“With his latest, Cisco springboards from physical pain into the metaphysical realm, blending string theory with the occult for a deep-dive into existential dread.”
Lying in a bed of pain, he flees physical torment by relying on his own memories and speculations about life and reality. The man was once employed by the Temporary Institute for the Study of Holes, a group concerned with research ranging from the occult to advanced physics, including black holes, or as they’re known in string theory … black branes.
He meets other members of the institute: Founder, Dr. Marilyn Shitansky, who claims to have a thinking hole in her brain; resident occultist Daladara; Ernie Allegre, the engineer who built the decoherence reactor that powers the institute; Dr. Liu, string theorist; Dr. Corngholm; and Dr. Shitansky’s secretary, Renbrui, who carries a mystery with her whenever she goes.
In memory, the speaker finds them again, in a story of physical and emotional pain, of social and quantum entanglement, that turns comic, speculative, and nightmarish.
Why we’re excited about this book:
When it comes to mind-bending weird fiction, Michael Cisco is one of the best practitioners of the genre working today. The author of The Divinity Student, The Golem, The Narrator, The Wretch of the Sun, Pest, Animal Money, Unlanguage, Cisco’s short fiction is collected in Antisocieties. With his latest, Cisco springboards from physical pain into the metaphysical realm, blending string theory with the occult for a deep-dive into existential dread. Locus called Black Brane “An unapologetic and disorienting journey into theoretical physics and the uncanny mystery of holes. You don’t need to be aware of Ligotti’s work to enjoy Black Brane; you just have to be open to a type of weird fiction that is less about plot and satisfying resolutions and more invested in the uncanny and testing the fabric of reality.”, and Paul Tremblay (Horror Movie, The Cabin at the End of the World) says about Cisco … “The alchemy of words ceasing to be words, words seamlessly melting before our eyes into grandiose imagery, into soaring hallucination, into fever dreams that tap directly into our subconscious and perfectly describe emotions that cannot be described is something no author achieves with more effect than Michael Cisco.”
Releasing from CLASH Books 22 July 2025, Black Brane by Michael Cisco is available for pre-order now.
BOB PASTORELLA
