The Great and Secret Show by Clive Barker

The Great and Secret Show
A Stunning New Edition of Clive Barker’s Classic Novel!
Gauntlet Press Signed Limited Edition Hardcover!

Hi Folks!

The Great and Secret ShowWe’re thrilled to report we will be receiving some copies of Gauntlet Press’s beautiful Signed Limited Edition Hardcover of The Great and Secret Show by Clive Barker, but we don’t expect our allotment to last long!

About the Book:
In the little town of Palomo Grove, two great armies are amassing; forces shaped from the hearts and souls of America. In this New York Times bestseller, Clive Barker unveils one of the most ambitious imaginative landscapes in modern fiction, creating a new vocabulary for the age-old battle between good and evil. Carrying its readers from the first stirring of consciousness to a vision of the end of the world, THE GREAT AND SECRET SHOW is a breathtaking journey in the company of a master storyteller.

THE GREAT AND SECRET SHOW will contain a significant amount of bonus material:

* All editions will feature Clive Barker cover art expressly drawn for the book
* Brand new Barker black and white interior illustrations
* Handwritten pages from Barker’s first draft of the novel
* Notes (along with Bradbury-like doodles) from Barker
* Pages with Barker’s handwritten corrections from the first typed draft of the book

Read more or place your order on our website!

Thank you, as always, for your continued support and enthusiasm!

In Which We Answer Who, What, Where, and Why

In Which We Answer Who, What, Where, and Why

My name is Brian Keene. I’m a writer by trade and a road warrior by heart. Neither of these things make for very wise career or life choices, but at the age of forty-eight, it’s a little late for me to decide I’d like to become an IT Specialist or an HVAC technician instead.

Both writing and the road got in my blood at an early age. My parents were transplants from West Virginia, which is like a ghetto with trees and mountains. Seriously. All of the despair and poverty and crime that plague America’s ghettos can be found in West Virginia. But, just like the ghettos, you can also find hope and inspiration (even today, when meth production has overtaken coal mining as the state’s most popular employment opportunity). Continue Reading

Review: 'Suicide Stitch' by Sarah L. Johnson

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000030_00040]Suicide Stitch by Sarah L. Johnson
EMP Publishing (March 2016)
188 pages; $12.00 paperback; $4.99 e-book
Reviewed by Josh Black

Suicide Stitch is the debut collection of Sarah L. Johnson, a writer whose work runs the gamut from horror to literary to science fiction to erotica. The stories here reflect that range of style and voice. They’re billed as “sexy, transgressive, and intelligent, comprised of eleven tales that explore the sinister side of love,” and that’s an apt description for the highlights of the bunch.Continue Reading

Review: 'Altar' by Philip Fracassi

altar_20front_originalAltar by Philip Fracassi
Dunhams Manor Press (April 2016)
53 pages; $7.19 paperback; $3.99 e-book
Reviewed by Josh Black

Have you ever been swimming in a lake, far from shore, and found yourself wondering what might be lurking in the black depths below? There’s a primal fear being tapped, and with Altar, Philip Fracassi taps into it not through a lake, but a public swimming pool. Brightly lit, sections clearly delineated, lifeguards at the ready should anyone find themselves in need of assistance… A few rough patches notwithstanding, it says a lot about Fracassi’s skill as a storyteller that this novelette works as well as it does.Continue Reading

Stephen King: News from the Dead Zone #190

End_of_Watch_coverNot long now until End of Watch comes out, the final installment in the Mr. Mercedes trilogy. King is doing a major tour for this book, with twelve stops between June 7 and June 18. The June 16 event in Albuquerque is of particular interest because George R.R. Martin will be interviewing King. Most of the events have already sold out (some in almost record time), but you can find the list of venues here.

