We are now open to original short stories of urban weird fiction (so stories about cities and dealing with the complexity that is other people) for the upcoming anthology Nowhereville: Weird is Other People. These are modern weird tales (give or take a few decades) that could only be told of the weirdness of the urban experience and our interactions with one another. (See the full open call for more details.)

EYEDOLON MAGAZINE is an online magazine of weird tales. These are the stories that take place in the realms between science fiction and fantasy, between the realistic and the absurd. This is weird fiction and its borders with other genres.

Our Kickstarter for the anthology Welcome to Miskatonic University offers options for a full year's subscription to Eyedolon Magazine. You can read one of its stories, "Some Muses Are Not Gentle" by Brandon O'Brien right now (available to non-patrons).

After alarms were triggered in the Restricted Stacks, Library Science Security has instituted a lockdown of the MU campus library pending a thorough cataloguing. Local law enforcement are being blocked from the investigation, adding insult to a century of injured relations with Arkham. If you know anything, you can reach out to Library Services on their anonymous tip line.

Come explore our forthcoming anthology Welcome to Miskatonic University.

Just this morning, I was interviewed by the folks over at Mad Scientist Journal!

News: We're so very close to funding! Thanks all for your contributions and sharing. I mentioned the EU-Friendly and AUS-Friendly international S&H rates in the last Update. This time, I want to assure all of you that, if you're at a tier for both books, we will not leave you hanging if the second anthology doesn't fund. You will get a second book. If we reach our goal for Welcome to Miskatonic University but don't reach our first stretch goal, anyone that backed a tier that has two anthologies will get a second book of their choice, either from those we've already published or from an upcoming title. (This applies to both print and ebook reward tiers.) I know this has been on a lot of your minds, and I've updated the campaign FAQ.

Story from Brandon O'Brien
We've tried to paint a detailed image of what these anthologies are all about. But what better way than to give you a story. So here's Brandon O'Brien's short story "Some Muses Are Not Gentle" from (the almost forthcoming) Welcome to Miskatonic University, posted on the Eyedolon Magazine Patreon page for free.

We asked Brandon for a quick note about his potent story:

"'Some Muses Are Not Gentle' follows Darryl, a Creative Writing international student at Miskatonic whose poetry thesis replies to one of Arkham's most beloved historic poets. But when he starts losing time and gaining newly crafted pieces he can't remember writing, he learns that some ghosts hate to be spoken down to, even in verse.

"Working with Broken Eye has definitely been a strong reminder that weird fiction is very fertile ground for asking questions about how we see the world around us. Miskatonic University is a perfect symbol for the genre's themes of the consequences of knowledge, so I was immediately excited to submit something, and I thought it would be interesting to seek some knowledge of my own through writing this story, namely: how do you respond when you love someone's work, but not what their work means?"

You can read "Some Muses Are Not Gentle" right now: https://www.patreon.com/posts/17646073

Interview with Frank Casey
One of those cool things in the stretch goals is the second anthology, and it will have a cover illustration by artist Frank Casey. I had the chance to interview this very talented artist, and well, you can read that below—while you glory at some of his illustrations!

SG: Frank, you have such a detailed and lushly colored technique. Can you tell us something about your style and influences?

FC: My artistic background is a mix of traditional photo-realism and comic book art. I grew up on comic books, and artists like Bernie Wrightson, Alex Raymond, Winsor McKay, and Al Williamson continue to inspire me with their line work and their ability to render fantastical realities in realistic ways. I try to keep a strong sense of realism in my work, as though the worlds and situations I’m creating were drawn from observation instead of imagination. I experiment with rendering the illusion of three-dimensional form and space through the use of contour lines and limited shading.

Classic pulp sci-fi also heavily influences me. I love the stylish simplicity of the genre, created at a time when ideas of space travel where still open to great mystery and visions of the future were optimistic.

SG: I enjoy how you mix the strange and the normal. What’s your inspiration for those amazing monsters?

FC: Creating a good monster is something of a balancing act: how human or inhuman do you go when making a monster? I’ve never been content to make monsters that look like people with rubber appliances (line in Star Wars and Star Trek)—unless the illustration kind of calls for it (like, for humorous effect). When you’re dealing with lines on paper, you can do just about anything. But going too far from anthropomorphic can keep a monster or alien character from being relatable. There should always be some element of the creature that is reminiscent of human characteristics (usually the eyes), so the viewer has something familiar to grab onto and can access the rest of the monster’s design through that. Aside from that, I will also look for inspiration in biological forms that depart from animals we are familiar with. Microscopic insects and deep-sea creatures are good for alien starters.

I use references heavily in my work to maintain the sense of realism. If a design for a creature is super complex or there is not much like it that I can find in nature or a photo, I will build a model of it out of clay or plastic to see what it actually looks like—how much space it takes up and how the light reacts to it—then use that as a reference when drawing.

