The first man to write about the Blind Pig and its world was Mark Van Sciver. We should all be eternally grateful to him for it, too. :-)
After Tales from the Blind Pig, all TBP stories are listed in alphabetical order (ignoring initial words like "A" and "The"). If you're new here, that means that my intros to certain writers will seem out of order in some places -- if you don't know who the author of a story is, just scroll down the list a bit and look for other stories by the same person. One of them should have at least a brief explanation of who the writer is.
BTW, you may also notice that the descriptions for some of the TBP stories have a character name followed by a number in parentheses, e.g. (Raven-3). This is an experimental notation I'm trying to keep track of the continuity for individual characters in a space-efficient fashion, so new readers can tell which story to read first if they want to know more about, say, Jubatus. I hope to eventually expand this notation to all of the TBP stories that deal with ongoing characters
Tales
from the Blind Pig by Mark Van
Sciver -- This is the one that started it all. A must-read if you're going
to explore this world of the future.
Click
to be transported to the Blind Pig page of the Transformation
Story Archive-Here you can find lots of the best stories in the TBP universe,
so there's no need for me to duplicate them on this page.
Actions
and Reactions by Hallan
Mirayas -- A young Scab named Hallan, on the run from a group of bullies,
finds himself in the Blind Pig, where he meets a number of interesting folks.
Oh, and Raven has a bit of an embarrassing moment, not that she actually realizes
it. :) A fun bit of character interaction from a promising new author. (Hallan-1)
Against
All Odds by Oren the Otter
-- It's a well-known phenomenon that sometimes the only reason that the human
race survives is because we're just too plain stubborn to die. Fortunately,
this trait is retained by many who have been afflicted with SCABS. Here, Oren
spotlights a pair of inanimorphs who ended up as, of all things, "plushies"
-- stuffed animals -- and whose lives have just taken a turn for the worse.
But there are a few surprises in store for them -- events that would truly seem
to be "against all odds"...
Angel
of Mercy by Regal -- Allow me
to introduce Regal, the fellow who introduced us all to Splendor ... not to
mention started that whole Barnes episode going. Here he's dealing with somewhat
more uplifting material than revenge on powerful murdering psychopaths -- specifically,
an event which I like to call "A Cold Heart Turns." Short, but definitely recommended.
Anubis
by Phil Geusz -- In a dramatic departure
from his other TBP stories, Phil takes us back into the early nineteenth century,
when the strange writings of a long-dead sailor are found on an abandoned boat
in the South Pacific. Was this mysterious fellow truly insane, or had he discovered
something too terrible for the world to know...?
As
Ye Samhain... by Wanderer
-- Halloween is quite possibly Wanderer's favorite time of year -- due in no
small part to the fact that he can "be himself" and actually not look
too out-of-place among the norms. :-) On this particular Halloween night he
gets a rather special trick-or-treater at his door: yours truly.
Behind
Every Man... by Radioactive
Loner -- Those who have been reading TBP for a while will be well-acquainted
with Tara Bard, the gendermorph actress who leads the community theatre troupe
called Shylock's Advocates. Tara has been through a lot in her years since contracting
the Flu -- she was stuck in female form for a long time, and only recently managed
to remove the mental block that kept her from shifting. Now much more at ease
with herself, she's acting as a sort of ambassador for Scabs to the norm community.
Here she works her magic in a talk with a class of students. It's a very interesting
take on life as a gendermorph -- a type of Scab that doesn't get much press
these days -- and it's definitely worth your time.
Best
Friends by Mat Charles -- Not
to be confused with Charles Matthias, Mat here's our TBP commentator from Across
the Pond in merry olde England. In this story he takes a look at SCABS through
the eyes of a child -- specifically, a child whose mother has the disease. Read
... and see our world in a whole new light.
The
Best Medicine by Doug Linger
-- AKA Everything's Wild, Epilogue. Doug finds out what happens when
you pass out in the Blind Pig. Hoo boy...(Wiley-3)
Building
the Perfect Beast by Cubist --
Remember the Blind Pig glee club, that little band of singers Wanderer pulled
together when he wasn't busy holding court with the Lupine Boys? Well, hold
onto your seats, because the times they are a'changin'. Jubatus shares the story
of how their little a capella group made it big. (Jubatus-5)
Casualties
by Hallan Mirayas -- Young
Hallan, fighting for his life against mysterious attackers? What's going on
here? If you're expecting Humans First, you're in for a surprise... (Hallan-6)
Compass
by Charles Matthias -- What do
you do when you're hated and reviled by the very people you're sworn to protect?
