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Jenny Everywhere and the Very Short Story

One day, Jenny Everywhere was just about to go on an adventure, when the story ended. 

The character of Jenny Everywhere is available for use by anyone, with only one condition: This paragraph must be included in any publication involving Jenny Everywhere, that others might use this property as they wish. All rights reversed. 

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“Legends of Earth”: The 2020s “Doctor Who” Anthology Which Never Was

Something very special today. Usually, when it comes to the production history of more or less Doctor Who-related fiction, I natter about the obscure and deuterocanonical — but did you know that around Summer 2020, Emil Fortune was working on creating an anthology of Doctor Who short stories riffing on “Myths & Legends” of Earth, whose title eventually settled as Doctor Who: Legends of Earth?

Due to the poor sales with which DWU books increasingly became saddled during the Chibnall era, it was ultimately canned. Had it happened, it would have constituted a rare case of an official Doctor Who book in the ear of NuWho opening up pitching calls to first-time writers, with the point of the book having been to reach out to beginning writers from outside the UK, to write about elements of their native cultures in particular.

As another reliable source explained: “It sounded really really cool, and [Emil] was trying so hard to do it right. Reaching out to all the right people. Getting totally new voices in. It would've been amazing.”

Perhaps more pitches will become known in time; for the time being, I have only been able to track down one of the prospective writers, S. Brennan, who submitted two pitches related to Irish folklore — archived here after the cut with permission.

(I was actually meant to do this months and months ago — my heartfelt apologies to S. for letting it slip through the cracks.)

Coat of Charms

S. Brennan's first suggestion was a Sixth Doctor story riffing on St. Bridget of Kildare.

The pitch was developed further after this initial offer, with it being confirmed to Brennan that an extended-universe companion such as Evelyn unfortunately could not be used for this project, and would have to be replaced with a TV companion.

With Coat of Charms eventually proving difficult to develop into something which fit the intended tone of the book, she pushed onwards with another pitch, this one featuring an even more prominent figure from Irish folklore.

The Way of Battle

Per S. Brennan's connection, however, this pitch was never discussed further, with them assuming that the book had already been “canned” by then.

A sad end to what would have been one of the most interesting offerings of the BBC-licensed EU of the 2020s. The only silver lining is that no exclusivity contracts or NDAs had been signed with prospective writers — meaning that those lost stories can be discussed, and perhaps brought into being through some other medium, whether it be something like BF's Lost Stories range (it would certainly beat scraping through Terry Nation's drawers for first drafts) or beyond the aegis of the BBC altogether.

At any rate, if anyone reading this post has more information on Legends of Earth and related stories-that-might-have-been, please get in touch!

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Perfidious Histories

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the noodle incident

I think my little short vignette in here is the thing I am most proud of writing ever in my entire life, and everyone else's vignettes are absolutely mmm noodles amazing,, too,, so you should give them a read!! All free!! https://www.arcbeatlepress.com/news-and-updates/the-noodle-man-available-now

Mm yes tastee,,, very tasty noodles, come buy my back!!! Haha wow amazing book over here! First one for free!! Wowee, aren't arcbeatle amazing for,, amazing for giving you this plate of noodles? You should read it,, read the noodle man's book, mmm, haha wow amazing noodle book!! Haha

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You may have thought that this announcement from Arcbeatle Press was just a silly joke. It's understandable; are the writers on hand for Arcbeatle Press really talented enough to fully realise the potential of a character like the Noodle Man in his own series?

Unfortunately, yes.

The Noodle Incident, available for free on Arcbeatle Press' website

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New Crossover Anthology from Arcbeatle Press - “The Noodle Incident”

This lovely upcoming series introduces a fantastic new character to the worlds of Arcbeatle Press - the, er, Noodle Man? Really? Well, that’s what it says…

As is warranted for such an important launch, the Noodle Man is being aggressively promoted via a special crossover event, in which he has been shoehorned into the settings inhabited by the rest of Arcbeatle’s wonderful characters. Read “The Noodle Incident” for free on the Arcbeatle website!

And don't forget to pre-order Noodle Man Book 1, coming soon:

Noodles noodles noodles noodles noodles noodles noodles noodles.

Noodles noodles noodles. Noodles noodles noodles, noodles noodles - noodles noodles.

