The Imago Sequence
To the long tradition of eldritch horror pioneered and refined by writers such as H.P. Lovecraft, Peter Straub, and Thomas Ligotti, comes Laird Barron, an author whose literary voice invokes the grotesque, the devilish, and the perverse with rare intensity and astonishing craftsmanship.
Collected here for the first time are nine terrifying tales of cosmic horror, including the World Fantasy Award-nominated novella "The Imago Sequence," the International Horror Guild Award-nominated "Proboscis," and the never-before published "Procession of the Black Sloth." Together, these stories, each a masterstroke of craft and imaginative irony, form a shocking cycle of distorted evolution, encroaching chaos, and ravenous insectoid hive-minds hidden just beneath the seemingly benign surface of the Earth.
With colorful protagonists, including an over-the-hill CIA agent, a grizzled Pinkerton detective, and a failed actor accompanying a group of bounty hunters, Barron's stories are resonant and authentic, featuring vulnerable, hardboiled tough guys attempting to stand against the stygian wasteland of night. Throughout the collection, themes of desolation, fear, and masculine identity are played out against the backdrop of an indifferent, devouring cosmos.
Contents:
* Old Virginia
* Shiva, Open Your Eye
* Procession of the Black Sloth
* Bulldozer
* Probiscis
* Hallucigenia
* Parallax
* The Royal Zoo is Closed
* The Imago Sequence
Cover Art by Eleni Tsami
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 Hardcover
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.
First printing, January 2009
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
Printed in the United States of America
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ISBN-13: 978-1-59780-146-1
ISBN-10: 1-59780-146-1
The Imago Sequence and Other Stories © 2007 by Laird Barron
This edition of The Imago Sequence and Other Stories © 2008 by Night Shade Books
Cover art © 2007 by Eleni Tsami
Cover design by Claudia Noble
Interior layout and design by Jeremy Lassen
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form.
A Baen Books Original
Baen publishing Enterprises
P.O. Box 1403
Riverdale, NY 10471
https://www.baen.com
Electronic version by Baen Books
https://www.baen.com
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"Old Virginia" © 2003 by Laird Barron. Originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, February 2003.
"Shiva, Open Your Eye" © 2001 by Laird Barron. Originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, September 2001.
"Procession of the Black Sloth" © 2007 by Laird Barron. Original to this collection.
"Bulldozer" © 2004 by Laird Barron. Originally published online on SCIFICTION, August 25, 2004.
"Proboscis" © 2005 by Laird Barron. Originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, February 2005.
"Hallucigenia" © 2006 by Laird Barron. Originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, June 2006.
"Parallax" © 2005 by Laird Barron. Originally published online on SCIFICTION, September 07, 2005.
"The Royal Zoo Is Closed" © 2006 by Laird Barron. First published in Phantom #0, 2006.
"The Imago Sequence" © 2005 by Laird Barron. Originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, May 2005.
Dedication:
For Erin
Acknowledgments:
I am deeply indebted to the editors and publishers who've brought out my work over the years: Ellen Datlow; Gordon Van Gelder; David G. Hartwell; Kathryn Cramer; Nick Mamatas; Sean Wallace; Andrew Fuller; Martin Sust; Paweł Ziemkiewicz; and John Betancourt. I'm tremendously honored to become part of the Night Shade Books authors' line—thank you, Jason and Jeremy.
Thank you to Cory & Catska Ench and the Ench Gallery.
I wish to express profound gratitude to the following individuals for their support in writing and life: Professor Bradley Steiner, Ben Andrews,
Chellemiko, C.E Chaffin, John Langan, and Jody Linn Rose.
Special thanks to my family: Barbara and Erin Baar; Jason & William Barron; Alison and Prakash Stirret; and Leah and Hun Ling Zhu.
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Winner of the 2008