#HorrorForLibrariesGiveaway: Three Anthologies for 1 Winner

Today I have 3 high interest anthologies, 1 finished copy and 2 ARCs. Details below but first, here are the rules on how to enter:

1. You need to be affiliated with an American Library. My rationale behind that is that I will be encouraging you to read these books and share them with patrons. While many of them are advanced reader copies that you cannot add to your collections, if you get the chance to read them, my hope is that you will consider ordering a copy for your library and give away the ARC away as a prize or pass it on to a fellow staff member.
2. If you are interested in being included in any giveaway at any time, you must email me at zombiegrl75 [at] gmail [dot] com with the subject line "#HorrorForLibraries." In the body of the email all you have to say is that you want to be entered and the name of your library.
3. Each entry will be considered for EVERY giveaway. Meaning you enter once, and you are entered until you win. I will randomly draw a winner on Fridays sometime after 5pm central. But only entries received by 5pm each week will be considered for that week. I use Random.org and have a member of my family witness the "draw"based off your number in the Google Sheet.
4. If you win, you are ineligible to win again for 4 weeks; you will have to re-enter after that time to be considered [I have a list of who has won, when, and what title]. However, if you do not win, you carry over into the next week. There is NO NEED to reenter.

The last winner was Lisa from PA. Now on to this week's giveaway.

Anthologies are very popular in general, but especially during the Fall when we have more readers who want to give Horror a try. Anthologies are the best way for readers to survey the landscape of a genre, to see a wide variety of styles and voices writing under one umbrella. They also provide a tasting menu of voices familiar and brand new. And if the editor does their job well, readers will finish the book having learned of a few new writers who will be added to their personal to-read pile.

Today I have 3 yet to be released 2026 Horror Anthologies for 1 winner. I highly suggest you add all three of these anthologies to your collections ASAP. They all feature popular authors whose books you have in your collections.

The first one is edited by Ellen Datlow. She is the most decorated and critically acclaimed editor and anthologist in the genre. Datlow crafts anthologies that unfold like a novel, layering stories that build off of each other which adds depth to the reading experience. It is important to note that Datlow has been consciously inclusive in assembling the table of contents for each of her books—and that intentionality (by the field’s top editor no less) has inspired others to follow her lead.

Next week she has a new anthology of all new stories dropping, All Hallow's Eve. From Goodreads:

Hugo Award winning editor and horror legend Ellen Datlow presents this chilling horror anthology of 19 original short stories from a world-class line-up of the masters of horror, delving into the histories and traditions of the spookiest season of the year.

Featuring stories by Josh Malerman, Stephen Graham Jones, Garth Nix and many more.

Halloween, Samhain, Día de los Muertos—festivals across the world where we can commune with those we have lost, when spirits can cross over, and when the boundary between the living and the dead is far, far too thin.

A young boy encounters a woman with an ancient and terrifying link to the holiday, a group of college students attend a Halloween party to die for, and a troubled girl exploits a local urban legend to try and turn her life around.

From America to New Zealand via the rural Romanian wilderness, this anthology explores our worldwide obsession with the spookiest season of the year, when the veil is lifted and the spirits come alive. 

Featuring 19 original stories from bestselling and award-winning masters of the genre, and from Hugo, World Fantasy, Locus, Bram Stoker and Shirley Jackson award-winning editor and horror legend Ellen Datlow, this anthology invites you to carve a pumpkin, light the lanterns and welcome in trick or treaters from across the world. With stories by Josh Malerman Lee Murray Rich Larson Clay McLeod Chapman Livia Llewellyn Michael Marshall Smith Stephen Graham Jones Linda D. Addison Christopher Golden Alma Katsu Brian Evenson Siobhan Carroll Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ Theresa DeLucci Garth Nix Jeffrey Ford Richard Kadrey Nathan Ballingrud John Langan

All Hallows' Eve comes out 9/8/26 from Titan Books who have provided this finished hard cover copy for one of you to add to your collections.

Next up is an anthology I reviewed in the August issue of Booklist here. 

Something Followed Us Home: Tales of Latiné Horror

Edited by Cynthia Pelayo

Oct. 2026. 336p. Atria/Primero Sueno, paper, $18 (9781668091944).

First published August 2026 (Booklist).

Critically acclaimed author Pelyao presents a culturally centered, haunting anthology featuring a who’s who of today’s Latiné authors with simultaneous publication in English and Spanish. The 17 stories are as different as the authors themselves. For example, Agustina Bazterrica presents a chilling, psychological, and heartbreaking story of a family’s pain; while Ann Dávila Cardinal’s diaspora story/satire will make readers laugh and gasp; and Lilliam Rivera’s standout, a discomfiting, visceral tale of body horror, anger, and retribution across generations and countries that will remind readers of Stephen Graham Jones. The tales here might stem from an inherited legacy of the horrors of colonialism, narco-violence, immigration, dictatorships, and gender violence, but the universal fear they describe reverberates loudly, screams into readers’ ears, ringing with their unsettling truth, lingering and forcing readers to reckon with what they have just experienced, long after the final page is turned. For all horror readers, this anthology will be especially sought after by the fans of the included authors and those who enjoyed the Never Whistle at Night anthologies.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Haunting, Full Range of Scares, Thought-Provoking

Click here for much more by me about this anthology. Something Followed Us Home: Tales of Latiné Horror comes out on September 29th from Atria/Primero Sueno Press who provided this ARC for me to giveaway to one of you.

