Short Stories

I enjoy writing short stories but the problem is that essentially I'm a novellist.  I tend to start writing and the 5000 word limit is surpassed in no time at all, so suddenly I have a book, or in the case of Khataria which started from a pencil sketch, eleven books.

But I found an interesting twist.  While a few of my short stories remain just that, I've also discovered that from a novel, many chapters or passages stand alone quite well as short stories.

I call these excerpts and you'll find many in the list below.  With some subtle tweaking, they hold up well on their own and also give an insight into the core novel from which they're sourced.

I enjoy this style of writing.

A Boy of No Consequence (Short Story 2011) is an excerpt from the novel "Lords of the Kreyml".
"He bit down on his tongue rather than reply then stormed out into the corridor.  He was tired of ships and the small minds that filled their hulls."

Abstract Normalcy (Short Story 2006) is a stand alone excerpt from the novel "Symbiosis".  2006 was a good year for making short stories from novels, and this one in particular receives a lot of feedback.  It's not my habit to give a content warning, but some readers will definitely find this story disturbing.
"Across the bay, the lights of Great Keppel Island still glowed and he wished that he was there. Anywhere but here."

A Fruitless Adoration (Short Story 2010) is an excerpt from the novel "Creatures of the Faith".  I like this tale which is one of the opening scenes in the first Khataria novel.  It tells so much with few words about the characters who are central to the epic series.
"In a different world, if he were not the future King, he would tell Danos how he felt, but in this world he could not."

A Lion Roars (Short Story 2006) is an excerpt from the novel "The Kingdom of Ice".  I have done many excerpts from my novels but this remains a personal favourite.
"Tamaq leaned against a pillar, his grief all-consuming.  He needed to wail, to scream, but only a strangled whimper escaped."

Bungundarra (Short Story 2005) is a personal piece and took several years to write.  It came towards the end of polishing "Symbiosis" in its final form, and now forms the novel's prologue.  It has a companion drawing called "Touching Lantana" which I started in the late 90s but never finished.  The scene has become a bit untouchable in my head.  I don't think I could do it justice in visual form.  That said however, I painted a more cryptic interpretation called "Jeune Amour" in 2004, and a quote from the tale adorns the canvas as well. 
"Love is not a pallid smudge of pastels, but a vibrant explosion of colour that sucks the air from your lungs, and leaves your heart reeling in glorious wonderment and pain. Cling to it, embrace it, never let it go."

Claw (Short Story 2003) is a creepy love story.  I'll say no more :)
"The beautiful face came to rest on his shoulder, showering him with  kisses before it slowly faded back into the night."

Daddy's Little Princess (Short Story 1998) is from the Lost City series and has a Black Card Art companion piece, "Princess".  This true story is presently unlinked.
"All she can do now is forget, since Daddy took away her innocence, and she became one with the streets."

Daniel's Tears (Short Story 1999) is another dark tale with a twist from the "Celestial" era.  Melodramatic, and perhaps even emo by current standards, but still a piece worthy of reading.
"Daniel is too beautiful for one such as me, for I have seen too much and he has not."

Katalia's Calling (Short Story 2006) is a stand alone excerpt from "Exile of Titania" and serves as one of the introductory paragraphs of the book.  After reading the novel, it's quite a sad piece to reflect on.
"He had only to ask and she would give herself to him, in every way, for evermore."

Krustallos (Short Story 2006) is the prologue from "Princes of Khataria" and tells the fable of a famous mountain central to the epic Khataria series.
"Her rage was absolute and she summoned the darkest forces to follow her up from the planet's core, volcanoes, molten streams of lava that destroyed her foes and blanketed the landscape with ash."

Lamentations of an Ailing Immortal (Short Story 2010) is the prologue from "Creatures of the Faith" and tells the story of a man who has lived too long.
"I hugged him as tightly as I could then told him to promise that he'd live for a thousand years.  He said that he couldn't, that he wasn't an Immortal like me."

Last Shards of Innocence (Short Story 2006) is a stand-alone piece from "Symbiosis".
"Josh tried to reclaim his earlier sense of calm, but to no avail.  If nothing else, the mystery intrigued him."

Mist (Short Story 1999) is another emo-gothic piece which I still enjoy.
"The mist isn't real, my love.  Just take my hand and it will go away forever."

Ross Creek Rembrandt (Short Story 2006) is a bit wishy washy but I list it here for posterity.  Ross Creek Rembrandt is an excerpt from the novel "Symbiosis" and was originally written to explain the drawing by the same name.  It doesn't stand too well on its own.
Mike closed his eyes, content to waste the day away. "This feels kinda spinny, being drawn, and like, it's going to be around forever".

Shadows Have No Names (Short Story 2005) is a mythical stand-alone piece from the novel "Creatures of the Faith".
"His mind began to clear and he realised something had woken him.  A faint glow tormented the corner of his eye."

The Gabba Under Lights (Short Story 1997) is from the unfinished series "The Lost City"

The Man With No Name (Short Story 2012) is a stand-alone piece from Lords of the Kreyml.
"The dark eyes showed pride and passion, anything but shame. He seemed aware of his place in the world and if a King could not tame him, who could?"

The Second Son of Arasti (Short Story 2005) is a stand-alone piece from Princes of Khataria.
"With the greatest effort he re-met the brown eyes of his sole surviving son, whose birth he could still recall with such clarity."

Tilted Akubra (Short Story 2005) is a stand-alone piece from Symbiosis.
"He sought out the Southern Cross, his father's constellation, but the stars were their usual silent selves."

Toy Soldiers (Short Story 2011) is a new excerpt from Lords of the Kreyml.
"Terrified, the blonde girl lunged.  Her blade struck flesh.  The older girl limped away, clutching her bloodied ribs.  She fell to the floor and the blonde girl stood over her."

Zanaes, Prince Immortal (Short Story 2005) is a stand-alone piece from the novel "Rites of Passage".
"He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes, hating his gifts, wishing that he couldn't see what the Ancients wanted him to see."