Ascending Voices of Modern Fiction are Focus of Emergent Expressions Novella Series
Complete Lineup for Calendar Year 2022
CHICAGO, February 22, 2022 —Fresh ideas from talented voices are the sparks igniting the passion of literary creativity featured in the new Emergent Expressions imprint from Grey Matter Press (GMP). Planned as an annual selection of titles highlighting the ascending voices of modern fiction, the novellas kicking off the publisher’s Emergent Expressions Signature Series for 2022 include four titles, one each in the speculative fiction, horror, psychological thriller and dark fantasy genres.
GMP’s Emergent Expressions novella imprint is intended to give rise to new and emerging authors by offering a viable, collaborative and professional publishing venue for their work. In addition to the upcoming release of Amanda Kool’s speculative fiction title Resembling Lepus, this year’s volumes in the Emergent Expressions Signature Series include Cassandra’s Typewriter by Andrew McRae, The Dark Matter of Natasha by Matthew R. Davis, and Gargantuana’s Ghost by Patrick Barb.
Behind the Novellas
Set amidst an urban landscape in fictional Britain after the end of Earth’s sixth extinction event, Amanda Kool’s post-dystopian Resembling Lepus is a disturbing look at humanity that is as much about judgement, prejudice, and issues of class as it is about morals and murder. In a fledgling society born of catastrophic loss, a detective attempts to solve a series of murders that challenge the community’s new reverence for all life. Kool is a technical writer and multi-genre fiction author from Melbourne, Australia. Resembling Lepus arrives April 26.
The black-as-tar coming-of-age psychological thriller that is The Dark Matter of Natasha follows the turbulent lives of two teenagers as they struggle with intimacy, the influence of drugs, emotional anguish, and the crush of smalltown hopelessness. A dark exploration of the pain and pathos of life, the novella is a breathless, genre-blurring Sturm und Drang for our modern era. Matthew R. Davis is an award-winning author, rock musician and visual artist whose previous fiction has won two Australian Shadows Awards and has been shortlisted by several other international organizations. Davis lives in Adelaide, Australia. The Dark Matter of Natasha publishes in June.
Gargantuana’s Ghost is a dark urban fantasy that investigates secret histories, the hardships of aging, racial inequity, and the unlikely friendships that emerge from tragedy. Essentially a love letter to New York City, Patrick Barb’s novella features a shy Afro-Puerto Rican history buff who forms an improbable bond with the ghost of a giant ape that haunts the Brooklyn subway and the young girl from the ape’s past—now a frail geriatric—who holds all of its benevolent memories for an otherwise callous humanity. Barb is an American author and editor living in St. Paul, Minnesota, whose previous fiction has appeared in a variety of recognized horror and speculative fiction venues. Gargantuana’s Ghost is slated for release in August.
The Emergent Expressions horror installment for 2022 is Cassandra’s Typewriter. Andrew McRae’s genre-busting tale takes a dark look at the ability of art and its creators to mold society while cautioning against the deification of perceived heroes. Rife with dark humor while delivering an ominous message for humankind, the novella revolves around the lives of a vile, reclusive author whose once-groundbreaking work has been long forgotten and the intrepid reporter assigned with securing the interview of his lifetime. McRae is a freelance entertainment reporter and crime historian who lives in Ontario, California. Cassandra’s Typewriter has a tentative release date in October.
With its Emergent Expressions imprint, GMP expands on its tradition of publishing exceptional dark fiction through a multi-discipline selection of novellas highlighting authors creating in the thriller, horror, science fiction, crime/noir, horror, speculative fiction, fantasy and other dark genres.
More information about the authors can be found on the following websites: Amanda Kool at https://www.amandakool.net/, Matthew R. Davis at https://matthewrdavisfiction.wordpress.com/, Patrick Barb at https://www.patrickbarb.com/, and read Andrew McRae’s crime and entertainment reporting at https://www.cracked.com/members/andrewr.mcrae.
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ABOUT GREY MATTER PRESS
Grey Matter Press is a Chicago-based publisher whose mission it is to discover and cultivate the best voices working in the dark fiction genre. The company is committed to producing only the finest quality volumes of fiction containing exceptional tales from the suspense-thriller, crime-noir, dark fantasy, literary fiction, horror, and speculative genres. More information about Grey Matter Press is available at greymatterpress.com.
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