Coming Through in Waves: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Pink Floyd

by T. Fox Dunham (Editor), Bill Baber (Contributor), C.W. Blackwell (Contributor)

Perhaps no other major band or artist has equaled the lyrical and musical poignancy that Pink Floyd has achieved in landmark records such as The Dark Side of the Moon, Animals, Wish You Were Here, and The Wall. In this, the fourth installment in Gutter Books’ Rock Anthology Series, we pay tribute to, and hopefully in some small way enhance the legend of, a band that has spoken so compellingly to— and for—millions of people searching for meaning in the modern world. Coming Through in Waves weaves together a plethora of dark, strange, and intriguing images that only Pink Floyd could inspire.

254 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 2, 2021

About the author

T. Fox Dunham is an American writer and author of three novels: The Street Martyr, Mercy and Destroying the Tangible Illusion of Reality, or Searching for Andy Kaufman. He’s a cancer survivor, editor and host/producer of What Are You Afraid Of? Horror & Paranormal Show.

At the age of 17, oncologists at the University of the Hospital of Pennsylvania diagnosed Fox with a rare type of blood cancer: composite lymphoma. He was treated with an aggressive regiment of chemotherapy and radiation. The treatment crippled him for life, and the constant pain plus the violation of the treatment inspired his horror medical thriller, Mercy.

"Dunham has channeled his many brushes with the other side into the exquisitely rendered, lyrical supernatural hospital thriller MERCY. 3.5 out of 4 Skulls." - FANGORIA

Fox is creator, producer & co-host of What Are You Afraid Of? Horror & Paranormal Show—a dark audio magazine in its fifth season on PARA-X Radio with 200,000 direct downloads on most major podcast services. The show plays narrated ghost stories, dark fiction, and Fox interviews such guests as Travel Channel’s Katrina Weidman, Heather Taddy, authors like Joe R Lansdale and filmmakers like Lloyd Kaufman. Find every episode and more at www.whatareyouafraidofpodcast.com.

Fox is the author of three novels and many published short stories featured in magazines and anthologies. Throughline Films is developing his first book The Street Martyr into a series.

Fox is an accomplished baker, cook, gardener, herbalist and angler. He’s editing a new charity anthology, Coming Through in Wave, based on the music of Pink Floyd for Gutter Books. Proceeds will be donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Reviews

[Ian Welke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crime fiction wouldn't have been my first choice for a short story anthology based on the songs of Pink Floyd, weird fantasy or psychedelic sci-fi would seem the obvious pick, and yet the stories in this anthology consistently work. "Julia Dream" was a standout story, although I'm pretty sure that the song was never released as a Pink Floyd track and was released on a Syd Barrett solo album. "Wish You Were Here," "Have A Cigar," and "Hey You" are all songs I figured would lend themselves well to the anthology's theme, but I was also struck by the effective usage of some of the more obscure songs as crime fiction inspiration, especially "Childhood's End." I was a little disappointed not to see anything inspired by Animals (unless I missed it, brain is porous), as the themes throughout the Animals album see like they would be well suited to very noir crime fiction. Overall a very solid anthology.

[Suz Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Most knew him as a man of the cloth, but others—the types like me that hung out in juke joints and drank bootleg liquor—knew he had a devil on his shoulder bigger than any angel could grow. He had an icy touch when he shook your hand like he was taking something from you that you didn’t know you could give up. A little ragged corner of your soul, maybe.”—except from “Jugband Blues” by C. W. Blackwell

This charity anthology of crime stories inspired by the music of Pink Floyd benefits the National Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. In the introduction, editor T. Fox Dunham discusses his battle with cancer and the evolution of the anthology.

My favorite stories include the following:

“The Wall” by T. Fox Dunham: The robbery of a drug dealer illustrates some of the problems of the healthcare industry.

“Have a Cigar” by Fraser Massey: A boxer uses his particular talents to drop his manager.

“Brain Damage” by Tom Leins: An ex-con agrees to help find a missing woman who suffers from brain damage.

“Jugband Blues” by C. W. Blackwell: A musician’s love affair gets him in hot water, but turning his act into a duo is all kinds of cool.

“Julia Dream” by Morgan Sylvia: A man haunted by a long ago drug-fueled act of violence visits the perpetrator in prison.

I enjoyed seeing how each author interpreted the theme.