Bel Nemeton

Check out OVERDUE, a Bel Nemeton/All the Petty Myths shared universe anthology

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It is with great pleasure that I announce Overdue: Mystery, Adventure & The World’s Lost Books, the new anthology from 18th Wall Productions – an anthology of stories revolving around the quest for history’s lost or legendary books.

And, when I call Overdue “my latest work,” I mean that in three different ways…

…yes, it contains my near-novel-length story, “Provenance.”

…it also marks the first time I am receiving an editing credit, having co-curated the anthology with the ever-excellent M.H. Norris (and an occasional silent but steady hand lent by 18th Wall’s CEO James Bojaciuk).

…but what really makes this special for me is the concept behind Overdue: a shared-universe anthology bringing together the world of my Bel Nemeton series with the world of M.H. Norris’s All the Petty Myths. So, all the stories in Overdue have some element of my handiwork: a fragment of my world, sometimes my characters. And that was something really special for me.

I was incredibly flattered when M.H. approached me with the idea of a shared universe anthology – and very excited by how supportive 18th Wall was about the idea. But it was a bit of our journey to get from the “hey, wouldn’t it be neat if…” kernel of an idea to a finished anthology. While Bel Nemeton and All the Petty Myths have many similarities, they also have differences. M.H. and I put our heads together to see what we could make out of the similarities: quirky, cerebral protagonists and an obsession with history – whether that “history” is the relatively recent urban folklore of All the Petty Myths or the dusty old manuscripts from Bel Nemeton’s 6th century historical-fantasy Arthurian Britain.

We imagined the three principal modern-day protagonists of the shared universe teaming up to launch an initiative to recover, discover, or rediscover the world’s lost, forgotten, or rumored books. That framework would give authors the opportunity to use their imaginations to create such books or to weave actual works of history or legend into their tales. It also created opportunities for a wide range of protagonists: archaeologists, historians, linguists, anthropologists, antiquarians, and book scouts – all, more or less, on the up and up. But it also left space for mercenaries, morally ambiguous archaeologists, treasure hunters, gentleman and gentlewoman rogues, warlords, and even the street kid who got lucky (or unlucky) and snatched the right backpack. If anyone really wants to nerd-out, you can read the full submission call here.

Page from a surviving volume of the Yongle Encyclopedia (in Overdue‘s “Perpetual Happiness” by Heidi Hewett, readers may encounter a previously lost volume)

The Overdue curation team was floored by the response – not just the quality of the submissions we accepted, but the sheer diversity of the nine stories we accepted: “Wicker Man” by M.H. Norris, “Wholly Holy” by Kara Dennison, “Perpetual Happiness” by Heidi J. Hewett, “Loredana’s Challenge” by Liam Hogan, “The Book of the Ways” by R.C. Mulhare, “Bring the Fire” by Michael O’Brien, “Under Cover” by Sean Michael O’dea, “Clue to the Past” by Karen Thrower, “Provenance” by Jon Black, “In the Hearts of Lads” by Fio Trethewey

Within the parameters of the shared universe, our authors wove tales that count as Mythos horror, neo-Gothic, supernatural techno-thriller, Arthurian magical realism (no, not mine, surprisingly), fine-dining intriguing, clock-punk-adjacent YA slipsteam, YA coming of age, and even romance-adventure.

Ubar, in present day Oman, may have been the real-world inspiration for the fabled Iram of the Pillars. Visit Iram’s ruins in Overdue’s “Under Cover” by Sean M. O’dea.

That being said, I’m also very pleased with my own contribution, “Provenance.” In one important way, it is unique from the other stories in the anthology. While spelling out that difference would probably be an unwelcome spoiler, the story’s title gives at least a bit of hint. Fans of the Bel Nemeton series, and my work in general, will likely appreciate the story for several reasons. It sheds some light on Jake Booker’s shady pre-Bel Nemeton past. It gives me a chance to write “linguistics-porn” about a language family other than Celtic, and it includes some Easter eggs establishing that the Bel Nemeton series, Gabriel’s Trumpet, and my Junzt County stories all take place in the same world. (I also need to give a very grateful shout-out to Jeremy Brett and Alexandra Hubbard for serving as authenticity readers on “Provenance.”)

That was one of the greatest joys of Overdue for me: seeing what other authors -including some who are better-known, or just plain better- did with worlds and characters I had created. (Interesting observation: our authors have many different interpretations of Myths’ Dr. Rosella Tassoni and Nemeton’s Dr. Vivian Cuinnsey. But everyone sees Nemeton’s Jake Booker the same way!)

Overdue: Mystery, Adventure & The World’s Lost Books is available in Kindle and paperback on Amazon and multiple eBook formats through 18th Wall.

Hebrew text printed in 16th century Prague, evocative of the fictional Sefer Bohem in Overdue’s “Provenance” by Jon Black.