Amazon pre-order link (print and ebook): https://www.amazon.com/B0CR1FYNQW

Payhip link (ebook): https://payhip.com/OIkPi 

Barnes and Noble link (ebook): https://www.barnesandnoble.com/1144536809

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The Winnipeg Tribune, Manitoba, July 20, 1912

…hair oil running down the hair and forehead.

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New Story - "A Fish in Time" by Lupan Evezan

Larrikin shook his head.

“That’s because you’re inexperienced,” he declared.

“Inexperienced?” roared the Captain. “Us? Why, I oughta… !”

Larrikin clasped his hands behind his back, gazing imperiously at the Fish as he paced back and forth.

“Oh, out in th’ multiverse ya might be top notch stuff,” he continued. “But in here, you’re outta your depth. You’re like, uh — like some kinda animal tryin’ t’ live outside the place where it usually lives.”

He pointed to himself.

“Ya might be pretty good at what ya do, pals — but when it comes to prankin’ the Homeworld, you’ve got a lot to learn from me.”

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2 Year Anniversary Q&A

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to prepare anything substantial for the occasion (though do be assured, we will get a small outing from one of the more easily-forgotten inhabitants of the 925 Universe today), so instead I’m going to have a go at an ego-driven Q&A! Feel free to send me any questions regarding this series (you can do this anywhere, just as long as I can see the question), and I’ll try my best to answer them in a way that makes me look like a capable writer with plans and such!

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I'm Dreaming of a Cheshire Easter

by Ismaeel Clarke (@aquanafrahudy)

The Cheshire Cat grinned an inane kind of a grin. He had a large variety of grins, which he would use on various special occasions, and this was a particularly inane sort of a grin, for he had Guests. He was spread on a sort of regal russian rug, carefully embroidered with all sorts of different patterns zig-zagging across each other, arguing over which one ought to be on the top, and this had been thrown carelessly upon a windowsill that looked for all the world like it was trying to escape into the spring-time country outside. The lambs gambolled in the fields, as lambs are apt to do; the daffodils swayed in the fields, as daffodils are apt to do; and the politicians walked around kicking puppies in the fields, as politicians are apt to do. 

The Cheshire Cat sat on a Cheshire Rug in his Cheshire House dreaming Cheshire dreams of days long past — and feeling very grateful that he wasn’t the Merseyside Cat, as Cheshire was a much better name. He suddenly remembered about the Guest, and grinned a little wider — in a vapid sort of manner, that being how he grinned. 

“Hello,” you said, poking your head round the Cheshire Door and looking into the Cheshire House, “I don’t suppose you have such a thing as a story about you, by any chance?”

When he saw you arrive, he frisked his tail in such a very frisky sort of a manner that you thought it a most frisky tail indeed. “Well,” said the Cat, “I may well do, but then again, I may not. You never can tell with stories. Except, of course, when you can.” 

By this point, of course, you were feeling a little confused, and said so. 

“Oh dear,” you said, “I’m feeling a little confused.” 

“There’s no need to repeat yourself,” said the Cat, good-naturedly. 

“But I didn’t repeat myself!” you said, rather indignantly. 

“Indeed you did,” said the Cat, “Once in your head, and once out loud.”

“But if I didn’t say it out loud,” you said, “you wouldn’t know what I had said.” 

“Ah,” said the Cat, “but if you only said it out loud, then I should.” 

Well, you weren’t quite sure what to say to that, so you said:

“How about that story?” 

“How about that story?” asked the Cat. 

“Well, would you very kindly mind telling it?” 

“There are many stories,” said the Cat enigmatically, “within my Cheshire House. Won’t you come in and see?” So you did. You came in, and you looked, and you saw, and there were all the stories, hanging there suspended in space like brilliant, glittering jewels, shining, sparkling in the morning light, and in you came, you weary traveller from parts unknown, and you took the chocolate egg that the Cat had very kindly passed you, and the stories you saw! Stories of Archons and Abraytha and Everywhere, of Lotto and Lords and Luca, of SAM and Shamblers and Zadellin, of worlds beyond your wildest dreams, and in you went, into a whole new world of adventure.

And the Cheshire Cat faded away behind you just as if he had never been there.

The Shamblers from the Stars were created by Robert Bloch and are now in the public domain.

