dark horse /ˈdärk ˈˌhôrs/ noun 1. a candidate or competitor about whom little is known but who unexpectedly wins or succeeds. "a dark-horse candidate" Join us for a monthly tour of writers who give as good as they get. From hard science-fiction to stark, melancholic apocalypses; from Lovecraftian horror to zombies and horror comedy; from whimsical interludes to tales of unlikely compassion--whatever it is, if it's weird, it's here. So grab a seat before the starting gun fires, pour yourself a glass of strange wine, and get ready for the running of the dark horses. In this issue: HATCHET HEAD Stuart Watson INGENIUM Harold Hoss and Noah Lang HOUSE OF HEADS Michael Bondies I AM MIRIAM Jessica McGlyn EVERY BLADE OF GRASS Wayne Kyle Spitzer THE EVERLASTING FIRE Lillie E. Franks EVOCATION Tiffany Sumner SHEEP Bob Gielow SULTRAZUSTHRA James Harper WHAT I PLAYED FOR LOVE K.A. Kenny

dark horse /ˈdärk ˈˌhôrs/ noun 1. a candidate or competitor about whom little is known but who unexpectedly wins or succeeds. "a dark-horse candidate" Join us for a monthly tour of writers who give as good as they get. From hard science-fiction to stark, melancholic apocalypses; from Lovecraftian horror to zombies and horror comedy; from whimsical interludes to tales of unlikely compassion--whatever it is, if it's weird, it's here. So grab a seat before the starting gun fires, pour yourself a glass of strange wine, and get ready for the running of the dark horses. In this issue: HOLINGER’S GALLERY John Garland Wells DEAD CITY Stephanie Athena Valente THE GIRL IN THE LAKE Sarah Das Gupta MATT THE RAT David Fox SADIE Wayne Kyle Spitzer SHRODINGER’S TRAIN Robert Runté THE CANDYMAN’S CURE FOR AMNESIA Sabina Malik THE MAN WHO REPAIRED COBWEBS Arthur Allen Midwinter THE SEARCH L.N. Hunter WHAT LIES INSIDE Ryan Klopp

In this Caldecott Honor–winning picture book, The Twilight Zone comes to the carrot patch as a rabbit fears his favorite treats are out to get him. Includes audio! Jasper Rabbit loves carrots—especially Crackenhopper Field carrots. He eats them on the way to school. He eats them going to Little League. He eats them walking home. Until the day the carrots start following him...or are they? Celebrated artist Peter Brown’s stylish illustrations pair perfectly with Aaron Reynold’s text in this hilarious picture book that shows it’s all fun and games…until you get too greedy.

Acclaimed, award-winning author N.K. Jemisin (The Fifth Season, The City We Became) makes her comic book debut with bestselling artist Jamal Campbell (Naomi) as they thrust you into a stunning sci-fi murder mystery on the other side of the universe! For the past six months, newly chosen Green Lantern Sojourner “Jo” Mullein has been protecting the City Enduring, a massive metropolis of 20 billion people. The city has maintained peace for over 500 years by stripping its citizens of their ability to feel. As a result, violent crime is virtually unheard of, and murder is nonexistent. But that’s all about to change in this new graphic novel that puts a unique spin on the legacy of the Green Lanterns! Far Sector collects Far Sector #1-12.

