The Witch Games & Other Supernatural Tales high-light the brilliance of E. W. Farnsworth's far-reaching imagination and showcase several of his latest tales.The Witch Games novella intentionally crosses the traditional boundary between the supernatural and science fiction. Be advised the future depicted in this story is on our doorstep and drawn from actual occurrences in radical institutions for the extremely gifted.Other stories in this collection owe as much to fact as to folklore, traditions, and the author's imagination. The spectrum is intentionally wide, running from the tale of the aftermath and strange rebirth of a high-tech company to dark fairy tales about vengeful ghosts in the Christian, Japanese, and Mongolian traditions.Even the tale, Mr. Truman's Ghosts, is based on actual ghosts reportedly dwelling in the White House. Stories with Norse themes or Hopi Indian myths expand the geographical range while upending expectations.Above all, these stories are for...

In his childhood, Wiglaff demonstrated that his qualities were different from those valued by his father. His instinctual sensitivity and his insight into the natural world set him apart. As he gradually develops his shamanistic skills, his sister is training to be a leader of female warriors.Protected by his mother Onna, Wiglaff learns of his family's connections across Caledonia as she arranges Wiglaff's tutelage with Ugard the Shaman, her former suitor.As his sister recruits those that will form her secret army, Wiglaff comes to understand the comprehensive scope of the Roman effort to contain and conquer Caledonia. A Roman slave, named Festus, helps Wiglaff clarify the Roman threat and ultimately sacrifices his life for the Caledonian cause.Will Wiglaff be able to emerge as the shaman that Caledonia so desperately needs?

Introducing Wunderkind Elsie the OverachieverE. W. Farnsworth's latest character creation—Elsie Landers—comes from a distinguished family of real secret agents.  Her parents and teachers recognize her brilliance and encourage her to achieve excellence through extracurricular activities at her school.  Three stories in this volume document her evolving  roles as photographer for her school newspaper.  Her analytical, problem-solving mind and operational style make mundane tasks into fascinating mysteries as well as learning experiences for herself and everyone in her elite circle.  The second three stories in this volume extend her interests and responsibilities beyond "ace photographer" to editor-in-chief and leader of her peers, focusing on a cluster of pressing problems of our time as seen from the young students' unique point of view. 

The Black Marble Griffon & Other Disturbing Tales features short stories of good old fashioned, blood-curdling horror. Two prize winning shorts are included in this volume, The Wasps, and Helen Screaming.Some of the other short stories include: The Cold Ghost Tentacles, which posits a solution to the mystery of the Loch Ness Monster; The Zombie Tontine, wherein an insurance investigator becomes involved in a zombie plot in Haiti; and The Creature from the Black Stone Reservoir, about a Grendel-like creature that lurks in the natural aquifer under Phoenix.Many of Farnsworth's horror stories stem from real—and horrific—historical events, some from the darkest, most secret imaginable truths. These include Curse of the Ship Burial, about the ancient Egyptians' worldwide naval presence and Comes the Silence, which posits a rabid right-wing takeover of America. Some stories in this volume are visceral, as The Sand Man's Henchman, Body...

E. W. Farnsworth's unorthodox, often quirky, fairy tales range from folkloric and fanciful to satirical and bizarre, deriving from many sources. Lorelei and Hansel and Gretel for Real take traditional German tales as points of departure for contemporary retellings. Hugging Proteus, Hera's Right and Song of Prometheus Unchained derive from Greek myths but have unique voices. The Ark of Time revisits Egyptian mythology from a plausible science fiction perspective. The Chess Master derives from Chinese Dao and Indian chess traditions as well as the fictional tone of Hermann Hesse. Tales of pixies, leprechauns and trolls transform the traditionally received English, Irish and Norwegian folklore. Games for Love in Dragonton borrows its structure, with apologies, from Edmund Spenser's Shepherds Calendar.As in the original versions of Nordic tales, complexity and a dark, menacing edge characterize Farnsworth's thought-provoking, irony-laden stories. Valley of the Giants posits that...

Potpourri contains a wealth of literary tales exhibiting the author's range and depth, from horror to science fiction and from steampunk to paranormal.  Most of the contents have appeared in small collections worldwide.Often crossing the boundaries of traditional genres, E. W. Farnsworth's works are highly allusive, full of droll humor, sometimes savagely satirical and always hewing closely to distressing shared memories while remaining fictions.  "The Chronosphere" series of tales, for example, follows actual events that preceded the fall of the Berlin Wall.  Many included war stories, like "American Penelope," while rooted in myth, and "The Shkval" are closely patterned after experiences of real people."Soul Train to Nogales" explicitly acknowledges the author's debt to a story by Nathaniel Hawthorne.  "Wind Joiner" and "Curse of Anpu" scarily portray fundamentally...