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Lost Creatures: Stories
A family of luck poachers receives a phone call that sets them off in the hopes of reversing their bad fortune. At a singles mixer for chemical elements, a luminous-yet-jaded Neon looks for love, or at least a one-night exothermic reaction. When blue skies turn gray and the daikaiju siren blares, the ten-year-old daughter of the local weatherman discovers her destiny. And washed-up evildoers live out their meaningless lives at a retirement home for villains—you never know when someone might turn the swimming pool into a shark pit, or bring a death ray to Taco Tuesday.
From the imagination of the author of Breathers and Big Egos comes a collection of fourteen tales of downtrodden luck poachers, lovelorn chemical elements, obsolete villains, disillusioned children, trademarked teenagers, outcast reindeer, victimized zombies, and time-traveling alcoholics—many of them lost and searching for answers. Some of them find what they’re looking for, while one or two discover that childhood dreams can come true.
Coming May 17, 2021!
NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER ON KINDLE!
From the imagination of the author of Breathers and Big Egos comes a collection of fourteen tales of downtrodden luck poachers, lovelorn chemical elements, obsolete villains, disillusioned children, trademarked teenagers, outcast reindeer, victimized zombies, and time-traveling alcoholics—many of them lost and searching for answers. Some of them find what they’re looking for, while one or two discover that childhood dreams can come true.
Coming May 17, 2021!
NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER ON KINDLE!
- GenresFantasy
298 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 17, 2021
7 people are currently reading
1315 people want to read
About the author
S.G. Browne
27 books437 followersS.G. Browne is the author of the novels Less Than Hero, Big Egos, Lucky Bastard, Fated, and Breathers, as well as the eBook short story collection Shooting Monkeys in a Barrel and the heartwarming holiday tale I Saw Zombies Eating Santa Claus. His new short story collection, Lost Creatures, blends fantasy, science fiction, dark comedy, and magical realism.
He's an ice cream connoisseur, Guinness aficionado, cat enthusiast, and a sucker for dark comedies. You can learn more about S.G. Browne and his writing at www.sgbrowne.com
He's an ice cream connoisseur, Guinness aficionado, cat enthusiast, and a sucker for dark comedies. You can learn more about S.G. Browne and his writing at www.sgbrowne.com
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
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July 15, 2021Here are a couple of picks of Lost Creatures: Stories out in the wild at the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
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What's that? You'd like to order a signed paperback copy of Lost Creatures: Stories? Well it just so happens I can help you with that.
Signed copies of Lost Creatures: Stories are available from Borderlands Books in San Francisco and can be ORDERED HERE.
If you'd like your copy personalized to you or to someone else, just make sure to let them know on the form when you place your order. And if you'd like to order it as a gift with a personal message from me, include that and I'll inscribe the message for you.
Easy peasy.
As always, thanks for reading!
***********************
Wrapping up the series of Fun Facts for Lost Creatures: Stories with two last entries.
***********************
LOST CREATURES Fun Fact #9
Reeb and Mur, the names of the two main characters in my story “The Curse of the Amazing Colossal Thing From Outer Space,” are "beer" and "rum" spelled backwards.
LOST CREATURES Fun Fact #10
While the majority of the villains who appear in my short story Dr. Sinister's Home for Retired Villains are in the public domain, Mr. Blank, one of the characters from my novel Less Than Hero, makes a cameo.
Oh, and Dr. Sinister's Home for Retired Villains is available as a Kindle single through June 6 for the low, low price of FREE. Check it out HERE!
***********************
Here are two more Fun Facts about Lost Creatures: Stories, both of which involve the story "When the Giant Koi Returned to San Francisco."
***********************
LOST CREATURES Fun Fact #7
The cover for Lost Creatures: Stories was inspired by the story “When the Giant Koi Returned to San Francisco,” which was heavily influenced by the pandemic internet meme: The earth is healing, nature is returning.
LOST CREATURES Fun Fact #8
While doing research for “When the Giant Koi Returned to San Francisco,” I discovered that there's a protected leprechaun colony in Carlingford, Ireland. True story.
