192 pages. 72, 000 words. This omnibus is primarily a collection of fantasy short stories, three of which transpire in the World of Orb universe; the location of my previous collection Alchemist City Stories. In addition to those though, there are a few sci-fi stories as well and, after them, some essays on Zen. Finally, to close the collection, there's a brief selection of my most recent poetry.
Story Excerpt [from 'Quaesar's Arrival']
The world had grown quiet. Cities that’d once spread creeping over its surface were now falling apart in dry ruins. The oceans dwindled too, becoming constellations of lonely seas filled with salt thick ooze. Only the most monstrous of creatures could survive in them and, all over the world, the harsh conditions that prevailed twisted the remaining beasts into various forms of grotesque being. It’d been years since a cloud was seen in the sky. And yet, despite all this, there were still fragments of lingering civilization here and there, cruel to themselves in their hope that the lands which death had spread its veil over could one day be reborn. Partly this was because magic had returned, kindling a little bit of faith in the hearts of the despairing but, those who held such beliefs, didn’t understand. In any case, there were still events transpiring of momentous consequence – the business of travellers going to and from nameless occult realms. In such matters of course, bloodshed was inevitable.