SG: What are you working on right now?

FC: My current work, Tales of the Incompletely Peculiar, is a series of illustrations for stories that don’t exist. I create an image with a title and a caption—a few recipe ingredients for a story—and leave the rest up to the viewer. It’s an invitation to imagine whatever world or situation, whatever beginning or end, the viewer can come up with. My “stories” are meant to start a conversation that the viewer can continue by adding their own thoughts, desires, and experiences. Though I mainly work through the styles of steampunk and retro sci-fi, I try to make my stories diverse; some are whimsical, some are poignant, some are action-packed, some are romantic, some are political, some are allegorical. I believe what Gene Roddenberry believed: that science fiction can be forum though which we can talk about the human condition in ways we can’t necessarily in other genres. I sell my works individually and in collected volumes as coloring books. They can be found at www.etsy.com/shop/MonkeyHouseStudio.

One thing that people have admired about my work is its diversity of characters—diversity of age, race, gender, and sexual identity. I feel that representation is important and try as often as I can to avoid making images that rely on the white, straight, male hero trope. I want to cast characters in the heroic role who are rarely represented as heroes in mainstream sci-fi. That’s one thing that I think makes my work stand out: the juxtaposition of traditional sci-fi themes and ideas, starring characters that don’t quite look like your classic Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon type of hero. The genre has been changing for the better lately, and I want to keep that spirit of diversity and equitable representation thriving in my work.

One thing that I think I will never do in any of my work is to put any character, especially a female character, in a position of weakness or helplessness. That’s one point at which I want to depart from classic pulp sci-fi, which was strong in misogynistic, damsel-in-distress images. In my stories, even the ones in which there’s conflict, everyone is strong. Everyone can face whatever challenge ahead without fear.

SG: And in your future?
FC: I am currently in the fifth volume of my Incompletely Peculiar series. Each volume has seven illustrations, so... that makes 35 in the series so far. My plan is to get to even 50, so 7 volumes in the series. After that, who knows? Maybe a narrative comic.

Thanks, Frank!

And thank all of you! More soon...

Great news for the Welcome to Miskatonic University Kickstarter! We now have EU-Friendly and AUS-Friendly options. The paperback and hardcover editions can ship from the UK or Australia respectively. There're five tiers specifically designed for our international friends.

The Kickstarter for Welcome to Miskatonic University has launched! These are modern tales from that most iconic of strange and magical New England institutions, Miskatonic University. In the third of our anthologies exploring a more modern Cthulhu Mythos, this time we're telling tales where it intersects with modern small town life and academics.

This will create a minimum of one anthology, but there were so many great stories that there's a second anthology, It Came from Miskatonic University, right behind it to unlock. And additional goodies, like My Miskatonic, a guidebook to Arkham and the university. So many wonderful contributors, you're bound to already know some but also to find new favorites. You can even have your likeness turned into a portrait illustration by artist Yves Tourigny. Plus there're stickers, posters, buttons, squid hats, critiques, hand-bound special editions, and maybe even another open call.

Authors in Welcome to Miskatonic University:

•     Marcus Chan, "Like Candles in a Passing Breeze"
•     Elliot Cooper, "The Needle’s Eye of Nothingness"
•     Kristi DeMeester, "The Long Hour"
•     Scott R. Jones, "The Steeplechase"
•     Brenda Kezar, "Wyrd Science"
•     Gwendolyn Kiste, "A Lost Student’s Handbook for Surviving the Abyss"
•     K.G. McAbee, "The Official Inquiry into the Waite-Gilman-Carter Antarctic Expedition Sponsored by Miskatonic University and the Unfortunate Conclusion Thereof"
•     Bennett North, "Glory Night"
•     Brandon O'Brien, "Some Muses Are Not Gentle"
•     Joseph S. Pulver, Sr., "Beyond the Surface"
•     Liz Schriftsteller, "Through Cryptic Caverns, the Shoggoths Come at Night"
•     Nate Southard, "Something Beautiful"

Authors in It Came from Miskatonic University:

•     Dani Atkinson, "Between the Holes"
•     Mary Berman, "Ordinary People"
•     Jennifer Brozek, "The Librarian's Handbook"
•     Jacqueline Bryk, "Gills"
•     Richard Lee Byers, "Student Body"
•     S.L. Edwards, "Office Hours and After"
•     Lynne Hardy, "Identity Crisis"
•     David Kammerzelt, "Intermediate Yithian"
•     Tonya Liburd, "Fear of a Black Planet"
•     Matt Maxwell, "The Kingdom of Is"
•     Chuck Regan, "The Secret Trials of Jared Bloom"
•     Angela Slatter, "Reading Off the Curriculum"
•     Oliver Smith, "Mowbray’s Museum"
•     Dawn Vogel, "Hashtag TPE"

And Michael Bukowski did the amazing cover illustration. (Authors are listed alphabetically. The final TOC is still to be determined.)

