Terrorist Scare on its way to Detroit

Dogman covered on Sean Hannity

Michigan UFO

The entire world is covered in UFO sightings. Don't believe me? Check out UFO Stalker where they list the most recent ones and update them live. Of course a few are going to find their way drifting over Michigan skies. Like this one:

While this one might not be part of the Detroit Underground in a literal sense, maybe it's a part of the Detroit Aboveground.

Obama creates Free money Chaos

On Oct 7, 2009 a mad rush for free money broke out in Detroit. As citizens pushed forward in line to submit applications and fill out applications to recieve housing funds under Obama's new housing agenda. A sign of the underground desperation that stirs just beneath the surface in the Detroit Underground.

Detroit Based Fantasy novel - Chapter 1 Audio Book Sample

Check out Chapter 1 of the new book The Rune finder - a sci-fi fantasy based in the city of Detroit in the year 2056:



Visit the main site to subscribe to the podcast, download the rest of the Audio Book, and show your support.
FYI the downloads are all FREE.

We almost lost Detroit

A nice hip hop edition to the detroit underground.

Detroit Based Book "The Rune Finder" free audio book

If you've been following this blog you already know there has been a book recently completed that takes place in Detroit. It's called The Rune Finder.
Here is a quick update on the book:

The Rune Finder Podcast will be coming soon. In continual efforts to "Stick it to the Man" the author has decided to do a completely FREE audio download of the entire rough draft book. Beginning in the next few weeks each chapter of The Rune Finder will be read by the author and posted for free MP3 dowload all over the world. Why? Because the author wants to break through the limitations of a restricted publishing system and give the world an entertaining story free of charge.
Go to the website at www.runefinder.blogspot.com for more details.
Also, show your support by joining the Facebook group. Simply go to the "search" bar at the top right of your home page and search for "rune finder" to locate the group and join.

Detroit Riots

It's sad to think that little progress has been made since the riots. Are the conditions of Detroit a product of the riots or were the riots a product of the conditions? My guess is both.

Robots in Detroit

At the beginning of last year a little robot named ASIMO came to Detroit. While he was here he decided to conduct the Detroit Symphony.

Also, find out more about the upcoming book entitled The Rune Finder. It's a sci-fi fantasy story which takes place in Detroit in the near future.

Rune Finder Blog is UP

The Rune Finder official blog is finally up and running. http://www.runefinder.blogspot.com/

The first draft of the sci-fi fantasy book, based in Detroit, is now finished. Editing and re-editing are now underway.

The site needs new visitors as everyone awaits the publishing of the book. New announcements about the book will be on that site as well. It will include updates and links to go and buy the finished product.

Learn the characters, submit fan art, and post comments. Everyone is welcome.
http://www.runefinder.blogspot.com/

Rune Finder - Fan Movie

A new fan movie has been made for The Rune Finder book. Based in Detroit in the year 2056 this sci-fi fantasy thriller is still in the editing process. Although this movie doesn't depict any Orc, Elf, or Dwarf characters - they are a major part of the book. Mutations have spread throughout the world and a great war is converging in the Detroit area.

The Michigan Dogman

In 1794 a fur trader passing through the area recorded in his journal that he encountered what he called "Loup Garou". That was the first recorded sighting of the legendary Michigan Dogman.

In 1857 a letter also recorded seeing a creature in the woods that stood upright like a man but was a wolf of some kind.

Ever since these instances there have been a flood of pictures, video footage, and sightings reporting that people had seen the Dogman. Mysterious accidents have been reported where people went missing - yet the scene was surrounded by dog tracks. Vehicles have been smashed and torn open as though a massive dog ripped through them.

Flying Saucer Built in Detroit . . . kind of

Have you ever seen a real flying saucer? Okay, how about a flying saucer that hasn't really flown that is half covered in snow?

You may want to give Alfie Carrington a call because he's already socked $70,000 into building one. I can't think of a better way to spend $70k of my hard earned money during these difficult economic times. Enjoy!

Third World Detroit

The economic status of Detroit is horrible. Some homes are forclosed and listed to sell for only $50. You know it's bad when Aljazeera does a report on it.