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LOST CREATURES Fun Fact #5
The concept for Scattered Showers with a Chance of Daikaiju, the opening story in Lost Creatures: Stories, came to me while watching the movie War of the Gargantuas back in 1990. I thought: if Japan is always being attacked by giant monsters, would meteorologists in Japan forecast daikaiju attacks along with the weather?
LOST CREATURES Fun Fact #6
Another of my "giant monster" themed stories that appears in Lost Creatures: Stories is “The Curse of the Amazing Colossal Thing From Outer Space,” which originally appeared in the anthology Drive In Creature Feature.
*********************
When life attempts to imitate art but is missing a few details.
*********************
I wrote a guest post that's up on Chuck Wendig's Terrible Minds about Lost Creatures: Stories, titled:
Five Things I Learned Writing Lost Creatures.
In the post, I talk leprechaun sanctuaries, promiscuous chemicals, exploring my feminine side, finding my happy place, and being a literary DJ. You can read the post by clicking on the link above or you can read the post HERE.
*********************
LOST CREATURES Fun Fact #3
The title for Lost Creatures: Stories comes from the penultimate story in the collection “All of the Lost Creatures Are Found.” That story was inspired by all of the lost pet fliers I see posted around San Francisco and how I wish they could all be found.
The story was also inspired by the idea of childhood dreams combined with job titles I've come across on LinkedIn and how no child ever dreams of growing up to be a procurement analyst, a human resources generalist, or a senior account executive.
LOST CREATURES Fun Fact #4
The second story in Lost Creatures: Stories, “Riding the Softland Express,” originally appeared as “Softland” in my collection Shooting Monkeys in a Barrel: Ten Twisted Tales. That short story was the inspiration for my third novel Lucky Bastard.
*********************
LOST CREATURES Fun Fact #1
Professor Warner, who teaches the titular class in the short story Remedial English for Reanimated Corpses, is named after Andy Warner, the protagonist and hero of Breathers: A Zombie's Lament.
Oh, and Remedial English for Reanimated Corpses is available as a Kindle single for the low, low price of FREE until May 22. Tell your friends!
LOST CREATURES Fun Fact #2
The idea for Remedial English for Reanimated Corpses originated when I was interviewed for the zombie documentary DOC OF THE DEAD and explained my theory that zombies are the nerds of the monster world, while werewolves are the jocks and vampires are the frat boys.
If you click on the DOC OF THE DEAD link above, you can watch my explanation, complete with cartoon graphics, at the 45:52 mark of the documentary. (I also have contributions at the 20:13, 38:47, and 1:16:02 marks.) If you've never seen the documentary and are a zombie and/or pop culture fan, it's definitely worth the time.
*********************
Lost Creatures: Stories is officially on sale now! Woo hoo! It's available in trade paperback on Amazon and for eBook on Kindle, Nook, Apple Books, and Kobo. I've included the links below. I'm excited to share these stories with everyone!
Order Trade Paperback on Amazon
Order on Kindle
Order on Nook
Order on Apple Books
Order on Kobo
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***********************
What's that? You'd like to order a signed paperback copy of Lost Creatures: Stories? Well it just so happens I can help you with that.
Signed copies of Lost Creatures: Stories are available from Borderlands Books in San Francisco and can be ORDERED HERE.
If you'd like your copy personalized to you or to someone else, just make sure to let them know on the form when you place your order. And if you'd like to order it as a gift with a personal message from me, include that and I'll inscribe the message for you.
Easy peasy.
As always, thanks for reading!
***********************
Wrapping up the series of Fun Facts for Lost Creatures: Stories with two last entries.
***********************
LOST CREATURES Fun Fact #9
Reeb and Mur, the names of the two main characters in my story “The Curse of the Amazing Colossal Thing From Outer Space,” are "beer" and "rum" spelled backwards.
LOST CREATURES Fun Fact #10
While the majority of the villains who appear in my short story Dr. Sinister's Home for Retired Villains are in the public domain, Mr. Blank, one of the characters from my novel Less Than Hero, makes a cameo.
Oh, and Dr. Sinister's Home for Retired Villains is available as a Kindle single through June 6 for the low, low price of FREE. Check it out HERE!
***********************
Here are two more Fun Facts about Lost Creatures: Stories, both of which involve the story "When the Giant Koi Returned to San Francisco."
