Necropolitan Press
Encyclopedia
Necropolitan Press, founded in 1993 by editor and author
Jeffrey Thomas
, is an independent publisher
in the genres of horror
, science-fiction
, dark fantasy
, and "the Unclassifiable." Necropolitan Press ceased producing new releases in 2001.
In March 2008, it was announced that Necropolitan Press would be resuming a publication schedule, beginning with Paul G. Tremblay
's The Harlequin & The Train novella.
founded Necropolitan Press in 1993 in reaction to his discovery of the then-flourishing small press
, causing him to become so enthused with the idea that he "developed the desire to produce some publication or other" of his own. Thomas chose the name for his publishing imprint due to the sound of it — fond of the similarity to the word Metropolitan
but with a horrific bent. At the time, Thomas worked as a paste up
artist in a print shop
, allowing him to create the Necropolitan Press releases during his breaks by using a "light table
to paste up the pages the old fashioned way, with an exacto knife
and wax
."
The initial publication from Necropolitan Press was The End magazine
, which ran for four issues under the imprint with a fifth issue being released as a co-production with artist Jon C. Gernon's Zero Publishing. Throughout its run, this fiction
anthology
zine received newsstand
distribution
in addition to catalog
sales
, the internet
— at the time — not being a viable distribution alternative. In 1995, Thomas would begin releasing single author
and anthology
chapbook
s, starting with his own collection The Bones of the Old Ones and Other Lovecraftian Tales and averaging one non-magazine release per year. Necropolitan Press releases maintained low print runs; Jeff VanderMeer
's The Hoegbotton Guide to the Early History of Ambergris, by Duncan Shriek, for instance, was produced in a 300-copy edition.
Necropolitan Press ceased producing new releases in 2001, the reasons being the press's financial drain on Thomas and the desire of Thomas to focus on his own work. Thomas would later lament this decision, stating that he "always had a great enthusiasm for publishing, [and that he] found it extremely rewarding to bring the work of other authors to the hands of readers eager for something a little out of the ordinary."
In December 2007, Thomas mentioned in an interview that Necropolitan Press may be resurrected with the help of Nick Curtis, whose involvement would alleviate the previous financial and time-related strains the venture placed on Thomas. Curtis was an enthusiast of Thomas's work who had created and maintained an official website
for Thomas (including a blog
and forum
), all of which had revealed to Thomas "his [Curtis's] innovative approach to graphic design
." According to Thomas, Curtis proposed the resurrection of Necropolitan Press. Officially, Thomas holds the position of “Publisher/Editorial Director” while Curtis is termed the "Assistant Publisher/Design Director."
Leading up to the resurrection, Thomas had "been talking to some very talented authors in regard to potential new projects." In March 2008, prior to the official announcement of the publishing imprint's return, Paul G. Tremblay
mentioned that his forthcoming novella The Harlequin & The Train would be released on Necropolitan Press. In April 2008, Thomas made the official announcement of the press's return and of the forthcoming novella.
, which ran five issues at the rate of one a year starting in 1993. The fifth and final issue was produced in cooperation with New York
-based artist
Jon C. Gernon's Zero Publishing imprint, the Necropolitan Press designation used to denote editor Jeffrey Thomas
's work on the title.
and single author
collection titles announced/printed since the relaunch of the imprint in 2008.
and single author
collection titles printed during the initial years of the company. One additional title was announced, The Terrible Woman and Other Erotic Horrors by Scott Thomas, but this was withdrawn from the publishing schedule on May 5, 2001 — the intended contents were later released in Nether: Improper Bedtime Stories as well as Shadows Of Flesh, both released by Delirium Books
in 2004.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
Jeffrey Thomas
Jeffrey Thomas (writer)
Jeffrey Thomas is a prolific writer of science fiction and horror, best known for his stories set in the nightmarish future city called Punktown, such as the novel Deadstock and the collection Punktown , from which a story was reprinted in St. Martin's The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror #14...