Teaser

Logan noticed something on the floor, several feet in front of him. It lifted off the ground. A holographic image flickered for a moment and then appeared above the spinning disk. It was a holocom device.
The figure stood almost eight feet tall. He was dressed in a long blue cloak that was pulled up over his head. Logan strained to get a good look at his face. His skin was almost luminescent with dark blue eyes set beneath the white hair of his brow. Logan felt transparent as the figure looked down at him.
“I am known as the Conductor,” he said. “I apologize for communicating through the Connex but I assure this conversation is private.”
“I understand that you lead the Wavers,” said Logan. “I don’t understand what you people do or if you can even help me, but I’m running out of options.”
“Let me enlighten you. The Connex infrastructure is an interactive digital world that exists along side our current physical reality. It was created as the new era to replace the current Internet system. Rather than looking at displays on a screen and typing upon rudimentary keyboard you are allowed to walk through the information. Their digital proxy within that world represents them. If you want to talk to a banker, you walk through the virtual representation of the bank within the Connex and talk to him. Yet, the system runs much deeper than it shows on the surface.”
“I’m not sure I follow what you’re saying. You are saying that when you plug into the Connex, or even at a virtual console, you can walk through a world that doesn’t exist?”
“My physical body is in another room at another place. It is suspended to provide the physical mind a release from the distractions of the world you now live in. What you see now when you look at me is a hologram. This holocom is able to project my representation through the Connex as though I were standing in the room. I see what you see as though I am here, but I am free from the physical constraints. I don’t feel the cold that makes you shiver. I don’t smell the things you smell.”

Detroit Cyberpunk

Cyberpunk is relatively unkown and unused word in regular society. Whether you've used the word before or not doesn't change the fact that you've probably been exposed to it. Let me reference http://www.cyberpunkreview.com/ for the definition:
"Cyberpunk is about expressing (often dark) ideas about human nature, technology and their respective combination in the near future."

If that doesn't sound familiar just go rent the Matrix, Bladerunner, or any of the Terminator movies. There is always a strong focus on the negative impact technology can have on society. With themes of government or corporate control there is also a running theme of hackers. This technology is sometimes blended with humans in the form of biological upgrades or cybernetic forms.

Throughout my book there is a group of individuals known as Wavers. They are an almost spiritually focused group of hackers who penetrate the Connex system. The Connex is the future replacement for the internet - a virtual realm ruled by avatars for business and people.

If you are thinking all of this has nothing to do with Detroit you have to remember a violent but classic film called Robocop. The entire movie takes place in the city of Detroit with the main character being part human but most robotic. Take a look.



I thought it was funny that the music used for the movie trailer here is the same as the Terminator theme.

Cyborgs are coming

Although my book doesn't have cyborgs as characters, there are several that have bio-upgrades. This is a common theme in cyberpunk novels.

I came across this video on youtube that I found very interesting. It doesn't have much to do with Detroit, but the relevence to the book genre is great.

The First Draft

After a long journey the first rough draft of the book is finished. My goal was to write the story in less than 90,000 words and it ended up at 89.905. When I was writing the last paragraph at 11:45pm the power went out across town for a moment. I thought I might have lost half the last chapter, but recovered everything when the power came back on.

I wrote the final words at 11:55pm May 24, 2009. I can only describe the feeling as being similar to the day I graduated college. There was a sense of accomplishment combined with a feeling of not knowing exactly what to do next.

I was anticipating a good nights sleep after finishing the book. Instead I had nightmares of a room full of paperwork that needed editing. I think I have my work cut out for me.

Keeping in mind there is a lot of editing that needs done still I've decided to let everyone have a little taste of the book. Here is a short teaser for you:

"Gelmir assessed the situation. It had been yet another misjudgment on his part to engage in battle with this one. He moved by the large hole in the rooftop and could not see the Orc on the ground below. He focused his eyes into a thermal image. He could see the Orc moving through the warehouse circling the room for an exit. Gelmir could not tell if he were the hunter or the prey at this point. He grabbed his rifle and decided it was best to flee the area.

Gelmir jumped across the thirty-foot gap to the next rooftop and scaled down a drainpipe. He had to reach a safer location in the city before the shock of his wounds set in and immobilized him. His stomach was gushing blood. He could feel it running down his legs inside his tactical suit. The dried salt water on his body made the slice in his belly feel like it was searing next to a hot flame. Although he had caught the Orc with two shots, and then dropped him two stories, he knew his own stamina was no match for the beast when wounded."

There will be more underground bizarre stuff about Detroit upcoming.

The Renaissance Center

I found this old video that takes a glimpse into Detroit's past. When they were building the towers it was viewed as a rebirth for the city. Investors could see the geographic potential of where Detroit is located.

