Water is a liar.
If you tell a story with water it cannot be trusted and it will wash away in the first hard rain or in the tears of a long good cry.
And stories told in blood and stone stick longer by far.
Finbar Tanner is telling a story to his son, Isaac.
It is a story of love, desire and sacrifice.
It is a story of blood and water and stones.
It is a story of the deeper currents that flow within a man's heart.
It is a story of the sea.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT STEVE VERNON
"The genre needs new blood and Steve Vernon is quite a transfusion." –Edward Lee, author of FLESH GOTHIC and CITY INFERNAL
"If Harlan Ellison, Richard Matheson and Robert Bloch had a three-way sex romp in a hot tub, and then a team of scientists came in and filtered out the water and mixed the leftover DNA into a test tube, the resulting genetic experiment would most likely grow up into Steve Vernon." - Bookgasm
"Steve Vernon is something of an anomaly in the world of horror literature. He's one of the freshest new voices in the genre although his career has spanned twenty years. Writing with a rare swagger and confidence, Steve Vernon can lead his readers through an entire gamut of emotions from outright fear and repulsion to pity and laughter." - Cemetery Dance
"Armed with a bizarre sense of humor, a huge amount of originality, a flair for taking risks and a strong grasp of characterization - Steve's got the chops for sure." - Dark Discoveries
"Steve Vernon was born to write. He's the real deal and we're lucky to have him." - Richard Chizmar
My Mom thinks I'm pretty cool, too...
FINBAR’S STORY
Water is a liar.
If you tell a story with water it cannot be trusted and will wash away in the first hard rain or in the tears of a long good cry. Stories told in water are protean and mutable in nature. The best stories are unpredictable in their truths. When you think that you have them figured out, when you feel that the current is leading you towards something like a happy ending, the best stories will fool you every time.
And stories told in blood and stone stick longer by far.
The two men made their way down to the shoreline, following the lean of the hillside down to the wind beaten rocks. In the darkness they could have been any two men making their way down to the water for any number of reasons - perhaps to fish, perhaps to swim, perhaps to fight a duel to the death.
“So how do you feel then?” Finbar Tanner asked.
Isaac grinned foolishly.
How was he supposed to feel? It was his wedding night and his promise-bride Maggie was waiting for him in their wedding bed. All that was left was the talk. He wasn’t sure how he felt but he sure hoped that his father was feeling short-winded on this night of nights.
“I feel fine father.”
Finbar snorted.
“Fine, is it?”
“Aye. I feel fine.”
“Fine is a story that you tell everyone because that is what they want to hear. I asked you a question, boy. How do you feel? What is the song of the beast that swims down deep in the hold of your gut?”
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Dutch
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Already translated.
Translated by Marlies Perman
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French
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Already translated.
Translated by Vieru Raluca Maria
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Greek
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Already translated.
Translated by Olga Tsamoutali
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Italian
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Already translated.
Translated by Carmelo Massimo Tidona
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Portuguese
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Already translated.
Translated by João Paulo Rocha and Ariane Zabaleta
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Spanish
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Already translated.
Translated by Gabriela Miranda
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