Sol the Wise Guy has stayed out of Hornytown for a hot minute. But when a sexy sheyd sweeps into his office saying she’s been framed for murder, well, sometimes a shmendrick’s gotta step up to the task.

This silly, satirical, romp through the Devil’s corner of D.C. prompts the question of what we might repair, with a little old Chutzpah.

Cover art by Andrew Hiller.

Media:

Bookishly Jewish

“Fun and clever, as it subverts all the genre rules with heavy, heavy Jewishness.” —Valerie Estelle Frankel, editor of Jewish Science Fiction and Fantasy

Punk-Ass Book Jockey

“The worldbuilding is strong, the narrative style evocative, and the characters exciting.” —Alex Brown, Ignyte Award winning book critic

nerds of a feather, flock together

“Hornytown Chutzpah, like a good noir movie, keeps the pace lean and mean and knows when to move along the plot so that the story doesn’t flag. Like a screwball comedy, it knows exactly when to hit the comedy beats and when to become more serious. And it knows when to hit you in the heart and soul.” —Paul Weimer, Multi Hugo Award winning genre writer

The Skiffy and Fanty Show

“The plot is engaging, there are twists, yet everything holds up. The characters have a lot of emotional depth (human and demon alike) and there are moments of profound understanding and serious reverence. Worth your time even if you’ve read plenty of this subgenre.” —Daniel Haeusser

Reviews:

“Wonderfully fun! Hornytown Chutzpah swaps out Virgil for a mouthy private dick to lead you through hell. A visceral underworldly tale, and an unforgettable voice.” —Meg Elison, author of Foundling Fathers

“A detective goes to Hell. Literally. What a wild romp! I really enjoyed Hiller’s novella, right down to the very potent chicken soup. For people who love noir, detective stories, and the occasional Pit stop, this is for you.” —Joyce Chng, Hugo Award winner and author of the Fire Heart duology

“With verve, razor-sharp wit, and plenty of heart, Hornytown Chutzpah peels back the layers of hell (well, its DC-adjacent outpost) to expose the messy foibles of humanity. Timely, compulsively readable, and just plain fun.” —P. H. Low, Ignyte-, Locus-, and Rhysling-nominated author of These Deathless Shores

“Buckle up for a zany romp through the outskirts of hell. Andrew Hiller’s Hornytown Chutzpah mixes together urban fantasy, noir murder mystery, and a big splash of Jewish humor into a wildly imaginative story. It’s bonkers in the best possible way.” —Jo Miles, author of Warped State

“This glossary is fantastic. I love it!” —Jennifer Hudak, author of the Nebula finalist Witch Trap

The post Hornytown Chutzpah appeared first on Atthis Arts.

Cover Art by Mr. Amorn Setthitorn

Reviews

“Wolf’s Path is a remarkable new entry from Joyce Chng demonstrating why she’s one of the most ambitious and engaging SFF writers today. It’s an excellent introduction to her work that’s sure to delight you with its evocative prose and compelling ideas long after you’ve put it down!”
—Bryan Thao Worra, author of American Laodyssey

“Joyce Chng’s Wolf’s Path is a journey. A trek not merely through the author’s chronological career trajectory but across time, space, and genre. From piratical adventures on the high seas to worlds destroyed by climate change and resurrected through sheer will, from prose to poetry to autobiography, this lyrical collection is a celebration of the queer, the primal, and the sensory. Chng is a masterful storyteller, weaving together the rich cultural tapestry of Singapore with literary prose and fresh interrogations of genre fiction. Wolf’s Path is a howl of triumph.”
—Rachel A.Rosen, author of Cascade

“Wolf’s Path is an intricately exciting collection of speculative stories, poetry, and personal essays that flow together with an undercurrent of warmth and thoughtfulness. Joyce wonderfully creates stories that expand and question perspectives, with characters that can be as sharp as claws and soft as paw pads. They have a way of embedding the fury of injustices within plotlines so that something kinder can grow in their characters. Each story leaves us with catalysts for reflection, growth, and hope. Highly recommended for those who enjoy memorable, speculative stories that are robustly imaginative and edged with a quiet (sometimes feisty!) intensity.
—Dhiyanah Hassan, artist

