Free Read: Clash of the Geeks (with Unicorns, Pegasus & Kittens)

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There are seems to be a lot interesting projects being launched lately by various speculative fiction authors and John Scalzi has jumped on the bandwagon, along with Wil Wheaton and several other authors, in the creation of a whimsical short story collection, inspired by a vision...


From the Clash of the Geeks website:

Early in 2010, author John Scalzi had a vision. And it was of himself. As an orc. And of actor and writer Wil Wheaton. As a warrior. In a clown sweater. Astride a unicorn pegasus kitten. What did this singular vision mean? Scalzi didn’t know. But he knew it was clearly too powerful to be ignored.

And so, Scalzi contacted artist Jeff Zugale, who used all his skill and art to bring this vision to life. And then Scalzi, Wheaton and Bill Schafer, head of Scalzi and Wheaton’s mutual publisher Subterranean Press, called to the world of writers to answer one question: Seriously, now, what the hell’s going on in that picture?

The writers who answered the call were an eclectic group. Patrick Rothfuss, author of the smash-hit fantasy novel The Name of the Wind, and Catherynne Valente, who had leapt to the front ranks of modern fantasy writers with the Hugo-nominated novel Palimpsest, were the first on board. Hugo and Nebula nominee Rachel Swirsky and video game industry legend Stephen Toulouse then offered up their own interpretations. Science fiction and fantasy balladeer John Anealio put the vision to music. New writers Bernadette Durbin and Scott Mattes competed against hundreds of fellow writers to tell their spin on the tale. And, finally, Wil Wheaton and John Scalzi were of course obliged to share their own take on the thing.

Read the rest here

This chapbook is being offered for free download through the website with a suggested donation price of $5. All proceeds from the book will go towards the Lupus Alliance of America.

While I don't often read short stories I have to say that this collection is certainly hard to pass up and I will most likely be downloading it myself. And to enhance the reading experience you can listen to John Anealio's Unicorn Pegasus Kitten song, while you enjoy the stories.