I received a notice yesterday that my short story "Sparky Save the World" has been accepted for the Library of the Living Dead Press' "Live and Let Undead" anthology!
This story stretched me a little bit, because I'm not much of a horror writer. I've talk about this before. "Sparky Save the World" is a zombie story, a genre I've never attempted to write. When I think of zombie stories, I think of masses of slow-moving, dim-witted monsters whose single purpose in life is to eat "BRAAAAAAINS." But this anthology put a different spin on the genre: what would the world be like if we had to integrate the undead into real life?
My answer ended up being the former James Sparkowich, a border protection agent who was unfortunately turned into an UNDEAD (stupid government acronym for: UNnaturally DE-evolved Anthropological Degenerate). Nicknamed "Sparky," he works with his former partner Harris to protect our nation's borders. Sparky, you see, has been trained to detect hazardous materials, including the biological agent that turns people into UNDEADs. I was proud of the story because it isn't typically something I'd write; it got me out of my comfort zone of science fiction, superheroes, and high-concept fantasy stories.
Here's the logline:
Sparky Save the World (5,700 words). A border protection agent named Harris and his bomb-sniffing partner Sparky work to stop biological weapons and other dangers from reaching the nation's ports. Sparky is the nickname for Harris' partner, James Sparkowich, who was tragically transformed an unthinkable monster called an UNDEAD (UNnaturally DE-evolved Anthropological Degenerate). Trained to detect hazardous materials, Sparky proves his ultimate worth when confronted with a massive, potentially catastrophic shipment of weapons.
I'll have some edits to make, a contract to sign, and a few other details to work out. You won't be seeing "Sparky" anytime soon...I don't think the book will go to press until June. If I find out differently, you'll hear it here.
My Short Stories Page has been updated to include "Sparky Save the World." The story marks a milestone of sorts...it's the tenth short story I've had published or accepted for publication.
In Peytonometer terms...we have a winner!