Don’t Forget to Vote in Critter’s Readers Poll

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If you’re a fan of scifi, fantasy, horror, mystery, or any other corner of speculative fiction/genre fiction, don’ forget to vote in the annual Critters Readers Poll – a reckoning from fandom of the most interesting, most exciting, or just plain best offering from indie publishers during calendar year 2023.

VOTING ENDS 6:00 a.m. (Eastern USA time) MONDAY, JANUARY 15. WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

A great honor for me

I’m a little sad that, because of publishing schedules, I didn’t have any eligible titles come out in 2023 (hold on to your proverbial hats, 2024 should more than make up for that). My successes in the Critters’ Poll over the years have been very important for establishing my career as a writer, both critically and commercially. But, even without yours truly, some amazing works have received nominations this year.

As a way to get really easy blog content, I thought I’d talk about some of the nominees I vote for (and why).

For Best Mystery Novel: Radcliffe by Madeleine D’Este, from Deadset Press. If you’re someone I talk about books with or if you follow my blog (where she’s a regular guest poster, including the excellent “official playlists” for her titles), you’re already familiar with Madeleine. She writes Australian-focused fiction, often with a supernatural element, and has true gift for stories exploring the intersection of quirky personalities and bizarre locations. Radcliffe, the story of eccentric residents of a lonely apartment on the outskirts of Melbourne, is her superlative work in that regard. (She’s also an upcoming 18thWall Productions author!)

For Best Steampunk Short Story: “The Falcon and The Goose” by David Lee Summers, in the anthology Grease Monkeys: The Heart and Soul of Dieselpunk from eSpec Books. Summers is southwestern author whose work does several things I adore: including weaving historical events into his fiction and using historical figures in cameos or even not-so-cameos. “The Falcon & The Goose” pits one of the turn-of-the-last-century’s greatest rail engineers against two of its most notorious outlaws in a life-or-death rail vs. airship race.

For Best Anthology: the aforementioned Grease Monkeys: The Heart and Soul of Dieselpunk from eSpec Books. Among all the various [x]punk genres, Cyberpunk and steampunk are favorites (and I may have some interesting things to say about clockpunk in a year or two), but Dieselpunk has a special place in my heart. But, like all the other [x]punks, Dieselpunk has style-over-substance problem. By focusing on the folks who make the technology go, “Grease Monkeys” sidesteps that problem and delivers an anthology of solid stories about the nuts, bolts, and grease of a different reality.

Additionally, all other things being equal, anything from Third Flatiron Publishing is usually going to have both the quality and the spin to get my vote.

Anyway, those are my thoughts. Go vote! And I’ll see you on the nomination list next year. 😉

Uncovering the Dreamquest Beast

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(For fans and friends voting in the Critters Readers Poll, you can scroll down to instructions at the bottom of the post)

Discover the story behind the strange obsession of Camelot’s strangest knight.

Two volumes of “Camelot vs. Cthulhu?”
You know you want it.

As an author, the two things I hang my proverbial hat on are Arthurian mythology (via my Bel Nemeton series) and Mythos-infused historical fiction. So, when 18th Wall Productions put out a call for “Camelot vs. Cthulhu” stories for an upcoming anthology, I knew I had to be involved.

As it turns out, 18th Wall got so many quality submissions that the resulting anthology, Shadows Over Avalon, encompasses two volumes, both edited by the ever superb Nicole Petit. Volume I focus on tales of traditional Lovecraftian cosmic horror, and it’s filled with names who do not disappoint, such as Simon Bucher-Jones, Edward Erdelac, and Josh Reynolds. Volume II channels Lovecraft’s other side, stories of shifting perceptions and realities, fantastical journeys, and dreams. There, you will find my novella “The Dreamquest Beast” along with stories by worthy authors such as Georgia Cook, Kara Dennison, Lukasz Furmaniak, Sophie Iles, and C.L. Werner.

“The Dreamquest Beast” is a non-canonical story set in my Bel Nemeton universe (leading my beloved wife to observe “So, you’re writing your own fanfic now?”).

Taking place a generation before the start of Bel Nemeton, when Arthur is an infant and Merlin still known as “The Wanderer,” northern Britain bakes under an unending drought unlike any in memory. As brave warriors and shield maidens take up the quest to discover what afflicts the land and set matters to right, the would-be champions invariably fail and fall. After the quest claims his much loved older brother, Prince Pelinyr (or “Pellinore” in more contemporary renderings) of Damnonia becomes the unlucky 13th to take up the challenge.

“So, you’re writing your own fanfic now?”

My wife (who, and I say this not only because it’s true but also because she may be reading this, is my biggest fan)

On the surface an unlikely hero, Pelinyr has all his life been plagued by nightmares and strange occurrences surrounding his dreams. In this desperate endeavor, he is joined by his friends: the gregarious Prince Cynfarch of Gorre, the clever Prince Tuadel of Alclud, and Jana, Pelinyr’s childhood playmate, now a shunned sorcerer and seer haunting a cursed Roman amphitheater. Together, the four will cross the wild frontier into the kingdoms of the dreaded Saxons before descending through a black tower without name or builder into the land of dreams themselves.

