Robert Bose

As usual it’s been a non-stop last few months. Lots of events and trips. Managed to get to Bristol UK for a week, out to Victoria and Valemont for ultra-races. Camping in the rockies. When Words Collide (WWC) festival. Book launches. Been a grab bag for sure.

Here’s ole me, reading from my story “YONDER” at the Tyche Book‘s Fascination book event at WWC a couple weeks ago. Happy to be a part of that. WWC was a hoot, though I was running the merchant room for most of it so I didn’t as much socializing as I would have liked. I was fortunate enough to lunch and hobnob with some of my favourite horror authors and friends such as Chris Marrs, Craig DiLouie, Gemma Files, and E. L. Chen, though. And the panel I pitched about horror in the workplace was most excellent.

Bristol was most excellent. Visited all the used book stores and a substantial number of pubs, including The Hatchet Inn. Lot of history there. Weird to be hanging out, having a pint, in a place that’s been open since long before Canada was even a glimmer.

Lots more planned for the year, provided I can escape the clutches of a bad achilles injury.

Zero time or focus to write, but I’m hopeful I can carve out some space this Fall. Lots of projects swirling around in my head that need to get down on paper.

Recent publications:

My latest published story is a fusion of tech and witchery titled YONDER, entering the world soon in a great anthology called Fascination. Fascination is a dark fantasy and horror anthology edited by Rhonda Parrish and published by Tyche Books on September 8, 2026.

The latest The Seventh Terrace book is now out. It’s fabulous one called Fire Sands, written by local legend Randy Nikkel Schroeder and illustrated by the talented Nyco Rudolph. “Fire Sands is slapstick splatterpunk dystopia for juvenile delinquents and defiant children who look suspiciously like adults—half comedy, half tragedy, all bad attitude.”

Next publications:

• A flash piece titled “To the Bone” in Ghostlight Magazine (any time now! I keep saying that, maybe it’ll even happen…)
• A short story titled “Aapoak” in a cool publication – details when permitted. (later this year)

What I’m currently working on:

• A new Alberta Crime Anthology for TST called Murder Most Alberta, edited by R. Overwater & J.R. Campbell. It should be out for Bouchercon in October.

My races this summer were fun. With my current achilles injury I have sadly nothing further in the pipe at this time.

• Alpenglow (35km)
• Sooke Hills (25km)

Recent movies and television of note:

• Widows Bay – SO GOOD!
• Deep Dark – French horror film, definitely worth tracking down

I’m currently reading:

• Reliquary by Hannah Whitten
• The Best Weird Fiction of the Year curated by Michael Kelly (Undertow)
• Weird Horror #13 (Undertow)

I’m currently listening to:

• Headstones

The year is off to a wild start. Amid wildly fluctuating weather here in Calgary, the Ex’s blew our respective towns to head to Cabo for vacation. Much adventure was had, including a shit-ton of scuba diving and cocktail guzzling.

The highlight was taking a day trip to La Paz where we had the chance to swim with whale sharks. Amazing!

Can’t wait to get back out for more adventure, but in the meantime memories and photos will have to suffice.

Working away on a variety projects, just need to make more time to write!

Recent publications:

• The latest Purgatorio curio, titled TerraceIV: Noonday Demon, is now out from The Seventh Terrace. We had a fantastic launch party at Owls Nest Books on March 4th and hit the top of the Calgary Best seller for the week.

Next publications:

• A flash piece titled “To the Bone” in Ghostlight Magazine (any time now!)
• A short story titled “Yonder” in their upcoming Tyche Books Fascination anthology (August).
• A short story titled “Aapoak” in a cool publication – details when permitted. (later this year)

What I’m working on:

• Working on a new novel by Randy Nikkel Schroeder that The Seventh Terrace will be publishing summer 2026. Keep an eye out for details in the near future!
• Lots of other projects including a new Alberta Crime Anthology for TST, my Queen in Amber novel, and another issue of the Futility comic.

Older, fatter, and cold. I can’t wait for winter to end and the trails dry up.

