Travel Bug
Authors: David Kempf
Travel Bug
“David Kempf has written a book I would bet my life will never be made into a movie. At least no major studio would touch it. Hollywood is too money centered and cowardly. Now to be honest, I mean that as the ultimate compliment. Travel Bug has something within its pages to challenge and offend everyone. And it does this while providing a story that is remarkably unique, terrifying, enlightening, funny and compelling. A search for faith and utopia becomes a descent into madness. Politically incorrect and dystopian, it will make you laugh and cry at the human condition. Oh, did I mention it’s one of the most original time travel tales I’ve ever read? Brave readers with thick skin will enjoy this novel that is almost impossible to categorize. And it will haunt them long after they’ve finished the last page.”
—Jon Donnis, editor
Masters of Horror U.K.
“A non-stop adventure with an innovative take on time travel.”
—Neil Davies, author of
Hard Winter
and
The Village Witch
“An intensely written piece of philosophical dark fantasy.”
—Lucas Mangum, author of FLESH AND FIRE
“David Kempf’s TRAVEL BUG is a hugely ambitious novel that really delivers the goods. The incredible scope of the story transports the reader to a nightmare where gallows humor is never far away from the horror and drama, but in which humanity, and the love of family, eventually wins the day. Simply unmissable.”
—Darren R. Scothern, author of
Abominations
and
Blood Brothers
.
“David Kempf has penned a chilling tale of science fiction, horror and the unknown that will leave you pondering, or maybe dreading, the chances of an afterlife.”
—Sherry Decker, contributing author
Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine
and author of
Hook House and Other Horrors
.
“From a terrifying subspecies of the Scarab beetle to a powerful family’s buried secrets,
’Travel Bug’
blurs the line between science fact and scientific possibility, between monster and victim, and leaves the reader’s perception of time ‘shaken
and
stirred’.”
—Daniel Thomas, sound editor
Jaws: The Revenge
and
The Executioner’s Song.
“Travel Bug… A dizzying blend of time travel, deep dark secrets, insanity, good versus evil… a genre-defying novel for the brave and non-judgmental… what more can I say? Read it!”
—Raven Dane, author of
Death’s Dark Wings
and
Legacy of The Dark Kind
series.
The Horror Of It All
“David Kempf has interviewed an impressive list of writers, editors, artists, and composers for this fascinating book. Revealing and unique. A rich feast indeed.”
—William F. Nolan (co-author,
Logan’s Run
)
“If interviews are intended to elicit compelling and significant information, then consider this collection a textbook standard for the horror industry. The Horror of It All is a fascinating insight into the minds of horror professionals across the spectrum of allied industries; books, movies, art, and more, each with acumen, each with wisdom, that David Kempf skillfully draws forth.”
—Eric J. Guignard, editor of
After Death
… and author of
Baggage of Eternal Night
“This wonderful collection of interviews covers the whole range of the horror genre, from movies to music to books and beyond. If you’re a horror fan in any way, you’ll find something fascinating within these pages!”
—Jeff Strand
“Fascinating! A far-ranging mix of interviews with actors, writers, directors and even academics, brought together by their love of the dark arts. This is an important collection benefitting an even more important cause. I will give you a word of warning, though. After reading this, the list of movies and books you’re going to want to hunt down will grow huge.”
—Joe McKinney, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of
Plague of the Undead
and
Dog Days
““The Horror Of It All is a fascinating series of interviews that comprehensively cover the horror field, from fiction to film to illustration to editing. A worthy addition to the reference shelf for anyone interested in horror and dark fiction.”
—Aaron Sterns
“This book is for first-time novelists and professionals alike. Movie fare proved highly intriguing to a movie buff like me.”
—Tom Piccirilli, author of
A Choir of Ill Children
and
The Last Kind Words
“David Kempf’s new book, THE HORROR OF IT ALL, is a fascinating journey into the mindset of various creators and what attracts them to express their worldview by way of horror imagery and narrative. With a heartfelt introduction from Jonathan Maberry, this volume features concise interviews with a variety of both new talents and veterans alike. Sure to please any devotee of the genre, and for a great cause: The proceeds go toward the eradication of MND (Motor Neuron Disease), also known as ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease).”
—Jason V Brock (author, DISORDERS OF MAGNITUDE)
Dark Fiction
“With DARK FICTION, talented newcomer David Kempf kicks open doors into a lot of the darker places of the human mind and soul. Dark, fast, and wicked fun… this is book with real bite.”
—Jonathan Maberry,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Patient Zero
and
Dead of Night
“DARK FICTION is one scary novel…”
—George Robinson, Bucks County Newspapers
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without prior written permission of author/publisher, except for a brief quote or description for a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters and places written within are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales are coincidental.
Copyright 2016 David Kempf
I would like to acknowledge the following people:
Stephen Kirby, Edward Khayat, Jr., Jeffrey Brooks, Robert Bense, Rebecca Fell, Jennifer Mills, William T. Murray, Anne Dubuisson Anderson, Erin Hynd Potter, Yannis Nicolas Demetriou, Jon Donnis, George Robinson, Kimberly Hitchens, Kib Prestridge, Rich McGinley, Michael Phipps, Dan Stark and Lucas Mangum.
