Release date: April 26, 2019
Subgenre: Horror, Short fiction collection
About Book Haven and Other Curiosities:
An eclectic mix of tales to entertain and engage the imagination!Come peruse the dusty shelves of BOOK HAVEN. Scan the titles, study the strange trinkets that are lined up on display. Maybe pull aside the cobwebs and run your fingers alone the spines of the books, caress the artifacts. You will find many forgotten treasures and un-mined gems among the debris.
From the author of Flowers in a Dumpster comes a new collection of short stories to terrify you, to move you, to make you think. In the spirit of High Cotton by Joe Lansdale, Trigger Warnings by Neil Gaiman, and Skeleton Crew by Stephen King, this short story collection offers an eclectic mix of Horror, Scifi, Fantasy, and drama.
- -The title novella features a futuristic landscape where the world’s literature has been lost, and a group of government agents are on the hunt for the mythological Book Haven, a vast secret library.
- -In “C U Soon,” a girl dies in a car accident while texting with her boyfriend, but after her funeral he continues receiving mysterious messages from her.
- -In “The Man Who Watched the Ocean,” a man mourning the loss of a past love decides to try and join her.
- -In “Tanner” a man purchases a used tanning bed in which someone once died and finds that houses aren’t the only places that can be haunted.
- -In “Human Bones in a China Cabinet,” a young man has an unusual collection hidden away in a china cabinet
- -In “The Sandbox,” a friendless boy playing in a sandbox encounters a strange yet familiar old man who shapes the course of his life
- -In “The Farm,” a horror fan visits the location of a cult classic
Some of what you find will be dark and suspenseful, some beautiful and haunting, but all of it is yours for the taking. We’re so glad you found your way here and welcome you inside BOOK HAVEN.
Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths.
Excerpt:
BOOK
HAVEN
Article
from the Columbia, South Carolina online news source, The
State:
Three weeks have
passed since the event which has come to be known around the world as “the
Wipe”, and authorities are still no closer to determining who is responsible
for creating the virus that deleted the digital files of all fictional works of
literature from every online database. The virus was insidiously designed to
erase all downloaded copies, and the world’s leading computer experts have been
unsuccessful at recovering any of the files.
In a
press conference held yesterday in front of the White House, President Bachman
said, “This is a clear-cut case of cyber terrorism. The virus targeted only
literature files, which is a great blow to both art and history, but the
ramifications of this are even more terrifying. What would stop these
terrorists from targeting medical records or classified military documents or
birth certificates or personal financial information? It is imperative that we
make discovering and apprehending those responsible for this heinous act a top
priority.”
Since
the production of physical books was discontinued nearly a century ago, printed
volumes have become obsolete relics relegated to museums. The price of physical
books on the secondhand market have skyrocketed following the Wipe.
During
his press conference on the matter, the president also confirmed that the
Senate is forming a subcommittee to formulate a plan to deal with the literary
crisis here at home while the U.S. government communicates with other world
leaders to coordinate efforts. Unconfirmed rumors speculate that several
facilities all over the country will be formed to focus on the problem,
including one right here in Columbia, South Carolina…
The Library
The rain
splattered down from the gray clouds, languid and dispirited, as if to match
Paul Nelson’s mood.
He
pulled the car into the parking lot of the Library just as his cell chirped in
his ear. He knew who the caller was without checking the display on the dash;
he let it go to voicemail. A warning light informed him the car was running low
on juice, so he parked in one of the recharging spaces, knowing the engine
would be topped off by the time he left work. One of the perks of having a
government job was that he didn’t have to pay for the electricity.
And on
days like this, he needed to remind himself the job did come with perks. It
wasn’t all gloom and disappointment.
Just keep telling yourself that until you
finally start to believe it.
With a
sigh, Paul cut the engine and sat in silence, staring through the windshield at
the squat, gray, rectangular building where he worked. The nondescript,
industrial architecture of a government facility. The official name for the
facility was the Southeastern Institute
for Acquisition and Restoration of Literature, but everyone always called
it the Library. Succinct, both appropriate and sadly ironic at the same time.
Amazon | Goodreads
About Mark Allan Gunnells:
Mark Allan Gunnells loves to tell
stories. He has since he was a kid, penning one-page tales that were Twilight
Zone knockoffs. He likes to think he has gotten a little better since then. He
has been lucky enough to work with some wonderful publishers. He loves reader
feedback, and above all he loves telling stories. He lives in Greer, SC, with
his husband Craig A. Metcalf.
No comments:
Post a Comment