David Dubrow

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Appalling Stories: Excerpt

March 12, 2018 by David Dubrow Leave a Comment

Harrisburg United Against Hate had met with the mayor to ensure there’d be no police presence. Once the media got wind of the agreement, they decided to avoid the event. They hadn’t fared well with HUAH during its previous operations.

The noise of shoes echoing off the pavement mixed with a jumble of shouting and chanting. An unmistakable voice rose above it all. “Violence against hate isn’t violence!”

Movie star Ciara Jacobs was only seven paces ahead in her sleeveless white T-shirt and form-fitting jeans. Haley smiled, pleased that they were similarly-dressed. Of course, her tee and jeans were nothing like Ciara’s. And Ciara wore oversized hiking boots while Haley had on an old pair of cross-trainers. But she didn’t care about the differences: just being close to her gave her a charge.

Ciara’s black hair was up in a bun and she wore sunglasses that must have cost at least four figures. Two bodyguards and a personal assistant filming with a smartphone kept pace with her. The bodyguards made sure Haley couldn’t get any closer than five feet even when she hurried to catch up.

Soon others started chanting, “Violence against hate isn’t violence!” and it became the chant for the remainder of the march.

Haley joined in as Harrisburg United Against Hate reached the first intersection. Some halted and wanted to help stop traffic, but others barreled on through. That emboldened everyone and once they crossed the intersection, they moved off the sidewalk and into the street.

All traffic on North Fourth Street had to stop for the mob that totaled over a hundred people. As they reached the next intersection, still chanting, Haley caught a glimpse of the rally point.

“Hey,” she said to a kid in a black ball cap. “Who’re we going after today, anyway?”

He stopped chanting and told her, “They’re called WBP. I think it stands for We’ve Been Patient.”

“Ever heard of them before?”

“Nah,” he said, shrugging. “But who cares, right? They say they oppose progress on all the important issues. How outrageous is that? I mean, hate is hate and someone has to stop them.”

(Taken from Our Violence Isn’t Violence by Paul Hair.)

—

This story, along with twelve other hard-hitting tales of science fiction, satire, horror, and more are available in Appalling Stories: 13 Tales of Social Injustice!

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: appalling stories, excerpt, our violence isn't violence, paul hair, short fiction

Appalling Stories: Excerpts

February 19, 2018 by David Dubrow Leave a Comment

He wiped some sweat out of his eyes and tugged at the top of his body armor where it was pushing just a little too much into his throat. We were kneeling on the rocky ground between some low-growing vegetation. General Cardiff sat in on our discussion.

“Am I missing anything, sarge?” Lieutenant Kettering asked.

“No, sir. You’re doing fine,” I said.

Lieutenant Kettering and the two other troops would reconnoiter the Taliban from that hill. It would allow us to see the entire objective, verify the size of the forces there, how ready to defend they were, and it would allow us to verify that our preferred avenue of approach was clear. After that it would become an observation post during the assault.

“Just make sure you and your soldiers are careful,” the general said.

“Yes, sir,” Lieutenant Kettering said. “We are very safety-conscious.”

The general squinted at him. “I mean, you need to make sure your soldiers know not to endanger any of the local populace.”

“Y-yes, sir,” Lieutenant Kettering said again. “But we’re just doing reconnaissance right now, and our intelligence said there likely aren’t any civilians here.”

“Lieutenant Kettering, you can’t trust that intelligence is one hundred percent accurate,” the general told him, tapping his gloved left index finger on the bipod of his M4 carbine. “So you better make sure your troops are aware of civilian considerations. We’re here to serve the Afghan people.”

(Taken from Our Diversity Is Our Strength! by Paul Hair)

—

Adam was about to send another blast in his fight against Oscar when something slammed into his back, shredding his shirt and ripping his flesh. The impact sent him tumbling through the sky. He quickly righted himself and zeroed in on what had hit him.

Adam raised his hands in time to shield his face from another swarm of Martin’s razor-like energy discs, but the blast knocked him backward again, slashing what remained of his shirt and cutting him further. Blood flowed from his front and back.

