Posts Tagged ‘Phobos Magazine’
And so why not? Do we remember the post on PHOBOS, the Deep Black Sea issue (and with my Lovecraftian story in it, “The Dark Call of the Sea”)? Pause for a moment to scroll, below, to January 4. And do we recall now that strange mermaid cover, reaching down to some tentacled thing beneath? The artist for that was one Abigail Larson w
ho, through the power today of pure serendipity, we have a chance to meet again.
Or, to quote writer Gwendolyn Nix: Step back, Disney. A new artist is in town, one that stays true to the dark truths of our beloved fairytales. Inside the world of Abigail Larson, monsters lurk in the shadows and melancholy protagonists face what they fear most – their own imagination. Crafted within a Victorian-era inspired backdrop, Larson’s imagination comes to life on the page, visually ushering in a new era of Tim Burton inspired lines and Edward Gorey aesthetic with skillful application of watercolor, ink, and Photoshop.
The article is “Darker Than Disney: The Shadowed Imagination of Abigail Larson” and it comes to us via DEARDARKLING.COM — and the art is delicious. A treat for a snowy, snowy Monday from where I’m writing, for more of which (including the aforementioned mermaid) press here.
It was a long time coming, originally set for March or April last year, then “officially” published around July, but PHOBOS 4 has at last arrived (cf. July 11, February 24, et al.) — and is listed now on Amazon as well! PHOBOS publishes themed magazines and the subject for this one is “Deep Black Sea” with my 
story in it, a Lovecraftian romp titled “The Dark Call of the Sea” about a musician and his artist sister and how a beach vacation at Innsmouth may not have been wise, the last in the contents. Other stories concern such items as killer mermaids in the koi pond, cyborgs in lifeboats, and impolite pirates, and all in all PHOBOS 4 seems a pretty good read so far. For more, one can press here.
In other news, 2018’s first royalty check came in the mail Wednesday and, not for the first time, the real winner was the U.S. Post Office which sold the stamp. As is my custom, neither publisher nor book will be mentioned to avoid embarrassment on both sides, but suffice to say when it’s for one story in an anthology amounts are likely to be small anyway. Nevertheless, money is money and, no matter how little, the fact that there’s any is an endorsement.
Speaking of cats, the Goth Cat Triana is napping happily next to the keyboard, joyful that I have returned home to her. More of what I did at NASFiC to come, but for now there are items to be caught up on. And so this first popped up in today’s email from PHOBOS magazine (cf. February 24, et al.): Good news! The print edition of “Deep Black Sea” is now up for sale on Amazon!
Apologies for the delay, but I feel confident in saying this is our strongest issue yet, which of course is a result of the high quality stories by everyone present. Thank you all for being a part of it.
Our next step will be putting out a Kindle version and making it available at select local bookstores.
In the meantime, feel free to direct anyone interested to the Amazon site — and have them drop a review about how great your story is! Reviews go a long way, even if it’s not five stars.
So . . . my story in this is a Lovecraftian romp, “The Dark Call of the Sea,” of a summer vacation at Innsmouth gone wrong. For more, press here — and as quoted above, if you enjoy the issue, or just my story, please give the Amazon folk a review!
Then for a second item, my copy of CAT’S BREAKFAST: KURT VONNEGUT TRIBUTE (cf. June 15, et al.) arrived from Third Flatiron Publishing while I was gone, in a print edition at a (for Third Flatiron) whopping 270-some pages long. My story in this is “Dead Girls, Dying Girls,” originally published in SO IT GOES: A TRIBUTE TO KURT VONNEGUT (Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing, 2013, see April 24 2013, et al.), about girls both alive and dead . . . and bears. More on it can be found here and, should you enjoy, it can be reviewed too.
Or possibly May depending on how one reads the lines, but word has come that PHOBOS MAGAZINE number 4 should be published in print “in the next 1-2 months. Shortly after, it will be available on Kindle.” This is the 
issue on the theme of “Deep Black Sea” with, keeping the subject in mind, my Lovecraftian story “The Dark Call of the Sea” (see December 14, October 25). This is the one about a bad summer holiday spent at Innsmouth, with overtones of H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Music of Erich Zann,” and to be available if schedules hold up in time for your and my summer vacations.
Then one more announcement regarding PHOBOS, we have a sneak peek at the cover art, by Abagail Larson. Gaze and enjoy.
