Joshua Reynolds's Blog, page 37

Shadow of the Ghost Finder

In  the spirit of the season, here’s a sneak-peek at a thing the redoubtable John Linwood Grant and I have been discussing, of late. Something may come of it, or it may simply be a shadow of what might have been. Either way, enjoy John’s take on what might be…

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It may have been a Tuesday when the worlds parted. A chill Tuesday morning in London, when Dr John Dee, astronomer and occultist, knelt before Elizabeth Gloriana, Queen of England and Ireland. In the taking of his new oath, and the confirmation of the Queen’s Conjurer, it is possible that some ‘Subtille Darke Power’ chose to cleave the planes of being and isolate such an injurious office in one dimension only.

Or was it on a Sunday in 1795, when the Wold Newton meteorite thundered through the storm clouds and stuck the Yorkshire Wolds? An event with such force that it “alarmed the surrounding countryside and created so distinctly the sensation that something very singular had happened.” Was reality cut by star-iron that day, and shivered into two, or more, parallel creations?

We do not know. And somehow we are adrift and unsure as to which creation is ours. We sit and pick at our kedgeree; we stare suspiciously at the devilled kidneys. The morning paper is choked with talk of German re-armament. In five years, or ten, we expect war, and we have to consider – is there other weaponry which might meet the threat? Not tanks or planes, but the products of stranger sciences – mentality, colours, vibrations, even the unashamed disciplines of the occult.

We know that Dee continued his work in one clouded parallel, and that the Queen’s Conjurer became a position, known later as the Royal Occultist, which was passed down through the centuries. In that parallel, Thomas Merton Carnacki, the Ghost Finder, undertook the role until his death in 1918, during the Great War. His replacement was the dashing Charles St Cyprian. Before the decade was out, he was joined by a redoubtable young woman, Ebe Gallowglass, and these two discharged their duties against the Dark in fine fashion, even with a certain derring-do.

Yet in another parallel or splinter, Carnacki fell far earlier, with neither post nor post-holder to succeed him. No plans had been made, no resources laid by for times of need. With initial reluctance, the Ghost Finder’s confidante Henry Dodgson took up Carnacki’s mantle. A dour line this one, as Dodgson and the rare psychic Abigail Jessop went further into the darkness, not always well equipped, and let the ab-natural know that it could not act unchallenged. Here the turning of the decade after the war brought a loss, not a gain. Dodgson was left to fight alone, embittered at a world which had not paid his heart well for its services.

Two pairings, two strands, but each in the shadow of the Ghost Finder, and each a weapon against spiritual, even physical, catastrophe. We do not think that the Germans will hesitate to gather every resource they can. In this troubled time, it may be that we must seek advice from the whispering corners of our land, and find which world is ours, to whom we can turn…

The Last Edwardian or the Royal Occultist…

Jlg 10/17

If you’re interested in finding out more about the Last Edwardian, I encourage you to check out John’s site, greydogtales. And if you’d like to learn more about the Royal Occultist, be sure to stop by the Royal Occultist site.

Too, why not head over to my Patreon, where you can read not one, not two, but four absolutely free Royal Occultist stories, in celebration of Halloween? The most recent, “The Riders of St. George”, finds St. Cyprian and Gallowglass locking horns with a cabal of murderous ghosts in Hertfordshire.

The Hexwood War

My newest Age of Sigmar novella, “Hammerhal”, is now available from Black Library in the new anthology, Hammerhal & Other Stories. It finds Gardus Steel Soul and his silver-armoured Hallowed Knights at war once more, this time against the sinister machinations of the servants of Tzeentch.

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From the blurb:

Dark forces stir within the bowers of the mysterious Hexwood. A great warhost of Tzaangor beastkin, creatures devoted to Tzeentch, the Architect of Fate, defile the once-verdant lands of Ghyran. All that opposes them are the noble Stormcast Eternals of the Hallowed Knights. Reforged in resplendent sigmarite and wielding the lightning of Azyr, few can stand against these heroes. But Tzeentch’s followers are cunning, and as the Hallowed Knights wage bloody war, a second attack on the city of Hammerhal, which the Stormcasts are oath-sword to defend, is coming to pass. Both the warriors without and the hunters within the city must act fast or the truth about the Hexwood will undo everything they have fought so hard to protect.

