Fandom is a vehicle for free speech in this short story.Siri Appleton is a data analyst for an automated thought police mechanism. She provides technical support for the Intelligence Bureau's Error 451 Algorithm.A re-edited classic TV show inspires her to become a culture warrior when she's assigned to monitor it.Give me Liberty…

It is the Olympian goddess Nemesis's duty to punish hubris, but what happens when the results of her work don't turn out as planned?Psyche would've been struck down for usurping Venus's worship if she hadn't caught Cupid's eye.The maiden Ambrosia finds out she is the daughter of a virgin goddess.Arachne's skill at weaving wins her fans and enemies in Olympus.Her attempt to punish Midas for his greed goes awry.She receives a petition ...

The Greeks have Narcissus and the Haudenosaunee have the Cornhusk Doll. They both stared into pools to admire themselves and got punished. Narcissus fell in love with himself. The Cornhusk Doll had her face taken away by her Creator, so she was no longer distracted from her duties. Both stories are parables against vanity in their respective cultures.Wakia, the No Face Cornhusk Doll has learned humility over the centuries of her existence in this short story. However, she wants her...

Warlock's Weekly's Top 10 division lists for the practitioners of the Trade is black magician Damien Rathschild's guilty pleasure. His apprentice, Shelton "Shifty" Sharpe, finds out the Top 10 lists encourages aggressive competition among the magicians who want to improve their standing in the lists.Damien is outraged when inexperienced up-and-comer Calvin Whitby is given the top spot in his division. He's so dismissive of Calvin, he forces Shifty to jinx him inste...

A soft power rises in the Empire, but is is as benign as it seems? A Terran Seedkeeepr trades heirloom vegetables for royal favor. first by quieting the Imperial Princess's unruly pregnancy cravings, then by becoming the last lifeline for the heir growing in her womb. Her purse now champions his "food sovereignty," a gentle phrase that threatens the iron grip of the Empires preferred vendor, who would rather see the empire starve than lose his market share. Emperor Xerxes cannot dismiss th...

Master and apprentice, Damien Rathschild and Shelton "Shifty" Sharpe, are looking for allies instead of fighting rivals for once.The enchantresses at the Diamond Palace are glamorous and popular, but championing Crystal Moore against the coven master Maxwell Worthington could be dangerous. Crystal already has a protector, but she needs an advocate and hires Shifty to break a bad contract for her.Shifty intends to run a bluff but things escalate from jinxes ...

Hidden Treasures is a volume of 7 short literary poetic-prose stories with socially progressive arguments. The stories range from themes of serendipity, cloning and property tax to a musing fantasy about making all right with the world. These stories are appropriate for older children, teens as well as adults.

Can a dog turn into a vampire if it bites a vampire?Loyal Rez dog Gertrude saves her human Doreen from becoming a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Woman statistic.Doreen starts to think her neighbor was more than a creep, when Gertrude develops an allergy to sunlight and starts to crave raw meat, the bloodier the better.Will she have to put her loyal companion down?

In "Imperial Prince : Imperial Princess," the Empire's future teeters on the brink as the Imperial Princess confronts an unforeseen challenge. With her son proclaimed as the Heir Apparent, the Emperor's demand for a spare ignites a fierce competition among the galaxy's elite. The Princess, endowed with a unique mana-enhanced immune system, becomes the ultimate matrimonial trophy, coveted for her resilience and the potential to bestow her extraordinary abilities upon the next generation.

Robot monk Brother Jubal is the choir director of his order and a fan of Meerani of Maruwat's devotional hymns. The rediscovery of a forbidden text makes him wonder if Meerani was the first singular devotee of the Dark One of Spectre. Does Meerani's chosen deity, Saanvla, bear any connection to the patron of his order?

Warlocks Weekly has a top ten list for all the magician apprentices in the Trade. The novices compete to be number one.Shelton "Shifty" Sharpe's formidable intelligence and quick wits have won him the top spot. Though he can't cast the biggest fireball.The number two apprentice wants the top spot and invades Shifty's home. Shifty fends him off but sets out to gain allies to make his competitors afraid to cross him.However, his attempt to join a guild hits a snag whe...

In a village where shieldmaidens are remembered only in songs, Elsa's cunning victory over a raider wins her scorn, not glory. Denied the warrior's path and trapped by tradition, she discovers her family has bartered her future to settle a debt. To win her freedom, she must face a berserker in a duel to the death, armed with nothing but a borrowed sword and a fierce will to choose her own fate. And waiting in the shadows is a suitor from another world, who values her strength and does not ...