Mad Scientist Journal: Autumn 2014

Edited by Dawn Vogel and Jeremy Zimmerman

by Eric Aren, Rob Butler, Loria Chaddon, Gary Cuba, Robert Dawson, Christopher DiCicco, Kate Elizabeth, Judith Field, Liz Hedgecock, Sylvia Heike, Michael Hudson, Julie Bloss Kelsey, Samantha Lienhard, Christopher Lynch, Andrew May, Nick Nafpliotis, George Nikolopoulos, Christopher Holmes Nixon, Rob Oxley, Diana Parparita, Torrey Podmajersky, Steve Ruskin, Lorraine Schein, Sam Slaughter, Dennis Staples, Megan Vogel, Sylvia Wrigley

Nonhuman religions, clones of classical composers, and the mating habits of socks. These are but some of the strange tales to be found in this book.

Mad Scientist Journal: Autumn 2014 collects three month's worth of essays from the fictional worlds of mad science. Included are four new pieces of fiction written for the discerning mad scientist reader by Rob Butler, Gary Cuba, Christopher DiCicco, and Sylvia Wrigley. Readers will also find other resources for the budding mad scientist, including an advice column, horoscopes, and other brief messages from mad scientists.

Authors featured in this volume also include Michael Hudson, Nick Nafpliotis, George Nikolopoulos, Dennis Staples, Andrew May, Judith Field, Julie Bloss Kelsey, Robert Dawson, Christopher Holmes Nixon, Samantha Lienhard, Christopher Lynch, Rob Oxley, Diana Parparita, Kate Elizabeth, Torrey Podmajersky, Megan Vogel, Lorraine Schein, Eric Aren, Loria Chaddon, Steve Ruskin, Liz Hedgecock, Sylvia Heike, and Sam Slaughter. Illustrations are provided by Matt Youngmark, Dawn Vogel, Shannon Legler, Katie Nyborg, Luke Spooner, Scarlett O'Hairdye, and Justine McGreevy.

About the Authors

Eric Aren

Eric Aren investigates the fringes of Victorian science, ever curious as to what unusual phenomena might arise.


Rob Butler

Rob Butler lives in Reading in the UK. He mostly writes short speculative fiction with stories appearing in places such as Lakeside Circus and Daily Science Fiction. He sometimes gets story ideas while out cycling. This can be dangerous if a good thought pops up in the middle of heavy traffic.


Loria Chaddon

Loria Chaddon is a 40-year-old photographer and writer, with delusions of responsible adulthood. Due to her regular use of Madame Mortencia’s Anti-aging Cream, (which she introduced to her husband, as well) she is often mistake for a much younger 30.

A gentle soul with a heart of murderous darkness, she accompanies her beloved husband in their shared travels through a dubious reality (accompanied by four hyperactive Hell Hounds disguised as dachshunds), both dreading, and anticipating, the day the monsters buried beneath their kindly masks might burst forth, to the dismay of all. Or she might bake some cookies.


Gary Cuba

Gary Cuba, a frequent contributor to Mad Science Journal, has seen his fiction published in more than ninety magazines and anthologies, including Baen's Universe, Nature Futures, Daily Science Fiction, and Flash Fiction Online. His lives with his wife in South Carolina, dangerously close to the Congaree National Swamp. He sometimes sees things that cannot possibly exist.


Robert Dawson

Robert Dawson has a Ph.D., teaches mathematics at a Nova Scotian University, and writes science fiction.


Christopher DiCicco

Christopher David DiCicco loves his wife and children—not writing minimalist stories. But he does. He has to. Work in Superstition Review, Bartleby Snopes, Litro, WhiskeyPaper, Literary Orphans, The Cossack, Psychopomp, and other fine publications. Visit http://www.cddicicco.com for more published work.


Kate Elizabeth

Kate Elizabeth lives in Melbourne, Australia. When she isn't working, she likes to write the occasional short story.


Judith Field

Judith Field lives in London, UK. She is the daughter of writers, and learned how to agonise over fiction submissions at her mother's (and father's) knee. She's a pharmacist working in emergency medicine, a medical writer, editor, and indexer. She started writing in 2009. She mainly writes speculative fiction, a welcome antidote from the world she lives in. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications in the USA, UK, and Australia. When she's not working or writing, she studies English, knits, sings, and swims, not always at the same time.


Liz Hedgecock

Liz Hedgecock lives in the north of England and appears to lead a normal life, dividing her time between work, childrearing, and running. However, by night she retreats to her secret writing lab where she mixes metaphors and splits infinitives, usually with disastrous consequences. She usually writes short stories but is currently attempting a longer one; her cruel experiments on the English language make the hapless specimens in the writing lab quake in horror. Her reign of terror can be followed on Twitter at @lizhedgecock or at http://lizhedgecock.wordpress.com.


Sylvia Heike

Sylvia Heike lives in Finland and loves her pet rabbits even when they nibble on her books. She writes short fiction, poetry, and is working on her novel. Her work has appeared recently in Flash Fiction Magazine and is forthcoming in three anthologies: Indies Unlimited Flash Fiction 2014, Seven Deadly Sins: Pride, and Selfies from the End of the World. Check out her website at www.sylviaheike.com.


Michael Hudson

Michael Hudson is originally from Springfield, Missouri and moved to Austin, Texas while in the Army. He lives there with his girlfriend and their lazy, poop-machine of a cat, Prince.


Julie Bloss Kelsey

Julie Bloss Kelsey writes speculative fiction and science fiction poetry from her home in suburban Maryland. In 2011, her scifaiku "Comet" won the Dwarf Stars Award given by the Science Fiction Poetry Association. You can catch her on Twitter where she posts @MamaJoules.


