Richard Alan Dickson
Biography
Richard Alan Dickson's writings range from the traditional science fiction, like "G-Blade" and "Gateway: Left Behind," to the more whimsical "Love, Venusian Style" and the Cat Patrol Delta series.
He also writes stories for young adults, with titles like "Mister Majestor's Magnificent Menagerie" and "Diver Down!"
The kids and the young-at-heart are represented, too, with stories such as "The Last Great Case of the Sunny Hills Detective Agency" and the short, "Hank the Happy Snowman."
Before becoming a full-time fiction writer, Richard spent twenty years in the business world. After a hungry stint as a fresh-faced stockbroker, he set aside the glamour of Wall Street—along with the thousands of friends he’d made during dinner-hour cold calls—to work as an accounting assistant in the Seattle office of a reinsurance company (yeah, he had to look that word up in the dictionary, too).
Once on the corporate ladder, Richard proved that his years spent climbing trees hadn’t been a complete waste of time by quickly climbing to department manager. But corporate winds are no less predictable than any other wind, and climbing in the wind is seldom a good idea. He suddenly found himself on the wrong side of the country when his company was forced to relocate ten years later.
They regrouped in New England.
He remained in the Northwest.
Waving good-bye to the moving vans as they motored down the road, Richard carefully considered his next career. He became a corporate consultant and ran himself happily ragged for the next nine years, traveling the country and racking up more frequent flyer miles than even a CPA could conveniently count.
Richard’s final years in Corporate America were spent in a Fortune 500 insurance group. As a VP, Controller, and then an acting CFO, he traveled from one coast to the other putting the lessons he’d learned as a consultant to good use.
His current career as a fiction writer takes him much further than any jetliner ever could, and he seldom needs to leave his writing loft to get there.
Visit Richard online at www.RichardAlanDickson.com.
Where to find Richard Alan Dickson online
Books
Mister Majestor: The Devil You Know
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $6.99 USD. 48310 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on October 20, 2012. Fiction.
With all Creation about to be unmade, Perry Ellison must learn to fight the Demon King, and he must do it quick. Only a devil can teach him what he needs to know. But if he's not careful, Perry may soon find that his volunteer she-devil tutor has a more personal interest in him than she lets on... along with a hidden agenda that could prove far more dangerous than even the Demon King, himself.
Sci Fi Tales, Volume 3: Crisis Mode
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $5.99 USD. 45100 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on July 14, 2012. Fiction.
Crisis Mode: the feeling of electrified panic that hits when you realize things aren't just bad, they're way beyond that. Here are five tales with heroes who suddenly find themselves in Crisis Mode. The science fiction tales in this collection include: "Lunar Command: Condition Orange," "Prometheus Denied," "The Europa Connection," "Atlantis, B.C.E.," and "Nova Warriors: Darkness Falls."
A Dish Best Served by the Side of a Roaring Fire
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 10300 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on July 12, 2012. Fiction.
Fairy City, one dark and stormy night. When someone tosses an annoying animated puppet beneath Jack's car to frame him for a hit-and-run murder, the giant killer's mood sours. Someone has forgotten an important rule: never mess with the baddest bad boy in town. And none come any badder than a giant killer named Jack.
Dream Taker: The Garden of Eve
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 10290 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on July 12, 2012. Fiction.
Dream Taker Randall Faust wakes scientists from their voluntary comas within the Dream Centers by assassinating them in their dreams... or so he's been told. He can't remember. Too many trips too close together may have fuzzed his memory. But a few missing memories won't keep him from his critical mission, even if he can't tell the dreams from reality without them.
Lunar Command: Condition Orange
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 14520 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on July 6, 2012. Fiction.
When humans return to space, will the AIs they once left behind simply stand aside? Will humans accept the right of computer programs with forty billion nano-years of evolution to even exist, or will they try to reclaim the bases that were once theirs and purge the programs? For the human race, stepping into space for the second time may prove far more costly than the first time around.
Cat Patrol Delta, Episode #7: Rescue!
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 13920 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on July 4, 2012. Fiction.
Cat Patrol Delta's latest plan to whip the Earth dogs goes slightly awry. With Bert cut off and cornered by the dogs, all hope seems lost. But help arrives in the form of four swashbuckling Alpha cats... and it arrives just in time. The Reaper's reinforcements have captured the rebels. Will eight space cats be enough to save the day, or will the dogs finally have their way?