Currently on tap for 2026 are:

• Alpenglow (35km)
• Sooke Hills (25km)

Recent movies and television:

• Extra Ordinary – Monty Python level fun
• Ghost Elephants – I’d watch literally anything with Werner Herzog!
• A couple dozen terrible ghost hunter movies on Tubi…

I’m currently reading:

• No Life Forsaken (Steven Erikson) – Love the new characters. 4/5
• The City of Others (Jared Poon) – Excellent Singapore based urban fantasy. 4/5
• Dead First – Johnny Compton (Great concept, but damn I hated the main character) – 2/5
• Heretical Fishing 1/2 (Haylock Jobson) – Loving this series! 4.5/5
• My Quiet Blacksmith Life in Another World (Tamamaru) – Silly but entertaining. 4/5 (Audio)

I’m currently listening to:

• Billy Idol – Cyberpunk and Rebel Yell
• Def Leppard – Pyromania, Hysteria

Fall and early Winter have been a whirlwind. Between trips to Vancouver (play) and Houston (work) I navigated countless parties and events, some Christmas and some writerly, including being asked to participate at the latest Noir at the Bar. I read a occult detective story titled “Well Hung” and folks seemed to be entertained.

I don’t often drink Boulevardiers, but when I do I drink them in fancy places with fancy people. Spent Solstice out with my besties and managed to hit the Hawthorn at the Palliser Hotel before a night on the town.

Not the same shirt as Noir, though you wouldn’t know it. I have a dozen black shirts with similar patterns for… reasons.

Even with the avalanche of life happening, the writing life goes on. I have a great feeling that 2026 will be awesome.

Recent publications:

• “Cheeseburger Philosophy and the King of Kings” (from Terrace VI: Forbidden Fruit) was reprinted in Monstrous Angels, in November. The book turned out most excellent.

Next publications:

• Sold a short story entitled “Yonder” to Tyche Books for their upcoming Fascination anthology.
• Sold a short story entitled “Aapoak” to a fine venue – details when permitted.

What I’m working on:

• Still grinding away editing and assembling the upcoming Purgatorio Sloth anthology, titled Noonday Demon, from The Seventh Terrace. We’ve put a pin on March 7th, 2026 to have that one out.
• Currently editing a new novel by Randy Nikkel Schroeder that The Seventh Terrace will be publishing summer 2026. Keep an eye out for details in the near future!
• Lots of other projects including a new Alberta Crime Anthology for TST, my Queen in Amber novel, and another issue of the Futility comic.

I’ve been doing a December Run Streak again this year, where you need to run every day over the month. The weather has been been cold, snowy, and harsh, so feeling rather beat up, but just one more day… Not my best attempt ever (by a long shot), but serviceable.

Getting older, but still in the ultra, trail racing game. Currently on tap for 2026 is:

• Alpenglow (35km)
• Sooke Hills (25km)

Recent movies and television:

• Rare Exports (a classic Finnish Christmas horror flick) – love this one!
• Violent Night – a Christmas rewatch
• Wake Up Dead Man – a solid entry in the Knives Out series

I’m currently reading:

• Alternate Routes – Tim Powers
• Twelve Months (The Dresden Files) – listening to the ARC, so far so good

I’m currently listening to:

• Anna and the Apocalypse Soundtrack
• Loads of Christmas music – tis the season

It’s Fall already. How did that happen? I blinked and Summer vanished into the ether. I love Fall though, all the colours and leaves, yellow and golds galore. Not too hot, fabulous running weather.

And I managed to get to Scotland for the first time. A work trip, but I’ll take it. Stayed at the Ardoe House, a small, cute castle manor that was darn amazing. Both Aberdeen and Edinburgh were fabulous, I’ll have to get back out there again with more time to explore. Edinburgh has lots of bookstores. And pubs. And stone. What’s not to love?

And on a totally different note, while I don’t write a lot of crime or mystery of late (or anything for that matter), I’ll be reading at the Calgary version of Noir at the Bar on December 3rd.

Too many projects, not nearly enough time to write. As always.

Current projects:

• Grinding away editing and assembling the upcoming Purgatorio Sloth anthology, titled Noonday Demon, from The Seventh Terrace. We’ve put a pin on March 7th, 2026 to have that one out.

