My next prose fiction (several comic book stories were published during the intervening years) appeared in Electric Velocipede<\/span><\/a> #5 (Fall 2003). The flash fiction “JohnCalvin” was actually written back in 1998. Of my countless short story attempts during the 90s, it was my only published work from that period. <\/p>\n “A Penny A Word<\/a>,” co-written with Paul O. Miles<\/a> appeared in the Robert E. Howard celebration anthology Cross Plains Universe<\/span><\/a> (2006). It was a Finalist for the 2007 WSFA Small Press Award<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n \nNow as part of his ongoing column on New Pulp<\/a>, Alan J. Porter<\/a> is serializing our story “The Raven: Nameless Here For Evermore.”<\/a> Part of the not yet published Protectors<\/span> anthology, the story introduces the pulp era title character.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n But then the two Colt .45s pointed straight at his head and belching smoke caught his attention. The front wheel of the large Buick dug into the rain gutter, then buckled as it slammed into the curb. The big ungainly, overweight car started to tip over. Dutch Mandel helplessly watched the rapidly approaching fire hydrant that would soon spear through the driver\u2019s side window and smash his head to a pulp.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n <\/span><\/p>\n \nMore at New Pulp\u2026<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Now for a true rarity: New Klaw Fiction<\/a> was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Roughly once a decade or so, I publish some new fiction. I\u2019ve never been particularly comfortable writing fiction. As y\u2019all know the essay is my thing. My first published piece of fiction appeared in the 1980s when I was 13. … Continue reading ![](\"http:\/\/monkeybrainbooks.com\/images\/Cross_Plains_Universe_cover_thumbnail.jpg\")
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\n Quote:<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u201cWhat the ______ !\u201d Something dropped out of the sky, landing on the road just in front of the speeding car. Initially, Dutch thought it was some sort of wounded giant bird that must have fallen off a building. But when it rose, he saw that it was a man dressed all in black. A black scarf covered the lower half of his face, a black wide brimmed hat pulled low, and a flowing black cape attached to his shoulders. Dutch felt fear for perhaps the first time when he saw the piercing red eyes . They seemed to shine out from between the scarf and the hat.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cShit!\u201d The glass on the right hand side of the windshield cracked into a starlike pattern, and then shattered into a thousand tiny shards. He slammed on the brakes and violently tugged the wheel to the left. The car shot across into the face of oncoming traffic. He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his right arm. The bastard shot him! The arm lay at his side useless. Without it, it was impossible to straighten the course of the speeding car.<\/p>\n