Dark Horses: The Magazine of Weird Fiction | August 2022 | No. 7


Book Description

dark horse /ˈdärk ˈˌhôrs/ noun 1. a candidate or competitor about whom little is known but who unexpectedly wins or succeeds. "a dark-horse candidate" Join us for a monthly tour of writers who give as good as they get. From hard science-fiction to stark, melancholic apocalypses; from Lovecraftian horror to zombies and horror comedy; from whimsical interludes to tales of unlikely compassion--whatever it is, if it's weird, it's here. So grab a seat before the starting gun fires, pour yourself a glass of strange wine, and get ready for the running of the dark horses. In this issue: QUESTIONS A MAN OUGHT NOT TO ASK Elizabeth Broadbent STRANGE WATER Steve Carr HOLY MOUNTAIN C.J. Scuffins THE DEVIL’S TRIANGLE Wayne Kyle Spitzer MAKE IT A DOUBLE Warren Benedetto THE UNSCARED CROW Cody Nowack STRONGMAN SAFARI Mark Mellon THE GECKO KING Sam Fletcher BIRTH STORY Taryn Martinez







The Weird


Book Description

From Lovecraft to Borges to Gaiman, a century of intrepid literary experimentation has created a corpus of dark and strange stories that transcend all known genre boundaries. Together these stories form The Weird, and its practitioners include some of the greatest names in twentieth and twenty-first century literature. Exotic and esoteric, The Weird plunges you into dark domains and brings you face to face with surreal monstrosities. You won't find any elves or wizards here...but you will find the biggest, boldest, and downright most peculiar stories from the last hundred years bound together in the biggest Weird collection ever assembled. The Weird features 110 stories by an all-star cast, from literary legends to international bestsellers to Booker Prize winners: including William Gibson, George R. R. Martin, Stephen King, Angela Carter, Kelly Link, Franz Kafka, China Miéville, Clive Barker, Haruki Murakami, M. R. James, Neil Gaiman, Mervyn Peake, and Michael Chabon. The Weird is the winner of the 2012 World Fantasy Award for Best Anthology At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.




A Night in the Lonesome October


Book Description

"In the murky London gloom, a knife-wielding gentleman prowls the midnight streets with his faithful watchdog Snuff - gathering together the grisly ingredients they will need for an upcoming ancient and unearthly rite. And all manner of players, both human and undead, are preparing to participate."--Publisher.




Dark Horses


Book Description

A “sweeping and raw story of courage, resilience, and clear-eyed grace” (Sara Gruen, #1 New York Times bestselling author) about a teenage girl’s fierce struggle to reclaim her life from her abusive father in the vein of My Absolute Darling and Room. Fifteen-year-old equestrian prodigy Roan Montgomery has only ever known two worlds: inside the riding arena, and outside of it. Both, for as long as she can remember, have been ruled by her father, who demands strict obedience in all areas of her life. The warped power dynamic of coach and rider extends far beyond the stables, and Roan’s relationship with her father has long been inappropriate. She has been able to compartmentalize that dark aspect of her life, ruthlessly focusing on her ambitions as a rider heading for the Olympics, just as her father had done. However, her developing relationship with Will Howard, a boy her own age, broadens the scope of her vision. “[A] heart-pounding, can’t-take-your-eyes-off-it debut novel” (O, The Oprah Magazine), Dark Horses explores the themes of abuse and resilience in a way that will leave you transfixed. This is “a provoking and needed book” (Booklist, starred review).




Something Wicked This Way Rides


Book Description

Double, double toil and trouble... Shakespeare began the tense apprehension with his melodic yet warning phrase. Ray Bradbury continued the dark and ominous foreboding that oozes between the words. Now, it has come to the North American Old West, a world with its severe terrain and hardened residents. The rules were harsher out here, the ethics and morals changed, the fight for life and liberty quite different than anything these pioneers, these outlaws, these six-shooters and rebel rousers, these unquestionably brave men and women had bargained for. For them, something wicked certainly rode. Like a hell-broth boil and bubble... In this anthology, we explore the Old West with a skewed view, showcasing the weird western genre through stories that explore the peculiar and the fantastic, the wicked that was and could have been. You'll experience spiritual nightmares, mythical monsters, cosmic outlaws, discerning gods, and science run amok. Even the North Pole Security division isn't immune to the supernatural strangeness that stalks the late 1800s. In the tradition of the pulp and western stories of a bygone era, these are thirty tales to intrigue, amaze, and perhaps down right spook you right out of your boots. So brew up some coffee, head out to the rocking chair on the porch, and tilt your hat to shade your eyes so you can read real close. Just be sure you keep one eye on the horizon and one hand near your holster. For... With dark intentions and creatures astride, Something wicked this way rides. Enjoy stories from these talented authors Gustavo Bondoni - Marilyn "Mattie" Brahen - Kenneth Bykerk - Dwain Campbell - Gregg Chamberlain - Vonnie Winslow Crist - Stuart Croskell - Lawrence Dagstine - J.B. Dane - Kevin M. Folliard - John A. Frochio - Steve Gladwin - L.L. Hill - Adrian Ludens - Stefan Markos - Jonathon Mast - Jason J. McCuiston - Gregory L. Norris - Q Parker - Peter Prellwitz - John B. Rosenman - Alistair Rey - Darrell Schweitzer - Bradley H. Sinor - Matias Travieso-Diaz - Charles Wilkinson - Martin Zeigler