The anthology also contains stories by David Guymer, David Annandale, Robbie MacNiven, and Matt Westbrook. It’s available from Black Library as a paperback, ebook and audio download.

And for those wondering when and where this novella takes place during the adventures of the Hallowed Knights, I’ve put together a rough chronology below.

“The Gates of Dawn” from  The Realmgate Wars: War Storm
“War in the Hidden Vale” from  The Realmgate Wars: Ghal Maraz
The Realmgate Wars: Wardens of the Everqueen
The Realmgate Wars: Mortarch of Night
“The Resolute” from  Legends of the Age of Sigmar
Hallowed Knights: Plague Garden
“Hammerhal” from  Hammerhal & Other Stories
“A Dirge of Dust and Steel” from Black Library Events Anthology 2017/18 (forthcoming)
Hallowed Knights: Black Pyramid (forthcoming)

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The Phoenician Unbound

My contribution to Black Library’s ‘Primarchs’ series, Fulgrim: The Palatine Phoenix, is now available to purchase, in fancy limited edition format. The standard (re: cheaper) version will be available in January. But for the moment, feast your gaze on the glories of the Phoenix Illuminated.

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If you’re interested, you can check out a brief interview with me about the book over at Track of Words. The limited edition is currently available from Black Library. The standard edition, as well as audio and digital editions, will be available in January.

Horror in the Hills

A new entry in 18thWall Productions’ Cryptid Clash! series, edited by James Bojaciuk and myself, is now available. “The Himalayan Horror”, by C.L. Werner, finds yetis brawling with Nazis, as well as a devilish canine out of nightmare.

From the blurb:

In 1938, at Heinrich Himmler’s behest, the Schäfer’s Expedition entered Tibet. Ostensibly dispatched to create a “a complete biological record of Tibet,” the SS dispatched a second, smaller unit on a more important mission—to gain access to the secret city of Agartha, and return its magic to Nazi Germany.

But the city has its defenders. Unwilling, disruptive guides. Illusions. And great, shaggy ape-beasts with the strength of ten men and strange powers of their own.

But the yeti are not the only power in the mountains. One of the Germans has brought something with him, in his mind. Something that should have died in the no man’s land of the First World War…

Cryptid Clash! pits cryptozoological creatures against each other – and anyone unlucky enough to be caught in the middle – in a battle to the death. The series features horror, urban fantasy, and military sci-fi luminaries such as William Meikle, Gav Thorpe, David Annandale, C.L. Werner, and Nikki Nelson-Hicks.

Grab a copy of “The Himalayan Horror”, or the other entries in the series, from the publisher, or from Amazon, today. And if you enjoy it, be sure to leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads.

Burying the Book

The first Weirdbook Annual is now available for purchase, just in time for Halloween. It includes my story, “Laying the Hairy Book”, which finds Low Country ghost-breaker, John Bass, tasked to destroy the eponymous tome before its author reclaims it.

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“Laying the Hairy Book” is the twelfth story to feature the crotchety ghost-breaker, John Bass. Given the anthology’s title, it’s probably not hard to guess what he’s up against this time – not just haints, but hags as well.

Bass has appeared in quite a few of my stories, including “Rattlesnake Eyes” and “Seven Heart Beats”, both of which can be read for free. While those two stories take place in the mountains of North Carolina, “Laying the Hairy Book” is set in Bass’ usual stomping grounds of Jackapo County, South Carolina.

Weirdbook Annual #1 can be purchased for download via Amazon and its subsidiaries.

Bride of the Hound

Halloween is almost here, and that means a new Pulpwork Halloween Special is out. It includes my story, “The Bride of the Hound”, a new Royal Occultist adventure, featuring the return of the abominable Hound of Mons, as well as a few other familiar faces.

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From the blurb:

Herein find tales of undead outlaws, secret government organisations with the edict of battling malign manifestations of the outer world, travelling exorcists with beautiful and mysterious assistants, frat parties that turn into demonic conflagrations, and mad vivisectionists living on in the bodies of others.

My contribution, “The Bride of the Hound”, follows on from last year’s “The Hound’s Daughter”, and sees the next offensive in the war between the Royal Occultist, Charles St. Cyprian, and the monstrous Dr. Hochmuller, AKA the Hound of Mons. This time, however, the Hound might have bitten off even more than he can chew, as he – and by extension, St. Cyprian – becomes involved with a cynocephalic cult and horrors beneath the earth.

