Volume VII, Issue 5: "Tyrant" Announcement

We're back, everyone! After a wonderful Christmas Break, we are all well-rested (mostly), and we're eager to get back to our writing. This semester, we're presenting a series of issues themed after fairy tale archetypes. These are classic characters found in some of the oldest stories, from the Greek Epics to the Norse Sagas, the Brothers Grimm to Hans Christian Anderson, and even history itself. This February, the first of these to seize the stage is the "Tyrant."

Tyrant: "an absolute ruler unrestrained by law or constitution" or "a ruler who exercises absolute power oppressively or brutally."

History gives us a long list of tyrants, such as Caligula, John Lackland, Ivan the Terrible, Maximilien Robespierre, and Adolf Hitler. And, of course, there's Cinderella's wicked stepmother, the White Witch, President Snow, Emperor Palpatine, and Sauron. No two tyrants are exactly alike. Some force their way into power, while others rise by the will of the people. Many take freedoms away, and some offer "easier" alternatives to pacify dissent. A few even start with good intentions, but power corrupts them, often before they realize how far they have fallen.

Who are your tyrants? Kings or presidents? People or creatures? Maybe just a malevolent force seeking to assert its will? Who are their victims, and what stories do they have? We can't wait for you to tell us!

Submissions close on January 23rd.

Soli Deo Gloria!