Where do you go for encouragement when your life is planted firmly in shadow?
And how can you love when the only thing that ever mattered to you has been
taken away?
Compatibility
by Oren the Otter -- Ladies and
Gentlemen ... Raven's Lair is proud to present: the continuing stooory of
a quack... well, okay, Sadie's not really a quack, but she is a shrink.
She's been counseling Oren for a while now, and in this story their relationship
undergoes a bit of ... an adjustment, you might say. :-) Fun, well-written work
from our resident Lutra.
Death
by Calculus by Hallan
Mirayas and Michael Bard --
Hallan struggles with his calc homework in a booth at the Blind Pig. A couple
of the regulars are glad to help, but how much help are they actually going
to be? (Continuity Note: This story follows Fast Break.)
(Hallan-5)
Death
is Real by Phil Geusz -- Detective
Bronski is a hard-boiled detective for the city police. He's also an ostrich.
In his long years of service, he thinks he's seen the worst humanity had to
offer ... until a series of murders too horrifying to contemplate puts him on
the trail of a killer more powerful than he could have ever imagined... (Warning:
This story is extremely violent. Depending on how good your imagination
is, it could be rated R or worse. Please use discretion.) Highly recommended.
(Bronski-1)
Death
Wish by Charles Matthias
-- This was the first TBP story by a fellow I consider a good friend, Charles
Matthias (or MattRat, to his friends). This was also the most controversial
TBP story in recent memory, because of the surprising "revelations" in the early
chapters. If you don't understand what I mean, read it and see for yourself.
The
Duel by Mark Van Sciver
-- One of the more interesting effects that has popped up in the aftermath of
the Martian Flu is a sizeable demand by predator Scabs for a place to hunt --
not with knife, bow or rifle, but with tooth and claw. The sparsely populated
nation of Manitoba, which really wasn't doing anything better with its land
anyway, was all too happy to scratch that itch ... but this isn't your father's
safari, tiger. Out here in the wilds of Canada, there's nothing between you
and a cold, anonymous death save your wits and your abilities. Kevin Deenihan,
a.k.a. Copernicus, has both in spades -- but when he runs up against one of
the deadliest predators on four legs, far from help or civilization, will he
have what it takes to escape with his life? Highly recommended.
Ecce
Femina by Raven Blackmane
-- The long-awaited continuation of Raven Blackmane's story is here! It's approaching
Christmas again, one year after the events of The Long Night, and some
shocking news from back home makes Raven decide it's finally time to face her
family again. Pastor Alex Marlow has a surprise for Raven that he thinks will
help make the reintroductions go more smoothly, but things don't always go the
way you expect them to -- especially when SCABS is involved. Thanks to Cubist
and Bard at TSAT magazine for persuading me to get off my duff and finally write
this story -- and thanks also to the fans who nominated it for the Ursa Major
award for Best Anthropomorphic Novel of 2002! I'm truly and deeply touched.
(Raven-4)
The
Edelweiss Killer by Phil Geusz
-- Edelweiss is the name of a beautiful flower native to some mountainous regions
of Europe and Asia ... but there's nothing pretty about the case Detective Bronski
is faced with here. More than forty years ago, a mysterious killer went on a
murder spree inside the Edelweiss Hotel -- only to disappear without a trace,
with no witnesses and no leads. Or so everyone thought. Now, decades later,
an ancient and half-mad witness has come forward who could blow the case wide
open. But some evils are so hideous, so powerful, that they would be better
left unearthed... (Warning: On a psychological level, this is easily
Phil's most disturbing story yet. Dark, compelling, and powerful, it'll keep
you thinking for a long time. Those with tender, impressionable minds would
do well to exercise great discretion. On another note, Phil delves into some
issues here of a spiritual matter that may run contradictory to your own beliefs;
Bronski's views, and those of the other characters, do not necessarily reflect
my own views, nor those of anyone else. All the same, Phil presents so much
to think about, and does it so well, that I still recommend The Edelweiss
Killer to anyone who thinks they can handle it.) (Bronski-3)
Entrances
& Exits by Phil Geusz &
Channing -- Two of the TBP
universe's best writers join forces for this story about coming to terms with
your place in the world -- and learning what to do when that place changes.
