The Next Fix

Go ahead; I defy you to tell me your eyes aren't oppositely hard and wet as they gaze upon the graphic masterpiece to my immediate right. I dare you to raise an argument as I proclaim that bit of visual coitus the ocular quickie of the century.

I dare you.

You're looking at the cover of the latest issue of Murky Depths. You can't tell from the adjoining image, but that artwork actually wraps around both the front and back cover of the 'zine itself. It's a genre-crossing mosaic that I fell in love with as soon as I opened up my contributor's copies. In what is coming up on three years of *the* tastiest covers in both literary and illustrated magazines, this is my undisputed favorite. It ranks right beside Vinny Chong's orgasmic and award-nominated steampunk-inspired cover from several issues back.

And as if that weren't enough, my name is on it. A blow-up is SO going on my office wall.

My new DEPTH CHARGE column rounds out this issue. It's entitled "The Replacement Storytellers" and focuses on the gadgetry housing our stories today, and the descendants of said gadgetry that might be telling our stories tomorrow.

Witness a brief excerpt . . .

We are all becoming the Three Little Pigs of this even newer digital age. We’ve ditched the sticks and straw for much rawer building blocks, for ions and lithium and silicon and savage steel. Our refining techniques, however, make nursery rhyme magicks look like a Taiwanese hooker’s ping pong ball trick. We architect microcosmic wonders so sleek and deft in design that they become mundane as quickly as we can snap them to our belts or sheath them in a silicone skin holster.

I was in the zone, kids.

On a related note, I'm currently looking to fatten my freelance portfolio. So if you are a magazine editor, or have the ear/genitals of a magazine editor, there is no subject, genre, or cultural niche I cannot dissect and reassemble into pure distilled word fetishism.

Seriously. I write words good. Pass it on.

I tried to warn you. Now it’s here and you’re all screwed. Okay, not really, but I *did* warn you about the following cross-promotional, multi-media, genre-exploding short fiction PUBLISHING EVENT.

First and foremost, I give you the fourth issue of Murky Depths with cover art by BFS Artist of the Year Vincent Chong. Prepare to ruin your undergarments . . .

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Short Stories

“Demon Lover” by Sam Stone
”Saint Darwin's Sprirituals” by D K Thompson
”Miracle Michael” by A. Pignatella
”First Aid” by Edward Morris
“Flave's Formula” by Jason Palmer
“The Man With The Hologram Face” by Louise Cypher
”Paternoster Blues” by Richard Barber
“Casting Sin” by C.S. MacCarth
”Day Boy” by Trent Jamieson

Comics

The Dark Gospel 3 - Halo Slipping by Luke Cooper
Rex The Dog by Mur Lafferty & Dan Gardner
Warped by James Johnson & Leonardo M Giron]
The Visitor R.D. Hall & Denis Pacher




ALSO in this issue, an interview with Vincent Chong and my new Depth Charge column. It’s entitled “When It Stomps Beneath the Terra” and in it I examine the evolution and current state of underground arts and media. Or something similarly intelligent sounding like that.

But you know that’s not the end of your emotional, intellectual, and psychological ass-kicking, kids . . .

”Saint Darwin’s Spirituals” by D.K. Thompson is also now live in audio form on the Variant Frequencies podcast. Featuring the music of mindgasming steampunk band Abney Park and the vocal stylings of Rick and Anne Stringer, Maia Whitaker, Ali Groves (who is NOT, in fact, Irish), and Agent Dani Cutler, this is far and away one of the highest quality episodes in a two and a half year history of the highest quality podcast out there.

So there it is, folks. Buy, read, download, listen. This is a new one in short fiction marketing. And we chose the best possible story to pop its cherry. Be a part of it.

First off, thanks to everyone who e-mailed me about my Depth Charge column. This morning I compiled and put questions to several very cool, prominent authors. To be honest, at first I was viewing this article as grunt work, but I'm actually pretty fucking excited about writing it now.

I'm also genuinely excited about how the second draft of my screenplay is coming along. I don't have a lot of moments when I'm writing where I lean back and go, "Damn. This is good." I didn't during the first draft. But now the story is changing and evolving into something that could really be a kickass piece of business if we go all the way through with it. Had a major breakthrough late last night when I got a call from The Aussie. After I fought off my strange caveman confusion over how he could possibly be calling me on a sunny afternoon while I was at the same time listening to what very probably were werewolves baying outside, he laid an idea on me for the ending that apparently came from a huge, pock-faced, gravel-voiced actor he has in mind for one of the baddies. It was so good and is proving to be so useful I don't even mind admitting I didn't come up with it. It's going to change the complexion of the whole story. For the better.

Oh, and the list of contributors for the second issue of Out of the Gutter Magazine has been posted. I mention it mostly because I'll be sharing TOC with faustfatale and that sends blood rushing to several places in my body at once.

Now that the first issue of Murky Depths might be appearing on shelves (well. If you order it you can fuckin' put it on YOUR shelf, okay? Shut up) earlier than expected, I've had to bang out an idea for a Depth Charge column kinda on the fly. The topic I've come up with is mixing genres in fiction, something that's obviously very relevant to me. And I'd like your help. Seriously. You. Two things . . .

1) If you're an author whose published works heavily mix genres or defy a single categorization (sci-fi/fantasy and horror, humor and any or all of the above, noir and any or all of the above, etc.) and you'd like to be interviewed for my humble article, you can e-mail me at matt@matt-wallace.net and let me know. I promise accurate quoting and pimpage of your work to the tune of a couple thousand people. Hopefully.

2) I'd like suggestions on well-known authors who mix genres in their work that you would like to read about. E-mail me at the same. There's no guarantee they'll talk to me, but I'll try.

Your participation is appreciated. It's also mandatory. If you make me come looking for you, you won't be happy with the result.