The Empty Danger

by Anna Tizard

“It’s too late. You have seen and you have… been seen. The beasts of the other plane know you now. They’ve watched you watching them. They will haunt you now. You are one of us. Whether we like it or not.”

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

The pandemic 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.

Genres: Supernatural, Fantasy

177 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 11, 2020

About the author

I tried to categorise my books in a more sensible way (they’re currently "Weird-wonderful", "Quite Serious" and "Meh") but the cross-overs were just too many - and then I realised that I actually like this.

We’re living in an amazing era for fiction where genre writing can and should be as delicious and nutritious as the “best” literary work (and some of these high-brow prize-winning books could learn a thing or two about plotting from their genre neighbours). Fantasy for children is also enormous fun for (people pretending to be) adults. Why differentiate?

I write Deeply Weird fiction. Lately this involves making up stories based on a random word game called Exquisite Corpse; my favourite thing is to explore the strangeness of the human mind through a fantasy, imagining what our thoughts might look like if they were places, creatures or objects come alive. Subscribe to my newsletter for your free ebook copy of my latest release, "The Empty Danger": https://annatizardsubscribe.ck.page/e...

Oh, and please let me know if you’ve come across any amazing books about portals! Having spent a large chunk of my childhood in Narnia, I’m a little bit obsessed.

Reviews

[Cliff Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this having no idea what to expect, except that I really enjoyed Anna's stories in Mirrormaze and Somniscope. I don't want to give anything away, but I'd like to point out that the pandemic situation is not really the main focus of the story, just a jumping-off point, more a part of the setting. This is a feel-good story when it comes down to it. It's quite literally about battling Fear with Love. Very nicely done.

[Heather Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never been one really to read novellas taking place during the current climate, but the way Anna Tizard composed The Empty Danger was inspiring. I appreciated her unique take on the pandemic and how to keep hopes alive in troubled times.

[Aladin Fazel]

A professional, intellectual and intriguing story. It takes you to the other side. Parallel or the supernatural world? Let's read it and find out. Good read.

[Karen Eisenbrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a pandemic book—written during the pandemic, set in the early days of it—that actually works. It paints a true picture of the fear and uncertainty most of us experienced, and tells a hopeful, uplifting story about a fantastical way to face that fear.

Elina is a young person with a nothing job, disappointed in the failure of her art career to take off. She is ready to give up those dreams. Then she finds out she was exposed to COVID at work and needs to quarantine. She can’t go home and risk exposing her roommates. She accepts a pastor friend’s offer to shelter in the church hall, all events having been canceled. She led a children’s art program there a couple of years before and knows the place, so she accepts and tries to settle into this weird temporary home. A wild nightmare reveals that she has stumbled into another plane of existence, where Pastor Paul and some others battle against Fear itself. Although almost overcome by her own fear, Elina accepts her role in this war.

This would be a great choice for adults who loved A Wrinkle in Time as children. It has that same kind of wildly imaginative storytelling in what starts out as a realistic setting that turns progressively weirder, and the same theme of meeting fear and hate with love and hope. Like Meg, Elina doubts herself but finds she is exactly the right person to help turn the tide when all seems bleakest.

[Alessandro Bozzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised after reading ‘The Empty Danger’ by Anna Tizard. The story takes place during the recent Covid pandemic, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to revisit that setting yet. However, this was exactly what I needed. A story of courage and hope in the face of one’s fears. Tizard’s descriptive writing is like dining on a delicious, full-course meal that will ignite all your senses. The story, while grounded, has some surreal and supernatural elements that add a mysterious and mystical element to it. I enjoyed reading about each character in the story with all their complexities. This is a beautiful tale about the strength of the human spirit which reminds us that our purpose here is to show compassion towards others in the face of adversity and that we are stronger when we work together. Anna Tizard is a fantastic writer and I’m looking forward to reading the next volumes in her Book of Exquisite Corpse series.

[Eva Leppard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling world building

This book focussed on the world during Covid, the liminal space that we were all surviving in. Which in isolation, the main character discovers another world that exists that she must learn to understand and live with. I thoroughly enjoyed this book- a short read and well worth it.

[Eryn McConnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic story. It's so hopeful, by the end, and so magical. I loved it.