In this first novelette of the Magnetron Chronicles series, eccentric Nineteenth Century inventor Phineas J. Magnetron reveals his association with the secretive Hogalum Society. When his mentor and Society founder Dr. Hogalum dies, Phineas embarks on a daring and improbable caper to bring the good doctor's greatest dream to fruition posthumously, thus unearthing a haunting and compelling mystery.Phineas Magnetron is an eccentric Nineteenth Century inventor and former Union soldier whose war injury has unaccountably bestowed upon him a strange gift he doesn't completely understand. No stranger to peril and derring-do, Phineas is asked to join a secret organization of crime fighting adventurers by none other than Society founder, Dr. Yngve Hogalum.Traveling the globe in their Luftigel electric airship, Phineas Magnetron and his Hogalum brothers encounter mistrustful policemen, mentally ill criminals, wood-craving aliens, a witch doctor, a mad oracle, and a cross-dressing female matador, among many others. However, this "steam dream team" always manages to triumph over impossible odds and improbable obstacles as they preserve order in a disorderly world—with all the Steam Age weird science they can muster.The Magnetron Chronicles is a serialized steampunk tale re-envisioning the future of generations past with all the breathless melodrama and tumult of that Victorian-era pulp fiction staple, the "penny dreadful." The narrative harks back to the grandiose style of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells, but gently satirized with a sprinkling of purposeful anachronisms, double entendres, tongue-in-cheek inventions, and droll Twainian humor. Adapted from "The Secret Journals of Phineas J. Magnetron," a web serial characterized by short chapters with cliffhanger endings, the story builds chapter by chapter, volume by volume, as quirky new characters join the fray and perplexing new mysteries and situations arise.The Magnetron Chronicles is a planned 12-volume series of novelette-length volumes. In this first novelette of the series The Magnetron Chronicles, we are introduced to Phineas J. Magnetron, an eccentric Nineteenth Century inventor blessed with a strange gift he doesn't completely understand. As a former soldier and current member of the Hogalum Society, an inscrutable secret organization of crime fighting adventurers, Phineas is no stranger to peril and derring-do. But when the Society founder dies, Phineas embarks on a daring and improbable caper to bring the good doctor's greatest dream to fruition posthumously. In the process, he not only horrifies his Society brothers, but unearths a haunting and compelling mystery.

An elderly collector of second-hand books wrestles with his unusual ability to "read" the lives of his books' previous owners... and with one unique book he can't seem to read.The three stories have something in common: a sometimes grim, unhappy atmosphere; so Berserkly is the name. For the Dutch translation: Iezegrimmig1.The Two Wishes of the DevilSubmission for Thor publishing Wereldbibliotheek * Fantasy. A literary fantasy story with a touch of supernatural activity. 3rd place in the contest!...Look behind you before you make a wish...2.The Greedy KingSubmission for Fantastyval, up to 1,000 words. A fabulous fantasy in the atmosphere of Grimm's fairy tales with some light horror content....Be satisfied with what you have otherwise it will be on the expense of others, your loved ones and yourself...3.The Monster under the BedSubmission for the Fantasy Fight of Brugge, max 1,500 words. A mysterious thriller with a touch of supernatural activity and fantasy. Inspiration for this story comes from: In psychology 'monster under the bed’ is synonymous with the embodiment of all kinds of vague fears and unpleasant feelings that young children have....Don't look under you bed...Quotes from various jury reports:"A start like this is simply sublime! You know how to get the reader's attention immediately and how to create the sense of tension.”“The author has a pleasant, expressive writing style without fuss.""The descriptions of the environment and the characters are very expressive.""Nice story, well written, it's a real fairy tale."