Darkness Blooms

Forthcoming from The Dread Machine, this dark speculative fiction anthology features powerful stories centering around the themes of identity, security, and community.

Identity is formed by not only things like race, culture, and class but also by the relationships we cultivate, the opinions and moral codes we adopt, and our choices. What secrets lie in the dark expanses between where we came from, who we think we are, and how we want others to perceive us?

Security-stability, order, dependency, structure-is an innate human need. In practice, security tends to be an illusion designed to make us feel more in control over our surroundings. What makes us feel safe, and what are we willing to sacrifice to feel that way? What happens when safety nets aren't there to catch us when we fall? What dreadful secrets are we willing to keep to preserve the status quo?

Humans often seek security through community. We align ourselves with others who share our interests, culture and religion, geographic location, and workplaces. How well do you really know your neighbors, your friends, your coworkers, your family? How do we build these communities? What erodes a community, makes it crumble?

Featuring original fiction by:

A. Katherine Black

Derrick Boden

Timothy Burkhardt

P.A. Cornell

Kitty-Lydia Dye

Alicia Hilton

A.P. Howell

Andrea Kriz

Nathaniel Lee

Gordon Linzner

Rodrigo Assis Mesquita

Andrew Milne

Marshall J. Moore

Josh Rountree

Denise Tanaka

Rebecca E. Treasure

Brian Trent