The Unshrouded Stars By DAVID SKINNER When an astronaut confronts a lamia, she has a proposition for him: she will refrain from eating children for an entire year…if he will take her into outer space!
Hunger in the Void By ANDREW GALLANT Allan Buxley, a daring-hearted Voyager, ventures into an Orion Gate with his robot companion Sigma-6 in the Sagan-12… and finds a black hole on the other side!
The Gold Exigency (Part 1 of 4) By MICHAEL TIERNEY A race of birdlike alien humanoids are being hunted and murdered for the gems grown in their skins! A cop seeking answers and looking to stop the killings is approached by an unlikely benefactor: Achilles Hister of the Artomique Corporation!
Quicksilver By J. COMER Cartmill Station has an outbreak of a deadly virus! Can a daring rescue mission to deliver nanomedicines using a dangerous experimental rocket reach them in time?
Comes the Hunter By BILL WILLINGHAM Following the trail of dead, the hunter closes in on his quarry: the last of the wizard knights! His magic exhausted, can he defeat his dastardly foe with his wits alone?!
Starring Hedy Lamarr By TROY RISER An alien intelligence on the moon with the ability to possess victims engages in an all out secret war against Earth! It’s up to a secret world-wide conspiracy to stop it!
The Feast of the Fedai By JIM BREYFOGLE Kat is intent on raising an army to reclaim Alness! Can she and Mangos arrange to recruit an elite core of highly trained Fedai in Alomar before her secret gets out?!
Egg By JAIME FAYE TORKELSON A geo-seismic research team is stationed on the strange moon Epsilon Epsilon Six, better known as Egg, a smooth and volatile body that could go at any moment!
Search Pattern By WILLIAM SUBOSKI A strange woman seemingly miraculously cures a man’s terminal cancer! His son has devoted his life to data sciences, but can he follow the clues to track her down?!
My Name is John Carter (Part 15) By JAMES HUTCHINGS
Orphan of the Shadowy Moons (Part 1) By MICHAEL TIERNEY At long last, the origins of the Ancient Warrior are revealed! Fleeing from the Artomique fleet, Daestar, Bully Bravo, and the Ancient Warrior find a refuge of the immortal race—it is there that the psychic locks on his past are finally released!
The Flying Mongoose By JIM BREYFOGLE Dragons have cut off the smiths of Pytheas, but Kat and Mangos have a plan! Un-fortunately, it will require the duo taking to the skies themselves!
Channel 121, After Midnight By MARK PELLEGRINI Bored on a Saturday night, Caleb discovers a new channel that has never appeared on the cable box before, offering strange programming and an ominous warning!
The Recorporator Finds a Live One! By ANDREW MAJORS A lone Recorporator has just blown a ton of money on rights to a world that he thinks may be a dud… until strange things begin to happen to his scanner drones!
Serpent God of Mars By ADRIAN COLE Though defeated by the trainee witchfinder, Arrul Voruum, the sorcerer Rannas Kavannian has survived in a broken stolen body and hides in the depths of Mars!
The City of the Crocodile God By OWEN G. TABARD Strange things are afoot in the city sacred to the Crocodile God—her son dead, the high priestess is in a malaise… and a sacred crocodile attacks during the festival!
Darla of Deodanth: Firewood By LOUISE SORENSEN After the incident at Machu Hampacchu, all that was left for Darla to do was to re-stock firewood for the excavation site—but no task is simple on the Eldritch Earth!
An Ayre By Landor By JEFFERY SCOTT SIMS A magic potion has rendered the Duke of Vardix invulnerable! Can Morca stop the Duke’s scheme to assassinate Lady Niada before all at the Festival of Azamodius?!
Just Another Crappy Story That Kills Everybody In It By Jim Breyfogle The Fictionverse is where stories are acted out when pen hits paper—but what happens in a bad or poorly written story? Bob the Guardsman is about to find out!
Dreaming of Mart Senson By LIVIU SURUGIU [Translated by J.S. Bangs] Something strange is happening to Mart Senson! The faces of individuals he has dreamed of, and who have dreamed of him, are appearing in portrait on his skin!
Touch of Night By ERIK JOHNSON Edward Argot, PI, is approached with a strange job: go deep undercover to inform on a mysterious prisoner… The catch? Said prisoner is reputed to be immortal!
The Sound of Silence By RODICA BRETIN An orphan is assaulted by the monstrous Professor Wilberforce—killing her as-sailant lands her in an institution, where trauma manifests in her strange powers!
My Name is John Carter (Part 11) By JAMES HUTCHINGS
Thanks to everyone who backed the project yesterday! We hit our initial goal.
