Fifteen years of radio. Thirty films. 156 television episodes. Countless comics. 

The Cisco Kid rode across the air waves, the silver screen, and the small screen for a century as the Robin Hood of the Westerns. But his first ride, in the short story “The Caballero’s Way” by the legendary O. Henry, was at odds with how fans would come to know him.

And, like many a dark tale, it starts with a woman.

The Cisco Kid had killed six men in more or less fair scrimmages, had murdered twice as many (mostly Mexicans), and winged a larger number whom he modestly forbode to count. Therefore, a woman loved him.

This baby-faced rider, whom few expected to live to his next birthday, loved Tonia Perez, who O. Henry describes as half-Carmen and half-Madonna. But when Lieutenant Sandridge, in the law’s pursuit of the Cisco Kid, arrives at her house, Tonia is smitten. 

The lieutenant and his beloved scheme to remove the sole obstacle to their love:

The Cisco Kid.

When the Kid discovers Tonia in the arms of a ranger, the Kid watches, waits, and hatches his own scheme. And, for those familiar with O. Henry’s twists, this will not end well for any involved. One case of intentionally mistaken identity later, and the Kid departs, leaving behind a body and a heartrending wail.

For the Cisco Kid might be deadly with his gun, but he is deadlier with his cunning. And betrayal deserves reprisal.

And a wail of despair is a far cry from the laughter that the Kid’s future adventures would end on.

Until then, O. Henry tells the tail with a carefree style, not quite a wink or a nod to the audience, but building up how the heroic Sandridge will win the girl from the wicked Kid. A perfect contrast to the ending, and one that heightens its impact. Coming from a century’s remove, where the Western has codified itself into black hats and white hats, this tale of revenge feels closer to El Mariachi than Silverado. 

How this cunning murderer got elevated into the Robin Hood of the Rockies, I do not yet know. But if you’re looking for a Western morality play that does not end with the routine triumph of the white hats shooting the black hats, remember “The Caballero’s Way”.

And stay away from the Kid’s girl.

Every week, the Castalia House Blog spotlights some of the many new releases in independent, pulp, and web novel-influenced science fiction and fantasy.

Invincible Under Heaven (Saga of the Swordbreaker #6) – Kit Sun Cheah

The unthinkable has finally occurred.

Driven mad by the relentless pursuit of power, a martial prodigy turns against the rivers and lakes. Behind him is the Shadow Horde, a group of devil cultivators with immeasurable powers at their command. Hellbent on restoring the Yue Dynasty, they carve a swathe of destruction through the Five States and Ten Corporations.

The world trembles beneath their boots. No army can stop them. With every strike, they come ever closer to overturning the world order.

The rivers and lakes calls for heroes. Li Ming, accidental immortal and reluctant champion, answers. Together with his fellow warriors, he must put an end to the Shadow Horde’s reign of terror, battling beasts, demons, terrorists—and his greatest rival, his dearest friend, the man he once called brother.

And at the edge of the world, with steel and fire, both men will discover who is worthy of the title Invincible Under Heaven.

Sagewood: Restore the Farm – Blake Arthur Peel and Kimberly Ann Peel

A Magic Ring. A Farm on another World. Only he can restore the Harvest Goddess.

Traditions of Courage (Grimm’s War #7) – Jeffery H. Haskell

Join the fight for freedom on Alliance’s newest member.

When Cordoba fell and his officer was murdered, Jacob T. Grimm vowed the fight wasn’t over. With the help of DesRon 12 and the stalwart spacers of the USS Interceptor, he’s going to bring the Guild to their corporate knees.

On Cordoba, things aren’t going well for the Marines. Local infantry are eager to attack, while refugees are forced out of the capital city on the verge of winter. The Spanish planet is in trouble. However, not all is as it seems.

The ground forces aren’t Guild and they have more advanced tech than the Alliance Marines. Gunny Jennings and Bravo-Two-Five will need to muster every ounce of courage to fight overwhelming odds in a battle they never planned for.

As the fate of the planet unfolds, ex-spy Nadia Dagher and a ragtag group of former Interceptor crew must infiltrate the Guild and find the true location of their home planet.

Jacob faces off against a superior enemy, one as ruthless as he is compassionate. If he can’t find a way to win, all the people on Cordoba will pay the price.

Read More

Every week, the Castalia House Blog spotlights some of the many new releases in independent, pulp, and web novel-influenced science fiction and fantasy.

Cloak of Titans (Cloak Mage #11) – Jonathan Moeller

The point of no return is here.

My name is Nadia, and I’m a Marshal of the High Queen of the Elves.

That means it’s my job to keep the peace between the humans, Elven commoners, and Elven nobles under my command.

So when one of the Elven nobles pushes things too far, it might mean civil war between the High Queen and the rebel nobles.

But the civil war is itself a trap because the malignant wizards of Singularity have been preparing for this moment for a very, very long time…

…and their deadliest weapons are ready.

The Games We Play (Luke Preston Thrillers #3) – Nick Thacker

Luke Preston wants answers, and more specifically, he wants to know who’s orchestrating attempts on his life. The last twist he anticipates? The involvement of his own flesh and blood.

