Charles Boyd
Bio
I'm a dog dad, historian, activist, and writer. I taught for 3 years and am starting a History PhD program. I write fantasy, mysteries, and historical nonfiction. I'm proud to get blocked by white supremacists, antigay activists and TERFs.
Stories (7/0)
The Anxious Hero, Chapter 5
Content warning: The fact that this story features an under-18 protagonist does not mean that it is necessarily suitable for younger kids. It contains strong profanity, sexual humor, significant violence, and depictions of bigotry by unlikable characters.
By Charles Boyd10 months ago in Fiction
The Anxious Hero, Chapter 4
Content warning: The fact that this story features an under-18 protagonist does not mean that it is necessarily suitable for younger kids. It contains strong profanity, sexual humor, significant violence, and depictions of bigotry by unlikable characters.
By Charles Boyd10 months ago in Fiction
The Anxious Hero, Chapter 3
Content warning: The fact that this story features an under-18 protagonist does not mean that it is necessarily suitable for younger kids. It contains strong profanity, sexual humor, significant violence, and depictions of bigotry by unlikable characters.
By Charles Boyd10 months ago in Fiction
The Anxious Hero, Chapter 2
Content warning: The fact that this story features an under-18 protagonist does not mean that it is necessarily suitable for younger kids. It contains strong profanity, sexual humor, significant violence, and depictions of bigotry by unlikable characters.
By Charles Boyd10 months ago in Fiction
The Anxious Hero, Chapter 1
Content warning: The fact that this story features an under-18 protagonist does not mean that it is necessarily suitable for younger kids. It contains strong profanity, sexual humor, significant violence, and depictions of bigotry by villains.
By Charles Boyd10 months ago in Fiction
Sunshine Injection, Prologue
Content warning: this story contains direct depictions of racism, homophobia, and other forms of bigotry, as well as various forms of police violence/misconduct. In this capacity, for the purpose of realism, it includes certain villains using slurs against various groups. It also contains references to incidents "off-page" that involve pedophilia, other abuse of children, and torturing of animals. There is also a level of profanity similar to a typical R-rated film. Reader discretion, especially for readers under 17, is advised.
By Charles Boyd10 months ago in Fiction
The Anxious Hero, Prologue
June 14, 1999, Portland, Maine Witches and wizards often, though not always, went to special hospitals. There were a couple of reasons for this. For one thing, while most magicians lived a normal human lifespan, a few could live thousands of years. For medical reasons, it was most optimal for a doctor to know that a patient was millennia old. Some “regular” doctors could be trusted with this kind of secret. (“Regular” was a neutral, non-derogatory term that magicians used for humans without magical powers.) Others could not. Another reason was that those with supernatural powers tended to attract enemies with supernatural powers. One of the traditional roles of good witches and wizards was to protect regulars from malevolent witches and wizards and other dangerous supernatural entities. Not all witches and wizards embraced this kind of calling and instead preferred to focus on working as stage magicians or pursuing a life of solitude and simple pleasures. But most magicians either focused on protecting—or victimizing—regulars. Magicians who focused on protecting regulars often had to deal with attempted attacks from whatever dark supernatural entities saw them as an obstacle. This meant that going to a normal hospital could put regular patients and staff in serious danger. It was far safer for everyone for them to go to a hospital with magical security. Today, three magicians and three regulars were at the only magical hospital located in the town of Portland, known as Burr Hospital. It was named for Aaron Burr who had been both a prominent American politician and a secret wizard who used his powers to make Alexander Hamilton’s gun malfunction, allowing him to win a duel against the former Treasury Secretary.
By Charles Boyd10 months ago in Fiction