Next publications:

• Cheeseburger Philosophy and the King of Kings story (from Terrace VI: Forbidden Fruit) will be in Monstrous Angels, on November 20 2025.

Signed up for the Alpenglow 100 ultra for Summer of 2026. God help my poor feets. Will probably do an easier trail race in the Spring as well.

Recent movies and television:

• Enter Nowhere – good premise, but not sure it stuck the landing.
• Devil in the Dark – cool idea, not sure I totally understood it.
• Lost Cities with Albert Lin – Slick yet almost silly.

I’m currently reading:

• Lies Weeping by Glen Cook (a new Black Company book after so damn long)
• Enshittification by Cory Doctorow (excellent, but it’ll make you furious!)
• This Inevitable Ruin by Matt Dinniman (fun)

I’m currently listening to:

• Archotechna – Deep in the Mechanicum
• Front Line Assembly – Tactical Neural Implant
• Front Line Assembly – Caustic Grip

Summer is drifting away. At least the weather here in Okotoks has been excellent the last couple of weeks, making up, somewhat, for the six weeks of rain and gloom.

One highlight of August was the annual Calgary literary conference When Words Collide 2025. Beyond being the co-chair and on the conference committee, I ran the Merchant Room and was part of a number of panels and events including Sword & Sorcery: Now and Then, The End of Evil, Live Action Slush (Fantasy/Urban Fantasy) and Noir at the Bar (in a real bar for a change!).

And speaking of literary pursuits, my story “Cheeseburger Philosophy and the King of Kings” will be out in a fabulous new anthology Monstrous Angels come November. Love the cover!

Now that all the Summer events are done, it’s time for…Fall events. But still time for writing.

Current projects:

• Completed writing (with Sarah L. Pratt) a Trace and Solomon story called ‘The Boiling Confluence’ for our upcoming Purgatorio Sloth anthology.
• Editing all the stories for the upcoming Purgatorio Sloth anthology from The Seventh Terrace.
• Tuning up a few short stories to resubmit to various markets.
• Outlining a new Prairie Gothic novel.

Next publications:

• Cheeseburger Philosophy and the King of Kings story (from Terrace VI: Forbidden Fruit) will be in Monstrous Angels, in November 2025.
• A flash titled ‘To the Bone’ will be coming out sometime in 2025. Hopefully…
• My cosmic horror novel A Queen in Amber will be out Fall of 2025.

The Great Canadian Death Race ended up being less than ideal. Rainy, muddy, and injured. At least I’ll have time to recover before racing in 2026!

Recent movies and television:

• Ghost Stories (2017) – Was okay until the end.
• Junk Head – An excellent stop motion movie – track this down!
• The Girl on the Third floor – hmm

I’m currently reading:

• Moonflow by Bitter Karella (decent)
• A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck (thought provoking and excellent)
• The Drawing of the Dark by Tim Powers (re-read – all time favourite)
• The Butcher’s Masquerade by Matt Dinniman (fun)

I’m currently listening to:

• Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication
• Van Halen – 1984
• Billy Idol – Cyberpunk

It’s been a great July (aside from the overly complicated and fickle weather). Had a fun week running beautiful trails and drinking wild cocktails in Victoria, BC. Then did a road trip to southern Saskatchewan where we camped at the amazing Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park, explored Swift Current (so loved Nightjar!), and then more exploration in Moose Jaw for the tunnels and bookstores and other weird old places. Especially loved staying at the stately Grant Hall Hotel and going for dinner at fabulous Hopkins Dining Parlour. Even met the Mayor of MJ in the Burrowing Owl Lounge!

And somewhere along the way my Sword & Sorcery story, ‘Chitin is not Bone’, was published in the July Issue of Crimson Quill Quarterly, alongside some fantastic authors.