Don't miss this one, either. (External Link) (Phil-3)
The
Essence of Art by Phil
Geusz -- Phil, Heather and Ken take a trip to the art museum to see the
work of master artist Marcus, a man who has fought hard for the cause of Scabs.
Marcus's work is deep, exquisite, powerful -- and utterly tortured. Is there
more to this man than meets the eye? Another terrific and moving offering from
Phil -- don't miss it.
The
Ethics of SCABness by Phil
Geusz -- Many years ago, at the start of his career, Detective Ken Bronski
put a man away for mass murder. Now that same man is facing a hearing for the
death penalty -- but in the era of SCABS, the questions of what justice really
is seem to have become much more difficult. A very good, thought-provoking story
from our resident lapine, and highly recommended. (Bronski-4)
Everything's
Wild by Brian Eirik Coe
-- This was an effort to incorporate as many people into a story as possible.
What started out as an ordinary poker game turned out to be anything but...
(Wiley-2)
Fast
Break by Cubist and Hallan
Mirayas -- When a serious accident causes Jubatus to revert to nonsentience,
Hallan is left to act as his caretaker until he recovers. If he recovers.
A very well-written and emotionally powerful offering from two of the newer
TBP writers on the block, and definitely recommended. (Caution: Contains
some strong language.) (Jubatus-6, Hallan-3)
Feeding
the Multitudes by Phil
Geusz -- Some things just never change, human nature being one of them.
When civil war breaks out (again) in Rwanda and a shortage of food and medicine
threatens kill thousands of refugees, the members of Phil's Universal Motors
Local 1956 (Retirees) Disaster Response Team are sent to Africa to help with
the relief effort. But with the supply lines under attack and thousands of starving
people flooding their refugee camp, does this group of well-meaning Scabs have
any hope of saving their charges' lives? As with all of Phil's works, this one
is highly recommended.
From
the Depths by Phil Geusz --
Detective Bronski is back, and he has his work cut out for him. The city is
being slowly drowned by one of the worst floods on record, but there's something
on the prowl that's far deadlier than the water itself. Now, faced with an unknown
terror that is devouring the helpless flood victims, Bronski and partner Dan-Man
find themselves with the unenviable task of bringing the remorseless predator
to justice. (Bronski-2)
The
Gift by Jon Sleeper and Brian
Eirik Coe -- Jon "Buck" Sleeper spent twenty years of his life as a feral
deer-Scab in the forests south of the City. He has virtually no memory of what
happened to him in those years ... that is, until a strangely familiar couple
shows up at Brian's office with an even more strangely familiar story...
A
Good Run of Luck by Cubist --
For a Scab, Jubatus is a fortunate man. Really. Just ask him, he'll tell you.
He tells himself every time he possibly can. So why does he have such a hard
time really believing it? (Caution: Contains strong language.)
(Jubatus -1)
Gornul
by Oren the Otter -- Another character
intro by Oren, this one introduces Gornul Eaves, a rather peculiar variety of
inanimorph...
Graduation
Day by Phil Geusz -- Phil is
hired by a local school to provide career counseling for a few Scab students
with "special needs" -- i.e., those who have been stuck with transformations
that give them little hope of making it in society, along with a few who just
can't seem to handle their bodies' new forms. But Phil has never given up on
anyone yet, and he's not about to now... (Updated)
Green
as Grass by Phil Geusz -- Phil
takes a stab at the whole salad bar thing, bunny-style of course. But there's
more to being a rabbit than just grazing..(Phil-2)
Hard
Times by Doug Linger -- Doug,
a.k.a. Wiley (or Wile E.), is a fullmorph coyote, and one of my favorite characters.
Here's how he ended up in his current situation... (Wiley-1)
Having
a Ball by Posti -- Dr. Robert
Stein, discoverer of SCABS, is one of the most widely reknowned and respected
scientists in the world. Unfortunately, he has a hidden weakness -- fast cars,
especially fast antique cars. (Granted, in these days of the hyper-efficient,
150-mpg econobox, almost all fast cars are antiques...) And some fool
let the man get his hands on a modified 1966 Pontiac GTO. Heaven help us all...
