Writers of the Future winners Jay Lake and Brad R. Torgersen, along with Writers of the Future judge Mike Resnick, are now appearing in the first Fathomless Abyss anthology, from bestseller Philip Athans.

Conceived as a shared universe project — which also includes writers Cat Rambo, Mel Odom, J.M. McDermott, and Athans in the role of writer/editor — the Fathomless Abyss explores a fantasy setting quite unlike the many Flat Earths invented by other writers. In fact, the Abyss is an endless, cavernous tunnel through the mystical bowels of the universe, occasionally opening its “crown” into far-away worlds and distant epochs, only to entice in and swallow up the inhabitants thereof.

Once inside, the people must contend with vertical landscapes not altogether friendly to those used to walking on two feet. Each of the contributed stories in the anthology approaches the eponymous Abyss from the point of view of a different character or characters — some human, some not. Each facing a different set of hopes and fears, dreams and desires, and an eternal peril that is just one missed hand-hold or footstep away.

Also contributing to this anthology is Writers of the Future winner Ken Scholes, who gives the book — and the series — a proper introduction.

Says concept-creator Phil Athans, “A bottomless pit opens at seemingly random intervals, on seemingly random worlds, and people, monsters, and other things fall in. Over the millennia, new civilizations of survivors have emerged, and whole new ecosystems have been established,” creating a stage for both drama and adventure.

Available now on Amazon.com