Anthropomorphic Dreams Publishing

Here’s a few more stories from PodCastle, the fantasy podcast which might be of interest for their inclusion of anthro animal characters.

On the Banks of the River of Heaven is a fun Eastern myth about the affairs and loves of the gods and it features a talking otter character.

The evolution of trickster stories among the dogs of North Park after the Change is a mixed bag. The premise is very interesting, but the narrative structure is kind of detached and the politics get heavy handed. However the idea of the dogs creating universal myths was really neat and the ending was emotionally satisfying.

Pull up a log and grab a marshmallow as we bring you two stories perfect for telling around a campfire on a summer night.

A Campfire Tale by Allen Kitchen
Inspired by and a retelling of “The Highwayman” poem by Alfred Noyes
Read by Peter Katt

The One with the Spooky House by Tim Susman
Read by Chris Hvidsten from the Outcast podcast novel.

Sound effects from the FreeSound Project

Music by Infinity Squared

Both stories appeared in Alone in the Dark, the dramatic horror anthology.

Download Episode

One of the goals behind the anthology Alone in the Dark was not only to have dramatic horror, but to feature sympathetic monsters in some of the stories. The dramatic stories in Pseudopod, the horror podcast, provided inspiration for the project.

Among Their Bright Eyes and Brothers are two examples of these types of stories.

Variant Frequencies’ Under the Bed is another story which is both disturbing and emotionally affecting.

All these stories are rated mature for violence.

Norm Sherman’s Drabblecast, a weird short-fiction podcast, has had several stories which feature anthropomorphic characters, animals and others.

The second story in Double Header III is a nice bit of drama which deals with a coyote lost in a sandwhich shop, likely inspired by real-life events from the news.

Alchemical Automaton Blues deals with the mistreatment of golems.

Out of His League is a fun take on a story you might recognize from the news last year.

The Last Dog is a sad post-apocalyptic tale.

On Dasher is a moving Christmas story with a wonderful mythos behind it.

And The Box Born Wraith is a fun horror tale for Halloween, with sympathetic monsters.

Alex Kovas has posted several videos on YouTube which have some impressive animal-themed body-painting. The masks used are nicely designed too.

The posing is mostly showing off the work on the human canvas, but some of the moves are suggestive,  and could be considered rated mature.  The male model is wearing posing underwear, so there is nothing explicit.

PodCastle has a few other shorts which are non-furry but wonderful examples of anthropomorphism.

The Orange (general audeience) is a neat story that feels like a modern fable.

Loose Drawers (mature content) brings the dynamics of sexual and relationship politics to the auto garage.

The Desires of Houses (mature content) lives up to its title and is a wonderfully fun and creatively-bizarre idea.

PodCastle’s story Captain Fantasy and the Secret Masters is a wonderful piece. It’s non-furry, but a great story and I think people in the fandom would appreciate it. It’s a fantasy piece with super heroes and special abilities that’s equal parts actiion and adventure, alternative history and character drama and it’s a wonderfully human story. There are bits of it which make it slightly mature, but nothing explicit nor really shocking and I appreciated the way those elements were used.

It reminds me of the Union Dues stories in Escape Pod, which also have mutant superheroes, living in a world awash in shades of gray and dealing with politics and corporate restrictions as much as super villans.

Alone in the Dark: Anthropomorphic Tales
of the Things that go Bump in the Night

Print Book, $19.95, available from Amazon and Lulu.
PDF Download, $5.95, available from Lulu.

Using the meta-genre of anthropomorphic animals, this anthology collects tales of dramatic horror, with stories that are both atmospheric and affecting. The anthropomorphism is also used in a wider sense as well, humanizing The Other, including stories with sympathetic monsters.

Warning: Most of this book is general-interest, but there are some darker and harder stories of a mature theme.

This collection provides a wide selection of horror. There’s dark fantasy and speculative fiction, stories inspired by both Rod Serling and H. P. Lovecraft. There are campfire tales and ghost stories, up through stronger tales at the darker end of the spectrum. There’s psychological horror and some non-traditional tales which add their own spooky flavor, and some lighter stories and even a bit of comic relief to balance things out.

Featuring stories by Simon Barber, Michael Bard, Austin Crowder, William Eakins, Kathleen Fenlon, Kevin Frane, Jason Gillespie, Chris Goodwin, Renee Carter Hall, Allen Kitchen, Watts Martin, Brian L. Miller, J. Scott Rogers, Will A. Sanborn, SeHT, Thomas Shaw, and Tim Susman.

And Illustration artwork by Anka, S. M. Bittler (“Synnabar”), Heather Bruton, W. Michael “Wolfie” Dooley, Amber “Vantid” Hill, and Sara “Caribou” Palmer.  Cover artwork by Sara “Caribou” Palmer.

That Old Time Religion by Will A. Sanborn

Print Book, $15.95, available from Amazon and Lulu.
PDF Download, $4.95, available from Lulu.

Warning: This book is for adult readers and contains sexually explicit scenes of both male/female and male/male natures. Not for sale to underage readers.

For Thomas, a college drop out looking to find his way, it was a chance meeting with the gypsy fortune teller at the carnival, but Ishandra the dragon exotic was more than she appeared. He would learn that there are immortals who walk among us, old gods who are looking for something. He soon finds himself caught up in the search of the mystery with four unique traveling companions. It’s a road trip with the gods, a strange and possibly dangerous quest, and a journey of self discovery. Thomas faces many challenges, large and small and he’ll find friendship and romance as well as intrigue, but how will the adventure change him?

Cover and illustration artwork for this book is by Heather Bruton.

The Artwork of New Technicolor Dreams

Edited by Will A. Sanborn

Print Book, $11.95, available from Lulu.

This is a companion book to New Technicolor Dreams.

The illustrations from the stories of Will A. Sanborn are collected here, displayed in a larger format to showcase the beauty of the artwork. Note: This gallery contains only the illustration artwork. It is a companion to the anthology “New Technicolor Dreams,” where Will’s stories are collected. Once you’ve seen the artwork, check out the story collection, to get the full picture of the tales shown in glimpses here.

The artwork collected here is not only from the new book, but also includes select illustrations from previous editions of Will’s story anthologies. Cover artwork for this book is by Sara “Caribou” Palmer. This gallery features art from: S. M. Bittler (“Synnabar”), Heather Bruton, Steve Carter, Lonnie DiNello (“Beerhorse”), Bernard Doove, Scott Fabianek (“K-9″), Megan Giles, E.K. Goya, Tim Johnson (“Ravenwolf”), “Melskunk,” Cara Mitten, Kacey Miyagami, Sara “Caribou” Palmer, Shannon Stuart, “Sheena Was” and “Sue Deer.”