Finally, an anthology I am very excited about but did not have time to fit it into my review schedule-- Unearthed: New Horror of Ancient Ruins. edited by Dan Coxon and Philip Fracassi. From Goodreads:

Nineteen original horror stories exploring ancient sites, uncovering forgotten histories and prising open the tombs of the past, from award-winning authors and editors Dan Coxon and Philip Fracassi.

Perfect for fans of Ellen Datlow.

Unearthed digs beneath these crumbling structures to reveal their archaic pasts, and their darkest secrets. Featuring the best modern writers of horror and dark fantasy, these stories explore the caverns and the catacombs, the ruined temples and the monoliths – and drag an ancient evil back into the light.

Featuring stories by  Tananarive Due Christopher Golden Josh Malerman Tim Lebbon Eric LaRocca A.M. Shine Jonathan Maberry Hildur Knútsdóttir Ai Jiang A. G. Slatter Mark Chadbourn Priya Sharma Benjamin Percy V. Castro Gemma Amor Cavan Scott Premee Mohamed Hache Pueyo Steve Toase

Unearthed comes out on  9/15/26 from Titan Books who have provided this ARC to me to give away to one of you.

That's 3 anthologies for 1 lucky winner.

Enter now and you are entered going forward.

Good luck!

31 Days of Horror: Day 27-- Spotlight on Middle Grade Horror with Librarian and Author Ally Malinenko and a Bonus Giveaway!

One of the top Middle Grade Horror novels of the year is Ally Malinenko's Broken Dolls. I shared my thoughts on this immersive and terrifying story here. But you don't have to believe me; Stephen King loves this book too.

Malinenko is not just a horror author, she is also a librarian, and the two sides of her collided this month when she chose to celebrate with a 31 Days event of her own by tweeting out 1 middle grade horror book you should read a day for 31 straight days. You can see that entire thread here (don't forget, we still have a few more days for her to add to the thread).

As I watched her add to this thread daily, I realized, I needed Malinenko to come here and share more than just titles. I asked her to write an essay in the vein of why I love middle grade horror. Below is her essay on why middle grade horror is important to kids and why they need access to it always.

Thanks Ally!

(And stay tuned after her essay for a bonus giveaway)

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When I tell people I write middle grade horror I get a variety of reactions. Everything from “what’s that?” to “kids shouldn’t read horror” to “when are you going to write a real horror.” So today I wanted to talk a little bit about middle grade horror – about why I write it, why it’s important, why kids need it and some recommendations that I have been posting this spooky month on middle grade horror YOU should be reading.

So let’s start with what is middle grade horror? Middle grade is a term that is used to refer to the readers between easy readers and young adult readers. Middle Grade horror is usually marketed towards 8-12 year olds. 

Now, for the “kid’s shouldn’t read horror” – my favorite response, here’s why that’s wrong. Middle grade horror is one of the best places to talk about hard things. In my second novel This Appearing House I had my main character have to come to terms with a very serious illness she had when she was younger but never processed. In my most recent book Broken Dolls, my main character has to learn how to process her grief, but also how to talk about it – she has selective mutism. Horror is safe scary. What do I mean by that?  Horror offers Solace. It’s not happening to me, but I’m following along with something scary which is thrilling. Kids live in a very scary world. They live through life-changing pandemics and school shootings. They know the world is scary. But adults tend to want kids to look the other way. Instead, I think we have a responsibility to kids to arm them with the weapons they need. When a kid reads a scary book the learn how to fight monsters so when they’re older they’ll know how to fight the real monsters that eventually show up in all of our lives. 

Scary books give kid’s agency, something that we adults take for granted. We’re used to deciding what time we get up and what we’re going to do all day and what to eat but kids don’t get that. By their nature and status they are powerless. Another thing adults sometimes forget is that kids have the full range of emotions, they just don’t have the language to express it. When you read a book you are rooting for the hero and that is especially true for scary books. You got into the dark but you make it back out again. You survived! 

Horror Tells the Truth. Let’s be honest we lie to kids a lot. We tell them the dog went to go live on a farm. We tell them everything is fine when mom and dad aren’t speaking at the dinner table. We sweep the truth into the corner and hope the kids won’t find it. But horror doesn’t do that. Horror tells the truth. Horror puts you in front of a monster and then gives you a sword to fight it. 

Horror Teaches Important Lessons about Fear – Fear offers no middle ground. You either succumb to it or you overcome it. There is no in between. Storytelling is how we build empathy. It’s how we connect with people. It’s a way of making connection that teaches kids that they can overcome their fears

And finally kids should read horror because horror is FUN. You ever go to a scary movie with a friend and you both get startled so badly by the same thing that you start laughing? No one would ever think about taking a funny book out of a kids hand but they scoff at kids who want to read horror. Horror for kids is a necessary and important genre and not one we need to be afraid of. Honestly it’s a privilege to write horror for kids, to watch them go, shoulders back, head held high, right into the dark and know they’re gonna be okay. 

Wes Craven had this response to the question “Why would people pay money to get scared” and he said, “You don’t enter the theater and pay your money to be afraid. You enter the theater and pay your money to have the fears that are already in you when you go into a theater dealt with and put into a narrative.” 

To my last point – “when are you going to write a real horror book” – let me tell you, adults will give you up to 50 pages or more to get to them. A kid? You have to hook them from the first line and you have to keep them hooked. That takes skill. That takes careful planning. People who dismiss kidlit horror are doing themselves a disservice. And writers, especially should be paying attention. I will one day write an adult horror, I’m sure. But for now, it is an absolute honor to be writing horror for kids.

