Once upon a time lived a man named Johann Konrad Dippel. Like many men of his era, he studied theology and alchemy, two pursuits that got him in a lot of trouble. As a theologian, he earned a reputation as a heretic, first loved then loathed by Swedenborg, among others. As an alchemist, he developed “Dippel’s oil,” which he claimed was the fabled elixir of life, and eventually diversified his interests by dabbling in anatomy: dissecting animal cadavers, exhuming human ones, and attempting soul transference from the comfort of his castle. These are all rumors of course, but one salient fact before we move on from Dippel: the castle he was born in, the castle where he conducted his alleged experiments, was Castle Frankenstein.
Although he died in 1734, his alchemical oil proven useless against a stroke, the specter of Dippel Franckensteinensis continues to haunt us. Perhaps his experiments in soul transference were successful after all, for you can find him in the quality products of Purdue, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, and others. However, Dippel’s oil is no match for the humble over-the-counter pill, and of course, if you need something a little stronger, there’s a scrip for that. If you seek Frankenstein, our post-modern Prometheus, look in your medicine cabinet.
On June 28, come down to the lab and join us for a new experiment in pharma-noir and mad science, with tales of pills and potions, of new gods and new monsters. The Bunsen burners are lit, the beakers are full, the test subjects are strapped in. This clinical trial will have no placebo.
THE CHEMISTRY
Our lab partner for this experiment is Anna Krivolapova, author of Incurable Graphomania, with pharmaceutical-grade short fiction on Hobart, postpoplit, Expat Press, and in Lizard Brain.
Please send submissions to contact@apocalypse-confidential.com as a Word or Google doc for written submissions and .jpgs or .pngs for visual submissions, with how you’d like to be credited, a short bio in third person, and any links for promotion (blog, portfolio, etc.). Include your Twitter handle if you wish to be tagged. Please limit fiction submissions to around 4k words. This special presentation is open in all categories. Simultaneous submissions discouraged. Please include “THE CHEMISTRY” in the subject line or body of your email. Deadline: June 15.
Artwork by Robert Voyvodic.
SIDE EFFECTS MAY INCLUDE:
Calcination
“Quod me nutrit, me destruit” ideation
Dissolution
Pharma-Noir
Fermentation
Mad Science
Coagulation
Thoughts of “Now I know what it feels like to be God”