Drawn Up From Deep Places
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- $4.99
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
IF YOU GO DOWN DEEP ENOUGH,
YOU FIND ALL SORTS OF THINGS . . . .
In her second collection from Trepidatio Publishing, award-winning author Gemma Files takes her readers on journeys out beyond safe borders—from the trackless depths of the sea, to the empty desert frontiers of the Weird West, even to the edges of cracks between worlds. Here, in these narrow spaces between the known and the unknown, behind the paper-thin curtains of reality, lurk monsters both human and ancient: selkies and avenging revenants, voodoo priestesses and pirate sorcerers, ghosts and vampires, and the most famous murderer of all time. But however strange the things found in these deep places, what draws them up, and calls them back, are forces the human heart knows all too well: grief and vengeance, rage and loss . . . and, most terrible of all, love.
Published over the past fifteen years—some only available online until now—these fantasies of the darkest kind showcase the breadth and scope of Gemma Files's imagination, seamlessly blending styles, genres, themes, and atmospheres into a dark and thrilling voice like nothing else in fiction today. Newcomers and old friends both are invited to join her in these journeys . . . if they dare to look upon what has been—
DRAWN UP FROM DEEP PLACES
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Files (Experimental Film) brings dark fantasy to life in this inclusive collection of 10 tales. The works include a supernatural prologue to the fall of Pompeii ("Villa Locusta"), a hypothetical ending for one of history's most infamous killers ("Jack-Knife"), and the uncomfortably erotic multi-story odyssey of an accursed bond between a dread pirate and a defiant prisoner that outlasts life itself ("Trap-Weed," "Two Captains," and more). Files displays the best and worst of humanity in stories of betrayed love that reaps unholy vengeance ("Sown from Salt" and "A Feast for Dust"), love so powerful it defies walking death ("Satan's Jewel Crown"), and fear of loneliness so profound it nearly burns a teenage girl alive ("Hell Friend"). The descriptions and dialogue are sometimes puzzling ("His sort have no use for contradiction, let alone for metaphor"), but Files demonstrates immense skill at crafting believable worlds in relatively few words and drawing fascinating and diverse characters that anyone can root for, if not necessarily love. Fans of dark fantasy will treasure this collection, and newcomers to the subgenre will certainly want to come back for more.