Charles Hackney's Books
Fiction:
Chosen by the Sword is my debut Urban Fantasy novel (published by Cannon Publishing), first in the Professor Howard Chronicles. All Dave Howard wanted was a decent position as a professor, but his dreams were crushed by the pandemic and a terrible academic job market. What he got instead was an unwilling induction into a world of flesh-eating monsters, eccentric wizards, vampire hunters, blood magic, conspiracies, and a secret family legacy. His allies are not all entirely human, and his haunted sword has a real attitude problem. As Dave struggles to understand his new life and find his place in it, come along with us and see an ordinary man begin his rise from being a nobody to become a warrior, a leader, and a shaper of the destiny of worlds.
I have received wonderful feedback from readers about this story, and the book hit #19 in its category at Amazon. Book Two in the series is coming soon!
I also write short fiction in the horror, sci fi, and fantasy genres, sometimes posting the stories to this Substack.
Space Marines III (Raconteur Press) includes my story “Full Moon Men,” a tale of adventure and survival that also answers the question that I’m sure has kept you up nights: What would happen if you took a werewolf to the moon?
Wyrd West (also Raconteur Press) is where you can find my zombie love story “Undying Love.” This short story was inspired by the Marty Robbins ballad “El Paso,” except this time, the cowboy finds that even the grave is no barrier to the power of true love.
My Christmas vampire story “Sanctum Sanguinem” can be found in the anthology Secrets of the Snow Globe, by West Avenue Publishing. In 4th-Century Myra, a bloodsucking monster meets St. Nicholas, but things do not go as the vampire had anticipated.
In From the Brim to the Dregs (Raconteur Press), my story “The Rhymester’s Share” was inspired by the Norse myth of the Mead of Poetry. It’s a tale of gods, re-enchantment, lame poems, and a very confused psychologist. I had a lot of fun writing this one. This also marks the first time that I was deemed important enough for my name to appear on the cover of an anthology!
Cannon Fodder 2025: Tales From the Gun Crew is a collection of stories from Cannon Publishing authors, sort of a sampler platter for those who want to know what we’re up to over at Cannon. This anthology includes a story set in the Professor Howard universe: “Professor Howard and the Interlibrary Loan Request of Death.” Dave Howard is given the simple job of borrowing a book from his boss’ colleague. But this task turns out to be more trouble than anybody could have predicted, and Dave finds himself trapped between two deathless warriors and an insane sorcerer.
Nonfiction:
Positive Psychology in Christian Perspective was written to be a textbook for a graduate or advanced undergraduate Positive Psychology course at a Christian college or university, but many readers outside of academia have found it to be valuable also as a stand-alone volume for those who want to know more about this particular movement in the field of psychology, or about human flourishing and happiness more generally.
Martial Virtues was written for the general readership, and is an investigation into the idea that training in the martial arts can be a venue for personal growth and character development. This project was informed by cross-cultural study of warrior traditions around the world, the philosophical field of virtue ethics, and the scholarly literature in positive psychology on character strengths and flourishing. The project was also informed by many years of my own experience learning new and interesting ways to get beaten up.
And if you are interested in my academic publications, click here for my profile at Google Scholar.