Symptom of the Universe: Holy Fuck Does it Rock



And I'm only partially through with it. Halfway, I believe. It came to pass that I signed an agreement with Godless, so all effort is going toward final edits, formats, and cover creation for my first full-length novel. A beast at over 166,000 words, it's taking everything out of me. Except for one thing, and that's my love of the book I'm taking the time to write about now.

This anthology from Dark Moon Rising Publications and editor J.C. Macek is a masterpiece of, like Nature Triumphs, dark speculative horror fiction. Hybridized. Pulpy. Surreal. Gritty. Many of the  stories are positively trippy. David Tamarin and his Wizard doing the reverse of what the song says a Wizard ought to do. Mawr Gorshin and his beautifully nonbinary rendition of a romantic Lucifer. Don Webb brings Ozzy himself to a parallel dimension where everything is more fucked up than the old singer's past dope trips. From Rhys Hughes, a tennis pro whose wife becomes the net a la Super Blockout becomes a positively Adlerian nightmare of surreality. That's just the tip of the iceberg. I bring you the first story, "The Ballad of Sleepy John" (tale inspired by the song Black Sabbath) which is about a low-grade, drug running goon who finds out that he carries the world's most coveted secret--he, yes him, street urchin--is the Chosen One. But for what? The song will tell you. Better yet, pick up the book and see for yourself. 

More than the lyrics, every story I read takes me deep into the musical construction of the Black Sabbath song it represents. All of us--I say this  after reading without having asked anyone because it has to be true--were paying attention to the fine details of how our words paralleled each musical note while staying true to the lyrics. If I'm wrong, someone tell me, but I don't think I am. 

In short, fucking beautiful, man. I am worn out and my eyes are crossing. I edited over 200 pages today. I didn't have to do anything but make the smallest of changes, so it wasn't too difficult. But I've been on since 4 am, my eyes are tired... and you've had enough of my cracked ass anyway. 

Available for pre-order. Release is Sept. 18th. Pick up the book right here!


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