The Dark That Never Ends

It is often a tough road publishing a novel or a collection of short fiction, something English faculty member Darrin Doyle is no stranger to. But with persistence, and sometimes luck, it happens, as it did for his collection The Dark Will End the Dark, a set of Midwestern Gothic stories published 10 years ago by Tortoise Press. It was worth celebrating that accomplishment then, and, as it turns out, again, with the release of a 10-year Anniversary 2^nd Edition of the book. In this interview with his Department of English Language and Literature colleague Robert Fanning, Doyle considers the first decade of The Dark Will End the Dark. 

Robert Fanning: Congrats on the 10^th birthday of this collection, and how exciting to see that it has been re-issued by the press in commemoration of its success over the past decade. Looking back, how did the publication happen in the first place?

Darrin Doyle: Back in 2014, I was trying to find a publisher for my rather un-commercial and dark story collection, The Dark Will End the Dark. I tried a number of independent presses and university presses, but I wasn't having any luck. I came across a small publishing house in Chicago named Tortoise Books, which was just beginning to get off the ground. In fact, I think my book was the third one they ever published. I was so thrilled that they were willing to take a chance on me and this collection, which features flash fiction and full-length stories with elements of body horror, magical realism, dark humor, and the Gothic. They published the book in 2015.

Robert Fanning: The brief description on the book’s cover and on the publisher’s website introduces some of this collection’s extraordinary tales: “A group of tugboat passengers grapples with a disturbing loss. A record-holding hiccuper confronts his condition—and a troubling secret. A wife wonders what to do when her husband’s head stops working—but his body stays alive…” What makes The Dark Will End the Dark a Gothic collection?

Darrin Doyle: What makes the stories Gothic are elements like the past intruding on the present, a foreboding atmosphere, feelings of dread and isolation, claustrophobia, and the grotesque. These elements are always tied to the psychological states of the characters themselves. The collection is also grounded firmly in the real world, with many working-class protagonists. There’s also a consistent thread of humor throughout.

Robert Fanning: As you said, sometimes a new press is more willing to take a chance—and it paid off with your book, for sure. And what about Tortoise Books now?

Darrin Doyle: Fast forward 10 years, and Tortoise Books is thriving. They've become one of the most well-respected independent presses in Chicago, having put out about 65 books of fiction to date, including another novel and story collection of mine.

Robert Fanning: Even still, it’s rare, especially for a small press, to publish an anniversary edition. How did that come to be?

Darrin Doyle: I was honored when Gerald Brennan, the founder and editor, approached me about doing a 10th anniversary 2nd edition of The Dark Will End the Dark. This is the only book on the Tortoise label that’s been given a 2^nd edition, so it feels pretty special. These days, Tortoise has national distribution, which they didn’t have when this was first published, so it’s an opportunity for the book to reach a new and wider audience.  

Robert Fanning: What can new readers as well as fans of the original expect from the anniversary edition?

The new edition contains one new, previously unpublished story called “Arms.” A number of the stories in the collection are named after body parts, such as “Head,” “Neck,” “Face,” “Foot,” etc. It also has a foreword from Chicago author Giano Cromley (American Mythology) and a new cover design.

To purchase a copy of Dr. Doyle’s short story collection, shop Tortoise Press online, or pick up a copy at our local bookseller, Sleepy Dog Books.