My name is Christian Papesch, and I work as a video journalist and author in Hamburg, Germany.
That’s how my resume starts. Although it doesn’t really resume anything. All it does is measure. Sizing up a human existence, into assesable aspects. Where am I from? What do I do? Am I worth your attention?
But isn’t life something else? A walk in the rain – and waking up with a mild cold the day after. Pressing your nose hard against a shopping window, while firmly believing that it will eventually just dissolve into thin air. Opening a magical mahagony box, and watching the invisible unicorn inside dance the twist. Little everyday wonders to stop and admire, before you go on and resume your daily routine.
My name is Christian Papesch, and these are my stories. Uniquely portable magic, disguised as black ink on white paper.
Albtraumfänger
On his 101st birthday Willibald Daringhoff’s world is knocked off its rusty axis. The chronically bored and cynical German hasn’t even finished his low-calorie elderly home breakfast, when American exchange student Ben storms into his stuffy room. The teenager confronts him with a mysterious lodge in the woods, that somehow figures out its visitor’s dearest wishes, and makes them come true. But it also corrupts them, forcing them to hurt, destroy, and kill. It’s a dangerous place that should not exist anymore, because Willibald destroyed it more than 80 years ago. At least that’s what he claims. But the more Ben starts to rely on the old man’s help, the more he gets tangled up in a sticky web of lies – spun by an unlikely evil, patiently waiting in the dark.
Unser Gästebuch (Our Guestbook)
An anthology book of loosely connected short stories about racism, social injustice and addiction, published in German and available for purchase.
Short Stories
A selection of short stories, published on the Creative Writing Network Story.One.
The Walkman
A Coming-Of-Age Horror Story about an old Walkman and its dark secret.
BAR
A mystery novel about a strange bar that appears to be a portal between space and time.
i!
An autobiographical Horror Novel about the joy and struggles of creative writing.
Rebound
Christian Papschs debut novel, a dark fantasy tale about an unknown drug that opens the doors to a seemingly perfect dream world.