Clockpunk Stories

(HONORABLE MENTION) Rik Sandro is a dimension traveller. Jumping from one version of the world to another was intriguing at first, until he discovered he can never go home. Now all these new beginnings are just a pain. Maybe it's time to stay in one place. Maybe it's time to settle down. Maybe it's time to fall in love. However, when his latest lover is murdered, Rik fears that he's being stalked and now, he might not have any control over how, where, or when, his life will end. (HONORABLE MENTION and ROUND TWO WINNER ONC2021 ) A clockpunk adventure, my entry for the ONC 2021. (Clockpunk / LGBTQ / Romance / Horror)

"Mystery, adventure, fantasy, and a dash of science-fiction . . . sure to leave the readers wishing they could board the next available transport to Grandeur." -Suzanne Schlossberg Tamberrino Willa always knew one of her mother's crazy inventions would cause trouble. She just didn't think it would get the whole family banished to Grandeur, a hidden city of Geniuses deemed too dangerous to remain Outside. Now, with the help of her cat, the Magnificent Lady Grayson of the Silky White Underbelly, or Just Grayson for Short, Willa and her new friends must scour Grandeur's strange avenues in search of the Clockwerk Boy. Among her encounters: a curiosity shop run by curiously intelligent cats. Gear Hall, where Clockwerks outnumber humans. And the Jolly Rajah, a man-o'-war o' pancakes, where your meal of flapjacks and hot chocolate is served with a brace of pistols and side of grappling hooks. Prepare to be boarded! International Rubery Book Award Shortlist ~ Young Adult Independent Publisher Book Award Medalist ~ Juvenile Fiction National Indie Excellence Award ~ Juvenile Fiction Eric Hoffer Award Category Finalist ~ Young Adult "Thoroughly engrossing story recommended for young sci-fi and fantasy fans who hold a prior attraction to books such as John Bellairs' House with a Clock in its Walls. It's unusual to see such sci-fi depth and detail in a title directed to young adults, but this is precisely what makes Idiot Genius: Willa Snap and the Clockwerk Boy such an appealing production: the characterization is solid while its fantastic setting will intrigue ages well beyond its intended 9-12-year-old audience. Highly recommended for young adults seeking something compellingly different." -D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

A book of general questions, what the profile is about and how you can get your book added to one of our reading lists! *** Cover:

A fairytale from the Clock, or How the World Began. A creation tale of sorts, with princesses, cogs and gears. This is the complete story. There are more at A Distant Mirror: http://adistantmirror.press/airforfire

Bram's world relies on the clocks. Time is the only thing that can be trusted to be reliable, and so, time controls everything. Every bit of machinery, every person's schedule is precise down to the second. The clocks keep the world running, and the Timekeeper keeps the clocks alive. An anonymous figure cloaked in mystery, the Timekeeper is responsible for making sure the clocks are aligned with the universe's time. A clock running late could cause the whole system to slowly decay into complete chaos. And so when the Timekeeper disappears, it doesn't take long for cracks to start appearing, and Bram notices his world starting to fall apart. When he finds himself in possession of a mysterious amulet that carries him to places he never knew existed, he makes it his mission to try and follow the Timekeeper's path, winding through a maze of universes and worlds, racing against time itself. ------------- Written for 2021 open novella contest :D Uses prompt 76: "There are two things keeping this world operating: The clockwork system, and the dimension-traveler."

The private journal of a new immigant to the American Union of Colonies. It documents his adventures, friends, and a very important secret.

In this original clockpunk fairy tale, J.L. Murray spins her usual dark magic in a land both old and familiar. It's a tale of love, loss, and redemption, of dancing bears and clockwork minds. Witches, tinkers, and magical rubies abound in this short novelette about Summer, a young woman who is pure of heart -- even if that heart happens to tick like a clock.

