CLOCKWORK PHOENIX

CLOCKWORK PHOENIX
 Tales of Beauty and Strangeness

Coming in July

CLOCKWORK PHOENIX: Tales of Beauty and Strangeness is currently closed to submissions.

The following stories were selected for inclusion in the annual series' first volume, forthcoming from Norilana Books:

  • Catherynne M. Valente, "The City of Blind Delight"
  • David Sandner, "Old Foss is the Name of His Cat"
  • John Grant, "All the Little Gods We Are"
  • Cat Rambo, "The Dew Drop Coffee Lounge"
  • Leah Bobet, "Bell, Book, and Candle"
  • Michael J. DeLuca, "The Tarrying Messenger"
  • Laird Barron, "The Occultation"
  • Ekaterina Sedia, "There is a Monster Under Helen's Bed"
  • Cat Sparks, "Palisade"
  • Tanith Lee, "The Woman"
  • Marie Brennan, "A Mask of Flesh"
  • Jennifer Crow, "Seven Scenes from Harrai's Sacred Mountain"
  • Vandana Singh, "Oblivion: A Journey"
  • John C. Wright, "Choosers of the Slain"
  • C.S. MacCath, "Akhila, Divided"
  • Joanna Galbraith, "The Moon-Keeper's Friend"
  • Deborah Biancotti, "The Tailor of Time"
  • Erin Hoffman, "Root and Vein"

    Watch this page for information on the availability of CLOCKWORK PHOENIX and on submission windows for future volumes.

    GUIDELINES

    CLOCKWORK PHOENIX: Tales of Beauty and Strangeness is a new annual anthology series edited by Mike Allen, to be published by Norilana Books starting in 2008. The anthology's literary focus is on the high end, and it is open to the full range of the speculative and fantastic genres.

    Editor Mike Allen says: "Clockwork Phoenix is a home for stories that sidestep expectations in beautiful and unsettling ways, that surprise with their settings and startle with the ways they cross genre boundaries, that aren't afraid to experiment with storytelling techniques. But experimentation is not a requirement: the stories in the anthology must be more than gimmicks, and should appeal to genuine emotions, suspense, fear, sorrow, delight, wonder. I will value a story that makes me laugh in its quirky way more than a story that tries to dazzle me with a hollow exercise in wordplay.

    "The stories should contain elements of the fantastic, be it science fiction, fantasy, horror or some combination thereof. A straight psychological horror story is unlikely to make the cut unless it's truly scary and truly bizarre. The same applies to a straight adventure fantasy or unremarkable space opera -- bring something new and genuine to the equation, whether it's a touch of literary erudition, playful whimsy, extravagant style, or mind-blowing philosophical speculation and insight. Though stories can be set in this world, settings at least a hair or more askew are preferred. I hope to see prose that is poetic but not opaque. I hope to see stories that will lead the reader into unfamiliar territory, there to find shock and delight."

    RIGHTS PURCHASED: First English Language Rights and non-exclusive electronic rights. The anthology will be published by Norilana Books in a trade paperback edition in the Spring of 2008, to be followed by an electronic edition to be produced later.

    PAYMENT: $0.02 a word on acceptance as an advance against royalties, then a pro rata share of royalties after earnout, plus a contributor copy.

    WORD LENGTH: No longer than 10,000 words.

    READING PERIOD began August 1, 2007 and ended February 1, 2008.

    SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS: Submissions are electronic only. Please submit your story via e-mail, as an RTF file attachment. Your e-mail subject line should say "Submission: Story Title". Include a brief cover letter in the body of your email. It should have your name, address, e-mail address, title of story, number of words, and brief biographical information in case we don't know you, with most recent publishing credits, if applicable. We are open to new writers and seasoned veterans alike.

    EDITORIAL ADDRESS: clockworkphoenix@gmail.com