April Fool’s Day, an appropriate day for the return of Scribal Tales.

Did you miss us? It has been a bit longer than a year (ok, a wee bit longer) since our last publication. The fault is entirely my own. I was busy contemplating republishing The Prometheus Stratagem (my poker strategy book – put that project on hold until I win a $100,000 championship or better), closing out on my 47.5-year career as an official court reporter for Supreme Court – 60 Centre Street, moving into Manhattan – getting my computer systems to work properly; getting my printer to work properly, preparing to go to the World Series of Poker -- I quite simply had my plate full.

So, if you feel that I have dropped the ball, so to speak, this offering of Scribal Tales is an attempt to make up for my lack of due diligence.

As a reminder to those authors who are published, please read and comment on, at least, one of the other published stories produced in this issue.

We have 850 subscribers, and I would expect that for publication to continue, that number would have to reach 1,000. So that is the goal. Have your friends, family, people you have to bribe, anyone over the age of 16 sign up.

However, if we have 50 new subscribers, then we will have another publication.

Here are our latest offerings:

Hybrid:

My Salieri Complex by Marina Julia Neary: A wonderful tale (in my opinion) of a different slant on the famous Invisible Man. I enjoyed this tale so much that I asked our critic, The Pretentious Twit, to review it before publication.

God’s Demand – Man’s Compliance by Daniel Olarnick: A story I created for a contest entitled, Come to God. I think I took second place (although, of course, I should have won), but it is quite different from my usual writing style. I hope you will enjoy it.

Arcus Senilis by K.W. Taylor: A bit of science fiction mixed with horror and awe, a perfect story for our hybrid tales. Welcome to Scribal Tales.

Horror:

The Hidden Life of Hermione Maison by Bruce Memblatt: I am sure I would get a lot of argument by my co-editors and The Pretentious Twit about placing a love story (so fitting for our Valentine’s Day Edition [if we had one]) in the Horror Tales section of Scribal Tales, but I didn’t consult with them (they probably forgot they have jobs here) but like most love stories, this one has its unique ending or in this case, several endings.

The Harvest by David Darragh Binks: I loved this tale. It certainly would have won the Scribal Tales Halloween prize (if we awarded one) – (then again, that’s another issue we missed. Oh, well). You horror fans will love the style that David Binks treats us to. I always thought those pumpkin contests – you know the ones where they award a blue ribbon to those overgrown fruits – the sight of those gigantic pumpkins always sent shivers down my back, and this story tells me why.

Science Fiction:

3 Percent by Volume by Richard Marsden: “I’ll drink to that …” or anything else that this interplanetary story offers in the way of a space dilemma, as things go astray and human ingenuity comes to the rescue – or does it?

Fantasy, Odan’s World and the Shared World:

Return to Skull Mountain by Joel Weichs Levy and Daniel Olarnick. Joel and I team up to utterly confuse the reader – no – Joel returns the reader to Brocalinde, that wonderful province in Volante (Odessa) where the only rules are, there are no rules. The authors have teamed up to seal the fate of some of the mightiest of heroes in Brocalinde Province. It is a steamy story and tends to show how twisted our heroes really are.

Gathering at the Black Dragon Inn by Daniel Olarnick, Joel Weichs Levy and Janet (aka Janice aka Hensbane) Jackson, followed by Gathering (Continued – and/or Shattered Tales of the Black Dragon Inn: This was the tale that gave me the most trouble over the past year to put together. I think I have captured the volume of work that Joel and Ms. Jackson have sent to me, trimmed it down, and added my own version to a rather complex story that continues to introduce leading characters to this mystical valley. However, from this point forward, the next quest will take place, the unnamed scribe will forever be known as Odan the Scribe. What happens to the unnamed scribe? Is he gone forever, having sacrificed himself in order to allow Odan the Scribe to live and seek his revenge from Moultrance and Charisse the Cat Goddess; the Bijou, that Terrible Howling Beast will forever be at the side of Odan, yet the future, like the past and even the present is ever-changing.

The Pretentious Twit by Michael Battaglia: Michael, our finest writer and greatest critic (well, we only have one, but he’s the best we have, the best there was, the best there is, the best there’s ever going to be – wait, that was a wrestler named the Hitman – well, that’s very fitting, because Michael fulfills that duty well) gives us two critiques in this publication First he comments on Ms. Neary’s submission, “My Salieri Complex,” and then he critiques Docked, Cropped and Clipped, by Daniel Olarnick (I have given a life-long contract to Michael, so he feels free to take apart my work with impunity). Those of us who have read Michael’s columns before know what a treat is in store for those of us who have not had the pleasure (aspirin will be dispensed at the end of this publication).

Finally, we conclude with a new column, The Poker Roundup (tentatively named), where I will be able to reproduce the events that are taking place in the poker world. There will be quite a cast of characters coming, it will be based on true live poker events that I have attended, but with characters so complex, you’ll think it is a bit of fiction writing.

I look forward to your continued contributions, both as a writer and reader of Scribal Tales. I hope you have missed us. If you have, please write and tell us so. If you haven’t – (Oops, Terry-Ann made me strike the last comment).

Daniel Olarnick, Editor and Publisher of Scribal Tales and the Scribe’s Gazette.

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