Dump of cover art I made for "katabasis" by Saintaches
Hullooo So katabasis is probably the fanfic that has etched itself the deepest into my brain wrinkles. And if it's not katabasis then it's a different work by Saintaches but yeah. I reference it all the time and the metaphors in it have such a BIG impact in how I write now.
For this one I made three different options as well, but I only have the sketch left for one of them which ended up being the one the author chose in the end.
This fic is set in the month before the apocalypse around 70s-80s united states. A meteor will hit Earth and end all life, and the three protagonists decide to go on a roadtrip across the country, from Florida to California, in order to better enjoy their last days.
It's so deeply existential. It's all about how it's impossible to accept one's own death, about how you must find beauty & comfort in the world around you in order to reclaim what few days you have left. It's one of the most beautiful things I've read and the imagery in some of the metaphors have stayed with me for years since I read it back in 2021.
With this one I wanted to show how precarious their peace was, emphasizing the looming presence of the asteroid.
This one is a vibe I think because the colors kinda bang, but it's still my least favorite hehe
Finally this is the one that I ended up using! I wanted to portray each of the character's response to the news that they were going to die, how Dream was rethinking everything, Sapnap was terrified, George was strangely accepting. The roadkill in the picture is a reference to a metaphor that keeps coming back in the book, about how they feel forgotten, left to rot unromantically on the side of the road. It's just that cool a fic, man.
The author deleted the work from AO3 for some reason! Shit happens, you can find a pdf download (by me) on drive or alternatively if you'd prefer a Spanish version find my translation on Wattpad!