My story "Sea-Changes," about complicated family love and bereavement (and also about mysterious sea creatures), has been reprinted in Black Hare Press' ebook "Lockdown Fantasy #1," which can be downloaded free through this link: It was first published in 2015 in Donna Quattrone's anthology "Something Rich and Strange," but it seems appropriate for this time … Continue reading Sea-Changes: a story of grief and transformation

My very short story "At The Cave-Mouth," in which a dragon-slayer arrives poised for a desperate battle and runs into an unexpected choice, can be read free online here. I've always been fascinated by dragons in other people's stories, perhaps starting when I read Laurence Yep's "Dragonwings" for the first time. So far my stories … Continue reading Dragons and dilemmas

And now for something completely irrelevant: Swords and Sorcery just published "Behind the Curtain." Most of my stories are ethical/political musings, but this one's just a romp or bagatelle, sort of a Ruritanian intrigue, if Ruritania had a hint of magic and if Ruritania's women were something more than merely decorative. In it Dame Asra … Continue reading Behind the Curtain

My story "In The Forests Of The Night" is out in the new dark speculative fiction anthology "Coppice and Brake," edited by Rachel Brune. This story starts at midnight in a traincar containing many passengers bound for a political rally--some as supporters, some as protestors, all unknown to each other until an unexpected interruption gives … Continue reading Mental contagions

Misery, Mercy, and Justice: The Unresolved Questions Posed By Les Misérables This essay of mine was originally published on Uisio's site in 2016. As that site has been taken down, and as I've just joined a discussion group on Les Misérables, I'm reposting the essay here. “So long as there shall exist, by virtue of … Continue reading Misery, Mercy, and Justice

My second story to be published this year is in the resistance anthology "Shout," a collection of poems and stories that ask hard questions about who we are, who we're becoming, and how we might be able to change both. The book's just become available for sale. Part of the proceeds from sales will go … Continue reading Shout!

My historical fantasy story Cast Out, which explores how we live with fear (both personal and collective), is free to read online at After-Dinner Conversation, a site which publishes stories that center ethical and philosophical questions. I appreciate their focus, and I appreciate their publishing this story, which portrays mental illness and healing as I … Continue reading Fear Itself