{"product_id":"the-electro-etheric-minotaur-by-damian-murphy","title":"THE ELECTRO-ETHERIC MINOTAUR By Damian Murphy","description":"\u003csection class=\"Jgs2b9\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"WAZqE7 QfrfFD cell\"\u003e\n\u003csection data-hook=\"description-wrapper\" class=\"Va_ZoC\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"LvOu6J\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"vaI0UH\" data-hook=\"content-wrapper\"\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"Jgs2b9\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"WAZqE7 QfrfFD cell\"\u003e\n\u003csection data-hook=\"description-wrapper\" class=\"Va_ZoC\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"LvOu6J\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"vaI0UH\" data-hook=\"content-wrapper\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe six stories and novellas in\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Electro-Etheric Minotaur\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ecollect all of Damian Murphy’s “occult retro-gaming fiction”—including two previously unpublished tales— along with newly commissioned illustrations by Le.BLUE. Combining the aesthetic motifs and arcane mechanics of vintage electronic gaming with the gnostic exaltation of ancient and modern occultism, this is fiction as Metroidvania: nonlinear exploration in the search for keys and secrets.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMurphy’s rich prose is like a cheat code from a half-remembered dream (or nightmare)… where sadomasochistic rites combine with vector angels and spectral wolf-sprites in mazes with flickering walls…\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe video game medium is still young enough that its capacity for serious artistic achievement—even its ability to produce something like a towering new\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eGesamtkunstwerk\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eof literary narrative, graphical ingenuity, and immersive gameplay—has only recently achieved widespread acceptance. Within another generation, the notion that it could ever have been in doubt will seem quaint. Yet the stories in this book hearken back to the days of the ZX Spectrum, Atari 2600, and early Nintendo consoles of the 8 and 16 bit eras. By calling back to these earlier systems with their graphical limitations, Murphy is invoking primal childhood experiences with the mystical otherworlds flickering behind CRT screens.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlthough the juxtaposition of occult ritual and modern electronic gaming may at first seem incongruous, anyone who has ever pursued either activity seriously will have had intimations of the other. Notions of secret areas and strategies, exploitable glitches and hidden codes, always formed part of the gaming experience, and all of them have their correspondences in occult practice. And the parallels between the astral double and the avatar of a video game character are obvious, but had yet to be explored seriously in fiction until now.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e—Justin Isis, from his introduction\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"comp-m9ol2gs8\" class=\"Le88gL comp-m9ol2gs8 wixui-section\" data-block-level-container=\"ClassicSection\" tabindex=\"-1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-mesh-id=\"comp-m9ol2gs8inlineContent\" data-testid=\"inline-content\" class=\"\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-mesh-id=\"comp-m9ol2gs8inlineContent-gridContainer\" data-testid=\"mesh-container-content\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"TPAMultiSection_m9ogiuci\" class=\"QrIus  TPAMultiSection_m9ogiuci\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"TPAMultiSection_m9ogiuci\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-hook=\"tpa-components-provider\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-hook=\"tpa-components-provider\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-hook=\"product-page\" class=\"l7SIaB layout__classic isDesktop\" data-layout-name=\"classic\"\u003e\n\u003carticle class=\"GVYGm5\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"tfRE5M\"\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"Jgs2b9\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"jqw1mt QfrfFD cell\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\u003cul data-hook=\"stacked-info-section\" class=\"wEn8Wy\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"De1MzN\" data-hook=\"stacked-info-item\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"nIrkeO QfrfFD cell\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"s__5DGWeQ oHJSrAT---typography-11-runningText oHJSrAT---priority-7-primary _HOcyB D0x9d0 sxbtulv ftb6e2\" aria-hidden=\"false\" data-hook=\"info-section-title\"\u003eSPECS\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-hook=\"info-section-description\" class=\"zp8uy2 veCD9x\"\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBy Damian Murphy.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWith illustrations by Le.BLUE and an introduction by Justin Isis.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePublished by Church Ghost in a first edition of 1,000 copies.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e9x6in, 204 pages, perfect bound.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCover: 300gsm Ensocoat with spot gloss.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInterior:  140gsm Arena Smooth Natural. Yellow-green spot color throughout.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOffset printed by Graphius (Belgium\/London), 2026.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eISBN: 979-8-9994523-2-0\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"QfrfFD cell\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"TPAMultiSection_m9ogiuci.product-page-details-9\" data-hook=\"slot-placeholder-TPAMultiSection_m9ogiuci.product-page-details-9\" class=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"QfrfFD cell\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"TPAMultiSection_m9ogiuci.product-page-bottom\" data-hook=\"slot-placeholder-TPAMultiSection_m9ogiuci.product-page-bottom\" class=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"QfrfFD cell\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"TPAMultiSection_m9ogiuci.product-page-bottom-slot\" data-hook=\"slot-placeholder-TPAMultiSection_m9ogiuci.product-page-bottom-slot\" class=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-hook=\"bottom-placeholder\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/article\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"comp-mlmimvap\" class=\"Le88gL comp-mlmimvap wixui-section\" data-block-level-container=\"ClassicSection\" tabindex=\"-1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"bgLayers_comp-mlmimvap\" data-hook=\"bgLayers\" data-motion-part=\"BG_LAYER comp-mlmimvap\" class=\"QG9w8P\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"QfrfFD cell\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"TPAMultiSection_m9ogiuci.product-page-details-4\" data-hook=\"slot-placeholder-TPAMultiSection_m9ogiuci.product-page-details-4\" class=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"Jgs2b9\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"QfrfFD cell\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"comp-mlmimvap\" class=\"Le88gL comp-mlmimvap wixui-section\" data-block-level-container=\"ClassicSection\" tabindex=\"-1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"bgLayers_comp-mlmimvap\" data-hook=\"bgLayers\" data-motion-part=\"BG_LAYER comp-mlmimvap\" class=\"QG9w8P\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e","brand":"CHURCH GHOST","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50103472324848,"sku":null,"price":80.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0638\/4504\/0368\/files\/b53e0b_b30fb9f0107c400988a1834c3d2250ca_mv2.jpg?v=1785217004","url":"https:\/\/distortmag.myshopify.com\/products\/the-electro-etheric-minotaur-by-damian-murphy","provider":"Distort Book Club","version":"1.0","type":"link"}