“…after a furtive flight across Quall, Lord Ravencroft, the Baron of Bone, and Lady Cyn, Knight of Lost Carcosa, found themselves sodden and miserable, deep within the jungle canyons of Tsombu.” – Karl Kurlander, Cyn and Bones, Volume One

Summer is busy, busy, but still writing where possible. I’m happy to announce I’ll have a story in the Monstrous Angels anthology coming out in the Fall I believe. More info when I have it, but I’ll be happy to see my Cheeseburger Philosophy and the King of Kings story (from Terrace VI: Forbidden Fruit) reprinted. One of my favourite stories! Be great if more people read and hopefully enjoyed it.

Current projects:

• Writing (with Sarah L. Pratt) a Trace and Solomon story tentatively called ‘The Boiling Confluence’.
• Writing another Cyn and Bones Sword & Sorcery story tentatively called ‘The Surly Merman’.

Next publications:

• Cheeseburger Philosophy and the King of Kings story (from Terrace VI: Forbidden Fruit) will be in Monstrous Angels, sometime later in 2025.
• A flash titled ‘To the Bone’ will be coming out sometime in 2025. Hopefully…
• My cosmic horror novel A Queen in Amber will be out Fall of 2025.

The Great Canadian Death Race is this upcoming weekend – thankfully only the Near Death Marathon. The weather is in flux, so I’m praying that it’s not too cold/rainy, but that’s part of the charm.

Recent movies and television:

• Sinners – Might be the best movie of the year! Loved it. And love the blues.
• Demonic – Can’t say it stuck the ending, but decent.
• Murderbot (Apple) – Enjoyable. I see it’s renewed for season 2, so yay.
• Love Island USA S7 (Crave) – got sucked into this. Again. Hmm.
• Strange New Worlds S3 (Paramount) – always fun.
• The Long Way Home (Apple) – still chugging away on it.

I’m currently reading:

• Within the Weeping Eye by Mathew John
• The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman (done! on audiobook. Excellent)
• Carl’s Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman (done! Loved it)
• The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook by Matt Dinniman (done! Loved it)

I’m currently listening to:

• Sinners Soundtrack
• Ozzy Osbourne – Bark at the Moon

The release of Desert Artemisia: Badlands Bits & Bones on June 4th was a fabulous party and a total blast! We literally packed the Owl’s Nest Books, standing room only. Lots of readings, poetry, art, and music. I love mixed media projects, definitely be doing more of these.

We sold a ton of books and hit the local best seller list, second only to The Seventh Terrace’s very own Sarah L. Pratt’s novella They’re all Named Poppy that launched at the same event.

Still not finding a ton of time to write, but such is life. I’m happy to announce I sold my latest story, a Sword & Sorcery tale, to Crimson Quill Quarterly. It will be in their July 2025 issue, and I’m totally stoked. It’s a fantastic magazine. I’ll be in great company for this one.

Current projects:

• Started writing a new Sword & Sorcery story tentatively called ‘One Surly Merman’.

Next publications:

• A Sword & Sorcery story called ‘Chitin is Not Bone’ will be out Summer of 2025 in Crimson Quill Quarterly.
• A flash titled ‘To the Bone’ will be coming out the Spring of 2025.
• My cosmic horror novel A Queen in Amber will be out Fall of 2025.

Ran the 50k distance Klondike Ultra trail race in last week. Not a mountain race, but most of the trails were sand. Which was challenging to say the least. Finished with a decent time, even with my poor destroyed feet, so there’s that. Fort Assiniboine and Sandhills Wildland Provincial Park are quite the places. Bit wild, mostly in a good way, and so entirely elemental. Not sure I’d run that one again, yet I’m glad I did it once.

Next up, I’ll be running Death Race again – thankfully only the Near Death Marathon this time. So, a hell of a lot of vertical training for the next few weeks.

Recent movies and television:

• Murderbot (Apple)
• The Long Way Home (Apple)
• Hell Hole (Shudder)

I’m currently reading:

• The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
• Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman (done! – great fun)
• Carl’s Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman
• Crimson Quill Quarterly back issues (#2-#3)
• The Devils by Joe Abercrombie (Audio)

I’m currently listening to:

• Van Halen – 1984
• Tom Petty – Into the Great Wide Open
• Desert Artemisia – Jim Jackson

After a lot of wrangling, I’m super stoked to see our new book come out next month. If you’re in Calgary June 4th, come join us.

