“Songs for the Raven” investigates the human condition, trying to establish a literary approach to horror by bringing together stories and poetry that show us thoughtful perspectives of the painful truths that humanity tries to hide from itself, the deep, subconscious currents that run through our collective minds. We express emotion in many ways, often caused by our mood, following established patterns handed down through generations and reinforced in the myriad literary works that we all read at one point in our lives. In many works these emotions seem manufactured, trite even, carefully constructed veils that distract us from the deeper feelings that life itself imparts. This anthology examines those deeper emotions, tries to analyze the feelings through poetry and prose that digs deep into the human condition and that reflects the unsavory aspects of our very souls, bringing shadows to the light or shrouding them in even darker shadows. For where there is light, there is shadow and the authors wonder, at all times, what lies beyond the shadow, what really drives and motivates their characters, uncovering the awkward and uncomfortable facts or our lives and our very existence. Can anyone say they live life truthfully, guileless, free from the burden of little and bigger lies? The authors dare ask these questions and in the ensuing silence they tread on the delicate shards of broken souls, grinding them beneath their stone cold heels, hoping that the feeling will evoke emotions real and raw that spill forth like a song of bitter anguish. And from the shadows, the raven observes, ponders, waits, listens to the songs, selecting the right moment to show painful, blinding truth… Mike Jansen, 2013, Amsterdam