So to that, I would like to share with you some of my favorite horror stories for the kid in your life, or the one that still lives in your heart. 

1. The Ghosts of Bitterfly Bay by Mary Averling. 

This is not only one of my favorite middle grade horror books it’s one of my favorite books. Period. Maude isn’t your typical 12 year old – mostly because she’s a ghost. Along with her best friend Kit and her little brother Scratch she haunts a cottage in the woods and scares off vacationers. When Scratch and Kit go missing, Maudie knows it’s the work of Longfingers – a monster from her own nightmares. Averling has crafted a spooky tale full of love, heartbreak, and the importance of facing the truth. A story that reminds us that the only way to truly know ourselves is to face the scariest parts of our story. This is an instant classic.

2. The Nest by Kenneth Oppel. 

When I started writing middle grade this is one of the books I picked up. It taught me how hard you really can go when writing middle grade horror. This book is scary. Steve is a worrier and right now he’s worried the most about his sick newborn brother. So when he starts to dream about a mysterious wasp queen who offers to “fix” the baby, he thinks everything is going to be okay. All he has to do is say Yes. But what does saying yes really mean? Yes is a powerful word that cannot be taken back. Honestly if you read ONE book on this list, read this one.

3. Nightbooks by J.A. White

This modern day spin on the Scheherazade story is a spooky fun ride. Unlike the Nest, that is legitimately frightening, Nightbooks is FUN and for budding writers, contains lots of fun tidbits about writing with suspense, creating plot twists and how interior logic works. It is the story of a boy, imprisoned by a witch who must tell a new scary story every night in order to stay alive. Also they made a great little movie out of it too! 

4. The Clackity by Lora Senf

This Stoker award nominated book is one of my favorites. Book one in the Blight Harbor series, follows Evie von Rathe attempts to rescue her beloved Aunt Desdemona. From the depts of the abandoned slaughterhouse, Evie meets The Clackity who makes a deal with her that he can help her find her aunt in exchange for the ghost of John Jeffery Pope, a serial killer who stalked Blight Harbor one hundred years ago. Yes, a serial killer. In a middle grade book. It’s brilliant.

5. Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker. Antler Wood is haunted, and no kit foxes are safe. When Mia and Uly are separated from their litter they discover a world full of monsters. The stories in this collection are both heartwarming and bone chilling at the same time. It’s a fantastic read. 

Horror is good about talking about what makes us human. And about what makes us monstrous. Kids deserve to hear both. I read an excellent piece by Ally Russell (whose books you should also read) called The Lonliness of the Horror Fan in which she said this:

“If you know a young horror fan, protect them at all costs. Let them explore the boundaries of their fear. When the terror becomes too much, kids know how to close the book or press pause. Let them use horror to tackle the traumas that this world will wreak on their young souls. They may use the genre to confront their fears or to heal. They may use the genre for entertainment. They might become lifelong fans… or not. That’s all right. The important thing is that they have support and space to confront their fears in a safe setting, because the monsters out there ::points to the world around us:: are much worse than the monsters in our media.”

Middle grade horror makes a pact with it’s reader. It says take my hand, we’re going to go into the forest. It’s going to be dark. It’s going to be scary, but in the end, we’re going to come back out into the light. And isn’t that why we go into the dark? To return to the light?

With middle grade horror there is always hope. Hope is the root power of storytelling. And that is the power of horror.

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Thanks to Malinenko for sharing her perspective. Now to that promised giveaway. I have one finished copy of Scaring and Daring: Terrifying Takes on 15 Classic Tales, a Middle Grade Horror Anthology from the Horror Writers Association edited by Eric J Guignard. From Goodreads: 

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here!

Get ready for a terrifying spin on some of literature’s most beloved tales—no story is safe! From Captain Hook’s run-in with dark magic to Sherlock Holmes narrowly escaping graveyard spirits to a happily never after for Cinderella, this horror anthology is anything but a bedtime story. In this terrifying new collection for young readers, the best-loved stories from the literary canon are revisited and reimagined with a deadly twist by some of the top authors working in middle grade today.

Featuring tales from New York Times bestselling authors Jonathan Maberry and Kelley Armstrong, Carlos Hernandez, Lisa Morton, Maurice Broaddus, and many others, this collection will haunt you long after you turn the last page. Read on—if you dare! 

Rules are the same as every week. Click here for last week's giveaway to see the rules on how to enter. 

There will be one more giveaway this week but all winners will be drawn on Friday 11/1.

Good luck to all. 

31 Days of Horror: Day25-- Why I Love Horror by Lynne Hansen

Today I have a rerun of Why I Love Horror with a different spin. It is from Horror artist Lynne Hansen. And tomorrow, I have another post to pair with this as well.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2020

31 Days of Horror: Day 18: Why I Love Horror by Lynne Hansen [Cover Artist]

In the October 1, 2020 issue of Booklist Magazine, I have a review of Lucy Snyder's excellent story collection, Halloween Season. In that review I callout the "stunning cover." Seriously, the cover [see below] will grab your patron's attention. The stories shouldn't need a good cover to entice readers, but that is the reality of our world. 

This thought and my general RA advice that we should judge books by their covers as we help readers, led me to contact Lynne Hansen, the cover artists for this specific book and for many others, to ask her to be my first ever horror artist for the "Why I Love Horror" series.

Below Hansen shares her love of the genre but also how carefully she crafts the cover to represent what readers will find inside. She uses Halloween Season as a specific example. 

So keep judging books by their covers for general RA purposes and read the first ever cover artist entry in my "Why I Love Horror" series below.

