The Jagged Gate
Twelve Tangled Tales
A woman breathes deeply in the mists of an untamed forest. She smells the truth. A circus fire-king fills his mouth with lighter fluid. He tastes the truth. A married man runs his fingers along the ivory thigh of a woman he’s just met. He feels the truth. A demon coos softly into a preacher’s ear. He hears the truth. A man with a crowbar stares into the shadows beyond a door with a splintered lock. He sees the truth.
What is the truth?
You will know when you pass through the Jagged Gate.
James Maxey’s critically acclaimed short fiction has appeared in outlets like Asimov’s, Intergalactic Medicine Show, and numerous anthologies. THE JAGGED GATE collection draws from this wealth of published material and includes two stories original to this collection, “Eater” and “The Jagged Gate.”
About the stories:
“Joe’s Spider Farm” – A trailer park full of retired circus freaks are stalked by a sinister stranger.
“Absolutely Brilliant in Chrome” – A married man struggles with his deviant desires, but can he resist temptation forever?
“Little Guilt Thing Goin’ On”—Can love truly overcome all obstacles? Maybe not when one lover is a preacher and the other is a fallen angel.
“Fall of Babylon” – It’s raining blood, the skies are filled with avenging angels, and the Whore of Babylon is mankind’s last defense against the Wrath of God.
“Tendrils” – Two superheroes return from saving an alien world in the company of a telepathic plant with a disturbing secret mission.
“Sorry Honey”— A tale of self-discovery and murder.
“Eater” – There’s a demon on the loose, and a deputy in hot pursuit.
“Greatshadow: Origins” – The world’s greatest adventures face off with the world’s most dangerous dragon.
“Tornado of Sparks” – A wizard seeks to join the court of the Dragon King. Will he kill an innocent child to achieve his desire?
“Girls’ Night Out” –A young superheroine fights her first supervillain, but her hardest battle will be convincing her sister to do the right thing.
“Cherry Red Rocket Ship” –A rocket ship. A sexy alien girlfriend. A thermos full of coffee. It would be a perfect day for Remy, if he wasn’t being stalked by Space Gorilla Max.
“The Jagged Gate” – Nyx has worked out the math to open a portal to another world. But when a dangerous creature from that world crosses into our reality, can she get it back inside before the portal closes? Type your paragraph here.
Other short story collections: