• a world of today where cosplay and stagecraft are bright lights hiding dark shadows


• a world of tomorrow, where kitchen appliances fend for themselves and take solace in each other's arms, refugees from indifferent owners


• a world of little cogs in big machines, where the humble trash collector is the unsung hero of getting evil done


• a world of small magics and big hearts, where a little chaos can go a long, long way

We fear discovery when we should fear what there is to discover.

Lovecraft and his successors show a world where human civilisation is only a thin veneer over black seas of ignorance. A world where men exalted for their reason uncover logic-defying truths. A world where the marginalised discover uncaring horror on the fringes of a society that rejects them. A world where the bonds between us unravel.

But what of those who wear their own averageness like a veneer? Neither drawn toward the horror by academic curiosity nor driven their by society, but unmoored by a mundane secret.

A Spanish priest struggling with base desires plots to save a native child from brutal sacrifice.

A veteran hiding the extent of his mental wounds discovers the true war on terror is very different.

A delinquent’s secret passion for stamp collecting draws him into a dark bargain.

And nine more tales of overtly normal people coming adrift in an incomprehensible universe.

In a world filled with menace, dare to paint on a grin.

The world is full of images of scary clowns: packs of grinning figures with knives plaguing towns; pom-pom clad serial killers; loners who like children in the wrong way.

But clowns can be a force for good: it takes a kind heart to put other people’s joy first; keeping children entertained is honest work; what better disguise than one that makes the villains laugh?

What if, rather than being childhood-spoiling serial killers, clowns were the victims or heroes of the story?

When all the children at a party are poisoned, an entertainer’s profession and past both make him a prime suspect.

An anti-corporate prankster discovers his guru might be just as callous as the capitalist world-view he claims to reject.

A clown attempts to redeem the image of his profession by saving a group of teenagers from a serial killer.

And twelve more stories of clowns facing humanity’s baser natures.

In a world of shadows, joyful colours are an act of heroism.

Modern tales are filled with clowns who invoke fear not laughter: painted grins covering fanged maws; baggy costumes concealing unspeakable horrors; malevolent parodies of nature.

But the tools of a clown work for good as well as ill: only a trickster could tweak a monster’s nose; make-up is war paint for the modern age; the devil cannot tempt a happy soul.

What if, instead of being the demons of urban legend, clowns were the victims or the heroes of the story?

An entertainer discovers his latest booking is filled with clowns but no children.

A group of ageing clowns seek their Priest-King before the divine is lost from the world forever.

Yorrick’s apprentice shares the truth behind the death of Shakespeare’s most famous clown.

And ten more stories of clowns facing the supernatural.