Tomorrow (Sept. 5, 2024) the fine crew at Enclave Publishing shares the cover for Above the Circle of Earth. Readers will also see the summary of my first sci-fi novel—the text you’d read on the back cover or inside flap.

But for many readers, sci-fi can mean many things. For some, sci-fi is mainly superheroes. Or extraterrestrial beings. Or perhaps even Amish vampires.

Therefore, I thought it might be helpful to help folks set expectations. For that purpose, here are ten elements you won’t find in this novel cover:

1. The font Papyrus
2. Frightened women running away from houses
3. Teenagers flying about in yoga pants, likely because they are angelic beings
4. Prairie women standing amid wheat fields, gazing forlornly, wearing makeup
5. Intimidating persons grimacing and coming at you in their military mech suits
6. A decaying royal crown wreathed in water, earth, fire, air, brambles, blood, etc.
7. People captured by alien warlords and sold to fight in their unholy offworld gladiator games
8. Whimsical 2020s-exclusive Google/corporate-inspired artwork denoting coffee shops or meetcutes
9. Rugged terrain on which largish men wearing muscles prepare to ravish slightish women wearing less
10. A slime-encrusted bog monster and/or deiselpunk humanoid contraption bearing forth a shouting victim

Hope that helps narrow it down.

Watch this space for Above the Circle of Earth’s cover reveal tomorrow! To see the reveal even earlier, follow @EnclavePublishing and @EStephenBurnett on Instagram.