Hello again! Author Brandon L Roberts here.

From June 2024-May 2025, I released three novels in The Grief Trilogy (Available here), and while I hold a space in my heart for all three stories, I was ready to say GOODBYE to grief and HELLO to something new.

What might that NEW thing be, you ask? Why, killing Ebenezer Scrooge, of course! 

Dating back to 2020, I've been dabbling in a series of short stories that I never brought to fruition until now. And since I've spent a few years trying to be serious, the 2025 holiday season felt like the best time to let the absurdity flow.

Scrooge is Dead explores a universe in which Scrooge does not survive his redemption arc. A panicked ghost must do everything he can to ensure the news of Scrooge's death does not impede his efforts to bring good fortune to the townspeople (particularly the Cratchit family).

Synopsis below. You can preorder the e-book now & order paperbacks on November 24!

The unhinged holiday collection you didn't know you needed.

Benny Scrooge set out for a life of wealth and intended to make everyone miserable in the process. Past, a well-meaning ghost, intends to change the narrative in a single night. But when fate has other plans for Scrooge, Past must seek alternative & joyfully deranged methods to spread his wealth to those who need it most.

"Scrooge is Dead" is one of EIGHT holiday stories that explore the absurd alternatives to a merry and bright holiday season.

This healthy disrespect to holiday tradition reimagines A Christmas Carol, letters to Santa, holiday recipes fueled by financial fraud, the breakdown of a gumdrop marriage, Jolly Ol' St. Nick's foray into the world of LinkedIn influencers, and so much more.

It's not for kids. It's barely for adults. But if you've ever wondered what would've happened if Scrooge met an untimely demise before his classic redemption arc, you're right where you belong.