Introduction

Over the course of human history, short stories have always been told. Even cave drawings of our earliest ancestors show signs of ancient tales. The Vikings told sagas, speaking of mythical creatures that lurk in the unknown. Ancient mythology gave us stories of heroes and villains, and great tragedies. Over time, as human imagination progressed, tales and fables, myths and legends became more common, and were recorded, recounted over generations. Every culture has its own version of a story, and anything that can breed imagination is susceptible to becoming one. And that tale must be told.

The unknown pulls at our innermost thoughts and feelings. Without the unknown, these tales, these sagas, would never have come to light. People fear the unknown, and yet it is a place of endless possibilities. It is a place deep within us all; it speaks to us at night, and although you may not be able to hear the words, it is always there—creeping, crawling, slithering. The unknown lets us know just how small we are, and we remain far from the shadows because of it. It causes us to fear what could be around the corner, or down in the basement. Without these feelings, we would be void of emotion, because fear is learned, and if we had never heard stories that scared us, we wouldn’t know what fear is.

Once upon a time long since forgotten, the world knew true fear. It was a genre known as horror, and for a long time it captivated us. Great literary works came from this genre. Yet, as time went on, and as society changed, the human mind became numb to the shriek in the night—the classic short story.

We crave more. We yearn for the most shocking things we can find. The more bodies, the better. The more blood, the better. Sadly, this is where we’ve arrived.

In this project, the short story reigns. There is no map, there is no way out. The Endlands is not just a book, but also a place within us all. A place that brings us back to our childhood fears. It’s the clicking in the night and the scratching at your door. It’s the unknown, and although we think we know it all as we grow older, truth is, we know nothing. We still try to ignore those sounds we cannot explain. We still tuck our heads under the sheets for safety. We’re trapped here, lost in another dimension. So embrace your fear, and hope you will be allowed to return.

I know for a fact, that Mr. Hobbes’ greatest influence for this project is the late Rod Serling. He’s told me many times he hopes to pay homage to one of the greatest creative minds of modern fiction. The imagination of Mr. Serling, and the creativity of The Twilight Zone, should be an inspiration to us all. Mr. Serling could have gone a different way, but didn’t. He didn’t count on gore or high body counts. He realized that is not true horror. Not true fear. Not reality.

This book reminds me of The Twilight Zone, and it has been a great honor working alongside Mr. Hobbes for this project. Personally, I see the same qualities in Vincent as Rod Serling possessed. He is dedicated to the ‘strange tale’, and he has an odd humor about him that I enjoy. I have had the honor of reading other works of his, some which perhaps will never see the light of day. That said, I can say without a doubt, Mr. Hobbes has a love for storytelling—a love for fear—and he has turned it into something to which we can all relate, and embrace.

I am beyond happy to be part of this project, and I’m proud of all the authors included. Each story has its own twist and turn, all weird and kooky in their own right.

Dear reader, embrace these short stories, because each is a piece of that author’s imagination—a piece of the fear they have each embraced—all with their own place in The Endlands.

—Nathan Palmer