RESPECT THE AX: LUMBERJACK ARRIVES IN ONE MONTH (cover art revealed, preorders open!)
I cut down trees, I skip and jump, I like to press wild flowers
Hey Ho, Tenebrous Cult!
You’ve never met a character like Neville, the aspirant lumberjack from Anthony Engebretson’s upcoming novella, LUMBERJACK.
We promise you: that’s a good thing. Spoiler alert: he’s as loathsome as he is compulsively readable. He’s also very, very human.
I can’t deny that I see a lot of myself in Neville; I think you’ll see yourself as well. We all desperately want to believe in ourselves; that we are loved and respected by our peers; that we are righteous in our choices; that when our own personal legends are finished being written, they’ll be good ones.
But in the small hours, we all secretly fear that we might actually be the monsters of our own stories.
That’s heavy fare; heavier even, perhaps, than Alexander, the titular ax that Neville wields as a status symbol; as a shield; as a (‘nother spoiler alert!) murderous weapon; as just about everything other than its intended purpose.
But lest we get too heavy: this book is absolute grim comedy gold, and a legit kick in the teeth. We are so proud to present LUMBERJACK, the final Tenebrous release of 2023:
LaMantia’s phantasmagoric art is all over this baby; he handled the interior illustrations as well. And in keeping with our other releases of ‘23, LUMBERJACK is available now to preorder in both Deluxe and Standard packages!
The Deluxe Package features:
LUMBERJACK softcover copy
LUMBERJACK eBook (PDF, ePub & mobi versions)
Exclusive LUMBERJACK t-shirt or tank top; featuring art by Jonathan LaMantia and design by Alex Woodroe on a navy blue high quality shirt
3.5" x 3" canvas patch, exclusive to this preorder
Exclusive vinyl sticker, bookmark and swag
Deluxe package is limited to 50 total.
Standard preorders net you the print book + eBook; and you can also order just the eBook through our webstore. We ain’t picky!
About LUMBERJACK:
Nebraska, 1901.
There’s a curse on Arbor Lodge—an elusive demon reclaiming the illustrious home in the name of the prairie—and its owner, J. Sterling Morton, proud statesman, is desperate.
It couldn’t be more fortuitous for lumberjack Neville, whose greatest desire is to prove himself a true man to the world. Morton offers respect, security, pride, even the father figure Neville never had; and all the lumberjack has to do is find and kill this creature.
There’s no doubt in Neville’s mind that he deserves to rise to the status of legend. He will prevail. It’s in his blood.
Or else, his blood will be in the prairie.
Cover art and interior illustrations by Jonathan LaMantia.
Recommended for fans of:
Fargo, Blood Simple, and the dark crime films of the Coen Brothers
Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic
“LUMBERJACK is an unforgiving descent into madness that proves two things. Firstly, that Engebretson is the king of character-driven narratives. Secondly, you don’t devour Engebretson’s work. It devours you.”
- Caitlin Marceau, award-winning author of This Is Where We Talk Things Out
About the Author:
Anthony Engebretson lives in Holland, Michigan (and sometimes Lincoln, Nebraska), with his beautiful fiancée, two cats and a rescue beagle. His debut novella, Sair Back, Sair Banes, was published by Ghost Orchid Press in 2022.
LUMBERJACK is out December 5th, 2023. Hey! That’s my (Matt’s) birthday, and you can give all of us at Tenebrous a present by preordering today!
THANK YOU FOR JOINING THE ALGORITHM: AI loses in two weeks…
…and the humans all lived happily ever after, free to pursue their artistic endeavors and passions for themselves, without relying on a f&%king computer to steal from their fellow sentient beings and do the fun part for them. Right?
Alas, there won’t be a pat ending to this story. AI theft in the arts is here, and it’s spreading insidiously. But we are fighting back, and so is the incredible roster of talent that comprises THANK YOU FOR JOINING THE ALGORITHM. Among them:
**Profits from sales of THANK YOU FOR JOINING THE ALGORITHM go to the Algorithmic Justice League and the European Guild of Artificial Intelligence Regulation.**
THANK YOU FOR JOINING THE ALGORITHM is out November 22; preorder it here:
ONE HAND TO HOLD, ONE HAND TO CARVE is up for a Wonderland Award!
BizarroCon is just around the corner; it’s happening right down the road from me, too—in Troutdale, Oregon—but as luck would have it, I’ll be away from the 10p compound that week.
We’ll be there in spirit though, as M.Shaw’s fantastic debut novella is up for Best Novel:
If you’ve ever attended BizarroCon in the past, you are eligible to vote for the awards. Honestly, we’re just flattered that this book is standing alongside some truly amazing literature. And if you’ve not read ONE HAND TO HOLD, ONE HAND TO CARVE yet, come find out what all the well-deserved fuss is about:
Lots of travel in the next couple weeks, so some orders from the webstore may be a wee bit delayed. But we’ll be back here soon to dive deep into Anthony Engebretson’s LUMBERJACK (Don’t forget to preorder!)
Hail Indie Horror.
Hail the Tenebrous Cult.
Matt & Alex