Adam fired back as Martin kept flying at him. He missed. Martin flew full speed into him, driving him farther backwards. Then the two men began grappling in the air.

Martin got a hand free and tried to blast Adam in the face. Adam dodged that. Oscar had maneuvered behind them and fired more light daggers. Some of them pounded into Adam’s spine and kidneys; others hit him in the head, snapping it forward.

(Taken from Mortal Gods: “Presidential Pardon” by Paul Hair.)

—

These stories, along with eleven other hard-hitting tales of science fiction, satire, horror, and more are available in Appalling Stories: 13 Tales of Social Injustice!

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: appalling stories, paul hair, science fiction, short fiction

An Appalling Interview

January 18, 2018 by David Dubrow Leave a Comment

Christian Toto interviewed Paul Hair, Ray Zacek, and yours truly on his site Hollywood in Toto:

HiT: “Bake Me a Cake” is ripped directly from the headlines with a sneaky twist. Can you share why you decided to tackle that topic head on?

Dave Dubrow: A writer friend suggested the idea behind Bake Me a Cake some time ago: a story about a mom-and-pop bakery asked to do “The Aristocrats” of cakes. He/She requested that he/she remain anonymous, which is one of the reasons why Appalling Stories is necessary: the far-left stranglehold on publishing is so pervasive and frightening that even moderately left-wing writers avoid controversial subjects for fear of social and professional backlash.

I had to write the story because the underlying concept behind it is playing itself out right now in the real world, and it’s as ludicrous as any fiction you can bring to mind. Sweet Cakes by Melissa has been ordered to pay $135,000 in emotional damages to a lesbian couple for not baking them a wedding cake.

The plaintiffs’ hurt fee-fees are more important than the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Read the whole thing here!

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: appalling stories, me me me, paul hair, ray zacek, sjw

Appalling Stories: 13 Tales of Social Injustice

December 11, 2017 by David Dubrow Leave a Comment

I’m pleased to announce that my newest book is available for download at Amazon!

Appalling Stories: 13 Tales of Social Injustice is an anthology of short stories written with authors Paul Hair and Ray Zacek, spanning several genres and points of view. It also features a foreword by R.M. Huffman, author of Leviathan and Fallen, books 1 and 2 of The Antediluvian Legacy, so you know it’s good. Here’s a peek at the back cover copy:

With political correctness gobbling up the culture like a fat kid on his sister’s quinceañera cake, where do you go for quality, old-school entertainment?

Appalling Stories focuses on themes and characters you’re just not supposed to read about anymore, using social issues as the setting, not the plot. Inside, you’ll read about a disturbing erotic resort that caters to an exclusive clientele, a violent Antifa group biting off much more than they can chew, a serial killer with a furious inch, and a lot more.

The authors find message fiction as tedious as you do, and traditional publishing seems intent on shoving favored narratives down readers’ throats. This anthology pushes back against PC moralizing, bringing you story above all else. Are you going to let Social Justice Warriors dictate what you can and can’t read?

Consider this your trigger warning.

Ben Wilhelm, Staff Writer for NOQReport and noted advocate for veterans and Second Amendment issues, said of it, “Ripped from the headlines, Appalling Stories is brilliant satire that illustrates the downfall of American society in the realms of culture, morality, religion, and even military policy. It is a must read for every patriotic American!”

Heck, even if you’re not a patriotic American, you’ll dig it.

Kristin Devine, a contributing author of GenderDreaming, the atomic feminist, and Ordinary Times, says of Appalling Stories, “While reading Appalling Stories: 13 Tales of Social Injustice you’ll find yourself in a rapidly deflating lifeboat afloat in a dark and dank sea of forbidden ideas. You won’t feel safe in these waters. Dive in anyway!”

All the stories within are terrific, but the best story in the book isn’t even mine! So what’re you waiting for? Get clicking and get reading!