***********************
LOST CREATURES Fun Fact #7
The cover for Lost Creatures: Stories was inspired by the story “When the Giant Koi Returned to San Francisco,” which was heavily influenced by the pandemic internet meme: The earth is healing, nature is returning.
LOST CREATURES Fun Fact #8
While doing research for “When the Giant Koi Returned to San Francisco,” I discovered that there's a protected leprechaun colony in Carlingford, Ireland. True story.
*********************
LOST CREATURES Fun Fact #5
The concept for Scattered Showers with a Chance of Daikaiju, the opening story in Lost Creatures: Stories, came to me while watching the movie War of the Gargantuas back in 1990. I thought: if Japan is always being attacked by giant monsters, would meteorologists in Japan forecast daikaiju attacks along with the weather?
LOST CREATURES Fun Fact #6
Another of my "giant monster" themed stories that appears in Lost Creatures: Stories is “The Curse of the Amazing Colossal Thing From Outer Space,” which originally appeared in the anthology Drive In Creature Feature.
*********************
When life attempts to imitate art but is missing a few details.
*********************
I wrote a guest post that's up on Chuck Wendig's Terrible Minds about Lost Creatures: Stories, titled:
Five Things I Learned Writing Lost Creatures.
In the post, I talk leprechaun sanctuaries, promiscuous chemicals, exploring my feminine side, finding my happy place, and being a literary DJ. You can read the post by clicking on the link above or you can read the post HERE.
*********************
LOST CREATURES Fun Fact #3
The title for Lost Creatures: Stories comes from the penultimate story in the collection “All of the Lost Creatures Are Found.” That story was inspired by all of the lost pet fliers I see posted around San Francisco and how I wish they could all be found.
The story was also inspired by the idea of childhood dreams combined with job titles I've come across on LinkedIn and how no child ever dreams of growing up to be a procurement analyst, a human resources generalist, or a senior account executive.
LOST CREATURES Fun Fact #4
The second story in Lost Creatures: Stories, “Riding the Softland Express,” originally appeared as “Softland” in my collection Shooting Monkeys in a Barrel: Ten Twisted Tales. That short story was the inspiration for my third novel Lucky Bastard.
*********************
LOST CREATURES Fun Fact #1
Professor Warner, who teaches the titular class in the short story Remedial English for Reanimated Corpses, is named after Andy Warner, the protagonist and hero of Breathers: A Zombie's Lament.
Oh, and Remedial English for Reanimated Corpses is available as a Kindle single for the low, low price of FREE until May 22. Tell your friends!
LOST CREATURES Fun Fact #2
The idea for Remedial English for Reanimated Corpses originated when I was interviewed for the zombie documentary DOC OF THE DEAD and explained my theory that zombies are the nerds of the monster world, while werewolves are the jocks and vampires are the frat boys.
If you click on the DOC OF THE DEAD link above, you can watch my explanation, complete with cartoon graphics, at the 45:52 mark of the documentary. (I also have contributions at the 20:13, 38:47, and 1:16:02 marks.) If you've never seen the documentary and are a zombie and/or pop culture fan, it's definitely worth the time.
*********************
Lost Creatures: Stories is officially on sale now! Woo hoo! It's available in trade paperback on Amazon and for eBook on Kindle, Nook, Apple Books, and Kobo. I've included the links below. I'm excited to share these stories with everyone!
Order Trade Paperback on Amazon
Order on Kindle
Order on Nook
Order on Apple Books
Order on Kobo
*********************
May 29, 2021
I’ve got a migraine, so it’s hard for me to come up with a review worthy of this book. But I’ve got to say at least a few words, because I adore this author’s previous work, and it was great to finally be able to immerse myself once again in his unique creative genius. This was a great mix of both quirky/strange, and genuinely feel-good tales. Several of these short stories I would be more than happy to see expanded into full length novels.
April 16, 2021
Beautiful, heart-wrenching, and very funny, S. G. Browne's Lost Creatures is the sardonic city-dwelling sibling of Grimm's Fairy Tales. Browne creates deep empathy for his characters, then breaks your heart with the surprising and entirely understandable choices they make. This book is so original, it's breathtaking. I absolutely loved it.