Next goal will be adding some bonus TTRPG content. We were sort of inspired to do this because of Troll Lord Games’ 5e Adventures supplement for Wild Stars that came out a couple years back. While that product tried to create an entire and encyclopedic setting for Wild Stars based on the Multiversal Guide in Wild Stars volume 4, what we’re looking to do with this is something simpler, akin to the old D&D magazines where you’d see various pulp heroes like Stark or Cugel the Clever statted up to drop in your AD&D or B/X game.
While we plan on a systemless approach to the write-ups, we hope they will be written in such a way that you could easily drop them into your game as wild card factor or a faction patron, outlining some of their motivations, skills and abilities, and an approximation of level/strengths.
Just a reminder, too, if you want to get caught up on the earlier volumes of Wild Stars [linked in the Kickstarter description], you can use either of the following promo codes for 15% off your order: EMPOWERMENT15 or WELCOME15
75,000 years ago, an immortal being from another universe known only as the Ancient Warrior led mankind on an exodus to the stars in the face of a massive alien invasion. While the branch of humanity remaining behind survived the Marzanti attempt to terraform earth into a paradise for aquatic alien nightmares, their cousins settled in the distant reaches of space known as the Wild Stars.
The Artomique Paradigm takes place at the first formal reunion of Earth and their Wild Stars cousins. Erlik, the son of the Ancient Warrior, and former President Bully Bravo hope that a summit between the myriad factions now populating space will bridge gaps and build trust throughout the galaxy. However, the Artomique Corporation aims to become one of the dominant players in Earth and interstellar politics using the stolen Wild Star technology they acquired in the late 20th Century. For them, this meeting is an opportunity to solidify Artomique Earth’s dominance over the stars and implement the Artomique Paradigm.
A secret alliance between the Artomique Corporation and space pirates led by the notorious Red Queen threatens to turn the balance of power in the galaxy upside down!
I’ve been trying to do a lot more reading lately, to get through my giant stack of unread books. A big part of why is that I inherited my dad’s gigantic library of history books, and I have nowhere to put all of them, so I’ve been trying to read them as quickly as possible and then give them away to friends and followers to make room for more boxes of books. If you want a chance to get your hands on the books I’m giving away, be sure to follow us on twitter [twitter.com/cirsova], where I regularly raffle off the books I finish.
The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant
This has been a fantastic read. I’m about half-way through. I don’t think I’ve ever read a clearer narrative by a soldier and commanding officer of his campaigns. Even if it were only the first 100 pages covering the Mexican War, this would be a priceless account.
While extremely detailed, it serves to give the reader vivid and precise accounts of the action rather than bog the reader down.
Grant’s deference in his prose to the various commanders under him and over him is delightful–the frank portrait of Zachary Taylor as a commander in the Mexican War, his friendship with and deep admiration for Sherman, his frustration with Halleck as his superior and McClernard as his subordinate, are all laid out from a Grant who is focused principally on the facts of events, generous with praise for men who did their duty’s well and reluctant to disparage those deserving beyond stating what occurred in the course of things.
Lorena – Frank G. Slaughter
I’ve taken a quick break from Grant at roughly the half-way point [Chickamauga & the relief of Burnside in Knoxville] to read a period romance from Frank G. Slaughter. I really enjoyed his Phoenician romantic adventure, The Purple Quest, and have been meaning to read more of his books. I grabbed this and read the first four chapters while my GF was shopping at the Goodwill, and so far, it has not disappointed.
A brilliant young woman from the East coast has married a southern officer who is the heir to a massive plantation. The officer turns out to be a total wastrel and scoundrel; his father, the old county judge, realizes this and, before his death, teaches Lorena the ins and outs of the business of running a plantation.
Fast forward to mid-to-late in the Civil War: Lorena has managed to keep things running and profitable after the Judge’s death and while her husband is fighting in the war, though her methods are rather unorthodox for a Southern Lady [among other things, she has made a black her bookkeeper!] Her husband thinks himself a Rebel Hero and looks down on his wife; if he ever gets back and in charge, he’ll run the place into the ground. On the other hand, when the North inevitably wins the war, will Lorena be able to hold things together? She is well-loved and respected by the blacks on her plantation, including some who would be willing to stay on with her after the liberation–but if her rotten no-good husband has anything to say about it, he’ll drive them all to ruination.