Ex-military, ex-law enforcement, a grieving widower, and an alienated son. Luke Preston’s life has been a series of labels and losses. With no immediate family, no connections tethering him to the world, he’s become a shadow taking on covert contracts for the government. But when irregularities arise from his recent assignment, the last thing Luke expects is an interrupting call from his estranged father. It’s not a reunion or an olive branch; it’s a stark warning: back off and let this mission lie.

The direness of the situation hits home when an explosion decimates his apartment, leaving Luke injured but alive. On the lam and nursing his wounds, he’s more determined than ever to get to the bottom of the sinister plot threatening him.

The deeper he delves, the higher the stakes become. After apprehending one of the attackers, Luke uncovers a nefarious arms deal in the works, poised to arm global terrorists with their sights locked onto the U.S. Tangled in this web of deceit is his father, somehow connected or controlled by these very terrorists. The decision he’s faced with is gut-wrenching: does he prioritize the family bond that’s been strained for years, or does he uphold the vow he took to defend his nation? Choices are a game, and in this lethal one, only one side can be the victor…

No Fail (Blood and Armor #2) – Bill Fawcett and Casey Moores

Thanks to the General Ordnance Garment, or “GOG” combat suits, the Kurdish Republic’s military forces have defeated the Iranian armored columns. But now the theocratic dictatorship has a much more sinister plan to eradicate the newly formed Kurdish Republic.

Three elite GOG teams will have to launch on three desperate, high-risk, deep strikes.

And if even one of them fails, their home will be a radioactive wasteland, and their people will be gone forever.

“For fans of Tom Clancy and John Ringo, edge-of-your-seat near-future military science fiction with the verisimilitude that you’d expect from historian Fawcett and special-ops pilot Moores. Get set for a pulse-pounding adventure that hinges on plausible technology and a deep understanding of our precarious world situation.” — Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of The Oppenheimer Alternative

Resurgence (First Colony Book 16) – Ken Lozito

Dark secrets lurk among the stars. Are they ready for them?

General Connor Gates is leading a task force on the most ambitious exploration initiative to date. The crew aboard the ships are mix of military and civilian, and include his son, Ethan, who has grown into a well respected leader.

While exploring a strange alien world, the team investigating the wreckage of an alien ship is brutally attacked. The survivors barely escape and are now fighting for their lives and their sanity…including Ethan. They’ve been exposed to a dangerous contagion, and it’s going to spread.

Evidence surfaces that there are prisoners on the planet, and their fates are somehow linked to the survivors on the ship.

For Connor Gates, it’s all or nothing: rescue the people left behind and find a way to heal his son, or lose everything. But when a mysterious alien encounter presents an unthinkable choice, Connor’s decision will affect the future of humanity’s place in the galaxy.

They knew they weren’t alone in the galaxy, but no one could’ve predicted an encounter that would change all the rules. Read More

Every week, the Castalia House Blog spotlights some of the many new releases in independent, pulp, and web novel-influenced science fiction and fantasy.

Battleborn (The Weapon #1)  – Richard Fox

On the battlefields of the future, death is not the end for a soldier.

The Revenant Program collects badly wounded soldiers broken by war and converts them into unthinking, unfeeling cyborg weapons. Their bodies are immune to pain, their minds impervious to fear and doubt. All controlled by a neural implant called the Imperative.

They are the ideal force for any mission too deadly or too difficult for normal men. A force that answers to the darkest corners of the military.

But when one of the Revenants awakens, he can only remember two things: that he must fight, and a code name…Dead Man.

Who was he before he became a Revenant? What are the officers and scientists controlling the program to do with a soldier that can question the horrific orders he’s given?

The more those controlling the Dead Man learn of who he was, they realize they may have turned a monster into something truly unstoppable. And with every memory recovered, the Imperative drives the Dead Man closer to insanity.

The Delegate’s Demise (The Queen’s Blade #5) – D. K. Holmberg

A trade delegation changes everything for the Queen’s Blade. 

With a delegation from Ardem in the city to negotiate the sale of fabrications, Zaren is already on edge. The sense of magic is everywhere, and he doesn’t know where to focus.

Then one of the delegates dies under mysterious circumstances, and the Blade may be the only one to find those responsible.

Dangers begin to build. The queen grows sicker by the day, and attempts to heal her fail. Waleith knows something, but refuses to talk. And Zaren begins to fear the plot against the queen and the throne is closer to her than he’d ever imagined.

The Queen’s Blade may be the only one who can save the city from destruction, but can he save the queen in time?

The Forever Ship (Starship Omega #1) – Scott Bartlett and Joshua James

Only Omega can free humanity.

When the Ornu came, they took Earth in a single night. Humanity never stood a chance. Now, they force us to crew their ships and fight their wars for them. They hold Earth hostage, and if we refuse to do their bidding, they’ll lay waste to our precious blue marble. Slaughtering the billions who live there.

But when Captain Bill Henderson is sent to claim a small moon for his masters, he finds something they never accounted for. An ancient warship – a behemoth abandoned for millennia by a species that reached its peak at the dawn of the universe.

