New Cover design: Disturbing Works by Jon Richter + Excerpt
Recently I had the pleasure of designing a cover for Jon's Richter's Disturbing Works. The book is out today! Find out more about this disturbing collection from Jon below:
Disturbing Works Volume 1:
The book is a collection of twelve stories that are sinister, unpleasant and chilling (with just a dash of dark humour), perfect for anyone who likes a twist in their tales.
I started writing short stories a few years ago after a long period of not writing anything at all; they were a great way to build back up to a longer project, and also allowed me to capture some of the zillions of ideas I had buzzing around in my head! Although my first full-length novel has now been published (Deadly Burial is available now on www.amazon.co.uk for your eReader), and I’m currently working on another, I still love writing short stories whenever an idea occurs to me.
Disturbing Works (Volume One) is a collection of twelve pieces I’m immensely proud of, and wanted to get out there for others to enjoy; there’s a lot of variety (sci-fi, fantasy, real-world horror) and I try to explore some interesting concepts, so hopefully there’s something here for everyone.
I think there has been a renaissance of the short story in recent years, and this doesn’t surprise me at all. They are perfect for commutes, are great value, and their form lends themselves perfectly to bite-sized shockers… a little like the old Victorian ‘penny dreadfuls’!
Excerpt (taken from ‘Peace’):
Sasha looked up at the sky, marveling at how the cloudless expanse could shift so gradually from one shade of blue to another. Colours that probably all had different names (her vocabulary offered up words like cyan, azure, cerulean) blended seamlessly, as though mixed on an artist’s palette. If she flicked her head from one side to the other, she could recognise two distinct hues, yet if she scanned slowly from left to right she could not discern the change. An imperceptible alteration. Like how humans grow old.
She knew she should not be doing this, that this behaviour served no logical purpose. But she also knew that it would be a little while before Susie emerged, and that no-one was watching her; the other parents were staring through the fence, or chatting to each other. Most were women. One was looking up towards the sky too, and Sasha wondered if she was also a mechanoid, if the fascination with the sky was some quirk of their programming.
But no. It was very clear that the woman was not like her. She had long, striking blonde hair; not like Sasha’s smooth, hairless cranium. She had bright, beautiful eyes the colour of coffee; not like Sasha’s unblinking black orbs. She had a lithe, supple body, full of twists and turns and movement and glorious imperfection; not like Sasha’s cold, hard frame.
Just for a moment she had the crazy idea that they were all mechs, that every one of these smiling mothers and impatient-looking fathers was actually synthetic, a more advanced model than her but ultimately the same; collecting someone else’s children while their owners were busy at work, or lounging beside a pool.
For a moment she could see it, rows of gleaming skulls turned expectantly towards the school buildings, waiting for the children to emerge, to fulfil their purpose… and then Susie appeared, dispelling the grim vision.
Sasha lifted a plastic hand, and waved.
Buy the book:
About Jon:
Jon Richter lives in London and spends most of his time hiding in the guise of his sinister alter ego, an accountant called Dave. When he isn’t counting beans, he is a self-confessed nerd who loves books, films and video games – basically any way to tell a good story. Jon writes whenever he can and hopes to bring you more disturbing stories in the very near future. For more information visit www.jon-richter.com, or chat to him on Twitter @RichterWrites.
