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