Animus Dresden was a human indeed. Yet you would doubt it when you see what he made and sold in his cozy little workshop. Clocks and horologes, little watches on chains, music boxes and clockwork toys inhabited the shelves and window sills of Mr. Dresden's shop. Visitors were sure that hardly have you even turn your head away, the watches and toy soldier you saw there will come alive. Mr. Dresden only smiled at that. But that was not far from truth... // A short story inspired by the track Mechanical Anima by Steampianist :) Cover artwork is made by me.

It was the Watchmaker's ordinary working day. Or, to be more precise, ordinary morning. It was quiet, for nobody showed up in the workshop. Who in the world is mad enough to wonder the outskirts of the town so early? It can only be that some of his colleagues might drop by for some business talks. All of the sudden somebody knocked the door... One more one-shot related to my big (and still unfinished) original project about magic, space and cosmic railways. It is a bonus-story for an actual project which can be uploaded separately :3 Before you ask: -Four Mages are four entities who, basically speaking, rule the Universe (or, in some way, they ARE the Universe). I've got a lot of stuff about them which is to be finished and edited. Stay tuned C: -In one more of my stories related to this project, the Wizard is the Mage of fantasy, but here the Watchmaker is claimed so. The matter is that the Watchmaker was her predecessor. -Cantones is a type of subjects of federation, like states in the USA or provinces in Canada. Illustrations are mine.

She wakes up in a strange world she doesn't remember... Who are her allies? Who are her enemies? Who was the man from her dream? Absent the Light is a steampunk adventure story that collides with the supernatural. Strange machines. Terrifying monsters. A tantalizing mystery. Start a new journey now. Art used on the cover by Isaac Novak, isaacnovak.com

Prodigial clockwork magician Clarity Lavine gets caught up in the complex world of humans and Fae when the prince of her country comes to her for help. Prince Amaris of Arbor lost his mother, as well as half his body, in a Fae attack six years ago. The magic that lets him live has been going haywire, and only the help of the Fae and a certain clockwork magician can save the day. Their journey will bring more than just the truth. They may just find the connection both their hearts have been searching for.

After recovering from his wounds, Dean is keen to get back to his hometown, even if that means being part of a guild maintenance crew. But joining one will take him out of the comfort of his fellow Searchers in Hemmark. Plus, his hometown of Selene could turn out to be more dangerous than he could ever imagine. Meanwhile, Eloise manages to join the guild's governing council. And so does the Tender faction's latest minion. This is the turning point in the series, but which faction will go on to decide the fate of magic in Anproch -- the scholarly Searchers or the utilitarian Tenders?

When a worker is severely mistreated by his boss, he devises a most original method of revenge. Based on the song "The Watchmaker's Apprentice" by the Clockwork Quartet (found on the website www.clockworkquartet.com; I am not affiliated with this group in any way).

In early 13th century, Latin invaders came on their flying galleys and conquered the defenceless Byzantine Empire. Forty years later, a fragile peace between the victorious nobles is maintained by way of anemo regattas, races of flying boats, with the winner granted any wish that is in the Emperor's power to deliver. Ikaria is not a Latin - she's a half-Greek daughter of a brilliant anemo engineer, and a genius of the science herself; her dream is to one day win the great regatta of Egriponte, the most prestigious of all competitions - but the commoners have just been banned from taking part in the races. To realise her dream, she must ally with a nobleman - a mysterious Greek turncoat, Mikhael.

A collection of short stories and random thoughts, covering various genres and tropes. Expect the unusual.

The story of a grim reaper who valued his duty above all else, the dying girl who taught him to love, and the necromancer who kept them apart. Cover art by Angi-kat at DeviantArt

​A mysterious Traveler. A violet flame. A trade made in the dark. ​On the day they turn five, Zain and Clair are given the power to reshape their destiny with a single breath. But a wish made in desperation rarely turns out how one imagines. Twenty years later, the consequences of that day have ripened into a fierce struggle for control. Now the two find themselves on opposite sides of a war for their home, they discover that the true cost of magic isn't paid when the candle is lit-it's paid when the smoke clears.