Columns Archives - Cemetery Dance Online

What Screams May Come: The Day of the Door by Laurel Hightower

Cemetery Dance OnlineApril 26, 2024April 25, 2024What Screams May ComeColumns, Interviews, Laurel Hightower, Rick Hipson, What Screams May ComeLeave a comment

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The Day Of The Door by Laurel Hightower
A Ghoulish Books Publication (April 2024)

The Synopsis

Once there were four Lasco siblings banded together against a world that failed to protect them. But on a hellish night that marked the end of their childhood, eldest brother Shawn died violently after being dragged behind closed doors. Though the official finding was accidental death, Nathan Lasco knows better, and has never forgiven their mother, Stella.

Now, two decades later, Stella promises to finally reveal the truth of what happened on The Day of the Door. Accompanied by a paranormal investigative team, the Lasco family comes together one final time, but no one is prepared for the revelations waiting for them on the third floor.Continue Reading

Kang Tae-kyung on Webtoons and The Bequeathed

Cemetery Dance OnlineApril 22, 2024April 14, 2024The Comic VaultColumns, Danica Davidson, Interviews, Kang Tae-kyung, The Bequeathed, The Comic VaultLeave a comment

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Kang Tae-kyung is the pen name for two creators, Kang and Tae-kyung, who have published multiple webtoons, including their horror title The Bequeathed. Webtoons are comics from South Korea that can be read digitally, and they’re becoming more popular globally and in America. The live-action show The Bequeathed, from award-winning writer and director Yeon Sang-ho, is currently on Netflix, and he worked with Kang Tae-kyung to also make a webtoon version of this creepy story about murder and secrets. Cemetery Dance spoke to Kang Tae-kyung about their background, why they think webtoons are good at conveying horror stories, and how they approach getting horror across. Continue Reading

What Screams May Come: No One Is Safe from Philip Fracassi

Cemetery Dance OnlineApril 19, 2024April 18, 2024What Screams May ComeColumns, Interviews, Philip Fracassi, Rick Hipson, What Screams May ComeLeave a comment

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No One Is Safe! by Philip Fracassi
Lethe Press (April 2024)

The Synopsis

No One is Safe! presents fourteen stories of macabre, pulpy terror — a book filled with futuristic noir mysteries, science fiction thrillers, alien invasions, and old-school horror tales that will keep you up late into the night. Inside these covers, you’ll discover haunted dream journals and evil houses, birthday wishes gone wrong, a neighborhood cat that cures any disease, a flesh-eating beach, and mysterious skeletons on a hidden moon base. You’ll meet wise-cracking detectives, suburban vampires, murdered movie stars, and monsters of the deep. Don’t get too attached to the characters you’ll meet on these pages because anything can happen, and no one is safe.Continue Reading

Night Time Logic with Dan Franklin

Cemetery Dance OnlineApril 17, 2024April 14, 2024Night Time LogicColumns, Dan Franklin, Daniel Braum, Interviews, Night Time Logic, These Things LingerLeave a comment

Night Time Logic with Daniel Braum

“Ghosts. Monsters. And Things that Linger.”

photo of author Dan Franklin — Dan Franklin

Night Time Logic is the part of a story that is felt but not consciously processed.

In this column I explore the phenomenon of Night Time Logic and the strange and uncanny side of horror and dark fiction through in-depth conversation with authors.

My short story collection with Cemetery Dance is titled The Night Marchers and Other Strange Tales in homage to Robert Aickman’s strange tales. It can be found here.

In February 2024 I spoke with Cemetery Dance’s own Dan Franklin about his new book, ghosts, monsters, folklore, and much more. You can tune into our conversation here on YouTube.

Franklin’s newest novel These Things Linger is out now from Cemetery Dance. We begin our conversation here at the very, very beginning of the book…Continue Reading

What Screams May Come: Bill Mullen’s THE THING IN THE WIND

Cemetery Dance OnlineApril 5, 2024March 31, 2024What Screams May ComeBill Mullen, Columns, Interviews, Rick Hipson, The Thing in the Wind, What Screams May ComeLeave a comment

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The Thing In The Wind by Bill Mullen
Crystal Lake Publishing (April 5, 2024)

The Synopsis

A woman who has found her place in the world has it overturned by news of her mother’s disappearance in a remote region of northern Saskatchewan. She, her father, and a small group set out to find answers about how and why her mother and colleague disappeared and are suspected to be dead, all the while being haunted by dreams, premonitions, and a strange presence of something stalking them…something not human.Continue Reading

What Screams May Come: Richard Farren Barber’s ONE OF THE DEAD

Cemetery Dance OnlineMarch 29, 2024March 25, 2024What Screams May ComeColumns, Interviews, One of the Dead, Richard Farren Barber, Rick Hipson, What Screams May ComeLeave a comment

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One Of The Dead by Richard Farren Barber
Crystal Lake Entertainment (March 18th, 2024)

The Synopsis

cover of One of the Dead Terror doesn’t stumble and moan—it walks silently among us, cloaked in the guise of the overlooked.

