Here’s a small selection of the horror and genre news that caught our eye during the last week …
A chance to live life over, to correct one’s mistakes – is it a blessing or a curse? In Beguiled by Night, Vauquelin, an ancient, queer vampire living in present-day Los Angeles, finds his time unwinding like a spool of dirty thread til he’s re-deposited into seventeenth century France: he seizes the chance for redemption. In Citizens of Shadow, he clings frightfully to his aim – until he learns the hidden costs of tampering with fate. Centuries of self-exile and isolation claim their due. What glory might unfold when you open your heart to what else is to come … and what rewards will you reap when you embrace your authentic self? Lush, gothic horror unfolds in Citizens of Shadow, a queer dark fantasy of vampires, time travel, and sinister secrets threatening to unravel an eternal existence. Available now in paperback and eBook editions, you can pick up your copy here.
British Fantasy Society nominated author Phil Sloman really gets under the skin of his characters in a way that is delivered with a deft touch and a slice of dark humour. His second collection, No Happily Ever After, brings us seven dark tales of the human condition. The childhood innocence of a woodland walk, a haunting by a dead lover, mysterious gifts on a family doorstep, humanity at the end of times, and more. Everyone has a story to be told, but will anyone get to live happily ever after? Available for pre-order now in eBook with a paperback edition to follow, you can guarantee your copy here.
Researching sustainable energy, Rick’s best friend Wally has discovered a means to tap into the bioplasmic energy field that surrounds all living things. He envisions trains and office towers running off collective psi. But when he invites his friends to test his psychotronic generator, they unleash demons residing in the human old brain, the seat of aggression and primal drives.
As the body count rises, it becomes clear, for these creatures of the id to survive, their creators must die. Pursued by police and hunted by their doubles, the choice is simple: kill or be killed. Even if the face of the enemy is your own. Out now in eBook and with a paperback edition coming soon, you can pick up your copy here.
Mainstream writers have readers; science fiction writers have rabid fans. The Science Fictionary is the ultimate reference guide to science fiction terminology: a clear and lively dictionary of science fiction words—from bionics and black holes, to warp factors and worm holes.
The Science Fictionary taps into America’s love affair with science fiction and the fantastic. It appeals to the legions of science fiction fans who watch the TV shows, go to the movies, buy the books, attend the conventions, and read the science fiction magazines in print and online. When it comes to words from SF, fantasy, and horror, The Science Fictionary covers the waterfront—from the Atkins Project and the Algernon-Gordon Effect…to molecular disintegrators and Mothman…to the Upside Down Man and Zardoz.
Hundreds of fun and fascinating science fiction ideas and concepts are explained in plain English, accompanied by over 50 original illustrations. No prior knowledge of science fiction or science is required. Anyone can understand and enjoy the definitions. Each entry gives the term, its meaning, and where appropriate, its origin—including the author who invented the notion—and the book, story, or movie in which it appeared. Available to pre-order now in eBook, with a paperback edition to follow, you can guarantee your copy here, now.
Worms Crawl In #1 is a 30 page Horror Comic in a 4 issue Limited run series. Marco’s soul is trapped in a rotting corpse. He escapes his watery prison and seeks revenge on the crime boss who tortured him. Delane, haunted by the ghosts of her past, hits rock bottom after the murder of her friends, and her pauper life unravels. Fate brings them together on a mutual quest for revenge that quickly evolves into something much more … Borrowing liberally from established myths and paranormal pseudo-science, this supernatural thriller with heart pits existentialism and the depths of friendship against ghosts and hungry cadavers. It teases modern paranormal culture in its references, such as ghost hunting, demonic possession, Bigfoot, and cannibal murderers. To check out preview art, get all the details and pledge your support for one of the many available perks, check out the Kickstarter here.
Orchard of Skeletons is a dystopian novel about Isaac and Macy who are on the run from a psychopath who wants to kill one of them and return the other to a life of slavery. During their run for freedom, they encounter an unlikely friend in the form of a replicant whose head has been severed from its body. The land they journey through is full of bones, abandoned towns and starving wolves. If they can reach Zeko’s the replicant can get a new body and save them from Finch. But Finch isn’t alone. He has the support of the people under the mountain. The ones who will do anything to get their hands on people who can make babies. Available now in eBook and paperback editions, you can pick up your copy here.
A mysterious invitation from an unknown sender.
“Dearest Fiend, you are cordially invited to attend the first ever Theta House Experience…”
The email promised an escape-room challenge like no other. $1,000 just to play, another $1,000 for the first contestant to complete the challenge. Six kids fresh out of high school find the offer too tempting to resist. Their reasons vary but the goal is the same: follow the clues, solve the puzzle, claim the prize. But will they be able to finish the game before it finishes them? Those who say Man is the most dangerous game have never encountered Theta House. Out now in eBook and paperback, you can grab your copy here.
KEV HARRISON