-Writer on Demand-
DONALD J. BINGLE
Stories and Story Collections
I've written more than sixty published stories, which have appeared in a variety of anthologies from DAW, Wizards of the Coast, Silence in the Library, Alliteration Ink, and others. Check out my writing resume' to get a complete list, along with a listing of all of my other writing (games, screenplays, articles, and, yes, even a bit of poetry). Once rights have reverted back to me, I collect my various stories by genre and re-release them in ebook format as part of my Writer on Demand TM series. Sometimes I toss a new story into the collection; sometimes I release a story as a standalone tale for 99 cents. Here's a listing of my various story collections and standalone tales. Click on any cover to link to Amazon to purchase the collection or story.
Tales of Gamers and Gaming
The author, who was the world's top-ranked player of classic role-playing tournaments for fifteen years, is also a well known player of board games, strategy games, and collectible card games. This collection tells tales for all sorts of gamers, from players of MMORPGs to attendees of GenCon and other gaming conventions. Take a look or give it to your favorite gamer.
Writer on Demand Vol. 1: Tales of Gamers and Gaming includes three stories, one of novelette length:
"The Quest" (approximately 8,000 words) tells the story of what happens when a group of MMORPG gamers get together in real life. The story originally appeared in Fellowship Fantastic, edited by Kerrie Hughes and Martin H. Greenberg (DAW Books, Inc. 2008).
"Loser Takes All" (approximately 5,000 words) tells the story of a man always looking for just one more world to conquer. The story originally appeared in If I Were an Evil Overlord, edited by Russell Davis and Martin H. Greenberg (DAW Books, Inc. 2007).
"Gaming Circle" (approximately 4,100 words) explains what it is about our real lives that makes us want to game. The story originally appeared in Gamer Fantastic, edited by Kerrie Hughes and Martin H. Greenberg (DAW Books, Inc. 2009).
Tales Out of Time
Time may be many things, but it is definitely not on our side. It always wins, no matter how much we struggle against it.
Writer on Demand Vol. 3: Tales Out of Time includes three stories:
"Standing Still" (approximately 4,600 words) tells the story of one man trying to help another deal with the reality in which he finds himself. The story originally appeared in Time Twisters, edited by Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg (DAW Books, Inc. 2007).
"Knowing She Would" (approximately 3,600 words) tells the story of a girl visited repeatedly by those who need her help in their journeys. The story originally appeared in Historical Hauntings, edited by Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg (DAW Books, Inc. 2000).
"A Passion for Time Travel" (approximately 3,900 words) deals with the problems of a company that sells vacations throughout time. The story originally appeared in TimeShares, edited by Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg (DAW Books, Inc. 2010).
Tales of Humorous Horror
Donald J. Bingle, the author of GREENSWORD (a dark comedy about global warming), demonstrates his "signature dark humor" in this collection of twisted tales. Writer on Demand Vol. 2: Tales of Humorous Horror includes three stories:
"BunRabs" (approximately 3,500 words) tells the story of the real truth behind the connection between Easter and bunnies, at least from a unique point of view. The story originally appeared in Zombie Raccoons & Killer Bunnies, edited by Kerrie Hughes and Martin H. Greenberg (DAW Books, Inc. 2009).
"Hell to Pay" (approximately 3,050 words) tells the story of the recording industry's ultimate solution for illiegal downloading of music. The story originally appeared in All Hell Breaking Loose, edited by Martin H. Greenberg (DAW Books, Inc. 2005).
"Cursory Review" (approximately 4,200 words) shows that demons really don't find it that easy to create cursed objects. The story originally appeared in Pandora's Closet, edited by Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg (DAW Books, Inc. 2007).
Grim, Fair e-Tales
Not every story has a Hollywood ending. Sometimes the dark envelops the light.
Writer on Demand Vol. 4: Grim, Fair e-Tales includes four stories:
"Suburban Legend" (approximately 6,400 words) rips from the headlines and twists the classic tale of a suburban husband accused of murdering his beautiful wife. This story originally appeared in "Imaginary Friends," edited by John Marco and Martin H. Greenburg (DAW Books. Inc. 2008).
"Artists Only" (approximately 3,500 words) tells the tale of a little girl who goes unwillingly with her brother to the local traveling carnival, tires of the garish distractions, and becomes lost. This story originally appeared in compact disc format in "Carnival/Circus," edited by Jean Rabe (Lone Wolf Productions 2004).
