The ‘Scream!’ horror anthology is as unnerved by AI as the rest of us (Exclusive)

As the days grow shorter and the wind gets colder, Rebellion is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its landmark British horror weekly, Scream! Debuting in the UK in November and the U.S. in December, Scream! 40 Years of Terror is an oversized anthology comics special featuring four brand-new stories from some of today’s top creators—and although the collection celebrates the 15-issue weekly that debuted in 1984, the topics explored herein are very relevant to today’s readers.

Today, The Mary Sue can reveal an exclusive preview from “The Thirteenth Floor” by Torunn Gronbekk and Emily Schnall. The story is about an apartment block run by an AI called “Max” that will do anything to keep its tenants safe, including mass murder and torture “where applicable.” Given current fears about AI and its uses and abuses, this particular story is especially haunting.

Check out art from “The Thirteenth Floor” and the Scream! 40 Years of Terror cover art below.

In addition to the story above, the Scream! special will also include “The Dracula File” by Alex Paknadel and Alejandro Aragon, about a strange figure who breaks into a journalist’s home as she works on a story about bizarre disappearances in London; “And His Skin Is Cold” by Anna Readman and George Pooley, about a British rock band that discovers a startling route to immortality during a U.S. tour in the ’70s; and “Inverted Burial” by V. V. Glass, about what really goes on in the Paris catacombs…

These stories are perfect to celebrate Scream!, published by IPC Magazines between March and June 1984. It’s since become a beloved cult classic. Rebellion republished all 15 original issues in a hardcover collection, 40 Years of Scream!, which sold out shortly after release in May. Pre-orders are currently available for the second edition.

Scream! 40 Years of Terror will be available physically and digitally in the UK on November 4, with the U.S. edition to follow on December 11.

Have a tip we should know? tips@themarysue.com

Author

Close

Samantha Puc

Samantha Puc (she/they) is a fat, disabled, lesbian writer and editor who has been working in digital and print media since 2010. Their work focuses primarily on LGBTQ+ and fat representation in pop culture and their writing has been featured on Refinery29, Bitch Media, them., and elsewhere. Samantha is the co-creator of Fatventure Mag and she contributed to the award-winning Fat and Queer: An Anthology of Queer and Trans Bodies and Lives. They are an original cast member of Death2Divinity, and they are currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative nonfiction at The New School. When Samantha is not working or writing, she loves spending time with her cats, reading, and perfecting her grilled cheese recipe.

twitter Link to theverbalthing.com