AND…… a special thanks to the effects wizard John Dods and actor George Stover for keeping the magic of movies alive.
AND…… a special thanks to Duncan Long for his remarkable work on my book cover. Thanks brother, you made something special. God bless.
FOR MY GRANDFATHER HAROLD
WHO LOVED TO READ
TRAVEL BUG
By David Kempf
TRAVELING THROUGH TIME
“Man can go up against gravitation in a balloon, and why should he not hope that ultimately he will be able to stop or accelerate his drift along the Time Dimension or even turn about and travel the other way.”
—H.G. Wells
— “The Time Machine”
The Wisdom of Fools
“It’s hidden!”
“What?”
“The majesty of the gods and all their glory,” said Enoch.
“No,” said Erasmus.
“No?”
“If we were not so far from our villages, I would never tell you this. The gods are simply fables to control men and keep them from revolting.”
“Why don’t you believe in the gods?”
“So many reasons,” said Erasmus. “There are more reasons not to believe in them than there are beautiful stars in the sky.”
“Don’t you mean the heavens?” Enoch asked.
Erasmus laughed. Their jaunts together were a source of great joy for him. They were nobles, Enoch from Greece, Erasmus from central Europe. These Turkish desert trips were pleasurable but the nights were dreadfully cold for the two gentlemen. Sometimes the wind would make their fire disappear but they always had ample portable shelter, the best money could buy.
“Name your reasons, sir,” Enoch said as they set up portable shelter.
“There are too many.”
“Name the ones that best support your argument.”
“Men have done unspeakable evil, everything from burning others alive to crucifixion. If there are gods then how in the world can they just sit back and watch their mortal subjects suffer so?”
“There is wisdom among the fools,” said Enoch.
“What do you mean?”
“If life is random and meaningless, then faith is something that makes them feel important.”
“Do you feel important, yourself, Enoch?”
At that moment the two men heard an odd noise, strange humming sound that was coming down at them from the heavens. Enoch and Erasmus looked up at what looked like some kind of flying monster from Greek mythology. It was gray so it must have had armor on. The many red eyes shining through the armor made the men tremble with fear. No. Not eyes but perhaps fire? They were terrified. The thing was lit up but not with fire.
At close range, it appeared as if it were made of iron. It was large and round and loud and terrifying! Suddenly Enoch vanished before his friend’s eyes. Erasmus watched in utter disbelief as the iron beast flew back into the heavens.
The Wisdom of Fools
Part 2:
One less God
“It’s time you meet my master and yours,” the creature said.
“Yes,” Enoch answered.
They hooked up into their brainwave frequency device. All of the information he could handle was instantly telepathically transmitted into Enoch’s mind.
The new Enoch was teleported before the great council. It was a huge part of their spaceship. There was a round table with species from all over all known worlds and universes sitting around it.
“Remarkable,” said Enoch.
“This includes all parallel worlds as well,” a voice said.
“Who said that?”
“I did,” said a member of the jury who was half robot and half man. Enoch knew he had been burned alive but saved at the last moment by technology on earth number three.
“Why does the master require of me?”
“You were such a great former believer in the ancient gods of your earth. He will ask your input in inventing another god.”
Enoch had lived to see the birth of Christianity but he had never driven a car or flown in a plane. The man had never even taken a train ride in the old west. Now these creatures expected him to understand things that would drive a man of the 21st century mad! Man’s invention of the gods, he could now see was a monument to their foolishness. The need to control others was made quite an easy task when one believed that another life that actually made sense was just around the corner.
“Are you okay?” his cyborg friend asked.
“This is most difficult to deal with but I’m trying my best.”
“Yes. I believe you are a credit to primitive men.”
“Sir, I was not a caveman writing about the gods on the walls of a filthy cave. I was a nobleman.”
“Understood…”
“My reasoning was sound based upon all the evidence that was available at the time.”
“Yes.”
“This is a lot of your master to ask of me. I was a man with faith in the destiny of man who sided with the gods and now I know they are imaginary.”
“I was brought up in a world that had no such delusions. I am sorry but it is hard for me to empathize with you in that capacity. However, we are both men who went through dramatic transformations. I am half machine now and you are now rational. Amazing changes have occurred thanks to technology.”
“Yes. Bless the miracles of technology.”
“Was that sarcasm?”
“Sorry.”
“That’s okay. Humor is allowed but it serves no real function.”
Enoch had to close his eyes. The council was on a floating round table with about a hundred members present. Most of them were different from what the human race should like to a man from his time. The fact was most were alien species and not human in form whatsoever. Now that he had knowledge of all man’s theories for centuries, he detested the vision of those who still believed in aliens from space, those who would worship them as a higher form of life.
“This council is now in order,” said the sergeant at arms. What a great ironic title, Enoch thought. He appeared to be far more squid than human in his appearance. His tentacles which were too many to count each had a traditional hammer attached. They all came down like thunder, when he brought the meeting of intergalactic species to order.