"Arithmophobia," n.: The fear of numbers or mathematics.
Whether you love mathematics or find it terrifying, this anthology of original tales of terror is sure to send a chill down your spine. With an unlucky thirteen brand new horror stories and a bonus poem in case any readers suffer from triskaidekaphobia, these pages combine the talents of some of the genre's most experienced award-winning practitioners of terror and some of the literary world's most promising new voices.
Featuring contributions by Elizabeth Massie, Miguel Fliguer, Mike Slater, Patrick Freivald, Liz Kaufman, Damon Nomad, Sarah Lazarz, Martin Zeigler, Josh Snider, Rivka Crowbourne, Joe Stout, Brian Knight, Wil Forbis, David Lee Summers, and Maxwell I. Gold.
These stories tell us of strange and horrifying new geometries, crazed and violent mathematicians, sentient and malevolent numbers, and even some new mathematical twists on some classic monsters. You needn't be a mathematician to experience these new forms of mathematical terror, though students of the discipline might recognize some familiar names and ideas lurking in the shadows.
So pull up a chair, dust off your abacus and slide rule, and prepare to experience...
Arithmophobia.
Author Biography:
Robert (Bob) Lewis is a Colorado-based author, editor, publisher, magician, scholar, podcaster, YouTuber, entrepreneur, and more. He holds degrees with Latin honors in Biology, English, Mathematics, and Psychology from the University of Colorado Denver (where he also took an Astrophysics minor) as well as a Master of Education in Science and the Public from the University at Buffalo. A dedicated polymath, he likes to tell people that his hobby is to collect new hobbies. Among his current favorite pastimes are chess, cooking, woodworking, tinkering in his workshop, collecting bizarre artifacts and curiosities, and (re)learning his musical instruments. By the time you read this, he'll assuredly have added some more to the list. Professionally speaking, he is the founder, owner, and executive editor of Polymath Press, host of the YouTube channel Phobophile, co-host of the Do You Like Scary Movies horror podcast, member of the Rocky Mountain Paranormal Research Society, and performs as a magician at Bob Lewis Magic. He's the co-author (with Bryan Bonner) of the Case Files of the Rocky Mountain Paranormal Research Society series and the editor of In the Woods: A Fiction Foundry Anthology, both of which are available from Polymath Press. By the time you read this, there's a good chance he'll be in the process of adding something to this list as well. Elizabeth Massie is the author of novels, novellas, short fiction, media-tie ins, poetry, and nonfiction. Her novels and collections include Sineater, Hell Gate, Desper Hollow, Wire Mesh Mothers, Homeplace, Naked on the Edge, Dark Shadows: Dreams of the Dark (co-authored with Mark Rainey), Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Power of Persuasion, It Watching, Afraid, Madame Cruller's Couch and Other Dark and Bizarre Tales, The Great Chicago Fire, and many more. She is also the creator of the Ameri-Scares series of middle-grade novels. Elizabeth's short fiction has been included in countless magazines and anthologies, including several years' best publications. She lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with her husband, artist/illustrator and Theremin-player Cortney Skinner. Elizabeth is a two-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author and recipient of the 2022 Horror Writers Association Lifetime Achievement Award. Mike Slater rose from the stygian depths of corporate America at about the same time Viagra and Google came to be. Irish Astrologers and Iron Maiden fans remain divided as to whether or not these events are related. Mike is the author of The Necronomnomnom, LoveCraft Cocktails, The NecroMunchicon, and several horror tales scattered about the dark literaturescape, and a designer of games of all sorts for Red Duke Games. He is a lifelong fan of Things Not of This Earth.
