I found one of my favourite short stories online!

[Morning Star]

About 13 years ago 2000AD published one of their sci-fi specials. Within the pages of this was a short story with one their characters Tyranny Rex. It was called "Touched by the Hand of Brendan" It's a combination of horror fantasy and sci-fi. All bound together by heavily surrealistic images and lots of tongue in cheek humour.

A fan has retyped the story, however he - annoyingly - made a couple of spelling mistakes and left out one or two words (was, that, were) however it is still easy to follow. He even scanned a few of the illustrations into it. It is very short, only a couple of pages long when it was released in it's A4 format.

I would love to hear somebody elses opinion on it, so if you are looking for something to do, give it a read and let me know what you think. Thanks!

http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine/sputnik/53/tyrannyt.htm#Touched_by_brendan

 

[ashton1015]

I, too, was delighted to find this online a couple of years ago. It was quite nostalgic for me as I first read it back when I was regularly buying 2000AD as a spotty 14 year old.

Having re-read it, I think it still stands up and John Smiths writing, at that time anyway, is reminiscent of a slightly more skewed Gaiman. I also loved (still do) the Mark Buckingham illustrations; they really blew me away at the time and I think had a big influence on me in terms of drawing (I am 35 now and a graphic designer).

I think the whole Hand of Brendan idea could have been developed further and would undoubtedly have made a good series of serialised comics or graphic novels.

Anyhow, a great SF story.

 

[JamestheLast]

I notice several of 2000 AD stories are online--there was one I was curious to read Shok! which was part of a lawsuit in a film from 1990...argh the name escapes me and I am too lazy to search. Dont fail me mind...damn.. It did. Anyway the funny part is that the short story is very similar to "Prey" by Richard Matheson.

 

[blacknorth]

When I was a kid I didn't buy 2000AD, I much preferred its rival, Battle, which was a war comic with great strips, including the immortal Charley's War. Around 1983/84 Battle ran a science fiction serial titled Invasion 1984, one of the most terrifying alien invasion stories I've ever read. Few people seem to remember it now. If you ever see an issue from that era, or perhaps if someone ever gets around to scanning it and putting it online, I think it would be well worth reading - it certainly turned me on to sf and 2000AD.

Perhaps all these years later it wouldn't have the same effect, but I can still shudder when I remember those drill-holes going into people's foreheads...