Well, 2020 has been an experience and undoubtedly a trial for everyone. Our world suddenly contracted and became much more dangerous. It has definitely become more Abridged. Intimacy is always the first casualty of a pandemic and we are consigned to Zoom interaction if we can afford the internet and to ourselves if we cannot. Terry Pratchett once commented that extreme sobriety can be as damaging as extreme drunkenness. Imagine all the illusions and crutches you rely on being stripped away and being left with just yourself. For most of us, the result isn’t some Zen enlightenment with all unnecessary accoutrements of the ego let go but rather our soul is left open to the harshness of the elements, the biting cold and the searing heat of existence. Even the abrasiveness of the dull monotony of the everyday can wear us down. Hell might be other people but purgatory of the self is perhaps as equally as bad. 

As a magazine, Abridged over the years, as catalogued the viral and the contagious, using these as metaphors for our interpretation of contemporary society. This pandemic has offered us the opportunity to look at ourselves and our modes and methodologies of operation. We’ve gone online for our regular (if you can ever use a term as such to describe Abridged) issues as well as continuing to create limited edition print publications. Nothing To Look Forward To But The Past was a timely exploration of the situation we find ourselves in and The Merits of Tracer Fire dissected the codes we operate by. Echo, Eris and Nyx resonated as only Abridged can. We try to create things of beauty from the darkness both online and in print. We’ll continue to do so as long as we can. We thank you all for journeying this far with us and hope you’ll continue with us in 2021. Ever on.