Welcome to a new year and a new… no, not quite yet. A new world is still a little off and many of you are still stuck in your apartments soaking your Weetbix in beer to get through the day. Hold fast, because on the written entertainment front the GdM team and I have you covered for the next few hours at least (hint: this issue is a big one).
This issue is something a little special: a prime example of the generosity of the publishing industry and successful authors’ want to see others do well. This issue includes not one, but two stories from the Matthew Ward Pay it Forward Writing Competition we ran last year. Two new authors you’re unlikely to have seen published: Hûw Steer and Jack Van Beynen. At the end of this issue I think you’ll remember the names, because their stories are absolute crackers.
And secondly, I think Carlos Diaz has absolutely knocked this cover out of the park in his representation of Sacred Semantics by Nichola Eames. I’ve put the unbranded version of the art at the very bottom of this post so you can revel in its full glory.
Before I wish you well on your grimdark journey through this issue, I’d just like to give Matthew Ward a special mention and to dedicate this issue to his generosity and willingness to help out new authors.
What’s on the back cover of Grimdark Magazine #25?
Grimdark Magazine presents the darker, grittier side of fantasy and science fiction. Each quarterly issue features established and new authors to take you through their hard-bitten worlds alongside articles, reviews and interviews. Our stories are grim, our worlds are dark and our morally grey protagonists and anti-heroes light the way with bloody stories of war, betrayal and action.
FICTION:
- Sacred Semantics by Nicholas Eames
- The Only Cure by Hûw Steer
- The Dead Man by Jack van Beynen
- Stiff’s Standoff by Jamie Edmundson
- Winter Sweet, Winter Grieve by Kaaron Warren
NON-FICTION:
- An Interview with Seanan McGuire by Beth Tabler
- Cyberpunk 2077: Working for the Man to Spite the Man by Charles Phipps
- Review: The Stone Knife by Anna Stephens
- Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melnibone: The Anti-Conan by Anthony Perconti
- An Interview with Essa Hanson by Beth Tabler
- How Not to F–k Yourself Over Self-Publishing by Ben Galley
Read this issue
Grab yourself a copy of Grimdark Magazine #25 by heading over to our webstore.
Full unbranded cover art for Grimdark Magazine #25
Carlos Diaz has just created one of my favourite pieces of cover art for GdM. He’s a brilliant artist well worth checking out if you’re in the market for some cover art, love watching art being created, or just want to see the cool end products. You can find him through his website, his Twitch channel, DeviantArt page, and his Artstation.