 
Why I Love Horror: Finding the Right Book

by Lynne Hansen

One of my earliest memories is curling up to watch the Acri Creature Feature with my dad on one side and my big brother on the other—and my mom clear on the other side of the house. Not every kind of horror is for everyone, but the genre is so wide that there is something for everyone here.

As a horror artist, I have the very best job in the world. I get to read amazing books by fantastic authors and then create art around my favorite parts. I get to help authors and publishers connect their stories with the right readers, just like librarians get to help readers connect with the right books.

My first drawings as a kid were of monsters. Acri Creature Feature had an art gallery segment every week where they would slowly pan across a wall filled with art sent in by kids. When I was five, I drew a picture of Bernie the Talking Skull and my brother helped me mail it to the television station. One week, I saw my creation on the screen. Sure, it was only for a split-second, practically subliminal, but I was hooked!
When I started school, my first stories were of monsters. I remember writing one about how when I wasn’t around, my stuffed animals would get up and have adventures—but not normal Toy Story type adventures—SCARY adventures.

I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s—BG, Before Goosebumps—so when I wanted something scary to read, well, there were mysteries like Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden. And I read a ton of fantasy, devouring Piers Anthony’s Xanth series, but as far as scary books for teens, the only thing I ever found was a series called Dark Forces where teens battled the supernatural. The covers usually featured a shocked or possessed student, and they were only available at our local bookstore—never the library.

At school I read Edgar Allan Poe, and was so excited to find stories that creeped me out and could still be part of curriculum.  I made a book report diorama for “The Pit and the Pendulum,” complete with rope-gnawing rats and a real working tin foil pendulum. I can still remember exactly which shelf in the library housed Poe’s books. (Fourth shelf down on the bookcase to the left of the window, and I read every book there at least twice.)

So there weren’t scary books for me growing up, just movies. But in 8th grade, I made off with a copy of Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews, thinking it was my best friend’s book, only to discover it was her mother’s. Probably not the best choice for a 13-year-old, but it started me down the path of reading adult horror. When I hit high school the next year, I got to read Stephen King’s Carrie and Clive Barker’s Books of Blood collections and I never looked back.

What I loved about horror, and still do, is the roller coaster ride it takes you on. When the lows are so low, the highs are even higher, and the adrenaline rush is amazing—when you find the right book.

It’s just so important to find the perfect match for a particular reader, and luckily there’s a great variety within the genre to choose from.

When I started out as a cover artist, 11 years ago this month, I would create art for whatever kind of book you needed—horror, of course, but also mysteries, young adult, sci-fi—even spicy romance. But my roster was always much more on the horror side. A little over two years ago I decided that I only wanted to make art for the genre I loved. If that meant I had fewer clients, that would be fine by me because at least I’d be doing the work that was most important to me. Wonderfully, I didn’t lose work—I got more. And more. And more after that. I’m so insanely grateful.

I think it has a lot to do with being a lifelong horror fan. I know that there are nuances to horror, and although we horror fans love our haunted houses and creepy skeletons I know that putting a generic version of one of those iconic symbols on a cover isn’t enough to connect the right readers to the right book.

Most book covers first reach out to readers as a tiny thumbnail, whether the reader is seeing the book online or across a crowded library. At this point, a good horror cover has to be readily identifiable as belonging to the genre. Even if a potential reader isn’t familiar with a particular author, they still have to think, “Hey, I like that kind of book! Let me take a closer look!”

And when the reader clicks the cover or crosses the room to pick up a book from a display, the reaction needs to be more than just, “Oh look, it’s bigger!” There needs to be a bonus element, a special detail that makes the reader say, “Oooh! I didn’t notice that! Now I want to know more about this book!” (I call this the “lean in” moment.) And hopefully they’ll flip to the back of the book and read the book description and be unable to put the book down until they reach the circulation desk.

Take for example the cover I created for Lucy A. Snyder’s collection Halloween Season from Raw Dog Screaming Press. [Click here to access it.] When you first see that book in thumbnail, you see a giant pumpkin house with excited trick-or-treaters about to ring the doorbell. Potential readers conjure fond childhood experiences with the holiday. Then they lean in to learn a bit more and discover that all is not all soft-focus nostalgia. There’s a silhouette of a man with a knife in one window, and in the other, we see a pair of little hands calling out for help. And is that a zombie crawling out from beneath the porch?

Most importantly, the cover mimics the range of stories you’ll find inside Snyder’s collection, which includes tales that will fill you alternately with love and dread for the Halloween season. If the cover to Halloween Season connects with a reader, so will the stories inside.

And as an artist, that’s all I ever want—for readers to find the authors and stories they’ll love if nudged in the right direction, kind of like I did. I couldn’t have a better job.
 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lynne Hansen is a horror artist who specializes in book covers. She loves creating art that tells a story and that helps publishers and authors reach the audiences they deserve. Her clients include Cemetery Dance Publications, Thunderstorm Books and Raw Dog Screaming Press. She has illustrated works by New York Times bestselling authors including Jonathan Maberry, George Romero, and Christopher Golden. Her art has been commissioned and collected throughout the United States and overseas. Art-Haus Gallery in Atlanta will be hosting her solo art show “Lyrical Nightmares: The Art of Lynne Hansen.” For more information, visit LynneHansenArt.com or find her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter at @LynneHansenArt.

