10p029: HOUSE OF ROT preorder packages; Danger Slater reading; + a hearty THANK YOU

We crawl On splintered knees Over bloody soil To another impasse We crane broken necks To glimpse a future We can never expect I'm leaving Not saying goodbye I like darkness And darkness likes me back

Hails, Tenebrous Cult,

It has been, as they say, a week, so apologies up front if this missive seems even more scatter-brained than usual. My kid has been home sick all week; life obligations left and right; and 10p Editor-in-Chief/Fly-in-Ointment Alex decided now was the perfect time to throw a live grenade into my path with a near-spontaneous open submissions call (similar to what I did to her with the YOUR BODY IS NOT YOUR BODY anthology one year ago, so I guess turnabout is fair play; more on all this below).

ANYWAY. It’s probably best if I just stick to the bullet points, which are particularly bullet-pointy and noteworthy this time around.

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Bullet point the First:

HOUSE OF ROT: DELUXE FUNGAL MADNESS PREORDER PACKAGES ARE LIVE!

Yeah, I know we opened standard preorders a couple weeks back; we flipped things around a bit this time, as we were still finalizing some details for this. If you’ve already preordered, and you’d like to expand your order to include the deluxe items, we’re more than happy to make that happen; just shoot us a message.

Alas, this deluxe preorder package is only available within the continental United States.

The HOUSE OF ROT Deluxe Fungal Madness Package includes:

• HOUSE OF ROT softcover copy, signed by author Danger Slater and cover artist Kate Blairstone

• HOUSE OF ROT eBook (PDF, ePub & mobi versions)

• One (1) syringe of (non-psychedelic) liquid mushroom culture, with which to start your very own Mushroom Extravaganza. Choose from five (5) varieties.

• Exclusive HOUSE OF ROT t-shirt or tank top

• Exclusive deluxe vinyl sticker and bookmark

Turn your humble abode into a mushroom palace, just like Alex did!

Preorder the deluxe package here, available until May 28th.

Or if the book’s all your after, that’s cool too! Preorder here (for print + eBook).

Or here (for eBook only).

Or here from Amazon. Or here. Or here. We’re not really picky where you do it, just preorder HOUSE OF ROT from somewhere.

And speaking of HOUSE OF ROT…

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Bullet Point the Second:

WE’RE HAVIN’ A PARTY: A NEW WEIRD BOOK RELEASE + READING PARTY

Author Danger Slater—along with a trio of some of my favorite Pacific Northwest gremlins—will be lighting the floor on fire turning your stomachs spreading their unique brand of disease love at the Rose City Book Pub in just under a month!

We’ll have HOUSE OF ROT for sale of course; as well as other Tenebrous wares, and any books the individual readers feel like bringing along. Our previous event at the Book Pub—for Carson’s SOFT TARGETS (on sale now!)— was a blast, with a great group of Horror folks and much making of merry. I predict more of the same.

Portland’s rep has suffered some bruises and broken bones in recent years—a bunch of ‘em deserved, too—but the Weird/Bizarro/Horror fiction scene has always been strong. Tenebrous Press is eager to help thrust it back into the national prominence it deserves.

Come hang out with us and meet your new favorite Weirdos.

Hail New Weird Pacific Northwest Horror.

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Bullet Point the Third:

THANK YOU FOR JOINING THE ALGORITHM: a Tenebrous Charity Magazine to support the rights of HUMAN Artists

If you’ve been paying attention to us—and really, how could you not? We talk very loud—you’ve heard our concerns outrage regarding the encroachment of AI/Machine Learning on the rights of writers and artists everywhere.

Well, as usual, we’ve got more outrage than we do brains, and we’re in the process of releasing a special edition magazine to raise money for artist rights and defense.

But first we need some fellow generous, outraged folks to help us raise money to pay the contributors. In the past 48 hours we’ve made it nearly halfway to our initial goal, because the Tenebrous Cult kicks major ass.

Read the original press release:

THANK YOU FOR JOINING THE ALGORITHM: a special edition dark speculative fiction magazine concerning humanity's rage against the devaluing of the light.

All proceeds from the sale of this publication—every cent remaining after printing, shipping, and taxes—will be donated to organizations that fight for the rights of human artists and pursue the regulation and limitation of machine-generation in the arts. Currently proposed:

The Algorithmic Justice League

The European Guild for Artificial Intelligence Regulation

Note: we will accept proposals for other organizations and poll our contributors to decide which best suit our goals.

CURRENTLY RAISING FUNDS: All funds raised at this time will be used to pay the contributors to this publication. The editorial team and all other administrative costs are being volunteered. If more funds are raised than necessary, or if contributors waive their fee, that money will be forwarded to the above organizations.

HELP US GET THIS PROJECT GOING! DONATE HERE.

SUBMISSIONS: Submissions will be open as soon as we have raised enough funds to pay a reasonable rate for original fiction, poetry, reprints, comics, and art.

Will be looking for: Dark speculative fiction stories, poetry, comics, illustrations, haikus, etc. at the meeting point between humanity and technology.

Fiction: up to 3500 words.

Comics: 1-3 pages; B&W/gray tones only.

Art/Illustration: open to both original and licensed; B&W/gray tones only.

Payment: YES. Amount to be determined based on fundraising.

Themes include but not limited to: humanism, machine-generation dangers, encroaching machine rule, algorithm overload, the chaotic crash point between the human mind and machine limitations, anticapitalism, advertising overload, self-destruction, the violence and humanity of creation, philosophy.

GENRES: Weird Horror, Dark SF, Tech-Horror, Post-Apoc, Eco, Cosmic, Slipstream, Dark Lit

We emphatically welcome marginalized and first-time authors and artists. We emphatically do not welcome any machine-generated content.

ALSO LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS: If you’re willing to support or promote this project, reach out to tenebrouspress@gmail.com. We’re always looking for reviewers, podcasters, booksellers, blurbers, and anyone with marketing and promotional capabilities.

The sooner we reach our contributor payment goal, the sooner we open for submissions! Please consider donating here.

Last year we were able to provide $10,000 in support to the Trans and Queer communities, thanks to you. I can’t wait to see what y’all are capable of this time around.

Alright, let’s all get on the right vibe before we head out for the week.

Talk to you soon.

Damn the machines.

Hail the Humans, and all their ugly, imperfect, glorious ways.

Hail New Weird Horror.

Hail the Tenebrous Cult.

Matt & Alex