From Lovecraft to Borges to Gaiman, a century of intrepid literary experimentation has created a corpus of dark and strange stories that transcend all known genre boundaries. Together these stories form The Weird, and its practitioners include some of the greatest names in twentieth and twenty-first century literature. Exotic and esoteric, The Weird plunges you into dark domains and brings you face to face with surreal monstrosities. You won't find any elves or wizards here...but you will find the biggest, boldest, and downright most peculiar stories from the last hundred years bound together in the biggest Weird collection ever assembled. The Weird features 110 stories by an all-star cast, from literary legends to international bestsellers to Booker Prize winners: including William Gibson, George R. R. Martin, Stephen King, Angela Carter, Kelly Link, Franz Kafka, China Miéville, Clive Barker, Haruki Murakami, M. R. James, Neil Gaiman, Mervyn Peake, and Michael Chabon. The Weird is the winner of the 2012 World Fantasy Award for Best Anthology At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Double, double toil and trouble... Shakespeare began the tense apprehension with his melodic yet warning phrase. Ray Bradbury continued the dark and ominous foreboding that oozes between the words. Now, it has come to the North American Old West, a world with its severe terrain and hardened residents. The rules were harsher out here, the ethics and morals changed, the fight for life and liberty quite different than anything these pioneers, these outlaws, these six-shooters and rebel rousers, these unquestionably brave men and women had bargained for. For them, something wicked certainly rode. Like a hell-broth boil and bubble... In this anthology, we explore the Old West with a skewed view, showcasing the weird western genre through stories that explore the peculiar and the fantastic, the wicked that was and could have been. You'll experience spiritual nightmares, mythical monsters, cosmic outlaws, discerning gods, and science run amok. Even the North Pole Security division isn't immune to the supernatural strangeness that stalks the late 1800s. In the tradition of the pulp and western stories of a bygone era, these are thirty tales to intrigue, amaze, and perhaps down right spook you right out of your boots. So brew up some coffee, head out to the rocking chair on the porch, and tilt your hat to shade your eyes so you can read real close. Just be sure you keep one eye on the horizon and one hand near your holster. For... With dark intentions and creatures astride, Something wicked this way rides. Enjoy stories from these talented authors Gustavo Bondoni - Marilyn "Mattie" Brahen - Kenneth Bykerk - Dwain Campbell - Gregg Chamberlain - Vonnie Winslow Crist - Stuart Croskell - Lawrence Dagstine - J.B. Dane - Kevin M. Folliard - John A. Frochio - Steve Gladwin - L.L. Hill - Adrian Ludens - Stefan Markos - Jonathon Mast - Jason J. McCuiston - Gregory L. Norris - Q Parker - Peter Prellwitz - John B. Rosenman - Alistair Rey - Darrell Schweitzer - Bradley H. Sinor - Matias Travieso-Diaz - Charles Wilkinson - Martin Zeigler

Stuart Watson spent his first career earning a living by talking. His whole identity was wrapped up in being a Peabody-award-winning investigative reporter. Then he turned 55 and got fired. He began to doubt himself. He flirted with suicide. To escape such dark thoughts, he began a five-year odyssey conducting dozens and dozens of interviews for a podcast, a book, and a film. Increasingly, those interview subjects were women. But all too often, Stuart interrupted or "mansplained" or flat-out argued. It didn't work. So gradually he learned how to stop talking over women and really listen to them. The result is this book and a podcast called ManListening, in which Stuart elevates the stories of a diverse group of strong women who bounced back. What She Said & What I Heard is a memoir told through a series of profound moments where a woman said something that Stuart actually heard. He shifted and changed because in a moment, he really listened. This book is for broken people and the people who don't know how to hear them. If you're still reading, you're one of us.

SILVER MOON, BLOODY BULLETS is a collection of twenty-five claw-biting short stories that explore the myth of the werewolf and the lure of the full moon. From gladiator fights and cursed blood lines to secret societies and anonymous meetings, the following talented authors have turned the mysteries of the werewolf inside out: Matthew S. Dent, Jay Raven, Kelly Metz, Christopher Jacobsmeyer, Mark Souza, Dale Carothers, David Bernstein, Scott M. Sandridge, Marianne Halbert, Donald Jacob Uitvlugt, J. Leigh Bailey, Dylan J. Morgan, Edward McKeown, F.J.R. Titchenell, Patricia Puckett, Jessy Marie Roberts, Ben Langhinrichs, Kiki Howell, D. Nathan Hilliard, Frank Summers, Christopher Heath, Rob Rosen, Carl Hose, Stephanie L. Morrell, and Lawrence R. Dagstine.

Thirteen new stories by the celebrated writer, including two which he considers his greatest achievements to date, artfully blend elements from many literary geares.