The concept for this one is much different than the other four so pay
attention very closely with this - the fact that I always included
Science Fiction of some form with Tabloid Purposes from the very
conception of the series come to play here and this one. The fact I am
trying to include a cyberpunk influence.
You must read the first four for the science fiction stories for the
ideas that I want to convey with this one being Tabloid Purposes was
born on the Dawn of the 21 st Century, the fact some stories dealt
head on with 9/11/2001 and other things in current times or tried to
keep it current. This time around I want a mix of Gothic Horror with a
Cyberpunk element - the cyberpunk setting with the Gothic Horror plot
devices thrown into the mix. Since both genres are related to each
other - I want all stories set in the 1990 to the 2027 time frame.
(Post Second Iraq War. In this alternate future the war has ended.)
I want to recommend 2002 film, The Time Machine, for some insight you
have a lot of homework to do for this one how to make the cyberpunk
and Gothic Horror themes work. So I am doing the guidelines way ahead
of time here. We're in the here and now as Joseph Armstead wrote in
the introduction of Tabloid Purposes IV, there was landscape we
haven't touched into as a series and this is a ripe playground to
really tear things up in - the future. I also want to include a
positive faith influence so writers of the faith community are
strongly encouraged to get into the mix since Philip K. Dick was a
Christian author. I, myself, am writing the test story for this
concept anthology. Going for the vibe I did when I first wrote The
Storms of Armageddon. Taking that cyberpunk concept and taking it one
step further - this will also give a doorway for stories set in 2012
(yeah that is why I want to call the subtitle Cyberterrormachine.)
Bands like Fear Factory covered the cyberpunk them and so did the
heavy metal band VOIVOD. The darker the cyberpunk story the better,
really give it a punch and make the story so supernatural, that the
systems will crash. Play around with Hangar 18 and Area 51, both
places are fair game here for a supernatural cyberpunk concept. The
concept of the story will open the gateway for a theological element
in there. Ghosts in the mainframe, demons causing a computer virus,
Aliens finding ghosts in an area they couldn't understand so they had
to come to earth and investigate - the previous books are characters
in the fifth book or books by any of the writers involved with the
series can have a cameo in the story. I am not looking for Satanism
here with the story or alternative sexuality laced stories so don't
even try to send me a story that has that theme in it. Do not send me
any erotic content, but the dark side here is mixed with the
supernatural and science. I do encourage both Atheist and Christian
authors with this one.
I am also encouraging collaborations again this time around because I
think the only this can be pulled off is by authors collaborating with
each other. Cyberpunk fiction came into reality during the 1990s so
keep that in mind - if you're an author in my life time as in you're
my age or a little bit older, you know what I am talking about. Think
Blade Runner in the realms of Science Fiction here but combine it with
the H.P. Lovecraft and Algernon Blackwood type supernatural horror
elements. Keep it scary but make it really smart. The smarter the
delivery is - the better. Macabre elements are really encouraged but
try not to go overboard with the gore with it. Scare me to hell and
use the science element equally with the supernatural element. This is
the thing that made H.P. Lovecraft known because he wrote horror and
Science Fiction in the same story.
If you can include King Kong (public domain characters okay, but you
must have your own characters accompanying them) type fiction into the
cyberpunk setting -- that is also encouraged but try to keep the
supernatural type horror fiction in the cyberpunk element. It is much
harder to do the two together. I am going to have a list of books for
people to read while they are getting ready for this one. The element
I encourage more than anything with this anthology is the neo-noir
element. Tabloid Purposes as a series always had this element in there
- the fact that Tabloid Purposes II and IV were the two darkest
installments of the series so I am looking for that kind of darkness
with this one. Tabloid Purposes Five will carry on the tradition in
the level of darkness but including some new concepts with it. The
fact that the cyberpunk element comes to mind here, think of the
things that Philip K. Dick thought of when he wrote his work and if
you read I AM THIS MEAT, that will give you some direction I want to
go too with it - not quite what Philbin does with Chimeraworld because
I don't want to steal his thunder there, but I want something that
will compliment Chimeraworld #5 in some ways while at the same time do
something that makes Tabloid Purposes Five stand out If you do an
alternate history story it must be alternate 1990s starting and goes
into future history up to 2027.
I am looking for something extremely fierce here. Keep the future
history in mind and try to go too far into the future with this one. I
want to keep the future aspect as close as possible and in this,
cyberpunk type science fiction had always the most realistic.
Suggested Readings: A Dark Obituary for A Common Man by Apathademon,
Coach's Midnight Diner, Philip K. Dick's work, Richard Matheson's
Nightmare at 20,000 Feet
Stories: 2400 to 8000 words (firm) Genre: Cyberpunk with Supernatural
Horror elements
Format: send stories as a .doc attachment
Stories off target will be considered for the magazine
Line up picks the editor's story.
Keep in your life time - ie if you were born in 1982-1986, you have a
wider time frame to play around with. This is about possiblities and
having characters who have a Tabloid Journalist background - no Alt.
Sexuality characters.
Deadline: July 18, 2008
Payment here: STARTING @[EMAIL PROTECTED]
$10
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