Redfox
Okay, this is just a for funsies thing on the side [and no, I’m not raffling these off]. Redfox is a British indie sword & sorcery comic from the 80s. It’s been amusing and pretty fun so far. Redfox is looking for treasure in dungeon, but it turns out that the treasure is bogus and the rumors existed so that at some point someone would come and revive a wizard from a healing torpor he placed himself in.
The wizard DOES reward Redfox, offering to teach her magic; while she’s an apt student, however, magic ultimately disagrees with her barbarian nature.
While the art isn’t amazing, the story has been pretty engaging. It’s a little shlocky and gaggy the way a lot of indie comics tend to be, but it’s not so much so that it detracts from the enjoyment.
So far, I think my favorite character is Whitefox… After Redfox leaves the wizard, the wizard becomes despondent and fixated. He ultimately creates a clone of Redfox who he makes his new apprentice. She is powerful and brilliant but like the other living magical creations of the wizard, she struggles with her identity [it has very strong Dying Earth vibes.] You just want to give her a hug.
Anyway…
We’re going to be taking pre-orders soon for Michael Tierney’s Wild Stars V: The Artomique Paradigm on Kickstarter! Please sign up for notification!
Also, I was sick with the flu, so I didn’t get to properly advertise that the retail edition of Absolute Evil & A Goth From Boston is now available on Amazon!
75,000 years ago, an immortal being from another universe, known only as the Ancient Warrior, led mankind on an exodus to the stars in the face of a massive alien invasion. While the branch of humanity remaining behind survived the Marzanti attempt to terraform earth into a paradise for aquatic alien nightmares, their cousins settled in the distant reaches of space known as the Wild Stars.
The Artomique Paradigm takes place at the first formal reunion of Earth and their Wild Stars cousins. Erlik, the son of the Ancient Warrior, and former President Bully Bravo hope that a summit between the myriad factions now populating space will bridge gaps and build trust throughout the galaxy. However, the Artomique Corporation aims to become one of the dominant players in Earth and interstellar politics using the stolen Wild Star technology they acquired in the late 20th Century. For them, this meeting is an opportunity to solidify Artomique Earth’s dominance over the stars and implement the Artomique Paradigm.
A secret alliance between the Artomique Corporation and space pirates led by the notorious Red Queen threatens to turn the balance of power in the galaxy upside down!
With Wild Stars V: The Artomique Paradigm coming to a close next month in the Fall issue of Cirsova Magazine, we’re thrilled to be able to run this promotion in concert with Michael Tierney!
We’re giving away a complete set of the 2000s Wild Stars Comics! We’re also giving away a rare copy of the Across the Distance Wild Stars Art Portfolio.
In the 1970s, Michael Tierney wrote a series of novels that formed the Wild Stars universe: Wild Stars Rising in 1976 (a different novel from Wild Stars 4: Wild Star Rising), Moonshadow in 1977/78, and First Marker in 1978 (later adapted into the graphic novel Wild Stars 1: The Book of Circles), which were the first uses of the trademarked term of Wild Stars. In 1978, Michael released a portfolio illustrating scenes from these novels and his then-recently released magazine, The Multiversal Scribe . Each print was individually signed with matching numbers, with three plates illustrated by Michael Tierney and three plates illustrated by Bruce Conklin.
One of Bruce’s plates featured the first appearance of Phaedra. One of Michael plates featured the first appearance of Eagal Ir Radin. While Phaedra has since appeared in the comics and novels, Eagal Ir Radin will make his first series appearance in 2022 when Cirsova Magazine begins serialization of Wild Stars 6: Orphan of the Shadowy Moons (originally the 1977/78 Moonshadow novel).
To enter, send an email to: Cirsova at yahoo dot com
Subjectline: Wild Stars Giveaway
In the body of the email, include the answers to the following Wild Stars trivia question:
1. In Wild Stars 4, Part 2, what is the Lantern Star? A. A lodestar B. A pair of stars in very tight orbit. C. A stellar signpost used by Roy Kirk’s grandfather. D. All of the above.
2. In Wild Stars 4, Part 2, what is the the E=MC2 trigger used for? A. Assassination. B. Manufacturing beer. C. Launching a starship. D. All of the above.
3. In Wild Stars Volume One: The Book of Circles–Recalibrated, what was the identity of the telepathic armored warrior? A. A time traveling First Marker. B. A time traveling Ancient Warrior. C. A time traveling agent selling auto warranties. D. None of the above.
For the Across the Distance portfolio:
4. Who is Eagal Ir Radin?
A. The Ancient Warrior. B. The Ancient Warrior’s father. C. The Ancient Warrior’s adoptive father. D. The immortal known as God Father.