The
Long Night's Journey Into Morning by Raven
Blackmane -- It's Halloween 2029, and Raven is finally starting to feel
at home in the city. Unfortunately, her wolfen side is beginning to get uneasy...
(Chapter Four, by the way, features a special guest writing bit by J.
"Channing" Wells; additional contributions were made by Bryan
Derksen, Mark Van Sciver, Copernicus,
Doug Linger, Charles
Matthias, Wanderer, and Jon
Sleeper.) (Raven-3)
Lunchtime
Conversations by Hallan
Mirayas -- Hallan and his school buddies enjoying their time together at
the cafeteria. If "enjoying" is the right word to apply when cafeteria
food is involved... :) (Hallan-4)
Mid-Life
Crisis by Phil Geusz -- This
is the follow-up to Phil's story Holocaust, which is available at the
TSA-List's Blind Pig page -- see the link at the top of this section. In many
ways, this is also Phil's "origin story", a tale that precedes Refugee
and Green as Grass. Take a look, and you'll understand that even Phil's
lapiform SCABS may not really be the curse that it appears to be...
Midnight,
With Stars by Phil Geusz --
New Year's Eve, 2029. After a year full of ups and downs, twists and turns,
disappointments and rewards, Phil takes a few moments to ponder the meaning
of it all ... and consider once again what it means to be human.
No
Quick Fix by Cubist -- Jubatus
is feeling emotionally out of whack. More so than usual, I mean. Y'see, Phil
is in pain, the aftereffect of an ugly breakup with his beloved. Jubatus owes
Phil big time, and is desperate for a way to repay that debt -- but there are
some things that even a professional troubleshooter can't fix. (Jubatus-4)
Off
His Noggin' by Wanderer
-- A humorous little bit by the Lupine Boy's beloved Alpha leader. Wand gets
a little tipsy one night at the bar, but it's not from alcohol...
The
Otter's Wish by Oren the Otter
-- Ladies and Gents, meet Oren, one of the TBP universe's rising stars. This
here tail ... err, tale ... is his introduction to the folks at the Blind Pig.
Check it out!
The
Outsider by Oren the Otter
-- Poor little ol' Oren. He's feeling just a little bit left-out, you see --
like nobody really cares if he's around. Naturally, someone at the Blind Pig
feels compelled to change that...
Pursuit
of Hatred by Kodiak -- Even
for a Scab, Steel has been shafted by life in more ways than anyone deserves.
Not only is he forced to deal with all the prejudice and discrimination that
faces most Scabs -- on top of that, some nutjob is trying to kill him! Still,
life for us Scabs is always about triumph over adversity and finding happiness
in the midst of our troubles. Take a look at how Steel did it.
Quoth
the Raven by Raven Blackmane
-- My first contribution to the TBP universe, this story introduces my eponymous
character. (Ooh! Big word! :) More revisions to this one, basically retconning
it to match up with Ecce Femina, which I think is much closer to the
essence of the character than this story originally was. You learn a lot in
five years of writing... (Raven-1)
Reflections
by Hallan Mirayas -- It's
Christmas time, a year after Hallan first SCABbed over. The young lion-morph
ponders his life and all that's changed, much of it for the better. A sweet
little character-focus piece. (Hallan-7)
Refugee
by Phil Geusz -- Another character intro,
this one by everybody's favorite TSA-list lagomorph. (Phil-1)
Requiems
for the Shadow People by Mark Van
Sciver -- This is the biggie, folks: the next chunk of TBP continuity. In
2032, homeless and indigent Scabs begin disappearing from West Street. Is it
simply the transient nature of life on the bottom, or are there more sinister
forces at work...? This is essential reading if you want to know what'll be
happening in TBP in the future.
A
Right Turn by BlueNight --
Scabs have had their share of problems with hateful, under-intelligent and misguided
people who wore the label of "Christians". But as BlueNight shows us, this vocal
faction of bigots doesn't reflect the Church as a whole -- which, when all is
said and done, still remembers that it has been called to show Christ's love
and compassion to people, no matter what those people look like. This short-but-sweet
depiction of one such congregation is a pleasant and uplifting reminder that
the love of Jesus can still shine through, even in the world of SCABS.
