Mark A. Rayner


Biography

Mark acquired his super-powers on the day he was bitten by a radioactive baboon.

His grandfather had taken him to a petting zoo near Mark's home town of London (the other one, in Canada) and the ten-year old had been delighted to discover that there were monkeys. The only thing that would have made him happier was the presence of pirates, but the pirate petting zoo had been forced out of business earlier that year because of all the hook-related litigation.

Shortly after his mauling by the red-assed, Old World monkey, Mark began to exhibit his new super-powers. First mimicry, then copious hair growth, and finally, the storytelling. All three powers drove his family crazy.

Despite these gifts, he survived the 70s and 80s. (In fact, he is still pleasantly surprised that he was not vaporized in the mid-80s, though he never took the threat of global thermonuclear war personally, despite his encounter with the irradiated primate.)

Since then Mark has explored many storytelling media; the theatre, radio, print, and of course, the web. He's had several plays produced, more than two dozen short stories published, and he has written two novels: THE AMADEUS NET (ENC Press, 2005), and MARVELLOUS HAIRY (Crossing Chaos Enigmatic Ink, 2009).

His own tale is currently set in his hometown of London, Ontario (Canada). He shares a home in Old South with and two Siberian maniacs (cats). He also works as a freelance writer and web consultant, and he teaches at The University of Western Ontario, in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies.

Where to find Mark A. Rayner online


Where to buy in print


Books

The Amadeus Net    by Mark A. Rayner
Price: $4.95 USD. 90950 words. Published on July 16, 2011. Fiction.

(5.00 from 1 review)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is alive and in love, living in the world’s first sentient city, Ipolis. Lucky for both of them, nobody knows, but how long can it stay that way? Set in 2028, The Amadeus Net is a satire that examines life, love and the nature of art in a world struggling to recover from a cataclysmic asteroid strike and human stupidity.
Marvellous Hairy    by Mark A. Rayner
Price: $4.95 USD. 70000 words. Published on March 29, 2011. Fiction.

0.75 star(4.63 from 8 reviews)
So hair is sprouting in unspeakable places and you can no longer carry a tune, but if you're a surrealistic artiste with an addiction to Freudian mythology and guilt-free sex, turning into a monkey has its upsides. Release your inner monkey! "Marvellous Hairy is a top pick for any humorous fiction collection, highly recommended." --Midwest Book Review

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