The Backrooms meets Willy's Wonderland in this queer horror novella where two security guards—one of them a serial killer and the other a potential victim—must escape the Mall before it digests them whole.
And Shaw? Bummed that the term “Final Guy” doesn’t have the same ring as “Final Girl”...but at least his boss is a 10 on the ‘would tap that’ scale.
Join me as we kick off the first part of a brand new unfiction series. A single story told across websites, podcasts, short films, video games, and other digital miscellanea, MONITORED ACTIVITY is the first and only artifact of its kind.
This standalone book takes place within the Project Singularity universe, and once the campaign wraps, all physical copies will cease to exist. Your money goes towards hiring a real life human editor of the flesh and bone kind, and in exchange you receive a spine-chilling limited edition paperback.
Let’s say you’re a fan of horror that showcases humanity’s strengths in unorthodox ways. Maybe you enjoy media where the queer characters are flawed, unsanitized, and messed up. There’s even a chance you wish that “analog horror” trend that hit YouTube was taken a bit more seriously, alongside other odd methods of storytelling that made the cyberspace its home.
MONITORED ACTIVITY exists as a love letter to all of the above. The cameras might keep a close eye on Prime Plaza’s security team, but nobody will be breathing down your neck while you indulge in a horror story that is a little existential, drenched in too much 90s nostalgia, and far too sexy.
Clock-in for a night shift you’ll be desperate to forget—but will keep you coming back (for a bunch of sweet goodies!).
A state-of-the-art security system arrives with the New Millennium, and shoppers at Prime Plaza can now spend their time and hard earned money with newfound peace of mind. That same luxury doesn’t extend to the mall’s employees.
Hallucinations of missing girls and impossible hallways haunt Shaw's every shift. Footage of bloated corpses vomiting sand, violent indiscretions committed by management, and a hell-dimension of perverse delights makes the security guard equal parts sick and turned on.
It’s a good thing that Shaw is impervious to shame. There is no serial killer, haunting, or starved alien life-form that can stop him from getting what he wants: PTO, and in his boss' pants.
GENRE: Horror, Sci-Fi, Unfiction
AUDIENCE: Adult
LENGTH: Novella (approx. 100 pages; pending final edits)
PAPERBACK DIMENSIONS: 5.5" x 8.5"
Shaw Price
Second Shift Security Guard at Prime Plaza
Feet up on the desk, hands behind his head, and sucking the salt off sunflower seeds is Shaw's way of coping with the debilitating anxiety that comes from working at Prime Plaza while studying for his GED.
Being a Lone Wolf determined to get a laugh out of his co-workers makes Shaw a living contradiction, but his day to day life proves that existence itself is Chaos. The fact that he can't get Eddie out of his head is all of the evidence he needs.
Edwin "Eddie" Conners
Head of Security at Prime Plaza
Loving husband to a former Prom Queen, doting father of two, and outstanding member of the community, Eddie may very well be blessed by God Himself—if he were to believe in that sort of thing. As a former professor of Theoretical Physics, unjustly fired for challenging the academic board, he now works the job no one wants.
But the transition from professor to security guard is by no means a demotion, in his humble opinion. Not when the rumblings that come from deep inside Prime Plaza make him an offer he can't possibly refuse.
Miss Janice
Third Shift Custodian at Prime Plaza
Patron Saint of the Misfits and Union Gal since the 1980s, Miss Janice has been around since before Prime Plaza swapped hands to become the juggernaut of shopping centers it is today. Old, tired, and terminally ill, Miss Janice tries her damnedest to make sure every soul who clocks in gets a lunch break—and that they stay out of everyone else's business.
When Shaw's laid-back behavior becomes erratic, she debates violating her own rule of live and let live. She's seen this before, and not because being a custodian makes her aware of every beat inside the mall. Miss Janice was there when The Event of '83 took place.
MONITORED ACTIVITY is the first official installment of Project Singularity, a multi-media unfiction webseries that samples the feel of classic internet horror (“analog” and otherwise) with a queer flair. While the unfiction genre works due to its strictly digital nature, Monitored Activity presented me with the opportunity to do something outside of the norm. And around these parts, we’re all about breaking away from the norm.
Project Singularity first originated in 2019 with a yet-to-be-published account set during the famous Shackleton Expedition of 1914, and three short stories scattered throughout the timeline. It wasn’t until 2024 that all the pieces came together into a medium (more like many mediums) I believe did the entire project justice, and 2025 saw the first iteration of Monitored Activity come to life.
