Short Stories for Long Waits

By Gary Kuyper

A collection of short stories by master story teller Gary Kuyper. This anthology caters for fans of Horror, Fantasy & Science Fiction. Ranging from creepy and disturbing to whimsical and humorous, this superb compilation guarantees reading pleasure for all enthusiasts of the genres.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gary Kuyper
• Release date: Sep 21, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466138063

Gary Kuyper

Gary Kuyper began his professional literary career writing self-help and general interest articles for Daan Retief Publishers who produced a monthly book for their woman’s club called Woman’s Forum. These articles would sometimes require research and had titles as diverse as The Human Brain and Body Painting!Being a professional photographer on a part-time basis Gary has also managed to have his articles on photography (With accompanying photographs) published in books and magazines. He has also done some free-lance photography and photojournalism projects for numerous local newspapers.Over the past four years he has constantly managed to be one of the top finalists in the Nova Short Story Competition (A competition for budding writers of science fiction and/or fantasy).Last year (2009) Gary had the pleasure of seeing The Devil's Little Tadpoles grace the pages of the local SF & Fantasy Fanzine Probe.He is an avid film buff and amateur film maker. A few years ago I managed to take first prize in the SA Ten Best Film Makers Competition with a short film entitled The Crimson Cobra - An action-packed martial arts / superhero movie using some of the very talented local artists.He is a qualified prosthetics make-up artist and has used this talent on both amateur and professional productions. He has also appeared on television in a youth program especially made for enlightening people in the art of special effects make-up.Gary has a rather excellent general knowledge being not only an avid writer but reader of any material that is able to stimulate him cerebrally.He taught himself Adobe Photoshop and has become adapt and proficient enough at utilizing the software to such a degree that he has managed to sell a number of creations to various institutes and organizations. He is particularly fond of a logo designed for the Krazy Mug Coffee Shop and several covers that have graced the front of Probe.Gary has a vast knowledge of music and has appeared on the local Television Music Quiz Show Note for Note where he was able to win a substantial amount of prize money.In 2008 he entered the SF / Fantasy Mini Radio Play Competition and took first prize with his The Adventures of Captain Max Power of the Intergalactic Police - an obvious homage to the early Flash Gordon radio series’. A number of skilled professionals are now planning to produce Max to CD and have it aired on a local radio station (SAfm).All his literary and photojournalistic accomplishments have been done on a part-time basis due to the fact that his full time career is lecturing mathematics as well as engineering science at a Technical College. Although this is a most fulfilling profession, it has long been Gary's ideal to become a full-time writer – especially of fantasy, science fiction and horror novels.He has recently published his first full-length fantasy novel - The Chronicles of Baltrath: The DARK WIZARDS.As a considerable amount of time and effort has been expended in building the world of Baltrath, Gary has begun work on a sequel to The Dark Wizards.

Book preview

Short Stories for Long Waits

The gang’s all here - Ghosts, Wizards, Spaceships, Vampires, Alchemists, Time Travelers, Dragons, Post Apocalyptic Survivors, Visionary Inventors and Mad Scientists are all waiting to welcome and entertain you in this special collection of short stories.

Averaging around 20 pages per entry, this compilation of thought-provoking tales is the perfect companion for anyone needing to pass the time with exciting reads that delve into the worlds of Horror, Fantasy and Science Fiction.

Of course, these stories can be enjoyed anywhere and anytime, but once you start on this innovative page-turning collection, you’ll be wishing that you had even more time on your hands to finish them all.

# # #

SHORT STORIES

for

LONG WAITS

11 stories from the master of Horror, Fantasy and Science Fiction

Gary Kuyper

This is a first edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Copyright © Gary van Nikkelen Kuyper 2011

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people living or dead, events or locales, is entirely coincidental

Smashwords Edition

This book is available in print at amazon.com

ISBN 1 46636 531 5

Dedication

For the vampire-, alien-, wizard-, zombie-, mutant- and dragon- lovers; the fans of horror, fantasy and science fiction; everyone who, like myself, enjoy all three of the genres that are able to transport you from the safety of your sofa to new, wonderful and exciting worlds (and netherworlds).

# # #

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I wish to thank Lazlo Ferran of THE INKUBATOR© for his help and advice in editing much of my work. He has been a true mentor, but more importantly a most trusted friend, without whose help this project would not have been as professionally polished.

The Evil, by Gary Kuyper, copyright © 2001. All rights reserved. Printed by permission of the author.

Hybrids, by Gary Kuyper, copyright © 2011 by The Inkubator book publishers. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of the author and his publisher.

