A haunting array of nightmare novelties from Steampunk to cyber-cinema and beyond... In the pages of the magician’s notebook, anything is possible and limitations melt away like wax before the flame. Come in and share the dreams… — of the hunt for a desperate beast that ends in madness… — of the everyday magicians who triumph over reality... — of the reporter whose obsession draws him into crime... — of the Gothic party that goes horribly wrong... — of the artist haunted by puppets... — of the mad Victorian hunter of “psychical parasites” who may have met his match... From the Pushcart-Prize nominated author of Persephone’s Torch, here are nineteen stories that have previously appeared in such respected publications as The North American Review, Kinesis and Art Times as well as two brand-new tales, offering an unnerving tour of the shadow world that flits at the dusky corners of your mind. **** “From the subsurface anger bubbling under the skin of the Goths to the internal strength of The Farrier, author Freder steps through his tales with the confident tread of a talented wordsmith while tiptoeing through worlds, societies, or situations that challenge his heroes and might break even the sturdiest of us, were we to one day be in their shoes. A fine companion to Persephone’s Torch, and a highly-recommended gathering of thoughts and dreams in its own right.” —Bruce Canwell, Associate Editor, The Library of American Comics.