Synopses & Reviews
You define life or it defines you.
In Shawn Speakman’s case, it was both.
Lacking health insurance and diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2011, Shawn quickly accrued a massive medical debt that he did not have the ability to pay. That’s when New York Times best-selling author Terry Brooks offered to donate a short story Shawn could sell toward alleviating those bills—and suggested Shawn ask the same of his other friends.
Unfettered is the result, an anthology built to relieve that debt, featuring short stories by some of the best fantasy writers in the genre.
Every story in this volume is new and, like the title suggests, the writers were free to write whatever they wished. Here is the list of contributing authors for Unfettered:
"Imaginary Friends" by Terry Brooks (a precursor to the Word/Void trilogy)
"How Old Holly Came To Be" by Patrick Rothfuss (a Four Corners tale)
"River of Souls" by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson (a Wheel of Time tale)
"The Old Scale Game" by Tad Williams
"Game of Chance" by Carrie Vaughn
"Martyr of the Roses" by Jacqueline Carey (a precursor to the Kushiel series)
"Dogs" by Daniel Abraham
"Mudboy" by Peter V. Brett (a Demon Cycle tale)
"The Sound of Broken Absolutes" by Peter Orullian (a Vault of Heaven tale)
"The Coach With Big Teeth" by R.A. Salvatore
"Keeper of Memory" by Todd Lockwood (a Summer Dragon tale)
"Heaven in a Wild Flower" by Blake Charlton
"The Chapel Perilous" by Kevin Hearne (an Iron Druid tale)
"Select Mode" by Mark Lawrence (a Broken Empire tale)
"All the Girls Love Michael Stein" by David Anthony Durham
"Strange Rain" by Jennifer Bosworth (a Struck epilogue tale)
"Nocturne" by Robert V. S. Redick
"Unbowed" by Eldon Thompson (a Legend of Asahiel tale)
"In Favour With Their Stars" by Naomi Novik (a Temeraire tale)
"The Jester" by Michael J. Sullivan (a Riyria Chronicles tale)
"The Duel" by Lev Grossman (a Magicians tale)
"Walker and the Shade of Allanon" by Terry Brooks (a Shannara tale)
The Unfettered Knight by Shawn Speakman (an Annwn Cycle tale)
With the help of stalwart friends and these wonderful short stories, Shawn has taken the gravest of life hardships and created something magical. Unfettered is not only a fantastic anthology in its own right but it’s a testament to the generosity found in the science fiction and fantasy community—proof that humanity can give beyond itself when the need arises.
After all, isn’t that the driving narrative in fantasy literature?
About the Author
Shawn Speakman grew up in the beautiful wilds of Washington State near Mt. St. Helens. After moving to Seattle to attend the University of Washington, he befriended New York Times bestselling fantasy author Terry Brooks and became his webmaster. Under Terry's tutelage, Shawn completed his writing certificate at the prestigious Maui Writers Conference before finishing his contemporary fantasy novel—The Dark Thorn. He was a manager at one of the largest Barnes & Noble Booksellers in the country for many years but now owns the online bookstore The Signed Page, manages the websites for authors Naomi Novik and David Anthony Durham, and freelance writes for Random House at Suvudu. Shawn is a cancer survivor, loves dark beer, and currently lives in Seattle, Washington.