The Devil’s Little Tadpoles, by Gary Kuyper, copyright © 2008. Top10 finalist in the Nova short story competition. Originally published in the SFSA fanzine Probe #142. Reprinted by permission of the author.

The Promise, by Gary Kuyper, copyright © 2011 by The Inkubator book publishers. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of the author and his publisher.

Goldstruck, by Gary Kuyper, copyright © 2011 by The Inkubator book publishers. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of the author and his publisher.

Dark Side of the Son, by Gary Kuyper, copyright © 2001. All rights reserved. Printed by permission of the author.

Spotty Mushrooms, by Gary Kuyper, copyright © 2001. Top10 finalist in the Nova short story competition. All rights reserved. Printed by permission of the author.

The Sorrowapple Tree, by Gary Kuyper, copyright © 2010. Originally printed in The Sorrowapple Tree and Other Short Philosophical Tales by The Inkubator book publishers. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of the author and his publisher.

The Lizard’s Scream, by Gary Kuyper, copyright © 2010 by The Inkubator book publishers. Originally published in paperback under the title Lizards and Wizards. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of the author and his publisher.

Plight of Ray, by Gary Kuyper, copyright © 2010. Originally printed in the BFS (The British Fantasy Society) Journal - Winter 2010. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of the author.

The Wizards of O-Zone, by Gary Kuyper, copyright © 2010 by The Inkubator book publishers. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of the author and his publisher.

Latent Images, by Gary Kuyper, copyright © 2011 by The Inkubator book publishers. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of the author and his publisher.

Made-to-Order, by Gary Kuyper, copyright © 2011 by The Inkubator book publishers. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of the author and his publisher.

What Goes Around…, by Gary Kuyper, copyright © 2008. Winner in the Nova short story competition. Originally published in the SFSA fanzine Probe #147. Reprinted by permission of the author.

# # #

CONTENTS

Foreword

PART 1 - HORROR

The Evil (poem)

Hybrids

The Devil’s Little Tadpoles

The Promise

Goldstruck

PART 2 - FANTASY

Dark Side of the Son (poem)

Spotty Mushrooms

The Sorrowapple Tree

The Lizard’s Scream

PART 3 - SCIENCE FICTION

The Plight of Ray (poem)

The Wizards of O-Zone

Latent Images

Made To Order

What Goes Around…

BONUS MATERIAL

Extract from Book One of Gary Kuyper’s epic fantasy -

The Chronicles of Baltrath: The Dark Wizards

Forewords

General

I have been a fan of Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy since…oh, well further back than I’d like to admit, but not fail to remember. In my literary journey I have met many others who find it possible to delve into any of these three genres with insatiable interest and equal enthusiasm, regardless of their main preference or should I say true love.

To this end, I have produced this anthology of short stories, as a gift to all those sharing in my three loves (See the words of my ‘Dedication.’).

Although this is the first book of its kind, I intend it to be the first in a long and entertaining series - hence the subtitle on the cover, ‘Book 1.’

To those of you who may have interest in only 1 or 2 of the genres, I have specifically divided the book into three sections. The first for Horror, The middle portion for Fantasy and the last for Science Fiction. I expect that some readers may feel that certain stories have been miscategorized. Of course, as is frequently the case, stories may contain elements of the others, but I have categorized them under what I felt was there main attribute. A story such as Hybrids (The first entry in this anthology) actually contains elements of all three, but due to the underlying threat contained therein I felt that it was best suited for the Horror section. So, it is important to note that fans of a certain genre will also find stories in the other sections that will suit their fancy.

I have also decided to divide the rest of my foreword accordingly:

Horror

I’ve always thought the word Supernatural to be somewhat misleading. Consider, for example, the words - Supersonic, Supermarket, Superman, and so forth. In each case the word or prefix Super denotes or adds a quality or quantity to the suffix. Supersonic therefore means faster than sound; Supermarket means larger than a normal sized marketplace, Superman meaning a man with abilities and characteristics above and beyond those of the normal average man in the street. But, Supernatural does not explain an otherwise natural condition that has now become heightened by whatever means.

To prove my point, let’s add the word Hyper as a prefix to those very same words; Hyper having much the same designation as Super. So now we get - Hypersonic, Hypermarket and Hyperman - All these still carry the same connotations as the original words, but Hypernatural seems to be indefinable. If my argument is valid, then surely Supernatural should refer to a heightened ability possessed by anything that we perceive as natural, yet the first thing that would spring to mind, my mind that is, if asked what sort of image the word Supernatural conjures, would be that of a ghost. A ghost, for all intents and purposes, is anything but natural. I expect there are some who would disagree with that statement, especially those claiming to have a certain sensitivity in the way they perceive the world around them. But, seeing as these people are a minority group, and an extremely small one at that, this only emphasizes the fact that a ghost is not natural or is an Unnatural phenomenon.

