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Review: The Dorians by Nick Cutter

Cemetery Dance OnlineAugust 29, 2026ReviewsBriana Morgan, Nick CutterLeave a comment

The Dorians by Nick Cutter
Gallery Books (May 2026)
Reviewed by Briana Morgan

What would you give up to be young again, and what would you do with this new lease on life? These complex bioethical dilemmas form the backbone of Nick Cutter’s The Dorians, a medical/body horror novel released in May of this year. Taking its name from The Picture of Dorian Gray, Cutter’s latest release explores themes of aging, immortality, and humanity’s quest for meaning.

In The Dorians, five terminally ill, elderly people planning to go through assisted suicide are stopped at the last minute and offered the chance to serve as test subjects for an experimental anti-aging procedure. Spearheaded by nineteen-year-old wunderkind Dr. Astrid, the procedure involves implanting a hydra in each participant’s body, which will reverse the progress of their illness and, by extension, their physical age.Continue Reading

Review: Pain is a Chain. Move, and I’ll Hear You

Cemetery Dance OnlineAugust 27, 2026ReviewsErik Hofstatter, Joshua GageLeave a comment

Pain Is a Chain. Move, and I’ll Hear You by Erik Hofstatter
Aqueduct Press (July 2026)
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Erik Hofstatter is a prose poet of brutality and elegance. He explores the darkest depths of what we’re capable of without flinching. Born in the wild lands of the Czech Republic, he roamed Europe before subsequently settling on English shores, studying creative writing at the London School of Journalism. His work appeared in various magazines and podcasts around the world, such as HWA Poetry Showcase XII, The Literary Hatchet, Wicked Library, Manor House Show, and The Black Room Manuscripts Volume IV. Other works include The Hurricane Caged Inside of Her, Stone Martyrs, and Bankrupting Sky Banks. His newest collection is Pain Is a Chain. Move, and I’ll Hear You.Continue Reading

The Road to OFF THE RESERVATION: An Obsessive’s Fiction Review Column

Cemetery Dance OnlineAugust 21, 2026August 21, 2026Spencer Hamilton's Road to Stephen Graham Jones' OFF THE RESERVATIONColumn, Spencer Hamilton, Stephen Graham Jones2 Comments

ROAD TO STEPHEN GRAHAM JONES’ OFF THE RESERVATION: An Obsessive’s Fiction Review Column

by Spencer Hamilton

Last time we spoke, I recommended you read my picks for what I called the SGJ Starter Pack—Night of the Mannequins; Killer on the Road/The Babysitter Lives; I Was a Teenage Slasher—and here you are now, ready for more. That, my friends, is the typical experience of a reader falling in love with the fiction of Stephen Graham Jones. When I discovered my first Jones book (one I’ll name in a future post) over six years ago, I too was hungry for more. I read eight (8!) of his books in quick succession—one of which was this column’s very first pick, Night of the Mannequins—a single-author binge I’ve never replicated until this year with, again, Stephen Graham Jones. He has a way of pulling you in, close to the characters and the inner details of their lives, while at the same time expanding your imagination greatly. In this writer’s humble estimation, Jones is singular in his expansive readability.

Stephen Graham Jones via stephengrahamjones.com

Review: Back for Blood: Never Whistle at Night Part II

Cemetery Dance OnlineAugust 20, 2026August 27, 2026ReviewsRowan B. Minor, Shane Hawk, Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.2 Comments

Back for Blood: Never Whistle at Night Part II
Edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.
Vintage Books (August 18, 2026)
Reviewed by Rowan B. Minor

Back for Blood: Never Whistle at Night Part II, edited by Shane Hawk (Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma) and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. (enrolled Mackinac Bands of Chippewa and Ottawa Indians) is the follow-up collection to Never Whistle at Night, published by Vintage Books in 2023. Written by Indigenous authors, both new and established, these unique tales in Back for Blood encompass both supernatural and real-life horror. This collection features 21 never-before-seen dark and creepy stories accompanied by unsettling illustrations by Cheyenne and Arapaho painter Brent Learned. Although this book is a follow-up, the stories are stand-alone and can be read without knowing its predecessor, especially since Back for Blood features different authors from the first anthology. Continue Reading