Cat Patrol Delta, Episode #6: A Purrfect Plan
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 14270 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on June 19, 2012. Fiction.
Cat Patrol Delta chases rumors to the location of its stolen spaceship. Without a ship, the cats can't get home. But the Reaper has a plan for the ship—a plan that doesn't include simply handing it back... a perfect plan to destroy Katlantis, but only if the cats can't figure it out and stop it in time.
Prometheus Denied
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 10690 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on June 15, 2012. Fiction.
When a stunning blonde hops into his car, John Keagan learns who actually controls Earth's oil: aliens. They put it there. Now, they're about to take it back. The world will soon go dark unless he can get the girl—a rival alien—to a transmitter to call her friends. But nothing's free, and John soon begins to wonder what ugly price the beauty will ultimately demand for her help.
Ringing True
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 12630 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on June 4, 2012. Fiction.
The wedding band Mood Ring. At first, wearing a wedding ring that reacts to his wife's moods seems too good to be true. But when Hank McCoy can't take it off, the deal begins to sour. And when he files for divorce and learns the consequences of the fine print he never bothered to read, Hank flees the lethal price of his too-good-to-be-true deal... with the assassins hot on his heels.
The Wizard's Second Foolish Kiss
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 10040 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on May 31, 2012. Fiction.
Jason Braedenson watches his friend steal a nymph's gown while she bathes in order to ransom it back for a magical kiss. When the nymph turns out to be the Queen of the Water Sprites and her frosty temper triggers an Ice Age, he begins to realize the prank might not have been so harmless, after all. But when he hears her demands for halting the ice, the budding young wizard begins to worry.
Ten Tales from the Bookshelf, Volume Three
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $7.99 USD. 59140 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on May 26, 2012. Fiction.
Ten stories by Richard Alan Dickson, including the following popular titles: The Last Great Lemonade-Stand Showdown; Atlantis, B.C.E.; Cat Patrol Delta, Episode #3: Traitor in the Mist; Crossed Signals; Outward Bound; Song of the Canary; Shooting Stars and Electric Sheep; Suitcase Switcheroo; The Wizard's First Foolish Kiss; and, Nova Warriors: The Return.
The Wizard's First Foolish Kiss
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 11780 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on May 25, 2012. Fiction.
No one told the young wizard that stealing a kiss from a dryad would destroy the world, but when Jason interrupts their equinox festival and the moon falls from the sky, he realizes that his harmless prank might not have been so harmless, after all. If he can't figure out how to fix things fast, his dad's gonna kill him... presuming the moon doesn't finish the job first.
Red, White and Retirement Blues
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 12100 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on May 22, 2012. Fiction.
One last chance for an aging hero to catch the bad guy: After sighting a reportedly-dead terrorist that the young spaceport security agents are busy ignoring, aging undercover officer Roger Turner crashes through the Oakland security gate in hot pursuit. He refuses to let the man escape justice yet again... even when every one of the boneheaded youngsters begins casing Roger, instead.
The Europa Connection
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 12710 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on May 12, 2012. Fiction.
With gangsters rousting the casinos and pirates raiding the mines, frontier marshal Griffin Douglas goes undercover to nail the bad guys. As a mob enforcer, he discovers a larger operation on Europa than anyone expected, but soon faces a forbidden line that no lawman must ever cross. To make the frontier safe and bring about a Greater Good, exactly how far is Griffin Douglas willing to go?
Atlantis, B.C.E.
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 10420 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on May 12, 2012. Fiction.
Swatted through the air by a hulking Venusian goddess, Cyd Euripides screams and flails his way into a forgotten history. Crashing into a stone wall and crumpling to the floor, he begins an innocent misadventure beneath the feet of the Martian gods and Venusian goddesses who rule Earth from the Isle of Atlantis. The doomed island may never be the same again.
Heroes, Hags, and Wise Guys
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $5.99 USD. 22190 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on May 5, 2012. Fiction.
Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, from the superhero to the teenager screwing up his courage to ask a girl out on that dreaded first date. Wise guys come in all shapes and sizes too, but most don't drive cars or carry guns. Some fly. Others toss water balloons. Hags, however, are hags. There's only one kind. This collection includes five short stories of Heroes, Hags and Wise Guys.
