Furry Stories from 2016

http://ursamajorawards.org/

These are Mary E. Lowd’s furry stories that were published in 2016 — you can read all of them for free online:

  • The Mouse Who Was Born a BearMaureen never felt right as a bear.   [~1,200 words]
  • Marge the BargeA Newfoundland dog is not naturally graceful on the ice, but perhaps a tabby cat can teach her to be.   [~6,600 words]
  • Questor’s GambitCommander Bill Wilker, a Collie dog on the Tri-Galactic Navy ship Initiative, must protect his crew from a mysteriously powerful lifeform, and following his captain’s orders may not be enough.   [~8,000 words]
  • Sheeperfly’s LullabyA sheep’s fairytale.   [~1,400 words]
  • Of Cakes and RobotsChirri gets her biggest order for a cake yet, from a surprising customer.   [~900 words]
  • High School DogsKatasha is the only cat at the high school dance.   [~1,000 words]

If you enjoyed any of these stories, please consider nominating them for the Ursa Major Awards.  It only takes a minute, and award nominations and wins can make a big difference to authors.  Nominations are open through February 28th.

Happy New Year — Two Pieces of Flash!

fireworks
May your new year be filled with talking animals and spaceships!

To celebrate the end of 2016 and the start of 2017, we bring you a pair of stories that were originally published in A Glimpse of Anthropomorphic Literature earlier this year — this is the first time they’re available to read for free online.

Our first story, Sheeperfly’s Lullaby, is a snowy fable about a sheep and a wish that’s granted in an unexpected way.  Our second story, The Mouse Who Was Born a Bear, is story of transformation and becoming one’s true self. Continue reading “Happy New Year — Two Pieces of Flash!”

Merry Christmas from a Grumpy Cat

Christmas TreeOur first year has been a long, dark year, but we published a lot of stories — 45 so far.  We even got a call-out from a story in Daily Science Fiction:  the story notes for The Empty Empire explain that it was inspired by Deep Sky Anchor, and it sent a few visitors our way.  (Welcome!  We loved getting your comments!)

In this dark December, we could all use a little brightness and cheer, so our present to you is a classic Christmas ghost story about that lovable, curmudgeonly, feline Scrooge — Shreddy and the Christmas Ghost. Continue reading “Merry Christmas from a Grumpy Cat”

Last Week of Furry Book Month!

Furry Book MonthHeading into the final week of Furry Book Month, we have a special treat for you:  a Tri-Galactic Trek story.

“Danger in the Lumo-Bay” and, in fact, the entire Tri-Galactic Trek universe was inspired by a slush reader for an unnamed furry noir anthology commenting that he hoped someone would submit a Picard-in-the-Holodeck story.  Once the image of Captain Picard — re-imagined as a Sphyx cat — was in my head, there was no getting him out.  I had to write that story. Continue reading “Last Week of Furry Book Month!”

Furry Book Month — Week 2!

Furry Book MonthFor the second week of Furry Book Month, we bring you another story co-written by Daniel & Mary E. Lowd — The Canoe Race.  This charming little tale is a type of furry fiction know as Secret Life of Animals.  The world is basically our own, but a spotlight shines on the foibles and mischief that animals get up to when the humans aren’t looking. Continue reading “Furry Book Month — Week 2!”

Unicorn Stories

Unicorn StoriesI had a lovely conversation today about unicorns in literature, and it got me thinking about all the places that unicorns appear in my own stories.

I have a couple of stories about unicorns available on other webzines — you can read Feral Unicorn in Luna Station Quarterly and Hot Chocolate for the Unicorn in Untied Shoelaces of the Mind.  I have another unicorn story that will be coming out in Kaleidotrope near the end of this year.  And there’s even a unicorn briefly in Deep Sky Anchor’s own The Genetic Menagerie. Continue reading “Unicorn Stories”

Happy Mother’s Day!

Happy Mother's Day Dog
This mother dog is too busy to wish you a happy day, but her puppies want everyone to be happy! Except maybe her. They’re too busy bugging her to notice her.

In celebration of Mother’s Day, we bring you two stories about mothers — one about a cat and one about a dog.  They both undergo journeys — losing control of their lives both to their human masters and to the love they feel for their new little ones. Continue reading “Happy Mother’s Day!”