Dark Matters

by Russell Jones

New sci-fi poems from Edinburgh-based writer and editor Russell Jones.

Includes a villanelle from the perspective of Judge Dredd, a love poem from Doctor Who to a Dalek, verse about robotic bees, cybernetic implants, planet-spotting, tardigrades and much more!


‘Often dark, never dull, this glittering collection takes SF poetry where no one has gone before.’
– Ken MacLeod

‘This amazement, this compilation of poem/comic/verbal gymnastics, this movement of words. This touch of nuclear, horror, hope. This grasp of science and folklore, alien outside and alien in. This acrobat of wonder. This Russell Jones.’
– Jane Yolen

(Author of “The Emerald Circus”, Nebula Award winner, SFWA Damon Knight Grandmaster 2017)

28 pages, Paperback

Published May 9, 2018

Reviews

[DivaDiane SM · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Jones’ newest chapbook of SF/F poetry. He uses a wide variety of poetic forms and has a sure sense of rhythm. My favorite poems were the opening poem, “Dark Horse;” “That’s one small step for (a) man...,” which is a found/erasure poem using single letters from that famous quote to enormous effect;and “Dredd,” which is a Villanelle, one of my favorite forms.

[E. Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book! It plays cleverly with rhythm, white space, convention and some amazing science-fictional concepts. It's well produced, even the cover has a nice retro-SF feel to it. The poems are serious, hopeful and often dark, and above all provoke thought. Highly recommend (but too short!)

[Jayant Kashyap · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful pamphlet that took me only a couple hours. Keeps you taut!