Cocoon of Terror
by Jason Earls

Zelian Kurveg is an artist, scientist, and occultist attempting to build a supernatural work of art he calls the "Cocoon of Terror." If he succeeds it will be calamitous for everyone on Earth. Trey Garron is Zelian's protege, but he parted ways with his mentor after seeing the disturbing material (decapitated corpses) Zelian was gathering for the Cocoon, and now Trey is trying to kill him. Only with the help of three friends, Brikle, Amanda, and Ghost, will he have a chance to succeed. Brikle is a talented scientist and engineer with a few deformities he received from being Zelian's "son," while Amanda is an amnesiac they found hypnotized in a country field. Ghost is a stray dog that becomes Brikle's companion after Trey and Amanda develop a close relationship. These four comprise a team bent on stopping Zelian and sabotaging the "Cocoon of Terror." Hopefully they'll be able to prevent the construction of the most lethal work of art ever conceived.

“Cocoon of Terror is simultaneously funny, bizarro, spooky and sad, a difficult feat which Earls pulls off like a math-wielding ninja master of the strange. Not to be missed!”
—Gina Ranalli, author of Wall of Kiss and Chemical Gardens

Jason Earls is a writer and number theorist who lives in Blackwell, Oklahoma with his wife, Christine.  His previous books include Red Zen: A Novel of Extreme and Bizarre Adventures in Which a Mystical Book on Buddhism Changes the Hero's Life and 0.1361015212836455566789110512013515...  He is also a long-time guitar player, and recently published How to Become a Guitar Player from Hell: Tips and Advice for the Modern Guitarist, or What Every Guitar Player Must Know to Become an Electric Guitar Hero.  His short stories and poems have appeared in such venues as Poethia, Word for Word, and Side Reality.  In addition, his mathematical work has been published in Recreational and Educational Computing, The Online Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences, Prime Curios, and elsewhere.