As we move along in the campaign, I'll be interviewing our creative partners and showing off their work and unveiling new possible designs (whether for stickers or bookmarks or buttons or even new covers or maybe even hats!) and even explaining why I decided to split the stories into two anthologies. I'll also be giving a taste of what it's like building an anthology and show you a little of the behind-the-scenes work.

If you've enjoyed one of our previous anthologies (or other books!) or are just curious about what's going on, I hope you'll go check out what we're building and even become a part of it.


>>COME SEE our Kickstarter - Welcome to Miskatonic University from Broken Eye Books

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1557256029/welcome-to-miskatonic-university-an-anthology/

Broken Eye Books is publishing the serial Blossoms Blackened Like Dead Stars by Lucy A. Snyder, continuing where the author left off in her contribution to Ride the Star Wind (our Lovecraftian space opera anthology). Publishers Weekly described Snyder's short story as "superbly creepy."

This serial chronicles the adventures of Beatrice Muñoz and Joe Jorgensen as they travel through space on their quest to find and annihilate the spawn of Azathoth. But as they fight to protect the Earth from the ancient horrors lurking in deep space, can they retain their humanity and sanity? Or will they ultimately become monsters more fearsome than the spawn they set out to destroy? And what if Azathoth isn't the only ancient malign god they have to face in the cold reaches of the cosmos?

"My original story referenced Frankenstein and 'Rappaccini's Daughter' in addition to the Cthulhu Mythos," Snyder says. "I'm planning to work with and update other themes from classic weird fiction. And of course, the story will deliver on the space opera adventure, interstellar battles, and cosmic horrors that my Ride The Star Wind story promised. I'm also going to make good use of the space science I learned at the Launch Pad Astronomy Workshop last summer. 

"I personally love narratives that blend science fiction and horror. My goal for this novel is to create an immersive world and character-driven story that satisfies fans of both genres, and I hope my readers enjoy it."

The story begins February 2018 in Eyedolon Magazine with the reprint of the story that started it all.

Lucy A. Snyder is a five-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author of ten books and about 100 published short stories. Her writing has been translated into French, Russian, Italian, Spanish, Czech, and Japanese editions and has appeared in publications such as Asimov's Science Fiction, Apex Magazine, Nightmare Magazine, Pseudopod, Strange Horizons, and Best Horror of the Year. She lives in Ohio and is faculty in Seton Hill University’s MFA program in Writing Popular Fiction. You can learn more about her at www.lucysnyder.com and you can follow her on Twitter at @LucyASnyder. She is also creating content at www.patreon.com/LucyASnyder.

Broken Eye Books is an independent press, here to bring you the odd, strange, and offbeat side of speculative fiction. Our stories tend to blend genres, highlighting the weird and blurring its boundaries with horror, sci-fi, and fantasy.

Broken Eye Books is publishing the serial How To Unmake It In Anglia by Brandon O’Brien, a slipstream mystery about the power of stories to equally conceal cruelty, repress emotions, reveal truths, and give hope, depending on who tells them.

On the bustling streets of Anglia, where an unknown force has the power to turn words into truths, the agents of the Communication Crimes Bureau monitor words, always on the lookout for a wayward metaphor or idle hyperbole that may suddenly burst into life. One such agent, Ben Paragraph, is looking for a distraction from a pain he doesn't want to admit—so when the case of a fugitive in possession of one of the world's oldest fables presents itself, he leaps at the chance to pursue. But when he finds Salome Guerra, she offers a more compelling, challenging distraction—to help her find her missing brother. The two not only discover a strange conspiracy taking place in university classrooms and rundown writing-group speakeasies, but the depth and power of The Word itself—to grip the whole world, or even one person's suffering, and unmake it, if you say the right words.

"Originally," says Brandon, "I just wanted to write a weird mystery because I like the weird, and I wanted to do something softer with the frame of the hard-boiled. But I had also been thinking a lot lately about words, about the careless use of them, and about their capacity to not only reveal goodness or truth, but wrap people up in prisons of lies, suffering, and violence. That gave birth to Anglia. I look forward to sharing this world with you, and I hope that walking down its cobblestone streets will be as interesting and revealing to readers as it has been for me to write."

The story begins December 2017 in Eyedolon Magazine.

Brandon O’Brien is a performance poet and writer from Trinidad. His work has been shortlisted for the 2014 Alice Yard Prize for Art Writing and the 2014 and 2015 Small Axe Literary Competitions and is published in Uncanny Magazine, Strange Horizons, Reckoning, and New Worlds, Old Ways: Speculative Tales from the Caribbean, among others. He is also the poetry editor of FIYAH Literary Magazine. 

