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H.S. Arthur, a mysterious shadow person, was a persona adopted during the 2023 Inkfort Publishing Derby (aka "derbsona"). This pen name is now retired but will remain attached to the book published during the derby, UNBURNT. You can read all about who H.S. really is here.

Unburnt

UNBURNT is a contemporary low-fantasy/speculative fiction drama, and a different kind of superhero story.

PURCHASE | Goodreads | StoryGraph

Cover art by grandfailure. Cover design by RebecaCovers.

A different kind of superhero story...After emerging unscathed from the house fire that killed his father, Ed Stoneman had recurring dreams about rescuing himself as a boy, sitting amongst the flames, unburnt. The dream stopped once he became a firefighter, later earning the nickname of "Dodge" by surviving a lethal flashover fire. Dodge embraced his supernatural imperviousness to the heat of fire by going in when no one should, breaking the rules of rescue because he had to, because he could. With the Wyoming steppe becoming increasingly arid and fires igniting every few days, his 'talent' is needed now more than ever.On his 50th birthday, Dodge dreams of the boy not on fire for the first time in over 30 years. Chalking it up to stress, he thinks nothing of it. With retirement from active fire duty in his near future, he's depressed and aimless. Other than firefighting, what purpose does he have? Twice divorced and childless, believing himself to be infertile in exchange for his superpower of unknown origin, he has no one to confide in but his cat, and he daydreams of walking into a wildfire just to see if he'd finally burn. But when he answers an emergency call about a local house fire, renewed purpose greets him in the flames, making him question everything he once believed.

Content warnings: adult content (sex and language); depression; suicidal ideations; drinking; intent to self-harm; fire and fire-related casualties and trauma; PTSD; off-page child abandonment and abuse

For fans of...

4th Annual Derby

"Unburnt" is being written and published as a part of Inkfort Press's 2023 Publishing Derby. Read about the derby on Inkfort's website.