Welcome to Gloom and Doom. This is an ongoing series of stories about anything and everything. You will find no patterns, no consistent themes, or method in the madness. Hopefully this summary of what's on offer will help you to find something you will enjoy.

If not, well.... at least they're short.

I'll add stories as and when:

a) I have what could kindly be considered a decent idea, and:

b) when I can be arsed to finally write it down.

A lot of these stories are experimental, weird, and certainly not for everyone. Be warned.

Publishing No. Name Genre Word Count Summary/Notes 1 Astro Traveller Sci-Fi Comedy 5181

A young man battles to maintain his worthlessness aboard an intergalactic scouting vessel.

Written during the final stages of my novel Scenario 66 as a bit of relief from the short, direct style of my main focus.

2 Pyrrhic Exorcism Supernatural Dark Comedy 3984 An important businessman stumbles upon a costly way to protect his family from a haunting. 3 A Visit From Death Urban Dark Comedy 2790

A town is terrorised by a team of assassins who use their victims' carelessness to their advantage.

Written in a single sitting in tribute to my wife's obsession with tearing up addresses on letters.

4 Under the Rosy Sky Weird Horror 2266

A college student finds himself at a party ending in an unwelcome revelation.

An experiment in the experiences of a character reflected in writing style.

5 Policy 9 Sci-Fi Comedy 6529

A shop assistant recollects his time in a convenience store among the stars.

My personal favourite in this collection!

6 Revenge of the Hack Sci-Fi 2496

An alcoholic writer on an isolated mining planet uses the attention of his alien audience to deal with a rather important bill.

7 Kids These Days Dark Comedy 975

A game-loving school boy decides that the breakout of a zombie apocalypse isn't all that bad.

8 'Mummy' Light Horror 1464

It's a horror story. About teddy bears. Contains scenes of exposed stuffing that some cuddly friends may find disturbing.

Dug up from the archives; written years before anything else here.

9 Mill Hill Time Loop Time Travel Comedy 6251

An incompetent general finds a device which helpfully lets him travel to future visitor centres to find out how he won his battles... but is everything as it seems? (No. The answer is ALWAYS no.)

Shares some similarities with my novella Jiharu: A Story of The Hunt, which was written around the same time.

10 Rush Horror 1107

A long-awaited death leads to panicked decisions that doom the future of a young family.

Links to my fiction Old Riding Author Lunatic Asylum

11 Paper Round Sci-Fi 3312

One of the last remaining members of the thoroughly defeated human race defies Earth's new masters in the only way he can

Links to my fiction Old Riding Author Lunatic Asylum

12 Scenario 79: Sausage Fingers Fantasy Comedy 2639

In a world of bloodless conflict, a warlord's decimation of a besieged city's defences is stopped with the turn of a card

Some elements of this story are perhaps better understood if you have read my novel Scenario 66

Links to my fiction Old Riding Author Lunatic Asylum

13 Helping Hand Fantasy 4803

A mighty general bewitches the severed hand of a fallen enemy to locate a priceless treasure.

14 Happy Whatever Sci-Fi, Dark Comedy 1444

A chance meeting of humans, in a bar, at the start of a week off, on a planet far away from home. What could go wrong?

15 Animals Horror 2539

Something is wrong with the world, and it cannot be undone. Those who know, and cannot accept, seek help from those those who can.

16 A Moment In Moonlight Dark Romantic Comedy 2389

The ghost of a young man helps a girl come to terms with an untimely death at the metaphorical hands of a structurally unsound gravestone.

17 Master Darkside Fantasy Comedy 1381

An impatient young sorcerer sets out his case to prove to his father that his evil accomplishments live up to the family name.

18 SexTime: Four Scenes From Launch Week Absurd Erotic Comedy 5239

A new social media app tracking sexual activity launches to disaster and despair for all who have the displeasure of using it.

19 Topia Speculative Fiction 4489

A man wakes up out of a drugged haze in a silent grey workshop with no memory of why he is there.

20 Perfect Weapon Dark Comedy 856

In this modern time of austerity, even Hell must adapt to survive its budget cuts.

21 Here, at the End of the Road - Part 1 Horror, Thriller 4048

A desperate group of hunters, seeking a dangerous and mysterious quarry, stumble upon their first lead.

22 Here, at the End of the Road - Part 2 Horror, Thriller 4783

The conclusion of the hunt. At the end of the road, Howe comes face to face with his prey, and Niall plays his part.

23 An Argument of Rainbows Fantasy Dark Comedy 4615

Besieged by the undead, a remote village summons a powerful group of spirits to save them. Unfortunately for everyone, said saviours are now official servants of the king.

24 A Big Green Cross Horror 3699

Nasty things are happening because the air is heating up. Then Tommy finds something in Mr. Smith's basement and saves the world. Only, the bad men are still coming...

25 Life Soup Absurd Fantasy 1610

In the Kitchen of the Multiverse, an imaginative god gets a bit too experimental for His creation's good.

26 Distraction Corps Sci-Fi, Dark Comedy 5545

Two 'wildlife guides' do their best to convince a diplomat from the League of Peaceful Planets that Earth is a beautiful world full of pleasant people and thriving natural delights deserving of exotic alien goodies.

27 Deadheads Sci-Fi 2414 The severed head of a florist does its best to stop the rise of a revolution begun by his own son. 28 A Postcard from Mount Morania Fantasy Comedy 2579 A newly-graduated cartographer journeys to a tiny principality to produce his first commission: a simple national map. Spoiler: it's not so simple. 29 Ends Comedy 6409 Five ragged old men descend on a country mansion with one goal in mind: to find the secret Archive of the Architects in order to fulfill one last mission for their fellowship. 30 Grinny Granny's Yawnsome Yarns Dark Comedy, Science Fiction 3501 A young man struggles through the post-war wreckage of his hometown in search of one simple fact to unlock his way to salvation. 31 Accept Thy Fate (Last Poop on Earth) Dark Comedy, Science Fiction 1337 The end of the world. Or is it? 32 Identity Dark Urban Fantasy 1585 A young businessman says the wrong thing in the wrong part of town, and pays the price. 33 Alleytown Urban Fantasy 1879 Two communities settle into uneasy coexistence after the invention of a fearsome machine. 34 A Journey Science Fiction 777 A despairing human travels across the universe in search of a new life. 35 Sunday Service Dark Comedy, Science Fiction 2077 A suburban busybody receives an unwelcome letter on the most holy of weekdays.