Sci Fi Tales, Volume 2: On the Mark
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $5.99 USD. 34690 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on May 3, 2012. Fiction.
Five science fiction tales of pure entertainment, in a strap-on-your-ray-gun-and-hang-on-tight kind of way... or whatever approximation for a ray gun the heroes of each tale might happen to have. The stories include: "Nova Warriors: The Return;" "Devil Dogs;" "Suitcase Switcheroo;" "Shooting Stars and Electric Sheep;" and "Outward Bound."
Nova Warriors: Darkness Falls
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 16240 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on May 2, 2012. Fiction.
Colonel Alan Lane patrols the seas after an invasion by a race of alien dinosaurs, looking for the first signs of trouble. Three weeks after dropping into the Great Oceanic Rift, the aliens have yet to reappear. But a mystery of missing sailors soon draws Alan and his team away to the fishing lanes. Are the local pirates up to their usual games, or is something more sinister finally going on?
Shooting Stars and Electric Sheep
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 8610 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on April 22, 2012. Fiction.
The elite troops of the Fifth Infantry Division lead every planetary invasion—a proud tradition and centuries of success for the iron-fisted Empire. When one hardened veteran freezes in the field, Doctor Bill Morris races to find the seed to the man's impossible memories. If the enemy can infect and immobilize even its elite troops, the Empire's galactic dominance may soon come to an abrupt end.
Outward Bound
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 11630 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on April 20, 2012. Fiction.
After failing to stop chaos from sweeping the planet, Deputy Marshal Griffin Douglas flees Earth for a quiet posting at a sleepy lunar colony. But when pirates raid the frontier mining camps, his ship diverts to the asteroid belt. The miners want justice, justice wants a lawman, and one disillusioned lawman suddenly finds that he wants a second chance to make a difference.
Nova Warriors: The Return
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 11910 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on April 12, 2012. Fiction.
When an ambush by invading aliens destroys the planet's primary and secondary lines of defense, the military misfits of Polliwog Base must step to the plate to defend the planet. With no idea who the invaders are or why they've come, the Polliwogs have little time to find their answers and help Command mount a defense. The day we've long feared has finally arrived... and we're not ready.
Song of the Canary
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 11640 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on March 22, 2012. Fiction.
For a robin with an attitude, turning songbird against a pigeon hawk crime lord becomes a bad idea when the local murder of crows takes a piece of the action and hunts him down. The would-be canary must organize his dogs, the doberman gang, to meet the crows on the mean streets of the big city. But even the dogs of war may not be enough to keep his goose from being cooked.
The Girl and the Dragon Eyes
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 11640 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on March 22, 2012. Fiction.
Framed for stealing a pair of gems and kidnapping a tong boss's daughter, Finn and Clyde, the thieves who are coming to be known as the Castaway Kops, scour the prison planet of New Haven for the true crook. Charging through the mystery, they race to find the girl, set things right, and clear their good name before the boss's patience for even accidental detectives comes to an abrupt end.
Crossed Signals
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 7440 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on March 15, 2012. Fiction.
All young men would agree: from the awkward moments and uncomfortable questions, to the crossed and mixed signals, first dates are hell. But when Derek Adams finally wins that lucky first date with the girl of his dreams, he quickly learns that dates with dream girls may be a thousand times worse.
Suitcase Switcheroo
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 10300 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on March 15, 2012. Fiction.
When a simple delivery for the mob turns into a nasty double cross, the Castaway Kops race to find the real goods. Gaining a reputation for stealing from the mob on a planet of mobsters would be bad for their continued health, but such a reputation would be even worse for the crooked mobster who pulled the job... a mobster thoroughly motivated to make sure they fail.
The Last Great Lemonade-Stand Showdown
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 10450 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on February 17, 2012. Fiction.
Southern California. Summer, 1962. With "Big Al" Torres and his squirt-gun-toting goons moving to corner the Thirty-Ninth Street lemonade-stand racket, Bobbie Johnston's gears up for war. And this summer, Bobbie has help: a half-brother from the deep south... a kid who knows his way around squirt guns and water balloons. The turf war is on. Let the battle begin.
