Candlemark & Gleam Information

Candlemark & Gleam wants to elicit and nurture fiction that causes people to question assumptions, become denizens of larger worlds. Our goal is to bring forth original, innovative works in a manner that reflects their quality. We specialize in speculative fiction—we’re eager to explore infinite possibilities. We believe wholeheartedly in the power of the imagination, and we want to shape speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, magical realism, alternative history) as it deserves to develop: not a genre, but a way of looking at things with fresh eyes. We also firmly believe that speculative fiction is (must be) literature, and can become myth, legend, song, a river on which dreams can sail. We want to bring forth fiction that’s nuanced, layered, that brims with non-triumphalist sense of wonder, three-dimensional characters, fully realized universes, stories that lodge in cortex and breastbone. We want to help create books whose universes, societies and characters are diverse in any or all respects, but originality of imagination and quality of craft are our paramount criteria. We want our books to look as good as what’s within them. Arresting, context-sensitive covers and text ornaments are as important to our vision as evocative words. We’re also committed to combining the best aspects of digital and print publishing to create something beautiful, technologically streamlined, and environmentally sustainable. To put it succinctly, Candlemark & Gleam aims to create books that are Gesamstkunstwerke: total works of art, whose content and style are fused to make them multifaceted, integrated experiences that nourish, yet challenge. Our works have racked up awards and accolades out of all proportion to our size, including a Publisher's Weekly Best SF/F Novel (Erekos, 2011), and multiple reprints and mentions in Year's Best Sci-Fi as well as a Nebula for Best Novelette (The Other Half of the Sky, 2013).