[Tim Marquitz]

Fading Light: An Anthology of the Monstrous

Edited by

Tim Marquitz

~

Is there a monster in you? Now’s the time to let it out.

~

The light has failed: the era of man is at its end.

Born of darkness and forced from the world, the creatures of myth, legend, and nightmare have long called the shadows home. Now, with the cruel touch of the sun a fading memory, they’ve returned to claim their rightful place amidst humanity; as its masters.

~

Mankind has long feared the dark; and for good reason. For all our science, for all our faith, we know so little of the world, so little of what lurks just beyond the flickering reach of the light. What might we encounter should the sun fail to rise; what terrors might crawl from the bowels of the earth or oceans? Are there creatures or beings out there, patiently waiting for their moment to strike, or are they already among us, devouring us from within?

I’m looking for quality stories that answer these questions; stories that explore the darkest corners of our existence, from the undiscovered wilds to the depths of the ocean, the supernatural realm to the mundane, and beyond.


Submissions should be between 3,000 and 5,000 words.

Submissions open on January 15, 2012, and close at midnight, May 15, 2012. The anthology will be tentatively published on September 1, 2012, through Damnation Books.

Submissions and queries can be sent to fadinglightantho@gmail.com.

Payment is in the form of shared royalties (40% electronic, 25% print), all contracts through Damnation Books.

All stories must be typed in standard manuscript format, double-spaced, in a legible font (Size 12: Courier, Arial, Times New Roman), and must be either .doc or .docx file format. (Exceptions can be made for other formats that are easily opened and edited in Microsoft Word, but DO NOT send PDF, Notepad, or any other format that requires extra effort just for me to look at your submission)

Acceptances/rejections will be sent as time allows, but the target range will be three to five weeks from submission date. Feel free to send a status query after the fifth week if you have not heard back.

I’ve no problem with vampire, werewolf, ghost, zombie, serial killer, or any of the more common monstrous story types, but I will be very selective when choosing to include such stories in the anthology. I’m looking for authors to go beyond the norm and reach for a more creatively unique idea.

I will not limit topics, but stories that include rape, pedophilia, racism, or sexism simply for the shock factor will be rejected. If these topics are used in a way that blends them logically and faithfully within the theme of the story, I’ll gladly give the story a chance. I want quality story-telling, not gore-porn.

No reprints will be accepted.

Multiple submissions ARE NOT allowed. Simultaneous submissions ARE allowed, but please inform me if your submission is being considered elsewhere, and be sure to let me know if it has been accepted somewhere else during the process. (After a rejection, authors are free to submit a new work for consideration.)

Be warned: I will not have time to provide personalized rejections. If your story is something I enjoyed but feel needs a little work, I will say so and offer the opportunity to resubmit it. If your rejection does not offer such an opportunity, please, do not resubmit the same story as it will be rejected again without consideration.

[tmso]

I do not have time, but I like the theme. I've put it on my calendar! :)

[KatG]

While the idea is interesting, I'm torn here -- how is it that it's dark but still warm enough for us to be alive for the monsters to kill us?

[Tim Marquitz]

While the idea is interesting, I'm torn here -- how is it that it's dark but still warm enough for us to be alive for the monsters to kill us?

I think you're taking this a little too literally. :)

[Tim Marquitz]

I do not have time, but I like the theme. I've put it on my calendar! :)

Sorry you don't have time to submit anything, but thanks for the support. :)

[RedMage]

Perhaps it's twilight?

Intriguing. I'm already thinking of something...

[Tim Marquitz]

I think you're taking this a little too literally. :)

Okay, Kat, finally got a few seconds to clarify. :)

The basic theme is what happens when the lights go out? The interpretation is fairly loose, and doesn't need to be as apocalyptic as I've built it up to be, but then again, it could be.

I really want authors to explore the idea of monsters and monstrous behavior from a different angle; the idea that something significant in the world has been altered and has allowed these creatures/people/beings to come out of hiding.

As for the specifics of the fading light/sun concept, it could easily be a volcanic eruption blocking the sunlight, or global storms, or things of that nature. Again, that particular aspect is up to individual interpretation.

[Tim Marquitz]

Perhaps it's twilight?

Intriguing. I'm already thinking of something...

Cool. Looking forward to your submission.

[KatG]

Okay, Kat, finally got a few seconds to clarify. :)

The basic theme is what happens when the lights go out? The interpretation is fairly loose, and doesn't need to be as apocalyptic as I've built it up to be, but then again, it could be.

I really want authors to explore the idea of monsters and monstrous behavior from a different angle; the idea that something significant in the world has been altered and has allowed these creatures/people/beings to come out of hiding.

As for the specifics of the fading light/sun concept, it could easily be a volcanic eruption blocking the sunlight, or global storms, or things of that nature. Again, that particular aspect is up to individual interpretation.

The reason that I asked is that it seemed important to the setting for the anthology. The sunlight does not just provide light; it also provides heat. If the sunlight is fading, then it's getting colder, ice forms, food dries up and we lose water and atmosphere. If the sun's light goes out or is blocked, Earth turns into an ice ball and humans are all dead, etc.

So I assumed that there was a magical reason for the sunlight being blocked and therefore that there would also be a magical reason that the Earth does not turn rapidly into an ice ball if the sunlight is blocked which would be relevant to the setting. However, it is now clear that each author is to make up their own version of a setting that only has to have the aspect of fading light/nighttime to it. The world setting doesn't even have to be Earth, presumably. So this is not a thematic shared universe anthology; it's just a thematic anthology, so you have answered my question. :)

[Zalz]

This sure happens to be a nice coincidence.

Just had a short story lined up which more or less fits the description.