“Magic is much simpler than it first appears. People, however, therein lies the complexity.”
-Elmhurst Burch
as quoted in The Thises, Thats, and Inbetweens of Multidisciplinary Magica
Hellsingers
~ A gaslamp fantasy novel ~
MAGIC HAS BEEN OUTLAWED.
MONSTERS BANISHED.
EUROPE IS AT WAR.
It falls to two disgraced magicians, at odds with each other and world, to save it all.
Operating clandestinely in the hope to regain the favor of Queen Victoria, alchemist siblings Ramsey Crackendash and Nels Hellsinger travel to the seat of the empire growing in the east, Szarkanya, to investigate reports of disappearances, possession, and big, scary things moving through the woods at night. Pursued by the mind-controlling parasite they discover, ruthless hussar mercenaries, and—worst of all—their own demons, Nels and Ramsey must uncover the source of the infection before it overruns Szarkanya, Europe, and the world.
The mission will force them to reexamine what it means to be a hero, to learn the bittersweet nature of sacrifice, and to overcome the monsters lurking inside of them. If they can succeed, however, they might just redefine the magical community’s relationship with the world.
Edward is currently editing Hellsingers. to learn more, please contact him.
Monster. What an interesting appellation. I wonder, however, what is more monstrous: claws or laws? He so named monster or he who names monster?
Elmhurst Burch
as quoted in The Thises, Thats, and Inbetweens of Multidisciplinary Magic
About Edward Mack
Welcome to the many worlds of Edward Mack, semi-professional vagabond, semi-semi professional writer. I’ve sold carpets at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, some flying, some not. Placed 3rd in a dancing competition in the Cook Islands (I look fantastic in a grass skirt). And scoured the coast of Mexico for the world’s best fish tacos.
I also write things.
Things about music and vagabonding. Short stories and long stories. Tales from made-up worlds and histories from our own. In English and Spanish. Sometimes people like the things I write (sometimes in Portuguese). More often they don’t. I hope you do.
I love to talk fantasy worlds and faraway places. And I’m always on the lookout for my next good read and blank places on the map. Drop me a line if you have any vagabonding or writing tips; I’d love to hear from you! Otherwise, see you in space, cowboy.
(Full confession, I stole that logoff line from Cowboy Bebop. Art is either plagiarism or revolution, after all.)
(All right, another confession. That last last line I stole from Paul Gauguin.)
Ghosts of Istanbul
Istanbul is flooded with ghosts
Pashas returned to ensure the succession of their lineage.
Mothers unable to let go of their daughters.
Long-dead soldiers reliving battles amidst the ruins of ancient castles.
Such ghosts have been whispering secret agendas into Istanbul’s ears for a century.
Believing these hauntings to be at the root of a rising ultra-nationalism, junior lawyer Aysu sets out to banish ghosts from the city. At the same time, James, Ph.D. candidate in Ghost Studies, arrives in Istanbul, hoping to find a ghost of his own. However, both get caught in an ever-deepening societal division triggered after the young merchant Sultan defends a Kazleri man from a race-fueled attack.
Aysu, James, and Sultan carom down interweaving paths until they are forced to reform their identities—or collapse under their weight—in Ghosts of Istanbul.
Edward is currently shopping Ghosts of Istanbul. to read more, please contact him.
“Dangerous?” James asked. “No, no, ghosts are not dangerous. They are a miracle.”
Typical yabancı answer.
Yabancı (n): foreigner, outsider, non-kin, stranger, gringo
Short Stories and Other Work
Fiction
“Ghosts of the Republic”
Excerpt from the manuscript “Ghosts of Istanbul”
Adelaide
“Ghosts of Kazleristan”
Excerpt from the manuscript “Ghosts of Istanbul”
The Bosphorus Review
“Cottonwood”
Finalist, Sixfold Winter 2020 Fiction Contest
Sixfold
“Tansy and Pennyroyal”
Conclave: A Journal of Character
“On Hussars”
Excerpt from the manuscript “Hellsingers” Metastellar
Children’s Fiction
“The Fall of Hawaii”
Change the story with Zoozil’s unique brand of historical fiction.
Zoozil
“A Hippo in the Kitchen”
Short Edition
“The Adventurous Little Mole and the Squid Attack”
Short Edition
Articles
Wide Open Country
Articles covering country music and lifestyle
Wide Open Country
Trazee Travel
Articles covering travel, trends, and locations
Trazee Travel
Under $100: Istanbul
~Edward Mack Books~ 