"Stew" (approximately 3,900 words) deals with a boy who decides it is right to go to war, but later regrets his decision. This story originally appeared in "Civil War Fantastic," edited by Martin H. Greenberg (DAW Books, Inc. 2000) and was later reprinted in "Stalking the Wild Hare," edited by John Helfers, Chris Pierson, Marc Tassin, and Jean Rabe (Walkabout Publishing 2010).
"Grok" (approximately 4,000 words) is a the story of the mud-man of the local Renaissance Faire. It originally appeared, appropriately enough, in "Renaissance Faire," edited by Andre Norton and Jean Rabe (DAW Books, Inc. 2005).
Tales of an Altered Past Powered by Romance, Horror, and Steam
Victorian romance, steampunk, adventure, and scholarly invention await you in a past where the future arrived early.
Writer on Demand TM Vol. 5: Tales of an Altered Past Powered by Romance, Horror, and Steam includes four stories:
"Dashed Hopes" (approximately 4,250 words) is a tale of invention, romance, and tragedy set in the coal fields of England. This story originally appeared in "Hot & Steamy: Tales of Steampunk Romance," edited by Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenburg (DAW Books. Inc. 2011).
"Rejecting the Anthropocene" (approximately 2,400 words) is a cautionary tale about the dangers of ignoring science, no matter how unpopular it may be. This original steampunk story appears in print for the very first time in this collection.
"Gentlemanly Horrors of Mine Alone" (approximately 7,100 words) is the ninth story in Mike Stackpole's The Chain Story Project. Each of the stories in the chain begins with a scene set in The Wanderers' Club in London, where patrons take turns telling stories of their adventures and derring-do. Though the plots and characters of the various tales differ and each adventure is self-contained and independent, every story-teller starts out by referencing the story before his in some fashion before telling his own tale. This story follows on the heels of Robert T. Jeschonek's "Blazing Bodices" and precedes Michael A. Stackpole's "The Adventure of the Ghost Watch." Mike Stackpole's character, Rogers, is used with permission.
"Foggy Goggles" (approximately 4,200 words) is a tale of an adventuresome reporter, two world-changing inventions, and unintended consequences. This story originally appeared in "Steampunk'd," edited by Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg (DAW Books, Inc. 2010).
Not-So-Heroic Fantasy
Heroic fantasies like Game of Thrones, The Name of the Wind, and Lord of the Rings are huge, sprawling epics, with dozens of characters. But what about when you want something a bit shorter and lighter?
Writer on Demand Vol. 6: Not-So-Heroic Fantasy includes four shorter tales about less heroic fantasy characters:
"Fellow Traveler: (approximately 3,040 words) is a tale a bard who makes the most of his limited skills to impress a horde of barbarians of limited intelligence and less hygiene. This story originally appeared in "Fantasy Gone Wrong," edited by Brittiany A. Koren and Martin H. Greenburg (DAW Books. Inc. 2006).
"Means to an End" (approximately 4,950 words) is a cautionary tale about getting exactly what you planned and schemed and worked and wished for, but with unforeseen results. This story originally appeared in "Blue Kingdoms: Mages and Magic," edited by Stephen D. Sullivan and Jean Rabe (Walkabout Publishing 2010).
"The Eye-Candy of Argon" (approximately 2,300 words) is a critical and satirical re-telling (from a different perspective) of "The Eye Of Agron"--widely regarded as the worst published fantasy story of all time. This parody is best enjoyed by those who have already read Jim Theis' original tale in all of its un-copyedited glory, yet lived to read again. "The Eye-Candy of Argon" was originally presented at the conclusion of a group reading of "The Eye of Argon" at GenCon in August of 2011 and appears in print here for the very first time.
"MAKESHIFT" (approximately 5,100 words) mixes fantasy and magic with imagination and the science of noetics in the tale of a very special young man recruited to a world of wonder and weighty responsibility.
Shadow Realities
There are other worlds in the shadows; dark worlds that mirror our own and seep in through the cracks in our facade of normality. Shadow Realities brings you five stories that reveal these dark alternatives to life as we know it.
Writer on Demand Vol. 7: Shadow Realities contains five complete stories:
Psycho Physics (approximately 6,000 words) slipstreams a hard-boiled detective through a world of science into a world that he can only pray is science fiction to get his man and avert an unimaginable catastrophe. This story originally appeared in Slipstreams, edited by Martin H. Greenberg and John Helfers (DAW Books, Inc. 2006).
For Every Time, A Season (approximately 2,000 words) reveals a mirror world where everything is exactly the same as our world, except for one crucial dimension that makes all the difference in the world--a life and death difference. This story originally appeared in Time-Traveled Tales, edited by Jean Rabe (Origins Game Fair Anthology 2012).
Rural Route (approximately 4,600 words) reveals the shadows of another reality and their plans for bringing their patterns of darkness to our reality in an unconventional assault that almost no one sees coming. This story originally appeared in Boondocks Fantasy, edited by Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg (DAW Books, Inc. 2011).
Day of the Shadows (approximately 4,000 words) captures what happens when our darkest fears become reality. This story originally appeared in Carnage & Consequences, edited by Marc Tassin & Friends (Walkabout Publishing, Inc. 2011).
www.karmassist.com (approximately 4,300 words) teaches us to be wary when our dreams come true, because darkness is concealed inside every wish come true. This story originally appeared in The Dimension Next Door, edited by Kerrie Hughes and Martin H. Greenberg (DAW Books, Inc. 2008).
Crimson Life / Crimson Death
When good fights evil, the battle does not always go as planned. The Crimson Pact anthologies (Volumes 1-5) include a wide variety of tales about the members of the Crimson Pact fighting demons across the multiverse. Now, three acclaimed tales from darkly disturbing author Donald J. Bingle are collected for you to taste and find out if demon-hunting is in your blood.
Solitary Life (approximately 5,000 words) is a story about commitment and sacrifice in the fight against evil in a fantasy setting. This story was originally published in The Crimson Pact, Vol. 1, edited by Paul Genesse (Alliteration Ink 2011)
Dark Garden (approximately 2,000 words) reveals that evil can be powerful and patient, too. This story was originally published in The Crimson Pact, Vol. 2, edited by Paul Genesse (Alliteration Ink 2011)
Someday (approximately 1,500 words) reveals the secret battles that exist even in the modern day against demons, wherever they may be found. This story was originally published in The Crimson Pact, Vol. 5. edited by Paul Genesse (Iron Dragon Books 2013)
Gentlemanly Horrors of Mine Alone
A tale of love, gold, and monsters.
This 7,100 word stand-alone tale of adventure, romance, and action was originally included in New York Times bestselling author Mike Stackpole's Chain Story Project. Each of the stories in the series begins with a scene set in The Wanderers' Club in London, where patrons take turns telling stories of their adventures and derring-do. Though the plots and characters of the various tales differ and each adventure is self-contained and independent, every story-teller starts out by referencing the story before his in some fashion before telling his own tale.
Mike Stackpole's character, Rogers, is used with permission.
MAKESHIFT
MAKESHIFT is a short story (approximately 5,100 words) which mixes fantasy and magic with imagination and the science of noetics in the tale of a very special young man recruited to a world of wonder and weighty responsibility.
Season's Critiquings
Don't know what to give your favorite published author or wannabe writer for Christmas? Ever wonder what would happen if a beloved Christmas tale was critiqued by a professional editor or writer's group? Has someone you know been working on a story for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)? This parody from the author of Frame Shop will not only shed light on what writers have to go through when they get a critique, but will give you a smile and a chuckle to get you in the holiday spirit.
Originally published in the charity anthology "Spec the Halls, 2011 Edition," this humorous tale is now available as a 99 cent e-story. Cheaper and more amusing than a holiday card. For the next entry in the Christmas Carol Critique Collection, read Merry Mark-Up, also available on Kindle.
Merry Mark-Up: A Sequel to Season's Critiquings
"Merry Mark-Up" is a humorous parody which follows the format and the events of "Season's Critiquings" by imagining that yet another beloved holiday classic was submitted to a professional writing critique service for comments and criticisms. In the tradition of sequels, however, this time it's personal. The criticisms are harsher and the tone darkens.
Don't know what to give your favorite published author or wannabe writer for Christmas? Ever wonder what would happen if a beloved Christmas tale was critiqued by a professional editor or writer's group? Has someone you know been working on a story for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)? This parody from the author of Frame Shop will not only shed light on what writers have to go through when they get a critique, but will give you a smile and a chuckle to get you in the holiday spirit.
Holiday Workshopping
"Merry Mark-Up" is a humorous parody which follows the format and the events of "Season's Critiquings" by imagining that yet another beloved holiday classic was submitted to a professional writing critique service for comments and criticisms. This time, the critique is of a more adult Christmas classic, instead of the kid's tales of the first two in the series.
Christmas Carol Critique Collection
"Crhistmas Carol Critique Collection" contains all four of Donald J. Bingle's humorous critiques of holiday classics: "Season's Critiquings," Merry Mark-Up," "Holiday Workshopping," and "Santa Clauses and Phrases." It's the perfect gift for your favorite author, editor, book club colleague, writers' group companion, or NaNoWriMo participant.
