The Terminal Press

30/10/2025

Dr Nathan grunted... preposterous, he thought. Was the janitor who wrote this spending extra time in the solvents storage room?

29/10/2025

Dr Nathan smiled... L*D? Well, that might explain a few stories in _Latent Content_.

28/10/2025

Dr Nathan thought of JG Ballard: "Reality now is a kind of huge advertising campaign, selling television’s image of what life is about." Apparently the janitor wrote a story about that in Latent Content...

27/10/2025

Dr Nathan thought, what the hell... telling people about a book is basically meaningless. You have to show, not tell, William. His assistant genuflected. What say we do some teasers, Master, the first page of each attempt at a story... We have nothing to lose, William. Proceed.

24/10/2025

Dr Nathan was amazed and amused. A review? Of the janitor's book? At least it was short.

Latent Content -- 8 stories by Rick McGrath, Terminal Press, 2025

§ An engaging series of multiplex narratives that sizzle with acid irony and cool and crackle with soft cyncism. Is civilization screwed? In the title story Latent Content a predatory video mogul sits in the ruins of his studio after a bomb attack. He reflects, 'Over time our electronic relationships had evolved from strictly business to almost daily zoom calls of an increasingly personal nature -- which finally led to what I thought were shallow, but mutually benefical friendships. Well, as friendly as you can be with certified morons and narcissistic psychopaths. True, the business is mine, but when dealing with aggressive people with deeply stupid convictions, it's often best to show some empathy -- if it's useful. That's what I did and that's why I'm earning millions from my foray into the world of big streaming video channels...'

In Possession, an ex-wife threatens a man for ripping-off her rock star photos, demands credit in the murky world of groupie photography, copyright, and the nature of 'art'. In Jackson Whole, a pair of struggling ad men get drunk with a billionaire client, suit up in carnival cowboy gear, board a Lear Jet and fly to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where -- choreographed by their suicidal patron -- get so rowdy they are forced to leave town by the Sheriff before dawn and fly back to Vancouver in a grotesque parody of Old West hellraising.

The collection is not all darkness and gloom, however -- in the closing story, The Icarus Incident, the narrative shifts to a 'found diary' montage, which becomes a tale of New Age mysticism set on the west coast of Vancouver Island. A Japanese sub attack... some bodies in a hilltop radar station... sea lion bodies on the beach... a UFO blip on the active radar screen.... etc, etc. Is there beauty in the mystery?

-- Lawrence Russell

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26/09/2025

Dr Nathan stared blankly at the book in his hands... the author's name was faintly familiar... wasn't he the janitor?

12/06/2025

MAXIM FOR £9
Dr Nathan checked the absurd pricing on digital bookstores... 40% commission? Nuts. Deal directly with The Terminal Press and save big... He hit the Red Button... Maxim's highly entertaining Cruising The Coast of Nostalgia is now available for £9 for the softcover... Save £4!

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10/06/2025

Dr Nathan looked at the new book on his desk... Ocular Disturbances? What the hell was that? He reminded himself to get the headline dept checked for excessive drug use. He flipped through the full colour pages. Oh well, he thought, it may be closer to a true description than not. He pressed the red button on his desk and heard the familiar sound of a printing press warming up. Time to shock some eyes!

23/05/2025

Dr Nathan decided maybe he would give the Terminal Marketing Dept a bit of a summer bonus for coming up with such a money-saving and book-moving idea... but only if some sucke... ah, valuable client took advantage of this outstanding opportunity to save... and save big! Sorry, but you have to click on the pic for the whole story... we have no idea what's the right original size for these idiot FB windows...

13/05/2025

Dr Nathan stared at the blurb on his desk. The back room minions have been working overtime: "In this erotic, funny, imaginative collection Maxim Jakubowski treats us to nine nostalgic romps through the fringes of a Ballardian universe populated with noir-inspired protagonists and a bevy of belle dames sans merci. Start with "Olympia Express," a hilarious (and sexy) recount of Maxim's adventures smuggling contraband Olympia Press novels from Paris to London for Mike Moorcock to give to JG Ballard. Or "The Ballardians," a doomed cruise of fans who relish social atrocities. "'The Hardoon Labyrinth' By J.G. Ballard" is a fascinating yarn based on a 1950s JGB short story long suppressed from publication, and the whole collection weaves together Maxim's love of Ballardian tropes, noir crime fiction, and his unquestioned ability to spice plots up with straightforward erotica. Complete with illustrations."

24/04/2025

Thank you, Outlaw Bookseller -- Stephen E. Andrews -- for the very nice review of Paul A Green's "Terminal Transmissions" on your recent podcast. Much appreciated by Dr Nathan and his horde of minions! The book is mentioned at 21:29...

Steve has bought a varied tranche of literary delights recently, from SF Criticism to Classic Fiction and even some History....