It was during a late-night conversation that the phrase "Release the Virgins" was spoken. Seemingly nonsensical, it stuck in our minds, and turned into a group project that would lead to an anthology.
We brought the idea to a crowd-funding site, which interested enough people to provide the seed funding to turn this anthology into reality. We took that springboard, and gave eighteen talented authors the task of writing a great story with only one guideline: the story had to include the phrase "Release the Virgins."
The results are surprisingly varied and creative: science fiction, fantasy, outright comedy, serious imaginings... in this anthology, you'll find Manhattan gangsters, sad superheroes, marathon-running aliens, teenage Cthulhu worshippers, ghost dinosaurs, computer hackers, and even a unicorn or two. And we think you'll agree: it's a good thing that phrase stuck in our minds.
Featuring stories by: Nebula, Hugo, and Stoker Award-winner David Gerrold; Hugo Award-winners Allen M. Steele and Lawrence Watt-Evans; IAMTW Grandmaster Keith R.A. DeCandido; Skylark Award-winners Daniel M. Kimmel, Sharon Lee, and Steve Miller; WSFA Small Press Award-winner Alex Shvartsman; and Matt Becthel, Shariann Lewitt, Gordon Linzner, Gail Z. Martin, Jody Lynn Nye, Beth W. Patterson, Hildy Silverman, Patrick Thomas, Cecilia Tan, and Brian Trent.
If you need more convincing, check out author Beth Patterson's music video trailer for the book: available on YouTube.
Author Keith R.A. DeCandido offers an excerpt from his story, "The Midwinter of Our Discontent," on his blog.
Reviews:
"Release the Virgins is a hoot of an anthology! Fun, weird, and wildly entertaining!" ?Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Deep Silence and V-Wars
Table of Contents:
Foreword by Ian Randal Strock
Introduction by Michael A. Ventrella
"Valedictory" by Lawrence Watt-Evans
"Sidekicked" by Hildy Silverman
"Command Decision" by Steve Miller
"Are You There, Cthulhu? It's Me, Judy" by Beth W. Patterson
"Innocence Lost" by Gail Z. Martin
"How Mose Saved the Virgins of Old New York" by Allen M. Steele
"The Fires of Rome" by Jody Lynn Nye
"Salvage" by Shariann Lewitt
"The Midwinter of Our Discontent" by Keith R.A. DeCandido
"Coming Attractions" by Daniel M. Kimmel
"Cracking the Vault" by Matt Bechtel
"The Coffee Corps" by Alex Shvartsman
"The Vestals of Midnight" by Sharon Lee
"Paradisiacal Protocols" by Gordon Linzner
"Brass Tacks" by Cecilia Tan
"Old Spirits" by Brian Trent
"The Running of the Drones" by Patrick Thomas
"Dangerous Virgins" by David Gerrold
Afterword by Thomas Nackid
About the Authors
