Fred Venturini

For the first time collected together, the best weird fiction from Morpheus Tales, the UK's most controversial weird fiction magazine Only the very best weird fiction has been hand-picked from the Morpheus Tales archives to create the second collected volume of the magazine Christopher Fowler calls "edgy and dark". Featuring fiction by K. C. Ball, Skadi medic Beorh, L. R. Bonehill, Tonia Brown, Jesse Click, Tim Eagle, Chris Ewing, Ray Garton, Lee Gimenez, Gail Gray, K. J. Hannah Greenberg, Ian Hunter, Gary Inbinder, Dev Jarrett, Mark Howard Jones, Paul Johnson-Jovanovic, Fred R. Kane, Brian Kutco, Joe R. Lansdale, David Lear, B. Miller, Louise Morgan, Lee Pletzers, Hunter Shea, Fred Venturini, Nathan Wellman, C. E. Zacherl, and A. David Zapata. Established horror best-sellers rub shoulders with rising stars and newcomers in this diverse collection of short weird fiction.

"Venturini doesn't write in words and sentences. Instead, he lines the page with barbwire, concertina wire and spike strips that deliver the story deep into the reader's skin." –#1 New York Times Bestselling Author Chuck Palahniuk A town ruled by evil. A man ruled by darkness. Only one can survive. Curtis Quinn is a Chicago mob legend with a particular set of skills and a price on his head. When the woman he loves disappears, Curtis follows her trail to the occult town of Harlow, where no one is allowed to leave, and an enigmatic, sinister overlord known only as “the Mayor” rules by an autocratic regime. Beth Jarvis is a plucky teenager unwrapping the secrets of her hometown—Harlow—and the mysterious ceremony that awaits her on her eighteenth birthday. What Beth doesn’t know is the truth about her sister Kate, who escaped their strange town over a decade ago and has evaded the Mayor and his disciples ever since. What Curtis doesn’t know is that Kate is the woman he’s fallen in love with, and she’s running from a threat far greater than the mobsters who want to kill him. His fate collides with Beth’s as she tries to escape Harlow and the disgusting fate that awaits her, and Curtis finds himself unraveling a mystery that leads to an impossible and terrifying conclusion-that the Mayor of Harlow is more than just a man, and the hardest target he’s ever tried to kill.

"Venturini doesn't write in words and sentences. Instead, he lines the page with barbwire, concertina wire and spike strips that deliver the story deep into the reader's skin." –#1 New York Times Bestselling Author Chuck Palahniuk A town ruled by evil. A man ruled by darkness. Only one can survive. Curtis Quinn is a Chicago mob legend with a particular set of skills and a price on his head. When the woman he loves disappears, Curtis follows her trail to the occult town of Harlow, where no one is allowed to leave, and an enigmatic, sinister overlord known only as “the Mayor” rules by an autocratic regime. Beth Jarvis is a plucky teenager unwrapping the secrets of her hometown—Harlow—and the mysterious ceremony that awaits her on her eighteenth birthday. What Beth doesn’t know is the truth about her sister Kate, who escaped their strange town over a decade ago and has evaded the Mayor and his disciples ever since. What Curtis doesn’t know is that Kate is the woman he’s fallen in love with, and she’s running from a threat far greater than the mobsters who want to kill him. His fate collides with Beth’s as she tries to escape Harlow and the disgusting fate that awaits her, and Curtis finds himself unraveling a mystery that leads to an impossible and terrifying conclusion-that the Mayor of Harlow is more than just a man, and the hardest target he’s ever tried to kill.

“…a stunning read.” —Kirkus Reviews The Escape of Light is a compulsively-readable marvel that demands to be read in one sitting."—Dan Loflin, screenwriter, the CW’s SUPERNATURAL and THIS IS JANE Wilder Tate just wants a normal life with a normal face... Burns have disfigured him, his father has passed away, and his mother now works so many jobs, he feels like he’s living alone. He expects more of that same loneliness as he starts at a new high school, but Wilder surprises even himself as he finds a new best friend, discovers a knack for basketball, and catches the eye of the coolest girl in school. All the cruelty and bullying seems reserved for the enigmatic Lane McKenzie, and Wilder is all too happy to let her take the heat. But sometimes Wilder is his own worst enemy, and his scars run far deeper than just physical damage. He’s haunted by a secret he thinks he can erase with a bold and risky plan to fix his disfigurement for good—a plan that may cost him far more than he ever imagined. Filled with twists, heart, and humor, The Escape of Light is a bold and unexpected story of resilience, love, and basketball from the acclaimed author of The Heart Does Not Grow Back.

“…a stunning read.” —Kirkus Reviews The Escape of Light is a compulsively-readable marvel that demands to be read in one sitting."—Dan Loflin, screenwriter, the CW’s SUPERNATURAL and THIS IS JANE Wilder Tate just wants a normal life with a normal face... Burns have disfigured him, his father has passed away, and his mother now works so many jobs, he feels like he’s living alone. He expects more of that same loneliness as he starts at a new high school, but Wilder surprises even himself as he finds a new best friend, discovers a knack for basketball, and catches the eye of the coolest girl in school. All the cruelty and bullying seems reserved for the enigmatic Lane McKenzie, and Wilder is all too happy to let her take the heat. But sometimes Wilder is his own worst enemy, and his scars run far deeper than just physical damage. He’s haunted by a secret he thinks he can erase with a bold and risky plan to fix his disfigurement for good—a plan that may cost him far more than he ever imagined. Filled with twists, heart, and humor, The Escape of Light is a bold and unexpected story of resilience, love, and basketball from the acclaimed author of The Heart Does Not Grow Back.