The Dark Verse, Vol. 1: From the Passages of Revenants

The Dark Verse #1

by M. Amanuensis Sharkchild, John F. Stifter (Illustrator)

Twenty-six short tales of occult, metaphysical, and fantastical horror that will follow you to the visions of your sleep. This is Sharkchild's first collection of grim and ethereal stories—a silver medalist in the category of Horror in the 2010 Independent Publisher Book Awards.


"Some would be quick to point out the similarities between Sharkchild's esoteric style and H.P. Lovecraft's writings, but though they appear similar I would argue that Sharkchild has a very distinct and unique way of unveiling his mysterious stories. I will say that like any good horror author, Sharkchild's stories will leave you unhinged as you get a glimpse of the strange species that permeate his imagination and have scrawled themselves into this book.... All of Sharkchild's stories are inhabited by grotesque yet sometimes wondrous beings who have managed to break forth into our own world. These unimaginably horrific monsters populate these short stories, and Sharkchild's writing brings them to startling and shocking clarity. His stories exist on a different plane, a dimension where unspeakable horrors lie in wait, ready to assault and invade our own existence. These are tales that could reduce you to madness as you marvel at their complex simplicity. Horror lies in fearing the unknown, and boy, does Sharkchild ever have a grasp of how to scare us!" -Fatally-Yours


"Though grotesque and gloomy, a lot of The Dark Verse tales have a moral. They leave you in thought in the end. Not only does the reader crossover into the dark worlds of the book, but also the worlds seem to come to the reader. Sharkchild does this by relating grim subjects and thoughts to everyday life. Overall, The Dark Verse, Volume I is a preeminent compilation of short stories, or maybe even bedtime stories, to add to any collection. One of the greatest elements of the book is its ability to remain fascinating and enticing even after reading it for the first time. It never festers." -Gothic Beauty Magazine


"In regards to the content, this aims for Lovecraft Territory. While avoiding out and out pastiche, most of Sharkchild's brief tales nestle comfortably alongside any Mythos tale. Cthulu or any of the Elder Gods are not specifically mentioned but in tales filled with cosmic horror and entities too unspeakable for humans to fathom, the reader understands these stories to fit into a Mythos mirror universe.... For Lovecraft and Mythos fans, the hardcover copy would be a gorgeous addition to any collection." -Hellnotes

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Fiction, Short Stories, Anthologies, Ebooks

146 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

M. Amanuensis Sharkchild is the award-winning, Lovecraftian author of the growing series of horror fiction short stories The Dark Verse and of the dark fantasy novel The Spirit Collectors. His self-published books are praised for their illustrious hardcover binding and artwork and have won six awards. The Dark Verse is also a podcast through which Sharkchild releases new short stories on a regular basis. The style and atmosphere of his writing is often compared to the works of H.P. Lovecraft.

He lives in lurid wakefulness and lucid dreams, overtaken by visions that uncontrollably seethe in a torrent of horror and fantasy. As a zealot of the imagination, he embraces the strange, the bizarre, and the great unknown. His path of creation has only just begun.

Some of his other projects include Gravescabs and Dark Energy Discoveries. Gravescabs are fun, reversible plush covers that are placed over a base plush toy called a Skell. Dark Energy Discoveries is an EBM music project containing his rich vocal layers and soundscapes that are embodied by a virtual group of inter-dimensional beings who have joined forces to explore the ever-expanding reaches of existence.

Reviews

[Gaze Santos · Rating 3 out of 5]

The design of this book was exquisite and added to the experience of reading this book immensely. It is clear that a lot of time and effort was spent on the design of the book itself, and it is quite handsome. As for the stories themselves they are very decent. As is the nature of anthologies there are stories that are stronger than others. With this collection in particular there is an overarching aesthetic and style that comes through when all the stories are taken together. Part of this effect is achieved through the very stylistic writing prose of this author. His influences, Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Lord Dusany, shine through. And although not necessarily as elegant as the names previously mentioned, he does manage to achieve his own concoction of a voice, which is a bit of an acquired taste... Those familiar with the floridity of Gothic prose will enjoy it. (It is quite remarkable that he is able to sustain it throughout all his stories, really.) I think it is quite obvious that many of these stories were inspired by dreams. The author himself seems to suggest as much through the opening dedication and the introduction to the book. And indeed, a lot of the stories have a dream logic that runs through them. However, as is the case with dreams, a lot of the ideas aren't really carried all the way through. As if there were a time limit to the stories and there is only so much that can be packed into each one. (I think this is due to the fact that these stories were first presented as podcasts.) This limits the scope of the stories and many interesting ideas end up being abandoned in just a couple of pages. Frequently, it felt like reading a bedtime story book, albeit a dark and sinister one. I found it an easy read, and even rationed out the stories to one a night to savour the style and aesthetic. I imagine others might find the florid prose harder to work through, but I do applaud the unique vision that was created through the stories in the book and the design of the book itself.