October 1, 2021
This amazing collection of 14 short stories, 7 of which are brand new, are sure to become favorites of S.G. Browne fans. And for new readers, I guarantee these stories will have you running to read the rest of Browne's works. I have been a big fan of Browne since discovering his debut novel, Breathers, 12 years ago and I continue to highly recommend him to other readers. I was so excited when this book hit shelves after waiting for something new and I was not disappointed.
May 29, 2021
I’ve got a migraine, so it’s hard for me to come up with a review worthy of this book. But I’ve got to say at least a few words, because I adore this author’s previous work, and it was great to finally be able to immerse myself once again in his unique creative genius. This was a great mix of both quirky/strange, and genuinely feel-good tales. Several of these short stories I would be more than happy to see expanded into full length novels.
March 4, 2024
This is an excellent collection of short fiction that really showcases the range of Browne's writing, from the outrageously silly, to the darkly humorous, to tales that border on outright horror and serious SF. There's something for everyone in this book, and I can't recommend it highly enough.
May 27, 2021
Great collection of short stories by SG Browne. Enjoyed most except for two. Very clever stories throughout.
February 13, 2022
A really fun mix of short stories. I've been laughing about the Phantom of the Opera's introduction in Dr. Sinister's Home for Retired Villians for several days. Some stories printed in other anthologies but a good portion of them were new to me.
June 11, 2021
S.G. Browne is back, back, back again with another short story collection!
As I've come to expect, the 14 short stories collected here -- some of which have been previously published as standalone shorts or in other collections -- are a mix of smart, humorous tales and lovely, intriguing dramas, and are all super original and inventive.
Standout favorites include:
-Scattered Showers with a Chance of Daikaiju - this short story follows the daughter of a meteorologist who just so happens to be in charge of predicting thunderstorms as well as potential kaiju attacks
-Letters to Santa (from the Arctic Academy for Gifted Creatures) - a very cute epistolary short that revolves around Rudolph's admission into and not so successful college education (because nepotism)
-Reminiscences of My Childhood Centaurs - this sweet, sad, weird tale is set in a world where mythological creatures are real and kept as pets
-When the Giant Koi Returned to San Francisco - during the global pandemic, the not even a little bit fictional giant koi return to San Francisco (see also: this book's cover)
-All of the Lost Creatures are Found - the title-ish story explores what happens in a dystopian world where you career is assigned to you in middle school after taking a Buzzfeed-type quiz/survey about your life
-Intervention for a Lycanthrope - a parody how-to-guide for people who need to convince their loved one that they’ve become a werewolf
As I've come to expect, the 14 short stories collected here -- some of which have been previously published as standalone shorts or in other collections -- are a mix of smart, humorous tales and lovely, intriguing dramas, and are all super original and inventive.
Standout favorites include:
-Scattered Showers with a Chance of Daikaiju - this short story follows the daughter of a meteorologist who just so happens to be in charge of predicting thunderstorms as well as potential kaiju attacks
-Letters to Santa (from the Arctic Academy for Gifted Creatures) - a very cute epistolary short that revolves around Rudolph's admission into and not so successful college education (because nepotism)
-Reminiscences of My Childhood Centaurs - this sweet, sad, weird tale is set in a world where mythological creatures are real and kept as pets
-When the Giant Koi Returned to San Francisco - during the global pandemic, the not even a little bit fictional giant koi return to San Francisco (see also: this book's cover)
-All of the Lost Creatures are Found - the title-ish story explores what happens in a dystopian world where you career is assigned to you in middle school after taking a Buzzfeed-type quiz/survey about your life
-Intervention for a Lycanthrope - a parody how-to-guide for people who need to convince their loved one that they’ve become a werewolf
June 30, 2022
Always a fun read
I am a fan of Mr Browne and while I read some these short stories before, I was glad to revisit them in This anthology. His combination of mirth, compassion and different are a rare breed in this realm. I would recommend his books to anyone looking for the fun side of sci-fi and fantasy.
I am a fan of Mr Browne and while I read some these short stories before, I was glad to revisit them in This anthology. His combination of mirth, compassion and different are a rare breed in this realm. I would recommend his books to anyone looking for the fun side of sci-fi and fantasy.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews