The Little Cat Laughed to See Such Sport
To celebrate the publication of award-winning author Michael Swanwick’s new novel Dancing with Bears (Night Shade Books), we’re running Swanwick’s complete short story “The Little Cat Laughed to See Such Sport.” It’s a story about Darger and Surplus, the protagonists in Dancing with Bears, and was originally collected in Swanwick’s short story collection, The Dog…
Future of the Underground: What to Read Before Everyone Else Does
After years of living as a starving writer, Nick Mamatas has published a guide to the underground publishing life called Starve Better. In this essay, he talks about why he wrote the book, and offers a guide to the best underground writing you should be reading. I’ve just published a book for starving writers called…
What if Dracula won? The secret inspirations behind “Anno Dracula”
Kim Newman’s classic novel Anno Dracula imagines a world where Dracula wins at the end of Bram Stoker’s story, conquering Britain and establishing a vampire-dominated society. Where did this horrifying scenario come from? To celebrate the reissue of Anno Dracula from Titan Books, Newman explains the genesis of his story, including his literary influences and…
As if worldwide drought wasn’t bad enough, our dystopian future also includes a lethal sex virus
James Jaros’ new novel Burn Down the Sky offers a disturbing take on the post-global-warming dystopian setting. Our civilization is no more, thanks to skyrocketing temperatures and a catstrophic water shortage — and then there’s the deadly “Wicca” virus. Check out the first chapter of Jaros’ horrifying post-apocalyptic novel below. Texas School Board Demands Equal…