The Alberta Badlands. A region better known for what lies beneath – coal, fossils, and the geologic strata of deep time – than what lives above. Living itself is an act of rebellion in these scarred hills. Alongside the hardy sage, prickly pear, and circling crows, there are certain people drawn to the fragile beauty of this land, where Old Gods emerge from the sun-baked sediment, calling to lost souls. A broken-hearted grave digger discovers that nothing in the badlands can be buried, without unearthing something else.  In the long shadow of the Hoodoos, night blooming flowers conceal a gateway to salvation, and immortality is on offer within the damp, black wounds carved deep into the earth. But always for a price. The price of bone, and blood. Desert Artemisia is a collection of fiction, poetry, illustrations, and music created and curated by artists deeply captivated by one of the most haunting places on Earth.

With art by Janice Blaine, Poems and Photography by Peter Story and Bob Canuel, Music by Jim Jackson, and prose by Jim Jackson, Lareina Abbott, F.B. McRory, Sarah L. Pratt and Robert Bose

Arriving Early June, 2025

Not much time to write of late, but I chip away at it when possible.

Current projects:

• Polishing up a story called ‘Greywater Blues’ for the next Purgatorio Curio titled Terrace IV: Noonday Demon.
• Completed and started subbing a Sword & Sorcery story called ‘Chitin is Not Bone’.

Next publications:

• My story prairie gothic story ‘Blackdamp’ will be in a book titled Desert Artemisia, out Spring of 2025
• A flash titled ‘To the Bone’ will be coming out the Spring of 2025 – details to follow once I can reveal them.
• My cosmic horror novel A Queen in Amber will be out Summer of 2025.

Next ultramarathon will be the 50k at Klondike Ultra in June. Then, rather regrettably, I’ll be running Death Race again – thankfully only the Near Death Marathon this time.

Recent movies and television:

• The Bondsman on Prime.
• Soooo many B movies on Tubi

I’m currently reading:

• The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
• Dun Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
• Times Never Change by John R. Fultz (done!)
• Crimson Quill Quarterly #6
• Swords & Sorceries – Tales of Heroic Fantasy #10
• Savage Realms Monthly – multiple issues

I’m currently listening to:

• Ghost – Skeletá
• Desert Artemisia – Jim Jackson

All work and no play make Rob a dull boy, so cheers!

I incorrectly assumed that January would be light. It was not. Neither was February. A chaos tornado of every goddamn thing you can imagine, only made worse by world affairs.

Spring is near. I can feel it in my old bones.

I’m hoping to find more time to write more in 2025!

Current projects:

• Working away on a story called ‘Red Lantern’ for the next Purgatorio Curio titled Terrace IV: Noonday Demon.
• Working on a Sword & Sorcery story called ‘Shore’.
• Completed and revised a Sword & Sorcery story called ‘Chitin’.

Next publications:

• My story prairie gothic story ‘Blackdamp’ will be in a book titled Desert Artemisia, out Spring of 2025
• A flash titled ‘To the Bone’ will be coming out the Spring of 2025 – details to follow once I can reveal them.
• My cosmic horror novel A Queen in Amber will be out Summer of 2025.
• A short story titled ‘Eden’ coming out in the Fall of 2025 in the Prairie Devil anthology.

Due to the current wild world instability, I’ve decided to can my trip to Utah for the Zion Ultra and instead do the more local Klondike Ultra in June. Then, rather regrettably, I’ll be running Death Race again – thankfully only the Near Death Marathon this time.

Recent movies and television:

• Goosebumps 2025 Season
• Shoresy on Crave

I’m currently reading:

• Immaculate Scoundrels by John R. Fultz
• Book of Blades II and III
• To Walk on Worlds by Matthew John (Done – two thumbs up)
• Welgar the Cursed by David A. Riley (Done – two thumbs up)
• Old Moon Quarterly Volume 8 (Laird Barron, Langan and Fultz! – so good)
• Savage Realms Monthly – multiple issues (always entertaining)

I’m currently listening to:

• The Cure – Disintegration
• FM – Tonight