Fantasy / Adult humor
Perilous Puppy Pandemonium
Flamboyant superhero Illumichíc must battle his shadowy nemesis, Darchasm, while surviving his most formidable opponent of all: his mother.
Gaslamp Pulp · Volume V, Summer 2026
Find the magazineMerdhin Wylde · Fantasy writer
Strange worlds.
A little mischief.
Welcome. I’m Merdhin Wylde. I write fantasy with a sense of humor and a taste for the unexpected, from overconfident wizards to creatures you probably shouldn’t trust.
Explore my stories
Fantastic worlds. Questionable decisions.
Enter the stories
Published work
Fantasy, horror, satire, and an occasional true story. There’s more than one way into a strange world.
Some book links are affiliate links. I may earn a commission if you buy through them.
Humorous fantasy
Frenzicus Meets a Squidithid
A pompous warlock and his bumbling imp sidekick descend into Subterramyst to thwart a sinister squidithid’s plot. That is, if they don’t destroy themselves first.
Dumped the Wrong Stat · Nat 1 Publishing
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Fantasy / Adult humor
The Baum Phawk Dating Game
A grumpy dwarf, a poetic minotaur, and a flamboyant unicorn compete for the heart of a cocky wizard on a magical dating show. A Malcolm Moondance story.
Write, Wrong or Otherwise · Nat 1 Publishing
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Also reprinted in Been There, Slain That.
Humorous fantasy
Malcolm Moondance Has Mad Skills
Young wizard Malcolm Moondance sets out to prove himself on a dangerous quest, armed with limited magic and overconfident wit. A Malcolm Moondance adventure.
But It’s What My Character Would Do! · Nat 1 Publishing
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Fantasy / Horror
Turning Corners
Trapped in a labyrinth, a young man grapples with monsters, obstacles, and his own authenticity.
Heavenly Harmonies · Wingless Dreamer Publisher
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Fantasy / Horror
Cavernous Eyes
Otherworldly creatures with luminous eyes accuse a young man of a theft he swears he did not commit. Trapped in their dark cave, he must find a way out.
In Parentheses Literary Magazine
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Dark humor / Satire
Story Hour of Horror
A suburban wife launches a crusade to protect the children from sinister invaders of her local library. Her overzealous tactics have unexpected consequences.
Zombies Are So Dead as a Genre · Nat 1 Publishing
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Horror
Find Me
Aspen must confront the past while surviving a deadly game of hide-and-seek with an unexpected visitor.
If I Die Before I Wake, Vol. 9 · Sinister Smile Press
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Humorous horror
6 Principles for a Stronger Relationship with Your Undead Minions
World domination is demanding work. One supervillain shares the secrets of balancing ambition with the delicate business of managing an army of zombies.
Not Evil, Just Misunderstood… and Also Evil · Nat 1 Publishing
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Creative nonfiction
Aunt Ila Murdered My Imaginary Friends
I didn’t plan on spending the holidays accusing my aunt of murder. But then again, she didn’t plan on killing my imaginary friends.
Oddball Magazine
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Behind the stories
Hello, I’m Merdhin.
I’m a San Francisco-based fantasy and horror writer, high school English teacher, and lifelong lover of stories.
My fiction appears in anthologies from Nat 1 Publishing, Sinister Smile Press, and Wingless Dreamer Publisher, and in Gaslamp Pulp and In Parentheses. My creative nonfiction appears in Oddball Magazine.
When I’m not writing or teaching, I’m devouring fantasy and science fiction, enjoying live theater, exploring San Francisco, and discovering new food and wine.