Samantha Lienhard

Samantha Lienhard decided she wanted to be an author when she was in second grade, and she has been writing ever since. Her prior publications include a zombie serial called Sacreya’s Legacy, a horror/comedy novella called The Accidental Zombie, and a Lovecraftian horror serial called The Book at Dernier. When she isn’t writing, she can probably be found reading a book or playing a video game. She is currently pursuing her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction at Seton Hill University. You can find her at http://www.samanthalienhard.com/ or follow @SamLienhard on Twitter.


Christopher Lynch

Chris Lynch lives and works in Cardiff with his wife, two sons, and no cats. He would have fewer cats if this were mathematically possible.

Chris wrote "The Dark" for AAM/Markosia, a graphic novel, and co-created the seminal UK horror anthology Monkeys with Machineguns. Chris also edited the Red Cross genre-fiction charity anthology Hammer of Time.

Chris has also written for a number of UK and US publications including work for The Judge Dredd Megazine, Arcana, Metaverse, The Psychedelic Journal of Time Travel, 2026 Books, Accent UK, Something Wicked, The Sorrow, and Insomnia Publications.


Andrew May

Andrew May is a science consultant and freelance author writing on subjects as diverse as quantum physics, astronomy, history, military technology, pulp magazines, the paranormal, and New Age beliefs. He keeps trying to write fiction, too.


Nick Nafpliotis

Nick Nafpliotis is a music teacher and writer from Charleston, South Carolina. During the day, he instructs students from the ages of 11-14 on how to play band instruments. At night, he writes about weird crime, bizarre history, pop culture, and humorous classroom experiences on his blog, RamblingBeachCat.com. He is also a television, novel, and comic book reviewer for AdventuresinPoorTaste.com. You can follow Nick on Twitter, where he brings shame to his family on a daily basis.


George Nikolopoulos

George Nikolopoulos is a speculative fiction writer from Athens, Greece, and a member of Codex Writers' Group. His short stories have been published in over 60 magazines and anthologies including Galaxy's Edge, Nature, Daily Science Fiction, Factor Four, Grievous Angel, Best Vegan SFF, and The Year's Best Military & Adventure SF.


Christopher Holmes Nixon

Christopher Holmes Nixon is originally from Alberta, Canada, and has degrees in Economics and Political Science from the University of Calgary.

He has served as an Infantry Officer with the Canadian Armed Forces for the last nine years, with one operational tour to Kandahar, Afghanistan. He is currently employed as the Training Officer for the 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in Edmonton, Alberta.

He enjoys all types of fiction, and he can’t stop writing.


Rob Oxley

Rob Oxley recently relocated to a faraway enchanted land of lore and beauty—Montana. When he can escape conventional work, Rob perfects his fish-charming technique (with lots of colorful language and rod-throwing), speaks regularly on the modern medical advantages of cheap Scotches, and writes fiction that matches his unique perception of existence. His story "Party at the Phaedrus 5 Galleria" appears in The Glass Parachute, Villipede Publications' SF anthology, and his gritty chempunk story "Cyborg Pajamas" can be found in Villipede's Double Feature.


Diana Parparita

Diana Parparita’s short stories have appeared in Mad Scientist Journal, Enchanted Conversation, Avast, Ye Airships!, and other publications. She is currently working on the fantasy web-novel Toadmila Wartly, which can be found at toadmila.blogspot.com.


Torrey Podmajersky

Delivered by time travelers to a newly-cooled Earth, Torrey Podmajersky spent her formative years in de facto world domination. Since her peaceful abdication, she and her knifemaking husband embroider the outskirts of imaginalia with monsters, tools, and words.


Steve Ruskin

Steve Ruskin’s stories have appeared in AntipodeanSF, Steampunk Trails, and the anthologies Temporally Out of Order and Avast, Ye Airships! He has been a university professor, a mountain bike guide, and a number of things in between. In addition to fiction he has written for publications ranging from the American Journal of Physics to the Rocky Mountain News. He lives in Colorado. Visit steveruskin.com.


Lorraine Schein

Lorraine Schein is a New York writer. Her work has appeared in Strange Horizons, Hotel Amerika, Gargoyle, Space & Time, and the anthologies Phantom Drift and Alice Redux. Her poetry book, The Futurist's Mistress, is available from mayapplepress.com. She has a story forthcoming in Gigantic Worlds and is working on a graphic novel.


Sam Slaughter

Sam Slaughter is a beer brewer and the Atticus Review Book Review Editor based in DeLand, Florida. He's had fiction, nonfiction, and book reviews published in places such as McSweeney's Internet Tendency, Heavy Feather Review, Atticus Review, South85, Drafthorse, and elsewhere. He can be found on Twitter @slaughterwrites and www.samslaughterthewriter.com.


Dennis Staples

Dennis Staples was born in 1992 in Minnesota. He is currently an undergraduate student at Bemidji State University with a major in creative and professional writing. He enjoys writing fantasy, science fiction, and creative nonfiction. His work has appeared in the BSU literary magazine, CRE8here.com.


Megan Vogel

Megan Vogel is a marketing professional and wine enthusiast living in Atlanta, GA.  MeganVogel.com


Sylvia Wrigley

Sylvia Spruck Wrigley obsessively writes letters to her mother, her teenage offspring, her accountant, as well as to unknown beings in outer space. Only her mother admits to reading them. Born in Heidelberg, she spent her childhood in California and now splits her time between South Wales and Andalucia, two coastal regions with almost nothing in common. You can find out more about her at http://intrigue.co.uk.