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Showing posts sorted by date for query gods of hp lovecraft. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query gods of hp lovecraft. Sort by relevance Show all posts

Thursday, December 4, 2025

#HorrorForLibraries: 3 Fall ARCs from Flame Tree Press

Today I have two finished copies for two winners of a volume featuring many authors whose work you have on your sleeves, presented by a trusted editor, and part of a series of books which I have reviewed titles from in the past. 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.

Last week's winners were Nancy from VA and John from MI.

Now on to this week's giveaway which features a three book prize pack courtesy of Flame Tree Press

After the 31 Days of Horror, I still had a backlog of ARCs to giveaway and in this case, all three books have already released, but the title themselves are worth you knowing about, so I am giving them all away at once, to one very lucky winner.

Book cover of An Echo of Children by Ramsey Campbell. Click on the image for more information

First up An Echo of Children by the great Ramsey Campbell:

A slow burn, chilling horror in a gorgeous edition. Ramsey Campbell always delivers... 

Coral and Allan Clarendon have just moved to the seaside town of Barnwall with their young son Dean. If an uncommon number of children have died unnaturally in Barnwall throughout history, surely Dean must be safe with his parents. Could their house be a source of peril? Allan and Coral seem to think so, since they call for an exorcism. Allan’s father Thom believes his wife is wrong to think the ceremony has left Dean in worse danger. But if she’s alone in seeing the terrors that are gathering around him, how desperate will her solution have to be?

The Ramsey Campbell Special Editions. Campbell is the greatest inheritor of a tradition that reaches back through H.P. Lovecraft and M.R. James to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and the early Gothic writers. The dark, masterful work of the painter Henry Fuseli, a friend of Mary Wollstonecraft, is used on these special editions to invoke early literary investigations into the supernatural.

Book cover of Unseen Gods by Justin Holley. Click on the image for more information
Next it is Unseen Gods by Justin Holley:

Careful what you search for, you may just find it. With grotesque glimpses of the disappeared, the past is alive and well.

After winning an old casefile at auction outlining the disappearance of a hunting party back in the nineties, Kory and his pregnant wife invite their friend and mentor, Professor Frank Colista, and others, for a casual long weekend of exploring the mystery onsite with very little hope of finding anyone or anything. When one of their factions disappears without a trace, Kory and Colista fear the past may repeat itself. Then the deaths start. As a savage, unexpected snowstorm sets in, the disappearances and ungodly sightings of the deceased ramp up, and an old woman rambles about end-of-days and sacrifice.

Book cover of Opposite World by Elizabeth Anne Martins. Click on the image for more information
And finally, Opposite World by Elizabeth Anne Martins:

Memories are malleable, dreams are a battlefield, and reality is a shifting landscape. Think Inception meets Dark Matter, with echoes of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and the unsettling corporate dystopia of Severance.

Piper “Pip” Screed remembers nothing about her mother’s mysterious death or the strange episode that left her in a deep, unexplained sleep. All she knows is that her father uprooted them to a secluded mountain cabin, severed all ties to the outside world, and refuses to answer her questions.

Fifteen years later, Pip escapes isolation and discovers The Reverie Cloud—a revolutionary sleep-therapy program that merges the subconscious with virtual reality. Here, users can experience their desires, confront fears, and rewrite their pasts in a dreamscape indistinguishable from reality. But when The Reverie Cloud falls into the hands of those who see her subconscious as a prize, Pip becomes ensnared within its unstable architecture. Now locked inside the program, she must navigate its mercurial layers, face the horrors buried within her subconscious, and unravel the truth about her past before time runs out. Worse, she’s not the only one at risk—her father’s life hangs in the balance, too.

But the deeper Pip ventures, the more dangerous the game becomes. If she pushes too far, she may never escape. Yet only by confronting the truth can she hope to uncover what really happened to her mother—before the program consumes her entirely.

Blending science fiction with psychological horror, surreal fantasy, and an aching tremor of human longing, OPPOSITE WORLD is an exploration of memory, identity, and the thin divide between perception and reality. 

As I said above, all three are advanced copies, courtesy of the publisher. These books are out and available thought Ingram to add to your library's collection.

One winner will get all three ARCs.

Enter once and you are entered going forward.

Good luck!

Thursday, November 20, 2025

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway: 2 winners of Azathoth: Ordo ab Chao, Edited by Aaron J. French

Today I have two finished copies for two winners of a volume featuring many authors whose work you have on your sleeves, presented by a trusted editor, and part of a series of books which I have reviewed titles from in the past. 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.

