Everything on this page has aged quite a bit as I’ve developed as an author. But, I thought you might enjoy seeing my journey in written form, for posterity’s sake if nothing else. As you go back in time reading these works, try to see if you can spot the concepts and stylistic choices which would go on to become my eventual writing style.
Click on the cover image to read each story.
It Started With a Road: Learn how The Woman came upon Smack-dab in this Waste origin story.
Things That Go Bump: In this tale, a bandit called Wolfcat Bloodsqueezer learns that the wild Orcklands aren’t as uninhabited as he’d hopeā¦
Zombie in Your Home (2017): This was a choose-your-own adventure comedy horror that I decided to write back when Smack-dab was being edited. Holding a grand total score of 2.6 out of 5 stars, it wasn’t very popular! Be warned: This adventure is not for the lighthearted.
The Accidental Hacker (2014): Originally written for magazine publishing (rejected), this is one of my favourite short stories from this era. It’s about an unassuming husband who accidentally logs into someone else’s bank account – which has three million dollars in it! Akwardness ensues.
The Bloodiest War (2015): A news article style story I wrote in a fit of rage after a night of bashing mosquitoes with a slipper.
The Life of Life (2015): I’m not quite sure what prompted the writing of this tale about the realities of life in the food chain, but it’s a concept I still quite like. Not executed how I would do it these days, but a cool idea.
Enjoy the Walk (2018): I’d been talking a lot about horror when I wrote this, and tried my hand at a short story more that vicinity to see if it was something I liked. Pretty classic horror concept, inspired by feeling nervous when someone’s behind you while out walking at night.
Public City (2013)
“Public City” is an old superhero universe that I devised alongside my friend Calum , who also designed the cover for “Smack-dab”. It’s a city of two halves – Upper and Lower, one rich, one poor. Super-powered people roam the streets, hunting each other and hunted by the police in turn. Originally I had intended to write a novel in this world, but decided not to pursue it (I went with the Waste instead!). These stories are the remnants of what might have been…
More shorts from Duncan P. Pacey
