Black Denim Lit #7: A Suitable Poison

Book excerpt: The August, 2014 issue edited by Christopher T Garry features 140 pages of never before seen stories from eight new authors, creating narratives that are variously dark, cynical, inspiring, violent and longing. Black Denim Lit is a monthly journal of fiction available on the web and eReaders. "Armed" by Robert Stiles (Sal Noman recieves an arm in the mail.); "Blood Melody" by Tiffany Michelle Brown (Layla is slowly starving in the ocean); "Fluttering in the Remains" by Rhoads Brazos (Manny and his son Theo take over a junkyard and find it inhabited); "The Imperfect Patsy" by John Dromey (Lewis Poindexter finds his work shifting from detecting to killing); "The Quickening" by Kate Morrow (Four friends are bloodbound in dystopia); "The Job" by Scott Blankenship (An assassin makes a change in his routine); "The Helmet" by Sean Monaghan (Salvage experts have a go outrunning ... the government?); "A Suitable Poison" by Linda Boroff (Berta sets off the culture of a magazine publishing firm with its grueling schedule and office politics with wry regard for youth, relationships and power.) The work draws from fantasy, crime, science fiction and drama. Such genre variety is brought together under the common thread of rich characterization. In all the stories this month, these are human beings at odds. Whether they face a gun, a monster, a co-worker or the vastness of space, each of these players respond from a very deep place of truth. And regardless of which genre can be applied, the authors have surprises in store.