Considered one of the most prolific writers working in modern fiction, with more than 30 million books sold, writer Dean Wesley Smith published far more than a hundred novels in forty years, and hundreds of short stories across many genres.

At the moment he produces novels in several major series, including the time travel Thunder Mountain novels set in the Old West, the galaxy-spanning Seeders Universe series, the urban fantasy Ghost of a Chance series, a superhero series starring Poker Boy, a mystery series featuring the retired detectives of the Cold Poker Gang, and the Mary Jo Assassin series.

His monthly magazine, Smith's Monthly, which consists of only his own fiction, premiered in October 2013 and offers readers more than 70,000 words per issue, including a new and original novel every month.

During his career, Dean also wrote a couple dozen Star Trek novels, the only two original Men in Black novels, Spider-Man and X-Men novels, plus novels set in gaming and television worlds. Writing with his wife Kristine Kathryn Rusch under the name Kathryn Wesley, he wrote the novel for the NBC miniseries The Tenth Kingdom and other books for Hallmark Hall of Fame movies.

He wrote novels under dozens of pen names in the worlds of comic books and movies, including novelizations of almost a dozen films, from The Final Fantasy to Steel to Rundown.

Dean also worked as a fiction editor off and on, starting at Pulphouse Publishing, then at VB Tech Journal, then Pocket Books, and now at WMG Publishing, where he and Kristine Kathryn Rusch serve as series editors for the acclaimed Fiction River anthology series.

For more information about Dean's books and ongoing projects, please visit his website at www.deanwesleysmith.com.

My Socks Rolled Down and Nine Other Stories by Dean Wesley Smith

Ten very crazy stories from the prolific master of whacky stories. From fighting off an interdimensional invasion of millions of tiny fuzzy bugs to having a calm, but very cold conversation with a Banshee. From cats to the Devil to a talking oak tree, these ten stories keep you reading and shaking your head in amazement. And you might never look at socks the same way again.

CURATOR'S NOTE

Only Dean Wesley Smith would make a pair of socks into some kind of wee beastie. The author of more than 200 books, Dean has a prodigious imagination, one that can encompass strange socks and even stranger aliens. If you've never read any of Dean's stories before, this collection will show you why he has sold over 35 million copies of his books worldwide. – Kristine Kathryn Rusch

 
 

BOOK PREVIEW

Excerpt

INTRODUCTION: A VERY STRANGE GROUP OF BEASTIES

W

hen putting any collection together, the writer focuses on an element in each story that matches elements in the other stories. For some time now I have wanted to do a collection with the title story "My Socks Rolled Down." Just never got around to it, or had a focus.

Then along came this Wee Beasties Storybundle. And suddenly I had the focus. The title story went along just great with a strange Poker Boy story called "Fighting the Fuzzy Wuzzy." Yup, a Fuzzy Wuzzy is most certainly a wee beastie.

And I added two cat stories, of course, a really strange story about aliens in seats in a movie theater, and a devil story.

I have sentient napkins, a banshee working on freezing Poker Boy, and trolls and elves running a casino.

But the Buckey the Space Pirate story "Cutting Down Fred" seems to not fit. Fred is a talking oak tree, very old, very wise, who loves limericks. After all, what is a talking oak tree supposed to do in his spare time while standing in the same spot for hundreds of years? And there is nothing "wee" about him.

But honestly, the story does fit in this collection and you will see why when you read it.

I hope you enjoy these ten very crazy, some might say really whacked out, wee beasties stories. It was sure fun writing them.