of the two volumes in 2013 under Dave Sutton's own imprint, Shadow Publishing, retitled Horror! Under the Tombstone.

 

There was to have been a third volume in 1973 but Sphere cancelled their contract. As a result Dave Sutton managed to get it published instead by Corgi Books under the new title of The Satyr's Head & Other Tales of Terror (which was also the title of my story in this anthology).

 

Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 11

Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 11 is now in the process of being made available as a trade paperback and kindle eBook. Links will be posted here as

In the meantime, as a taster, below are copies of the Introduction, which contains details of all 10 writers included in the eleventh volume: Harry Elliott, David A. Sutton, Susan Macdonald, Marc Edward Star, Tais Teng, Andrew Darlington, Geoff Hart, Uumbi, Daniel Mahoney, and Craig Herbertson, plus the award-winning artist Jim Pitts.

 

 

 

Ongoing series in Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy

 

Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy has published a number of stories that form parts of ongoing sagas. Volume 11 includes three of these.

The first is another Undervalley tale from Harry Elliott, involving his intrepid trio Hel Strumm, Mann Silver and the ever-thirsty Gul Hakker. "Silence for Snakes" marks the fifth story following “Skulls for Silver”, “Trials for Treasure”, “Blades for a Bounty” and “Masks for the Madness” in volumes 5, 6, 7 and 10.

 

Another series involves Craig Herbertsons tales of the barbarian hero Wardark. Prior to "Wardark and the Sands of Serpanam" in our latest volume we published "Wardark", "Wardark and the Siren Queen" and "Wardark and the Pirate King" in volumes 3, 6 and 8.

 

We have so far published four of Andrew Darlington's Eternal Assassin stories: "A Place of Ghosts" in Volume 6, "Moonfinger and the Gift" in Volume 8, "The Memory Eaters" in Volume 9 and "The Man Who Hunted Death" in Volume 11, though other Eternal Assassin stories have appeared elsewhere, some of which were collected in his Tule Fog Press collection The Eternal Assassin Chronicles: The Lives & Times.

 

Welgar the Cursed - Reviews on Goodreads

There are now three five-star reviews and one four-star on Goodreads for my collection from Tule Fog Press, Welgar the Cursed. 

To see these reviews follow this link: Goodreads 

My swords and sorcery tale Ammanada is published in the latest issue of Schlock! Webzine

 

The latest issue of Schlock! Webzine (November 2025) contains my longish swords and sorcery tale "Ammanada".

Here is a link to Schlock! Webzine's website where you can read a copy of this story for free: Ammanada 

New dark fantasy story accepted for publication: The Abomination in the Crypt

Great news just received about one of my most recent dark fantasy stories set in my usual swords and sorcery world, which has just been accepted for an anthology to be published later this year. More details soon.
 

The story is called "The Abomination in the Crypt".

This makes five dark fantasy stories due for publication between now and Autumn next year: 

 

The Moneylender of Oriaska

Ossani's Apprentice

Ammanada

Ossani's Escape

The Abomination in the Crypt 

 

Several more are out awaiting for a decision from various publishers.

Ossani's Escape

Pleased to find out that my swords and sorcery story "Ossani's Escape" is scheduled to be published in autumn (the Fall) in 2026.

A Grim God's Revenge

It was in 2017 that my first effort at a swords and sorcery story, "A Grim God's Revenge", was published in Mythic #4. Sadly this publication ceased to exist a year or so back. I reprinted "A Grim God's Revenge" in my collection of the same name.

Below is a link which will lead you to a pdf of my story which I'm presenting here as a free read. Hope you enjoy it.  

 

A Grim God's Revenge 

A Grim God's Revenge

 

New story finished - The Dead Man's Battleaxe

I just managed to get the first draft of a new fantasy story finished before I'll have to lay aside writing to reading submissions for Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 11. I know from past experience I'll not be able to concentrate on any new writing of my own till well after that book's been published.

 

The new story is only fairly short, 3,400 words, and is called "The Dead Man's Battleaxe".

Submissions to Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 11 open at midnight tonight, October 1st.

 

      

Submissions for Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 11 will open on the 1st October 2025 and end at midnight of the 31st, with publication scheduled for late November. Please don't send any submissions till then.

