Gunning for the Buddha (Story Collections Book 1)

If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.A young woman struggling with drug addiction catches aliens on her digital camera. A man with elemental powers struggles with morality and carrying out the orders of his bosses. The dead leave their graves and take up... surfing?Gunning for the Buddha collects fifteen stories that range from near-future science fiction to historical dark fantasy and contemporary horror, touching on a range of genres in the process. These wide-ranging stories were previously published in magazines such as Asimov's, Strange Horizons, The Best of All Flesh, and Writers of the Future.Enjoy the voyages, and watch out for false Buddhas on the road!“Don’t be looking for bold starship captains or warrior maidens wielding magic swords in Gunning for the Buddha. Michael Jasper serves up something refreshingly different: a heady brew of ordinary folks making tough decisions at the far edges of reality. Spend some time with these stories and you’re bound to bump into people you know who find themselves in places you’ve only dreamed about.” — Hugo-winning author James Patrick Kelly“Mike Jasper brings the common touch to the most uncommon situations. Welcome to his world.” — Nebula-winning author John Kessel

From Publishers Weekly

Jasper's style is all over the place in his first collection—the influence of such established SF authors as John Kessel (who provides an introduction), Tim Powers and Andy Duncan is manifest—but readers curious to see the growth of a writer one story at a time will be rewarded. The title tale involves time travel with an atmospheric twist. Black comedy marks "A Feast at the Manor," with its desperate dieters, and "Goddamn Redneck Surfer Zombies," about a small beach community dealing with a seasonal influx of the undead. Less successful are "Unplugged," about outmoded cyber cowboys, and "Working the Game," in which a downtrodden worker finally realizes there's no way to beat the system. "Explosions" and the three tales that follow explore the repercussions when humans attempt to make a place for the alien Wannoshay after their space ship crashes on Earth. The last four entries are the most memorable, the standout being the evocative and vivid "Natural Order," which Jasper calls in his afterword "the best story I've ever written in ten hours." (Apr.)

About the Author

Michael Jasper loves to explore the places where the normal meets the strange. In pursuit of this fascination, he has written and published ten novels, over sixty short stories, and a digital comic with artist Niki Smith. In the past he attempted bartending, teaching junior high, painting houses, being a secret shopper, working construction, and many more jobs; he prefers fiction writing. For his day job, he works as a technical writer. He lives with his family in North Carolina, and his website is michaeljasper.net.

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