[Michael Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Unique Vision

An impressive first collection from author and podcaster M. Amanuensis Sharkchild. These are tales of twisted logic, ventures into strange realms, and encounters with incomprehensible entities. There is an impressive range of ideas and some genuine imagination on display here. The prose varies a little in quality, but colorful and varied vocabulary makes up for some of the rough spots. I would definitely recommend this book to readers of dark fantasy, horror, and weird fiction.

[T.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a nutshell, if you like taking a white-knuckled ride into the darker corners of the imagination, then this is a book for you.

The first thing you notice about this book is the graphic presentation.
It's a hard cover, black in color with an intricate silver foil illustration on the front . Open the book and the end papers are artwork unto themselves, the paper is heavy grade, and each story has it's own individual illustration on its first page (illustrations courtesy of John F. Stifter) The design alone tells you you're not in for the same old short story collection.

Our author, the enigmatic M. Amanuensis Sharkchild compiled this volume from material for his spoken word podcast, The Dark Verse.
Collected here are 26 of those stories, stories as lovingly crafted as the book itself is. The term "wordsmith" comes to mind in describing Sharkchild's writing...he uses words to paint exquisite portraits of the fantastic, the wonderful, the terrible, the horrible.

Stand outs include:
"Gift of the Crossroads", where a scrap of fabric found in the kitchen begins one man's nightmare odyssey. At one point as I was reading this story, I literally exclaimed out loud "God! Dude!", over a turn of events, and continued to the following page and gasped out loud. That rarely if ever happens when I'm reading anything.
"The Missing Come Home" details one father and the loss of his daughter and her unexpected return and the horrifying consequences which ensue, rather than a joyous homecoming.
"The Captive Inside" which will make me forever think twice about wishing for a dusty old toy shop to dig through and whiling away the hours working a jigsaw puzzle (and for me that's saying something as I like and am fairly skilled at jigsaw puzzles).
There are two stories, "The Changing Feyth Part One" and "The Changing Feyth Part Two", that are crying to be developed into one full-length novel of their very own.

The book is obviously a labour of love and artistry in the way it's presented.
Nearly every story, while more than able to stand alone on it's own as a self-contained jewel, could be expanded to a novel-length exploration.
It's as if each story is but a fleeting glimpse into one universe of the insane and horrific.
Yes, the writing is that good.

The cost of the book is $22.99 - and well worth it.

[Junior Soprano · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up because of the considerable buzz comparing this to the works of Lovecraft, and was quickly and sorely disappointed - to the point of being offended that the comparison be drawn at all. This “Sharkchild” writes like a high-schooler who just read Lovecraft for the first time: edgy and cringey to the max. I truly fail to imagine how anyone over the age of 17 would be impressed by this book.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Dark Verse shows a lot of potential. The book itself is nicely bound with thick pages, but the layout leaves something to be desired. There are a lot of over-produced ink-looking pictures and blank pages spacing out the chapters so that they all start on an odd-numbered page. The stories themselves are all pretty much the same length, which makes me wonder if they were planned that way (one in particular is split into two parts, when one would have, in my opinion, flowed better). The stories themselves are hit and miss. What Sharkchild excels in is mimicking the Lovecraftian tone of dispair in his stories. He's at his best when the characters are experiencing great heartache and pain with relation to their loved ones (one story early on about a man and an odd piece of fabric is really good in this respect). However, after finishing the book you find that most of the stories are forgettable - as I write this I can only think of maybe for or five. A lot of them feel like that drag on at odd angles to add that twist ending or to fit the story-length format mentioned above. I think Sharkchild is headed in the right direction and definitely has skill, but he needs to stop focusing of the physical presentation of his work and let the work speak for itself.

[Kaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed many of the short stories in this collexion. However, Sharchild's use of older/Lovecraftian language sometimes became his detriment. There were a few noticeable times of a slip in narrative voice with certain words or phrasing, and also embellished pulp language (ie, 'I pried myself from the demon and spent the rest of the evening watching a couple of movies that should have been locked and buried beneath the core of the earth').

But where Sharkchild falters with language, he makes up for with imagination. Although a few of his stories were very influenced by Lovecraft and John Carpenter, the worlds and plots Sharkchild creates are always intriguing. This being the first tome of his works obviously holds some of his earlier writing; by the end of the book, stories became more fleshed out and relied less of pulp tropes. I would imagine that Dark Verse II contains tales of a more confident writer.

