A huge congratulations to Slothargy for completing his first major story A Holsom Women’s Social, and it is major!

Sloth popped up on Yahoo Groups a few years ago, enjoying Artists Masterpiece and offering to pen some illustrations of Emily and Anne’s transformation. Of course Dave and I agreed, but then quickly lost contact. Reappearing just about a year ago now, Sloth was inspired by Dollhood and the idea of ornamental, customized wives, constrained by both upbringing and the world they live in (you see the parallels?). Excited by a like mind, I implored him to take his notes from years ago, strong but loose ideas, and fashion them into a story to rival Dollhood. And he has!

Clocking in at about 48000 words, the first entry in the Holsom saga/series sets the stage of a community (and country) that is all at once like some fading image of 1950s New England, and something slick and shiny from the future, cast through the prism of Alex Streuth, Simon Benson, Dave Potter, Erenisch, Benfann, Sador, and other talespinners and artists twisting the human body into something relentlessly purposeful and inescapable. It is a refraction of Ira Levin’s Stepford, and a step beyond.

Take a read and see what you think, as the newly-wed Cherry is escorted to her neighborhood’s Women’s Social so she can mix and mingle with the other women of good standing. With each word, Slothargy (and myself as editor and sounding board) twists that classic idyllic image of male dominance into something new and original.

Like Sador, Slothargy has allowed me to share his story here for your reading, but please follow the links in each chapter to find his original illustrations.

Cherry Crane, alone in her room.

P.S. Website Updates

I’ve made some changes to improve flow. To reduce confusion with site navigation and the full story page, I’ve added some ‘jump to top’ buttons to that long long list (may it grow ever longer), and properly indicated in clearer terms what is a commission, what is a guest story, etc. in the Table of Contents. I will be adding this elevator button to other pages as I get the code generalized. (edit: done!)

I made some other changes that actually hindered continuity, so those got the axe.