Todd Keisling’s Devil’s Creek recently made it onto the Final Ballot for the Bram Stoker Award in Superior Achievement in a Novel, and there’s good reason for that. It’s very likely the best thing I read in 2020, and also one of my favorite contemporary horror novels, period. Reviewers have compared it to Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot, and while usually I might roll my eyes slightly at such a comparison, in this case it’s very apt. Continue Reading
I’m only an armchair observer and by no means an expert, but it seems in the last six years the horror genre has witnessed a blossoming short story anthology market. And no offense to anyone, but I mean good markets offering quality stories and top-notch production values, not lots of people discovering the novelty of quick and easy self-publishing in order to issue sub-standard collections through Lulu or Createspace, which seemed very common about eight or nine years ago. (Again, I apologize for any snark; that’s just my opinion, only).Continue Reading
Generations before cyberspace was a practical application, the pioneers of weird fiction toiled in artificial worlds beset by shadowy cabals and god-like monstrosities. Imagine the possibilities open to Clark Ashton Smith or Algernon Blackwood had the tendrils of the internet penetrated early twentieth century life, offering another vast dimension for them to explore in their eldritch tales.Continue Reading
Alessandro Manzetti has quickly made a fairly large stamp on the genre. I remember hearing his name some a couple years ago, seeing something from him pop up here and there. Now, dude’s name is moving mountains. Whitechapel Rhapsody is a marvelous example of why.Continue Reading
For those who missed the news, there is a brand new Stephen King novel on the way next month, and it sounds like another classic!
“Later by Stephen King is an original novel about the secrets we keep buried and the cost of unearthing them. The son of a struggling single mother, Jamie Conklin just wants an ordinary childhood. Yet Jamie is no ordinary child. Born with an unnatural ability his mom urges him to keep secret, Jamie can see what no one else can see and learn what no one else can learn. But the cost of using this ability is higher than Jamie can imagine…”
In addition, we’re once again offering one of our acclaimed aftermarket slipcases for this new novel, in case you’d like to protect your copy for generations to come, but the ordering page will be taken down off the site later this week!
King of Crime: Part II — Hard Case Crime and Beyond
Next week — on March 2nd, 2021 to be specific — Hard Case Crime will publish their third Stephen King novel, Later. Although King is generally thought of as a horror writer, he has written numerous crime short stories, novellas and novels, giving them a unique twist. In Part 1 of this three-part series, I looked at King’s earliest involvement with crime fiction. This week, I’ll explore his more recent writings in the genre, including his previous two books with Hard Case Crime and the Mercedes series. Then, on publication day, I’ll review Later and look ahead to King’s next crime novel, Billy Summers.
We have a few copies left to offer of the new Limited Edition of From the Inner Mind to the Outer Limits by Joseph Stefano from Gauntlet Press, but these won’t last long!
About the Book:
Gauntlet presents Joseph Stefano’s scripts from the classic ABC television anthology series The Outer Limits. Stefano had a very distinct vision for an Outer Limits episode and these manuscripts will showcase these timeless tales from the writer’s perspective. All of the manuscripts included in this edition originated from the personal archives of Joseph Stefano. Featuring some of the greatest Gothic Science Fiction stories ever written, this edition will showcase the cherished legacy of this gifted writer. The numbered edition will be signed by Dominic Stefano, the son of Joseph Stefano, and editor Dave Rash.
Junji Ito is one of Japan’s top horror manga creators. His short story collection Shiver — which at almost 400 pages of length is longer than average for manga — gives a glimpses into what makes him so popular.Continue Reading
Meet Philip: a young boy with a desire to self-destruct. His family thinks he’s a monster, but that’s okay. Monsters are usually destroyed in the final act, and Philip knows that’s exactly how he’ll end up. A pale corpse, rotting in the wind…
Hilary Bunce feels like a monster, too. His dysfunctional family is unbearable, turning him into a shadow of the man he really is, lost and afraid, with little awareness of the emerging horror he is about to confront.
The world isn’t designed for people like Philip and Hilary. That’s why they each like to visit the Fade, an empty landscape of desert and rolling hills that seems to float beyond existence itself, accessible to only a privileged few, where all the world’s misery and loneliness dissolves.
But the Fade is not as empty or as isolated as it appears. A tall, thin man named Pappy stalks the desert carrying a large burlap sack. His job is to clean up the Fade. He lives in a grey house on top of a hill, eternally watchful, forever alert. And he will do whatever it takes to rid his kingdom of disease…
February is Women in Horror Month. Officially. But unofficially, genre buffs read horror fiction all year. It’s not even something to consider or be super intentional about, but of course the focused, extra attention women get during WiHM is important.
Eventually, the Women in Horror Month movement will take off in a more expansive direction allowing people to promote WiHM whenever and however they desire. But for now, it’s important to join together and amplify women who write horror loudly and proudly with a unified voice this month.Continue Reading
On This, the Day of the Pig
by Josh Malerman Surprise Lettered Edition Available Now!
In case you missed the news, we’re pleased to tell you about the surprise Lettered Edition of Josh Malerman’s On This, the Day of the Pig that we’ve produced in collaboration with our friends at Earthling Publications!
Originally published in 2019 as a signed and numbered edition, Earthling Publications has produced this 26-copy traycased edition, and it is now FINISHED and ready to ship!
February is Women in Horror Month, a time to celebrate those who have altered the dark landscape and pioneered the path forward into nightmares anew and fresh trails into the abyss. Note: this shouldn’t just be one month — it’s tough to highlight all of the new stars in the genre while looking back to those who paved the way.Continue Reading
In a couple of weeks—on March 2nd, 2021, to be specific—Hard Case Crime will publish their third Stephen King novel, Later. Although King is generally thought of as a horror writer, he has written numerous crime short stories, novellas and novels, giving them a unique twist. In Part 1 of a three-part series, I look at King’s earliest involvement with crime fiction[1]. Next week, I’ll explore his more recent writings in the genre, including his previous two books with Hard Case Crime and the Mercedes series. Then, on publication day, I’ll review Later and look ahead to King’s next crime novel, Billy Summers.Continue Reading
Most horror readers are familiar with Elizabeth Batharoy, one of history’s most famous murderers and the source of much vampire lore. Much less is known about her victims, which leads readers and historians to a lot of speculation as to who these young women were and what drew them towards Batharoy’s clutches. In her newest poetry collection, Many Restless Concerns, Gayle Brandeis uses hybrid text techniques to give voice to these victims, channeling the idea of a collective voice, or chorus, as the persona in this really dark and enticing collection.Continue Reading
Devil’s Creek by Todd Keisling