This story, like the previous ones – “Hochmuller’s Hound”, “The Return of the Hound”, and “The Hound’s Daughter” – is very much an homage to the old black and white horror films that I grew up on, like Revenge of the Creature (1955) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935). Specifically, it’s an homage to the monster rally films of the period, like House of Dracula (1945). I won’t spoil things by giving away the plot, but safe to say, Hochmuller isn’t the worst monster in this one.

As to whether there’ll be any more entries in the series, I am kicking around ideas for a few. You can’t keep a good monster down, after all.

Pulpwork Halloween Special 2017 is available via Amazon and its various subsidiaries.

The False War

Blackshields: The False War, my newest audio drama for Black Library – as well as my first contribution to the long running Horus Heresy series – is now available for purchase.[image error]

From the blurb:

Renouncing fealty to all masters or driven mad by the rigours of war, the Blackshields are a stain upon any Legion they once served. Regarded as little better than pirates, their loyalty is only to themselves. Infamous among their mercenary ranks is Endryd Haar, a former World Eater, driven by hatred, his blade pledged to no banner but his own. But estranged from his Legion and surrounded by a battered warband of warriors, how long can Haar and his Blackshields hope to endure?

I’ve said elsewhere that I’m honestly surprised that they let me write this one. There’s very little action in it. It’s mostly a character piece, with some sprinkled violence. Still, I’m glad Black Library took a chance on it. Even better, there might be more adventures for Endryd Haar and co. in the future – so watch this space!

The running time is approximately 72 minutes. The script is performed by Gareth Armstrong, John Banks, Tim Bentinck, Steve Conlin, Matthew Hunt & Toby Longworth.

Blackshields: The False War is available from the publisher as a digital download or as a CD. It is also available through iTunes.

Tigers and Devils

I’m behind on my Patreon announcements. There are two new stories available – one for patrons and one that’s free to read. The former, “The Tiger, At Large”, features Baxter Sarlowe, a character I haven’t written about in some time, and his investigation of a haunted painting by Rousseau.

The second story, “The Devil of Dog-End”, has appeared before, albeit in audio form. This is it’s first time in print, and as such, I’ve made it free to read.

Too, in order to celebrate the season, I’ve decided to post a free Royal Occultist story a week, until Halloween. Starting with “The d’Erlette Configuration”, the stories have appeared before in one form or another, but it’s become something of a tradition to offer a up a bit of a treat for readers. Each of these stories was inspired, in part, by a favourite horror film of mine, from Fiend Without a Face (1958) to Tombs of the Blind Dead (1972). So be sure to check back each week for a new (old) story. And if you feel like checking out some of the patron-only stories, I encourage you to do so.

Uninvited Guests

18thWall Productions’ newest anthology, Speakeasies & Spiritualists, is now available from all reputable retailers. It includes my newest Royal Occultist story, “The Uninvited Guest”, which finds St. Cyprian and Gallowglass investigating a seance gone very wrong.

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From the blurb:

Psychic investigators on the trail of the trail of a jazz musician who seems to have crawled from the grave. Amateur, living room seances going very wrong when mixed with grief for those who died in the war. Strange men warning out of Florida storms. Dream Demons stalking Chicago, feeding off bar-dwellers, and floors painted with mystic stars.

For those interested, “The Uninvited Guest” is the fifty-sixth Royal Occultist story to be published/announced for publication. Which is quite a few, if we’re counting. Here’s hoping there’ll be fifty-six more.

Speakeasies & Spiritualists is available from the publisher, as well as Amazon.com and its subsidiaries.

Maddening Thunder

There’s a new volume of Cryptid Clash! out from 18thWall Productions – “The Thunder of Madness”, by David Annandale. Soldiers and scientists clash over control of a deadly weapon, as cryptids battle amid the fury of the First World War.

Edited by James Bojaciuk and myself, Cryptid Clash! pits cryptozoological creatures against each other – and anyone unlucky enough to be caught in the middle – in a battle to the death.

Cryptid Clash! features horror, urban fantasy, and military sci-fi luminaries such as William Meikle, Gav Thrope, David Annandale, C.L. Werner, and Nikki Nelson-Hicks.

Grab a copy of “The Thunder of Madness”, or the other entries in the series, from the publisher, or from Amazon, today. And if you enjoy it, be sure to leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads.