So... That Was Odd...

By Noel T. Cumberland

In SO...THAT WAS ODD... Noel T. Cumberland takes liberties with some of your favorite genres. Romance, Suspense, Horror and Sci-Fi are all bent a little out of shape as their more bizarre corners are explored.

In "Three and A Half Shades of Gray," a husband and wife want to spice up their relationship by trying out a new and forbidden lifestyle. But after things go slightly odd, can nurse Erika at Steele County Hospital provide the one thing they need to "snap" back?

Who knows what the next world has in store for any of us? In "There's Always a Place for You," Wilhelmina knows, because it's her job. And she really wants to get the job done for poor, beleaguered Perry. Is this dingy hotel room the end of the line for Perry? Or is it just the beginning of something much...odder?

"The Return of Doctor Mandible" is the blood-curdling tale of a monstrous creature's escape! And while the monster rages, poor, odd Bertram must find a way to subdue The Master's flawed creation. How did it ESCAPE? Who will feel its WRATH? Can it be caged before it's TOO LATE?

Finally, in "The World According to Gwarp," Zora is just about to enjoy the single most progressive coffee in the history of caffeine when she is gripped by a truly odd feeling. That feeling is Gwarp, raiding the cosmos to bring back primitive subjects for his Intergalactic masters' consumption. Will Zora be able to survive Gwarp's mission? Will her coffee?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Noel T. Cumberland
• Release date: Jan 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9780463245606

Noel T. Cumberland

Noel T. Cumberland earned his BFA in Creative Writing in June of 2020, a mere 30 years after completing high school. He likes long walks on the beach, and writing Science Fiction, Fantasy, or any genre that can be taken to absurd places. His work can be seen online at The Scarlet Leaf Review, and Flash Fiction Magazine. He spends his days helping US Service-members transition back to civilian life, and he gets a warm, fuzzy feeling every day he does it. He lives in the desert with his wife, two sons, a cat and a fish (UPDATE: scratch the fish, thank the cat). Noel once won a poetry contest sponsored by an orthodontist where the prize was five pounds of candy. There is no telling where his love of the absurd came from.

Book preview

So... That Was Odd...

By Noel T. Cumberland

Published 2019 by Noel T. Cumberland at Smashwords

Text Copyright 2019 Noel T. Cumberland

All Rights Reserved

Cover Illustration and Author Photo Copyright Noel T. Cumberland

First Smashwords Edition

ISBN: 9780463245606

License Notes

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Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Table of Contents

Introduction

Three and a Half Shades of Gray

There's Always A Place for You

The Return of Doctor Mandible

The World According to Gwarp

About the Author

Introduction

Normal bores me. You can be normal all day every day, and if you like that, more power to you. Me? I get bored too easily. Fortunately, I discovered a long time ago that everything has its weird, strange, bizarre cousin and you can find them if you look hard enough.

With that in mind, I want to mine the strange from everything. It keeps things interesting for me and prevents me from going mad! So even though there are a lot of different types of stories out there, they can all be made weird if you work at it.

What follows is a selection of weird from a number of different genres. Romance/erotica is inherently weird, but can it be weirder? Our afterlife doesn't have to conform to specific norms, does it? Does the monster always have be caged, or is there some other option? Does an alien visiting our planet really have to be advanced?