I am delighted to announce the reboot, or perhaps the re-spawn, of Edward Morris‘s brilliant There Was a Crooked Man. We’ve been sharing the novella of that name with readers for a few years now, and it’s a perennial reader favorite–but Ed and I both knew there was more to the story. Finally we’ve assembled a team that can do Ed’s sweeping vision justice.
Editor Joe Pulver has signed on with Mercury Retrograde as Editor and Project Shepherd for There Was a Crooked Man. Artist Nick Gucker will be handling art for the project, including covers and interior maps. Together they bring a new and wonderful flavor of Crazy to the madness around here, and their long lists of accomplishments speak volumes:
Joe Pulver is a writer, poet, and editor with two published novels to date: Nightmare’s Disciple (Chaosium 1999; intro Robert M. Price) and The Orphan Palace (Chomu Press 2011; intro Michael Cisco). He is currently editing two anthologies for Miskatonic River Press: A Season in Carcosa and The Grimscribe’s Puppets; both anthologies to be released in 2012. He also edits Phantasmagorium magazine. Previously, he edited Ann K. Schwader’s widely-acclaimed The Worms Remember and John B. Ford’s Dark Shadows on the Moon, and several magazines including Tales of Lovecraftian Horror and Cthulhu Codex. His list of works on the other side of the desk is equally impressive, and it’s my great pleasure and privilege to work with him.
Nick Gucker’s art has appeared in the pages of Strange Aeons Magazine and The Magazine of Bizarro Fiction. His illustrations have decorated the pages of ALL-MONSTER ACTION! by Los Angeles-based writer and raconteur Cody Goodfellow, the novelette ‘The Eye of Infinity’ by Sci-Fi mythos writer David Conyers for Perilous Press, The Aklonoimicon anthology from Aklo Press as well as a custom handmade, hand-bound Limited Edition hardback Printing of “Under the Pyramids” written by H.P. Lovecraft and re-issued by Lance Thingmaker of Creepycult. Nick has also painted acrylic and watercolor book covers for Blysster Press authors Clyde Wolfe, R.L. Reeves and M.R. Mitchell and Crypticon Seattle’s 2011 and 2012 “De-Compostions” horror anthologies. His artistic contributions can be found in online publications including Lovecraftzine.com and Thisishorror.co.uk. His unique, one-of-a-kind custom commission pieces have graced the walls and limbs of various and sundry patrons of the arts. It is a pleasure to be working with him as well.
You can learn more about both of these artists by clicking through the links above, which lead to their respective profiles on our site. I have already learned how truly professional and delightful they both are, and I can’t wait to share the results of their collaboration with Ed with you.
And, oh, the collaboration! Here’s what they’ve got in the pipeline for the fully-realized version of There Was a Crooked Man by Edward Morris:
There Was a Crooked Man, Second Edition: Ed has redeveloped the original novella to a completely different level. Even those who have read the First Edition will want to pick this one up, and see how he has truly brought his vision to fruition: not least because some of the new material is important to the tale going forward.
Boom-Towne
Hell or High Water
Birth of a Nation
Alphabet of Lightning
Pop Goes the World
Wish You Were Here
…and Ed is putting the final touches on an as-yet-untitled eighth novella, even as I type these words.
This series is down-the-rabbit-hole post-apocalyptic rewiring-the-past mayhem, in which a madman seeks total control of time and everything in it–and a group of psychic operatives dip in and out of space and time trying to stop him. If Hieronymus Bosch wrote novellas, they might be something like this.
And that’s not all the crazy we’ve got lined up for you, because Jonah Knight will be developing a series of songs to go along with the novellas. If you’ve heard Jonah’s work and read Ed’s, I know you are already smiling. These two fevered brains together will be the best sort of alchemy.
When? you say. When can I get my hands on all these lovely acid trips and have Ed rewire my brain?
Patience, O explorer of the dark realms. Joe and his merry band will be putting these together one at a time and sending them out into the world as soon as they are ready. We presently anticipate rolling releases beginning early in 2013, probably every couple months. We’ll be announcing release dates and pre-ordering in the newsletter as they become available.
Retrograde Motion 