Press Release: Auteur: The Final Word

In 2018, Jayce Black’s contributions to the iconic  duology of The Book of the Enemy and The Book of the Peace introduced Faction Paradox readers to Auteur, a skeletal Archon with the uncanny power to literally rewrite reality — and metafictional delusions of grandeur to match. Ever since then, the Mad God of Writing’s popped up hither and thither at Arcbeatle Press, putting in multiple appearances in our multi-series holiday anthologies and even menacing Graelyn Scythes of 10,000 Dawns in the novella White Canvas — but never quite as the headline feature.

Today, that changes! Under the creative leadership of Aristide Twain (Coloth: The Book of the Snowstorm, Cwej: The Flatwoods Fractal), the self-declared Author of History returns in a metafictionally mindbending but narratively newcomer-friendly anthology of thirteen original stories, with contributions from writers like L. Alves (Cwej: Always Be A Part Of Me), Nate Bumber (Faction Paradox: A Farewell to Arms), and Jamie H. Cowan ({{esquivalience}}), as well as exclusive illustrations from artists like Ari Bach (Valhalla Trilogy), Dante Vernor Katz (Faction Paradox: Great Pearl, Girl), Blair Shedd (Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor) — and many more! 

Says editor Aristide Twain, “For all that Auteur claims to be the singular author of reality itself, his world and his story would not be as rich without the plurality of tones, visions, genres, and setting that our writers have brought together in The Final World. It’s an off-beat journey through fiction, art, mythology, and history itself — each story incredibly distinct, but building on one another. It’s been amazing to see, and I can’t wait for new readers to meet not only Auteur, but the protagonists of each and every entry within this book. Each of them is a joy!” 

“Auteur is a destabilising force,” adds contributor L. Alves. “He can be thrown into any narrative and cause it to bend and collapse around him in fascinating new ways, which is part of what makes him so fun for a writer to play with. Any story in any form or genre can find itself subjected to a walking, talking, often-malevolent deconstruction.”

Auteur is a visionary, a genius, a god. The Author of All Creation. So he has claimed for centuries, and many believe him — who else could rewrite reality with one flick of a quill?

But the Cosmos has changed since he’s been away, and it keeps on changing. Old rules are broken, and new powers rise. What wonders and horrors might Auteur create, in his quixotic quest to get the final word? And what will he destroy?

From a Spire of Shadows to the direst diner on Earth, discover the truth beneath the lies in AUTEUR: VOLUME 1: THE FINAL WORD, featuring a dozen unforgettable stories from L. Alves, Erika de Atayde, Jayce Black, Nate Bumber, Galadriel Coffeen, Jamie H. Cowan, Thomas Keyton, Newton Locheye, James T. Mulholland, Louis Peacock, Plum Pudding, Aristide Twain, Molly Warton, and James Wylder — with exclusive illustrations from Ari Bach, Galadriel Coffeen, Dylan Livingston, Dante Vernor Katz, Holly Lucero, Plum Pudding, Raymond Inkwell, Blair Shedd, Robert Shepherd, Tabitha Marsh, Ophelien Twain, and Molly Warton!

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Auteur: The Final Word is available now:

EBOOK

UK PRINT BOOK

US PRINT BOOK