Sometimes the most impenetrable darkness appears in the most direct sunlight. Sometimes it’s just the illusory darkness that comes with territories we don’t know; sometimes a very real darkness inhabited by alien secrets. Explore these tales of a man who kills himself only to confront Mankind’s greatest enemy on the far side of death . . . a brother and sister who meet the deceased sibling they never knew . . . an obsessed avenger stalking the hauntingly familiar family of his nightmares . . . .a robot determined to spend eternity guarding the burial site of its creator . . . and a strange alien ritual and the one woman willing to give her life to understand it.

“More innovative than Adam, more defensible than Troy, more reasonable than Castro — and one helluva writer to boot: that’s Adam-Troy Castro.”

— Mike Resnick, author of Kirinyaga

“Adam-Troy Castro’s stories are haunting, visionary, hilarious, demented, acerbic, strange, terrifying, and as full-tilt, whacked-out gonzo as anything I’ve ever seen. An Alien Darkness is American surrealism at its best. Read this book, and feel your brain melt."

— Allen Steele, author of Orbital Decay

“An Alien Darkness is both masterful and inventive. It will steal your sleep and haunt your days!”

— KD Wentworth, author of Black/On/Black

“His plots make you shake your head and wonder why nobody thought of this before. His characters are refreshingly real. His prose is readable without sacrificing complexity. He is, quite simply, one of the finest writers working today.”

— Keith R.A. DeCandido, author of Venom’s Wrath

“Adam-Troy Castro has created a compelling work of fiction in ‘The Funeral March of the Marionettes.’ The story keeps you thinking long after you finish it. As a dancer, I am a difficult audience to please when it comes themes of dance—but this haunting novella riveted my attention. Castro’s vivid ideas and accomplished story-telling are a pleasure to read.”

— Catherine Asaro, Hugo-nominated author of The Phoenix Code