Or: Erik Makes Another New Book Cover

Well, you've heard this story before. Erik has another work of fiction of his that's been previously published and now he's released it (again) as an e-book with another new cover because he hasn't quite found one he likes until now...or something like that.

This time, it's for his tale The Long Bright Descent.

Where Did the Story First Appear?

You mean where did it originally get published for money? Well, that would be in the fantastic PEEL BACK THE SKIN anthology from Grey Matter Press back in 2016.

It's also the story Shane Douglas Keene, in his review of the antho for This Is Horror, said,

"It’s an expertly written, fast paced and entertaining tale of two ancient beings that clash in an eternal struggle for the survival of humanity."

Oh, and it also was an Honorable Mention for Ellen Datlow's YEAR'S BEST HORROR, 2016.

Anyhoo...

What's it About?

The Long Bright Descent? You read the above quote, right?

Well, it's a modern tale about two people that must engage in some form of challenge each and every night. The challenge is a choice between a chase or a battle of wits. If the result is a victory for our good guy, the world continues and the challenge is engaged again the following evening. If our good guy loses, the world ends.

If it sounds familiar to you, something out of Egyptian mythology set in our modern time, you'd be correct.

What about the Cover?

The cover was tough. I kept going with this theme of driving into the sunset since both sunsets and cars play significant roles in the story. Below are my attempts in order:

All of them felt abstract enough but not mythical enough to get the core heart of the story across, IMO. Sure, the last one also has the apocalyptic feel of the story, but lacks the character scope I think it needed.

Another Cover Attempt

Notice I call it another cover, not the final cover. As my experiment with The Yellow Bug has taught me about myself: I will continue to noodle these.

At least this one had characters represented, crossing a modern feel with an ancient supernatural one. But they looked goofy and confusing. So, this one didn't last long.