“Whether it’s examining fantastical pasts, apocalyptic futures, or the SFnal world we call reality, Wolf’s Path is a fascinating exploration of how others use our differences against us, and how our differences ultimately help us find our place in the world. Chng excels at creating unique, relatable characters who will pull you in and stories that will change your perspective. Highly recommended, especially for those who feel they’re stuck between worlds—real or imagined.
—Stewart C Baker, author of The Butterfly Disjunct

“A collection to mark Chng’s turning 50 this year, this is a collection that embraces the changing nature of the writer over their career: from their earliest published work, through to very recent pieces, showing the consistent themes that Chng keeps coming back to. In particular, questions of what life can and might be like during war pop up several times; and explorations of gender, ethnicity, and identity broadly defined are a consistent presence. And Chng’s experience as a Singaporean is also fundamental to their stories, with many of the stories taking place in either a real or imagined Southeast Asia. It’s brilliant that Atthis Arts is publishing this retrospective collection. Too often white men get collected early in their careers and everyone else just… doesn’t. Chng’s voice is an example of one that should be highlighted and celebrated.”
—Alexandra Pierce, editor of Speculative Insight

“Wolf’s Path is full to the brim with beautifully written stories from the wonderfully imaginative mind of Joyce Chng.”
—Rohan O’Duill, author of the Cold Rush series

“You should deffo pick up a copy. The themes are bold and poignant, and the stories take you so well through a path of discovery. It’s wicked.”
—Dr. Emma Burnett, multi-published short fiction writer

The post Wolf’s Path appeared first on Atthis Arts.

Book One: When They Come Calling

Physician Anna Roberts runs a free health clinic in Kansas City where she spends her days taking care of the living and avoiding the spirits of the dead. A late-night accident leaves Anna at the mercy of the strange man who saved her life, but Anna soon learns that meeting Jed was no coincidence. As Anna is drawn into Jed’s dangerous world and a feud 3000 years in the making, she must come to terms with her own secrets and decide what she will do when they come calling.

Finalist – 2016 Midwest Independent Publishers Association (MIPA) Book Awards for Fiction: Fantasy/SciFi/Horror/Paranormal

Book Two: When They Come True

A strange illness ravages the countryside while Dr. Anna Roberts struggles to recover from her own near-death experience.

She’s falling in love with Jedediah, a three-thousand-year-old ghost, but his guarded alliance with a council of ancient spirits frightens her. Can Jed’s allegiance be trusted?

Haunted by her dreams and driven by her calling, Anna is torn between the worlds of the living and the dead. Is she a healer or an executioner? Will Anna be able to protect those she loves from her nightmares when they come true?

Book Three: When They Come Alive

Racing against time to reunite her ghost’s soul with his body, Dr. Anna Roberts becomes further embroiled in a millennia-old feud. Confronted by powerful spirits, Anna is forced to intervene, using her paranormal powers against those who seek to destroy her.

To the ever-gathering beings, the living are nothing, and so they will stop at nothing to complete their return. Who can Anna protect, when they come alive?

Anna’s Nightmare Trilogy by Sarah Fleming Mountford

The post Anna’s Nightmare Bundle (When They Come Calling/True/Alive) appeared first on Atthis Arts.

Finalist – 2019 Midwest Independent Publishers Association (MIPA) Book Awards for Fiction: Fantasy/SciFi/Horror/Paranormal

Chelsea is determined to make it to her brother’s wedding. And she’s not going to let the fact that she’s been dead for two years stop her.

Joining with her mime friend from a New York City park and her ghostly mentor with forty years of afterlife under her belt, the three women set out on foot for San Francisco. Along the way, they are faced with joy, sorrow, and the haunting surprises of the open road. This humorous and lightly macabre journey explores relationships, personal burdens, and what it means to keep moving, even when your heartbeat has stopped.

Cover art by Estee Chan

Podcast: author Alanna McFall discusses The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus on Amphibian Press Podcast in 2019.

Podcast: author Alanna McFall discusses The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus on Pondo’s Playground in 2019.

