You can call it a comeback.

Mythic Delirium is delighted to announce that we’ll be publishing the debut collection of short fiction from Haralambi Markov, The Language of Knives, in the summer of 2026.

Haralambi Markov is a Bulgarian fiction writer and editor with a background in content creation. They were the first ever Bulgarian to be accepted to attend the Clarion Writers’ Workshop in 2014. Their short story “The Language of Knives” was long-listed for the Nebula award for Best Short Story and their essay “My Father, My Private Monster” made it onto the Stoker long list for non-fiction in 2025. Their work has appeared in Reactor, Uncanny Magazine, Evil in Technicolor, Weird Fiction Review, Stories for Chip, Eurasian Monsters and Fractured Reveries. They were part of the team of BonFIYAH 2021.

 

These stunningly imagined stories fuse Eastern European folklore, queer eroticism, nerve-shredding frights, and beautifully surreal wonders in tales that run the gamut of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, often in startling configurations.

We’re delighted to give a showcase to this refreshingly original voice, and we’re also pleased to have Harry’s fellow Bulgarian artist Diyana Naneva on board to create this book’s cover painting.

Diyana Naneva, a.k.a. Functional Neighbour, is a freelance illustrator from Varna, Bulgaria with a particular affinity for comics. During her high school years, she specialized in Graphic Arts under the guidance of Borislav Kuzmanov and later continued with Painting at the National Academy of Arts. At the same time, she gained experience in her greatest passion—illustration.

Her exhibitions and participations have been showcased across Bulgaria and Europe, and her illustrations have graced the covers of numerous books and publications, including Lost Boy by Don Handfield, Alice on a Friday Night by Dessi Nikko, the anniversary edition of Yan Bibiyan by Elin Pelin (published by Artline Studios), Redhead in the Forest of Ghosts by Zlatko Enev (published by Iztok-Zapad).

Ten years ago our small but mighty press began a sterling tradition of releasing debut short story collections from offbeat voices, beginning with C.S.E. Cooney’s Bone Swans, which went on to win the World Fantasy Award and forge a new path for Mythic Delirium Books.

Proud publishers Mike and Anita Allen embrace C.S.E. Cooney at the 2016 World Fantasy Award ceremony. Photo by Amal El-Mohtar.

We’re proud to also claim two more highly acclaimed debuts in our roster of strange and beautiful books: Barbara Krasnoff’s The History of Soul 2065, a set of interlocking stories rooted in Jewish history and mythology that doubles as a mosaic novel; and Yukimi Ogawa’s Like Smoke, Like Light, which explores Japanese mythology and fascinating future world-building. And like Harry Markov’s The Language of Knives, these books span a broad range of fantasy, science fiction, and the Weird, sometimes in a single story.

To commemorate this announcement and this anniversary, we’re offering a couple of deals. Out in the wider world, we’ve discounted the e-book editions of Bone Swans, The History of Soul 2065 and Like Smoke, Like Light to 99 cents, so if you’ve not checked out any of these books yet, here’s a lowering of the barriers.

Discounted e-books on retail sites!

	Like Smoke, Like Light   Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon FR | Amazon DE Amazon AU | Nook | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play
	The History of Soul 2065   Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon FR | Amazon DE Amazon AU | Nook | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play
	Bone Swans   Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon FR | Amazon DE Amazon AU | Nook | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play

However, the real specials are right here on this website, in this post. We’re offering discounted prices on combinations on all three of these books (see the Square buttons below), in e-book and paperback! (Paperback deal for U.S. customers only; shipping included in paperback purchase price).

Furthermore, if you buy a paperback edition of Bone Swans direct from us using the buttons below, you’ll get a tip-in plate signed by C.S.E. Cooney tucked in, as well as a Twice-Drowned Saint sticker. And furthermore, ordering the ebooks and paperbacks through these special buttons will count as a pre-order of The Language of Knives!

Your purchase will help us expand our offerings as we move forward with some really cool plans.
 

Debut Deals: TRADE PAPERBACKS

DEBUT COLLECTIONS DEAL: All 3 paperbacks, shipping included [U.S. ONLY] $35.00 Buy now	DEBUT COLLECTIONS DEAL: BONE SWANS & LIKE SMOKE, LIKE LIGHT, shipping included [U.S. ONLY] $26.00 Buy now
DEBUT COLLECTIONS DEAL: BONE SWANS & THE HISTORY OF SOUL 2065, shipping included [U.S. ONLY] $26.00 Buy now	DEBUT COLLECTIONS DEAL: THE HISTORY OF SOUL 2065 & LIKE SMOKE, LIKE LIGHT, shipping included [U.S. ONLY] $26.00 Buy now

Debut Deals: E-BOOKS

DEBUT COLLECTIONS: 3-ebook special $12.00 Buy now	DEBUT COLLECTIONS: 2-ebook special (Cooney/Ogawa) $10.00 Buy now
DEBUT COLLECTIONS: 2-ebook special (Cooney/Krasnoff) $10.00 Buy now	DEBUT COLLECTIONS: 2-ebook special (Krasnoff/Ogawa) $10.00 Buy now

We anticipate even more news to come as we bring Mythic Delirium back online after our not entirely planned two-year hiatus. Your support is absolutely crucical: Taking advantage of these deals helps bring us back.

More soon.