To be honest the location of Detroit, with Canada across the river, is a big reason why I chose to have my book take place there. From a tactical perspective the city would be amazing. In my book we have the Orc Clan on Zug Island. The Elves are running the downtown area and control all the money. The Dwarf colony is living underground with their headquarters on Belle Island. Humans are everywhere in the middle of that.

Check out the video and enjoy the Wakka Chu Wakka of the 70's music.

Shutting Detroit Down

Sad City Detroit

The GM Towers

One of the central focuses in my upcoming book is a place known as the Seven Center Towers. They stand as the center of chaos and suspense throughout the story as all the plot lines converge there. The Seven Center Towers are based on a futuristic represenation of the GM Towers that actually exist there.

You can see a Canadian view of the towers if you look at the top of this very page. They are the cylinder shaped spires right in the center.

I think a lot of people drive by this amazing spectacle without ever getting a peek inside. I found a few of these pictures for your enjoyment at:

http://spacing.ca/wire/2008/11/25/inside-the-belly-of-the-general-motors-headquarters/

Here are some samples

Detroit City

This is an absolutely great film depicting the mood and feeling of Detroit City. Full credit goes to http://www.youtube.com/user/bumpinrunner for this post.

Railway Tunnel

In the fall of 1906 the construction was begun on the revolutionary Michigan Central Railway Tunnel. Only three years later it was opened to the general public for transportation.

Before the tunnel was completed, commuters were left to use a Ferry boat to move them and their cars across the river. Now they could move back and forth on two separate tracks.

Multiple accounts and stories about the railroad have been recorded in public documents. They include a story about an 11 year old boy in 1909 who was horribly mangled and crushed by a train when attempting to jump across the tracks just before the train.

Another story from 1927 tells of a brakeman who was only on the job a few days before misunderstanding directions. He pulled a lever at the last moment thinking he had made a mistake. The passenger train was sent head on into a freight locomotive. Amazingly only one person was killed and a few other injured from the destruction.

Many other stories about the railroad haunts its past. Not all the accidents happened in the tunnels, but future posts about the railroad are sure to come.

Detroit Underground goes to Youtube!

Join the Underground Forum

Click on the big red button and make your voice heard! It's free and it's fun.

The forum has awesome Polls (a new one is included on the right side of this page), questions, and discussion topics that everyone can get in on.

Vote on your favorite futuristic weapons - Vote on your favorite future technology - and other upcoming poll questions.

Tell us about your unique sightings and ideas and stories. If they are good they might end up in the author's upcoming book!

Post your urban legends or prove other's wrong. Speak your mind and submit your own new forum topics and questions.

If you've been somewhere cool like an abandoned building, tunnel, or place you can post it there.

Support the ever growing underground bizarre database! Go Now!

The White Ghost of Belle Isle

With just over five miles of shoreline land, Belle Isle has been a great place to step out of the city of Detroit. It holds the record for being the largest city owned island park, but it also holds a mysterious urban legend.

The White Ghost Lady of Belle Isle is a permanent part of Detroit folklore. While there isn't a lot of written information about the legend since the 1950's, she has quite a reputation among the old youngsters that used to visit the island.

History tells that a young bride was murdered on her wedding day by her newly wed husband. Her ghost now wanders the Island in dispair and sadness.

Rumor has it that she is drawn toward young couples who come and park on the island in the night. She sees the couples necking in the darkness and is pained by the sight of the love she cannot have. Her deep rooted pain draws her toward the car to scare the couples off the island to leave her in peace.

Next time you get a chance to park in a secluded spot on the Island with your sweetheart - keep one eye open for the Ghost Lady creeping up behind the car in her old wedding dress!

The Beaver is BACK

The Detroit River is notoriously known as a river of dirty waters. Over the last several years there has been an environmental push to clean things up. One of the newest signs that these efforts are paying off is the recent photo taken of a Beaver.

Why does this bode well for the river? Because an American Beaver hasn't been spotted in almost 75 years in the river!

There have also been many other reported species moving back into the area, but that's another story.

With all the excitement about this Beaver being spotted I can't help but wonder if an occassional one has always been there - but nobody has noticed them. Maybe there have been specialists actively looking for them and tracking them over the years . . . if so who are these poor suckers?

There is an entire underground bizarre world out there.

The Ghetto

More evidence that the problems in Detroit are too big for the city to bother cleaning up the Ghetto. It's hard to imagine the poor people who struggle in these neighborhoods every day.