In The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus, Alanna McFall creates a marvelous, surprising ghost story that celebrates the power of theatre to lift spirits and save lives. A delightful company of living and dead performers journey across a haunted house America, facing audiences that would just as soon rip them to shreds as enjoy their shows. Through all their high drama, spooky encounters, and close calls, the Incorporeal Circus struggle with love and loss and forge deep friendships. McFall’s first novel is an exquisite meditation on embracing the past and letting it go. This book will haunt you!

—Andrea Hairston, Award-winning author of Will Do Magic For Small Change and Redwood and Wildfire

A clever juxtaposition of the absurd and the everyday, The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus by Alanna McFall will take you from laughter to the verge of tears and have you rooting for her incredible and unconventional heroines all along the way.

—Dawn Vogel, Executive Editor of DefCon One Publishing

Alanna McFall’s debut novel, The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus, is a story about what might just be the quirkiest and most unique road-trip trio you’ve ever encountered: two ghosts and a mime, walking from the East coast to the west coast to attend a wedding. Does that sound weird? It is. But in McFall’s capable hands, it’s also a moving and wonderful story about the importance of friendship and empathy, and about hard it can be to let go and move on even when you know you have to. The Triple-C trio takes you along for an odyssey filled with adventures and misadventures. McFall hooks you with her knack for writing entertaining dialogue, and for creating flawed but compelling characters. She also vividly describes the ghostly realities of life after death, and there are some bone-chilling moments in the story, including a jaw-dropping and unforgettable scene with a group of poltergeists. For all its spooky quirkiness, this is a story that never flinches from the difficult realities of life, or the afterlife. Yet it remains both joyous and uplifting, even as it deals with dark and heavy subjects like death, violence, poverty, and grief. What makes this book work so beautifully in all its poignant and slightly macabre glory, is that McFall threads a delightfully subtle and gentle sense of humour through every part of the story. It’s that warmth and light that draws you in and makes the book both funny and profoundly moving.

—Writer and Translator Maria Haskins

A delightfully queer (in all possible senses of the word) and unexpected road trip story about friendship, loss, love, and the many kinds of family. I laughed, I cried, I cheered—it’s a show like no other.

—Alex Wells, award-winning author of Hunger Makes the Wolf

I copy-edited…The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus and was pleased to do so because I think it’s one of the outstanding fantasy books of 2019…an on-the-road feminist version of Peter S. Beagle’s A Fine and Private Place. I highly recommend this book, particularly to people who love literary fantasy.

—Hugo and Nebula winner, author, writer, and teacher, Cat Rambo

“…reminiscent of Neil Gaiman’s Death…”

“…such a unique twist on the ‘road trip’ concept…”

“It’s a fabulous story, well-written, well-developed characters and a plotline that just doesn’t quit.”

“This was truly a delightful, funny, and profound read.”

—Judges’ feedback, 2019 IPBA Benjamin Franklin Awards

Silver Award Winner, Best New Voice: Fiction

Immensely charming…The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus brings a lot of ideas to the table and manages to pay all of them off in satisfying fashion. It’s weird, lovely, dark, and familiar.

—San Francisco Book Review

The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus by Alanna McFall

The post The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus appeared first on Atthis Arts.

To the ever-gathering beings, the living are nothing, and so they will stop at nothing to complete their return. Who can Anna protect, when they come alive?

When They Come Alive by Sarah Fleming Mountford

The post When They Come Alive appeared first on Atthis Arts.

She’s falling in love with Jedediah, a three-thousand-year-old ghost, but his guarded alliance with a council of ancient spirits frightens her. Can Jed’s allegiance be trusted?

Haunted by her dreams and driven by her calling, Anna is torn between the worlds of the living and the dead. Is she a healer or an executioner? Will Anna be able to protect those she loves from her nightmares when they come true?

When They Come True by Sarah Fleming Mountford

The post When They Come True appeared first on Atthis Arts.

Physician Anna Roberts runs a free health clinic in Kansas City where she spends her days taking care of the living and avoiding the spirits of the dead. A late-night accident leaves Anna at the mercy of the strange man who saved her life, but Anna soon learns that meeting Jed was no coincidence. As Anna is drawn into Jed’s dangerous world and a feud 3000 years in the making, she must come to terms with her own secrets and decide what she will do when they come calling.

When They Come Calling by Sarah Fleming Mountford

The post When They Come Calling appeared first on Atthis Arts.