Not-So-Heroic Fantasy — Donald J. Bingle

There are many long, epic tales of heroic fantasy, like The Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings, The Dragonlance Chronicles, and The Kingkiller Chronicles, but sometimes you need something shorter and lighter. You need some not-so-heroic fantasy.Writer on Demand TM Vol. 6: Not-So-Heroic Fantasy includes four stories:Fellow Traveler: (approximately 3,040 words) is a tale a bard who makes the most of his limited skills to impress a horde of barbarians of limited intelligence and less hygiene. This story originally appeared in Fantasy Gone Wrong, edited by Brittiany A. Koren and Martin H. Greenburg (DAW Books. Inc. 2006).Means to an End (approximately 4,950 words) is a cautionary tale about getting exactly what you planned and schemed and worked and wished for, but with unforeseen results. This story originally appeared in Blue Kingdoms: Mages and Magic, edited by Stephen D. Sullivan and Jean Rabe (Walkabout Publishing 2010).The Eye-Candy of Argon (approximately 2,300 words) is a critical and satirical re-telling (from a different perspective) of The Eye Of Agron--widely regarded as the worst published fantasy story of all time. This parody is best enjoyed by those who have already read Jim Theis' original tale in all of its un-copyedited glory, yet lived to read again. The Eye-Candy of Argon was originally presented at the conclusion of a group reading of The Eye of Argon at GenCon in August of 2011 and appears in print here for the very first time.MAKESHIFT (approximately 5,100 words) mixes fantasy and magic with imagination and the science of noetics in the tale of a very special young man recruited to a world of wonder and weighty responsibility.Once you've read this book, please consider posting an honest, thoughtful review. Your reviews, blogs, posts, and shares help indie authors!Look for other Writer on Demand TM story collections, including: Tales of Gamers and Gaming; Tales of Humorous Horror; Tales Out of Time; Grim, Fair e-Tales; Tales of an Altered Past Powered by Romance, Horror, and Steam; and Shadow Realities..