Could this ship of ages be exactly what humanity needs to cast off the shackles of their oppressors? 

Knights Apocalyptica – Zach Skye

The Apocalypse came. Chaos reigns. A new generation of magic-wielding Knights rises.

The Earth met its end, bathed in holy fire. Rifts spill monsters into our world. Ravaging everything. Destroying civilization as we knew it.

Now, the Kingdom of Cindrus is the last bastion of humanity. The last vestiges of a broken people clinging to life deep underground.

But not all hope is lost. Erec has been blessed by the Goddess. From a line of disgraced nobility, he seeks to reclaim his family’s honor and join the prestigious academy – the institution that trains the next generation of Knights.

With a power that brings him to an uncontrollable Rage, and an old-world AI aiding him, Erec seeks to reconquer the world with the remains of human-kind.

Reclamation (Rogue Stars #3) – Jaime Castle

It all comes down to this…

The threat of the Visitors might be over, but something new and scary has shown its face on Faebos. A new queen has risen with a desire to reclaim the planet for her people, no matter the cost.

Once again, it’s up to Predaxes and Malik to end this new threat while also keeping at bay the hand of former enemies.

Will a return to Centridium Space be possible, or is it all just a dream to distract them from the nightmare of their reality?

Reclamation is Book Three of Rogue Stars, a boots-on-the-ground Military Sci-Fi series by #1 Audible and Washington Post bestseller Jaime Castle, creator of the Black Badge series. Reclamation combines powerful weapons and mechs, exotic aliens, loyal bots, heroes, and cunning enemies in a thrilling adventure that will force you to lose sleep.

I, Dragon – a crowdfunding campaign from Alien Books

Fiefdoms of the royal family, Rosentall Castle lives its darkest hours surrounded by a huge army. The leader who heads it is the bastard descendant of a lost royal line, and she has returned to reclaim her throne. A long and bloody struggle for power is about to begin. Meanwhile, inside the castle, a strange carnival woman gives birth to her first child…

One day in the early 90s, international guru Alejandro Jodorowsky chose him to take over the art of The Metabarons, that Moebius had been drawing until then. The gray-blue of the Metabarons gives the comics a more realistic look than the colorful pages of superheroes comics, or the one color ink of the manga. The Metabarons is a science-fiction story, but with knights and epic. Each volume is narrated by a robot called Tonto, relating the story of a member of a family of legendary warriors, who have to kill their predecessors, after being trained by them. At last, they must go out into the world after their fate, with incomplete bodies parched with the latest robotic technology.

Giménez touched his friends’ lives with his good humor and his passion for bikes (his friends and his wife enjoyed many rides with him). He also touched generations of artists, with his generosity and amiability, and with the legacy of his work.

After working on sci-fi for so long, Giménez desired to take up some personal projects. And that’s how I, Dragon, a medieval fantasy, came to be.

This crowdfunding campaign will be open through 14 June, 2024.

Sword and Scandal – a Kickstarter campaign from J. Manfred Weichsel

The title Sword & Scandal is a play on the popular Italian sword and sandal genre of epic films. These will be stories with traditional historical and mythological settings from heroic fantasy, but with more gore, nudity, and sex than what you usually see published. They will be subversive without becoming grimdark and will retain the sense of fun you would want from a pulp adventure, and the sense of wonder you would want from a weird tale.

If you have read my books, then you know that I am an experimental author who takes big risks with everything he does. Unlike other publishers who tend to play it safe with their selections, I will be looking for the wild, strange, and outrageous. I want to publish off-beat and off-the-wall stories that would never otherwise get to see the light of day.

Humor is also a big part of what I do. I will actively look for stories that incorporate a similar sense of humor as mine: dry, sardonic, and satirical. I enjoy humor that is character-driven, dark, and surreal. But I also like farce.

Sword & Scandal is not an anthology for genre purists. It is for thrill-seeking readers who want something new and different. The tales in this book will be adventures to scandalize. So, if you want to see such a new market open up to writers, and if you want to help bring such a book into existence, and if you want to hold such a book in your hands and read it, then contribute to Sword & Scandal now!

This Kickstarter campaign will be open through 5 June, 2024.

Ursula of Ulm (De re dordica #2) – a Kickstarter campaign from Pilum Press

“This next song is dedicated to Steven Miller, Esquire, Master Cataloger, from Krolok, eerie master of illusion. Krolok says, ‘To my brother in karnic arts, Fate has favored you. Together, we will wield great power and receive great rewards. Come to me, and let us share in the glory and riches of Yaat, our ancient kingdom. Our success depends on your skill and secrecy. Do not fail me. You know what you must do.'”

In this follow-up to the cult classic Shagduk, the mystery of Professor Sherwood’s disappearance deepens. As does Steven Miller’s involvement with Fort Worth’s occult underbelly and with his secretive colleague, Diane. Find out what happens when impish shenanigans go too far and when doors best left closed lead the fledgling sorcerer to the world’s very edge. Ursula of Ulm is the second book in the De re dordica saga.

This Kickstarter campaign will be open through 20 June, 2024.