Time to whip off the mask and admit that I was...

...the writer of 'Cerne's Zoo' in Nemonymous 9 (Cern Zoo) edited by Des Lewis. Yes, all the anonymous contributors to this fine anthology can now lay claim to their story. My contribution was a little more laid-back from my Cone Zero one which was pure fun and sf.
Cerne's Zoo is a more contemplative piece where I delve into the prospect that humans are not the only creatures walking upon the Earth that have souls and the possibility of going to heaven upon their demise, could animals possess them too? And if so what does that mean to us, to those who capitalize, abuse and give no regard to them as fellow inhabitants of this little globe that we stumble around upon in the vastness of the universe?

Here are a couple of reviews where Cerne Zoo was mentioned:

Cern Zoo review by The Author of 'Salmon Widow'

Cerne’s Zoo: Animal souls slip through a gentle one. And - like “Devourer of Dreams (yet again!) - it’s a gift that keeps on giving. A little charmer.

Cerne's Zoo reviewed by D.F.Lewis

"...Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, among others who have contemplated the possibility that souls exist in not only people..."

Another important story that has so far escaped under the radar. A touching and original ghost story about Zoo creatures and the death-bed confession of Cerne Lincroft (Christened thus as he was said to be conceived under the aegis of the Cerne Abbas chalk giant) who once smuggled an elephant with him on an aeroplane between USA and UK because the elephant felt home-sick. However, the story is far more tender and serious than that implies. It has a telling connection with THEORY, too, vis a vis its take on Animism


Cerne's Zoo reviewed by Nick Jackson.
There is good characterisation and some humorous scenes in “Cerne’s Zoo”, a strange story about a man who is capable of communicating with animal spirits and his friendship with a young journalist.

One excellent thing that has occurred is that Steve Duffy has announced that his story 'The Lion's Den' from CERN ZOO has been chosen for Ellen Datlow's up-coming anthology THE BEST HORROR OF THE YEAR, VOL. 2. This is exciting news and I congratulate Steve on a fine story and a well-deserving place in the upcoming volume.

Next announcement is that a Mr.Tullis has won the competition of naming the anonymous authors in Cern Zoo (he had six correct) as therefore will have his name immortalised in the next (and final) Nemonymous 10 which will be called :

NULL IMMORTALIS

I hope to be in it, the final Nemomymous!

It's only took me sixteen years to discover this!

In 1993 I had my first short story published by Alun Books in Wales. The story was called 'The Leaf In The Stone' and was featured in an anthology of supernatural/horror stories edited by Steve Lockley and Paul Lewis called Cold Cuts. However, it's only recently that I discovered that the story received an honourable mention in Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling's
'The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror Seventh Annual Collection in 1994!
It has only taken me sixteen years to discover this and as you can imagine that's sixteen years of bragging I've lost... d'oh!

quote: The writing quality is high although the stories aren't all that original. A few standouts by Bob Lock, Christopher Evans, Jane Del-Pizzo, Steve Lockley and Catrin Collier.

Who said I'm slow?