Nick, burdened with the rare ability to see these dead predators for what they truly are, faces a nightmare when his girlfriend, Abby, becomes ensnared by their sinister intent.

These are not your typical undead. They blend in, their appearances mirroring the forgotten faces of society, making their predatory nature all the more chilling. A touch is all it takes for them to latch onto their prey, draining life in a way that leaves the body walking but the spirit doomed.

As Abby becomes the focus of such a being’s obsession, Nick is drawn into a desperate struggle not just for her life, but for her very soul. Their fight for survival takes them from the deceptive safety of city streets to the foreboding quiet of a cemetery, where the boundary between the living and those claimed by the shadowy grasp of the dead becomes perilously thin.

One of The Dead weaves a tale not of a zombie apocalypse, but of a quiet invasion, a creeping horror that targets the heart. It’s a story of love tested by unfathomable forces, of a battle against an enemy that never rests, never forgives, and never ceases its pursuit until you become one of its own.Continue Reading

Night Time Logic with Brian Evenson

Cemetery Dance OnlineMarch 27, 2024March 17, 2024Night Time LogicBrian Evenson, Columns, Daniel Braum, McSweeney's, Night Time LogicLeave a comment

Night Time Logic with Daniel Braum

“The Past and Future. Ambiguity and Uncertainty. The Monstrous and the Terrible.”

photo of author Brian Evenson — Brian Evenson

Night Time Logic is the part of a story that is felt but not consciously processed.

In this column I explore the phenomenon of Night Time Logic and the strange and uncanny side of horror and dark fiction through in depth conversation with authors.

My short story collection with Cemetery Dance is titled The Night Marchers and Other Strange Tales in homage to Robert Aickman’s strange tales. It can be found here.

In January 2024 I spoke with award-winning author Brian Evenson about McSweeney’s #71, the special horror issue of the publication that he guest edited. You can see our conversation here.

Evenson was asked to guest edit the issue of McSweeney’s to examine future directions of the horror genre and to curate stories that might challenge reader’s perceptions. We begin our conversation here with a question about the project.Continue Reading

What Screams May Come: Owen King’s THE CURATOR

Cemetery Dance OnlineMarch 22, 2024March 17, 2024What Screams May ComeColumns, Interviews, Owen King, Rick Hipson, The Curator, What Screams May ComeLeave a comment

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The Curator by Owen King
Gauntlet Press(limited/signed editions)/Scribner & Schuster (March 2024)

The Synopsis:

cover of The Curator It begins in an unnamed city nicknamed “the Fairest,” distinguished by many things from the river fair to the mountains that split the municipality in half; its theaters and many museums; the Morgue Ship; and, like all cities, but maybe especially so, by its essential unmappability.

Dora, a former domestic servant at the university, has a secret desire — to understand the mystery of her brother’s death, believing that the answer lies within The Museum of Psykical Research, where he worked when Dora was a child. With the city amidst a revolutionary upheaval, where citizens like Robert Barnes, her lover and a student radical, are now in positions of authority, Dora contrives to gain the curatorship of the half-forgotten museum — only to find it all but burnt to the ground, with the neighboring museums oddly untouched. Robert offers her one of these, The National Museum of the Worker. However, neither this museum, nor the street it is hidden away on, nor Dora herself, are what they at first appear to be. Set against the backdrop of an oddly familiar and wondrous city on the verge of collapse, Dora’s search for the truth will unravel a monstrous conspiracy and bring her to the edge of worlds.Continue Reading

What Screams May Come: John Durgin’s KOSA

Cemetery Dance OnlineMarch 15, 2024March 14, 2024What Screams May ComeColumns, Interviews, John Durgin, Kosa, Rick HipsonLeave a comment

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Kosa by John Durgin
Dark Lit Press (May 17th, 2024)

The Synopsis

cover of Kosa In a secluded mansion hidden away from the outside world, young Kosa lives under the strict and overpowering rule of her enigmatic mother. For Kosa, the rules set by Mother are the guiding principles of her life, shaping her beliefs and actions. She has been sheltered from the truth about the world beyond the confines of their home, conditioned to fear the darkness and malevolence that supposedly lurks outside.

However, as Kosa grows older, she begins to question the reality she has been presented with. Doubts eat away at her, fueled by a deep-rooted curiosity and a burgeoning sense of independence.Continue Reading

Dark Pathways: Why We Want That Cursed Artifact

Cemetery Dance OnlineMarch 14, 2024March 13, 2024Dark PathwaysA Lush and Seething Hell, Columns, Dark Pathways, John Hornor Jacobs, Ken BroskyLeave a comment

Dark Pathways

I just finished John Hornor Jacobs’ A Lush and Seething Hell, which is a collection of two absolutely fantastic novellas, and I need to talk about it. I think you can put either novella into any annual “best of” category and they’ll come out near the top. They’re well-written, original tales of cosmic horror that prickle the gooseflesh.

