Press Release – New Novella: The Short Circuit Revolution + An Introduction to 365 Infantry

OUT NOW! Available on [paperback](https://a.co/d/aLEFI2Q) ($7 USD) and [eBook](https://a.co/d/bhSD1eT) ($5 USD), join Recon Agent Roger Steele in a night Haven won’t soon forget! When the seasoned gray wolf is sent undercover to investigate an agent’s death, peaceable protest organization Haven Reformation, led by the tough-talking Lucille Devenreux, reveals itself to be the top layer of a deadly conspiracy! It’s a perplexing affair fraught with duplicitous politicians, strange technology, and the ever-mysterious intentions of the sentient computer network A.C.E.S., and it all adds up to a lesson in how to short-circuit a revolution!

Agent Steele is one of many colorful characters populating bizarre world of [365 Infantry](https://365infantry.substack.com/), a multimedia webzine going into its third year. The overarching storyline is that of a war for freedom in the distant future populated by wolves. On one side stands the officers and allies of the 365th Infantry, a desert-based resistance group who wages war with souped-up hot rods and motorcycles. On the other side, a dystopian megacity held in the infinite grasp of its sentient central computer network, the Artificially Controlled Eco-System (A.C.E.S.) who perverts her care-taking programming into a crusade to “perfect” all carbon-based life in the city of Haven. In a comp, it’s Blade Runner, Mad Max, and Heavy Metal Magazine thrown into a blender, starring metalhead wolves in a world made of both pulp heroism and offbeat speculative fiction. There are multiple storylines (both serial and episodic), and instead of building out the world through giant tomes of lore, we explore everything by simply telling stories.

A lot of stories.

It’s an unapologetic passion project, born from someone with a deep love of classic sci-fi, genre cinema, hero pulps, and basically anything else that comes to mind, unified by the unique aesthetic of a wolf in denim and leather, behind the wheel of an overpowered muscle car. In the illustrated main magazine (released quarterly), we follow a semi-anthology format of five ongoing series. The War concerns the efforts of the Infantry and the go-get-em officers at the group’s core such as Lieutenant Gibson Blanc, The Hunt is a peplum-flavored side quest concerning desert dweller Valentina and her team of psychologically-tortured fighters, The Urban Avenger stars punk vigilante Lita on the wild streets of Haven with her blood-red VW Bug, The Speedfreak Files revolves around three lawmen who play in a metal band and take out the scum and villainy of the Wastelands, and our “pure” anthology series Tales from the Front Lines fleshes out the world thru any and all genres.

You can jump in wherever you please, pick a single series to read or follow all five and the many side stories that appear between issues. The point is to have fun first and foremost. We also explore the series through music, audio productions, comics, and more.

[The Short Circuit Revolution](https://a.co/d/aLEFI2Q) is our fourth release this year, and fifth overall. If you want to catch up on the rest of the Force’s operations, we have three paperback collections available, as well as a print edition of our quarterly that will be released alongside every future installment. I hope you dig what we’re doing here, and you’ll keep an eye out for us when we roll into town next.

[The 2022 Annual Collection](https://a.co/d/6J1Eq8Z)

[The 2023 Annual Collection](https://a.co/d/3fppS90)

[The Electric Anthology Vol. 1](https://a.co/d/cgEiIRc)

[The 365 Infantry Quarterly: Spring 2024](https://a.co/d/glDvyEa)

Review: Howard Andrew Jones’s The City of Marble and Blood

Hanuvar’s adventures continue in this second volume from Howard Andrew Jones, this time even further in the heart of the Dervan territory. The old general must reconnect with old allies and turn old enemies into new friends. In this volume, however, there’s a new wrinkle in that Hanuvar has been blessed/cursed with a restored youth; the change is temporary, rapidly reversing, and a potentially fatal.

I’ll admit that I was a bit worried about this new twist in Hanuvar’s character, as part of what made him so interesting in the first volume was being an aged hero who couldn’t necessarily rely on his strength and fighting prowess the way that he once had. However, this new facet means that Hanuvar is forced to be more clever in playing his clandestine roles. Howard uses this as an opportunity to vary the stories he’s able to tell with Hanuvar a bit more, beyond “the old soldier in disguise.”