The Cheshire Cat was created by Lewis Carroll and is now in the public domain.

Lotto, Luca, SAM © Elodie Christian

Abraytha Janus Colefia © Ostara Gale

The Zadellin crew © Theta Mandel

Archons © Aristide Twain

[drleevezan]

Introducing…The Cheshire House!

This is our logo, drawn by the amazing @aristidetwain!

https://thecheshirehouse.wordpress.com/

The Cheshire House is a new website which will play host to stories from across the Third Universe and beyond — prepare for adventure, mystery, and weird alien shit! 

Featuring the activities of a wide range of characters across several different series, the website shall emerge with six all-new stories and one republished story. 

Founded by Ostara Gale (@a-wartime-paradox), the Cheshire House will feature stories from a wide range of authors, including: Ostara, Elodie Christian (@tvmigraine), Aristide Twain, Theta Mandel (@theangelshavethephonebox), Plum Pudding, Ismaeel Clarke (@aquanafrahudy), L. Alves (@drleevezan), Thien Valdram (@thienvaldram), Ryan Fogarty, Xavier Llewellyn, and more!

Above is a digital artwork of Abraytha, the Unbound Scavenger, drawn by the fabulous Holly!

And here is the cover for 'A World of Pure Unimagination', drawn by the awesome Aristide!

Our first seven stories...

The First Metamorphosis is a story of The Interstellar Sleuth, written by Elodie Christian and edited by Ostara Gale & Aristide Twain. The story follows an amnesiac patient’s attempt to escape the terrible Happiness Facility, with their only real clue to their identity a mysterious lottery ticket…

The Carnage of Urmafrae features Lotto and Mae as they investigate the disappearance of a village which has never existed, and learn to live with the consequences… The third story of The Interstellar Sleuth, this story was written by Ostara Gale and edited by Theta Mandel & Aristide Twain.

A Collision of Ships marks a crossover between The Castaways of Ishiok and Zadellin, written by Ostara Gale and edited by Theta Mandel & Aristide Twain. A multiversal traveller and three Archons run into each other —  literally. Their Ships collide. Unsurprisingly, tensions rise as they try to fix their respective Higher Dimensional Ships so they can continue on their adventures.

A Visit from Everywhere is a crossover story between The Castaways of Ishiok and the worlds of Jenny Everywhere, written by Ostara Gale and edited by Theta Mandel & Aristide Twain. When Jenny turns up in Katioka, Abraytha and Xiantio attempt to take her home.

My Name is SAM is a standalone sci-fi short story, penned by Elodie Christian and edited by Ostara Gale. SAM, a true AI based on Mars, sends a letter home. AI should not have a home, but SAM has memories that would beg to differ…

A World of Pure Unimagination by Xavier Llewellyn and edited by Aristide Twain follows Jenny Everywhere and her colossal chocolate craving. On the search for sweets, she finds an infamously awful Chocolate Factory knock-off. But is there something going on that’s more sinister than a simple scam? Jenny won’t leave without answers.

The Cathedral of Winter was originally published in The Book of the Snowstorm, and is Abraytha’s first story. Written by Ostara Gale and edited by Aristide Twain, this story is now available for free digitally in order to make the Unbound Scavenger’s story complete.

You can find us here on Tumblr, and also at CheshireHouseStories on Instagram, as well as Cheshire_House on X/Twitter. You can turn on notifications for this blog to always be notified when a major update occurs, or when new stories are released. We hope you enjoy our stories… Now, get to reading!

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Five years ago today, Lord Thymon – formerly the Embodiment of Time in the Void Between Worlds, and currently an employee of the Cupid Post Office and loving husband and father to some equally strange and wonderful family – made his first appearance in "Lord Thymon and the Department of Problem-Solving"!

...and he's been an illustrious resident of our corner of the Multiverse ever since!

Happy anniversary to our favourite time-demon from the outer void!

(illustrations by @aristidetwain, Ophelien Twain, and @thefuriousmagician)

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Church of Whale Fall

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TODAY IS A HOLY DAY

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Arcbeatle Press: New book release!

Time for school!

@ArcbeatlePress presents Academy 27, now available in print!

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@gatecrasherspod covered our book launch! if you want to learn about Academy 27, and why you should read the adventures of students on Mars, check this out.