Review: The Sleeping Sisters by Jennifer Givhan

Cemetery Dance OnlineAugust 18, 2026ReviewsAdam Allen, Jennifer GivhanLeave a comment

The Sleeping Sisters by Jennifer Givhan
Little, Brown and Company (August 18th, 2026)
Reviewed by Adam Allen

The story “The Green Ribbon” is one of those formative, vaguely traumatizing stories that seems to have always been part of my consciousness and was one of the first moments where I realized I kind of liked being shocked and scared. Jennifer Givhan has given all of us who grew up with that story an enormous gift with The Sleeping Sisters. This extremely complex and creepy novel that takes that story and ties it to a real-life string of murders and Chicana-Indigenous folklore to create one of the best books of the year.Continue Reading

Interview: Del Sandeen on These Walls Remember and Gothic and Historical Horror

Cemetery Dance OnlineAugust 13, 2026August 13, 2026InterviewsDel Sandeen, Haley NewlinLeave a comment

Del Sandeen is the author of This Cursed House and her highly anticipated upcoming release, These Walls Remember. Sandeen is becoming a fan-favorite in the genre, praised for her expertly crafted, unputdownable gothic and historical horror stories. Her work has appeared in FIYAH: Speculative Literary Magazine, Uncanny Magazine, Nightlight Podcast, and Gay Magazine. She can be found on Instagram @DelSandeen.

Sandeen sat down with Cemetery Dance to discuss her new gothic and historical horror novel, These Walls Remember, the haunted history of Savannah, Georgia, erasure efforts in U.S. history, and grief horror.

(Interview conducted by Haley Newlin) Continue Reading

Review: These Walls Remember by Del Sandeen

Cemetery Dance OnlineAugust 12, 2026ReviewsDel Sandeen, Haley NewlinLeave a comment

These Walls Remember by Del Sandeen
Berkley (August 18, 2026)
Reviewed by Haley Newlin

Del Sandeen became a horror author to watch after her previous release, This Cursed House, which was a personal favorite of mine among 2024 horror book releases. With her new release, These Walls Remember, Sandeen has further established herself as a master of gothic horror. The way she utilizes historical details and settings to reflect grief and trauma is effective and evocative. Perhaps this is why I find her work so profound and unforgettable. Continue Reading

Review: Them by W.H. Chizmar

Cemetery Dance OnlineAugust 11, 2026ReviewsAbby Wolf, W.H. ChizmarLeave a comment

THEM by W.H. Chizmar
Gallery Books (August 11, 2026)
Reviewed by Abby Wolf

This review is based on my personal reading experience. All opinions are my own.

Science fiction and horror have always shared common ground. Both ask us to confront the unknown, in the stars, the depths of the ocean, or the darkest corners of human ambition. W.H. Chizmar’s THEM embraces that tradition with a story that begins as an ominous creature feature before evolving into something remarkably reflective. Equal parts apocalyptic survival horror and a meditation on humanity, THEM proves that even in the face of utter ruin, humans still seek connection.Continue Reading

Review: Island X by Marissa Yarrow

Cemetery Dance OnlineAugust 8, 2026August 7, 2026ReviewsChandra Claypool, Marissa YarrowLeave a comment

Island X by Marissa Yarrow
Mad Axe Media (July 2026)
Reviewed by Chandra Claypool

A thousand celebrities and influencers are invited to an island music festival and have to commit quickly or they will lose an opportunity of a lifetime. Imagine being invited to a party no one has ever heard of to really amp up your status in the online world and pump up those numbers! How could you refuse? You simply CANNOT.Continue Reading

Review: Small Town Slasher by Stephanie Rose

Cemetery Dance OnlineAugust 7, 2026ReviewsBriana Morgan, Stephanie RoseLeave a comment

Small Town Slasher by Stephanie Rose
Death by TBR Books (August 4, 2026)
Reviewed by Briana Morgan

“There’s no time to run. There’s no time to hide.”

