We’re excited to share the chilling cover for Gutterspace, the horror debut novella by Justine-Norton Kertson, out October 13, 2026! Our short story contributor Chris Panatier, also an illustrator, made the gnarly cover. The book also includes black-and-white interior illustrations by Ahmed Raafat.
About Gutterspace
A washed-up artist in Portland, Oregon faces off against a monster that stalks its prey from between the panels of an old, forgotten comic book.
This is a brisk, unsettling, wicked tale, and is the horror debut of Justine Norton-Kertson!
About Cover Artist Chris Panatier
Chris Panatier is both an illustrator and an author across multiple genres, with a keen instinct for horror.
Chris also contributed short stories to two of our anthologies: the horror-themed Of Dread, Decay, and Doom (which also contains a short story by Justine) and the magical fantasy and horror-themed Of Enchantment, Enigma, and the Infinite.
For the cover of Gutterspace, we knew we needed something truly different to lean into the visceral cosmic horror nature of Justine’s book. We could not be happier with the result!
Learn more about Chris Panatier on his website for his art or on his writer website.
About Illustrator Ahmed Raafat
Ahmed Raafat is a UK-based Egyptian comic book artist. Learn more about Ahmed from our feature:
For Gutterspace, Ahmed illustrated four pages in crisp black and white that capture the characters and events of the book. We’re delighted to have Ahmed back for more illustrations at Stars and Sabers!
Preorder Now
Preorders for Gutterspace are just now rolling out for paperback and ebook. More links are forthcoming, or you can preorder from your favorite bookseller. Find more about the book, including some purchasing links, here: