Digital Books
Statism and its Discontents. Rockford: Black Oak Media, 2011.
Modern philosophers have noted that the State is the most important phenomenon of the modern world. There is nothing it does not touch, be it education, travel, communication, entertainment, or even food. Therefore, the battle lines have been drawn, not between Democrats and Republicans or liberals and conservatives, but between advocates of Statism and advocates of liberty. These battles are being fought everywhere – in courts, kitchens, boardrooms, schoolhouses, prisons, doctor’s offices, on streets, and even in our own homes. The articles in this collection are drawn from dozens of columns and editorials written by Michael Kleen between 2009 and 2011 on the topics of Statism, liberty, and their conflict.
Home of the Brave, Part 1: A Rope of Sand. Rockford: Black Oak Media, 2011.
It is 2012. Chris Randall is an average American male. Growing up during the 1990s, he witnesses the turmoil of the world through the safety of a television set. In one day, his entire world is unraveled. A massive electromagnetic pulse cripples all electronic devices throughout the country, and temporary chaos sets in. What emerges is a different but strangely familiar world―a world that had always been seething just beneath the surface. As the dust settles, only the strong and resourceful survive. Millions of others die from famine, disease, and disorder. Chris must make a choice: succumb to nihilism, hatred, and self-destruction, or find redemption by leaving behind everything he has ever known.
The Britney Spears Culture. Rockford: Black Oak Media, 2011.
“The Britney Spears culture transforms art into a commodity and makes human happiness reducible to the consumption of merchandise.” In this timely and controversial collection of short articles and essays, Michael Kleen explores everything from the cultural phenomenon of Britney Spears, to consumerism and education, to the polarization of American politics. For the past several years, Michael’s insightful opinion columns and essays have been read all over the World Wide Web. Now, read 25 of his latest pieces as well as a few classics in one collection, including parts 1 and 2 of “What is Totalitarianism?,” “Nietzsche and the State,” “Education and the Individual,” and many more.
Six Tales of Terror: Short Stories for Dark and Stormy Nights. Rockford: Black Oak Media, 2011.
Prepare for a journey into a world filled with mad community college professors, carnivorous slugs, old churches, zombie dogs, and grizzled survivalists. If you loved Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark as a kid, but are all grown up, you’ll love Six Tales of Terror. In this collection, Michael Kleen takes you down the road less traveled and into a Cimmerian void where you won’t know whether to laugh or cry. Six Tales of Terror: Short Stories for Dark and Stormy Nights offers up a buffet of quick, entertaining tales sure to fill the time waiting for the dentist. Clichéd, campy, and wonderfully unique – pulp horror will never be the same.
Legends and Lore of Illinois: Investigation Reports. Rockford: Black Oak Media, 2011.
This collection consists of 47 haunted locations from the archives of the Legends and Lore of Illinois, arranged alphabetically and by category, with over 60 accompanying photos. Many of these photos have never been seen before. Inside, you will find the history, ghost stories, and folklore of popular locations such as Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery, Resurrection Cemetery and Archer Avenue, Manteno State Hospital, Lakey’s Creek, and the Peoria State Hospital, plus local haunts such as Ashmore Estates, Chanute Air Force Base, Vishnu Springs, and Peck Cemetery. Learn the real stories behind the legends: misconceptions and misinformation about these places and more are tackled head on. You will never look at Illinois the same way!
Legends and Lore of Illinois: The Fallen Chronicles. Rockford: Black Oak Media, 2011.
Will The Fallen escape from a shadowy entity lurking in the tunnels under Manteno State Hospital, or will they be upstaged by their ghost-hunting rivals at Greenwood Cemetery? This special collection consists of the saga of The Fallen, spanning 47 issues of the Legends and Lore of Illinois, arranged in chronological order. For the first time, our readers can follow the epic journey of Mike, Aurelia, Davin, Greg, and Emmer from their first appearance at Bachelor’s Grove to their closing act at the summit of Starved Rock. Join this team of eccentric paranormal investigators as they dodge danger at places like Peoria State Hospital, Ramsey Cemetery, Archer Avenue, Monk’s Castle, “Graveyard X,” Illinois State University’s Williams Hall, and many, many more!
