Weird Strange

"Rome was a poem pressed into service as a city.” In that short line, Anatole Broyard, a 20th century American writer, compactly captures the timeless and enchanting beauty that resides within the Eternal City of Rome. This tourist destination is often one of the highest ranked on bucket lists, for how could one not want to experience its marvelous ruins, mirror-like rivers, and spectacular stretches of aqueducts, firsthand?

SURREAL, SUPERNATURAL, PARANORMAL, TRANSCENDENTAL, UNCANNY?The Axe: The desolate Australian outback is not a place to become stranded without water. Is it the stone axe which leads the desperate man to think he has been saved? Or is it all in his mind and is death creeping up silently?Alfredo: Is it possible to place a curse on a violin, a curse which will hunt down the members of just one family? The Mist: The becalmed yacht drifts into a misty haze in the hour before dawn, gliding into the raging fires of an oily hell of wartime death and destruction. A wounded sailor in the water fights ...

A New Collection of True Ghost Stories from England and Elsewhere. Where might you find a ghost? In many a place, if these stories are to be believed: from historic properties to the humblest of homes; churches, bridges, pubs and roads, not to mention a fish and chip shop. And then how to explain a vanishing car, a hat, or a hotel? Mysteries aplenty, whereas solutions are few. Each of the stories in this collection was freely volunteered for inclusion by members of the ‘Personal Ghost Stories’ Facebook group, with the events which they relate stated to have involved the contributor ...

He meets a sexy woman at the bar who promises to show him the stars. She delivers, but his life will never be the same again. Around 3,300 words.

Two friends embark on a walking tour of northern France, but they encounter a strange fellow traveller who they struggle to shake off on their journey.

March is a month of surprises, and this edition of Incredibly Strange & Completely Random Holidays is filled with unique and unexpected ways to celebrate! From honoring our four-legged heroes on National K9 Veterans Day to embracing the quirks of Awkward Moments Day, this month proves that even the most random holidays have fascinating origins. Discover the mathematical magic of National Pi Day, have some fun speaking about yourself in the third person on Talk in Third Person Day, and explore even more offbeat traditions, fun facts, and delicious recipes inspired by the season. Whether ...

Hungry witches. A neverending out-of-body experience. The best gift. In Used Parts, you'll experience these pieces of Hell and more! Erik Handy, the author of The Mummy Kills The Brides and Macabre, brings you 13 previously-published stories that continue the chilling short fiction legacies of H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King. Are you ready to be scared to tears?

“COME AND VISIT THE TIMELESS, OFF-THE-GRID BEAUTY OF REA NOOK!” Terrance is a handyman that has been handy so many times for so many people, he is desperate to step away from it all. One day he sees an enticing brochure for Rea Nook, a charming community tucked deep in the mountains. Terrance is lured away from his beat-up apartment and into a world where everything feels familiar and near perfect—yet nothing is quite what it seems. The citizens of Rea Nook are undeniably friendly and helpful—to a point. Without a doubt, they are hiding something important and, though they drop hint...

A trio of outlaws are released from an orbiting prison and sent back to their home planet. The catch? Find the president's missing son, and you’ll be pardoned by the Federation. Welcome to the desert planet of Lazarus, the hottest place in the universe inhabited by humans. It’s not only the heat that will kill you. Lazarus is also home to a spectrum of deadly creatures who have clawed out a living in the harsh desert, and they don’t take kindly to visitors. Not to mention the gangs of vicious bandits roving the land in search of anyone to kill and steal from. As descendants of tough ...

Science Fiction Gender Bender EroticaJim Johnson goes from the boardroom to the bedroom in a flash. As a legal drug salesman in the year 2024, he is at the top of his game. On the way down, he sees an opportunity to increase the amount of time he has to make money before he retires. He signs up for Unit Z to test a new drug created by Doctor Quinton. Taking the new drug is supposed to transform him into a younger, female body. The problem is there's a side effect no one had ever considered! After Jim Johnson is switched into Jenni, she continues to legally sell drugs, especially the ...

They were sisters... when one calls on Satan for revenge the other is willing to assist. With a deadly combination of black magic and teenage hormones, the girls soon get what they asked for and more!

The dead body and illicit drugs in Paul Hampton’s bedroom have him running from his rented duplex. There’s also something else in there, and it has his brain wobbling. It’s the middle of the night, and when you’re in a crunch and need a place to stay but have worn out your welcome everywhere else, family is supposed to help you out, right? That might depend on what happened the last time they saw you, and whether or not you tell them the truth about it now.

If we follow Christ, we're not supposed to be like everyone else. We’re supposed to be a little bit…well, weird. The whole point of Christianity is to become more like Jesus and less of who we are when left to our own devices and desires—to become less like the rest of the world, less normal.

Tall Tales and Cornstalks is Iowa like you’ve never seen it. A place where ghost steamboats drift silently upriver, bulls bend rivers with their horns, and something with wings once clawed its way out of a coal mine near Van Meter. This isn’t your eighth-grade state history. Here, you’ll meet cryptids that lurk in cornfields, angels that turn black as night, and a hermit in the cliffs who may or may not have been talking to God. Some of these stories are straight out of newspaper clippings. Some come from the dusty corners of folklore. And a few? Well, they just felt too good not to ...

Most of us have at some point in our lives felt like an outsider, sometimes considering ourselves "too weird" to fit in. Growing up as a Russian immigrant in West Texas, Olga Khazan always felt there was something different about her. This feeling has permeated her life, and as she embarked on a science writing career, she realized there were psychological connections between this feeling of being an outsider and both her struggles and successes later in life.

a little girl named Fly hears her mom’s outrageous story about why she has such a silly name…

Paddy Keenan enjoyed a drink. Some might say he enjoyed it too much. And when, in 1970s Dublin, the Keenan family come into a duck, the combination of it and Paddy's imbibing can have but one conclusion. From award winning author, Robert E. Kearns comes, The Feathers Flew; a short story with an extraordinary ending. Painting the picture of suburban life in a vanished era, Kearns poetic style leads us to a shocking and disturbing conclusion. Once read, The Feathers Flew is sure to linger on in your worst nightmares. Now with an editorial review from Readers' Favorite.

For Westerners, the two words most associated with Japan are probably “strange” and “exotic.” Turns out, you can’t marry the exotic, without accepting the strange, as well. That might have been a good thing for William to know, in advance. Throw in a couple of kids and a Canadian family filled with quirky characters, and you have the makings of epic tragedy or gut-busting comedy, depending upon your point of view. I Married Japan provides a good-natured glimpse into one Canadian-Japanese family and marriage. Get ready to learn as you laugh your way through this collection of Japan...

Welcome to Umberia, a land where magick is as potent as one can maintain interest, where dogheaded sailors traverse the vast seas, and where the gods sent a great flood that nearly destroyed the world. Enter Jake, Tessa and Charlie, three friends from California, who have no idea how they got there or what the strange disk like scars that have suddenly appeared on their backs mean. It isn't long before certain interests pray on the three "smoothskins" from elsewhere and put the friends to the test on whether or not to help with the crusade to kill the gods, and who to trust meanwhile. Jake ...

If you can imagine it, somewhere there’s probably a law against it. Laugh out loud over some of Canada’s strangest laws - but not too loudly, or you might get a ticket: until 2002 in BC, you couldn’t stand up while having a drink in a restaurant; in Halifax, cabbies are required to wear socks; you’re not allowed to dogsled on the sidewalks in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario; and much more.