Static Movement is a nice small press publisher who specializes in horror titles. The main disappointment is that they do not pay their authors. In fact, contributing authors even have to pay for a copy of the book they have a story in. So, truth be told, this is a good market for authors just starting out, but becomes a little bit of a "last resort" to more established authors. This is not meant to be a slam. Quite the opposite. As an up-and-coming, learn-as-I-go author, I have enjoyed and valued my experience with Static Movement.
I have contributed three stories to Static Movement anthologies. "Souls on Ice" appears in Winter Chills. This is a "winter setting" horror anthology. My entry is a supernatural story about a retired hockey player, the bond he has with his teammates, and the bond he regrets not having with his estranged son. The story is divided into parts, just like a hockey game. An avid hockey fan myself, I liken the long season hockey teams must endure to the endless battles of the Vikings in Valhalla. Editor Dorothy Davies selected my story to lead off the anthology and mentioned it in her introduction, calling it "brilliant". I'm blushing, Dorothy!
I contributed a story called "Hydrophobia" to the Something Dark in the Doorway anthology. This is a "ghost story" anthology, though most of the authors did not take a traditional approach. I did, however. My story was inspired by a clandestine visit to an abandoned tourist attraction called Marine Life. Longtime residents of Rapid City, SD will recognize the name and may even remember when the building sat vacant. A trio of us (names omitted to protect the guilty) took a look around. The creepiest aspect for me was that none of the tanks or pools had been drained! And the dolphin pool was immense and deep. It scared the heck out of me. So my story involves a lonely ghost (or two) at the bottom of one of those tanks. Editor Gregory Miller mentioned my story in his introduction: "Hydrophobia, by Adrian Ludens, incorporates our universal fascination with abandoned places with our universal fear of the unknown, and to strong effect." Thank you, Greg!
The third Static Movement anthology I contributed to is called "Don't Tread on Me". This one is subtitled "Tales of Revenge and Retribution". My story, "Transformations" is one of my favorites. It involves a goth kid who really, really needs to dig up his/her father's corpse in order to make things right. No zombies, no vampires. This one is purely psychological. I don't want to write anything else about it because I don't want to give too much away. It is the final story in the anthology.
I take the time to read every anthology that I contribute to. Therefore, I'd like to take a moment to give some kudos. My favorite entries in each of the aforementioned anthologies are:
WINTER CHILLS: "Slay Bells" by Ryan Neil Falcone and "Milk Run" by Neil E. Leckman (tie).
My favorite from SOMETHING DARK IN THE DOORWAY is "Passageway" by Doug MacKenzie.
Favorite story in DON'T TREAD ON Me is: "The Shock Value of Bad Magic" by Mark Anthony Crittenden.
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