The Black and Red Mythos

The Black and Red Mythos consists of poems and fiction by DJ Tyrer, built around recurring themes and a sense of urban decay. Although its genesis was unconnected, its development was strongly influenced by the Yellow Mythos. The original set of stories are collected in Black & Red. However, an extended version of Tricked? is included in the Hallowe'en 2014 issue of Siren's Call ezine and new stories have been published (Treat?, Repeat and Black Night, Red Light), along with the poems Red and Black (II) and Hallowe'en: In Black and Red. An ebook-only sequel was released in 2020, including a story from Joseph Bouthiette Jr., Cosmic Joke.

This page is based on that on the Atlantean Publishing wiki.

Motifs

Red & Black

• These two colours appear in conjuction in all the stories (as might be expected!).

2011

• Mould & Blood is set in March 2011 when the Coalition announced that Sure Start Centres would be cut.
• Black Flag, Red Flame takes place during the riots of August 2011.
• Black Night, Red Flame takes place just before Hallowe'en 2011.
• Tricked? and Treat? take place on Hallowe'en 2011.
• Black or Red?, Red & Black and Last Thing all take place during winter 2011.

Housing Estate

• Mould & Blood, Black Night, Red Flame, Treat?, Tricked?, Black or Red?, Red & Black and Last Thing all take place on the same housing estate.

Fireworks/Fire

• Fireworks feature in Black Night, Red Flame and Tricked? and are mentioned in Treat?
• Arson features in Black Flag, Red Flame.

The Laughing Man/Rap

• A rapper known as The Laughing Man is referenced in Black Flag, Red Flame, Red & Black (in which he is seen on a poster - reproduced on the cover of Black & Red) and Last Thing (again a poster is seen).
• A clown's face is seen on the TV screen in Red or Black? and chants an appropriate rap.
• A 'jester head' badge (depicting The Laughing Man) is worn by Steve in Mould & Blood.
• Rap is heard in three of the stories.
  • "The joke's on you..." is the refrain of a song heard in Black Flag, Red Flame (described as singularly apt as an accompaniment to riot) and is referenced in Treat?.
  • "The joke's on you! Death awaits those who fall into the clutches of the Laughing God! is heard in Tricked! (the same words are spoken in Last Thing in which the rap had earlier been heard).
  • "The joke's on you! Death awaits those who fall into the clutches of the Laughing God!" is heard in Tricked? (the same words are spoke
  • The rap is described as 'echoing' and 'London's latest craze' in Last Thing.

Recurring phrases

They Want To Come In

• This phrase appears as graffiti in Tricked?
• The phrase is uttered by Dan in Red & Black.
• A variant on this is uttered in Mould & Blood when Steve tells Malc "I need to come in."

The Joke's On You!

• Spoken by Steve in Mould & Blood, by Dan in Red & Black and by the woman in Last Thing.
• Also spoken by the clown on the TV in Black or Red?
• Refrain of the rap heard in Black Flag, Red Flame and part of the rap heard in Tricked?
• Appears as graffiti in Black Night, Red Flame.
• The refrain of the rap is quoted in Treat?

Death awaits those who fall into the clutches of the Laughing God!

• Spoken by Dan in Red & Black and by the woman in Last Thing.
• Part of the rap heard in Tricked?

Peculiar Symbol

• A peculiar and sinuous symbol is chalked in red and black by Dan in Red & Black.
• The same symbol is seen on a badge of the jacket worn by The Laughing Man in the poster seen in the same story and is intimated to be represented in the swirls in the paint on the wall and is even suggested by swirls of dirt outside the flat.
• A similar swirl is traced in blood upon black-vinyl flooring at the end of Last Thing, a similar swirl of blood forms on black mould in Treat? and a similar swirl of blood forms on black tarmac in Black Flag, Red Flame.
• The symbol appears as graffiti in Mould & Blood.

Two 'Hoodies'

• Two hooded figures with (briefly glimpsed) misshapen faces appear in Black Flag, Red Flame, Black Night, Red Flame, Treat?, Tricked?, Black or Red?, and Red & Black.
• Although they don't appear in Mould & Blood, Steve behaves in a similar manner.
• A similar figure appears in the (non-Mythos) story Outside.