Short Stories
A listing of my published short fiction in order of first appearance. Click on blue text titles to read online. Click on blue publication links to see more details about the magazine, book or editor. Click on cover thumb-nails to see larger images.
Title
Publication
Covers"Art Critic"
A humorous SF story that was inspired by the Sydney Art Biennale and asks questions about what constitutes good art. If you think the art in this story is weird just have a look at the real thing.
The Cygnus Chronicler, Volume 4 No 3, June 1982
The Melbourne Report, July 1989
"Logic Loop"
A micro-fiction story that is literally a logic loop. A very popular little story published in two anthologies alongside big names such as Robert Heinlein, Frederick Forsyth, H. G. Wells, Arthur C. Clarke and Ray Bradbury among others.
Aphelion #5, Summer 86/87
Worlds in Small (Cacanadadada Books), edited by John Robert Colombo, 1992
Grandes Minicuentos Fantasticos (Alfaguara), edited by Benito Arias Garcia (Spanish translation)
"Errand Run"
Another micro-fiction story from the same issue of Aphelion SF Magazine edited by Peter McNamara.
Aphelion #5, Summer 86/87 "The Place"
A short horror story set and born in a time when few cars had air conditioning and most had vinyl seats. It's based on road-rage incident I observed and wondered what drives a person to such extremes.
Terror Australis #1, April 1988 "Old Wood"
"Old Wood" is a ghost story about haunted timber. It came about as I watched a ship-wright build a unique pergola for a friend. Fortunately the old wood they used came from a different source...
Terror Australis #2, July 1990
Strange Fruit (Penguin Books), edited by Paul Collins, 1995
"Talisman"
"Talisman" is another ghost story, this time set in the steamy jungle of vietnam. The story was judged by Bruce Pascoe as the best local submission, and it later became the basis of my popular story "Ma Rung".
Eastern Regional Libraries Short Story Competition Winners Booklet, ERL, 1990 A futuristic SF story where population control laws force families into making terrible choices (click on the title to read this story online at Eidolon.net).
Eidolon #3, Spring 1990
Beyond (UK), June/July 1995
"Stray Cat"
The original short story as written for adults which later became my spooky children's book The Stray Cat.
EOD Magazine #7, September 1992 "Greater Garbo"
In 1992 I was thinking about garbage and the environment before it became fashionable. And I was thinking about a news story I has seen about a young man marrying an elderly woman. This humorous high-tech SF story combines these two ideas with unexpected results.
Australian & NZ PC User, October 1992 
"In the Light of the Lamp"
This tale is a contemporary Cthulhu Mythos horror story drawing on H.P. Lovecraft's poem "The Lamp of Alhazred" for inspiration. When the Chaosium anthology was published I was delighted to see an extract from my story on the back cover along with an extract by Lovecraft himself!
Terror Australis (Hodder & Stoughton), edited by Leigh Blackmore, 1993
The Cthulhu Cycle (Chaosium, USA), edited by Robert M Price, 1996
Le Cycle de Cthulhu (Oriflam, France), edited by Robert M Price, translated by Eric Holweck, 1998
La Saga de Cthulhu (La Factoria de Ideas, Spain), edited by Robert M Price, translated by Eric Holweck, 2006
"The Sorcerer's Looking Glass"
A young adult fantasy story with a touch of horror. "The Sorcerer's Looking Glass" is a tale of obsession, lust and other dimensions that will make you look twice at mirrors in the future.
Fantastic Worlds (HarperCollins Australia), edited by Paul Collins, 1997
"Ma Rung"
A ghost story that has received as much praise for it's portrayal of the Vietnam jungle and the men who fought there as it has for its supernatural thrills. From the introduction Jack Dann writes: "Paulsen takes us back to the horrors of Vietnam where those walking point sometimes see more than just the Viet Cong in the heat of battle."
Dreaming Down-Under (HarperCollins Australia), edited by Jack Dann & Janeen Webb, 1998
Dreaming Down-Under - Book One (HarperCollins Australia), edited by Jack Dann & Janeen Webb, 1999
"Severing Ties" (with Maurice Xanthos)
A "flash fiction" pun story written with my old friend Maurice Xanthos who unfortunately does not write much these days. The action takes place in the marital bedroom where things come to a grisly end.
Short and Twisted 2009 (Celapene Press) edited by by Kathryn Duncan, 2009.