The best stories in this volume, like in the previous, tend to be the more mundane adventures, with the standouts being a treasury heist and foiled assassination attempt on the Dervan Emperor. My only real quibbles with Hanuvar have been that stories with stronger supernatural elements often cheat Hanuvar out of earning his ending, for better or for worse, and the supernatural elements do not inform the shape of the Dervan, Volani, and other various cultures within the setting as strongly as I feel like they ought to.

This second volume feels a bit less pulpy; it’s still strong and well-written fantasy with Sword & Sorcery elements, though it leans more into long-form storytelling as various intrigues unfold across several stories. While at no point did I ever get bored with it, this volume felt longer than the first. By the last few stories, I ready to be done, if for no other reason that I had lot of other books and manuscripts that I needed to tackle. The overarching meta-plot of this volume unfolds much more slowly, and there is a lot of thematic, if not narrative, repetition. Getting the age curse lifted is probably the most compelling main narrative; the process of Hanuvar building his network, handling logistics and infrastructure, and tracking down various groups of Volani slaves has a bit of a tendency to drag outside of the enemy-to-lover subplot between Hanuvar and Volani aristocrat whose father might be what you’d call “a collaborator.”

Like the first volume, the stories where Antires is there for Hanuvar to play off of and vice versa tend to be the best. Some of the new characters are fun; unfortunately, a lot of my favorites tended to be either bit players or killed off sooner than I’d like. A very minor villain from the first volume returns, and I would’ve loved to have seen more of her, but sadly, she gets killed in her reappearance.

Overall, the second volume of Hanuvar is strong recommend from me, and I’ll probably be picking up the third volume later this year. If you enjoyed the first Hanuvar book, you’ll probably enjoy this one. If you didn’t like Lord of a Shattered Land, you’re not going to like more of the same but marginally less episodic. Even if I hadn’t received the second volume as a review copy from Baen, I probably would’ve picked it up based on the strength of the first one. I do feel like the series could’ve stood to be broken up a bit more, into six shorter volumes, but Baen is known for its thick brick hardcovers if not pulp sword & sorcery.

Still, it’s a good book.

Speaking of good books, don’t miss out on JD Cowan’s Star Wanderers, on Kickstarter now!

JD Cowan’s Star Wanderers is Live on Kickstarter!

Now on Kickstarter!

Detective Ronan Renfield is a Galactic Enforcer sworn to protect the innocent and bring evil-doers to justice to maintain order throughout the stars.

The Agent is a nameless knight errant tasked with hunting the most brazenly wicked and blasphemous who threaten order and nature across the cosmos.

Alone, they face strange and diabolical horrors on backwater worlds and the corrupt and dangerous criminals who threaten civilization.

Together, they are the Star Wanderers!

This collection features eight thrilling tales of raygun adventure, swashbuckling sword fights, and cyberpunk mystery, including four never-before published adventures!

Dead Planet Drifter – Ronan Renfield lands on a swampy world that has been overtaken by death and decay-worshiping cultists! [First Published in Cirsova Magazine of Thrilling Adventure and Daring Suspense, Vol. 2 Issue 11, 2022]

Cold Heart of Ouranos – The Agent travels to the ice planet Ouranos in pursuit of a genocidal mad scientist who has holed up in a lost city! [First Published in Planetary Anthology Uranus, 2020]

Golden Echoes – Ronan faces down a diabolical terrorist leader who uses illegal technology to carve a mystical paradise out of reality itself! [First Published in Storyhack Action and Adventure, issue 7, 2021]

Armageddon Spring – A cursed sorceress queen is doomed to conquer and seek revenge her wrongs, driven by a mysterious entity known as the Artisan! [All New Story!]

Cold Finger Girl – A young woman barely escapes the twisted human experimentation of the supposedly peaceful Plateau and it is up to Ronan to keep her alive! [All New Story!]

Judgement Sun – The Agent fights to protect a wayward prince from the undead cyborg minions of a necromancer intent on breaking the royal line and dooming a world by fulfilling an ancient prophecy! [First Published in Planetary Anthology Sol, 2020]

Midnight Machineguns – Ronan investigates a series of terrorist attacks carried out by exploding cyborgs, and the trail leads him to an apocalyptic transhumanist cult! [All New Story!]