31 Days of Horror: Day 18: Why I Love Horror by Tony Jones, Librarian and YA Horror Expert

Tony Jones, a librarian in the UK, is an expert in YA Horror books and in working with teen readers. He is also the author of The YA 400. From Jones about this book:

To celebrate my 30 years as a school librarian, my almanac was published in late June, called THE YA HORROR 400. Which includes reviews of 400 of my favourite YA horror novels published between 2008-24, 90 brand new connecting commentary articles from authors such as Frances Hardinge and other big names, 40+ Top Tip lists of recommendations on subjects as varied as haunted houses, LGBTQIA+ horror, Black characters in horror and mental health. Plus many other features, lists, ‘Fear Factor’ gradings and topical suggestions. Even some very well known adult writers are featured, such as Ramsey Campbell and John Connolly, who I have interviewed for Ginger Nuts of Horror or other websites such as Horror DNA or InkHeist (I've written for many) and ultimately wanted my words to survive beyond the internet.

I have read this book (thanks to Jones for the review copy) and first of all, let's all take a moment to commend Jones for working to collect all of his writing and reviews from across the internet into one place. I mean, he is a librarian, but too often many of us (myself included), forget to make sure our words "survive beyond the internet," as Jones says above.

But also, seeing all of this work from 2008 through 2024 in one place, all of it geared toward a YA Horror reading audience, including adult books that work well for teens, written by someone who has not only dedicated their life to serving teen horror readers, but who is an actual expert in it, makes this book a must purchase for American libraries. It is a must have reference resource for working with teen Horror readers. If you own my book, you need Jones' book too. And if you don't already own my book, buy both ASAP.

All of the titles are from 2008 to the present and it is diverse and thorough. You need a suggestion for a teen horror reader? It is here. You want a list to make a display? It is here. You want help having the RA conversation with teen readers? Jones is the person to assist you.

To go along with my recommendation of The YA 400 as a resource for all library workers, I also asked Jones to share a brand new Why I Love Horror essay with me. 

Below he not only shares his personal love of the genre, but also he provides guidance to helping your teen Horror readers. It is a free preview of the expert advice you can find in his book.

Thank you for all of your work over your career, Tony. I am glad to have you as part of the Why I Love Horror family. And I am so thankful your words will survive the internet so that more library workers can use them to help their teen Horror readers.

Order a copy of the book for your library here.

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Why I Love Horror
by Tony Jones

My earliest love for horror arrived via film rather than books. As a child I devoured classic Universal, Hammer and Roger Corman’s Poe cycle whenever they appeared on late night television. With my teenage years still some time away, a watershed moment was being terrified by Joe Dante’s The Howling, blessed with stunning special effects, incredibly realistic creatures and a level of sexuality I was yet unaware film could deliver. Well over forty years later I still devour horror with the same enthusiasm as that little kid mesmerised by those unforgettable werewolves.

Growing up in rural areas of Scotland in the pre-Goosebump and Point Horror days my first serious dive into the genre came via non-fiction, greedily absorbing books on the unknown, ghosts, poltergeists and vampires. I lived for our trips to public library and the secrets they housed. I have never forgotten a graphic photo of a severed leg, supposedly the only remains from a case of spontaneous human combustion. Was it true? Who knows. But I wanted to believe it and eagerly sought out similarly graphic books in the library. Although these days Christopher Maynard’s Usborne’s World of the Unknown: Ghosts (1977) looks incredibly old fashioned, this remains my true literary gateway into the world of horror and the unexplained. Like Fox Mulder I wanted to believe.

Becoming a teenager in the mid-eighties I read Robert Cormier and SE Hinton but whatever YA horror existed made little impression on me except for Lois Duncan’s Stranger With My Face. Instead I leap feet-first into adult fiction (when I was much too young) discovering Shaun Hutson, James Herbert, John Saul and Stephen King. I was attracted to the garish covers from this golden eighties era, crazy violence, loved talking about horror with kids at school, noting juicy sex scenes and trading titles. Already very knowledgeable, I got a kick out of other kids asking for tips (I was clearly a school librarian in the making!)

By 1994 I had graduated university with a Library Science degree and was working in my first school library and Goosebumps and Point Horror had since blown up in the UK. As they had arrived after I had stopped reading kids’ books I knew little about them and was stunned to see so many children obsessed with my favourite genre. I worked in an inner-city school with low literacy levels and these books were so popular they were stored in a separate cupboard to prevent theft. Children adored them, and I was amazed to find horror dominating the mainstream, this also invigorated my interest in YA during a period where I was mainly reading adult fantasy authors like David Eddings and Raymond Feist.

By 2000 I was working in another London school when Darren Shan arrived on the scene. In the UK his twelve book vampire series The Saga of Darren Shan was enormous and Darren even visited my school on two occasions. Shan’s enthusiasm for horror, and his bombastic author visits were infectious, drawing countless readers towards the genre. In the opening pages of Lord Loss a man is ripped in half by a demon, I recall thinking “My god, this is supposed to be a children’s book!” This was the type of horror I routinely and cheerfully recommended to young teens.

I have now been a school librarian for over thirty years and for most of those have balanced reading children’s books (not just horror) with adult fiction. Being well read is crucial to being a successful school librarian who engages naturally with young readers about literature.

The accessibility of horror authors in the online world later fired my interest in the genre. I recall shooting off an email to Adam Nevill after his second novel Apartment 16 around 2011, and whilst Adam has become incredibly successful, we have remained in touch and I have reviewed most of his books. I have similar correspondences with countless other authors. I still find it exhilarating that I am Facebook friends with Ramsey Campbell and if I direct message him, he will reply! The accessibility of our literary horror heroes is an endearing feature of the genre.

