The Boulevard: Volume Two was the second anthology in the Faction Paradox: Worlds of the Spiral Politic series. It was published by Obverse Books on 17 January 2024.
Publisher's summary
The Boulevard (Faction Paradox: Location Unknown)
More formally, The Boulevard of Alternate Brutalities, the Boulevard is a Faction Paradox prison.
Physically, the Boulevard is, as the name suggests, a single broad street, stretching for an unknown distance in both directions, and lined on one side with a dense forest of oak trees.
Facing this forest is the prison itself, which is comprised of buildings lifted from throughout history at the moment of their destruction. This lifting extends to the street immediately outside each building, giving the Boulevard a patchwork appearance, and leading one time travelling visitor to describe the Boulevard as a 'funky Frankenstein's Monster of a place'.
Behind each doorway on the Boulevard there is a cell, containing a single prisoner. Each cell can extend to encompass anything from the traditional square concrete enclosure with barred windows, to an entire planet. It is believed that the Boulevard is controlled by an appointed Godfather and a cadre of Cousins, assisted by guards taken from certain of the more aggressive Lesser Species.
Although there has never been any formal proclamation regarding the purpose of the Boulevard, it is believed that the environment of each cell is tailored to the punishment – or, possibly but implausibly, the rehabilitation – of the individual imprisoned.
[from Apocrypha to The Book of the War]
Stories
Notes
- The Boulevard: Volume Two was originally meant to go out on 20 December 2023,[1] but due to a backlog at the printers at Obverse Books the anthology had to be delayed.[2]
- The music from the story Igor was recorded by Rae Evans and the Dunelm Symphony Orchestra and released on Soundcloud by George Wells on 1 July 2020.[3]
- After a 2021 public call for pitches set in or around the Boulevard of Alternate Brutalities[4] resulted in almost 100 submissions,[5] Obverse Books announced two anthologies of short stories in that setting.[6]
- In September 2022, Obverse Books announced that The Boulevard: Volume Two would be edited by Simon Bucher-Jones.[7] However, in the 1 December 2023 preorder announcement and cover reveal, Volume Two was edited by Stuart Douglas, just as Volume One had been.
External links
to be added
Footnotes
- ↑ https://factionparadox.co.uk/boulevard-coming-soon.html
- ↑ https://twitter.com/obversebooks/status/1735357696834986209?s=46&t=n1ymF6URs9Fk5Zw8aOt81A
- ↑ Lost Voices Movement 2: IGOR
- ↑ Invitation to Pitch - Faction Paradox
- ↑ Obverse Books on Twitter
- ↑ Obverse Books on Facebook
- ↑ Stuart Douglas: "Volume two is now in the capable editorial hands of Simon Bucher-Jones".