The Last Goodnight

dale

PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson

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The rental was one of several identical row houses, one bedroom plus a loft, one-and-a-half baths, small kitchen and dining area. The neighborhood was quiet. It was a perfect place to finish his last novel. It would also be his first novel, but the publisher said it was a sure bestseller.

At seventy-one, his first and only bestseller after laboring for over forty years. It cost him his marriage, any connection to his family, and certainly his sobriety.

He could have it done and submitted in a few months. Once published, then the long, drunken descent into his last goodnight.

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Coming June 26th: “Summer of Speculation”

summer

Cover art for the anthology “Summer of Speculation, 2023”

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It’s finally happening. The Cloaked Press anthology Summer of Speculation 2023 is available June 26, 2023. This year’s theme is Sidekicks.

My contribution to this work is the short story “The Apprentice.”

I didn’t want to do some superhero sidekick story so I went with a “diamond-in-the-rough” apprentice to a Master, but one with particular skills. It’s set in the same futuristic cyberpunk world as my short story “Dollface” which you can find in the anthology Surge.

Pin is a girl who has grown up in the slums of the Under, the ancient remnants of cities built centuries ago which are now dwarfed in the shadow of the sky-spanning megapolis. Recruited by the mysterious “Mr. Chandler,” Pin must leave behind everyone she has ever loved for an uncertain future training as a Paladin. But is Chandler the Practitioner her savior or the catalyst of a life leading to danger and ultimately death?

Here’s a short sample:

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Find My Books At “The Big Based Book Sale!”

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There’s a massive book sale going on at The Big Based Book Sale! Let’s face it, the ideology behind modern entertainment including reading doesn’t rule everything. After all, just yesterday (as I write this), I cited a Bounding Into Comics article which quoted actor Russell Crowe (who starred in the 2003 film Master and Commander) as saying:

“There was an article recently in GQ asking the question, you know, why are so many 30-year-olds obsessed with Master and Commander? And there’s a lot of reasons. And one of the things that they said in the article was that they believe because everybody on board the boat and it’s a very masculine situation on board that boat, you know, but everybody has a job. Everybody’s on this adventure together. They’re all willing to work as a unit. They’re all willing to be led by this one guy. In fact, they love that guy and they want to do their very best for this guy.”

After all, why do you think the movie Top Gun: Maverick (2022) was such a success? Even younger people are craving old world examples of masculinity, honor, basic values, and heroics. New books steeped in those virtues still exit.

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Taking the Wife Along

roger

PHOTO PROMPT © Roger Bultot

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It was just before 5 a.m. The apartment Demetrius borrowed from its owners had a view of the Brooklyn Bridge if you didn’t mind the house plants and tattered shades. Real estate was so expensive here.

“Will you kill him?” The hologram of his wife projected from a chip in his brain haunted him like Jiminy Cricket.

“If you must know, the reward is dead or alive with a bonus if he’s still breathing.”

“What about the family who lives here?”

“Once he gets home, they’ll be set free, okay?” She was just as annoying dead as she was alive.

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Movie Review of “M3GAN” (2022)

megan

© James Pyles

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Last night (as I write this), I watched the 2022 horror film M3GAN.I normally don’t watch horror films. I’m not overly fond of being terrified and calling it “entertainment.” However, I do have an interest in AI and humanoid robots. So a few days ago, when I saw the Blu-Ray at my local public library, I decided to give it a whirl.

The disc gave me the choice of watching the theatrical version (PG-13) or the unrated version (anything goes). Naturally, I selected the latter.

The story begins with a little girl (Violet McGraw as Cady) in a car with her parents going on a ski trip. The girl is playing with an advanced robotic furry doll run from her tablet and invented by her aunt. Snow in the ground, icy roads, fog, and a snowplow out of nowhere, and the parents die in a car crash.

Meanwhile her aunt Gemma (Allison Williams) who is supposed to be developing a better, cheaper furry AI doll with her team Tess (Jen Van Epps) and Cole (Brian Jordan Alvarez) are actually working on a prototype “child” android named M3GAN (Model 3 Generative Android).

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The End of the Punisher

knights

© James Pyles

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Although I’ve heard of the Marvel comic book character The Punisher (Frank Castle) over the years (He first appeared in Spider-Man #129 in 1974), I’ve never been a fan. I don’t know why. I guess I prefer the more traditional costumed superhero. Some guy running around shooting people doesn’t appeal to me.

Sometime later, the character and his symbol (a stylized skull) came into controversy when said-symbol was adopted by a number of law enforcement units. Essentially these officers were aligning with an ultra-violent vigilante which understandably made a lot of people nervous.

Marvel went so far as to change the Punisher’s logo to dissociate the character from the officers and others who had adopted the older symbol and Castle’s vendetta against criminals.

As an aside, it should be noted that very briefly in the 1970s, Marvel changed the name of their landmark character Black Panther to Black Leopard because they didn’t want T’Challa associated with the black militant group The Black Panthers.

Recently, Marvel announced they were ending The Punisher, not only by not publishing comics featuring the character, but having him commit suicide.

What? Why?

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Unbreaking Chains

table

PHOTO PROMPT © Rowena Curtin

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“There’s no going back.” Leonard sat on the metal chair opposite her, casually running his index finger across the symbols etched on the tabletop. It was a public garden, quite lovely. The summer morning was humid but still cool.

“I didn’t say anything about going back, just reliving the experience with a different outcome.”

“It’s a fantasy. I wouldn’t be able to save them.”

“But you’d be able to see that their deaths were not your fault.”

“And this disc will do that for me?” He waved his hands over the table’s surface.

“Let’s begin the ceremony and find out.”

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This Isn’t Me

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PHOTO PROMPT © Lisa Fox

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How did I end up like this?

Look at this. A baby walker, little kiddie motorized truck, and the worst of it, a mega-propane barbecue.

This isn’t me. It was never me. I guess that’s the point, though.

“Alan? Can you come in and help me change the baby’s diaper?”

“Yeah, Hon. In a minute.” I sound just like some stupid suburban husband. I mutter, “The name’s Ricco.”

I shrug my shoulders and start trudging up the back steps. Diapers. Married. Barbecues. It’s not me, but then the mob won’t be looking for a hit man turned state’s evidence here.

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Haunting Jack

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PHOTO PROMPT © Ted Strutz

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The loud rock music and fireworks were perfect to cover up her last screams. All Jack had to do was dump her corpse into one of the cheap seats and walk away. Anyone noticing her would think she’s stoned. He’d be on a plane to his next job before her death was discovered.

He hated the weird ones, but that’s what he got paid for. Jenny called herself a witch or a medium or something. Who cares why someone wanted her dead.

Jack’s fingers were on the door handle of his rental car when he saw her bloody ghost inside.

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Visiting Heaven

amanda stairs

PHOTO PROMPT © Amanda Forestwood

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The gate at the top of the stairs was open. God again allowed mortals to have visiting hours in Heaven. She could see Mom once more. How long since the last visitation? God saw when He first allowed this, it turned into a disaster. No one visiting wanted to leave the bliss of the world to come.

Of course, they were still alive so they had to go. But then came mass waves of depression and suicide. God cut off visitations but that was worse. Now an entire world had come to faith, but only if they could see Heaven.

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