Author Archives: Mark Hayes

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About Mark Hayes

Writer A messy, complicated sort of entity. Quantum Pagan. Occasional weregoth Knows where his spoon is, do you? #author #steampunk http://linktr.ee/mark_hayes

Caves

Posted on November 22, 2023 by Mark Hayes

I am stood in the mouth of a cave. The cave is behind me. The cave is always behind me. I am not always stood in the mouth of the cave. It is my cave. Sometimes I take a step … Continue reading →

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Dear Edgar 16: Silence, a fable

Posted on November 20, 2023 by Mark Hayes

“It was night, and the rain fell; and falling, it was rain, but, having fallen, it was blood.” It is not unreasonable to say that a good half of our Dear Edgar’s out put over the years was poetry. As … Continue reading →

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Bye Bye Birdy

Posted on November 17, 2023 by Mark Hayes

I’ll keep this short. X, or twitter as was, has become a cesspit of all that is vile. There are still little islands of charm and goodness that keep above the waves of effulgence but even if you land on … Continue reading →

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Verne: A guess post by Will Nett

Posted on November 16, 2023 by Mark Hayes

Sir William Nettleton VII, was once arrested for ‘lewd behaviour involving an elephant’ in his short stay in what was at the time refereed to as Eastern India, later became Burma and is now Myanmar one of only three nations … Continue reading →

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Blood on the Page

Posted on November 15, 2023 by Mark Hayes

Blood, they say, is thicker than water, this is true. It’s also why it makes for better ink. Mark Hayes 2023 Once in a while one quotes oneself. That particular quote is from a short story I started a while … Continue reading →

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Dear Edgar~15: Mystification

Posted on November 7, 2023 by Mark Hayes

The editorship of the Richmond Examiner in the 19th century was something of a dangerous occupation. When someone took exception to an editorial they often expressed there views in pointed fashion. Thomas Ritchie, who founded the paper in 1804 witnessed … Continue reading →

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The Toads of Hull

Posted on November 6, 2023 by Mark Hayes

If you walk around Hull today you can find nineteen colourful giant toads. The toads have been there since 2010 when they were installed along with twenty one of there brethren (which were removed) to celebrate the life and work … Continue reading →

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Hope is not eternal

Posted on November 3, 2023 by Mark Hayes

All things end, some with a whimper, some with a bang, some too early, some too late, but all things end. The default state of the universe is entropy, and no story is complete until the final line. And so … Continue reading →

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Monomania et le gothique

Posted on October 30, 2023 by Mark Hayes

If a Gothic tale needs one thing to make it a truly Gothic tale, it needs an antagonist in the grip of a profound monomania. Obsessions and obsessional manias are among of the principle building blocks of gothic literature. Be … Continue reading →

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Guy Forks by Will Nett

Posted on October 25, 2023 by Mark Hayes

There have been many Sir William Nettleton’s, the most infamous had his knighthood rescinded by the late queen in 1963 after the incident with the catholic call girls, the CoE bishop of Angleside and Elizabeth II cup final tickets the … Continue reading →

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