Cemetery Dance Online

Review: Stay On The Line by Clay McLeod Chapman and Trever Henderson

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 9, 2025July 6, 2025ReviewsClay McLeod Chapman, Haley Newlin, Reviews, Stay on the Line, Trevor HendersonLeave a comment

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Stay On The Line by Clay McLeod Chapman with Illustrations by Trever Henderson
Shortwave Media (July 30, 2024)
Reviewed by Haley Newlin

Clay McLeod Chapman is the undeniable king of grief horror. He’s torn readers apart with his lyrical, evocative stories exploring addiction in Ghost Eaters (named one of Vulture’s Best Horror Novels of 2022) and the loss of a child, as in his Southern gothic folk horror novel What Kind of Mother and his Bram Stoker Award-nominated novella Kill Your Darling.

Stay On The Line is another tale of grief’s haunting phases and lasting impressions, yet it still feels unique from Chapman’s other titles. Trevor Henderson’s accompanying illustrations are the cherry on top, adding to the unsettling atmosphere. Henderson’s Stay On The Line style reminded me of Stephen Gammell’s iconic illustrations in Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark.Continue Reading

Review: The Terror At Love Lake by Joey Powell

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 7, 2025July 6, 2025ReviewsHaley Newlin, Joey Powell, Reviews, The Terror at Love LakeLeave a comment

cover of The Terror of Love Lake The Terror At Love Lake by Joey Powell
Mad Axe Media (May 2024)
Reviewed by Haley Newlin

The Terror At Love Lake is a cosmic, snack-sized tale of a teenage cheerleader, Diane. Coming of age for women incites fear. Men look at you a little too long. Sure, they were creepy before, but now it’s like a hunter spotting prey. The vulnerability of a child transpires into a fight for autonomy.

This reviewer was impressed by author Joey Powell’s ability to create an authentic narrative that explores women’s constant struggle for personal agency and the threat of coercers. Continue Reading

Review: The Last Delivery by Evan Dahm

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 3, 2025June 29, 2025ReviewsColumns, Evan Dahm, Joshua Gage, Reviews, The Comic Vault, The Last DeliveryLeave a comment

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The Last Delivery by Evan Dahm
Iron Circus Comics (June 2024)
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Evan Dahm was born in 1987, growing up in Asheville, North Carolina. He’s been a resident of Brooklyn, New York since 2010, and has been creating and self-publishing comics online and in print since 2006. His prior work includes Vattu and Order of Tales, the Iron Circus graphic novels The Harrowing of Hell and Rice Boy, and The Island Book series for First Second. His newest book is The Last Delivery. Continue Reading

Review: Beyond the Bounds of Infinity edited by Vaughn A. Jackson and Stephanie Pearre

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 2, 2025June 29, 2025ReviewsBeyond the Bounds of Infinity, Dave Simms, Reviews, S.A. Cosby, Stephanie Pearre, Vaughn A. JacksonLeave a comment

cover of Beyond the Bounds of Infinity Beyond the Bounds of Infinity edited by Vaughn A. Jackson and Stephanie Pearre
Raw Dog Screaming Press (July 2024)
Reviewed by Dave Simms

This is a great year for horror anthologies. Something dark and amazing must be in the water as there are some stellar books released that hit all the right buttons.

This one holds zero duds in the entire book. That’s not typical in this era, so when it does, it makes a reviewer happy. The lineup between the covers is strong, which makes choosing favorites that much tougher. Upon a second reading my thoughts pivoted, and I assume they would again if there was a third time. Everyone will find gems in this anthology, depending on preference of style, topic, or voice, but there’s no doubt that readers will enjoy this one.

