Category Archives: Japan

Warriors of Olympia: Prologue

Posted on March 23, 2020 by J P Catton

The following is a (second draft) excerpt from “Warriors of Olympia” – to be published in the forthcoming “Dimensions Unknown 2020”! Captain Reiko Furukawa Bergman stood in full ceremonial armor, at the head of her squad of samurai guards, on … Continue reading →

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Author Interview: Barbara G. Tarn

Posted on March 18, 2020 by J P Catton

This week we have an interview from the incredibly prolific Barbara G. Tarn, whose historical fantasy “Olympia Nights” will be published in the forthcoming Olympic-themed anthology, “Tokyo 2020: Warriors of Olympia”. Could you tell us a little about yourself and … Continue reading →

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We Have A Patreon!

Posted on March 10, 2020 by J P Catton

The exciting news is that we are about to relaunch our omnibus series of alternative history pulp adventure thrillers (including Steampunk, Dieselpunk and some other Punks ready to get in ya face) with striking new covers and bonus content! The … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative History, Art & Design, Dieselpunk, Fantasy, Japan, Modernism, Mystery, Mythology, Raygun Gothic, Science Fiction, Steampunk, The Occult | Leave a comment

Preview: “Appetite for the Unknown”

Posted on January 24, 2020 by J P Catton

This is an excerpt of a story taken from “Dark Lanterns”, a collection of short horror stories set in modern Tokyo, and featuring the “Yokai” – the rogue’s gallery of weird supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore and mythology! Image courtesy … Continue reading →

Posted in Horror, Japan, Mythology, Short Stories, The Occult | Leave a comment

A Serial Killer was released last weekend …

Posted on December 16, 2019 by J P Catton

The following is an excerpt from the novel “Dead Hand Clapping” by Zoe Drake, a crime thriller with supernatural elements, released Dec 15th 2019.  Detective Kondo never believed in the supernatural. But then, he’s never met a serial killer like Mabus.  … Continue reading →

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Short Story: Drowning in the Sea of Trees

Posted on November 28, 2019 by J P Catton

The following is a complete short story taken from Zoe Drake’s forthcoming collection, Dark Lanterns. SORRY, TIME’S UP! STORY NO LONGER AVAILABLE. Missing your Horror fix? Click here for … The Mists of Osorezan!   

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Osorezan – Japan’s Mysterious ‘Mt Fear’

Posted on November 23, 2019 by J P Catton

Osorezan is the name of a remote temple complex known as one of the three great reijo – one of the most spiritually powerful sites in Japan – the other two being Mount Koya in Wakayama, and Mount Hiei in Shiga. Even … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Horror, Japan, Mystery, The Occult, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

The Yuki-Onna, Queen of the Yokai: “Her touch brings freezing death!”

Posted on September 28, 2019 by J P Catton

ABOVE: An Edo period ilustration of a Yuki-Onna, courtesy of WikiCommons. The Yuki-Onna, the female snow-spirit with the icy touch of death, was immortalized in Lafcadio Hearn’s retelling of the folktale in Kwaidan, and also Masaki Kobayashi’s 1964 film adaptation of … Continue reading →

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The Mysterious Kamisama of Japanese Mythology

Posted on September 15, 2019 by J P Catton

A quick guide to the main players in the Japanese mythical pantheon (who also appear in the YA Science Fantasy series “Sword, Mirror, Jewel”).                                 … Continue reading →

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The Tengu: Friend or Foe?

Posted on August 27, 2019 by J P Catton

Their red-faced masks with the phallic noses can be found everywhere in Japan, from souvenir shops to festival stalls to cheap izakaya pub-restaurants (one chain is even named after them) to packets of beef jerky. But who exactly are … … Continue reading →

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