Around 2015 I started reviewing for the Ginger Nuts of Horror (GNOH), then Horror DNA and occasionally Ink Heist. Since 2016 I have reviewed a staggering number of books, both YA and adult. When I started out I only intended to review adult titles but was naturally drawn towards YA horror and within a year was managing my own sub-section of GNOH called ‘Young Blood’, focusing on YA and a lesser extent Middle Grade. Becoming increasingly successful, it is widely used by school librarians and others in education circles. Over the years I have met many school librarians who use the page, openly admit they do not read any horror, but trust my suggestions 100%. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing library professionals recommending ‘Young Blood’ on other social media or educational platforms.

I love horror for its ability to unsettle, get under the skin, shock, suspend reality and provide the ultimate form of escapism. A few years back I reread Pet Semetary and the jerky unsettling movements of the reanimated cat Church brought on a nightmare, where I thought the cat was hiding in my bedroom. No matter how old you are, or ‘experienced’ a reader, scares can still lurk in the night. Ultimately I enjoy very dark fiction and as this feature is part of a ’31 Days of Horror’ series, here are 31 of my favourite YA horror writers, all of which are featured in my recent book The YA Horror 400. If you are looking to build a collection, here is a terrific starting point:

Courtney Alameda, Kalynn Bayron, Alex Bell, Tori Bovalino, Rin Chupuco, Kayla Cottingham, Kat Ellis, Kathryn Foxfield, Ann Fraistat, Tara Goedjen, William Hussey, Justina Ireland, Tiffany D Jackson, Daniel Kraus, Dawn Kurtagich, Jessica Lewis, Amy Lukavics, Jonathan Maberry, Tess James-Mackey, Kate Alice Marshall, Mindy McGinnis, Cynthia Murphy, Stephanie Perkins, Sarah Pinborough, Melinda Salisbury, Jonathan Stroud, Deirdre Sullivan, Krystal Sutherland, Vincent Tirado, Erica Waters and Suzanne Young.

Over the years the ’Young Blood’ section of GNOH has evolved from an occasional feature to a near-monthly column where I review as many as ten books at a time. The YA Horror 400 features substantial rewrites of my favourite 400 reviews from novels published between 2008 and 2024. Ultimately I wanted my reviews to reach an audience beyond the GNOH online readership and for my work to exist independently of the website. I incorporated a substantial range of new information and extensive appendices, including the ‘best’ of a decade of writing for GNOH.

As well as the 400 reviews, The YA Horror 400 contains ninety brand new short accompanying features from authors included in the book. If you want to know why Rory Power, Erica Waters or Amy Lukavics write horror, this book will be very enlightening. It is backed up by 25 author interview excerpts from my years as a reviewer, including Adam Cesare, John Connolly and Ramsey Campbell.

Brief notes on each book are provided, as is an age suitability range and a ‘fear factor’ score. How scary is a book is a fascinating question, what I give a 9/10 might be completely different to your grade. However, I’m fairly sure anything I rate 8/10 or higher to will have most readers jumping! Spread across the A-Z are forty genre based ‘Top Tip’ features including haunted houses, dreams and nightmares, coming-of-age horror, dystopian landscapes, historical horror, environmental terrors and LGBTQIA+ representation. Many of which are personal favourites and ideal for librarians looking to develop collections.

In the appendices the feature article The Psychotronic Book Club: adventures in getting older teens to read (horror) is the closest to my heart and a number of the graduates of my reading group are thanked in the acknowledgements. My club (in tribute) borrows its title from the iconic Michael Weldon book The Psychotronic Encyclopaedia of Film (1989) and has been brightening my day for the last fifteen years. This senior book club (ages 15+) read six books in a school year, broadly chosen under the term ‘cult’ fiction and in recent years have had a major horror focus. We read accessible adult novels, not YA.

Over the last few years we have discussed Adam Nevill (Last Days), Alison Rumfitt (Tell Me I’m Worthless), Iain Banks (The Wasp Factory), AM Shine (The Watchers), Iain Reid (Foe), Toby Luff (Ration), Stephen King (The Long Walk), Paul Tremblay (A Head Full of Ghosts), Josh Malerman (Bird Box), Alden Bell (The Reapers are the Angels), Nick Cutter (The Deep), Joshua Gaylord (When We Were Animals), Agustine Bazerrica (Tender is the Flesh) and Gus Moreno (This Thing Between Us). Looking forward, in the autumn we will be reading Philip Fracassi (Boys in the Valley) and Tim McGregor (Wasps in the Ice Cream). Some of my favourite author, such as Adam Nevill, Alden Bell, Stephen King, and Paul Tremblay, have had multiple titles studied. I also like to revisit my absolute favourite novels every few years with a new group of students, such as Alden Bell’s The Reapers are the Angels or King’s The Long Walk.

Being able to engage with teenagers about horror (and the power of fiction) is one of the highlights of my job which can deliver lifelong impressions which stretch beyond school. I recall one of my favourite authors Scott Sigler visiting London from the USA, I was one of many fans who pitched up for an informal pub get together and book signing. It was also overwhelming to bump into a former member of my Psychotronic Book Club, Reuben, whom I had introduced to Sigler some years earlier. Reading horror as a teen creates lifelong readers!

Tony Jones
Emanuel School Senior Librarian & Archivist

Bram Stoker Awards Finalists w/ review links

I am very excited to present the The 2021 Bram Stoker Awards® Final Ballot. Below I have reprinted the entire ballot with the addition of my reviews where appropriate.

