Where do you get your ideas?
It’s probably the most common question an author gets asked during his or her career.
This anthology isn’t meant to answer that question, but it is designed to give readers a glimpse into how the imagination works.
These talented authors were shown a haunting piece of artwork by acclaimed artist Alan M. Clark and then asked: “What story do you see in this painting?”
The works collected in this book are their answers.
Table of Contents:
“Introduction” by Brian James Freeman
“Purple Reign” by Brian Keene
“Bargain” by Gary A. Braunbeck
“Between the Dark and the Daylight” by Tom Piccirilli
“Falling Off the World” by Tim Lebbon
“That Which Binds” by Jenny Orosel
“Breath of Bygone Spirits” by Gerard Houarner
Interior artwork by Erin S. Wells
Purchase the hardcover Limited Edition:
Amazon.com • Cemetery Dance
Reviews & Praise:
“A unique concept beautifully realized, Dueling Minds combines the talents of dark fiction’s strongest voices in weaving a varied, diverse tapestry born from a single, haunting image. From Brian Keene comes a harrowing, suspenseful tale of horror exploding on a quiet summer morning. Tom Piccirilli lends his unique noir voice to the mix, in a story both moving and disturbing. Tim Lebbon’s surreal dark vision explores a world existing only in the clouds, while Jenny Orosel and Gerard Houarner use the same image to tell stories of unrequited, undying love and a fateful, destined homecoming. Finely crafted and beautifully illustrated by Erin S. Wells, hopefully this is only the first in an intriguing conceptual series.”
— Shroud Magazine, Kevin Lucia
“With Dueling Minds, however, editor Brian James Freeman has hit on a concept that gives readers a real opportunity to draw comparisons between different writers… Freeman has given six authors a piece of Alan M. Clark artwork (the same artwork which serves as the book’s cover) and asked them to write a story inspired by it. Under the unusual circumstances of having a group of writers get their ideas from the same inspiration, we’re able to get a glimpse of how unique they truly are.”
— FEARnet.com, Blu Gilliand
“Dueling Minds does exactly what it set out to do: show how, given a single piece of artwork, each author approached will come up with a different interpretation of what is going on in that artwork and be inspired to write vastly differing tales from one author to the next. This anthology makes for an interesting study and one that I thoroughly enjoyed – especially when I came up with my own idea as to what the balloon was and what intentions lay beneath its flight. Dueling Minds is a great addition to the Cemetery Dance Publications Signature Series. I would recommend it to any fan of the written word, especially aspiring writers out there who might want to try their own hand at interpreting Alan M. Clark’s artwork.”
— G-POP.net, Melissa Minners
“Dueling Minds is something rather special… The result is six stories, each quite different. Each amazing in their own way… Each and every one is a unique experience, and should be savored. The stories defy genre and are perfect capsules of creative expression… One can only hope that this becomes an ongoing series as the concept, while not new, is handled perfectly by Cemetery Dance and Brian Freeman. I really can’t recommend this book highly enough.”
— The Crow’s Caw
Publication History:
• Cemetery Dance Publications
Signed Limited Edition Hardcover: $35
Deluxe Traycased Lettered Edition: $175
ISBN: 978-1-58767-227-9
Publication Date: April 2013
