Articles by Tyler Willson

Novella

• The Prisoner, Part 1 (November 17, 2008) cover story fiction

  Tyler Willson has been a lot of places, and done a lot of things. In order to provide for his wonderful wife and four (practically...) perfect children Tyler has worked as a ditch digger, preschool teacher, telephone survey taker, hand-truck builder, forklift driver, combat engineer, finance clerk, training manager, help desk analyst, database administrator, logistical overseer, and IT manager... Still, in his dreams, he is always a writer.

• The Prisoner, Part 2 (November 24, 2008) fiction

  Cliff is a loser. His wife married him just to have someone to torture and control. His father-in-law would love to see him dead, and the prisoners at the Death Valley Penitentiary would be more than happy to make it happen...

• The Prisoner, Part 3 (December 1, 2008) fiction

  When a prisoner manages to escape, Cliff finds himself all alone in the middle of the desert, tracking the armed and dangerous killer...

• The Prisoner, Part 4 (December 8, 2008) fiction

  Cliff finds himself all alone in the middle of the desert, tracking the armed and dangerous killer with no food or water, and a shotgun with only one shell...

• The Prisoner, Part 5 (December 15, 2008) fiction

  . As the desert wears away at him and the prisoner, will Cliff find the inner strength to finally succeed at something?

• The Prisoner, Part 6 (December 22, 2008) fiction

  Conclusion. Cliff finds himself all alone in the middle of the desert, tracking the armed and dangerous killer with no food or water, and a shotgun with only one shell. As the desert wears away at him and the prisoner, will Cliff find the inner strength to finally succeed at something?

Short

• Mercenary, Part 2 (January 5, 2009) short fiction fantasy

  Raka is learning a lot as he searches for Ol' Bob, not the least of which is that all his weaponry and money are gone ...

• Mercenary, Part 3 (January 12, 2009) short fiction fantasy

  Crouched in a concrete pipe, with metal-jacketed slugs being fired at the rate of about 300 rounds per minute is not the most comfortable place in the world ...

• The Zoo (March 30, 2009) short fiction humor family zoo

  What could be more wholesome than a family trip to the zoo?

• That Stupid Bird (June 22, 2009) short fiction humor birds

  I don't care what the police said. It was that stupid bird's fault.

• On The Wagon (August 24, 2009) short science fiction

  Dint your Momma ever tell you that gettin' pie-faced drunk could get you took advantage of?

• Ready To Die? (October 19, 2009) short fiction witches

  Nate and Sammy have a dangerous job -- protecting humanity from the witches who attack and hide from the government. But isn't there a kind of shell-shock from battles like that?

• Ready To Die? Part 2 (October 26, 2009) short fiction witches

  The battle is staged, but Command has given them no backup... what do they expect them to do?

• Schrodinger's Mother-In-Law's Cat (January 4, 2010) cover story science fiction time travel

  Will is tired of that cat, and knows just the way to get rid of it. He just doesn't know enough about quantum mechanics to understand the consequences of his plan.

• Traveling With Kids (January 25, 2010) short fiction humor

  Here's the recipe: icy winter, grumpy wife, over-stuffed car, add a new baby, and mix all together in a move ...

• Roger's Revenge (March 22, 2010) short fiction

  Rude people who don't want to take the time to talk to people are just asking for it ...

• Hoops With Lenin (April 12, 2010) short fiction fun

  Word is out on the street: Great Lenin plays some mean ball. Do you care to join him?

• The Phantom (May 31, 2010) cover story short fiction

  The entire navy is on the lookout for him, but the morning fog is on his side.

• "Next ..." (November 29, 2010) short fiction

  He was a "go get it" kind of guy, and nothing would stand in his way to get what he wanted ...

• With No Announcement (March 28, 2011) short fiction

  The Man with a Problem has a solution ...

• Mercenary (April 25, 2011) fiction fantasy

  Suspicious of magic, the mercenary soldier Raka keeps his distance from its practitioners as much as possible. Until the feeble old shaman named Ol' Bob gives him a trinket in thanks for a good deed and his opinion begins to change... (Originally appeared 2008-12-29)

• Road Rage (November 28, 2011) cover story short fiction road rage

  Well, sure, they're built with taxpayer money, but who is it that really owns the road?

• Castaways (February 20, 2017) science fiction

  If you were marooned on an inaccessible island with just one person, who would that person be? Think again -- would you really want to risk spending the rest of your life with that one?

• Castaways, Part 2 (February 27, 2017) short science fiction

  To be able to hear another's thought is like being suddenly put inside another's skin ...

Poem

• A Million Miles Away (March 2, 2009) poem, unrhymed

  Poetry by Tyler Willson.

• Utterly Abandoned (April 20, 2009) poem, unrhymed

  Ah, Muse, where have you gone?

• My Mother's Smile (May 4, 2009) poem, unrhymed

  For all mothers with an understanding heart ...

• Diving At Midnight (June 1, 2009) poem, unrhymed

  Poetry about a thrill in the dark ...

• Self Destruction (July 6, 2009) poem, unrhymed

  Poetry about looking around for the source of the mud that clogs our vision ...

• The Games People Play (August 3, 2009) poem, unrhymed

  Why do we say the game-talk? We all know what it really means ...

• Juniper (January 18, 2010) poem unrhymed

  A vision in words of desert survivor.

• Combat Boots (February 1, 2010) poem unrhymed

  Tribute to those old friends who are so essential to our work ...

• Left Alone in the Winter (March 15, 2010) poem unrhymed

  Poetry for a cold and lonely time.

• Sonnet Number One (April 5, 2010) poem rhymed

  Tyler Willson begins Poetry Month with a sonnet to his wife.

• For Reasons Hidden Even Better (April 19, 2010) poem unrhymed

  One thing to be said, but kept from being said ...

• Sonnet 2 (April 26, 2010) poem rhymed

  Another sonnet from Tyler Willson to his wife.

• Sonnet 3 (May 10, 2010) poem rhymed sonnet

  Tyler Willson continues his verse about family and love.

• Fishing (June 7, 2010) poem unrhymed

  I haven't had so much as a bite, but this is still the best/ time of my life...

• Night Rain (July 5, 2010) poem unrhymed

  Bright moon lights dark nightscape; Black clouds come unbidden to mar the beauty ...

• Drunk Senses (August 2, 2010) poem unrhymed

  Insignificant things contain <br> the meaning of life ...

• Sonnet #4 (August 30, 2010) poem rhymed

  A list of projects as long as my arm -- Where to begin? How to endure, finish?

• Heinrich the Beetle (November 15, 2010) poem rhymed

  A whimsical look at the life and death of a pet beetle, told in the style of Dr. Seuss.

Essay

• An Interesting Emotion (November 2, 2009) essay psychological grief death

  Grief is an emotion we dread, yet need to embrace ...