A.E. Jackson writes uncanny speculative fiction for your enjoyment.
He believes there are malevolent forces, just below the surface, tugging us all down. He knows another force, more benevolent than we deserve, works to keep us buoyant.
He reads Ray Bradbury, Shirley Jackson, Roald Dahl, Stephen King, Paulo Coelho, Richard Matheson, H.P. Lovecraft, and Richard Bach.
He lives in Delaware and is married with two children.
Editor's Log - October 5, 2164 - When I was commissioned to begin this task, I never imagined the sheer volume of terrible work I would wade through. Of course, I was never programmed to imagine in the first place.
Her arthritis shot lightning bolts of pain up her back, along her arm, and into the joints of her withered hand. But she was glad to be out of the house, serving her community, and doing a good deed. The Blood Bank made it clear that Volunteers were one of their greatest assets, after the collected blood.
And then there was Nothing. Which was at least Something. Andre swept his hand across the place where the mouse had been moments ago. Nothing. No fur, no tail, no ears, no eyes. No treat, no crumbs, nothing remained. At last!
On the shelf, DVDs were ordered by release date - It's a Wonderful Life (1946), H.G. Wells' The Time Machine (1960), Somewhere in Time (1980), Time Bandits (1981), Flight of the Navigator (1986), Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989), Terminator 2 (1991), Groundhog Day (1993), Twelve Monkeys (1995)…
Tony DeLorenta ran through the dark corridor in search of an exit. He stumbled up a flight of stairs. He fumbled with the handrail which was broken in several places. His foot crashed through the landing at the top of the staircase. All told, Tony was in a tough situation.
She placed her hot hand on the cold wood. The hinge squeaked in protest as the porch door flapped open. Linda Julip stepped out into the night and a raging storm. The rain pelted her face, soaked her hair, and made her white silk blouse translucent.
Tim lay on the thick carpet in front of the old television playing Nintendo. The plastic block in his hand tilted left, then right, in an effort to will the 8-bit character further with each move. His thumb darted left and mashed the Start button to freeze the action.
The light burst from the ends of her tangled hair, and the tips of her dirty fingernails. It shot from every crease of her tan skin, and poured from the wide open portals formed by her eyes and mouth.
A.E. Jackson’s psychological horror gem “Rest and Relaxation” ... tale twists and turns, finally settling into a finale fit for a Twilight Zone script. The anthology is worth buying for these five stories alone, but no matter what the reader fancies, as long as it’s unsettling, s/he is certain to find something melodiously creepy in Symphony of the Damned. - The Horror Tree
A.E. Jackson offers a labyrinth of portentous short fiction filled with imagination, spookiness, and slow burn suspense. It’s impossible to stop reading! - Katherine Briggs, Author
Very creative concept and storyline. Again, great start. I could see a few chapters developing from what you've already written as a short story. - Sara Novocin, Reader
'The Waking Game' was a wonderfully dark, compelling story. I had a hard time at first figuring out the motivation. There were times when it seemed like Billy really didn't want to do this and others when he clearly did. Once I caught on, I loved it. - Bradley Caffee, Author
In such a short piece, A.E. Jackson introduced rich characters with minimal dialogue. Each with their own unique voice. I loved piecing together the clues given in this story. - Mark Dickey, Reader
'The Waking Game' was well written. The depth of details were amazing. It reminded me a lot of different dangers that kids are trying today. It really helps the reader see what kind of dangers that kids are trying to do to get attention from the peers and also to impress girls. There were a lot of nice details about the characters... It was nicely written and kept you on the edge of your seat. - Kara Stalnaker, Author and Screenwriter
Definitely interesting and kept me wanting to read more. I love the different perspectives of the characters. Love the suspense! Great job. - Amanda Wallace, Reader
This one is the best yet! If you keep writing this kind of story, you’ll be my favorite author! It’s Twilight Zone meets Edgar Allan Poe – two of my favorite things!! I was just in the story and didn’t notice anything else. Page turner. - Mitzi Smith, Author
Very suspenseful! Couldn’t put it down. I was intrigued and read happily till the end. I think it was really well done! - Bonnie Kendall, Editor
