Bewildering Stories welcomes...

Michael Panush

Michael lives in Sacramento, California, where he’s a student. At age 18 he doesn’t really come close to the record for the youngest contributor to Bewildering Stories; that’s held by Katherine Allen, at age 14.

However, Michael has accumulated an impressive running start in publishing: his works have appeared in various e-zines and he’s self-publishing an “illustrated weird Western” book.

if “Culpug the Cavelord and the Ice Reavers” is any indication, Michael’s success is understandable. The story is loaded with semi-comic irony that stands the time-honored genre of the barbarian-warrior fantasy on its head. Fans of Robert E. Howard’s Conan may enjoy it or cringe, according to their inclination.

The very name Culpug hardly befits a barbarian warrior hero: the clashing consonants are much less suitable for a battle cry than the vowels in a name like Conan. Further, the description and characterization are over the top: not so much that they’re a hoot but enough to let the reader know at the outset that as barbarian epics go, this one is going to be just a bit much.

The strategy works to perfection: the action revels in impossibly superhuman strength and in blood & gore that standard epics normally allude to. The parody would have been tasteless had it been done with slapstick. And at the end, Culpug’s conclusion asks the reader in effect: “Take another look: why is this your idea of fun?”

Michael Panush’s bio sketch can be found here.

Welcome to Bewildering Stories, Michael. We hope to hear from you again soon and often!