Now, I need to go figure out who I am going to vote for because this ballot is filled with some amazing choices.

The 2021 Bram Stoker Awards® Final Ballot Announced

The Horror Writers Association (HWA) is pleased to announce the Final Ballot for the 2021 Bram Stoker Awards®. The HWA (see http://www.horror.org/) is the premier writers organization in the horror and dark fiction genre, with more than 1,800 members. We have presented the Bram Stoker Awards in various categories since 1987 (see http://www.thebramstokerawards.com/) 

Works appearing on this Ballot are Bram Stoker Award® Nominees for Superior Achievement in their Category, e.g., Novel, and everyone may refer to them as such immediately after the announcement.

The HWA Board and the Bram Stoker Awards® Committee congratulate all those appearing on the Final Ballot. Notes about the voting process will appear after the ballot listing.

If your work appears on this ballot and you would like to offer it to voting members of the HWA in the Internet Mailer to be sent on or around February 25, please see important information following the ballot.
The 2021 Bram Stoker Awards® Final Ballot

Superior Achievement in a Novel
Castro, V. - The Queen of the Cicadas (Flame Tree Press)
Hendrix, Grady - The Final Girl Support Group (Berkley)
Jones, Stephen Graham - My Heart is a Chainsaw (Gallery/Saga Press)
Pelayo, Cynthia - Children of Chicago (Agora Books)
Wendig, Chuck - The Book of Accidents (Del Rey)

Superior Achievement in a First Novel*

• Martinez, S. Alessandro - Helminth (Omnium Gatherum)
• McQueen, LaTanya - When the Reckoning Comes (Harper Perennial)
• Miles, Terry - Rabbits (Del Rey)
• Piper, Hailey - Queen of Teeth (Strangehouse Books)
• Quigley, Lisa - The Forest (Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing)
• Willson, Nicole - Tidepool (The Parliament House)

*Due to a tie in fifth place, there are six nominees in this category.

Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel

• Ahmed, Saladin (author) and Kivelä, Sami (artist) - Abbott 1973 (BOOM! Studios)
• Garcia, Kami (author); Suayan, Mico (artist); Badower, Jason (artist); and Mayhew, Mike (artist) - Joker/Harley: Criminal Sanity (DC Comics)
• Manzetti, Alessandro (author); Cardoselli, Stefano (author); and Cardoselli, Stefano (artist) - The Inhabitant of the Lake (Independent Legions Publishing)
• Morrison, Grant (author); Child, Alex (author); and Franquiz, Naomi (artist) - Proctor Valley Road (BOOM! Studios)
• Panosian, Dan (author) and Ignazzi, Marianna (artist) - An Unkindness of Ravens (BOOM! Studios)

 
Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel

• Blake, Kendare - All These Bodies (Quill Tree Books)
• Boyle, R.L. - The Book of the Baku (Titan Books )
• Lewis, Jessica - Bad Witch Burning (Delacorte Press)
• Sutherland, Krystal - House of Hollow (G.P. Putnam's Sons)
• Waters, Erica - The River Has Teeth (HarperTeen)

Superior Achievement in Long Fiction

• Castro, V. - Goddess of Filth (Creature Publishing, LLC)
• Khaw, Cassandra - Nothing But Blackened Teeth (Tor Nightfire)
• LaRocca, Eric - Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke (Weirdpunk Books)
• Piper, Hailey - “Recitation of the First Feeding” (Unfortunate Elements of My Anatomy) (The Seventh Terrace)
• Strand, Jeff - “Twentieth Anniversary Screening” (Slice and Dice) (Independently published)

Superior Achievement in Short Fiction

• Gyzander, Carol - “The Yellow Crown” (Under Twin Suns: Alternate Histories of the Yellow Sign) (Hippocampus Press)
• Murray, Lee - “Permanent Damage” (Attack From the ‘80s) (Raw Dog Screaming Press)
• O’Quinn, Cindy - “A Gathering at the Mountain” (The Bad Book) (Bleeding Edge Books)
• Taborska, Anna -“Two Shakes Of A Dead Lamb's Tail”(Terror Tales of the Scottish Lowlands) (Telos Publishing)
• Ward, Kyla Lee - “A Whisper in the Death Pit” (Weirdbook #44) (Wildside Press)

Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection

• Files, Gemma - In That Endlessness, Our End (Grimscribe Press)
• Fracassi, Philip - Beneath a Pale Sky (Lethe Press)
• Maberry, Jonathan - Empty Graves: Tales of the Living Dead (WordFire Press LLC)
• Tuttle, Lisa - The Dead Hours of Night (Valancourt Books)
• Wise, A.C. - The Ghost Sequences (Undertow Publications)

Superior Achievement in a Screenplay

• Chaisson, C. Henry; Antosca, Nick; and Cooper, Scott - Antlers (Searchlight Pictures)
• Dong-hyuk, Hwang - Squid Game, Season 1, Episode 1: "Red Light, Green Light" (Siren Pictures) 
• Flanagan, Mike; Flanagan, James; and Howard, Jeff - Midnight Mass, Season 1, Episode 6: "Book VI: Acts of the Apostles" (Intrepid Pictures)
• Graziadei, Phil and Janiak, Leigh - Fear Street: Part One - 1994 (Chernin Entertainment)
• Peele, Jordan; Rosenfeld, Win; and DaCosta, Nia - Candyman (Universal Pictures)

