Here’s a small selection of the horror and genre news that caught our eye during the last week …
Coming 1 June from author Paul Kane and Grinning Skull Press, Zombies!
A group of teenage friends think it’s a good idea to hang around in a graveyard, while a young thief gets more than he bargained for when he breaks into a local property. We’re given a first-hand account of struggles in the aftermath of a post-apocalyptic event and the reminiscences of a musician with a very unusual talent. A woman wakes with no memory of who or where she is… and also no pulse, then we’re flung through space to a planet where a grave discovery is made—one which has deadly repercussions… Ladies and gentlemen, these are the Zombies! a collection of stories by award-winning and #1 bestselling author Paul Kane (Hooded Man, Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell, Before, Arcana, The Storm), including a brand new short novel, one of his popular Dalton Quayle novelettes, and a steampunk poem. With an introduction by award-winning and bestselling author Brian Keene (The Rising, City of the Dead) and cover art by Dominic Harman (The Hellbound Heart, Cabal), this is one book that simply refuses to lay down and die! Available for pre-order now in eBook, with a paperback edition to follow, you can guarantee your copy here.
Arriving in June from author Michael Wehunt and Bad Hand Books, The Inconsolables
In his first collection, Greener Pastures, Michael Wehunt introduced the world to his singular voice–a poetic, resonant force of darkness and unique terrors. He returns with The Inconsolables, a chilling selection of stories sure to brighten this star of literary horror.
Inside, meet masterfully rendered characters who grapple with desires as powerful and personal as the monsters that stalk them from the edges of perception. A man revisits a childhood game of pretend in “Vampire Fiction.” A found-footage collaboration turns nightmarish in “The Pine Arch Collection,” which links to “October Film Haunt: Under the House” from Greener Pastures. In “An Ending (Ascent),” Wehunt steps beyond horror in a devastating near-future elegy for living and dying in a changing world.
Readers have waited for years to discover which cracks between the everyday and the extraordinary Wehunt would explore next. His latest collection offers ten resounding, haunting, terrifying answers. The Inconsolables is fully illustrated by acclaimed artist Trevor Henderson, and is available for pre-order now in a signed, limited edition paperback at Bad Hand Books, here.
Happening midsummer weekend, organised by Alex Davis Events, Darkness in the Fields: Midsummer
Midsummer looms large in the folk horror calendar – celebrate it this year with the very best in contemporary folk horror. DARKNESS IN THE FIELDS: MIDSUMMER is the first online festival in the Darkness in the Fields event series, bringing you interviews, talks and writing workshops from an array of amazing talent in the genre. Taking place on Google Meet, attendees will have exclusive access to events across five days. Mix and match from our range of ticket options or access the entire festival with the Full Festival Pass. For full details and to grab your tickets, visit the website, here.
Arriving 7 July from writer Ali Seay and Grindhouse Press, Hysteria: Lolly and Lady Vanity
Hysteria is often used to describe emotionally charged behavior that seems excessive and out of control. But life as a woman isn’t for the faint of heart. Hysteria is sometimes the only way to go…
Lolly: Can the flu, antivirals, and childhood trauma turn you into a killer? Asking for a friend. When Lolly gets diagnosed with the flu, she’s expecting misery and meds. What she’s not expecting is an odd side effect from her antiviral. She can suddenly see dirty halos around certain people’s heads. These people have something in common—they’re all child predators.
Lady Vanity: Peri menopause is changing Frankie’s body and messing with her mind. Plastic surgery is too expensive and everyone has some kind of stupid advice. When Frankie stumbles across a vintage electric knife, the Lady Vanity, at the thrift store, her self-improvement is suddenly a DIY project with Lady as her partner.
When your sanity is suddenly questionable, as Lady’s slogan says: Cutting can be fun! Available for pre-order now in eBook, with a paperback to follow, you can guarantee your copy here.
Available 2 June from writer Mark Cassell and Red Cape Publishing, Six! : Vol 2
From Mark Cassell, author of the Shadow Fabric mythos, comes SIX! Volume 2, a varied collection of dark tales.
RIVER OF NINE TAILS: A British traveller desperate to escape his past finds himself at the heart of a Vietnamese legend.
REANIMATION CHANNEL: A regular parcel collection from a neighbour becomes a descent into terror through an online game.
SANTA’S ELITE: While human population fast approaches eight billion, it’s up to Santa’s special branch to lessen his seasonal workload.
HACKED: Lessons do not always have to be taught in school.
THE INCIDENT AT TRENT HOME: Receiving help from a grandparent is not usually this involved.
THE THING INSIDE: The survivor of a sea disaster unknowingly brings something else to shore.
KEV HARRISON
