Letter From the Staff

Dear Reader, 

Appearances can be deceiving. Life is full of little deceptions—the lights in the city sky look like stars until the chop of the helicopter fills the air, or the sidewalk looks dry until your feet slip out from under you. There are two halves to deception: deception to delight and deception to destroy. We may deceive for many reasons, but in the end, they can be reduced to good or ill intent. What else requires intent? A story.

What are stories but deceptions we partake in? Your favorite authors are lying to you, and you suspend your disbelief because the story’s twist is what makes it enjoyable. You could reach for a romance and find that, despite a sweet correspondence, the relationship has soured. Or you could grab the nearest horror story and find that the monster is working to save those who fear him. Even the most fantastical of fantasies that take you worlds away will still find a way to land you back at home.

The best way to get home, of course, is with a map. Along the way, you’ll hit roadblocks, detours, and maybe even a hitchhiker or two. Home will always seem further away than it is until it appears right beneath your feet. Home is a place and the journey. Home is where we hope to place you, between the folds of this volume of Wilder Things.

Maps will teach you how to read them. You’ll learn how to see the difference between deception and truth. And once you know that difference, you can enjoy the deception without getting lost. You’ll find your way.

But don’t worry too much about being tricked, dear reader. Every piece has the same beating heart. And though it may be temporarily concealed underneath the floorboards, the heart will reveal itself. No deception lasts forever. You only have to take the time to explore, and you will find exactly what you’re looking for. 

Enjoy Wilder Things Magazine Volume 5.

With Love, 

The Wilder Things Staff

We are excited to deceive you