 

Payment is £25 per story plus one contributor's copy of the paperback. The book will be published as a paperback and ebook. Please send your submissions as attachments (doc, docx or rtf) headed  

 

"Submission - Swords & Sorceries 11" 

 to:

paralleluniversepublications@gmx.co.uk

Please send only one submission  at a time - the one you consider the best fit for us. 

Although we like original stories we are always more than happy to consider reprints. Just let us know where and when it was previously published. 

You can send in simultaneous submissions, but let us know if your story is accepted elsewhere as soon as possible. Bear in mind you will receive either an acception or rejection by the end of the first week in November.

There is no limit on the size of submissions.  

There is absolutely no need to tell us anything about yourself as the only thing that matters is the story. Everything else is irrelevant. We will ask for details about yourself if your story is accepted. 

All rejections and acceptances will be sent by email by the end of the first week in November. Please don't enquire about your submission before then.

And good luck!

In the past we have received a number of stories that may be fantasy but are not swords and sorcery. If you are unsure what swords and sorcery is, you could get a better idea by checking out volumes 1 - 10. Saying that, swords and sorcery is a broad genre and we are more than willing to consider stories that stretch its limits, as we have in the past.

Also check our dedicated facebook group: 

Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy

 

   

The contents of Volume One are:

THE MIRROR OF TORJAN SUL - Steve Lines

THE HORROR FROM THE STARS - Steve Dilks

TROLLS ARE DIFFERENT - Susan Murrie Macdonald

CHAIN OF COMMAND - Geoff Hart

DISRUPTION OF DESTINY - Gerri Leen

THE CITY OF SILENCE - Eric Ian Steele

RED - Chadwick Ginther

THE RECONSTRUCTED GOD - Adrian Cole

The cover and all the interior artwork is by Jim Pitts. 

 

amazon.co.uk

amazon.com

Ossani the Healer - stories so far

In recent years I have created a number of recurring characters in my dark fantasy/swords and sorcery tales, almost all of which are set in the cities around the Azure Sea. Just to add to the complications, though, most of these characters interact with each other in various tales, either as major or minor participants. 

One such character is my secretive sorcerer, Ossani, who prefers to masquerade as being nothing more than an apothecary and healer. Indeed, his preferred name is Ossani the Healer. 

He first appeared as a minor character at the end of "The Storyteller of Koss", whose main character is Nadrain the Storteller. (Summer of Sci-Fi and Fantasy Volume 1)

He next appeared, alongside Welgar the Northerner, in "Ossani the Healer and the Beautiful Homunculus".  (Welgar the Cursed)

After this he appears as a minor if influential character in "The Troupe".

The events in this story ultimately leads to his decision to leave his home city of Assabarr and head for the safe haven of Oriaska, hotly pursued by the Priestly Inquisition. The events involving this are detailed in my story "Ossani's Escape" which is scheduled to be published shortly in a magazine. 

Again, he appears in a minor role in "Ezmiyel the Beggar", which is yet to be published.

And again he is a minor character in "The Sorcerer's Casket", this time interacting with another recurring character of mine, Horbeck. 

The story "Emerging from Their Twilit Realms" has Ossani sharing space with Welgar again. (Welgar the Cursed).

Set a short while later, Ossani is yet again involved with Welgar in "From the Ashes", which is yet to be published.

Ossani is the main character in "The Moneylender of Oriaska" (Swords & Heroes Quarterly #2) in which we are introduced to his future apprentice, Arrenya, though she is not yet named. 

As you would expect from the title, "Ossani's Apprentice", Arrenya is the main character in the next tale, though Ossani does play a prominent role in its denouement. (Swords & Heroes Quarterly #2).  

"Masks of Deception", another unpublished story, sees Ossani as the main protagonist.  

The final tale, the twelth so far, is "The Narcolopsia", another as yet to be published tale. Here Ossani is once more reunited with Welgar and is possibly in his most perilous position yet. 

Here is a full list of Ossani stories: 

The Storyteller of Koss (Summer of Sci-Fi and Fantasy Volume 1)

Ossani the Healer and the Beautiful Homunculus (Welgar the Cursed)

The Troupe

Ossani's Escape (due to be published 2025 - more details later)

Ezmiyel the Beggar 

The Sorcerer's Casket

Emerging from Their Twilit Realms (Welgar the Cursed)

From the Ashes 

The Moneylender of Oriaska (Swords & Heroes Quarterly #2)

Ossani's Apprentice (Swords & Heroes Quarterly #2)

Masks of Deception

The Narcolopsia