Slow Death on San Sebastian – Detective Ronan Renfield and the Agent team up in an epic clash against a rogue elemental Knight who desires to warp the soul of an entire planet! [All New Novella!]

Rewards

eBook – $3

Get Star Wanderers as an eBook.

Pocketbook – $15 

Star Wanderers will be offered in a standard massmarket pocketbook format.

Trade Paperback $25 (Kickstarter Exclusive!)

The 6″ x 9″ Trade Paperback will be offered exclusively through this Kickstarter!

Hardcover $35

The 6″ x 9″ linen-wrapped Hardcover with wrap-around dust jacket featuring Anton Oxenuk’s full cover art will be offered exclusively through this Kickstarter!

Star Wanderers Soundtrack Add-On – $3

Written and produced by Jacob Calta, “Star Wanderers: The Soundtrack” is a specially commissioned music single that embodies the characters and incredible adventures of Detective Renfield and The Agent. The sleuth’s seedy cyberpunk settings yield infectious retro electronica with a DnB twist, while the planet-hopping knight enjoys far spacier fare, with thunderous drums and chilly synth melodies. Backers selecting this add-on will receive high-quality MP3s that are sure to set the mood for the riveting stories yet to come!

About the Author

JD Cowan is a writer with an obsession for stories and Truth. He takes pleasure in looking for Light in the places where darkness grips the tightest. His works include Y Signal, the Pulp Mindset, the Gemini Warrior series, and short stories in Storyhack, Anvil, and Cirsova magazines.

He blogs at wastelandandsky.blogspot.ca and can be found on Twitter @wastelandJD for those interested.

About the Composer

Jacob Calta is a filmmaker, writer, and composer, inspired by fantastic storytelling in all its various forms, from the heights of classical excellence to modern experimentation. He is the creator of multimedia anthro sci-fi series 365 Infantry, the current layout editor for ANVIL Iron Age Magazine, and all-around handyman on forthcoming Western magazine Go West: Frontier Tales. Known to frequent Twitter/X @stagescreen60. All links can be found at https://linktr.ee/jacobcalta. The world, books, music and more of 365 Infantry can be found at https://linktr.ee/365infantry

About the Publisher

Cirsova Publishing began in 2016, launching its flagship quarterly fantasy magazine, which has published over 30 issues. They are also known for publishing Michael Tierney’s Wild Stars science fantasy saga, Mongoose and Meerkat and other works by Jim Breyfogle, and the strange fiction of Misha Burnett. Later in 2024, Cirsova Publishing will be releasing an omnibus edition of Adrian Cole’s Dream Lords trilogy.

Guest Post by J. Comer: A Review of Suck A Little Happy Juice by Scott Coatsworth

First, disclosure: Scotty is a friend and gave me a copy of this book, and nothing else.

     As a writer myself, I have my own opinions on “how to write” books.  I have read a few and I tend to distrust the ones by writers whose publications of fiction are scanty, or nonexistent. Others, such as Le Guin’s Steering the Craft and Rita Mae Brown’s Starting from Scratch, are by writers whose works I’ve enjoyed, and present some helpful exercises and ideas. In Scott Coatsworth’s case, he has published eleven novels, so I would think he know something about writing. With this in mind, I was glad to read Suck a Little Happy Juice.

     The book is about how to be an “indie” author, one who self-publishes, rather than sending their work in to publishers. Scott talks about writing in a series of very short chapters- he mentions an author whose work is intended to be read on the toilet, a la Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader.  After enough of these short chapters, replete with advice such as “Stay Hydrated”, the reader may wonder whether Coatsworth intended the same fate for his guide. But the whole thing hangs together and has a cheerful humor. The title chapter is focused on a problem that most writers’ guides ignore: imposter syndrome. How are writers to cheer themselves up? Brown and Le Guin take it for granted, but Coatsworth does not.  The chapters on second drafts and beta readers are likewise both helpful and light-hearted.  Perhaps the best part of the book is the ending, which talks about starting a local writers’ group and attending gatherings such as cons. This is advice I have seen nowhere else. Much else in the book- advice on newsletters and social media- is also newer material that older writers did not include, or know much about.