All Entries must be received by 8 PM CST August 30th! Entries with the most correct answers for Questions 1-3 will be entered for the drawing to win a complete set of Wild Stars Comics. Entries with correct answers for Question 4 will be entered for the drawing to win a copy of the Across the Distance Portfolio.
This fantastic issue features the conclusions of both Wild Stars VI: The Artomique Paradigm and Badaxe! Also, another illustrated adventure of Mongoose and Meerkat from Jim Breyfogle.
We wanted to do something special for this issue, we featured two heroines and a villain from our serials. Huge thanks to Raven Monroe who took out the time from working on Cookies n Scream to step in and deliver this gorgeous cover for us on short notice!
The Artomique Paradigm (Part 3 of 3)
By MICHAEL TIERNEY
Achilles “Whip” Hister is dead! The Galactic summit has turned into a massacre, and the Artomiques are ready to unleash their ultimate weapon: dreadnoughts based on the Space Shark Erlik created! Can anyone, or anything, stop them?!
Too Many Mangos
By JIM BREYFOGLE
Foes pursue the Mongoose and Meerkat in the frigid north, seeking to prevent retrieval of a magic trinket for a client! One of the bandits…appears to be Mangos!?
The Black Skull
By REV. JOE KELLY
A strange and forbidding artifact has wended its way to an abbey! What is the black skull, and what strange powers might this grotesque and evil object possess?!
We Have Always Been Beasts
By S.H. Mansouri
An evil rain falls on the cursed children of Grewal… Brothers hope that they can end the rains that have corrupted and deformed them by ending their father’s life!
Dead Neighbor
By DAVID SKINNER
Armed with his only wits and his experimental Existential Motion Detection Device, a man is determined to discover exactly what has become of his neighbor!
The Light of Reason
By TEEL JAMES GLENN
Jack Stone and his mentor, Doctor Argent, have finally tracked down the vampire lord, Count Mendoza! But will they be able to vanquish the cornered monster?!
Locker No. 249
By JAMES LAM
A new student has just been assigned a locker next to that of a boy whose mysterious disappearance is connected to rumors of a Chinese mummy’s curse!
Remorsels
By LOUISE SORENSEN
Ghosts of animals appear as if by magic in paintings! The phenomenon is a strange blessing… Until a butcher begins supplying choice cuts of mystery meat to the artist!
We just received confirmation from Michael that all of the boxes for domestic orders are now dropped off at the post office!
And last night, I finished entering all of the international orders with our printer. These will be fulfilling from their UK facilities, so they should be arriving most places much quicker than if we had them printed and fulfilled in the US.
Some people have already received their copies and been sharing pictures on social media; thank you so much for all the love you have shown this project!
We hope you enjoy this thrilling story as much as we did, because we’ve got some very exciting Julian Hawthorne-related news on horizon…. but in the meantime:
Michael Tierney’s Robert E. Howard Art Chronology
Wild Stars author and pulp historian Michael Tierney, who worked tirelessly to get all of the shipping labels printed and took your boxes to the post office, has a fabulous new project launching soon through Chenault & Gray Publishing.
A couple years back, he put together an astounding 4-volume history of the art and illustration of the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Edgar Rice Burroughs 100-Year Art Chronology.
This year, he’s teaming up with Chenault & Gray again to put together a monster art history of the art and illustration of the works of Robert E. Howard.
Working with Michael on The Cosmic Courtship over the last several months, I’ve had the opportunity to see some of the research material that will be going into this, and let me tell you: it’s going to blow you away!
This beautiful novel takes several unique twists on the legend of the Swan Princess, mixing in elements of eastern European fairytales and Scandinavian mythology.
People who have had a chance to read and review it have compared its magic and charm to Jack Vance’s Lyonesse but with the action of an Edgar Rice Burroughs adventure.
Don’t miss out on this fantastic tale from the author of Cirsova’s ongoing Mongoose and Meerkat series!
Cirsova Publishing has just acquired the serial rights to Michael Tierney’s Wild Stars 6: Orphan of the Shadowy Moons!
We will be serializing this story in 4 parts throughout 2022.
The origins of the Ancient Warrior will finally be revealed, as will the mystery of his obsession with Phaedra! Be looking forward to swashbuckling adventure and Jet-Ski Barbarians in this classic 70s Sword & Planet adventure that will be seeing the light of day for the first time next year!
Get caught up on the classic Wild Stars adventures all in one go with the Wild Stars Omnibus, and be sure to read Wild Stars 5: The Artomique Paradigm being serialized now in Cirsova! [Part 1 of 3 | Part 2 of 3].
Cirsova 