Matthew's archive is now live
- Matthew Walker
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Matthew’s archive is now live! Like many writers, he has been writing stories on and off for much of his life. His more recent work has focused on tales from the shared setting that includes Westmere, but those stories are only the latest chapter in a much longer history of writing.
Horror, in particular, has been a recurring interest over the years. More than a decade ago, Matthew published several pieces of short horror fiction under the pen name Clarence W. Matthews. The archive is an effort to recover, preserve, and share those earlier works alongside the fiction being written today.
What happened?
One day, feeling nostalgic, Matthew searched Google for some of his older work. He was curious whether anyone had read it, rated it, or left comments behind. What he found instead was that some of those stories simply no longer existed online.
Over time, several of the websites that had originally published his microfiction and creepypastas had disappeared entirely. The stories were gone, the websites were gone, and even Google had little or no record that they had ever been there. Some had vanished so completely that not even the Wayback Machine had preserved them.
Others, fortunately, had survived. A few stories were still available under different domains or through websites that had inherited older material. Finding those surviving pieces created a new goal. To recover what remained, reconstruct what was missing where possible, and give those older works a more permanent home.
What is the purpose of Matthew's archive?
The archive exists in part to protect those stories from disappearing again simply because a publisher closes, a hosting platform changes hands, or a website vanishes from the internet.
You can view the archive by clicking on the button below.
Is this part of the regular retinue catalogue?
Yes, and no. No, they are not set in Westmere. Yes, they are available for free to read and share. They don’t have any continuity between them. They are just samples of writing from a long time ago.
Click here to view the current works in our catalogue.
Why are only some available?
During this period of his life, Matthew had considered compiling a collection of scary stories into a book. When only some of his older work could still be found online, it triggered a much broader search through old thumb drives, computers that had not been turned on in years, forgotten email accounts, and long-lost login information.
Not every story had been published publicly in the first place. Some, like Nutria, had been held back with the intention of debuting them in a future collection that ultimately never materialized.
That means some recovered stories cannot be added to the Retinue archive immediately.
Using Nutria as an example, the story is currently unpublished and is being submitted to magazines and writing contests before it is released on the Retinue website. That process can take months, and many publications require a story to remain unpublished while it is under consideration.
If no outside publication accepts it, Nutria will eventually be welcomed into the archive. If it is published elsewhere, it will remain with that publication until any exclusivity period expires. After that, the story can be added here as part of the recovered collection.
So while the archive is growing, some stories will appear later than others simply because keeping them unpublished for a little longer gives them a chance to find a new home first.
Will the archive stories be free-to-read?
Yes! Just like the Retinue’s other releases, everything in the archive is intended to eventually have a free-to-read edition. Some works may be offered as downloadable PDFs, while shorter pieces may simply be published in full directly on the website.
The archive is kept separate from the newer fiction because these older stories do not share continuity, characters, or a common setting. They come from different periods of Matthew’s writing and stand entirely on their own.
Over time, however, they are intended to receive the same treatment as the Retinue’s other written works: free-to-read text editions, downloadable versions where appropriate, and narrated editions when possible.
One of the broader goals of the Retinue of House Walker is to remain a freely accessible literary and art project. We want to encourage both the creation and enjoyment of stories, artwork, and other creative work. Writing and narration simply happen to be some of the mediums through which we choose to do that.
How can you support the project?
Every read, watch, share, comment, follow and subscription helps the project grow. Free access and low barriers are the front door, and audience support helps to keep it open.
You can also support the project by subscribing to the Retinue of House Walker on YouTube and watching our content there. YouTube subscribers and watch time help the channel grow and may eventually allow video content to help fund future stories and other Retinue projects.
To follow future written releases and announcements join our mailing list on Substack. That is the easiest way to hear when new stories, narrated versions or project announcements are available.
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