In The Basement

Attics are scary, full of history. Basements are scary too. That's where we put the stuff we'd rather not think about. The skeletons. The cardboard boxes full of regrets and embarrassments. The cobwebs of our past. And then when we leave the basement, running up the stairs, there's always that feeling of dread--that something has immediately started to chase us, right at our backs...

This collection of seven short stories was written to capture that feeling: running up the stairs from the basement, flicking the lights off and slamming the door behind you. From a pregnant woman navigating Indian Country during Civil War America, to a lonely voyager sailing the pink river of an apocalyptic dreamscape, these stories follow the path that simultaneously leads down into and up out of the basement. How long does one stay in the basement? What does one do while there? Where did you leave those Christmas decorations? These are important questions we must ask ourselves.

But now, the basement metaphor is wearing thin. Enjoy this digital book, from new and up-coming speculative fiction author Luke Burrows, and remember to turn the lights off when you come up. Thanks.

Cover Illustration by Emily Burlew.