Broken Eye Books is an independent press, here to bring you the odd, strange, and offbeat side of speculative fiction. Our stories tend to blend genres, highlighting the weird and blurring its boundaries with horror, sci-fi, and fantasy.

Support weird. Support indie.

Broken Eye Books is having a store-wide sale through the rest of November. Use the coupon code WEIRDTURKEY at checkout to receive 20% off all orders.

Broken Eye Books is publishing the novella Catfish Lullaby by A.C. Wise.

The Royce family has been a plague on the small, Southern town of Lewis for generations. Caleb has heard rumors about the family his whole life, just like he's heard the rumors about a monstrous creature known as Catfish John living in the swamp. When the Royce house burns down, Caleb's father—Lewis's sheriff—takes in the sole survivor, a young girl named Cere. Caleb quickly learns the truth about Archie Royce and the terrible fate he had planned for his daughter. After a woman is brutally murdered, Cere begins to suspect that not all of her family perished in the fire, and she and Caleb set out to stop her father's dark vision from coming to pass. Years later, Caleb is the Sheriff of Lewis, and the monsters of his childhood return. Now Caleb must fight to protect those he loves from Archie Royce's legacy, and his best hope may be a legend he's almost managed to convince himself never existed—Catfish John.

"Even though Catfish Lullaby has its share of monsters, darkness, and characters fighting to save the world," A.C. says, "at its heart, it's a story about family. Caleb lost several people in his life early on, and he's terrified of losing the rest of the people he loves. As an adult, the very concept of family frightens him, even as he craves that closeness and connection. For Cere, her journey is about overcoming the family she was born into and protecting the family she chooses.

"In-between family and fighting monsters, Catfish Lullaby is also a novella about the power of stories—how legends are born, how they are passed down through the generations, and how they can shape a person's worldview for good or for ill."

Catfish Lullaby will be released in March of 2018. Cover illustration by Sishir Bommakanti.

A.C. Wise is a transplanted Canadian, born and raised in the suburbs of Montreal, and currently living in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Her short fiction has appeared in publications such as Clarkesworld, Tor.com, The Dark, Liminial Stories, and The Year's Best Dark Fantasy and Horror 2017, among others. She has two collections of short fiction published by Lethe Press, The Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron Saves the World Again and The Kissing Booth Girl and Other Stories, which was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award. In addition to her fiction, she publishes semi-regular Women to Read and Non-Binary Authors to Read columns on her blog and contributes a monthly short fiction review column to Apex Magazine. Find her online at www.acwise.net and on twitter as @ac_wise.

Broken Eye Books is an independent press, here to bring you the odd, strange, and offbeat side of speculative fiction. Our stories tend to blend genres, highlighting the weird and blurring its boundaries with horror, sci-fi, and fantasy.

Support weird. Support indie.

The first issue of Eyedolon magazine is here! It's 84 pages with four stories:

• Maura McHugh’s “Y,” a very personal apocalypse
• S.P. Miskowski’s “Patio Wing Monsters,” a quizzical tale of convalescence
• Matthew M. Bartlett’s “Who Beareth the Body,” mindbending small-town horror (part 1 of the serial The Obsecration)
• Joseph S. Pulver's “The Package from Desertshore,” a surreal and poetic novelette (part 1 of The Night Museum)

Illustrations by Annada Menon and Thom Davidsohn. And Nick Gucker's wonderful cover.

Plus patrons can order Joseph Pulver's chapbook of “The Package from Desertshore” at a 50% discount.

Subscribe today: https://www.patreon.com/brokeneyebooks

Broken Eye Books is publishing The Song of Spores by Bogi Takács as an ongoing serial. Three experienced counterintelligence operatives of Alliance Treaty Enforcement are on a mission to find the source of shapeshifting infiltrators into Alliance space. Will the gruff Ereni commander, the Chasidic Jewish shapeshifter, and the cynical insectoid grandma be able to work together, or will their differences drive them apart before they can reach their goal? And how can they cooperate with the sentient spaceship and symbiotic pilot, who only signed on to provide transportation and not to be eaten by giant space fungus? This is weird space opera at it's finest.

"The Song of Spores," says Bogi, "is set in my space opera continuity, the Eren Universe. I have had quite a few short stories in this continuity that have appeared in places like Clarkesworld and the anthology Ride the Star Wind, also published by Broken Eye Books. I have another ongoing serial in the Eren universe, too: Iwunen Interstellar Investigations, which is set in a very different corner of the world. While Iwunen examines what shapes crime and investigation can take in the far future, The Song of Spores takes on more of a weird and biological emphasis—it takes a long, hard look at what alien invasions can mean. I very much enjoy writing serialized fiction because it enables me to explore themes and characters in detail but offers more flexibility than many other traditional formats."

The Song of Spores will be available on the Broken Eye Books Patreon with new chapters released regularly to patrons every few months or so, interspersed with other serial releases as part of Eyedolon magazine.