DETAILS

Author: M. Amanuensis Sharkchild
Cover Designer and Illustrator: John F. Stifter
Endsheets: Stephen Oakley
Release Date: July 22, 2016
Hardcover: Imitation Leather; 222 pages
Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 1 inches
Publisher: Armored Books; Second Edition
Special: Signed by Author

AWARDS

2010 Independent Publisher Book Awards Silver Medal Winner in the Category of Horror

DESCRIPTION

Twenty-six short stories of occult, metaphysical, and fantastical horror that will follow you to the visions of your sleep.

The Dark Verse is a multiverse of Lovecraftian terror, spanning different realms and times that touches upon evils that transcend the knowable. Whether a galactic entity that casts flesh off the wicked, a scientist harnessing the power of metamorphosis, or a diabolical overlord that torments souls in a dimension of unrelenting pain, there is no escape from the occult horrors that await you within the innumerable folios of The Dark Verse.

This is Sharkchild's first collection of grim and ethereal tales in a better-than-ever second edition printing. The cover of the book is imitation leather with foil stamping on the front, back, and spine; there is no dust cover. All three sides of the pages have black gilding. The cover artwork and an illustration on the title page of each story was created by John F. Stifter. The endsheet artwork was created by Stephen Oakley.

LIST OF STORIES

1. The Unlike Light
2. Becoming the Sky
3. What the Flesh Cannot Keep
4. Gift of the Crossroads
5. The Changing Feyth (Part 1)
6. The Bearer of All That Can Be Felt
7. Between the Corridors
8. The Phoenix Imago
9. The Chambers of Nature's Machines
10. The Changing of Feyth (Part 2)
11. Sounds of the Deliverer
12. Dealer of Fate
13. The Missing Come Home
14. The Captive Inside
15. Bringing Back the Unordinary
16. Time into Death
17. The Science of Faith
18. Normal Faces
19. Names: Unsonselvitzsol
20. Names: Tillalel
21. Names: Feltfoldhart
22. Finding the Host That Sustains
23. The Skulker
24. The Coming of the Unexpected
25. Character Feast
26. The Something Beyond Silence

PRODUCT PREVIEW

PRAISE FOR THE DARK VERSE, VOL. 1
(MORE REVIEWS ON AMAZON)

"Whoever Mr. Sharkchild may actually be, he knows how to have a beautiful house constructed to hold his stories. In regards to the content, this aims for Lovecraft Territory." -Hellnotes.com

"Overall, The Dark Verse, Vol. 1 is a pre-eminent compilation of short stories, or maybe even bedtime stories, to add to any collection." -Gothic Beauty Magazine

"I will say this outright: if you cannot appreciate the histrionic outbursts of Poe or the verbosity of Lovecraft, Sharkchild's work is not for you. But, for those of you who can appreciate Machen, Lovecraft, Dunsany, Le Fanu, the foundations of dark fantasy as we know it, this book is a real winner, the sort of fiction most writers cannot pull off." -Garrett Cook

"This took me to all the greatest places my imagination had to offer." -The Crimson King

"Darker even than Lovecraft; a journey into the pit of chaos." -Lee Hargrave

"This collection is well written, and an excellent read. It has the sort of street level charm that I look for in creepy pasta, but has the finesse of an actual writer behind it. It is one of the most interesting looking books on my shelves and is usually one of the first things visitors pull to examine." -Amanda W.

LISTEN TO THE FIRST STORY

Here is a narration of the first story, The Unlike Light, accompanied by soundscapes:

KICKSTARTER PROJECT

Check out the Kickstarter project that made this book possible