Trassig

This is a concept sketch of a Dwarf character for my upcoming book. His name is Trassig and he loves to get in on any action. He is a master of small explosives, but has also been known to be very accurate with a pistol. His colony lives underground as they work to build their own civilization beneath the city of Detroit. They work toward the day when they are strong enough to come above ground and take control of the city.

Any Fan Art is encouraged!

Shak-Maj

This is a sketch I did this evening of a character from my upcoming book. His name is Shak (pronounced Shock). He doesn't associate himself typically with the others of the Orc clan, but instead chooses to survive the streets on his own. Forced to steal and rob for food he suffers discrimination and brutality at the hands of corrupt police . . . when he gets caught of course.
His heart is filled with good intentions, but how long can he hold back the animal instincts waiting to boil to the surface with rage.

Read up on a previous post about how to submit your own Fan Art to be published on this site. Keep the underground bizarre moving forward!

Fan Art Wanted!

Any aspiring artists or photographers who would like to submit your work to our website are fully supported by Detroit Underground!

Even amateur artwork is encouraged and welcome.

The focus of this project is to collect and present any artwork and/or photography that is focused on Detroit. Any imaginative artwork specifically done to promote my upcoming book project will get great exposure on this site!

The book is based in 2050's in Detroit. There are Orc, Elf, Dwarf, and human characters. Think of the Elf-type as the rich guys, the Orc as the mobsters, the Dwarf-types living in the underground tunnels and abandoned buildings, and the humans everywhere inbetween.

When the book get's published there is good potential to have your art get some exposure and recognition. You will get full credit for your work. Please no nudity or inappropriate submissions.

Send all submissions to olinselot@yahoo.com with the subject heading "Fan Art"

Keep the underground bizarre alive!

13th Precinct Building

It's hard to imagine that Detroit has so many abandoned buildings. It looks like a war has been fought in the city and everyone just grabbed what they could and fled town.

Most of us could simply drive by a place like this and never even think twice about them. They remain as harsh reminders to how poorly run the city is. We live in a society where everything is disposable.

These abandoned buildings are left hollow and wasted. Although they might be interesting to explore - they are really just sad reminders to everyone driving by of how run down their city is becoming.

According to http://www.statestats.com/cit07pop.htm Detroit is statistically the #1 most dangerous city (with a population over 500,000). The overall standings put Detroit as the #2 most dangerous falling second to St. Louis.

Places shown in the video below are more symbolic that we realize - an abandoned Police Department Building . . .

The Nain Rouge

Most people who live in the Detroit area have heard about the Nain Rouge urban legends. It goes without saying that it should be covered in this blog as well.

The Nain Rouge is French for "Red Dwarf" and essentially refers to a character that haunts certain people in the city.

It is said that if you see the Nain Rouge, or encounter him somehow, that it is a sign of tremendous bad luck or tragedy. He is reported as appearing to people of various prominence just before a major tragedy occurs.

"The creature is said to have been attacked in 1701 by the first white settler of Detroit, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, who soon after lost his fortune. The creature is also said to have appeared on July 30, 1763 before the Battle of Bloody Run, where 58 British soldiers were killed by Native Americans from Chief Pontiac's tribe.The small tributary of the Detroit river,which still flows through what is now Elmwood Cemetery, turned red with blood for days after the battle.It is said he was seen dancing on the banks of the Detroit river."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nain_Rouge

Just before the Detroit fires in 1805 he supposedly attacked a prominent polititian named William Hull.

Just one day before the 1967 Detroit riots he was spotted by multiple witnesses.

Multiple accounts of "attacks" by the Red Dwarf have been reported over the years.

If anyone has a personal experience or story about the Nain Rouge - Any comments about this underground bizarre creature would be fun and appreciated!

Urban Sprelunking

I came across this video of Detroit Urban Sprelunking. While I don't know who made the video - it is a good example of the many locations around Detroit that most people will never see.


I don't condone or glorify illegal activities.

Welcome to Detroit Underground

Of all the cities in the U.S. there are few that hold as much mystery, history, and underground secrets as Detroit. From the industrial zones of Zug Island to the high rise towers of downtown - there is an unseen world that most people aren't aware of.

This blog is designed to not only present those amazing places, myths, facts, history, and entertaining information but to allow YOU the reader to present your own little nuggets of discovery.

I know there are explorers out there who have been places and seen underground bizarre things in the city of Detroit that most people will never see. It might be an old abandoned warehouse, an old underground tunnel, or even just an interesting even you want to share.

This is a place for all things fantasy and science fiction as well as the underground history and mystery! Hope you all participate and enjoy!