 
Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection

• Lansdale, Joe R. - Apache Witch and Other Poetic Observations (Independent Legions Publishing)
• McHugh, Jessica - Strange Nests (Apokrupha)
• Simon, Marge and Turzillo, Mary - Victims (Weasel Press)
• Sng, Christina; Yuriko Smith, Angela; Murray, Lee; and Flynn, Geneve - Tortured Willows: Bent. Bowed. Unbroken. (Yuriko Publishing)
• Snyder, Lucy A. - Exposed Nerves (Raw Dog Screaming Press)

Superior Achievement in an Anthology

• Chambers, James - Under Twin Suns: Alternate Histories of the Yellow Sign (Hippocampus Press)
• Datlow, Ellen - When Things Get Dark: Stories Inspired by Shirley Jackson (Titan Books) 
• French, Aaron J. and Landry, Jess - There is No Death, There are No Dead (Crystal Lake Publishing)
• Guignard, Eric J. - Professor Charlatan Bardot's Travel Anthology to the Most (Fictional) Haunted Buildings in the Weird, Wild World (Dark Moon Books)
• Johnson, Eugene - Attack From the 80’s (Raw Dog Screaming Press)

Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction

• Knost, Michael - Writers Workshop of Horror 2 (Hydra Publications)
• Olson, Danel - 9/11 Gothic: Decrypting Ghosts and Trauma in New York City’s Terrorism Novels (Lexington Books)
• Weinstock, Jeffrey Andrew and Hansen, Regina M. - Giving the Devil His Due: Satan and 
• Cinema (Fordham University Press)
• Wetmore Jr., Kevin J. - Eaters of the Dead: Myths and Realities of Cannibal Monsters (Reaktion Books)
• Woofter, Kristopher - Shirley Jackson: A Companion (Peter Lang Publishing)

Superior Achievement in Short Non-Fiction

• Ognjanović, Dejan - “The Three Paradigms of Horror” (Vastarien Vol. 4, Issue 2) (Grimscribe Press)
• O’Quinn, Cindy - “One and Done” (Were Tales: A Shapeshifter Anthology) (Brigids Gate Press)
• Verona, Emily Ruth - “A Horror Fan's Guide to Surviving Womanhood” (thefinalgirls.co.uk)  
• Wetmore Jr., Kevin J.  - “Devil's Advocates: The Conjuring” (Auteur Publishing/Liverpool University Press)
• Yuriko Smith, Angela - “Horror Writers: Architects of Hope” (The Sirens Call, Halloween 2021, Issue 55) (Sirens Call Publications)

Important Notes for those Appearing on the Final Ballot:

If your work appears on the Final Ballot (i.e., you are the author, agent, editor, publisher, or publicist) and you wish to provide a link allowing Voting Members to read the work, there will be a SPECIAL FINAL BALLOT INTERNET MAILER issued on or about February 25.

If your work was listed on the Special Preliminary Ballot Internet Mailer it will be relisted automatically with your previously provided links and you need not email or query.

If links to your work were not included on the Special Preliminary Ballot IM and you want to include them on the Special Final Ballot IM, please email the Internet Mailer editor at imailer@horror.org with the details as soon as you can, but no later than February 24 (links will not be accepted for this Special IM after February 25). You may offer to send electronic copies; provide reading copies on a website; or provide physical copies. Anyone validly representing a work appearing on the Final Ballot may submit via this method, whether or not they are HWA members (this includes the author, agent, editor, publisher, or publicist of the work).

Do NOT spam Voting Members; this is a severe breach of etiquette – Active and Lifetime (voting) members tend to notice such breaches and may consider them when determining which works to vote for on the Ballot.

You may also post the fact that your work is available to be read for Bram Stoker Award consideration ONCE and only once here: http://www.horrorwritersassociation.org/login-forum/  (Bram Stoker Eligible Work). If you had already posted your work here prior to the announcement of the Final Ballot you ARE entitled to post it once more. Note: Only members may post at this Forum, but members are encouraged to post on behalf of non-members who may appear on the Ballot.

February 28: Stoker Final ballot dispatched – please note only Active and Lifetime Members can vote. If you are an Active or Lifetime Member and do NOT receive your electronic ballot link by March 1, please first check your spam/junk mail filter, make sure your email address is updated in Wild Apricot, and then email Brad C. Hodson at admin@horror.org with a brief message about the issue. Note that Ballots are sent to the same email address as the Newsletter and the Internet Mailer. It is the responsibility of Members to keep their email address up to date in Wild Apricot or by advising the administrator of any issues with your membership account at admin@horror.org. Late Ballots cannot be accepted under any circumstances.

March 15: The Bram Stoker Awards final ballot closes at midnight U.S. Pacific Time. Any ballots received after this time will be discarded.

March 15: The 2022 Bram Stoker Recommendation sheet goes live and the 2022 Bram Stoker Awards Juries open to Submissions. Members should hold any Recommendations for works published in the calendar year 2022 until the Sheet is live.

Members wishing to submit work published in 2022 to the relevant Jury should read the information at the Bram Stoker Awards website before doing so here: http://www.thebramstokerawards.com/submissions/

May 14: The 2021 Bram Stoker Awards® announced during the Annual Bram Stoker Awards Banquet held during StokerCon™ 2022 in Denver, Colorado. 

Bookings and information at: http://stokercon.com. Note: Banquet Tickets are separate from the Convention Membership and should be purchased directly from https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stokercon-2022-tickets-102847690210. Click “Tickets” to see the Banquet option as an add-on to your existing registration or an option for a new registration.

Please direct any questions to: stokerchair@horror.org

Bram Stoker Awards® Committee