Adam's Ladder

The future of humankind as an ever-changing organism is a subject of much debate. Where is our evolutionary path leading? Will the next rung take the form of mental transcendence, will it set humankind on a course toward divinity, or will this uncertain path involve a dark and terrible reversion? Co-editors Michael Bailey and Darren Speegle present eighteen tales of dark science fiction that explore the course of evolution, written by some of the best literary minds in the fields of science fiction and horror:

Laird Barron - "Swift to Chase"

Chaz Brenchley - "Ch-ch-changes"

Ramsey Campbell - "How He Helped"

Scott Edelman - "Pity this Busy Monster Not"

Brian Evenson - "Nameless Citizen"

Erinn L. Kemper - "A Laughing Matter"

John Langan - "My Father, Dr. Frankenstein"

Roberta Lannes - "Painting the Burning Fence"

Tim Lebbon - "Strings"

Rena Mason - "I Will Be the Making of You"

Paul Meloy - "The Serile"

Mark Morris - "Undersound"

Lisa Morton - "Eyes of the Beholders"

Gene O'Neill - "Spirits"

Mark Samuels - "An End to Perpetual Motion"

B.E. Scully - "The Mythic Hero Most Likely to Squeeze a Stone"

Jeffrey Thomas - "Sliced Bread"

Damien Angelica Walters - "Filigree, Minotaur, Cyanide, Bloom"