David Dubrow

Author

Appalling Stories: Excerpt

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Kyle’s pulse accelerated. He tapped login and password. A long-awaited message popped up on the screen: Congratulations, KyNe007! You’re approved! Your reservation to The Orishas is being processed!

A thrill snaked up his leg. A daunting task to book a spot! The Orishas was no ordinary resort: adult, erotic, exclusive and secret, catering to special tastes. You submitted a request to attend and you were checked out. Nothing cursory: they dug. Orishas required a lengthy and probing questionnaire, credit check and a checkbox psych and medical evaluation, all done on-line. No poseurs or risk candidates allowed: only a select and completely safe clientele gained admittance.

And now he ranked among those admitted. The Elite, the Chosen.

Of course, it cost a wad and a half with payment in advance. But this proved no obstacle; Kyle transferred the funds from his bank to the The Orishas LLC in the Caymans with a few clicks. AFC, with liberal policies regarding time off, required only firm calendar dates for Kyle’s pre-approved vacation.

Kyle had planned this vacation for a year. Now it came together. Via secure email The Orishas transmitted various contracts, disclaimers and waivers for Kyle to read and sign. He sat down with another icy lager and a plate of celebratory chocolate habanero peppers that set his gums afire.

He exulted: Orisha-bound. Oh for joy!

(Taken from The Orishas by Ray Zacek.)

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This story, along with twelve other hard-hitting tales of science fiction, satire, horror, and more are available in Appalling Stories: 13 Tales of Social Injustice!

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An Appalling Interview

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Christian Toto interviewed Paul Hair, Ray Zacek, and yours truly on his site Hollywood in Toto:

HiT: “Bake Me a Cake” is ripped directly from the headlines with a sneaky twist. Can you share why you decided to tackle that topic head on?

Dave Dubrow: A writer friend suggested the idea behind Bake Me a Cake some time ago: a story about a mom-and-pop bakery asked to do “The Aristocrats” of cakes. He/She requested that he/she remain anonymous, which is one of the reasons why Appalling Stories is necessary: the far-left stranglehold on publishing is so pervasive and frightening that even moderately left-wing writers avoid controversial subjects for fear of social and professional backlash.

I had to write the story because the underlying concept behind it is playing itself out right now in the real world, and it’s as ludicrous as any fiction you can bring to mind. Sweet Cakes by Melissa has been ordered to pay $135,000 in emotional damages to a lesbian couple for not baking them a wedding cake.

The plaintiffs’ hurt fee-fees are more important than the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Read the whole thing here!

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Appalling Stories: 13 Tales of Social Injustice

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I’m pleased to announce that my newest book is available for download at Amazon!

Appalling Stories: 13 Tales of Social Injustice is an anthology of short stories written with authors Paul Hair and Ray Zacek, spanning several genres and points of view. It also features a foreword by R.M. Huffman, author of Leviathan and Fallen, books 1 and 2 of The Antediluvian Legacy, so you know it’s good. Here’s a peek at the back cover copy:

With political correctness gobbling up the culture like a fat kid on his sister’s quinceañera cake, where do you go for quality, old-school entertainment?

Appalling Stories focuses on themes and characters you’re just not supposed to read about anymore, using social issues as the setting, not the plot. Inside, you’ll read about a disturbing erotic resort that caters to an exclusive clientele, a violent Antifa group biting off much more than they can chew, a serial killer with a furious inch, and a lot more.

The authors find message fiction as tedious as you do, and traditional publishing seems intent on shoving favored narratives down readers’ throats. This anthology pushes back against PC moralizing, bringing you story above all else. Are you going to let Social Justice Warriors dictate what you can and can’t read?

Consider this your trigger warning.

Ben Wilhelm, Staff Writer for NOQReport and noted advocate for veterans and Second Amendment issues, said of it, “Ripped from the headlines, Appalling Stories is brilliant satire that illustrates the downfall of American society in the realms of culture, morality, religion, and even military policy. It is a must read for every patriotic American!”

Heck, even if you’re not a patriotic American, you’ll dig it.

Kristin Devine, a contributing author of GenderDreaming, the atomic feminist, and Ordinary Times, says of Appalling Stories, “While reading Appalling Stories: 13 Tales of Social Injustice you’ll find yourself in a rapidly deflating lifeboat afloat in a dark and dank sea of forbidden ideas. You won’t feel safe in these waters. Dive in anyway!”

All the stories within are terrific, but the best story in the book isn’t even mine! So what’re you waiting for? Get clicking and get reading!

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Book Review: Chrysalis

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Ray Zacek’s short story Chrysalis packs a lot of plot into a brief package. It releases its disturbing secrets slowly, inch by inch, line by line, and by the time Zacek has opened the kimono all the way, you’ll be ready to run screaming.

Coffman, the protagonist, is as much a cipher as the mystery he’s driven into the dilapidated town of Leclerc to investigate: who, exactly, does he work for? And why are the bodies in this “Somalia on the Mississippi” piling up? As the story unfolds and things get weirder, the unflappable, enigmatic Coffman seems equal to the challenge…until he isn’t.

Zacek’s talent for snappy dialogue, ably demonstrated in his short story The Tatman, is in evidence here: everyone’s got a reason for what they say and how they say it, which is the essence of good characterization. Secret agendas lurk behind every exchange, adding to the atmosphere.

If I have any complaints, it’s that the story’s too short. Zacek hints of greater things afoot, but we don’t get to see them. Which is a shame, because this is a world you’ll definitely want to return to. Let’s hope the author’s got more Chrysalis stories coming down the pike…or in this case, sliding out of a morgue’s chilly drawer.

At the time of this writing, Chrysalis is free on Amazon. Get your copy ASAP!

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Book Review: The Tatman

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TatmansansRobinRay Zacek’s The Tatman is an intense tale of relationships of all kinds: sexual, friendly, and predatory. In it, protagonist Stephanie gets a weekend visit from her old friend Jen and Jen’s new boyfriend, the enigmatic, heavily tattooed Jason. Sparks fly.

The dialogue is very snappy and realistic, showing Zacek’s facility with the rhythm of how people truly talk: they don’t always communicate, let alone agree. Combined with the frank discussions about sex, the relationships between the characters take on a free-wheeling late-1970’s John Updike vibe. Looming over everything is Jason, the titular Tatman, and how he throws an already volatile situation into chaos with his virile, masculine presence.

Disquieting rather than disturbing, The Tatman is a short read that straddles the line between horror and thriller, and is well worth your time.

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