Fans of this series may also be particularly interested in Donald J. Bingle's book, Frame Shop, which uses the author's "signature dark humor" to skewer a suburban writers' group in which the critiques lead to murder ... then more murder.
Santa Clauses and Phrases
"Santa Clauses and Phrases" is the fourth in the Christmas Carol Critique Collection. This time it's all about your favorite holiday mystery. If you've already got the first three in the series, you've got to continue your collection.
Father's Day
"You never know what day your kids are going to remember most about growing up.
You hope that it is a good day, a day when you performed well as a parent. Your greatest fear is that it will be a bad day, a day when you lost your temper or let the dog run out in front of traffic, or a day when something happened that is only talked about in front of high-priced therapists.
In my case it was the day my dad bought sod."
Thus begins Donald J. Bingle's award-winning short memoir about his father, a heart-warming, surprising, and humorous tale about how a single incident on a single summer day can become one of a child's favorite memories of his parent.
This short, simple tale will bring both laughter and tears and create a lasting memory that no mass-produced Father's Day card can ever duplicate. Pre-load it on your dad's Kindle for a perfect Father's Day gift. At about 2,000 words, it is a delightful short read, not a lengthy chore.
"Father's Day" won 1st Place in the California Literary Arts Society Memoir Contest (2009) and 2nd Place, Non-Fiction, in West Suburban Living's Annual Writing and Photography Contest (2005). It is also available as part of a deluxe 3-pack edition.
Ratfish, A Schlock Zone Drive-In B-Movie Novella
Ratfish is a classic tale of sex, violence, and mutated animal parts in a blender.
Dr. Dunwiddy's not a mad scientist, but he is an angry one. His daughter is a cripple, her wannabe boyfriend is a stalker, and he has been forced to conduct his genetic experiments in a cinder block lab on a backwater Caribbean island because of stringent laws on stem cell research in the United States.
Chico's just like any other local Caribbean Community College student, stalking the legless girl of his dreams from the cover of the jungle as she maneuvers her wheel-chair down the dirt road toward the homestead where her geneticist dad experiments with various animals with the power of regeneration.
Marinda has dreams like any other college girl. She dreams her father wasn't so over-protective. She dreams she had a normal social life. She dreams her dad wouldn't track blood into their pristine, clean home when he comes back from working in the lab. She dreams of having sex in the tub with a hunky college guy who treats her with respect. And she dreams she could walk again.
Tony is the big man on campus, even if he is a big fish in a very small, brackish pond with plenty of scum. He does whatever he pleases, whoever he pleases. He loves sex, violence, himself, and anything he can't have. If only his henchman and lackeys weren't so stupid, he would rule this island.
The Ratfish didn't ask to be here. But now that they are, they intend to spawn and mutate and kill and eat and spawn and multiply and chow down on the local population until they are the only local population. Then, they'll either turn on each other or conquer the world.
Sounds like a bitchin' weekend.
Ratfish is just one in a series of Schlock Zone Drive-In novellas, including: Worms, by J.E. Mooney; Stripper Pole at the End of the World, by Eric Beetner; Dawn of the Chupacabra, by Kyle Bergersen; American Slayers, by Sean Dalton; and Dead Records, by Steven Saville and Jordan Ellinger. More are on their way.
About the author:
Buck Hanno grew up on the wide open plains, but eventually stampeded to the wide open ocean of a tropical island, where his writin' life is goin' nowhere slow. On occasion, he has been known to surf wearing his denim cowboy hat. His favorite movie is pretty much any double feature, so long as he has plenty of buttered popcorn, a bladder bustin' soda pop, and his best girl at his side. He hopes you enjoy his Schlock Zone Drive-In Theatre novella, Ratfish, and that all y'all start a social media campaign to get the SyFy Channel to add it to their Saturday nite line-up, along with all the other monster and disaster flicks we all know and love. A good schlock movie ain't too stupid; it's just stupid enough.
Ratfish was edited by Donald J. Bingle.
Father's Day: 3-Story Collection
Thousands and thousands of copies of "Father's Day," Donald J. Bingle's award-winning, humorous, short memoir were downloaded last year by sons, daughters, mothers, and fathers for Father's Day, as well as for birthdays, anniversaries, and other family occasions, garnering it 4.7 stars on Amazon. Now the author has created a Deluxe 3 Pack Edition with not only the original "Father's Day," but with two other tales of fathers and fathers-in-law ("Work Mode" and "Tree of Enlightenment"), plus, as an added bonus, the first scene of Donald J. Bingle's first novel, "Forced Conversion."
