THE DARK SIRE: ACCOLADES (Special Edition Issue, March 2021) | Page 7

FICTION
Like most categories , the fiction category has two winning short stories , one for a non-TDS published author and another for a TDS published author . Standing side-by-side , both works are masterfully written and have a clear tie to Gothic literature .
The judges felt that “ Mr . Rutherford ” by Steven Lombardi was smooth and fluid – flawless : a masterpiece of the genre . It is the leading example of what modern-day Gothic literature should be .
Likewise , “ Kettering Hall ” by John Kiste is a shining example of Gothic literature . The story draws readers into a dark world of apparitions only to return them to fear the midnight hour .
These two stories represent the best of the best in TDS short fiction . If the question of what TDS is looking for were asked , the answer would simply be to read the work of Lombardi and Kiste .
TDS proudly presents the winners of Best Fiction , Mr . Steven Lombardi and Mr . John Kist , two of the best Gothic writers in our modern history . Enjoy !
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