Heroes in Hell?
What a Novel Idea

Last time out, we took a quick peek at the anthologies making up the underworld of Heroes in Hell. As I mentioned, there are currently seven anthologies available to choose from, involving an equal number of warped and wonderful themes, all of them expounding the many vagaries you’ll find throughout the many levels of hell.

 However, the more astute reader will have noted I also made mention of four novels, the first of which is shown above. Written by Nebula award winner Michael A. Armstrong, it is a standalone story in its own right. Here’s the blurb to give you an idea of what to expect:

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In hell, all souls believe they don’t belong there. To sweeten their torment, Satan offers the damned the illusion of escape. Job, the Ombudsman, has the bitter job of trying to be their advocate. If no soul gets saved, the illusion shatters, so Satan gives Job the almost impossible task: help a soul escape from hell. With the help of the poets Hart Crane, Emily Dickinson, and Ezra Pound, and through the magic of the Brooklyn Bridge, they seek to redeem the soul of Washington A. Roebling, the builder of the bridge.

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It’s a great premise, and I had the pleasure of reading this story along with the other anthologies in my preparations to join the Heroes in Hell team. Find out what I thought of Bridge Over Hell here:

 

Amazon kindle review

 But that’s just one of the four novels that make up part of the Heroes in Hell canon. I had the privilege of not only contributing to the anthologies, you see, but of writing the other three novels myself: 

Hell Bound, Hell Hounds, and Hell Gate.

Here’s a brief taster of what those stories contain:

 

In hell, none of the condemned believes they deserve to be there. And that’s fine, so long as they’re not foolish enough to try and do anything about it. For those that do, there’s always Satan’s Reaper–and chief bounty hunter–Daemon Grim.

Feared throughout the many layers of the underverse, no one in their right mind dares to cross him.

However, when Grim discovers that someone has attempted to evade injustice, and seems hell-bent on gaining access to ancient angelic artifacts, proscribed since the time of the original rebellion in heaven, circumstances point to the fact they may be doing just that.

The question is...why?

Thus begins an investigation that leads Grim throughout the many contradictory and baffling levels of the underworld, where he unearths a conspiracy that is not only eating its way like a cancer through the highest echelons of Hellion society, but one which threatens the very stability of Satan’s rule.

How does Daemon Grim Respond?

Rest assured. It’ll be bloody, brutal, and despicably wicked.

 

Feared throughout the many circles of the underworld, Satan’s Reaper – and chief bounty hunter – Daemon Grim, is known as a true force to be reckoned with.

Having eliminated a major player in the uprising eating its way like a cancer through the underbelly of hell, Grim is stunned to discover he cannot afford to rest on his laurels, for the rebellion runs far deeper than was ever imagined. New players have emerged – denizens with uncanny abilities – who seem determined to support Chopin and Tesla’s revolutionary agenda.

Ever keen to test their mettle, the Sibitti – personified weapons of the ancient Babylonian plague god, Erra – also appear eager to capitalize on the growing unrest, and set about maneuvering events in order to place themselves in direct opposition to Grim’s investigation.

And if that was not cause for concern enough, there’s an insane angel on the loose, a creature as hell-bent on creating havoc as he is to return home.

How do Grim and his rabid pack of bounty hunters respond?

Baying for blood – doesn’t even begin to describe it.

 

The Angel Grislington is dead, effaced from existence during an epic battle with Daemon Grim that destroyed a Zion forged blade and one of Satan’s premier palaces in the process.

Chopin and Tesla have gone to ground. So much so, that they might as well be six feet under helping to push up hell-daisies.

Even Erra and the Sibitti, his living weapons of vengeance and destruction, seem reticent to show their faces.

Rioting sweeps the length and breadth of the underworld. Yet the halls of the Mortuary lie vacant, for someone is stealing soul-essence, the very means by which Satan condemns sinners to everlasting torment.

But who would do such a thing? And how does the hush that descends upon the dirty streets of latterday hell tie into ancient prophecy relating to the Reaper’s destiny?

It’s often calmest before the storm.

Just imagine how bad things will get with the apocalypse approaching.

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So, just how bad DO things get?

Well, to find out the answer to that – and indeed, how Job fared with his assignment in Bridge Over Hell – I’d ask you click on any of the links within this actual article, or in the sidebar of the blog itself, to find out. Failing that, why not pop along to Perseid Press to see everything on offer?

 

Perseid Press

And when you’ve done that, just bear in mind that this is an ever-expanding universe. There are no bounds to its reach and influence. Good news indeed for those who like to delve into the foul and fiendish tales on offer.

Why?

Because there’s further mischief afoot. That’s why!

As to what that mischief is, exactly, why not stop by next time to find out the very latest news from the Heroes in Hell universe, and indeed, the latest exploits of Satan’s Reaper in his never-ending mission to bring hell’s miscreants to heel. You'll be glad you did.

 Heroes in Hell

For those of you who have might not be familiar with the Heroes in Hell universe, here’s what Wikipedia has to say about it:

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Heroes in Hell is a series of shared world fantasy books, within the genre Bangsian fantasy/horror, created and edited by Janet Morris and written by her, Chris Morris, C. J. Cherryh and others. The first 12 books in the series were published by Baen Books between 1986 and 1989, and stories from the series include both Hugo Award winners and Nebula nominees.

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Janet resurrected the series through her own publishing company – The Perseid Press – in 2011 with Lawyers in Hell, and the universe has continued to expand with six anthologies and four novels since then:

As you can see from this quick glimpse, there’s a wealth of dark and despicable delights to delve into. And what a choice! Bent lawyers; devious rogues; hopeless dreamers; cursed poets; censured doctors; dastardly pirates, and hapless lovers.

But why so many?

Ah, that’s what you have to understand about hell, it’s an ever expanding smorgasbord of shameful deviants with all sorts of perverted desires that ends up dooming them to eternal suffering.

Here’s a little equation I like to use to explain why Heroes in Hell keeps getting bigger and better.

dS >> 0ᵑ

Now, some of you might recognize this equation, as it’s the satanized version of the second law of thermodynamics. Or, as its better known in the underverse, the Law of Infernodynamics.

Let's break it down a little:
Basically, the sum of each condemned soul’s damnation, (d),
Combined with (S), Satan’s all-pervading unholy will,
Is vastly greater, (>>) than anyone’s chance of escaping or being happy again, aptly represented by, (0ᵑ), that’s zero to the nth degree!

Ouch!

So, what’s in store for those who end up in one of the many levels of hell?

Ah, for that I’d encourage you to stop by, either at The Perseid Press

Perseid Press

 Or at your favorite online book retailer to find out more.

 

And if you’re unsure as to where might be a good place to start, why not pick a theme that appeals. After all, there are plenty topics to choose from, and the choice is only going to get bigger.

Stay tuned, you’ll find out what I mean in the next post.