All great things must start small, so Project Singularity begins with a paperback novella. MONITORED ACTIVITY, if funded, will live only in the copies created through this campaign. You're free to do with your copies what you wish: read it, or don't, donate it, gift it, destroy it — whatever you choose, know that you are now a part of this story.
Think of this book as the perfect artifact to push the boundaries of an already boundary-breaking project.
Once you've chosen your tier, you'll have the option to grab goodies of the digital and physical kind.
Keychains — Handmade, stamped, leather keychains rocking the name Prime Plaza. (Limited to 20; only available for physical fulfillment.)
Mini prints — Each one is double-sided, with a character portrait on either side. Grab two and show off both Eddie and Shaw! (Only available for physical fulfillment.)
eBooks — Four horror shorts to choose from, two of them brand-spanking-new!
"Connection Terminated: The Making Of" — A PDF featuring early outlines, author notations, commentary, unhinged notes app screenshots, sketches, the original Monitors short story, and other miscellanea from Monitored Activity's creation.
Name a Space — Get a chance to name a store, restaurant, or movie theater in the book! (Limited to 10)
+ Any Stretch Goal goodies once they've become unlocked.
Mitch Miller’s the name, and writing is the game. Horror author of the folk, sci-fi, and weird kind, I’ve been playing in the literary sandbox for over two decades, crafting castles as queer as me. The extent of my horror writing has reached magazines in the shape of narrative poetry, and institutions such as the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in the form of award-winning stage plays.
Prowling the internet since the mid-90s, I’ve been forged in its ever-changing fires and polished within the communities I’ve been calling home for nearly three decades. Basically, I’m a huge geek who believes in the possibilities the digital space can provide emerging artists from all sorts of backgrounds. From creepypastas, to SCP, to indie horror, to analog horror—I’m the #1 cheerleader for every starry-eyed kid messing around with Blender for the first time, and every overworked adult typing at their desk into the dead of night.
Writing aside, I’m an educator, streamer, video editor, and amateur filmmaker, coder, game dev, and producer. Feel free to chalk that all up to my Gay Audacity.
Originally from Puerto Rico, I live in Colorado with the hope that some of the greatness from so many of the horror authors living here will rub off on me. Looking at you, Stephen Graham Jones.
Welcome to The Book Bazaar, a celebration of all things indie and small press! We're collaborating to help make each creator's dreams come true with their publishing project. The more you back, the more goodies you earn. Here's how you can earn more:
🌟 Back five projects, get an exclusive reward. We're offering an exclusive The Book Bazaar reward to anyone who goes all out and backs five or more projects. The Book Bazaar 2025 participants are putting together a one-of-a-kind anthology full of unique and never-before-seen stories. Claim your anthology by showing your support now! Your anthology reward will ship separate from other rewards.
The most metal thing anyone can do right now is support indie authors and artists. This is just a sampler of all the cool projects The Book Bazaar 2025 has to offer.
Tier prices do not include shipping costs. Please note that unlike other crowdfunding sites, Backerkit charges shipping costs after the campaign has concluded. As of right now, all physical rewards will only be shipped to the United States and Canada.
Timeline wise, Monitored Activity is currently in its third draft. If funded, this draft will pass on to a copy editor, then back to me for one more pass before entering the proofreading stage. We expect to begin the process in January and estimate the manuscript's completion between May and June. During that time, any non-book goodies will go into production ASAP, with the hope that all physical rewards arrive around the same time.
Digital rewards will be fulfilled once the book is formatted.
While this is my first time running a 'Topia-adjacent campaign, I've been all hands on deck on various other large scale crowdfunds over on Kickstarter. The folks who those campaigns belonged to are my on-call 24/7 support team, ready to make sure I'm providing you with the best crowdfunding experience possible.
With the purpose of this campaign being to hire a professional copy-editor, I have reserved for them to start on this project in January. While I'm confident in both the editor's and mine's ability to work quickly and efficiently, there is always the possibility of unexpected delays.
It is worth noting that while we have no history of issues with the manufacturers I will be utilizing, as we've worked with them before, there is always a possibility of delays due to misprints or slow shipping times. Were the fulfillment timeline to be delayed for any of the above reasons, I will continue to provide regular updates while any issues are promptly resolved.
