A dystopian future where Earth is controlled by a giant corporation called Nattech, Inc., and society is sharply divided between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ sets the stage for Shadow of the Storm, a new novel by the late Robert Edward Graham and C. S. Fuqua. The book, published by Foolscap & Quill, an independent publishing company in Jefferson County, Colorado, follows Jim Pleasant Wolfshadow, a Cheyenne former Navy SEAL and retired Nattech operative, as he emerges from retirement to find his missing friend Max. During a meeting with The Seven, a group of the world’s foremost physicists, Wolfshadow himself vanishes, only to find himself in Earth’s dismal future.
In this future, a rock with strange markings found on Mars has triggered a chain of disasters: the ship returning it malfunctioned, its crew arrived in comas, civil unrest surged, natural disasters multiplied, and people began disappearing. Wolfshadow is accompanied by a shapeshifter who leads him on a quest to return Max to Earth and to stop Mahu, a godlike entity from another dimension that feeds on chaos. Mahu has sent a monster called Briareus to destroy humanity, but his actions threaten to destroy both time and space throughout the universe. Wolfshadow battles Mahu on his home world, and when all hope seems lost, a surprising ally arises.
The story behind the novel is as compelling as its plot. Writing a novel was Graham’s lifelong ambition, repeatedly thwarted by fate. In the 1990s, he was teamed with instructor C. S. Fuqua by the Writer’s Digest school. After the course ended, Graham enlisted Fuqua as co-author. However, cancer and addiction sidelined the project for long periods. Graham returned to it on his deathbed, dictating the ending to his brother David. The first draft was completed days before he succumbed to cancer. Graham was a stage and film actor, model, and a founding member, lead vocalist, and songwriter of the 1960s band The Penthouse Five.
C. S. Fuqua has been widely published in non-fiction, science fiction, dark fantasy, mainstream and literary fiction, poetry, and mystery/suspense. His books include The Crosses (with Bonnie Lynne Del Aguila), Walking after Midnight: Collected Stories, Big Daddy’s Fast-Past Gadget, White Trash & Southern: Collected Poems, and Native American Flute: A Comprehensive Guide. His short work has appeared in Cemetery Dance, The Christian Science Monitor, Naval History, Main Street Rag, and Year’s Best Horror Stories. Fuqua lives in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
The publication of Shadow of the Storm matters because it represents the triumph of determination over adversity. Graham’s story underscores how creative vision can endure beyond illness and even death, with the help of a dedicated collaborator. The novel’s themes of environmental damage, corporate control, and cosmic chaos resonate with contemporary concerns, while its completion stands as a testament to the power of friendship and commitment. Readers who enjoy speculative fiction with a philosophical edge may find both the narrative and its backstory equally inspiring.
