The foundation of Westminster Abbey rests upon what was once an island — an island that was holy to the Celts and the Romans long before the first Christian Church was built upon it in the eighth century. The church is now home to a community of dead monarchs, nobles, scientists, composers, soldiers, authors, poets and politicians buried within the Abbey. And their ghosts are all under the command of Reverend Poda-Pirudi.

But leading the dead isn’t challenging enough for the good Reverend and he invites a hapless architect, Wallace Butterfield, to visit him at his office in the Triforium of Westminster Abbey with a promise to pay for some much needed work.

Listen to an excerpt from The Triforium by Mark Patton.

With the Vacation Jury Duty system, jurors can lounge on a comfortable beach while watching the trial via virtual reality. Julio is loving the beach, as well as the views of a curvy fellow juror with a rainbow-lacquered skin modification who seems to be the exact opposite of his recent ex-girlfriend back in Chicago. Because of jury sequestration rules, they can’t talk to each other at all, or else they’ll have to pay full price for this Acapulco vacation. Still, Julio is desperate to catch her attention. But while he struts and tries to catch her eye, he also becomes fascinated by the trial at hand.

Listen to an excerpt of Murder in the Generative Kitchen by Meg Pontecorvo

Something is rotten in the town of Widget, and Rags-n-Bones knows it’s all his fault. Ever since he snitched that avocado from Miss Ascot’s pack, things have been going wrong. Armed with a handful of memories he never realized he had, Rags-n-Bones searches for a way to put right whatever he did to Widget in the past. If only he knew what it was! Unfortunately, the only person who seems to have answers is a half-mad youth that only Rags can see.

Listen to an excerpt of The Meddlers of Moonshine by A.E. Decker

For years, Elise has been donning corsets, sneaking into castles, and lying through her teeth to enforce the Place in Time Travel Agency’s ten essential rules of time travel. Someone has to ensure that travel to the past isn’t abused, and most days she welcomes the challenge of tracking down and retrieving clients who have run into trouble on their historical vacations.

Listen to an excerpt of The Continuum by Wendy Nikel

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Abigail has been hesitant to travel with Sage and Savant because of the dangers involved, but the Doctor and Professor have worn down her resolve. The three of them venture back to Seneca Falls, 1848, just in time to witness the first Women’s Rights Convention. As exciting as this historical event is for the trio, it also ends up reaffirming the long, dangerous road ahead for women.

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Our heroes travel back to 1880’s to find themselves circus performers. Professor Savant needs to learn to throw knives with deadly accuracy while Dr Sage struggles with someone encroaching on her territory.

Oya recklessly swung at number one and missed her completely. They were ridiculously quick, and she wished she’d been better trained in hand-to-hand combat. She honestly didn’t know what the hell she was doing.

Listen to an excerpt from Tooth and Talon by Alex Hernandez

By the year 2075 most of the western world has converted to the religion of the Church of the Second Coming. From its humble beginnings, as the figure of Christ began to appear all around the globe, the Church has grown to achieve absolute world power. But rumors surround the Church of the Second Coming, and hint, like so many regimes before it, of deeply held secrets and the use of brutal power to quiet ‘those who oppose.’

Listen to Yesterday’s Saviour by Keith Bliss

“There’s a lot I’ll do for my country—face hostile Indians, battle sinister occultists and mechanical contraptions, even lay down my life. But the Honorable Eduardo Alberto Del Castillo Cabeza de Vaca had me about beat. ”

Listen to “The Honorable Eddy” By Kirsten Weiss

An essay by Jonah Greenwich, as provided by Dorian Graves
Originally published in Mad Scientist Journal: Winter 2015