Every year, someone plants a tombstone in the literary field and proclaims, “Genre is dead!” It’s a foolish statement, especially now with authors from every corner of the world and of every merit using genre to redefine reality and to emphasize and dramatize the way they tell stories.
So let’s dig up one of the most-used and most-familiar of genre’s graves and pull back the lid of its coffin. Inside, we’ll see that there’s only one truth when it comes to genre: It never dies.
Track One: Sunbleached by Nathan Ballingrud
Joshua has a visitor under the house, but he doesn’t dare see him when the sun goes down.
Track Two: The Night Cyclist by Stephen Graham Jones
A middle-aged chef’s nightly commute is about to lead to a chilling discovery.
Track Three: Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers by Alyssa Wong
Appetites rage and the boundaries of our theme expand in this World Fantasy Award-winning story.
Hidden Tracks
Sometimes you’ve got to dig a little deeper. Pull a book down from your shelf, run out to the library, or order it from Amazon. Get a collection or anthology in your hands, crack the pages, and get into it. These “Hidden Tracks” can’t be found online (as of this publication), but are worth seeking out and devouring. Enjoy the thrill of the hunt by tracking them down.
From his second short story collection, Langan has written a master class in tension and modern horror. When it comes to resurrecting genre, John Langan’s one of today’s great Mad Scientists.
Gone from the charts, but not from our hearts, King has spent his entire adult life reminding the world that there are no limitations to the use and effectiveness of genre. This one’s a little more traditional, but still has bite.
If you have a favorite story or two that fits our theme, whether online or sitting on a shelf in your library, add it to the Comments below!
JAKE MARLEY
Buy The Wide, Carnivorous Sky and Other Monstrous Geographies by John Langan.
Buy Night Shift by Stephen King.