The
School by Raven Blackmane
-- This was an amusing little short I did to discuss my character's transition
from a first-time visitor to a regular at the Blind Pig Gin Mill. This is probably
the story I had the most fun writing. (Raven-2)
Second
Heat by Cubist -- Jubatus goes
to the doctor, receives some surprising news, and engages the Lupine Boys in
a battle of practical jokes. Watch out for the crossfire. :) (Caution: Contains
some strong language.) (Jubatus-2)
A
Simple Wager by Charles Matthias
-- A fun little character-oriented short, rather similar to my own story The
School in terms of its focus. I'm including it here because I'm rather partial
to Darkwolf and this semi-quickie reveals another side to his character.
The
Simplicity Trilogy by Oren
the Otter and BlueNight -- These
three short stories are an example of the beauty of a shared universe. Oren
(the RL one) was feeling rather bummed back in December '98, and decided to
take a break from the TBP universe. He wrote Simplicity as an out for
his character, saying then that anybody who wanted to use Oren could feel free
to do so. BlueNight, who was not about to give up on his musteline buddy, took
Oren's words to heart and crafted Simplicity Complicated, followed later
in January by Oren's Okay. This story arc is still in progress, and I'll
continue putting up the pieces as they appear; but for now, look on this as
a very nice demonstration of the camaraderie of the TSA-List. Och, brings joy
to me heart... ;-)
Snapshots
by A. Newton -- This is actually a collection of five TBP stories inspired
by songs. Newton humbly labels these "quickies", but I think these little tales
prove that sometimes size doesn't matter... :-)
Speedy
Trials by Cubist -- Jubatus isn't
having a good day -- but then, what else is new, right? He's just been through
an ugly court battle, Wanderer and the Blind Pig glee club are stirring up all
sorts of resentful feelings because of his lost voice, and now he ends up in
the hospital because he let his cheetah-metabolism go a little too long without
food. Once again, the fastest Scab alive is forced to face the hard realities
of his life, and look for the things that will help bring him through them.
Wanderer has an idea of where to begin... (Caution: Contains strong language.)
(Jubatus-3)
Stars
by Wanderer -- Wanderer's follow-up
to Tinsel. Phil goes to Wanderer in search of insight in dealing with
Delores, and the wolf is all too happy to give him a brief lecture on what sets
the stars apart from other actors. All this, plus Wanderer eating a salad...
:-)
Tinsel
by Phil Geusz -- As a SCABS counselor
Phil takes a lot of hard-luck cases, and Delores Antioch is about as hard as
they come. The former star of a long-gone television series is living right
here in the City, her life in ruins. Can Phil persuade her to give life a second
chance?
Throwing
Down The Gauntlet by Hallan
Mirayas -- It's the middle of winter, some time after his first visit to
the Pig, and Hallan is still having bully troubles. Luckily, Jubatus has a plan
in mind to fix that... :) (Hallan-2)
Victoria
by Oren the Otter -- In the world
of SCABS, one of the more common sights is the charlatan hawking some new "miracle
cure" that would supposedly allow morph-locked Scabs, or unimorphs, to return
to a human form. Oren has, over the years, pretty much learned to ignore such
snake oil salesmen -- but what is he supposed to think when a "faith healer"
shows up in town, changing apparent unimorphs into norms by the dozens (and
raking in the donations in the process)? Could this man really have unlocked
the secret to "undoing" the effects of Scabs? And if he hasn't, what should
Oren do when he sees his friend Victoria being drawn into the spider's web?
(Continuity Note: This story immediately precedes the Simplicity
trilogy.)
What
Might Have Been by Jason T. MartenTaur
-- JT's first TBP story. A young mustelid (weasel-type critter, that is) named
Vincent commiserates with a few friends, as they ponder how SCABS has changed
their lives. Fairly short, but a definite A+ work.
Wild
and Crazy by Oren the Otter
and Phil Geusz -- TBP's greatest new
upstart and one of its greatest veterans team up for a nifty new co-op story.
Check it out! :)
Wonder-full
by Wanderer -- It's Christmas time,
and (as usual for this time of year) Wanderer is deliriously happy. When he
finds himself as the only Lupine Boy present on a particularly nasty winter's
night, he decides to strike up a little entertainment for the Pig's patrons...
A
Worthwhile Pursuit by Oren the
Otter -- There's no cure for the blues quite as effective as cheering up
somebody else, as Oren discovers in this story...