The worms pushed underneath bare feet, looking for purchase into a world they had never seen. Much like this little one that would be pulled through with a skip of a rock, and a view of mortality.

He woke up that day with the sun on his face. It peeked through cheap vertical blinds that were bent and stained with the food that boys of that age eat, things sticky and full of fun.

Mom and Dad were still in bed, and his sisters snored peacefully in the next room. He quietly put on his clothes, subtracting the shoes, and walked out the front door. He was walking out to find an adventure, and dark adventure is what he would find.

The funny thing about adventure is people think it is always something fun and fanciful. But most adventures are filled with peril and the loss of innocence. They…

Happy new year, everyone – welcome to the year 2020!

2019 was a busy year for The Indie Athenaeum. After six-plus years of reviewing books, I decided to open this book blog on April 17, 2019! Since then, I’ve published one-hundred and twelve posts over the course of the year. Let’s break that down into some more specific numbers, shall we?

Brand new, never before seen book reviews: 46

Older book reviews added to the Reading Room: 43

Short Story Corners: 11 (with two short stories reviewed in each post)

Blog posts: 7

Audiobook reviews: 3

Magazine reviews: 1

Movie reviews: 1

Some special features were also done, including an audiobook giveaway and an exclusive interview with two co-authors, which can be found here.

We also did one magazine article – “The Top 10 Sci-Fi Books You Need to Read in 2019”, which was published in issue #1 of…

Book Title: Melody 8 – Book Three: A Sound for the Deaf

Author: Ernie Howard

Publication Date: September 17, 2019

Available On: Amazon as an eBook and as a paperback

Indie Athenaeum Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Picking up after the startling events of “Book Two: The Witch of the South”, Melody continues her quest to gather allies as directed by her grandfather. She then meets up with nineteen-year-old Iggy and his thirteen-year-old sister Adelaide for the first time.

Living alone on the beach, with no one else around them, Iggy somehow can make his way through this post-apocalyptic landscape even though he is deaf. But he has a special ability as well, which is one of the many reasons Melody is seeking him out.

But Carlton Feast has other plans. Planning the next evolution of his insidious plan to dominate the populace, he needs Melody…

“I’m not asleep, boy. Just resting my eyes,” Gramps said.

Gramps had said this since Tate was little. It was like his grandpa thought taking naps were a sign of weakness.

“I didn’t think you were, Gramps, just had a catch in my throat,” Tate said. He was trying to hide the mischievous smile that was threatening to show itself.

“Ya, sure. And I’m a springy young boy, prancing through a meadow of flowers,” Gramps said.

Same old Gramps. The man was on death’s door and still, the sarcasm flowed out of his mouth like honey on a warm summer day. “How are you feeling, Gramps?”

“You know, that’s the problem with your generation. Always wanting to know how everyone feels. Well, Tate my boy.” Gramps paused and smiled a mischievous smile that looked very similar to Tate’s a moment ago. “I feel like shit. I happen to be dying.”…

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“It is time to go Dear One. The future of this planet depends on you and some others just like you. It is time to learn new things, but things you need to learn cannot happen on this planet.” The Orb’s voice inside Emma’s head sounded excited and almost happy. “You must go where we took your father.” A picture of an old train car popped into Emma’s head. She knew instantly how to get to it. “You have to leave tonight. There is no time to waste. You must find your protector. You must help save this planet.” The Orb winked out and was gone like it had never been there in the first place.

Emma got up from her bed and went to her desk. She would have…

“I need to getaway. Get the fuck away… Can’t. Can’t take it,” Gram thought to himself, watching the streetlights blur by the windshield.

Streetlights… Streaming. Headlights… Beaming into the abyss; the nothingness that is our lives. His mind drifted until he heard someone shout from a passing car.

“We are ants!”

“Did you hear that?” Gram asked.

“I didn’t hear shit,” Wallace said. “I think you should probably lay off that shit that is in your pocket.” Gram looked across the car at Wallace. “What? You don’t think I know what you’re doing when you wipe your nose with your hand? You’ve been doing that shit since I picked you up from the nuthouse.”

“It’s not a nuthouse. It’s a detox.” Gram said. He didn’t believe his own words as soon as they left his mouth. Wallace erupted in a loud laugh that shook the car. A laugh that only…