I dig the Outer Dark podcast and the fact it focuses on “the Weird” in a way that doesn’t limit the term to a mere synonym for horror with literary ambition, so when organizers Anya Martin and Scott Nicolay announced the first Outer Dark Symposium in Decatur, Georgia, I couldn’t resist the pull of temptation.

The event takes place March 25, and I plan to be there, joining in with a very cool roster of guest speakers. You can read all about the symposium at its Facebook page.

The symposium has also launched an Indiegogo campaign, which as I write this has about a day or so left to make its funding go (though the organizers have reserved the option to push the deadline back if need be.) Personally I’d rather they didn’t have to, and I hope you’ll check out their campaign and pitch in or at least help spread the word, they have a lot of cool rewards they’re offering.

In addition to being a sponsor, I offered the loot that comprises the “Spider Weird” tier. The set includes signed (even personalized, if that’s what you want) copies of my short story collections Unseaming and The Spider Tapestries—

—as well as a copy of the Outer Dark Symposium program book, signed by all the symposium guests, which will be a pretty neat artifact in itself. Here’s the table of contents Anya posted:

The Outer Dark Symposium on the Greater Weird Program Chapbook

• Introduction by Scott Nicolay
• “Delirium’s Mistress, The Weird and Beautiful Fiction of Tanith Lee,” by Craig L. Gidney, photo of Tanith Lee by Beth Gwinn
• “Down, Down, Down: Leonora Carrington’s White Rabbits,” by Selena Chambers, original art by Yves Tourigny
• “A Letter to Fritz Leiber,” by Ed Hall, original art by Dave Felton
• “Nevermore: The Weird Tale of Thomas Holley Chivers, Georgia’s Lost Poet Who Accused Poe of Plagiarism,” by Anya Martin, original art by A.m. Stephens
• The Outer Dark logo cover art by Nick Gucker

Limited to 100 copies (available ONLY with attending & supporting members & PASTORAL WEIRD & SPIDER WEIRD Perks in our Indiegogo campaign)

If you want to come, the Indiegogo is also a way to get tickets. Hope to see you there!

Finally, just for fun, here’s the ad I created for the symposium program book, in color:

#SFWApro