Guernica Editions

Somewhere in the Mediterranean lies the mysterious archipelago of Venera, a city-state drenched in erotic romanticism, fuelled by atavistic ritual, and suffused with surreal adventure and intrigue. Outside forces repeatedly attempt to steal its most closely guarded treasure: the secret of the sacred spice vermilion, and its power to alter consciousness and perhaps even reality. Venera Dreams chronicles the city-state's mythic history through antiquity, Roman times, the Renaissance, the Victorian era, the twentieth century, the present, and the far future.

As his eyes adjust to the darkness of the night, he notices the ornate architecture, the shapes and configurations so unusual that he can't entirely grasp what he sees. Vegetation and masonry merge into one another in confounding patterns. The sidewalk follows not a city street but a canal. Across the canal, he spots a handful of pedestrians; their body language is disquieting, as if their bodies, echoing the architecture, are assembled in somewhat inhuman configurations.

Links

• Claude's website