Review: Island Witch by Amanda Jayatissa

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 30, 2025June 29, 2025ReviewsAmanda Jayatissa, Haley Newlin, Island Witch, ReviewsLeave a comment

cover of Island Witch Island Witch by Amanda Jayatissa
Berkley (February 2024)
Reviewed by Haley Newlin

Island Witch is an unforgettable and culturally rich good-for-her horror novel I cannot stop talking about. After reading This Cursed House by Del Sandeen, Blood On Her Tongue by Johanna Van Veen, and Jordan Peele’s anthology Out There Screaming, I’ve been on such a historical fiction and female rage kick. Island Witch is topical, with themes like colonialism, colorism, racism, feminism, and misogyny. It’s a razor-sharp exploration of the violent experience of girlhood and womanhood, perfect for readers seeking a horror book with historical and social depth.Continue Reading

Review: Chopping Spree by Angela Sylvaine

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 27, 2025June 22, 2025ReviewsAngela Sylvain, Chopping Spree, Haley Newlin, ReviewsLeave a comment

cover of Chopping Spree Chopping Spree by Angela Sylvaine
Dark Matter INK (September 2024)
Reviewed by Haley Newlin

Angela Sylvaine has a knack for writing nostalgic horror. In her 2023 novel Frost Bite, Sylavine received praise for the nostalgia factor and her ability to create a horror story that reads like a B movie. It’s campy. I thought the same when reading the author’s 2024 novella Chopping Spree.Continue Reading

Review: Stone Martyrs by Erik Hoffstatter

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 26, 2025June 23, 2025ReviewsErik Hoffstatter, Joshua Gage, poetry, Reviews, Stone MartyrsLeave a comment

Stone Martyrs by Erik Hoffstatter
Aquaducts Press (February 2025)
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Erik Hofstatter is a dark fiction writer, 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. He now dwells in Kent, where he can be encountered consuming copious amounts of mead and tyrannizing local peasantry. His work appeared in various magazines and podcasts around the world such as Morpheus Tales, The Literary Hatchet, Wicked Library, Manor House Show, and The Black Room Manuscripts Volume IV. His newest novella is Stone Martyrs.Continue Reading

Exclusive Preview: Deathgasm 1.5 – Director’s Cut

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 25, 2025June 23, 2025The Comic VaultColumn, Deathgasm, Industrias Lamonicana, Peter Bune, Preview, The Comic VaultLeave a comment

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Readers of Cemetery Dance can get the exclusive first preview of the graphic novel Deathgasm 1.5: Director’s Cut. With words from Peter Bune and illustrations by Industrias Lamonicana, the pages can sweep people right back into the Deathgasm movie. Writer and director of the film Jason Howden remarked, “Between the events of Deathgasm 1 and Deathgasm 2 was a story that I needed to tell.” You can check out the current Kickstarter for it here!Continue Reading

Review: There’s Something Sinister In Centerfield by Robert P. Ottone

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 23, 2025June 17, 2025ReviewsHaley Newlin, Reviews, Robert P. Ottone, There's Something Sinister in CenterfieldLeave a comment

cover of There's Something Sinister in Centerfield There’s Something Sinister In Centerfield by Robert P. Ottone
Cemetery Gates Media (June 2024)
Reviewed by Haley Newlin

Robert P. Ottone wrote one of the most unsettling and raw books I’ve ever read, The Vile Thing We Created; think modern-day Rosemary’s Baby. But that’s just the half of it. Satanic worship? Or is it witchcraft?

Given the intensity of The Vile Thing We Created, I had no idea what to expect when I heard Ottone wrote a middle-grade horror story called There’s Something Sinister In Centerfield. Ottone, however, is no stranger to children’s literature. Check out The Sleepy Hollow Gang.Continue Reading

The Comic Vault: Armored by Michael Schwartz

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 20, 2025June 17, 2025The Comic VaultArmored, Columns, Danica Davidson, Interviews, Michael Schwartz, The Comic VaultLeave a comment

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A Kickstarter is currently going on for the hardcover edition of Michael Schwartz’s ghostly comic book Armored. Schwartz, who spoke with Cemetery Dance in 2023, is back to talk about the extras in the campaign, the other ghost comic he’s been working on, and his podcast centered on Wizard Magazine.Continue Reading

