If you were looking for a prehistoric horror story centred on parasites and terrifying megafauna, you’re in luck. My short story “At the Foot of the Bridge” is out now in Thuggish Itch: Bear. It’s the latest anthology from Australian publisher Gypsum Sound Tales.
This is a bit of an older story I’ve had kicking around so I was very glad to find a home for it. Now you may be wondering… which prehistoric megafauna? The title of the book may give you a clue.
Growing up in Canada and spending a lot of time in the Canadian Shield, I have a deep love (and careful respect) for bears. Black bears may be smaller than the kind that makes an appearance in “At the Foot of the Bridge” but they are nevertheless a stark reminder that humans still need to tread carefully when out in the woods.
This short story is about more than one dangerous creature. But the inspiration came from a friend well-versed in prehistoric anthropology who commented, when I was asking him an unrelated question: “If you really want to give yourself nightmares, Google the ‘short-faced bear’.” I did, read up on the extinct Arctodus, and thought: I have to write something about this…
You can order Thuggish Itch: Bear here.
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