After her partner Charlie’s tragic passing, Jenna Willcot struggles to adjust to her new reality. One day, after arriving home in the wake of the accident, Jenna discovers Charlie booked a stay for them in a “one-of-a-kind overnight experience designed to spark nostalgia and give you the creeps in the best way possible.” The trip is planned and paid for—all Jenna has to do is go.Continue Reading

The Road to OFF THE RESERVATION: An Obsessive’s Fiction Review Column

Cemetery Dance OnlineAugust 3, 2026Spencer Hamilton's Road to Stephen Graham Jones' OFF THE RESERVATIONColumn, Spencer Hamilton, Stephen Graham JonesLeave a comment

ROAD TO STEPHEN GRAHAM JONES’ OFF THE RESERVATION: An Obsessive’s Fiction Review Column

by Spencer Hamilton

Horror, as a fiction genre, is having a moment (e.g., Obsession, Backrooms, Sinners). So it’s only fitting that one of the 21st century’s greatest storytellers would finally take his pound of flesh and rise with this wave of fictional blood. Stephen Graham Jones has been steadily putting out his particular brand of fiction for a quarter century now. Many of us this summer were, though unsurprised, thrilled to watch him accept the Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel, Locus Award for Best Horror Novel, and Nebula Award for Best Novel for his masterpiece, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter. Give the man his flowers, we said, all while knowing he’d keep feeding us, and well. Our next meal? Off the Reservation, his upcoming novel from Saga Press—and surprise follow-up to 2020 fan-favorite The Only Good Indians—in stores everywhere October 13, 2026.Continue Reading

Review: Lost in Found Footage by Joey Powell

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 31, 2026July 31, 2026ReviewsBriana Morgan, Joey PowellLeave a comment

Lost in Found Footage by Joey Powell
Mad Axe Media (August 11, 2026)
Reviewed by Briana Morgan

As a devotee of found footage, cursed objects, and the dark side of influencer culture, I had high hopes for Joey Powell’s Lost in Found Footage. When Powell first teased the concept on social media, it ticked every box for me. This is the quintessential “Summerween” read—perfect for those early August nights when the air starts to turn.Continue Reading

Interview: Cynthia Gómez on Muñeca and Gothic Horror

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 30, 2026InterviewsCynthia Gomez, Haley NewlinLeave a comment

Cynthia Gómez is the author of the story collection The Nightmare Box and Other Stories, and a Tin House and VONA alumn whose short fiction has published in Fantasy Magazine, Strange Horizons, Pseudopod, Nightmare Magazine, and numerous anthologies.

Gómez’s new release, Muñeca, is a queer, Latine novel set in 1968 Oakland about a working-class witch who sets out to save a bespelled heiress and explores misogyny, racial hierarchy, classism, and the power of female friendship and community.

Book Riot called Muñeca one of the best horror books of 2026 so far. It also appeared on lists such as “15 Books Our Critics Can’t Wait for This Summer” from NPR, and Buzzfeed’s “Best LGBTQ+ Books of 2026.”

Gómez sat down with Cemetery Dance to discuss her new gothic horror release, Muñeca, the author’s early experiences reading classic gothic horror, additional influences such as Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Isabel Cañas, and the creepy doll trope. Continue Reading

Review: Imprint by L. Marie Wood

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 23, 2026July 31, 2026ReviewsElizabeth Broadbent, L. Marie WoodLeave a comment

Imprint: Book Three of the Red Saga by L. Marie Wood
Mocha Memoirs Press (July 14, 2026)
Reviewed by Elizabeth Broadbent

L. Marie Wood’s Imprint is the third book of The Red Thread Saga, “a genre-bending, experimental series,” which weaves elements of traditional horror, science fiction, psychological horror, romance, and thriller into a slipstream conglomeration that’s purely original and purely Wood. With all six books releasing in one year (!) fans don’t have to wait to learn the fate of throuple Mark, Eric, and Nicole (referred to as The Tryst in book one).Continue Reading

Review: Unnamed Bones by Lora Senf

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 22, 2026ReviewsAdam Allen, Lora SenfLeave a comment

Unnamed Bones by Lora Senf
Union Square & Co. (July 21, 2026)
Reviewed by Adam Allen

Some books transcend the labels placed on them because they are so much more. Unnamed Bones by Lora Senf is one such book. Though it is labeled as YA horror, and it is a horror book about young adults, Unnamed Bones should not be interpreted as being strictly for young readers. It is one of the best books of the year and destined to be a horror classic for all ages. I’ve read a lot of horror, a lot, and this book is terrifying. Continue Reading

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