But I want to talk specifically about “My Heart Struck Sorrow,” which is the tale of a man working during the Great Depression era to record and catalog music in the Deep South. The main character of this story is Harlan Packard, who is seeking a specific song that’s popular in very remote areas and seems to have some kind of power, depending on the lyrics and how it’s played. As Harlan gets closer to the true song, the cosmic horror elements begin to emerge. Continue Reading

What Screams May Come: John Urbancik’s STALE REALITY

Cemetery Dance OnlineMarch 8, 2024March 7, 2024What Screams May ComeColumns, Interviews, John Urbancik, Rick HipsonLeave a comment

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photo of author John Urbancik — John Urbancik

Stale Reality by John Urbancik
Dark Fluidity (March 26th, 2024)

The Synopsis

“What happens is, the world, everything we know, this thing we call Reality, it exists in our heads. It doesn’t really exist. And someone decided they didn’t like Reality. Or maybe not that they didn’t like it, but they wanted to try another. They wanted it so hard, Reality changed, and now we’re in their head. Not our own. See, their Reality shifted, and in it, you don’t exist. You just got left over.” Welcome to Kevin Nichols’ new Reality.Continue Reading

What Screams May Come: Jeff Strand’s IT WATCHES IN THE DARK (EEK!)

Cemetery Dance OnlineMarch 1, 2024February 11, 2024What Screams May ComeColumns, Interviews, It Watches in the Dark (Eek!), Jeff Strand, Rick Hipson, What Screams May ComeLeave a comment

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It Watches in the Dark (Eek!) by Jeff Strand
Sourcebooks (April 2, 2024)

The synopsis:

cover of It Watches in the Dark (Eek!) “She glanced over her shoulder. Had the scarecrow moved? It stood there, smile stitched on its face, but now it felt like a smirk.”

Prepare to be scared silly in this creepy middle-grade novel! Twins seek medical help in a remote village after their father is in a canoeing accident…only to discover the scarecrow that stands watch in town may have a stronger hold over the residents than expected. Perfect for fans of R.L. Stine, Dan Poblocki, and Mary Downing Hahn.

Twins Oliver and Trisha love going on adventures with their dad. Canoeing and camping on the Champion River will be their best trip yet! But when they capsize in rapids, their father is knocked unconscious. Alone and without cell phone reception, their only choice is to continue down river for help.

Hours of paddling brings them to an old dock, and a narrow path leads them to a small village. The townspeople are kind and helpful, but strangely focused on the giant scarecrow in the village square. “He watches over us,” the twins are told in whispers. “He keeps us safe.”

An old woman warns the twins not to spend the night in the village. Not if they ever want to leave. But with the sun soon to set and their father not well enough to be moved, how can they escape? More importantly, can they survive?Continue Reading

What Screams May Come: MEAN SPIRITED by Nick Roberts

Cemetery Dance OnlineFebruary 23, 2024February 18, 2024What Screams May ComeColumns, Interviews, Mean Spirited, Nick Roberts, Rick Hipson, What Screams May ComeLeave a comment

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Mean Spirited by Nick Roberts
Crystal Lake Publishing (March 15, 2024)

cover of Mean Spirited The Synopsis:

An alcoholic teacher and father’s world spirals out of control when a former student is killed and he is left with her dog and the dark presence that follows it.

Matt Matheny teaches during the day, drinks at night, and barely hides his functioning alcoholism from his veterinarian ex-wife, Lucy, and his six-year-old son, Mikey. His world spirals out of control when a former student is killed, and he’s left with her dog, Conehead. But something isn’t right with Conehead. A dark presence follows him, and very soon, people around him die. Matt realizes the only way to protect his son is to sober up and work with Lucy to expose the dog’s mysterious past and face a secret so shocking — an evil so relentless — that it threatens to unleash hell on an entire town.Continue Reading

What Screams May Come: Scott Cole’s HEADLESS

Cemetery Dance OnlineFebruary 16, 2024February 11, 2024What Screams May ComeColumns, Headless, Interviews, Rick Hipson, Scott Cole, What Screams May Come1 Comment

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Headless by Scott Cole
Grindhouse Press (March 5, 2024)

cover of Headless The Synopsis:

In the midst of a heat wave punctuated by frequent rainstorms, people are losing their heads. Literally. Not only that, but their bodies are still walking, and attacking others.

And to make matters worse, tiny, translucent, maggot-sized worms are falling from the skies like hail.

As uncanny violence threatens to take over the city, Linzy, Carter, and Joanna become fast friends and leave for points unknown, hoping to stay alive, hoping to outrun the Headless.Continue Reading

Zac Thompson on Catching a DreamWave

Cemetery Dance OnlineFebruary 14, 2024February 11, 2024The Comic VaultCemetery Kids Don't Die, Columns, Danica Davidson, Interviews, The Comics Vault, Zac ThompsonLeave a comment

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In the new comic Cemetery Kids Don’t Die from writer Zac Thompson and artist Daniel Irizarri, people are obsessed with the gaming console DreamWave, which works while you’re sleeping. But maybe NightmareWave is a better name, as this horror/science fiction story shows friends known as the Cemetery Kids get in over their heads. Cemetery Dance spoke with Thompson about the comic’s inspiration, his interest in horror comics, and how shonen manga (Japanese comics aimed for boys) inspired the artwork. Continue Reading

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