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The third Cursebreaker story is finally available today, in the new Ticonderoga Press anthology Hear Me Roar. They wanted stories of real women and unreal worlds, though in my case the inverse might be more accurate. Being Ticonderoga Press, they also wanted top notch writing, and though I say so myself, that's what they got with Cat Sparks's "Veteran's Day", Jane Routley's "Barista", Jenny Blackford's "The Sorrow", Kathleen Jennings's "A Hedge of Yellow Roses"... I could just keep going. But here, take a look for yourself.
"The Mutalibeen and the Memphite Mummies" is a cases of research gone out of all control. I did insane things for this. I combed through The Greek Magical Papyri (in translation including the Demotic Spells, ed. Han Dieter Betz, University of Chicago Press, 1992 (1986)) searching for keywords. I performed my own translations from the French of Silvestre de Sacy's 1810 translation from the Arabic of Abd – Allatif's 12th century Description of Egypt, in which he describes the ruins of Memphis and the practice of treasure hunting at that time - thanks once again to the restricted section of the Mitchell Library. This is what happenes when I get a bee in my bonnet.
It all goes back to my article "Tomb Raider", in Dragon #327 (January 2005). Here, I attempted to re-examine the D&D trope of looting ancient tombs with real world examples. I discovered the fact that in 12th century Egypt, looting the tombs of the Pharaohs was a specific kind of employment strictly regulated by the Caliphate. But, it was my place to do the work. It's yours to read a story in which it is hopefully undetectable.
"The Mutalibeen and the Memphite Mummies" is a cases of research gone out of all control. I did insane things for this. I combed through The Greek Magical Papyri (in translation including the Demotic Spells, ed. Han Dieter Betz, University of Chicago Press, 1992 (1986)) searching for keywords. I performed my own translations from the French of Silvestre de Sacy's 1810 translation from the Arabic of Abd – Allatif's 12th century Description of Egypt, in which he describes the ruins of Memphis and the practice of treasure hunting at that time - thanks once again to the restricted section of the Mitchell Library. This is what happenes when I get a bee in my bonnet.
It all goes back to my article "Tomb Raider", in Dragon #327 (January 2005). Here, I attempted to re-examine the D&D trope of looting ancient tombs with real world examples. I discovered the fact that in 12th century Egypt, looting the tombs of the Pharaohs was a specific kind of employment strictly regulated by the Caliphate. But, it was my place to do the work. It's yours to read a story in which it is hopefully undetectable.
“Ah! Allah have mercy!”
“Hello to you too.”
“Ouchioch! Osoronophris! Ouserrannouphthi! Do not touch me, foul ghul!”
“Now that's just rude... "