Synopsis "The Dusty Man (in English)"
As the Eastern hemisphere slept, the mind of God awoke from a deep slumber. Invading the minds of all humanity, His awareness overwhelmed the waking West and rendered it void of life in an instant. Then as they slept, those in the East felt God die. His death emptied Hell onto Earth, unleashing demonic armies that drove mankind to the brink of extinction. Beijing rose as a final bastion, its military bolstered by ingenious technologies but driven to desperation by faltering supplies and the constant threat of invasion. And the one weapon that could save them has just been stolen... In the wastelands of Korea, a stranger covered in dust visits a lonely town of Buddhists and Christians living in an odd state of peace. He catches the eye of Seo Ha-Neul. The stranger brings lies, warnings, and violence. Rather than stop him, Seo tries to understand his motivations, even as supernatural forces threaten devastation. "K.J. Russell's work is often dark, sometimes brooding, always lush with mayhem and magic." - C. Stuart Hardwick, editor of 'Tides of Impossibility' "An intriguing and unvarnished tale of human tenacity, 'The Dusty Man' is definitely worth the read." - Corinn Heathers, author of 'Bound Together' "K.J. Russell excels in creating the kind of fantastic worlds you just love to lose yourself in. Wonderful stuff." - D.L. Young, author of 'Juarez Square and Other Stories' 'The Dusty Man' is K.J. Russell's debut novel, a story that strikes with images both exquisitely haunting and violent. It Introduces readers to the 'Ruin of the Fifth World', a grim alternate future in which the survivors of mankind are the strong, the ruthless and the ingenious. God is dead and the world is crumbling. Demonic commanders organize hideous armies against mankind and one another. The heroes that rise among humanity are just as terrifying as the monsters. And where are the Angels to bring goodness back to the world? Looking for a light in this shadowed world seems hopeless, but there are those who dare to challenge the tide of armageddon, and there is no God to help those who get in their way. ALSO CONTAINS AN ORIGINAL SHORT STORY BY CORINN HEATHERS. Fantasy writer Corinn Heathers (author of 'Bound Together') offers her own take on this post-apocalyptic world. In the short story, 'Tears', a mysterious observer is tasked with gathering information about a tiny village. The observer is forbidden from affecting the village, but the misery of the population tests her conviction. The observer will soon learn that nowhere is safe in this world, and even this village might not be what it first appeared.
