Wayzgoose: Blog

I've been dredging up old essays and stories again, going back into the 1980s today. I remember so much and so little about that time. I remember being an angry young man.

Well, today, I've posted two old short essays that in their anger are also rather humorous. In my dark and distorted way. So, I've written about "The Counter Council" and my concept of "Modified Anarchy." These essays are from 1985 with very little effort to update them. I'm surprised at how true they ring today as they did back then.

Enjoy!

A fond farewell to Steven George as he has faced his Terror and has left the castle. Not sure when or what new book I'll write next. There are ideas.

I really enjoyed writing the series of fables that comprise Steven George and the Terror, and its predecessor, Steven George and The Dragon. Perhaps I'll do another fantasy series one day. Until then, thank you for your support and for the purchases. Both books are also available in paperback.

Enjoy!

After totally forgetting about it, I managed to get Steven George and the Terror up and released this morning. It is still morning here in Las Vegas. I'm eating my porkchop and a fried egg.

For those with a strictly prurient interest in SOL, this story has no sex in it. Don't waste your time.

But to all others, in the words of C.S. Lewis: "One day you will be old enough to enjoy fairy tales again."

If you have reached that magical age, come and join Steven George the Dragonslayer as he starts a new quest to find and conquer the Terror of Rich Reach--a terror that no one knows the exact shape of, but everyone is terrified of. It's almost as if this fairy tale kingdom has FOX News.

As Steven sets out to find and master the Terror, he encounters unique individuals, each with a story to tell. He exchanges "Once Upon a Time" stories with them and each story leads him a step closer to his Terror. He soon realizes that all roads lead to the Terror.

Steven encounters his lover Selah, a Sergeant, a King, a Weaver, a Fisherman, a Sorceress, a Gravedigger, a Thief, and a Prince. And, of course, the Terror. Conquering it proves easier than convincing people the Terror is past.

"We must have a Terror that you have conquered. Let me see. A monster that you have slain, perhaps? No, no, he would have to bring back the head or ears or some proof if he had slain a monster. A being of the spirit world, then? Or a witch that dissolved in a puddle of water? Dust! That is it! A corpse that turned to dust when the dragonslayer slew it! Again. There are so many possible terrors. What do you think?" asked the prince.

"Now if we were to collect enough dust for it to be plausible that it was a corpse, we could dole it out gradually to the souvenir vendors who could sell it at a handsome price. Whenever people begin to doubt themselves, we could put a little more Terror Dust on the market and there would be a revival. We must make people believe there was a real, monstrous Terror; they were right to be afraid; and we have a true hero in our midst who has saved us from said Terror."

Steven is certainly not the only one who makes up stories on the fly.

Which reminds me of a story...

Back in the summer of 1969, I decided to try out my storytelling prowess. There was no convenient venue for me to establish myself, so I mounted my five-speed Schwinn Collegiate, loaded a pack with a change of clothes, a coffeepot, and a few essentials, and with $5 in my pocket, set out cross-country.

I made my way for nearly three months by stopping on street corners, playing my baritone ukelele, and telling stories. I returned home twelve weeks later with $3 still in my pocket and an adventure that I will always treasure.

I guess in some ways, I identify with Steven on his quest. I hope you enjoy the tale.

Steven George and the Terror is now released as a serial on SOL, an eBook on Bookapy, and a paperback from popular vendors. This is the sequel to Steven George and The Dragon, released in 2011, but the stories are independent of each other.

My newest novel, Steven George and the Terror, will release on Saturday February 25, 2023. I'm happy to announce that pre-sales have begun on Bookapy and other sites. There will be a paperback version of this story available wherever paperbacks are sold. (online)

This is the long-awaited sequel to my 2011 novel, Steven George & The Dragon. I realized this week that the original had never been released on Bookapy, so it is also now available.

Steven George was raised to be the dragonslayer. He always knew he would be called upon to go out and fight the dragon. But on the day he was sent by his village to slay the fearsome beast, he realized he didn't know what a dragon looked like, where it lived, or how to kill it. So, he made his way along the endless road exchanging "Once Upon a Times" with the unique characters he met. Each story led him a step closer, until Steven finally realized that all roads lead to your dragon.

Now, seven years later, the King has summoned Steven to ask him to find and subdue the Terror of Rich Reach. No one knows what is terrorizing the wealthy principality, but people are fleeing and the city is overcrowded. Steven reluctantly takes on the challenge, even though--you guessed it--he doesn't know what the Terror is, how to find it, or how to subdue it.

Once again, he sets out on the road, exchanging "Once Upon a Times" with the people he meets, each story bringing him closer to his terror until it ultimately falls in his lap. He exchanges tales with Madame Selah Wellinska (revealed to be the dragon from the previous story), the King, a Weaver, a Fisherman, a Sorceress, a Gravedigger, a Monk, and a Prince.

This is a tale told in fairy tales, but before you dismiss it, think Grimm's and not Disney's. As C.S. Lewis said in his dedication of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, "One day you will be old enough to enjoy fairy tales again."

The first five chapters of Steven George and the Terror will post on SOL on February 25, the same day the book will be released.

Enjoy!

I thought you might. Not a lot here at the moment, but I've added another short humorous essay to To Make a Long Story Short. "Twenty-Five Percent Soy" takes me back to my early days of married life (first wife), back in about 1974. The average wage in the US was about $11,000/year. In Northern Indiana, it was considerably less. We did everything we could to save money and the grocery store was trying to help. They started by selling discount ground beef that was 10% soy--then 20% soy--then...

We were young and struggling to make ends meet. My gosh! We were paying $100 a month on a ten-year mortgage! I wasn't sure how we'd survive. But the whole idea of economizing on our food budget was tantalizing.

Just a reminder that coming up in mid-February, I'll start posting Steven George and the Terror, the sequel to the wildly popular Steven George and The Dragon. If you are at all interested in fairy tales, this is the story for you. Start by reading the first book and the short story, "What the Sergeant Didn't See." You'll be ready for the new story in February.

Not into fairy tales? In C.S. Lewis's dedication to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, he wrote, “Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.” So, don't despair. You'll be old enough to understand some day.

Afraid that's all the mindshare I could grab from aroslav today. Enjoy!