After years of saying “no news yet” with reference to the Dark Tower movie, things are finally moving forward. The current release date is set at February 17, 2017, and the following people have been cast: Idris Elba (Roland), Matthew McConaughey (Man in Black), Jackie Earle Haley (Richard Sayre), Fran Kranz (Pimli Prentiss), Tom Taylor (Jake), Abby Lee (Tirana) and Katheryn Winnick (unknown). Some early photos from the set appeared a few days ago, and some of them disappeared soon after!Continue Reading

Review: 'The Damned' by Andrew Pyper

the-damned-9781476755120_lg-1The Damned by Andrew Pyper
Simon & Schuster (February 2015)
304 pages; $21.24 hardcover; $13.82 paperback; $11.99 e-book
Reviewed by Jonathan Reitan

Canadian author Andrew Pyper began his career by writing “literary thrillers” but now he’s been focusing his time on some amazing works of “literary horror” such as his latest, The Damned.

Twins Danny and Ashleigh Orchard are polar opposites. While Danny is timid and kind, Ashleigh is overpowering and downright evil. Ash harbors early psychotic tendencies and terrorizes anyone near her. A house fire ultimately claims her life and almost takes Danny’s as well.Continue Reading

Review: 'I Hate Fairyland, Vol. 1: Madly Ever After' by Skottie Young

FairyI Hate Fairyland, Vol. 1: Madly Ever After by Skottie Young
Image Comics (April 26 2016)
128 pages; $8.41 paperback
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington

Okay, I’m not the biggest fan of comic books, but when I Hate Fairyland came into Cemetery Dance for review, I took one look at the synopsis and knew I had to check this out.

What a trip. Artist and author Skottie Young has concocted a colorful, imaginative, raw blood fest that’s reminiscent of the old Fractured Fairy Tales…on acid. I love the artwork. It reminds me of the old Garbage Pail Kids cards I collected back in the day, only with more blood.Continue Reading

Review: 'Psycho: Sanitarium' by Chet Williamson

SanitariumPsycho: Sanitarium by Chet Williamson
Thomas Dunne Books (April 2016)
288 pages; $19.73 hardcover; $11.99 e-book
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington

Norman Bates has been institutionalized with the deaths of four people on his hands, four murders that we know about.

If you’ve never read Robert Bloch’s 1959 novel Psycho, not to worry, Chet Williamson provides an excellent synopsis to get the reader up to speed on the events which precede Psycho: Sanitarium. Personally, I went back and read the original work so it was fresh in my mind as I read this new volume. I’m glad I did as this gave me a feel for the writing in both books. If I didn’t know better, I could easily see how the two could have been written by the same author.Continue Reading

Review: 'The Sound of Time' by Jeremy Essex

soundoftimeThe Sound of Time by Jeremy Essex
Samhain Publishing (February 2016)
60 pages; $2.10 e-book
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington

The Sound of Time is a quick and surreal novella. The story takes place during the late night move of a business from its old location to its new. As the old place is emptied out, it becomes rather creepy. A discussion of time, and the perception of it, sets the mood for some truly bizarre events.Continue Reading

Review: 'Underwater Fistfight' by Matt Betts

underwaterfistfightUnderwater Fistfight by Matt Betts
Raw Dog Screaming Press (April 2016)
98 pages; $12.95 paperback; $4.99 e-book
Reviewed by Anton Cancre

Matt Betts has been making a name for himself as a novelist lately, but that isn’t how I got to know him. I was first introduced to Matt as a poet, via his superb collection See No Evil, Say No Evil. A guy who wrote poems about cool stuff, like Godzilla and Monsters and Why You Should Totally Leave The Beach. A guy who reveled in the silly and absurd, but could find glimpses of the sublime and occasionally heartbreaking between the lines. Underwater Fistfight is a return to form that I have been waiting for, lo these many intervening years.Continue Reading

Indie Publishing is the New B-Movies and Here’s Why That’s A Good Thing

PaperCuts-web

Paper (n): material manufactured in thin sheets from the pulp of wood or other fibrous substances, used for writing, drawing, or printing on
 

Cut (v): make (a movie) into a coherent whole by removing parts or placing them in a different order.

