Strange Matters: Collected Tales of Fantasy, Myth and Magic
About this ebook
Strange Matters is a collection of tales of fantasy, myth and magic.
Some are funny, some are dark, some are both. Some are set in our world, with the skin peeled back to reveal the magical mechanisms beneath. Some are set in fantasy worlds, where instead it’s the reflections of reality which are hidden.
All contain matters best described as ‘strange’, because to me, strange matters.
This book includes twenty pieces of poetry and fiction (some with mature themes), including:
Wordsmith
Kate’s night is interrupted by meeting a mute, half-naked Ethiopian boy, which would be fine if he wasn’t being hunted through the streets of London by hyenas.
Torc
When a group of bikers get lost in a forest, they find that they are not alone.
The Firebird
Ekaterina wants to be taken seriously by the men of her village, so she sets out to hunt the greatest prey of all… the legendary Firebird.
Arcturus
A nameless criminal explores his capacity for magic- and empathy- when he’s forced to make unusual acquaintances to escape justice.
It Wants To Eat Me
The diary entries of a teenage girl who finds an unusual and unwelcome intruder in her dreams.
British Gods
Two strange figures watch the violence of the London riots unfold and do what they can to help, as only forgotten gods can.
Nine
Having just died, Andy’s not pleased to find himself in the ancient Egyptian afterlife, where the goddess Bastet wants a word with him.
Strange Matters is a journey through many facets of fantasy, all united by a fresh, modern eye for incisive storytelling and magical realism.
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About the author
What is there to say? I'm Bret Allen and I'm a writer!
I have a blog site and studied Journalism. I prefer to write with humour, or at least a wry eye, when writing articles.
In fiction, my favourite genres are fantasy, scifi and supernatural. There's something fascinating about the comparisons drawn between real life and the fantastic; in a contrary fashion, they can be more profound than those drawn by real-life stories.
Most of all, I try to put a new spin on those genres, which in many cases have become stiff, old shambling corpses. Stitch on a smart new head, put a little truth in the heart, run a 500 megawatt current of strangeness through them and suddenly... they live again!
As for me, I've lived most of my life in Shropshire and Staffordshire. I have a few great friends, a myriad of mates, a large and wonderful family, a fur baby and a long suffering partner.
I draw most of my inspiration from Neil Gaiman, Tolkien, Tad Williams, Kim Newman, Terry Pratchett, daydreams, nightmares and the magic of the everyday.
