One of the most famous playwrights in history, William Shakespeare, is getting a horrific twist in Shakespeare Unleashed, a new anthology collection coming soon to Kickstarter. The pre-launch page is officially live, inviting anyone interested to sign up now for further updates to come when the project launches later this summer.

The works of William Shakespeare have been influential to modern day storytelling. From tragedies like Hamlet to comedies like The Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare's plays continue to be taught and seen to this very day. Now the creators of Classic Monsters Unleashed are joining together with horror authors and experts on Shakespeare's style to create one massive collection of terror for any fan of the Bard to enjoy.

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Shakespeare Unleashed is an upcoming horror anthology from Crystal Lake Publishing and Monstrous Books that features a wide variety of authors who will examine Shakespeare's iconic works through a horror lens and give these classic stories a darker twist. Just a few of the collaborators will include Ian Doescher, creator of the William Shakespeare's Star Wars series, as well as all-star horror writers like Joe R. Lansdale (Moon Lake), Kasey Lansdale (Terror is Our Business), Cullen Bunn (Tales from Harrow County), Seanan McGuire (Every Heart a Doorway) and Jonathan Maberry (Kagen the Damned). All of these new twists on classic stories will be collected by editor James Aquilone, who is creating a Kickstarter page to get this exciting project off the ground.

The cover art for this brand-new collection sets the perfect tone for what the reader can expect when cracking open their copy of Shakespeare Unleashed. Featuring a cover that subverts the classic "Alas, Poor Yorick" scene from Hamlet with a skeletal Yorick holding the severed head of the Bard himself, the artwork designed by J.K. Woodward of Doctor Who and Star Trek comics fame sets the mood and promises a fun and terrifying horror anthology experience.

Shakespeare Unleashed Cover Art by J.K. Woodward

Within the pages of this tome lie familiar works that have all been giving the horror treatment, including classics such as HamletRomeo & JulietThe Tempest and Macbeth. They will all be translated to short horror stories...with some even taking the form of Shakespeare's most iconic form of poetry, the sonnet. All of the artwork that will accompany these stories will also be supplied by Woodward, and if the cover is of any indication, the stories are going to come to life in the most horrifying way.

This is a project that's as exciting for the contributors as it is for the potential readers. James Aquilone, the editor for the collection, promises that this new anthology "will follow in our tradition, started with Classic Monsters Unleashed, of exploring different literary universes and giving them our unique and horrifying spin." Fans of the aforementioned first collection will not be disappointed.

Joe R. Lansdale, who will be supplying a darker take on Macbeth with his daughter, Kasey Lansdale, speaks nothing but praise for the concept: "Shakespeare saw the human condition in all its glory and painHe saw the horror in the shadows, and the mystery in human loss and ambition." Ian Doescher also gives a sneak peek into the story that he's writing, “Like a demon being summoned, my contribution—based on the comedy Twelfth Night—will channel the Bard's darker side and show how happily ever after can end up in terror, tears, and tragedy."

Some of the other contributors involved with this horror anthology project will include Lee Murray, Gemma Files, Tim Waggoner, John Palisano, Lisa Morton, Geneve Flynn, Hailey Piper, Philip Fracassi, Linda Addison, Alessandro Manzetti, Jessica McHugh, Sara Tantlinger, Stephanie M. Wytovich and Tori Elridge. There will be more contributors announced in the coming months, so this horror anthology will be a treasure trove of Shakespearean horror.

Interested readers who want to help bring the book to life can check out the Kickstarter to help reach their goal. Shakespeare Unleashed is a concept that is bound to attract readers of both horror and William Shakespeare, and its Kickstarter debut will end in bringing this nightmare to reality.

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Source: Kickstarter