, is an independent publisher
Small press
Small press is a term often used to describe publishers with annual sales below a certain level. Commonly, in the United States, this is set at $50 million, after returns and discounts...
in the genres of horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
, science-fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
, dark fantasy
Dark fantasy
Dark fantasy is a term used to describe a fantasy story with a pronounced horror element.-Overview:A strict definition for dark fantasy is difficult to pin down. Gertrude Barrows Bennett has been called "the woman who invented dark fantasy". Both Charles L...
, and "the Unclassifiable." Necropolitan Press ceased producing new releases in 2001.
In March 2008, it was announced that Necropolitan Press would be resuming a publication schedule, beginning with Paul G. Tremblay
Paul G. Tremblay
Paul G. Tremblay is an American author and editor of contemporary horror, dark fantasy, and science fiction. Tremblay received two Bram Stoker Award nominations in 2007 and he is a juror for the Shirley Jackson Awards.- Biography :...
's The Harlequin & The Train novella.
History
Jeffrey ThomasJeffrey Thomas (writer)
Jeffrey Thomas is a prolific writer of science fiction and horror, best known for his stories set in the nightmarish future city called Punktown, such as the novel Deadstock and the collection Punktown , from which a story was reprinted in St. Martin's The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror #14...
founded Necropolitan Press in 1993 in reaction to his discovery of the then-flourishing small press
Small press
Small press is a term often used to describe publishers with annual sales below a certain level. Commonly, in the United States, this is set at $50 million, after returns and discounts...
, causing him to become so enthused with the idea that he "developed the desire to produce some publication or other" of his own. Thomas chose the name for his publishing imprint due to the sound of it — fond of the similarity to the word Metropolitan
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
but with a horrific bent. At the time, Thomas worked as a paste up
Paste up
Paste up refers to a method of creating or laying out publication pages that predates the use of the now-standard computerized page design desktop publishing programs. Completed, or camera-ready, pages are known as mechanicals or mechanical art...
artist in a print shop
Printer (publisher)
In publishing, printers are both companies providing printing services and individuals who directly operate printing presses. With the invention of the moveable type printing press by Johannes Gutenberg around 1450, printing—and printers—proliferated throughout Europe.Today, printers are found...
, allowing him to create the Necropolitan Press releases during his breaks by using a "light table
Light table
A light table is a viewing device that is used to review photographic film or artwork placed on top of it. It provides even illumination of the subject from below through a translucent cover and fluorescent lights that emit little heat. They can also be found mounted on the walls of hospitals and...
to paste up the pages the old fashioned way, with an exacto knife
X-acto
X-Acto is a brand name for a variety of cutting tools and office products owned by Elmer's Products, Inc. Cutting tools include hobby and utility knives, saws, carving tools and many small-scale precision knives used for crafts and other applications....
and wax
Wax
thumb|right|[[Cetyl palmitate]], a typical wax ester.Wax refers to a class of chemical compounds that are plastic near ambient temperatures. Characteristically, they melt above 45 °C to give a low viscosity liquid. Waxes are insoluble in water but soluble in organic, nonpolar solvents...
."
The initial publication from Necropolitan Press was The End magazine
Zine
A zine is most commonly a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any self-published work of minority interest usually reproduced via photocopier....
, which ran for four issues under the imprint with a fifth issue being released as a co-production with artist Jon C. Gernon's Zero Publishing. Throughout its run, this fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
zine received newsstand
Newsagent
A newsagent's shop , newsagency or newsstand is a business that sells newspapers, magazines, cigarettes, snacks and often items of local interest. In Britain and Australia, these businesses are termed newsagents...
distribution
Distribution (business)
Product distribution is one of the four elements of the marketing mix. An organization or set of organizations involved in the process of making a product or service available for use or consumption by a consumer or business user.The other three parts of the marketing mix are product, pricing,...
in addition to catalog
Mail order
Mail order is a term which describes the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote method such as through a telephone call or web site. Then, the products are delivered to the customer...
sales
Sales
A sale is the act of selling a product or service in return for money or other compensation. It is an act of completion of a commercial activity....
