Showing results by narrator "Richard James" in All Categories

The Doomsday Warrior, Ted Rockson, barely escapes from Moscow in a hijacked MIG fighter and crash-lands in the Midwest of America. But this is a post-apocalyptic 2089 AD America, and he must traverse the deadly wasteland to return to one of the last outposts of freedom in the Rockies, Century City. In the meantime, the Soviet Empire is preparing their most devastating attack on the American freefighters.

The British, it is often said, have a stiff upper lip and a dry sense of humour. It's true, we usually do, and in the case of this perfect compendium of short stories we absolutely do. Listen to our Scottish raconteur J. M. Barrie and English wits Jerome K. Jerome and Edward Lear for perfect proof of that. But humour is many things and from many places, so we also feature Mark Twain, our very talented American friend, to complete this rather witty and clever volume of short stories.

Award-winning jokesmith and self-confessed idiot Stephen K. Amos teams up with some of the world's sharpest comic minds to compile a dummies' guide to being a modern human. From raising children and having a mid-life crisis, to first impressions and facing your fears, who better than a bunch of comedians to lead us through life's existential maze?

Julia's daddy was the judge in town. He used to be fair, but recently it seemed that had changed. What cost to regular folks would there be?

Following Russia’s thermonuclear first strike, America is a shattered wasteland, its survivors crushed under the iron fist of the brutal Soviet invader. But some have chosen to continue the fight for freedom’s cause under Ted Rockson, the ultimate soldier of survival. And when Rockson receives a strange visitor who is near death, a long-rumored legend suddenly comes alive.

This is the story of the battle between appeasers and anti-appeasers in the period before - and just after - the start of the Second World War, and the formation of the 1940 coalition government which, like the election of 2010, abruptly ruptured all previous political alignments. Based on real events, this is a fascinating and little known tale of idealism, blackmail, and political skulduggery.

Premier Vassily, supreme leader of a Soviet-dominated world, lays dying, the result of a conspiracy plot lead by Colonel Killov, head of the USSA KGB, who sees himself as the next in line to rule the Empire. But Killov has his enemies. General Zhabnov, head of the United Socialist States of America, has his own eyes on the premiership. But first, Zhabnov must take care of the continuing freefighter rebel problem within his borders. And his answer is ingenious. He will brainwash and mind control tens of thousands of his American slave laborers and turn them into soldiers.

Honest presentation is only one characteristic of Frazee’s well-crafted tales. He tells a convincing, satisfying, and unusual story even when employing stock Western situations. A major strength is his understanding of the nuances of character, of how people are motivated, of the good and bad within each person, and of the conflicts between man and his environment. Drawing upon his years in the mountains of Colorado, he can vividly and realistically depict a variety of Western settings and do so in such a way that the settings assume a character of their own.

A classic tale that features all the beloved subjects and icons - stagecoaches, gold rush towns, and whiskey bars - that represent the romance and excitement of America's frontier.

Speeches of Note is a celebration of oratory old, new and unspoken. It is an obsessively curated, richly illustrated and sumptuously produced collection of speeches from throughout the ages. Some are surprising, inspiring, hilarious; others are moving, comforting, enlightening. Some of these speeches changed the course of history; others are all but unknown, even undelivered to this day, such as the chilling public announcement to be made by President Nixon should Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become stranded on the moon. All are extraordinary.

A post-quake San Francisco is ruled by a private corporation called the Bay Area Security Service. Its founder, Saul Rabin, is revered by many as the savior of the city, but by others he is feared and loathed as a fascist tyrant. And because of the cutting-edge antigravity technology being developed by his company, this controversial figure is about to become the most powerful man in the world.

A surprise Russian thermonuclear first strike nearly a century earlier had transformed the United States into a decimated wasteland, its people enslaved by rampaging hordes of brutal Soviet invaders. But one man has refused to allow the flames of freedom to flicker out. The ultimate champion of a lost democracy, he is Ted Rockson - the Doomsday Warrior!

The lightening-quick Russian victory over the United States is total and complete. The Soviet thermonuclear first strike transforms America's cities into fire-scorched mounds of radioactive rubble, its vast countryside into a shattered wasteland. The onslaught of Russian invasion troops capture most Americans fortunate enough to survive the nuclear carnage, creating a slave labor force to serve every demand of the Russian overlords. But a handful of survivors escape the Russian net and choose to live - and give their lives if need be - for freedom's cause.

Wayne D. Overholser, winner of three Spur Awards from the Western Writers of America, weaves a magic spell in this story with his consistent skill in presenting vibrant characters and his uncommon sensitivity to the depths of human personality.

A bitter, driven Billy Bane and his dysfunctional, thrown-together family of adventurers pinball their way through spatial anomalies and galactic raiders to find the long-forgotten planet Earth, in order to take down the sadistic celestial being called The Creator who supposedly resides there. Dysfunction leads to heartbreak and alienation, strange new allies & enemies and catastrophic galactic war. But hey, it’s a comedy!

With Tyvian Reldamar feigning his death, the forces that still carry his banner are left to fight a vicious battle against the warlord Banric Sahand and the noble houses that flock to his side. Led by Myreon and Artus, this band of freedom fighters and angry rebels is faced with an enemy the likes of which they’ve never faced before: one who will do anything, no matter how brutal, to secure victory.

With Tyvian Reldamar feigning his death, the forces that still carry his banner are left to fight a vicious battle against the warlord Banric Sahand and the noble houses that flock to his side. Led by Myreon and Artus, this band of freedom fighters and angry rebels is faced with an enemy the likes of which they’ve never faced before: one who will do anything, no matter how brutal, to secure victory.

Original story published in Lariat story magazine - July 1947.

Nearly a hundred years after Russia's thermonuclear first strike turned America into a radioactive wasteland, the brave survivors and fierce FreeFighters of that shattered nation have forced the brutal Sov invader to the peace table. But a new and unexpected danger suddenly appears in the skies over America - from orbit. Someone is reactivating the ancient space systems of the 1980s...one by one the nuke-armed space missiles of the past change orbit to threaten every major population center of the world.

Thames Valley Tales is a light-hearted yet thought-provoking collection of nine stories by Tim Walker. These tales are based on the author's experience of living in Thames Valley towns, and combine contemporary themes with the rich history and legends associated with an area stretching from London to beyond Windsor and Oxford, and then into the heart of rural England.