There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone.
First, the term “curio fiction” isn’t mine but belongs to Diane Callahan. I heard about it when ProWritingAid sent out their panel lineup for their Fantasy Writers’ Week. When I saw the term, I immediately became curious about what it meant and did what anyone in the age of technology would do, I Googled it. As it’s a fairly new concept, there wasn’t much for me to go on but just enough for me to realize this would serve as a great foundation for my first-ever self-published collection of short stories.
WHAT IS CURIO FICTION?
As Diane Callahan explains it in an article from Tor.com, “it is a story set in a world identical or similar to our own (whether that setting is contemporary, historical, or near-future), with a twist—an added fantasy, science fiction, or horror element that is examined for its effect on the story’s human characters.”
When I read this, I instantly thought of every or
