We've always loved bluesman Willie Dixon's tune, "I
Ain't Superstitious," and think it makes a great theme for a short story
anthology, especially as Fall rolls around and thoughts turn to Halloween, All
Saints', and Día de los Muertos. Our writing prompt called for stories
involving luck, prophecy, and magic. We found that these topics brought forth a
new pool of writers from the horror and dark fiction genres, and we were glad to
get them. We've done a full-size
double issue this time.
We open with the strange world of Amy Aderman's "Salt
and Bone," in which the savage sea contains demons that can only be
soothed by playing magical instruments carved from bone.
Witchcraft is of course an old standby in the world of
superstition, and some witches are indeed evil, as in Gerri Leen's
"Spellcasting." But we do like our witches resourceful as well as
powerful, as in Maureen Bowden's "Confrontation on the Big One Three"
and Judith Field's "Ambrose's Eight-plus-Oneth," The magical realism
of E. E. King's "Pandora's Piñata" is a fine antidote to the
heartbreak of love stolen by a curse.
And since cats, especially black ones, hold a special place
of honor in the superstition pantheon, we invite you to join Ken Altabef's cat,
"Jester," on a late-night outing for "A Little Mischief."
But we can't leave out the horses of the Apocalypse, so take Bruce Golden's
"Upon a Pale Horse" for a ride.
In a way, destructive feelings, such as guilt and phobias,
are a form of superstition, with a fine pedigree dating back to greats like
Edgar Allan Poe. John Hegenberger's "The Necromancer" and Will
Morton's "The Candlestick" present instructive tales about men who
didn't do the right thing. In Andrew Kozma's offbeat "The Apple Falls
Upward," we are pulled into a dysfunctional friendship between two men,
one apparently mental.
Since the Age of Enlightenment, it's become the norm to
reject belief in miracles, revelation, magic, or the supernatural. But it's
only human to feel that delicious frisson of fear when things get a little
strange. Thus we feature a healthy dollop of straight horror in this
collection. Spencer Carvalho's ambrosial "Coffee Lake" is just a
little too good to be true, and Lyn Godfrey's "Pantomimus" convinces
us of the folly of whistling in a circus tent. Dennis Mombauer's "The
Plague Well" might answer that question you've been wanting to ask. And
don't forget to attend the "The Annual Scarecrow Festival" with John
Paul Davies. Oh, wait. You can't, it's cancelled.
We need the occasional break from the horror of it all, and
our "Grins and Gurgles" flash humor offerings this time are Sarina
Dorie's "Nine Ways to Communicate with the Living" and Benjamin
Jacobson's "Schrödinger's Schrödinger."
Other humorous contributions for this round include Kevin
Lauderdale's "James and the Prince of Darkness," a rollicking P. G.
Wodehouse spoof; K. T. Katzmann's "Sam, Sam, and the Demoness,"
superstition done Jewish-style; and Adele Gardner's "Wolf Call," a
unique celebration of Elvis's birthday.
We point you to a trio of wonderful stories that reflect
their region or origin. Jacob M. Lambert's "Across the Styx of
Norway" stars a dying Native American who seeks to cross the Northern
Lights off his bucket list, and Sean O'Dea's "Wind Chimes," a
particularly Colorado story, features neighbor-on-neighbor feng shui in
suburbia. Argentinian author Gustavo Bondoni's "Gualicho Days" proves
once again it's not nice to try to fool Mother Nature.
Sometimes it's just plain satisfying to see right conquer
might, even if it's pure fantasy ("It could happen, right?…"). James
Aquilone proffers "A Day to End All Days," a satisfying
beat-the-devil tale. A. P. Sessler's "What Is Sacred to Dogs" gives
us a sweet little hellhound who helps a preacher clean up (and clean out) his
congregation full of sinners.
We were greatly moved by Christina Bates's poignant
"Dead Men's Drinks," in which a mother hopes for one last
conversation with her daughter, and we truly hope she gets it.
Finally, we close with Eric J. Guignard's "O Shades, My Woe," as one
of King Arthur's knights gets his come-uppance for serving his master far too
devotedly. It's a classic ghost story that will stay with you a long time.
So, as dogs begin to bark all over your neighborhood, lock
all the doors, put on a recording of Frank Zappa's "Zomby Woof," and
settle in for a good, old-fashioned scary read. Third Flatiron's "Ain't
Superstitious" anthology proudly showcases an international group of new
and established speculative fiction authors, who let their imaginations run
wild.
Get the ebook on Amazon or Smashwords. Print edition available too.