Once in the Dreamlands, the challenges and dangers only grow. The company will meet gods, battle monsters, take caravans into deadly jungles and endless deserts, pour over tablets written in unearthly tongues, and solve riddles that are a matter of life of death for the companions and for millions back in the waking world.

The Questing Beast drinks from a river (perhaps the good, strong Adamandara) – illustration by Arthur Rackham (1917)

Pelinyr has always been one of my favorite members of the Round Table as well as, to me, one of the most fascinating. Along with Galahad and Percival, he is one of the knights that is “touched” in a way Arthuriana usually reserves for its Druids/Magicians/Whatever you want to call them. For Galahad and Percival, that mania is clearly religious in nature. With Pelinyr, however, its source is never clearly defined. Certainly, it seems to be connected with the “Questing Beast,” the strange creature which he is sworn to follow but which only he can see – but whether the beast is a cause or effect of Pelinyr’s madness is unknown.

This characterization of Pelinyr is surprisingly consistent throughout Arthuriana: from Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur, where it is implied he is afflicted by his relation to the Fisher King, to the eccentric and slightly senile figure of T.E. White’s Once and Future King.

This aspect of Pelinyr has been incorporated into my Bel Nemeton series. Pelinyr is a minor yet significant figure in the second book, Caledfwlch. The book opens with a friendly duel between Arthur and Pelinyr, as Merlin looks on and frets about Pelinyr’s instability manifesting during the combat. And Caledflwch ends with, in a fit of inspiration, Pelinyr being the one who finds the true name of Arthur’s new blade and becoming the first significant British noble to pledge fealty to Arthur.

So, the idea of “Dreamquest Beast” (a kind of titular portmanteau of Arthuriana’s “Questing Beast” and Lovecraft’s “Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath”) as a thought-experiment exploring how Bel Nemeton’s Pelinyr “got that way” and the origins of the Questing Beast was extremely appealing. Like many previous authors, scholars, and artists, I connect the Questing Beast with the mythical creature known as the camelopardus or camelopardalis. Additionally, I thought it would fun to take two of the foils from Caledfwlch (both based on historical 6th century British rulers), make them Pelinyr’s boon companions in “Dreamquest,” and explore the roots of their own transitions from friend to foil.

I am Cameleopardus
From the Serpent, Master of Cunning, comes my Head.
From the Leopard, Lord of Fleetness, is taken my Body
From the Lion, King of Bravery, are drawn my Haunches
From the Hart, Emperor of Virtue, are given my Feet.
And from Sacrifice, I take Breath and Mind and Life

The Riddle of the Questing Beast, from “Dreamquest Beast”

As a writer, I’ve dropped elements of Lovecraft and the Mythos into my stories dozens of times. Doing it with “Dreamquest,” perhaps because I was cutting from the whole cloth of the Dreamlands rather than picking and choosing an element or two for what was essentially my own world, was different. I felt a tremendous sense of pressure, even obligation, to be “good enough” and “get it right.” For all that, it was enormously exciting, one of the most exciting things I’ve done as an author, both to be able to use my favorite elements of the Dreamlands and to add more than a few things of my own.

I also peppered “Dreamquest Beast” with Easter eggs, weaving in nods and shout-outs to stories, myths, and legends from Herodotus to Jim Henson, which also play with the dreamlike, the surreal, or the radically fantastic. Likewise, I endeavored to keep things fresh by occasionally using established Mythos creatures without naming them or renaming them in accordance with cultures involved in the stories (such as using the Saxon “barrow wights” for Lovecraft’s ghouls).

Play along at home! Use this card to track the Easter eggs, shout outs, and obscure references I’ve tucked into “Dreamquest Beast.”

As part of giving “Dreamquest Beast” a distinctive and appropriate atmosphere, I also played with the language of the story. For those of you familiar with my other work, no part of “Dreamquest” is quite in my usual authorial voice. In the first and third acts, taking place in the waking world of 6th century Britain, I have leaned hard into the conventions of epic poetry. For the second act, occuring in the Dreamlands, I have attempted to channel the distinctive language Lovecraft used in the Dream Cycle.

I am very gratified that “Dreamquest,” despite only being released in December, has already been nominated for “Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Short Story of 2022” in the Critters Readers Poll. For fans and friends interesting in supporting me, I’ve included directions for voting below:

  • Go here. 
  • Scroll down until you find “The Dreamquest Beast / Jon Black / 18th Wall Productions and then tick the circle
  • Scroll down again and enter your name and email address in the appropriate fields
  • Jump through their “I’m not a bot” hoop by looking at the random book cover they show you and entering the name of its author in the appropriate field 
  • Click “Submit Vote”
  • You’ll get a confirmation email sent to you, click the link in the email to confirm your vote.

“The Dreamquest Beast,” part of Shadows Over Avalon: Volume II from 18thWall Productions, is available in paperback and ebook formats.