, the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
— at the time — not being a viable distribution alternative. In 1995, Thomas would begin releasing single author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
chapbook
Chapbook
A chapbook is a pocket-sized booklet. The term chap-book was formalized by bibliophiles of the 19th century, as a variety of ephemera , popular or folk literature. It includes many kinds of printed material such as pamphlets, political and religious tracts, nursery rhymes, poetry, folk tales,...
s, starting with his own collection The Bones of the Old Ones and Other Lovecraftian Tales and averaging one non-magazine release per year. Necropolitan Press releases maintained low print runs; Jeff VanderMeer
Jeff VanderMeer
Jeffrey Scott VanderMeer is an American writer, editor and publisher.He is best known for his contributions to the New Weird and his stories about the city of Ambergris, in books like City of Saints and Madmen.-Biography:...
's The Hoegbotton Guide to the Early History of Ambergris, by Duncan Shriek, for instance, was produced in a 300-copy edition.
Necropolitan Press ceased producing new releases in 2001, the reasons being the press's financial drain on Thomas and the desire of Thomas to focus on his own work. Thomas would later lament this decision, stating that he "always had a great enthusiasm for publishing, [and that he] found it extremely rewarding to bring the work of other authors to the hands of readers eager for something a little out of the ordinary."
In December 2007, Thomas mentioned in an interview that Necropolitan Press may be resurrected with the help of Nick Curtis, whose involvement would alleviate the previous financial and time-related strains the venture placed on Thomas. Curtis was an enthusiast of Thomas's work who had created and maintained an official website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
for Thomas (including a blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
and forum
Internet forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived...
), all of which had revealed to Thomas "his [Curtis's] innovative approach to graphic design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
." According to Thomas, Curtis proposed the resurrection of Necropolitan Press. Officially, Thomas holds the position of “Publisher/Editorial Director” while Curtis is termed the "Assistant Publisher/Design Director."
Leading up to the resurrection, Thomas had "been talking to some very talented authors in regard to potential new projects." In March 2008, prior to the official announcement of the publishing imprint's return, Paul G. Tremblay
Paul G. Tremblay
Paul G. Tremblay is an American author and editor of contemporary horror, dark fantasy, and science fiction. Tremblay received two Bram Stoker Award nominations in 2007 and he is a juror for the Shirley Jackson Awards.- Biography :...
mentioned that his forthcoming novella The Harlequin & The Train would be released on Necropolitan Press. In April 2008, Thomas made the official announcement of the press's return and of the forthcoming novella.
Magazines published
The first project published by Necropolitan Press was The End magazineZine
A zine is most commonly a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any self-published work of minority interest usually reproduced via photocopier....
, which ran five issues at the rate of one a year starting in 1993. The fifth and final issue was produced in cooperation with New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
-based artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
Jon C. Gernon's Zero Publishing imprint, the Necropolitan Press designation used to denote editor Jeffrey Thomas
Jeffrey Thomas (writer)
Jeffrey Thomas is a prolific writer of science fiction and horror, best known for his stories set in the nightmarish future city called Punktown, such as the novel Deadstock and the collection Punktown , from which a story was reprinted in St. Martin's The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror #14...
's work on the title.
2008+
The following is a list of all the Necropolitan Press anthologyAnthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
and single author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
collection titles announced/printed since the relaunch of the imprint in 2008.
| Title | Author | Year | Length |
|---|
1995-2001
The following is a list of all the Necropolitan Press anthologyAnthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
and single author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
collection titles printed during the initial years of the company. One additional title was announced, The Terrible Woman and Other Erotic Horrors by Scott Thomas, but this was withdrawn from the publishing schedule on May 5, 2001 — the intended contents were later released in Nether: Improper Bedtime Stories as well as Shadows Of Flesh, both released by Delirium Books
Delirium Books
Delirium Books, launched in the Summer of 1999 by Shane Ryan Staley, is currently recognized as one of the premiere horror publishers in the collector's market, producing low print run limited editions intended for both collectors and readers alike...
in 2004.
| Title | Author | Year |
|---|