Therefore, a ghost having no ability to exercise any power on the material world should be termed an Unnatural Phenomenon, whilst one that can, a Superunnatural Phenomenon.

I hope, dear horror reader, that you will find my tales of the Superunnatural to your liking?

Fantasy

There is a fundamental rule when writing fiction; a rule that I learned very early on, even before contemplating writing as a career - and that is: At all times, retain a sense of plausibility. This rule, strangely enough, must be obeyed more by fantasy writers than authors of any other genre. Fantasy is also the most difficult of the three genres to write as there is a fine line that borders between true fantasy and fairytales - this is especially true when the story contains such elements as unicorns and/or obviously fairies or fairylike creatures.

Although I am more prolific in writing short SF stories, my full-length novels fall mostly into the Epic Fantasy category of the sub-genre Sword & Sorcery (Heroic Fantasy) as is evident in my The Chronicles of Baltrath trilogy.

I have opted to add my fantasy novellette The Lizard’s Scream to the Fantasy section as I felt that the other two stories were not only too deep and philosophical, but were a tad short. The Lizard’s Scream aka Lizard’s & Wizards is a much lighter romp and can be enjoyed by fantasy fans of all ages.

I have also taken the liberty of adding an extract from Book 1 of The Chronicles of Baltrath: The Dark Wizards as a Bonus Material read at the rear of the book.

Enjoy!

Science Fiction (SF)

If I had written a story 50 years ago where the characters cooked their meals in microwave ovens, communicated verbally by means of cellphones, sent digital mail via an internet system and found their way around using a Global Positioning System (GPS) - then it would definitely have been considered as Science Fiction.

My question is, now that those speculations have become hard reality, would my story still be considered SF?

Many authors claim that they would be only too thrilled if their predictions regarding mankind’s technological advancement were to be realized. In truth, I believe it would have the exact opposite effect, making the narrative somewhat bland and uninteresting.

Take Jules Verne’s 20 000 Leagues Under the Sea for instance. The story is still enjoyed because of the intrigue, mystery, action and adventure elements, but the novelty of a vehicle able to travel long distances beneath the surface of the ocean has lost its power and uniqueness. In fact, I have been told by a number of young readers that they had failed to complete the novel as it was unable to hold their interest.

This strengthens my argument that the more accurately a SF writer is able to predict the future, the more likely future generations will avoid his/her work.

Now take H. G. Welles’ The Time Machine and The Invisible Man. Time travel and invisibility are regarded by many as ridiculous and impossible concepts to achieve - and yet their popularity has not waned by one iota since their conception. Yes, Welles may not have been the first to conceive of these popular concepts used in many contemporary SF stories, but his novels were certainly the first to explore their impact and implications on human society.

Call me a coward due to the fact that many of my SF stories revolve around the concept of time travel. The truth is, I have always been interested in that particular area, and often contemplated upon different ways in which it may be achieved. If you enjoy reading about time travel then you’ll be happy to know that 3 of the 4 SF stories in this anthology deal with that very subject - but the means to achieve it are vastly different.

If space opera is more to your liking, I’ve included a humorous homage to The Wizard of Oz entitled The Wizard’s of O-Zone, but be forewarned that it doth contain a most serious lesson therein.

Gary Kuyper 2011

# # #

PART 1

HORROR

# # #

The Evil

High in my attic room I can see

The silhouette of hangman’s tree

Ravenous ravens pecking roadkill

And dusty dead flowers on windowsill

There’s a chill in the air

That shouldn’t be there

Corn’s turned black from a strange new blight

There’s a terrible evil in the ether tonight

Saw a bad omen in the dusk too red

Check well the dark spaces under your bed

Night has come

Too late to run

Close the doors and close your minds

Lock up tight and draw the blinds

Shut your eyes and say your prayers

Ignore the creak upon the stairs

A fetid breath

The stench of death

Hold your tongue; you dare not shout

Or the influence will draw you out

Curl up tight; be still as a mouse

Something dreadful is about the house

# # #

HYBRIDS

Doctor Welles came through a door marked ‘Mythology’ and placed the large fish bowl on the table in front of the bearded man and asked, Do you know what an arctic flounder is?