Review: Whistle by Linwood Barclay

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 18, 2025June 17, 2025ReviewsLinwood Barclay, Reviews, W.D. Gagliani, WhistleLeave a comment

Whistle by Linwood Barclay
William Morrow (May 2025)
Reviewed by W.D. Gagliani

After a long list of successful conventional thrillers (Bad Move, I Will Ruin You, Take Your Breath Away, etc.), author Linwood Barclay makes a welcome first foray into well-marked Stephen King territory with Whistle, a tour de force horror novel liberally dabbed with Ray Bradbury’s kind of evocative small-town dark fantasy.Continue Reading

Bev Vincent explores The Life of Chuck

Bev VincentJune 16, 2025June 17, 2025Reviews, Stephen King News from the Dead ZoneBev Vincent, If it Bleeds, mike flanagan, News from the Dead Zone, Reviews, Stand By Me, Stephen King, Stephen King News, The Green Mile, The Life of Chuck, The Shawshank RedemptionLeave a comment

It’s the waiting…that’s the hard part

In my review of If It Bleeds, I called “The Life of Chuck” unusual, and the story has led to the creation of a most unusual and unique adaptation. Many directors have re-imagined King’s works over the years, but Mike Flanagan has imagined King’s novella. Rereading the story after watching the movie is an interesting experience. King’s words have never been so faithfully rendered on the screen before.

Night Time Logic with Rebecca Cuthbert

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 13, 2025June 8, 2025Night Time LogicColumns, Daniel Braum, Interviews, Night Time Logic, Rebecca CuthbertLeave a comment

Night Time Logic with Daniel Braum

“Strange Tales,” “Ghost Stories,” and “Eco Horror”

Night Time Logic is the part of a story that is felt but not consciously processed. It is also the name of this interview series here at Cemetery Dance and over on my YouTube channel.

Through in-depth conversation with authors this column explores the night time part of stories, the strange and uncanny in horror and dark fiction, and more.

My short story collections with Cemetery Dance are full of the kind of stories that operate with Night Time Logic. My latest is called Phantom Constellations and is coming in Autumn 2025.

I spoke with Rebecca Cuthbert, author of Six O’Clock House and Other Strange Tales about her work, about ghost stories and strange tales, as well as the work of authors who influenced her such as Shirley Jackson.

We began our conversation with a question about author Daphne du Maurier.Continue Reading

Review: Creatures of Liminal Space by Daniel Braum

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 11, 2025May 20, 2025ReviewsCreatures of Liminal Space, Daniel Braum, Joshua Gage, ReviewsLeave a comment

Creatures of Liminal Space by Daniel Braum
Jackanapes Press (June, 2025)
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Like a vinyl record from days gone by, author Daniel Braum spins a unique blend of speculative fiction that effortlessly blends fantasy, science fiction and horror and mysticism in every verse. Weaving a tapestry of quantum intelligence, Braum’s multi-dimensional characters are drawn into dark worlds of spiritualism where concepts of advanced science collide with magic realism to investigate the unexplainable at the edges of civilization. Defying conventional categorization, his work thrives in the grey area between many genres. Braum’s newest collection is Creatures of Liminal Space. Continue Reading

Review: How To Make A Horror Movie And Survive by Craig DiLouie

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 9, 2025June 8, 2025Breaking NewsCraig Dilouie, Haley Newlin, How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive, Reviews1 Comment

How To Make A Horror Movie And Survive by Craig DiLouie
Redhook (June 2024)
Reviewed by Haley Newlin

“Horror is cathartic medicine.”

Max Murray is on top of the world with the release of the third film in his popular slasher series, Jack The Knife. But when he notices laughter in the audience at the film’s premiere, something shifts within him. There’s a new and profound desperation to create real horror and to be taken seriously at all costs.Continue Reading

It’s the waiting…that’s the hard part

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