Tarzan: The New Adventures


Book Description

Previously available only to subscribers of the Edgar Rice Burroughs' website, Tarzan: The New Adventures is at last available in print. This incarnation of the Jungle Lord is presented in Sunday newspaper landscape format, with all-new stories penned by comics legend Roy Thomas (Conan the Barbarian, Avengers, X-Men) with stunning illustration by Thomas Grindberg, whose work stands alongside classic Tarzan illustrators such as Hal Foster, J. Allen St. John, and Frank Frazetta. No Tarzan comics collection is complete without Tarzan: The New Adventures.




Blacksad: They All Fall Down · Part One


Book Description

Winner 2023 Will Eisner Award - Best U.S. Edition of International Material. In this exceptional noir tour de force from writer Juan Díaz Canales and artist Juanjo Guarnido, the hotly anticipated worldwide bestseller returns to American shores after a seven-year hiatus with a brand-new two-part storyline! Following its chart-topping 2021 release in Europe and now translated for English-language readers by the team of Brandon Kander and Diana Schutz, this volume features feline private eye John Blacksad as he tangles with the unions, the mob, and mid-century construction magnate Lewis Solomon, who plans to pave New York City’s green space, come hell or high water. From soaring heights to terrifying depths, Blacksad must steer the right course between the lofty world of Shakespearean theater and the seedy nether regions of the city. Towering above it all is the foreboding figure of Solomon, who will let nothing thwart his dream of power. With three prestigious prizes from the Angoulême International Comics Festival as well as multiple Eisner and Harvey awards, the Blacksad series of graphic albums is a global success story, now published in thirty-nine different countries. Writer Juan Díaz Canales and artist Juanjo Guarnido have crafted a master class in comics storytelling for a worldwide audience. “A tour de force! Don’t miss this!”—Neal Adams “Grade A!”—Entertainment Weekly “Brilliant art and an unusual display of anthropomorphic realism.”—Will Eisner “Ranks among the very best cartooning I’ve ever seen in comics.”—iFanboy




Far Sector


Book Description

Acclaimed, award-winning author N.K. Jemisin (The Fifth Season, The City We Became) makes her comic book debut with bestselling artist Jamal Campbell (Naomi) as they thrust you into a stunning sci-fi murder mystery on the other side of the universe! For the past six months, newly chosen Green Lantern Sojourner “Jo” Mullein has been protecting the City Enduring, a massive metropolis of 20 billion people. The city has maintained peace for over 500 years by stripping its citizens of their ability to feel. As a result, violent crime is virtually unheard of, and murder is nonexistent. But that’s all about to change in this new graphic novel that puts a unique spin on the legacy of the Green Lanterns! Far Sector collects Far Sector #1-12.




Calla Cthulhu


Book Description

Being a teenager isn't easy--especially after you learn you carry the bloodline of Lovecraft's Great Old Ones in your veins. Instead of a summer job and checking out colleges, Calla Tafali finds herself battling supernatural monsters, human assassins, and her uncle, The King in Yellow. She must resist his call to embrace her own chaotic heritage and join the "family business," as well as prevent the awakening of the terrible deity asleep and dreaming in the corpse city of R'lyeh--the Dread Dead One! Prepare yourself for weird action, adventure and mystery in the Mighty Mythos Manner • A fun, fresh take on Lovecraft's Mythos for a new generation. • Originally serialized on the digital platform Stela. • All-star creative team: Evan Dorkin has won a Harvey Award and 6 Eisner Awards and Sarah Dyer has won a Lulu Award "Calla may be the first Lovecraftian coming-of-age tale."--Paste Magazine "The panels pop with irresistible action and a story that's just visually fun to read."--Black Nerd Problems