The Nettle Tree Blog Tour: Genre Bender in a Blender

The Nettle Tree, edited by Kenneth Weene and Clayton Bye, is a collection of genre-stretching and busting stories which includes my short story, Ephemera.

In this awesome collection, tales from the past, present, near future and far future collide. From gun-toting robots to aquarium-bound zombies, I—along with twelve amazing authors—bring forth a medley of colorful characters who delight, perturb, and plumb the depths of the human soul.

The Publisher is giving away 2 free copies of The Nettle Tree to commenters to this blog post. To enter, simply leave a reply in the Comments section at the bottom of the page.

At this point,  I’d like to share a few thoughts on the origin of Ephemera.

Genre Bender in a Blender

I think it was Cowboys and Aliens or maybe that Doctor Who episode set in the Wild West that first triggered the desire to blend the sci-fi and western genres. For a while, though, I just let that notion slide to the back of my mind and there it sat and quietly lurked.

When approached with the invitation to submit a western—a strangely different kind of western—I must admit, at first, I was intimidated by the idea. I mean, writing a western was way, way outside of my comfort zone. Still, I was oddly thrilled by the prospect of trying something new, taking that step into the unknown.

At first, I desperately tried dredging up those ever so vague memories of every cowboy movie or television western I’ve even seen. The movie, Young Guns quickly came to mind but I was drawing a blank on everything else. I was, I admit, at a loss for a while. Then it came to me, not exactly in a flash but real steady like water that suddenly comes pouring out of a tap.

It started one day when I was humming along to The Real Folk Blues after re-watching an episode of Cowboy Bebop. I think it was after the ending credits, just before the fade out, I watched as the nostalgic words flickered on the TV screen “See you, Space Cowboy…”

I suddenly knew that my story would be a sci-fi western and it would not be set on Earth. Almost instantly, my mind reached back to an old piece of flash fiction about shape-shifting alien beings on some faraway planet that humans had colonized. I remembered wanting to explore that particular story idea just a little bit more. This seemed like the perfect time.

I started writing and in no time at all, Ephemera, a story about grave diggers leading the charge to re-colonize an alien frontier, sprang to life. Ephemera is one of thirteen strangely different stories, with a western flavor, in The Nettle Tree anthology.

THE ANTHOLOGY


The Nettle Tree
$17.95
Authors: Tonya R. Moore, Leigh M. Lane, Phil Richardson, Salvatore Buttaci, Kenny Wilson, Richard Godwin, Ken Weene, Clayton Clifford Bye, Christopher Wolf, Jeremy C. Shipp, Jim Secor, John Rosenman, Casey June Wolf
Genre: Speculative Western
Tags: aliens, androids, artifical intelligence, creatures, monsters, speculative fiction, western, zombies
Length: Anthology
Publisher: Chase Enterprises Publishing
Publication Year: 2016
ASIN: 1927915104
ISBN: 9781927915103

In this awesome collection, tales from the past, present, near future and far future collide. From gun-toting robots to aquarium-bound zombies, thirteen amazing authors bring forth a medley of colorful characters who delight, perturb, and plumb the depths of the human soul.
Buy from Publisher

Overview

The Nettle Tree, edited by Kenneth Weene and Clayton Bye, is a collection of genre-stretching and busting stories by some of the most talented writers we have. Their challenge was to write strangely different western stories in a format of 3,000 words or less and to take you to places traditional westerns have never taken you. We think they have succeeded admirably. And with powerhouse writers, some known and others whom readers will find delightful discoveries, you will not be disappointed. Our thanks to Chase Enterprises Publishing for making this anthology possible.

The Nettle Tree


FROM THE OTHER AUTHORS

Leigh M. Lane – Coming Soon

Phil Richardson – Coming Soon

Salvatore Buttaci – Coming Soon

Kenny Wilson – Coming Soon

Richard Godwin – Coming Soon

Ken Weene – The Nettle Tree

Clayton Clifford Bye – Coming Soon

Christopher Wolf – Coming Soon

Jeremy C. Shipp – Coming Soon

Jim Secor – Coming Soon

John Rosenman – The Nettle Tree Blog Tour: A Collection of Wild & Woolly Speculative Western Tales

Casey June Wolf – Coming Soon

 Don’t Forget

The Publisher is giving away 2 free copies of The Nettle Tree to commenters to this blog post. To enter, simply leave a reply in the Comments section at the bottom of the page.

 

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