Dobbs inspected the bowl’s contents. There was a large decorative plastic castle placed in the centre beneath the water. He could not discern any visible form of life. A type of fish? he asked.

Correct, said Welles sitting down on the opposite side of the table. The fish produces a natural anti-freeze. As its name would suggest, it is a fish capable of surviving in water that is close to freezing point.

"And your point is?"

"Toward the end of the twentieth century a company called DNA Plant Technologies spliced the DNA from an arctic flounder with a tomato. Do you know what the result was?"

Dobbs stared at the fish bowl and shook his head. A ketchup-flavored fish?

Welles smiled. "No, it would seem that I have misdirected your train of thought with the fishbowl. The fact is, a strain of tomato was produced that was capable of withstanding frost damage. It was later dubbed the ‘Flavr Savr’ by the Calgene Company. It wasn’t science fiction. It was a genuine creation capable of saving tomato growers billions of dollars in spoilt produce."

Hmph! muttered Dobbs airing his disapproval.

"Then people like you came along and gave it a scary name. They called it ‘Frankenstein Food.’"

Damn right! Any abomination like that would need to have an appropriate….

Hell! Interrupted Welles. "More than a decade before the Flavr Savr, a gene from a bacteria, Bacillus Thuringiensis, was inserted into maize to combat a corn-eating worm. The corn became so popular that it made up almost seventy percent of the maize produced in the US. Soybeans, alfalfa, and cotton also became large GM crops in the United States. Not a single case showing that GM foodstuffs are harmful to either humans or the environment has ever been proved."

"What about The Blight?’"

"You know darn well that it was never proved that GMO was the cause of Lezzard’s Blight! Your kind would love to believe that it was. The fact remains, when The Blight had wiped out almost four fifths of the natural food supply, the skeptics were the first to run to the so-called ‘Mad Scientists’ for a solution to feed the starving masses. If it had not been for them, you and I would probably not even be here now to argue the matter. Let us forget the conspiracy theories and face the concrete facts. If not for brilliant minds in the field of gene splicing many more would have perished."

Of course that also gave Genetech the leverage it needed to go beyond the line of decent morals and ethics. You must be ecstatic now that the government has agreed to grant permission for human DNA to be added to your cauldron.

"Please, Mister Dobbs, we’re scientists, not witches."

"So you say. But surely each of your successes requires much…trial and error. How many specimens need to be destroyed or put down or deleted or whatever term you brilliant scientists use for removing your failed experiments."

You must not confuse genetic splicing with cloning or stem cell research. Ours is an exact science.

I seriously doubt that. And I intend to quote you in our next NS publication.

Doctor Welles smiled. "The fact that a great deal of your funding comes from the anti-GMO lobby is the very reason that you, the editor of Natural Selection magazine, have been chosen to witness our creations."

"Creations? Do you consider yourselves gods here at Genetech?"

You people just always love throwing that comparison at us, don’t you? Hypocrites that travel by plane but say that if God had intended us to fly, He would have given us wings. No, he never gave us wings, but he certainly gave us the knowledge and wisdom to build them. Above that he gave us the material to use as well.

I’m surprised that you even acknowledge the existence of God. Your type usually disclaim the existence of any Supreme Being.

Welles ignored the remark and said, "Not long after the turn of the century, a highly innovative company called Joule’s Unlimited were the pioneers in renewable energy. By genetically enhancing a form of cyanobacteri, blue-green algae, they managed to create the biofuel bug that produces usable energy through photosynthesis. Welles scrunched up the side of his face in a grin. Ha! Joules Fuels almost makes the old joke about BP being bee pee redundant. Ironically, although the main ingredient was sunlight, it made solar panels almost redundant. In 1966, Harry Harrison wrote a story called Make Room! Make Room! In it a product called Soylent Green is produced from planktonic algae. Little could he have imagined that his vision would be realized, not in feeding starving masses with oceanic organisms, but instead using them to power the world with limitless fuel."

"I am very familiar with that particular novel. It was made into a film called Soylent Green. And if memory serves me well, the product, soylent green was not made from plankton due to the fact that the greenhouse effect had destroyed all life in the oceans."

Semantics! said Welles waving an arm. "The fact of the core idea remained. Who knows, it may even have been the inspiration behind Joules Fuels. And who is to thank? The brilliant geneticists that created those beautiful little fuel-producing bugs, that’s who."

"The true irony is that the advent of biofuel at the turn of the century heralded both the death of the solar panel and the electric car."

Irony?

"The electric car was to be the clean alternative to the