Ten Tales from the Bookshelf, Volume Two
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $7.99 USD. 48080 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on January 28, 2012. Fiction.
Ten popular fantasy and science fiction stories from Richard Alan Dickson, including: The Best First Date Ever; For Sale: One Planet, Gently Used; The Crimson Teardrop; The Hag's Handbook to the Tastiest Trick-or-Treaters; The Lucky Charm; No Guts, No Glory; The Hag's Handbook to a Trouble-Free Thanksgiving Tot-Roast; Road Rage; The Happy Snowman; and Cat Patrol Delta, Episode #2
Workshop Stories, Volume One
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $5.99 USD. 21220 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on January 28, 2012. Fiction.
What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but we meet in Oregon. When authors gather and dare each other to write, story happens. Once, those stories served that purpose and faded away, but now you can read them too. This volume includes: Devil Dogs, The Hag's Handbook to the Tastiest Trick-or-Treaters, The Best First Date Ever, Hank the Happy Snowman, and For Sale: One Planet, Gently Used.
Hank the Happy Snowman
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 8090 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on January 25, 2012. Fiction.
Hank the Happy Snowman sails down the street in the back of a beat-up pickup truck. With his new foam finger waving in the wind, he can finally greet all the people he passes and point to all the super winter sights he sees. But when the pickup hits a rut and his new foam finger topples out of the truck, Hank the Happy Snowman's happy winter threatens to take a nasty turn for the worse.
Mister Majestor: Demon Crown
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $6.99 USD. 53680 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on January 12, 2012. Fiction.
The Demon Crown: the Doom of Order destined to return the universe to Chaos. When Perry Ellison learns a demon lord seeks the crown, he decides the world might be in for one very bad day. His talking cat agrees. Ignoring Majestor's advice, he races off to grab the crown first. Nothing could be worse than letting the demon lord succeed, right? So... why is the dragon suddenly so nervous?
Diver Down!
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $6.99 USD. 44030 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on November 25, 2011. Fiction.
The simple life of a scuba-diving rebel doesn't fit his parents' idea of a good career. Gil doesn't care. He likes simple. Unfortunately, his simple life disappears when he finds clues to a sunken treasure that history insists can't possibly exist. Unknown to Gil, his simple life may soon turn downright deadly. Others want that treasure, too... and some of them will stop at nothing to get it.
The Last Great Case: A Sunny Hills Detective Agency Story
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $6.99 USD. 51510 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on November 22, 2011. Fiction.
Jim and Jon Bruce enjoy a summer break filled with television, videos, and online gaming in their dark bedroom sanctuary... until they're blamed for some stupid brush fire. Grounded from their room, they must catch the real fire starters or remain banished to the strange world of fresh air and sunshine for the rest of the summer.
The Hag's Handbook to a Trouble-Free Thanksgiving Tot-Roast
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 6800 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on November 18, 2011. Fiction.
How many times have you sat at a Thanksgiving feast, disappointed to see a turkey steaming away on your plate? How many times have you dreamed of tot-roast, instead? How many times have you wished you had the courage to conquer your fears and reach for that one traditional diet enjoyed by hags since the beginning of time... a nice, plump child? I'm Helgretta the Hag. I'll show you how.
For Sale: One Planet, Gently Used
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 8610 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on October 26, 2011. Fiction.
Selling a doomed planet is a tough job, but in Earth's final days that's exactly what we must do... sell it and move on. With a thousand generations of used-car salesmen in our blood, how can we possibly fail? As the saying goes, there's a sucker born every minute. All we need is one.
The Hag's Handbook to the Tastiest Trick-or-Treaters
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 5520 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on October 25, 2011. Fiction.
Let's face it, there's nothing we like better than the perfect meal at a party, but chicken fingers only take a hag so far. What we crave toddles around on two tiny legs. Sadly, they've been off the menu since that whole incident with the candy house and those two brats. But with the proper care, kids don't have to be a dangerous delicacy. I'm Helgretta the Hag. I'll show you how. Call now!
The Best First Date Ever
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 7450 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on October 15, 2011. Fiction.
You only get one shot at a good first impression, and you only get one shot at a good first date. Johnny missed out on the former more times than he could count—once for each high school teacher, in fact. But as the engine to his dad's tired Oldsmobile began to sputter on that most important Friday night of his life, he realized that he was very close to missing out on the latter, as well.
