Here’s a small selection of the horror and genre news that caught our eye during the last week …
New charity drabble anthology, It Came From The Darkness, out today from Red Cape Publishing and Philip Rogers 101 PR
Featuring stories by Tim Lebbon, C. M. Saunders, Matthew V. Brockmeyer and others, It Came From The Darkness is a new charity horror anthology from Red Cape Publishing. Created in aid of the Max the Brave Fund. A huge number of horror writers, poets, artists, and film makers have come together to support the cause and offer the reader something special. Each piece of writing begins with the same five words, but the stories themselves are all wonderfully varied. So dig in, take each tale one bloody bite at a time, and beware of what comes from the darkness. Available in paperback and eBook, you can pick up your copy here.
This new anthology contains 20 original horror stories, 16 of which have been commissioned from some of the top names in the genre, and 4 of which have been selected from the 100s of stories sent to Flame Tree during a 2-week open submissions window. It is the first of what will hopefully become an annual, non-themed horror anthology of entirely original stories, showcasing the very best short fiction that the genre has to offer. Featuring stories by Tim Lebbon, Angela Slatter, Michael Bailey, Alison Littlewood, Ramsey Campbell and many more, you can pick up your copy in hardcover, paperback or eBook editions now, here.
An invitation to terror in broad daylight. Author Eric LaRocca brings together two chilling never-before-published novelettes which explore the darker aspects of humanity – a world in which horrible things can and will happen in the light of day. In “You’re Not Supposed to Be Here,” a married couple and their infant child find themselves at the mercy of a seemingly benevolent couple who are eager to play a game with horrifying consequences. In “Where Flames Burned Emerald as Grass,” a widower and his daughter meet a peculiar gentleman in the Costa Rican rainforest with sinister intentions. Shocking and disturbing, A Bright Enchanted Suffering plumbs the depths of human depravity and showcases the most fearsome monster of all – our fellow man. Coming March 2021, you can pre-order your copy now, here.
Tonight, get Live and Spooky with Flame Tree Press’ first creepy carnival
A virtual celebration of #spookyseason, Flame Tree’s first annual Creepy Carnival will be simultaneously broadcast on Facebook Live, YouTube, and other platforms, and will feature a range of pre-recorded and livestream sessions with Flame Tree authors, contributors, and team members, as well as a few friends of Flame Tree. Attendees can expect to tune in for exclusive readings, lively discussions, and live Q&As, as well as the chance to interact directly with their favourite authors, gain knowledge from industry insiders, and to win special swag and prizes from Flame Tree. The event takes place at 4pm EST or 8pm GMT, and tickets are free, all you need to do to confirm your attendance is RSVP here.
A Place for Sinners, the new novel from writer Aaron Dries and Beneath Hell Publishing, out now
Sometimes, survival is a sin. Ko Mai Phaaw, a remote island off the coast of Thailand, awaits its visitors. They will cross the sea at dawn. They always do. All creatures seek retreat in the end. On the rickety boat is Amity Collins and her brother, Caleb. They have waited years to leave behind their claustrophobic Australian town, an overbearing mother, and their shared traumatic past. For them, this is the long overdue trip of a lifetime. Also aboard is Robert, a burned-out American businessman in the throes of a midlife crisis. Only he’s not alone. Bedbugs and regrets he can’t shake have hitched a ride, too. Tobias, the German backpacker, is in wanderlust. And denial. Finally, there is Susan Sycamore, a woman with a horrific secret. She has journeyed from country to country, leaving a trail of carnage in her wake. All of these lives are about to converge on a single strip of sugar white sand. “Discover paradise,” the advertisement read. “Come and feed the monkeys!” It sounded like such a good idea at the time. But on this beach, blood will be shed, and no one will ever be the same. An uncompromising novel of surreal terror from the author of House of Sighs and The Fallen Boys. Grab your copy here, right now.
Coming December from Laura Mauro and PS Publishing’s Absinthe Books imprint, On The Shoulders of Otava
Siiri Tuokkola takes up arms for the Women’s Guard during Finland’s 1918 Civil War along with her comrades. Stationed in a remote village outpost, rumours of strange things in the woods come to a head when Siiri’s comrade Mirva goes missing in a blizzard. Determined to find her, Siiri braves the deep forest, where mysterious lights weave through the trees, and those who look upon them for too long may find themselves afflicted by a strange madness. But there are worse things in the forest than lights, and Siiri must face them if she is to find Mirva before it’s too late. Available in jacketed hardcover and a signed edition limited to 100 copies, you can pre-order your copy now, here.
Horror fans are always on the hunt for their next great scare. But with so many competing media options available today, fans and creators alike can be separated by platforms, sometimes missing out on great stories. It’s unusual for horror literature and horror comics to overlap, or for either to merge with the horror of the fine arts. Enter – Corridor CORRIDOR magazine hopes to unite these voices by bringing together creators from all the realms of horror print media. Imagine what it would have been like if Ray Bradbury, Junji Ito, and HR Giger had the opportunity to work together within the same pages! With such names as Nadia Bulkin, Kristi DeMeester and Malachi Ward on board for issue one, you can make your pledge and receive a number of exciting perks at the kickstarter page, here.
Ruined is a horror movie comedy podcast hosted by Alison Leiby and Halle Kiefer. Alison is absolutely terrified of horror movies but also dying to know the twist at the end of them (and there’s always a twist), so she usually reads the spoilers online to get all of the info with none of the terror. Halle, on the other hand, is a horror movie aficionado dating back to childhood. From terrifying classics to modern spooks, she has seen and been scared by them all (except for truly bad horror movies, which are ironically her favourite kind). Each Ruined episode features Halle giving the play-by-play of a popular, classic and/or extremely trashy horror movie to Alison, with the pair adding their own hilarious commentary, offering their personal insights and, at the end, weighing in on whether scaredy cats can actually watch the movie scream-free or if they are right to skip the scares and head right to the online synopsis. You can find Ruined wherever you get your podcasts or at the website, here.
KEV HARRISON