Category: Uncategorized

Excerpt from “Birds of a Feather”

by Ernest Russell, posted in Uncategorized

Zeke scanned the area as he took a pull from the canteen. “Well, Maude, that ol’ mine town should be jest ahead. Hopin’ we find a few nuggets, least ‘nuff dust to buy us some supplies, else I’ll be fightin’ ya fer some o’ that wattle. Course, I know ya don’t mind the lighter pack, do ya, girl?” Maude nuzzled against his hand as he scratched behind the pack mule’s ear and led her away from the silver wattle, having used the pause for an opportunistic nibble.

As the afternoon wore on, Zeke could see Widdershins on the rise of the gorge. Below him was a river, little more than a stream in this dry season, and several ponds with a flock of birds going in and out of the rushes around the largest of them.

“Looks in pretty good shape, way better’n some places we been, eh, Maude? Might even be some fish in them ponds. Must be sumpin’ to draw all them birds.” As they approached the town, Zeke heard sounds like distant conversation. “Might have company, Maude, sure sound like folk chattin’ up a storm.”

The travel-worn pair arrived in town a bit before sunset. For an abandoned town it did look well preserved. Zeke peered into a few houses on the edge of town. When he stepped into some of the clapboard houses, Zeke realized they were still stocked. Yet, the thick dust blanket was undisturbed – mute testimony to the town’s desertion. Hitching Maude near some of that silver wattle she liked so much and getting her some water, Zeke set about unloading their gear into one of the houses. Making a meal out of the last of his bacon and potatoes with some coffee, Zeke surveyed his surroundings by the light of the moon. Hanging gibbous, it would be full in the next day or two. By its wan, yellow light, he could see the bony structure of the town’s long tom. It leaned crookedly against its sluice, likely the victim of a flash flood during one of the monsoons.

Zeke was surprised to see swans apparently still swimming down in one of the ponds. He would have expected them to be nested in by now. The thought of nesting in sounded like a good idea; it would be nice to sleep in a bed. After beating the old mattress to chase out any spiders or centipedes might have had the same idea, Zeke settled in for a deep sleep.

Greetings and Welcome to My Worlds

by Ernest Russell, posted in Uncategorized

Hello Reader!

Welcome to the first post where my worlds collide. If you looked at the Some Background page, you already have some ideas. So, that was me but what can you expect to find on the page?

You know that is a really good question.

Pretty upfront that I am an author and an avid reader, hopefully you are one or both as well. This page is intended to be a place to express my creative processes, product and just thoughts on different topics as they relate to reading and writing.

So far I have written and marketed stories in Horror, Noir, Pulp, Fantasy, Steam Punk and Historical Fiction. A couple of projects I have going right is a weird tale with a jazz musician and a western. For fun I have written some science fiction but not marketed any yet.

Why have I not tried writing Science Fiction? Well, first reason is easy. I have not really had any call for it. My writing so far has been of the contract variety. Someone has a call for a particular story type with parameters specified in the call. I send them a pitch and they accept or reject it. Have not seen any Science Fiction calls yet that made want to respond.

The other reason is more subtle. Science fiction, perhaps more than any genre, is more than just technology/magic/society. All genres can express the possibility what if, but Science Fiction more than any other, builds on the now. There are so many themes about every issue you can imagine from the environment to paranoia about our reliance on technology. Other genres can do this as well, but Science Fiction can provide a visceral response. The way it is built we can recognize ourselves, our society, and potential progression much easier.

All Fiction poses questions. Science is asking questions, Science fiction is science made into a narrative. Thus, we have thought experiments like the politics of 1984, or the social science fiction of Fahrenheit 451.

History and politics are not immune either; “What if?” is often a great start to speculation. This is why studying the history of WWII is the base for Man in the High Castle, Wizards, or the background for the Table-top game D.U.S.T. All three use the same historical events yet, speculate in different directions.

The cliché goes there is nothing new under the sun. I suppose not, but there as many variations on a theme as there are readers and authors. I am here offering my own variations.

As I read through this first post, I can hear people but yelling at their screens, or in their heads, that I did not touch on some favorite point. No, I am sure I did not, but that was not my intent. I’m just sharing some of my thoughts as a means of introduction.

In the future you should expect more thoughts on different topics, excerpts from some of my stories, reviews of books I have read, movies watched or games played.
Thanks for reading,

Ernest