John T. Cullen has authored over 20 books, including The Generals of October (Simon & Schuster, 2004)—pulse-pounding political-military suspense fiction set in a near-future U.S. Constitutional crisis.
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John T. Cullen also writes screenplays, including one for Nebula Express (adapted from his SF novel) and the violent, darkly glistening, utterly strange tale of a serial killer in Scorpion.
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Robinson Crusoe 1,000,000 A.D.
a novel
by John T. Cullen
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18.
A roaring sound woke him in the morning. He sat up, startled, throwing leaves in all directions.
It sounded as if it came from ten feet away, and made his hair stand on end. Was this his last moment alive?
There, across the canyon, stood a mother ripper and two cubs. She projected those loud roars with such power that he thought he could already feel her licking his crumpled corpse before those 4-inch incisors tore him apart.
He hid from them, terrified. Meanwhile, the warm yellow sun burned down on his limbs, and he soon exercised the stiffness out of them.
Then came his defining moment.
Angered at his helplessness and the animals’ predatory selfishness, he decided to begin educating the rippers. He was not just going to die—he was going to fight back. He was going to take charge of his world or die trying! Let them feel some respect for him. He gathered a handful of rocks—round ones that would not curve in the air during flight—the size of large marbles. He could throw them easily, with the coordination and skills he had inherited from Alex Kirk. He could aim them, for Alex had been a good athlete, especially in college at Beacham University.
The first shot missed, but startled the ripper, who jerked her head up and took a half step back. Then she glared at him as if outraged at his daring. The next one clipped one of her cubs, which ran off wailing. She watched it go and then stood with her side to him, growling at him. He could see the fine lines of her ribs under that shiny, well-fed brown fur. He could see her sides compressing and decompressing with every breath she took. The next shot clipped her in the ribs, and she sidled away. She thrashed a bit, alternately licking her side and roaring and spitting defiance at him. He let go another shot, which went wide. His arm was getting tired. When he bent to pick up another rock, she abruptly rose, nudged the second cub, and off they went. Had she learned not to come roaring at Alex? Maybe she would come silently next time. At least she had that much respect for him now, that she would sneak up rather than bully him with roaring.
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If you like what you're reading, please send at least two other avid readers to this website.
—Thank you! …Your grateful author, John T. Cullen.
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Other gripping books by the author:
Copyright © 2005 by John T. Cullen. All Rights Reserved.
John T. Cullen has been a pioneer in digital publishing since 1996. He is listed by digital publishing historian Karen Wiesner as the sixth digital publisher in history, and the second person to publish serialized chapters on line (starting 1996). His web magazine Deep Outside SFFH was the first to be listed along with the professional pulps in Writer's Market (1999) and was at one time the oldest professional SFFH magazine in the world. John T. Cullen continues to explore new ways to adapt the primordial power of storytelling to emerging new digital opportunities as the Third Millennium springs to light.
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A Walk in Ancient Rome John T. Cullen (Simon&Schuster May 2005) innovative, acclaimed walking & teaching tour—explore every corner of the Imperial capital at its zenith almost 2000 years ago; learn its history—smell and taste the very air of Classical Rome.
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= Summer 2008 =
A Walk in Ancient Rome, Second Edition John T. Cullen (Clocktower Books 2008)—New! Many new maps; images from the unique scale model of AndréCaron of Quebec. Read this innovative book, with its acclaimed walking & teaching tour. Explore every corner of the Imperial capital at its zenith almost 2000 years ago; learn its history. Smell and taste the very air of Classical Rome. The new edition is bigger, like an atlas. Some people have carried the 1st edition with them to Rome, and found it greatly enhanced their experience.
Dead Move: Kate Morgan and the Haunting Mystery of Coronado, 2nd Ed. John T. Cullen (Clocktower Books, San Diego, Summer 2008). John T. Cullen has tackled the mystery of the ghost at the Hotel del Coronado. He has assembled a dramatic new theory about how and why she violently died on the back steps of the hotel in 1892. A first-class ghost story and whodunit wrapped in one.
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