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: appalling stories, current events, me me me, paul hair, ray zacek, short fiction, social justice

Frank Frazetta’s Death Dealer

July 20, 2017 by David Dubrow Leave a Comment

As a big fan of Frank Frazetta’s art, I was honored to write a piece with Paul Hair about Frazetta’s famous Death Dealer painting, and even more honored that Hollywood in Toto would publish it:

Frazetta died in 2010, but for at least a generation of fantasy fans, his oil paintings defined the aesthetic for sword-and-sorcery novels. Think huge, muscular men; curvaceous, creamy-skinned women and horrific beasts that menace both. From comic books to movie posters to the worlds of Tarzan and John Carter of Mars, his fierce fantasy depictions remain captivating.

His 1973 painting The Death Dealer became his most iconic work, used as cover art for music and books, as well as the basis for at least one novel. The piece also has been adapted into an imposing, life-size statue for III Corps, one of the higher echelon units of the U.S. Army.

Click to read the whole thing! Photographic credit goes to Paul Hair.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: art, frank frazetta, hollywood in toto, paul hair

2016 in Review: Top Five Books

December 22, 2016 by David Dubrow 1 Comment

I read about as much science fiction this year as I did horror, with some history, politics, and a few other genres thrown in. Picking favorite books from a list is, of course, a subjective sort of enterprise; how I feel about a book after I read it sometimes changes over time as I consider the quality of writing and story. I can tell if a book’s going to be worth my time from the blurb and the Amazon “Look Inside” feature. If the blurb’s substandard, the book is going to suck. If the first paragraph sucks, the rest of the book is going to suck worse. It’s axiomatic.

Reading book reviews is a secondary criterion for book selection at best, particularly in the indie horror genre: many “great” books have been shopped around to fellow writers and hangers-on for review who are eager to maintain a friendship instead of providing genuine (and necessary) critical feedback.

With that in mind, here are the five books that I enjoyed the most in 2016.

  • 5. Mortal Gods: Ignition by Paul Hair: A short, punchy anthology of superhero stories that hint at a terrible, dystopian America, and the lengths some superhumans will go to change it, or at least survive. Highlights the ugliness of modern warfare.
  • 4. The Ember War Saga by Richard Fox: Comprised of nine (!) books, this military sci-fi series was a lot of fun to read. I didn’t write an “official” review, but if blowing up aliens is your thing, these nine short novels will keep you entertained.
  • 3. The Well-Built City Trilogy by Jeffrey Ford: A surreal fantasy series about memory, ethics, beauty, and a number of other themes that sometimes made sense and sometimes didn’t. Despite their density, fans of Jonathan Carroll (like me) will enjoy all three books immensely.
  • 2. Dark Gold by David Angsten: I met David online and was impressed by how thoughtful he was, so I picked up a used copy of Dark Gold from Amazon (it’s out of print and not available as an e-book). Some weeks after the purchase, I figured I’d just read a couple pages here and there as time permitted, as I read everything else on my Kindle. It didn’t happen: I was drawn in and wound up spending several hours in a world of cocaine piñatas, bikini bottom-hidden gold coins, and a gigantic sea creature that’s as disquieting as anything I’ve ever read. A fun, fast-paced novel that reminded me of Eric Van Lustbader’s work (without the ninjas and communist apologia).
  • 1. The Final Cut by Jasper Bark: In 2015 I picked Jasper’s Stuck on You and Other Prime Cuts as my favorite read of that year, so I know how it must seem to pick another Jasper Bark book as this year’s favorite. Still, I have to do it because The Final Cut is just so damned good. It’s deep, disturbing, and meaningful, written by someone who’s expert at making you feel what he wants you to feel: a rare skill. It’s not just horror, though it’s horrific. It’s not merely urban fantasy, though it’s fantastic. What it does is straddle the genre line, keeping you turning the pages even as you cringe.

If you’d asked me at the end of last year that I’d be picking these titles as my favorite of 2016, I’d have called you crazy. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2017.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: book review, david angsten, horror, jasper bark, paul hair, richard fox, science fiction

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