Either way, the short length of the stories makes the book ideal for a quick story before bed or during an intermission.

[Daniel Lawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a mixed bag, some stories are good (not great), and some just bleh. Most feel like they're improvisational, no forethought into writing them just long running idea on a theme made into a semblance of a story. Those that I've listened to on the podcast worked better read aloud, it helps foster the dream-like mood that I think is intended when reading the work.

I wouldn't say these stories are Lovecraftian in the common usage (no Cthulhu, shoggoths, etc) though there are great and terrible beings everywhere, these stories fall in the vain of the Lovecraft works that didn't become pop culture phenomenons. They are weird and seemingly pointless and about half the time a let down.

I have to decide if I want the other two volumes, the book is beautiful though and the set would look great on my shelf.

[Miranda Matos · Rating 5 out of 5]

A series of haunting tales that will chill your spine. The unfolding plot twists and screams of the tortured victims play in your head. You're introduced to all kinds of characters and you see them meet very different, yet similar fates. Pain, devastation, loss of hope, depression, these are just a few words that consumed the characters lives. Most of these stories were symbolic. No spoilers, but you can look deeper and see that the author wasn't just trying to traumatized you, there are themes here. Too many to count, and too many quotes to memorize. Sharkchild, you created a masterpiece. I am very lucky to have met you in person, and I cannot wait to continue on in this series. I'm usually not a big fan of collections of short stories, but this book amazed me. 4.5/5 stars.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some really chilling tales in here, but overall an overuse of superfluous language. Even when the characters are modern, the narration has the floral quality of early Victorian gothic lit. Some great imagery, really creepy characters. I definitely had a good time reading it. Oh, but none of the main characters are female. All the stories are told in first person, and frankly in most of them gender wouldn't really be a factor to the plot, but all of them are revealed as male at some point. I think some of them could just not mention it at all and the reader could imprint their own ideas, which might even make the story stronger.

[Alina · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say, but...

This is an interesting collection of short stories that were originally told through a podcast by the author. They are weird, blizzard, mind provoking and just plain interesting. But they can be confusing and some feel incomplete. Still, a decent collection of stories that will have you thinking. None are scary to me, but that is to be expected as I have never been scared by reading a book.

[Carol Bosselman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much of the same. So much concentration on the Lovecraftian feel that a lot of the stories lose something; or become muddied, and instead of instilling a sense of horror, only leave one confused. A few of the stories were a little more linear, and good, but most of them (to me, anyway) made too little sense to really frighten.

[Dom · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book of short stories. They're enjoyable for the most part but nothing too special. They all seem to follow the same formula and they all have the same tone and voice. So it's repetitive in a sense.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sharkchild is a very impressive writer on a technical level. He knows how to compose elegant, descriptive sentences and string them together in a way that flows nicely from page to page, establishing a clear and consistent tone. His prose is a pleasure to read in short bursts, though it can grow monotonous over time due to just how perfectly consistent it is the whole way through. Most authors use florid text sparingly to emphasize particular moments of importance, but Sharkchild maintains that energy level for the entire text. Depending on your taste, that could be seen as either a good or a bad thing, and I myself am somewhat torn on it. On one hand, its impressive, and on another, the novelty eventually wears out.

Where I find his work somewhat lacking is in the overall structure and substance department. Each story is so short and explores ideas so shallowly that I was often left feeling confused, lost, or disappointed. Each one of these anthologies could probably be expanded into an entire short story, and they would also probably be more interesting that way.

The alien horror of Sharkchild's predecessors isn't terrifying just because its confusing and weird, its terrifying because those stories juxtapose that horror with the well-established mundane lives of everyday humans. Cthulhu isn't interesting because of what he is, but because of what he represents in relation to humanity and the effects that he has ordinary people. There's a connective tissue that unifies the idea of what Ctulhu is: an inevitable, sleeping horror that will one day plunge our world into chaos and darkness with nothing we can do to stop it, only delay it at great cost. Just seeing a tiny snapshot of the climax where Cthulhu rises, only to be discorporate on accident by a boat wouldn't have been as satisfying if we hadn't experienced the whole investigation that led to that point.

And that's all that Sharkchild's work really is: climactic snapshots without much context. It could have greatly benefitted from taking more time to slowly ratchet up the tension and build human stakes. Let us live in the characters' world for a bit and experience some normalcy so we can appreciate more deeply how the horror disrupts that normalcy. A paranormal investigator slowly going mad as he uncovers more and more dark truths is infinitely more satisfying that seeing a man instantly confronted with an elder god.