Cat Patrol Delta: Episode #1 thru Episode #5
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $5.99 USD. 43310 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on October 14, 2011. Fiction.
For generations, the Canine Cartel and the Space Cat Alliance have warred across the galaxy. On Earth, the dogs have won—for now—but four stranded space cats work to help the cat rebellion win. This collection includes the following episodes: Episode #1: Earthfall; Episode #2: Cracking the Iceberg; Episode #3: Traitor in the Mist; Episode #4: Enemy Of My Enemy; Episode #5: A Brand New War.
Cat Patrol Delta, Episode #5: A Brand New War
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 11950 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on October 12, 2011. Fiction.
Bert sneaks away from the team to slip deep into the heart of Growler the Mutt's empire. He chases rumors of a repair part for their ship, but Pinky fears a trap. She and the others race to follow Bert into enemy territory to warn him of the danger, but there may be more to the trap than the cats know, and no way to keep its deadly jaws from snapping shut.
Ten Tales from the Bookshelf, Volume One
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $7.99 USD. 49080 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on September 22, 2011. Fiction.
Ten popular fantasy and science fiction stories from Richard Alan Dickson, including: The Eidolon Offramp; Devil Dogs; A Birthday Surprise; Doom Cows from Outer Space; Bull's-Eye Red; The Dawn of Spring; The Case of the Missing Cookies; Joatman; Gentlemen's Accord; and Cat Patrol Delta, Episode #1: Earthfall.
Unfinished Business, Volume One
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $5.99 USD. 27130 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on September 21, 2011. Fiction.
We love to fight. Whether cats, pirates, computers, elves, or plain old people, we all love to fight. Or, for those of us who bruise easily, we love to watch others square off, putting up their dukes to take care of business. This collection of five such tales includes: Cat Patrol Delta, Episode #1: Earthfall; Gentlemen's Accord; Bull's-Eye Red; The Lucky Charm; and The Dawn of Spring.
The Lucky Charm
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 8260 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on September 20, 2011. Fiction.
Sliding through the dark waters of the South Pacific, a PT hunts Jap barges. Hunched over his twin fifties, Alex Todd jumps at every sound. He rakes the rainy night with nervous eyes, aware of the missing lucky charm at his neck. No one messes with a sailor's luck. Alex vows to hunt down a miserable luck-stealing thief and make him pay... but first, he'll need to make it through the night.
Mister Majestor's Magnificent Menagerie
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $6.99 USD. 40930 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on September 16, 2011. Fiction.
Perry Ellison cleans cages at his grandfather's traveling show. It's a lame job and a lame scam where animals in cheesy props parade around like mythical creatures. But when his grandfather vanishes and the demons attack, Perry finds that not only is it real, he discovers he's supposed to keep the world from ending! How? Good question. The only one who seems to know is a talking cat.
Devil Dogs
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 8260 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on August 7, 2011. Fiction.
Streaking through the skies of an alien world, Dras'unat charges into a life-or-death Rite of Passage. Challenging the fiercest flying beast on any of the twelve planets is tough enough. Doing so in a temperamental flying chariot from a long-dead race is a feat fit for an elite warrior. And that's what he'll be when the day is done... unless either the beast, or the chariot, kills him first.
Gentlemen's Accord
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $2.99 USD. 9710 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on June 29, 2011. Fiction.
George Adams soars through space, an enterprising buccaneer battling to keep commerce flowing... for a price. He lives in dangerous times, and not just from the authorities. With only a shaky Gentlemen's Accord to guide them, times get equally dangerous when running into former associates, as well. To some of the shadier crews, piracy is not such an ugly word. (Bonus chapter included.)
Sci Fi Tales, Volume 1: From the Edge
by Richard Alan Dickson
Price: $5.99 USD. 23220 words.
Published by Grey Cat Press on April 12, 2011. Fiction.
Science fiction often rides the rail at the edge of a boundary, testing to see what's on the other side. But not all frontiers are found in the distance of outer space. Sometimes, our heroes find their stories much closer to home. This collection of five short stories includes, "A Birthday Surprise," "No Guts, No Glory," "The Crimson Teardrop," "The Eidolon Offramp," and "Bull's-eye Red."
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