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Multiverse fiction about Joe, a middle-aged drifter, and Nobuyuki, a three-tailed kitsune...
Watch the journey of a writer as he trips the path into publication. Contact me at father_thunder(at)cox.net "Hell to Pay" now available at http://tinyurl.com/nkw9efy and "The Dark Cry of Aristid" is available at https://tinyurl.com/39na5nmp
Friday, October 17, 2025
Wednesday, October 15, 2025
Thursday, July 10, 2025
Middle-Aged Man in a Trashcan is released
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Middle-Aged Man in a Trashcan was released June 25th, 2025 from Wild Rose Press. The book has been decribed as fast, quirky, and heartbreaking.
Joe's lived here all his life, but he's not from around here. Street names are different, landmarks lie, and even money shows presidents he's never known. Some versions of Fort Wayne, Indiana are apocalyptic wastelands; others harbor darker secrets. When trouble strikes, Joe opens a trash can and tears a rift in reality. Inside lies a void where he glimpses the multiverse and rides unknown currents to another Fort Wayne, hoping this one might finally feel like home. With each crossing, his memories slip away. Only Nobuyuki, his shape-shifting kitsune companion, remains constant, and they are hiding secrets about Joe's past that he may never remember. In a multiverse where the next trash can might lead to salvation or doom, Joe must find his way back before he forgets what home is.
Middle-Aged man in a Trashcan by Wild Rose Press
Available everywhere, see Sancho Tom for Multiverse purchases.
Friday, May 23, 2025
Middle-Aged Man in a Trashcan
Middle-Aged Man in a Trashcan
By William Brian Johnson | A multiversal sci-fi comedy adventure
About the Book
Joe doesn’t remember who he is or why he wakes up in new worlds inside a trashcan—but he’s pretty sure it has something to do with the shape-shifting three-tailed fox named Nobuyuki and the collapsing multiverse they’re barely surviving. From crumbling moons to fascist taco trucks, every world is weirder than the last.
Main Characters
- Joe: A burned-out middle-aged drifter with memory loss and an accidental knack for surviving multiversal collapse.
- Nobuyuki: A shape-shifting kitsune spirit—sometimes a fox, sometimes an old man—who guides Joe between dimensions.
- Sancho Tom: The mysterious taco-slinging traveler who appears when things are at their worst... or weirdest.
Read a Free Sample
From Chapter 1:
“There are rules for a new world. Peek out of the trash can and watch for anything odd. Limping undead? No-go. Dragons? Hard pass. Black-eyed children staring at you while everything dies around them? Shut that lid.”Read More
Get the Book
Buy on Amazon Buy from PublisherConnect & Share
Love the book? Share it with your fellow weirdos and wanderers!
Tropes, the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Middle-Aged Man in a Trashcan
💥 7 Wild Tropes That Make Middle-Aged Man in a Trashcan a Fantasy Must-Read
“Wakes up in a trashcan, jumps between worlds, guided by a sassy fox spirit. Just your average Tuesday.”
If you’re into epic fantasy, sci-fi weirdness, or anime-level chaos, then you need to know what tropes Middle-Aged Man in a Trashcan is absolutely nailing. Tropes aren't clichés—they're the delicious flavors that make your genre dish pop. And this book? It's a five-course meal for trope lovers.
🌀 1. Isekai with a Twist
The Trope: Someone from our world is whisked away into another dimension.
Why It Works Here: Instead of being a teen in high school with a cheat code, our hero is a middle-aged burnout with memory gaps and a magic trashcan. Joe doesn’t get a grand prophecy. He gets a sore head and apocalyptic déjà vu.
Perfect for fans of: Re:Zero, Konosuba, The Wandering Inn
🦊 2. The Magical Animal Companion
The Trope: The protagonist is guided by a magical beast or familiar.
Why It Works Here: Enter Nobuyuki—a shape-shifting, three-tailed kitsune who can be a fox, a bosy elderly man, or a complete pain in the butt. Nobuyuki’s dry wit, cosmic wisdom, and morally grey guidance steal every scene they're in.
Think: Geralt’s Roach meets Pokémon’s Ninetales, but with more sarcasm.
🗺️ 3. Portal Fantasy Multiverse
The Trope: Characters step through magical doors or devices to explore other worlds.
Why It Works Here: Each time Joe opens that trashcan lid, it’s a portal roulette. One world has fascism. Another? Taco trucks and a decaying moon. Every chapter is a new flavored universe. It's Dr, Who meets Apocolypse Now.
🤯 4. Amnesia Protagonist
The Trope: The main character doesn't remember who they are or why they're here.
Why It Works Here: Joe's memory loss isn't just a hook; it's central to the emotional arc and escalating stakes.
Cue the existential dread... and jokes. Lots of jokes.
💀 5. Dark Humor Meets Cosmic Horror
The Trope: Laughing in the face of madness (literally).
Why It Works Here: The tone shifts from ridiculous to terrifying on a dime. Remember that meeting a dragon is a life-changing event, but meeting through a dragon is a life-ending event. It's the Good Omens vibe turned up to eleven.
🧙♂️ 6. The Reluctant Chosen One
The Trope: The hero doesn’t want the job, the power, or the responsibility.
Why It Works Here: Joe didn’t sign up to save the multiverse—he just wants to survive long enough to eat a decent meal. He’s not trained. He’s not special. And that’s exactly what makes his journey real.
🍜 7. Found Family (with weirdos)
The Trope: Misfits form bonds stronger than blood.
Why It Works Here: Between Joe, Nobuyuki, and the possibly immortal taco vendor Sancho Tom, you’ve got a squad that doesn’t make sense—but somehow works. Their dysfunctional, heartfelt bond is what keeps the story grounded even when the sky literally falls.
🧠 TL;DR:
If you love stories that flip tropes on their heads but still deliver the satisfying genre goodness of:
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Interdimensional travel
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Talking foxes
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Cosmic weirdness
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Snarky dialogue
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Deep themes of memory, identity, and survival...
Then Middle-Aged Man in a Trashcan is your next obsession.
📚 Buy it now Links or from the publisher.
🦊 Join the mailing list to get bonus multiverse maps, Nobuyuki’s travel tips, and more.
#IsekaiLife #KitsuneVibes #PortalFantasy #WeirdFictionWins
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Monday, May 19, 2025
5th Dimensional Spaces and Worm Holes, Oh My.
NPR's podcast Short Wave had a fascinating talk on wormholes and if they exist. Listen here: https://www.npr.org/2025/05/19/1252360718/gravity-interstellar-wormhole-black-hole
Middle-Aged Man in a Trashcan coming June 25th. Preorder here: https://wildrosepress.com/product/middle-aged-man-in-a-trashcan/
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