Check Into the Motel Sick: A New Anthology Arrives

Check Into the Motel Sick: A New Anthology Arrives

Ginger Nuts of Horror welcomes editor Michael Allen Rose to the site to talk about his brand-new anthology, Stories From The Motel Sick, featuring some fabulous authors who are all checking into this weird motel.

Stories From The Motel Sick is the 2nd anthology from micropress RoShamBo Publishing. It takes its name from RoShamBo Theatre, the little theatre company I started after moving to Chicago around 2009.

Coming from a theatre background, community and collaboration are core values for me, and it makes sense to bring the sensibility that a rising tide raises all ships to this new publishing venture.

My plan is to release things as they happen, carefully curated, high concept books, one at a time as I see fit. I have seen so many wonderful small presses over the years come out with a fiery statement of purpose, release a load of books, and burn themselves out. The plan is to take it slow and just put cool things out into the world. I have a tattoo on my shoulder that’s a sigil meaning “Make Art Happen amidst chaos.” We’re going to try to do that.

In my first published novella “Party Wolves in my Skull” (Eraserhead Press, 2011) I wrote about a place called the Motel Sick, a metaphysical motel where every theme room possible (or impossible) exists. I had always wanted to revisit the Motel Sick, and earlier this year decided now was the time.

20 authors created their own rooms, and told stories taking place in or around one or more of the rooms in the Motel Sick. Inside the book, you’ll find criminals and lovers, aliens, clones, loads of bones, tiny people, time travel, legacies of death, the virtuous and the vicious, grappling for money, power, fame, escape… everything and anything can be found somewhere inside the shifting interior of the Motel Sick.

What most people don’t understand is that although any form of currency is accepted at the Motel Sick (from cash to credit, from wampum to doubloons) the true price isn’t always evident until it’s time to check out.

Some of the rules given to these amazing authors before they submitted their work:

The Motel Sick must not be destroyed in its entirety or otherwise wiped out of existence. Because it can’t be. It is eternal, you see.

Things we know about the Motel Sick:

1. It’s bigger on the inside than on the outside. Physics and spatial relationships are unreliable.

2. The art on the walls of the lobby changes whenever people aren’t paying attention to it.

3. There is a very bored, lazy desk clerk who will let anyone/anything stay there if they have cash. He does the bare minimum. It’s steady work.

4. Every possible theme room exists somewhere inside. Yes, even that one. Some of the rooms, as described in the book Party Wolves in my Skull, include: The Irish Potato Famine room, The Empty Room, The birdhouse room, The Antarctic Room, The Screaming Room of Eternal Nightmares, and The Panopticon.

5. There is a shoddy parking lot outside that is not particularly well maintained.

Things we don’t know about the Motel Sick:

1. I feel like it might be next to an Arby’s, but I’m not sure.

I’ve always believed in kindness, honesty, and not being an asshole. I’ve been very lucky to develop that reputation in my career thus far, and so when I asked these authors if they would be interested in contributing a story, every single one of them said yes, including some of the big names that never need to write anything for less than pro rates again.

When I asked, I heard a lot of “For you? Hell yeah.” To me, that demonstrates that my long term plan of being someone that’s nice and fun to work with seems to have worked. We also got immense support from the Kickstarter community, and the excitement the announcement garnered online is so energizing! We can’t WAIT to show people what we’ve been working on!

Stories From The Motel Sick is a genre-bending anthology featuring new stories from authors of horror, bizarro fiction, sci-fi, erotica, noir, crime, comedy, and so much more. Each story takes place at the Motel Sick, a strange, metaphysical motel on the edge of a highway leading to nowhere in particular. We have invited authors to create theme rooms at the Motel Sick, in which their tale of destiny unfolds.

Inside, you’ll find criminals and lovers, aliens, clones, loads of bones, tiny people, time travel, legacies of death, the virtuous and the vicious, grappling for money, power, fame, escape… everything and anything can be found somewhere inside the shifting interior of the Motel Sick. What most people don’t understand is that although any form of currency is accepted at the Motel Sick (from cash to credit, from wampum to doubloons) the true price isn’t always evident until it’s time to check out.

We have exclusive stories by award-winning authors, both huge names and hidden gems:
Matt Dinniman
Brian Pinkerton
John Baltisberger  
Christine Morgan
Jim Marcus  
Christopher Hawkins
John Chambers
Cynthia Pelayo
David Agranoff
John Wayne Comunale  
David Scott Hay
Garrett Cook
Jason Rizos
Jeff Strand
Bridget D. Brave
John Bruni
Elizabeth Broadbent

John Skipp

and

Shane McKenzie

Release Date: 11/26/2025

Print ISBN: 979-8-3493-2086-6

E-Book ISBN: 979-8-3493-2087-3

No. of Pages: 386

More information can be found here

About RoShamBo Publishing

RoShamBo Publishing takes its name from RoShamBo Theatre, the little theatre company I started after moving to Chicago around 2009. Coming from a theatre background, community and collaboration are core values for me, and it makes sense to bring the sensibility that a rising tide raises all ships to this new publishing venture.

My plan is to release things as they happen, carefully curated, high concept books, one at a time as I see fit. I have seen so many wonderful small presses over the years come out with a fiery statement of purpose, release a load of books, and burn themselves out. The plan is to take it slow and just put cool things out into the world. I have a tattoo on my shoulder that’s a sigil meaning “Make Art Happen amidst chaos.” We’re going to try to do that.

My approach to conceptualizing an anthology was really encapsulated in Fragile Anthology, so it served nicely as a first declaration of intent. You’ll find everything in there from psychological horror, to 1980’s Short Circuit/Batteries Not Included sci-fi, to cosmic horror, to metafiction, to gross-out humor, to deeply philosophical literary fiction. You’ll find big authors and small ones, established names and underground stalwarts.

I’ve always believed in kindness, honesty, and not being an asshole. I’ve been very lucky to develop that reputation in my career thus far, and so when I asked these authors to write a story for me, every single one of them said yes, including some of the big names that never need to write anything for free again. When I asked, I heard a lot of “For you? Hell yeah.” To me, that demonstrates that my long term plan of being someone that’s nice and fun to work with seems to have worked.

In addition to continuing to publish high concept anthologies with strong themes (shared prompt, shared world, etc.) and pushing against the boundaries of specific genres and tropes, RoShamBo is also looking toward other ambitious future projects. These include some non-traditional publishing formats, potential re-issues of bizarro classics, and plans to revive the New Bizarro Author Series to share new voices in weird fiction

Horror Features on Ginger Nuts of Horror

If you’re a fan of spine-chilling tales and hair-raising suspense, then you won’t want to miss the horror features page on The Ginger Nuts of Horror Review Website. This is the ultimate destination for horror enthusiasts seeking in-depth analysis, thrilling reviews, and exclusive interviews with some of the best minds in the genre. From independent films to mainstream blockbusters, the site covers a broad spectrum of horror media, ensuring that you’re always in the loop about the latest and greatest.

The passionate team behind The Ginger Nuts of Horror delivers thoughtful critiques and recommendations that delve into the nuances of storytelling, character development, and atmospheric tension. Whether you’re looking for hidden gems to stream on a dark and stormy night or want to explore the work of up-and-coming horror filmmakers, this page is packed with content that will ignite your imagination and keep you on the edge of your seat.

So grab your favourite horror-themed snacks, settle into a cosy spot, and immerse yourself in the chilling world of horror literature and film. Head over to The Ginger Nuts of Horror and embark on a journey through the eerie and the extraordinary. It’s an adventure you won’t soon forget!