Fall 2025 Urban Fantasy Author Update
Hey folks! I just wanted to post a quick urban fantasy author update so you know what I have coming down the pike. Here goes…
What I’m Watching
I’ve been rewatching The Expanse, as it’s been a few years since I finished the series. Watching it all over again is almost like enjoying a brand new series, and once again, I find myself in awe of the way they brought the books to life on screen.
IMO, it’s the best treatment of ship-to-ship combat in space of any sci-fi show, ever. Personally, I find the “dog fighting” scenes to be both mesmerizing and terrifying. I particularly love how the series sets the tone with a pacesetting initial battle that demonstrates just how brutal and unforgiving such fights would be for both crew members and passengers.
I also just finished watching Shrinking with my wife, and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I might. It’s rare that a dramedy hits just the right balance between comic elements and slice-of-life portrayals of character struggles and conflict. This show is on the money about 95% of the time, which is saying something in today’s oversaturated streaming series environment.
If you’re a Harrison Ford fan, or if you remember Ed (the sitcom, not the horrible movie that starred Matt LeBlanc), you’ll enjoy Shrinking. The series has Ed DNA all over it, from the pacing, to the quirky characters, to the skillful set-ups and payoffs viewers are treated to throughout both seasons. Def worth your time, if you like that sort of television.
What I’m Reading
I’m reading through the classic Travis McGee novels, bit by bit. John D. MacDonald did a hell of a job creating a character that has served as the template for thriller novel protagonists such as Jack Reacher, Peter Ash, and, arguably, even Evan Smoak. If you ever wondered where the noble loner vigilante trope started within the action thriller genre, look no further than this series.
I’ve also been reading a couple of books that provide an in-depth look at Judeo-Christian theology as it pertains to the supernatural. The first is the aptly-titled The Unseen Realm by the late Dr. Michael Heiser, and the second is Lord of Spirits by Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick. If you ever had an interest in what the Torah, the Septuagint, and the Apocrypha say about such topics, in the original language, these two texts are a great place to start.
And, I’ve also started reading Dungeon Crawler Carl. I love me some LitRPG, and I had to see what the fuss is about. So far, so good!
What I’m Playing
I was playing Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon (great game), but I set it aside to play the remastered version of Days Gone. I love zombie apocalypse games, especially those that are open world, and Days Gone ranks up there with Dying Light and The Last of Us, both for gameplay and storytelling.
Unfortunately, Days Gone contained way too many masculine themes for it to be favorably received by games industry journalists during the political landscape of its 2019 release. Which is a damned shame, as the overt masculinity of the main character, Deacon, is favorably balanced by several entirely competent and strongly independent female characters throughout the game.
There are so many things to like about Days Gone, from the deep storytelling, to the world-building, to the unique game mechanics, to the way the game constantly keeps you on your toes. Few games have provided me with the adrenalized thrills that the horde-killing missions served up in Days Gone, and the experience is even better in the remastered version.
If you like open world games, if you like mowing down hordes of zombies with all manner of modern and classic firearms, if you enjoy game mechanics that inspire strategic and inventive gameplay, or if you just want to be a drifter living a loner’s existence in a post-apocalyptic world, check out Days Gone Remastered.
What I’m Writing
First, we just released Supervillain Ragnarok on Kindle and paperback, and the audiobook is currently in production. That’s the third and final novel in my superhero fiction series, and at 93,000 words, the longest entry in the trilogy.
Hopefully, it proves to be a satisfying end to the series for print and audiobook readers alike. Steven is working hard on the narration, and we hope to release the audiobook within 30 days. We shall see…
I’ve also started plotting Sylvan Druid, the final book in the Colin McCool Sylvan Cycle Series. This book will tie up several loose ends, and set the stage for several coming series I have planned in the Druidverse®—for Colin, and for other characters in both timelines.
Finally, after I finish writing Sylvan Druid, I’m starting a palate cleanser project that will be somewhat of a departure from stuff I’ve previously written. I’ve been planning this series for over a year, and I have most of the first book mapped out as well as the trilogy arc.
Will it feature characters from the Druidverse®? Yes. Will it also be set in the Druidverse®? Also yes, sort of. You’ll have to wait to see what it entails.
That’s all for now—stay tuned!
~MDM