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scop (noun): Old English – bard, minstrel, storyteller

When you look into this book . . .

 . . . it looks into you.

For their new anthology, the good people at Post-Mortem Press have assembled an impressive lineup of writers who’ve made careers probing the depths of human existence, with editor Eric Beebe challenging each to examine the intersection between science fiction and horror.

In the publisher’s words:

The search for knowledge and understanding, what some folks like to call science, tends to create the biggest sense of unknown. We stare into the abyss, hoping to learn, to understand. But the abyss is a cold and uncaring muse.

We risk all when we enter the abyss, usually with little hope of significant payback. In an everyday sense, the abyss is the absolute bottom of an unending unknown.

Here’s a preview of who you’ll find when you enter this book:

Harlan Ellison. His groundbreaking work on television’s The Outer Limits first introduced me to the wonders of sf-noir, and his legendary anthologies Dangerous Visions and Again Dangerous Visions got me thinking seriously about writing fiction. He’s the winner of multiple Hugo, Nebula, and Edgar awards, and is generally regarded as one of the most influential writers in speculative fiction.

Michael A. Arnzen. He’s won four Bram Stoker Awards in multiple categories, starting with his first novel Grave Markings, which launched the Dell Abyss line back in 1994.

His pioneering work in the digital domain (you can read more about that in the essay “Change Thy Shape”) makes him the perfect writer to explore the horrific effects of technology on our post-modern lives.  

Gary A. Braunbeck. He’s one of the most honored horror writers of his generation, having won the Bram Stoker Awards an astounding six times since 2003. He is also the winner of the International Horror Guild and Black Quill Awards, and the author of some magnificently dark, brooding stories of the human condition.

Tim Waggoner. His story “The Men Upstairs” was a contender for last year’s Shirley Jackson Award, but he’s perhaps best known for his urban fantasy novels Nekropolis,  Dead Streets, and Dark War  – all of which have recently been rereleased in a comprehensive omnibus titled Nekropolis Archives.

In a recent review, Publishers Weekly praised Nekropolis novels for presenting “a complex, intricately crafted setting reminiscent of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter universe.”

Jack Ketchum.  He’s the man Stephen King believes may be “the scariest guy in America.”  The author of over 20 novels and novellas, most recently The Woman and I’m not Sam, he was named one of the genre’s Grand Masters by HWA in 2011.

Also included in this anthology are new stories by Paul Anderson, Rose Blackthorn, C. Bryan Brown, Kenneth W. Cain, Brad Carter, Robert Essig, S.C. Hayden, KT Jayne , Jamie Lackey, Thomas Malafarina, Jessica McHugh, Matt Moore, Andrew Nienaber, Nelson W. Pyles, Jeyn Roberts, and Joseph Williams – some of the most exciting writers working the field today.

According to the cover blurb, the stories come highly recommended by New York Times best-selling author Jonathan Maberry. What more do we need?

Fear the Abyss goes on sale everywhere on November 27, but it’s currently available from Post Mortem Press for a special Black Friday price of $15.00.

Oh yes . . . and I’ve got a story in there too.

My contributor copy hasn’t arrived yet, so if you see the book, please let me know what you think. Also, if you’ve been following my recent posts here at The 21st Century Scop, be sure to check out the new comments at “Twilight Zone Magazine Remembered: Then & Now @ WFC 2012” and “From World Fantasy to Riley’s Pour House. ” And as always, feel free to join the conversation by posting a comment of your own or sending a note vie Facebook or email.

Until next time, I’ll see you in the abyss.


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Latest Comments:

  1. The cinematography alone draws me in. Thanks for the heads-up on this one, Larry. And best of luck as your…

  2. Merry Christmas to you and yours, Larry. Wishing you all the best for 2024, including everything related to your current…