The Empty Danger

A weird, wildly imagined fantasy novella about facing Fear during the coronavirus pandemic.

COVID-19 has changed us. With millions of us dwelling on the same new threat, Fear gains immense power.

Elina has been exposed to COVID-19 and must self-isolate. Afraid for a young abuse victim called Kyle, her empathy draws her into another plane of existence: a shared mind-space beyond the clouds where Fear has leathery wings, a black tongue and breathes a gas that instils dread.

Now that Elina has been Intrigued into the secret world of the Watchers, can she help them guard the collective unconscious and fend off the creatures that threaten to take over our world?

The Empty Danger is the first release from The Book of Exquisite Corpse, a collection of stories inspired by the surrealist word game of the same name. Written during the 2020 lockdown, this short novel is an ode to hope.