To be fair, there a few stories that take this sort of approach, and those were the ones that left a lasting impression on me. The Unlike Light features a man kidnapped by cultists braving horror so that he can return to his family at great personal cost. What the Flesh Cannot Keep shows us the perspective a man forced to abandon his family after being involuntarily transformed, and his efforts to hide his fate in order to spare them from their own horror. Other stores--whose names I can't even recall off the top of my head--are much more abstract, featuring unrelatable, mysterious, or ambiguous characters facing ambiguous stakes. Great, a guy turned into a demon. But what next? Why should I care? What should I take away from that? These are the questions I found myself asking.

It's as though Sharkchild merely apes the style of great horror writers on a surface level, without understanding what makes them interesting at a deeper level, at least to me. These stories feel mostly like random "and then" dream sequences: weird thing happens for some reason, then another weird thing happens for some reason, and so on, then it just ends without any kind of connecting tissue to tie all of these stories together. I wish there was some kind of thread or lore that was common to each of these. The Unlike Light opens the collection by mentioning a cult abducting people, and I half expected to see this cult popping up in other places as a kind of hidden villain manipulating things behind the scenes. Sadly, I was disappointed.

I will say that the physical art style of the book itself perfectly matches the tone of the writing and helped to immerse me in the world of the stories. But that's all this is: style, with less emphasis on substance. I think this collection may be worth reading as a series of macabre bedtime stories, but I was never pulled deeply enough into them to read more than one or two in a sitting.

[Shane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dark Verse is the first in a series of short story collections by Mr. Sharkchild. Inspired by past writers of weird tales (including, most notably, H.P. Lovecraft), each story is a brief exercise in horror and unease.

There are two equally good reasons to read, indeed to own, this book. First, M. Sharkchild is a skilled crafter of prose, and the short stories in this volume flow one after another in a chain of unquiet moments. And second, this book is just beautiful. The covers feel like supple leather (though I think they are some manufactured substitute). The sewn binding sturdily holds the thick art paper, clearly and crisply printed with the 26 short stories and accompanying art. This book is a finely made work of art.

Most highly recommended.

[Sierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could describe this book as a simplified combination of Lovecraft and Poe, although not in a negative way. These short stories have many twists and turns that explore sorrow, surrealism, and space. I got hooked on the first few stories and I’d definitely recommend it to fans of Lovecraft and creature horror. My only complaint is that the final stories in the book weren’t much to leave on. I expected more to leave with, but they didn’t sit right with me.

[Alan Loewen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely Dark

The author must be a powerful dreamer because many times reading the stories I felt that I was reading his recorded dreams. At times I felt I was reading my own.

My only complaint, and it is somewhat insignificant, is that the voice of the narrator never changed as if it was the same actor in different roles but always playing the same character regardless of the plot or setting. However, I was impressed and look forward to other collections.

[Cassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a bunch of short stories that weren't scary as i thought they would be. Most of the stories were unique and bizarre with some having a morbid side to them. Many of the stories ended ubruptly also leaving interpretation up to the reader. There were times I felt the sentences were going on forever. I became used to this as the stories went on. This was a book good for October if you are in to odd storytelling.

[Patrick Koster · Rating 2 out of 5]

The language used for most of it is antiquated, too eloquent and ill-fitting for the stories being told. Some stories were good and others did not keep my attention. I found the last 3 or 4 stories to finally have some consistent form of good pace and word-choice. Overall it isn't bad, but could be better. Nothing really sticks out as memorable, but it had its moments.

[Olivia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I honestly grabbed the book because of the cool cover. Found out later people have compared it to Lovecraft. I think it’s similar but definitely not as good as Lovecraft. Some of the short stories were a bit disturbing and commend Sharkchild for that!

[Krista · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not Impressed

I had decent hope for this collection but was disappointed. Not one story jumped out and me or caused me to ponder. Most seemed overwritten.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is certainly fantastic.

[Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun collection of Lovecraftian cosmic and existential horror shorts. Great find.

[Michael McCleary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Lovecraftian horror

[Tyler Scheblo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark, imaginative, and very well written.

[Tisha Stahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very descriptive of unworldly things and mental behavior of one's mind. I became intrigued by the idea of what it would be like to have images like this come into play by word.

[Mel Flowers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Artwork is way more impressive than it’s contents.

[Lori Byrd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eerie, Creepy, Scary, Strange..............

[Aubrie Stahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

My boyfriend and I read this book together. We like to read a story every night, and these short stories did not disappoint. Beautifully written!

[Sara Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark AF.

[Brittany · Rating 2 out of 5]

I absolutely hated this book. The writing was decent, however the short stories felt half-baked and pointless. I do not recommend this book for anyone to read.