400 Boys and 50 More

The most Marc Laidlaw stories ever assembled in one book...

Known as co-creator of the blockbuster HALF-LIFE video game series, and veteran writer of the esports phenomenon Dota 2, Marc Laidlaw is primarily a writer of short stories--horror, fantasy, and science fiction. But while his work has appeared in many popular magazines and several landmark collections over the last 40 years, it has never been collected in any form until now.

51 stories.

Over a quarter of a million words.

This is, quite simply, the most Marc Laidlaw thing ever.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

THE SEVENTIES: FAIL EARLY

SPAWN OF THE RUINS

TISSUE

RATTLEGROUND

THE EIGHTIES: PEAK OMNI

SNEAKERS

400 BOYS

THE RANDOM MAN

SEA OF TRANQUILLITY

MUZAK FOR TORSO MURDERS

SHUCK BROTHER

FAUST FORWARD

NUTRIMANCER

THE LIQUOR CABINET OF DR. MALIKUDZU

GOOD ‘N’ EVIL, OR, THE ONCE AND FUTURE THING

LOAVES FROM HELL

LOVE COMES TO THE MIDDLEMAN

MIDDLEMAN’S RENT

THE FARMER ON THE WALL

BRUNO’S SHADOW

YOUR STYLE GUIDE—USE IT WISELY

MARS WILL HAVE BLOOD

UNEASY STREET

THE DEMONSTRATION

HIS POWDER’D WIG, HIS CROWN OF THORNES

THE NINETIES: FIRST-PERSON READER

WARTORN, LOVELORN

GASOLINE LAKE

WUNDERKINDERGARTEN

THE VULTURE MAIDEN

GREAT BREAKTHROUGHS IN DARKNESS

TERROR FAN

THE DIANE ARBUS SUICIDE PORTFOLIO

THE BLACK BUS

MAD WIND

TO LIE BETWEEN THE LOINS OF PERKY PAT

NETHER REACHES

TOTAL CONVERSION

THE NEW MILLENNIUM: HALF-LIFE & LESSONS HALF-LEARNED

SLEEPY JOE

CELL CALL

FLIGHT RISK

JANE

SWEETMEATS

EVALUATION OF THE HANNEMOUTH BEQUEST

AN EVENING’S HONEST PERIL

THE VICAR OF R’LYEH

LENG

BEYOND 2010: OVER THE INFLUENCE

POKKY MAN

THE BOY WHO FOLLOWED LOVECRAFT

FORGET YOU

BONFIRES

THE FRIGID ILK OF SARN KATHOOL

THE GHOST PENNY POST

THE FINEST, FULLEST FLOWERING

AFTERWORD