About "Father's Day": This short, simple, humorous, and heartwarming tale (2,000 words) about a father and son adventure on a perfect July day won 1st Place in the California Literary Arts Society Memoir Contest (2009) and 2nd Place, Non-Fiction, in West Suburban Living's Annual Writing and Photography Contest (2005).
About "Work Mode": Work mode is great for dealing with work, but not so great in other contexts. Approximately 1,130 words.
About "Tree of Enlightenment": The simplest chores can lead to the most profound lessons about life and parenthood. Approximately 2,240 words.
About "Forced Conversion": Everyone can have heaven, any heaven they want, but some people don't want to go. Read the action-packed start of Don's first novel.
Familiar Spirits: Stories That Go Bump In The Night
An anthology of ghostly tales just in time for Halloween.
Magician and story-teller William Pack conceived of Familiar Spirits as an outgrowth and supplement to his spell-binding performances of magic and ghostly tales. Connecting with Writer on Demand Donald J. Bingle, they have invited a specially selected group of extremely talented writers to craft short tales and vivid manifestations to unsettle, spook, terrify, and haunt you in your dreams and in brightest day.
Sometimes when the dead are laid to rest in peace, they refuse to go into that dark night.
Instead, they lie in the cold earth, agitated and restless, angry about the past, conjuring up lists of wrongs to right and enemies to fright.
In Familiar Spirits, you will find previously untold tales of ... rainy graveyards ... musty attics ... domestic abuse ... love unending ... speaking with the dead ... vengeful ghosts ... infatuation gone wrong ... and lonely spirits.
And, you will meet a mother who refuses to abandon her child ... a jealous ex ... a sailor who seeks to escape his watery grave ... and your deepest fears.
Includes stories from Sarah Hans, Dolores Whitt Becker, William Pack, Lynne Handy, Wren Roberts, Kate Johnson, Cathy Kern, Ric Waters, TS Rhodes, Melanie Waghorne, and Jean Rabe.
What makes ghost stories give readers shivers more than any other stories? After all, vampire and werewolf and monster tales can be plenty creepy, too. Perhaps it's because we always know, deep in the back of our subconscious, that vampires and werewolves and monsters aren't real. They're fiction. But, the same isn't true for ghost stories. Almost every culture believes in ghosts and has myths and tales about them. Almost everyone has had, or personally knows someone who has had, a ghostly or supernatural experience. We believe in ghosts, so we believe in ghost stories. And that makes it so much harder to go to sleep after we've read what those familiar spirits may be up to in the midst of deepest night in the woods, down the street, and in our own homes.
Join with these authors to bring Familiar Spirits to life ... or, perhaps, unholy afterlife from beyond the grave. Death is only the beginning for a familiar spirit, but it may be the end for those it seeks out on the mortal plane.
Familiar Spirits was edited by Donald J. Bingle.
Running Free: A Tale Inspired by Patsy Ann
This heart-warming tale of Juneau, Skagway, and the White Pass was inspired by the statue of Patsy Ann, a bull terrier, on the docks of Juneau, Alaska. A familiar sight to the thousands who arrive in Juneau on cruises and ferry-boats which ply the Inside Passage from the Pacific Northwest through the panhandle of southeastern Alaska, the statue commemorates the life of Patsy Ann (1929-1942), a free dog who became the official greeter to all ships docking in Juneau.
This short story (approximately 3,800 words) by Donald J. Bingle (author of the award-winning short memoir, "Father's Day") is about one family on such a cruise and the strange and wonderful experience that their daughter, Julie, has with Patsy Ann.
Knowing She Would
Knowing She Would (approximately 3,600 words) tells a haunting coming-of-age story about a girl visited repeatedly by those who need her help in their journeys. The story originally appeared in Historical Hauntings, edited by Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg (DAW Books, Inc. 2000).
Tree of Enlightenment
Tree of Enlightenment (approximately 2,240 words): The simplest chores can lead to the most profound lessons about life and parenthood.
Work Mode
Work Mode (approximately 1,130 words) Work mode is great for dealing with work, but not so great in other contexts.
Morse Code
Mysteries and
Missives.
Three tales-two stories by me, plus a relevant piece of non-fiction, first printed in triple-space Morse Code text over 310 pages, then provided via link to audio files of Morse Code dots and dashes, then finally provided as clear text. Also available as an audiobook.