Indie Publishing is the New B-Movies and Here’s Why That’s A Good Thing

sharknado-4-sequel-greenlitThe age of the B-movie is dead.

Well, it’s died twice, actually, but still the term persists.

First of all, we should probably get on the same page and define what we mean by a B-movie, before I start telling you why I think it’s dead. And what I think has replaced it.

Continue Reading

Review: 'A Mixed Bag of Blood' by David Bernstein

bloodA Mixed Bag of Blood by David Bernstein
Sinister Grin Press (March 2016)
130 pages; $11.99 paperback; $3.99 e-book
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington

I’ve read several works by David Bernstein in the last few years and I’ve mentioned once or twice that no one is safe in one of his stories. It’s nice to know I’m not alone in this observation. Author Kristopher Rufty echoes that sentiment in his introduction to A Mixed Bag of Blood, saying “Nothing, or no one, is safe in Dave’s worlds.”

There are some very good stories in this new collection of ten horror tales from a writer who knows how to push all of my buttons: scary, gory, gross and, at times, humorous.Continue Reading

Cemetery Dance #74/75: The Joe Hill Special Issue!

Cemetery Dance #74/75: The Joe Hill Special Issue!
200+ page Special Issue featuring a BRAND NEW 30,000 word novella by Joe Hill!
Plus “How We Got Out of the Furnace,” a modified excerpt from The Fireman, a new interview, and much much more!

Hi Folks!

We’re very excited to make what might be the biggest announcement in the history of Cemetery Dance magazine: Cemetery Dance #74/75: The Joe Hill Special Issue!

This 200+ page special issue not only features an original, never-before-published 30,000 word novella by Joe Hill, but the issue grew so large that we have to publish it as our FIRST-EVER oversized trade paperback version of the magazine and our first double issue since #17/18 way back in the day! This change is just for this issue, so we can fit all of the amazing content we received. We’ll be back to normal with the fall issue.

In addition to the BRAND NEW Joe Hill novella, there is also “How We Got Out of the Furnace” — a modified excerpt from The Fireman — a new interview with Joe, essays about his work from those who know him best, and much much more!

Plus, of course, a great mix of our usual suspects and other incredible horror fiction and non-fiction!

For the collectors out there, there is also an extremely affordable Limited Edition hardcover of the issue, which will feature a full-color reproduction of the magazine’s front cover right on the binding, beautiful special endpapers, and each copy will be signed by the editor on a unique Limitation Sheet featuring gorgeous COLOR artwork created just for this special edition!

CD #74/75

Place your order today so you don’t miss out!

Or order your subscription today!

Review: 'Greener Pastures' by Michael Wehunt

greenerpastures_smGreener Pastures by Michael Wehunt
Shock Totem Publications (April 2016)
238 pages; $12.59 paperback; $3.99 e-book
Reviewed by Josh Black

With stories in publications like The Dark, Nightscript, and Shock Totem, Michael Wehunt has been making a name for himself and his own brand of dark, weird fiction. I hadn’t read anything of his before this, but if Greener Pastures is any indication, readers have some fantastic stories to look forward to. It’s a highly impressive debut collection; chock-full of imaginative plots, flesh and blood characters, and universal themes, all delivered through prose so lyrical it practically sings.Continue Reading

Horror Drive-In: A Call to Preorder

HorrorDrive-In-web

A Call to Preorder

I hear quite a bit of talk about supporting writers by penning reviews of their work at places like Amazon. I suppose it does help a little, even though neither I, nor anyone I know, puts any stock in that sort of thing. I know that there are legitimate reviews out there, but there are also kiss-ass pieces by friends of the subject, just as there are hatchet jobs by those who dislike the author. Sometimes an author will have the temerity to voice an unpopular political opinion, or perhaps write a bitchy Facebook post. I’ve seen jackals gather ’round to defecate upon books by these writers as a form of revenge. As insane as it sounds, it really happens.Continue Reading