     All in all this book is enjoyable and a very quick read. Some new writers will get much out of it; to be honest, some will not. But Coatsworth’s sense of humor is welcome in a field that takes itself too seriously much of the time. Recommended.

J.D. Cowan’s Star Wanderers – Coming Soon to Kickstarter

Detective Ronan Renfield is a Galactic Enforcer sworn to protect the innocent and bring evil-doers to justice to maintain order throughout the stars.

The Agent is a nameless knight errant tasked with hunting the most brazenly wicked and blasphemous who threaten order and nature across the cosmos.

Alone, they face strange and diabolical horrors on backwater worlds and the corrupt and dangerous criminals who threaten civilization.

Together, they are the Star Wanderers!

This collection features eight thrilling tales of raygun adventure, swashbuckling sword fights, and cyberpunk mystery, including four never-before published adventures!

Sign up now for notification! We will be launching later this month!

Eclipse Sale Starts Today! Week 1 – Wild Stars

Cirsova Publishing is launching a massive Spring sale across several of our titles!

Each title on sale will be only 99 cents digitally!

This first week, we’re featuring Michael Tierney’s epic space opera series, Wild Stars!

  1. The Book of Circles
  2. Force Majeure
  3. Time Warmageddon
  4. Wild Star Rising
  5. The Artomique Paradigm
  6. Orphan of the Shadowy Moons

While you’re at it, don’t forget to check out the first installment of Wild Stars 8: The Superior Griefs, out now in our spring issue!

The Spring 2024 Issue is Out Now!

The Spring 2024 Issue of Cirsova is out now! This is a HUGE one. Despite clocking in at nearly 200 pages, we’ve kept the cover price the same at $15. You won’t want to miss this!

A Quick Laugh with Death
By WILLIAM DRELL

Investigating the medical blackmail of a xenofruit magnate leads Mickey Vance to the sweltering planet Verdus, where the locals are beautiful and criminals deadly!

The Titan of Zhorn
By RICHARD RUBIN

Burke Fletcher, the fighting man from Earth stranded on Rigel IV, has been hired to find the Titan of Zhorn: a lost mechanical wonder that could end his client’s war!

Jewel of the Joltunwyrm
By KEVAN LARSON

Incredibly dangerous to harvest, the strange organ found deep within the joltunwyrm is worth a fortune! Jackson’s share will be enormous… if he can survive!

The Weather Maker
By J. COMER

Fleeing the devastation of a sacked city on the war-torn Pendleton’s World, a small band happens upon a nun with a peculiar piece of technology to aid in their escape!

Joe vs. the Mad Wizard of Druun
By W.E. WERTENBERGER

Ripped from his own world, Joe has taken up the life of a mercenary! But will the wizard who threatens a village of Lemurians be more than even Joe can handle?

On the Eve of Xerkhet-Buul
By HOWIE K. BENTLEY

Thargg Tanuth seeks to avenge the death of his beloved Princess Lenoris! Betrayed on the eve of Xerkhet-Buul, Thargg finds that he too is to be hunted by her killer!

Cargo Cult
By JED JALECO DEL ROSARIO

A Xenological mission investigating a potentially sapient species has disappeared! Dugo has been hired to find them… and eliminate all traces of contact!

The Screamers
By ANDREW REICHARD

A military officer must give his official assessment on the aliens of Vaela following the establishment of relations! Are they friendly? Hostile? All they do is scream…

Caf-fiend
By JULIE FROST

Alex Jarrett just wants his perfect cup of coffee… Unfortunately for Alex, a mysterious and diabolical threat has brought his supplier’s plantation to a standstill!

Computer Games
By LOUISE SORENSEN

Forced to act as assassin and executioner for the supercomputer she helped create, Diamond Bright bides her time for the moment when she can save her husband!

The Codex of Naku-Lankha
By FRANK SAWIELIJEW

Shortly after having escaped the Iron Moon, Arshiya and Varnok are hired to find an ancient and mysterious text… But the dangerous Codex is not what it seems!

The Superior Griefs
(Part 1)
By MICHAEL TIERNEY

Investigation into government disposal of abused children leads to the discovery of a primeval race of lizardmen stockpiling them for food in stasis chambers! What is their connection to the strange new threat that has emerged on the edge of space!?

My Name is John Carter [Part 17]
By James Hutchings