Last week's winner was Jessica from INNow on to this week's giveaway.

Today I want to talk about author and editor, Aaron J. French, specially his work taking Lovecraftian Gods and asking a diverse group of today's authors to write new and original to him stories for his anthologies.

I have read and reviewed (for Booklist) The Gods of H.P Lovecraft and The Demons of King Solomon. Click through to read my reviews of each anthology and to see the impressive contributors.

Book cover of  Azathoth: Ordo ab Chao, Edited by Aaron J. French. Click the image for more details
This Fall, French released Azathoth: Ordo ab Chao. From the publisher description:

The first in a series of anthologies devoted to the Lovecraftian gods, Ordo ab Chao follows the highly successful The Gods of HP Lovecraft (published in 2015 by JournalStone Publishing). We begin our series with the primal origins and the god Azathoth, who represents primordial chaos in the Lovecraftian Mythos. H.P. Lovecraft described Azathoth as a demon king ruling from a dark throne in the middle of the fiery cosmic void, out of which all created things emanated. Surrounding this orbiting spiral of infinite chaos and creation sounded the repetitive notes of an incessant flute, a reference to the Greek god Pan and the symbol of chaos behind the orderliness of nature. Taking this as our departure, the stories in this volume approach Azathoth through the concept of "order out of chaos" (or Ordo ab Chao in Latin). Ordo ab Chao includes new work from some of the most talented and respected authors in horror and dark fantasy, featuring stories from T. Kingfisher, Ruthanna Emrys, Adam L. G. Nevill, Kaaron Warren, Brian Evenson, Donald Tyson, Richard Thomas, Richard Gavin, Matthew Cheney, Erica Ruppert, Jamieson Ridenhour, Maxwell I. Gold, Lena Ng, Nathan Carson, Samuel Marzioli, Lauri Taneli Lassila, Akis Linardos, and R. B. Payne.

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • ORDO AB CHAO: TOWARD THAT ENDLESSNESS by Maxwell Ian Gold
  • “Agent of Chaos” illustrated by Sofiya Kruglikova
  • AGENT OF CHAOS by T. Kingfisher
  • “Expatriate” illustrated by Yves Tourigny
  • EXPATRIATE by Jamieson Ridenhour 
  • “...And Peer Aloft to Glimpse Some Fragment” illustrated by Andrej Kapcar .
  • ..AND PEER ALOFT TO GLIMPSE SOME FRAGMENT by Ruthanna Emrys
  • “Making a Difference” illustrated by Ayham Jabr
  • MAKING A DIFFERENCE by Brian Evenson
  • “The Recreationist” illustrated by Ayham Jabr 
  • THE RECREATIONIST by Kaaron Warren
  • “The Blind God’s Game” illustrated by Andrej Kapcar
  • THE BLIND GOD’S GAME by Matthew Cheney
  • “In the Grove” illustrated by Sofiya Kruglikova
  • IN THE GROVE by Erica Ruppert
  • “Church of the Void” illustrated by Andrej Kapcar
  • CHURCH OF THE VOID by Donald Tyson
  • “Upon an Iron Bed, Under the Eyes of Chaos” illustrated by Sofiya
  • UPON AN IRON BED, UNDER THE EYES OF CHAOS by Richard Gavin
  • “The Root King” illustrated by Sofiya Kruglikova
  • THE ROOT KING by Lauri Taneli Lassila
  • “The Infinite Beat” illustrated by Andrej Kapcar
  • THE INFINITE BEAT by Nathan Carson
  • “The Door at 21 Bis Rue Xavier Privas” illustrated by Andrej Kapcar
  • THE DOOR AT 21 BIS RUE XAVIER PRIVAS by R. B. Payne
  • “An Unusual Pedigree” illustrated by Andrej Kapcar
  • AN UNUSUAL PEDIGREE by Richard Thomas
  • “Dust-Clotted Eyes” illustrated by Ayham Jabr
  • DUST-CLOTTED EYES by Samuel Marzioli
  • “The Revelations of Azathoth” illustrated by Sofiya Kruglikova
  • THE REVELATIONS OF AZATHOTH by Lena Ng
  • “Primordial Jack” illustrated by Sofiya Kruglikova
  • PRIMORDIAL JACK by Akis Linardos
  • “Respect Your Elders” illustrated by Yves Tourigny
  • RESPECT YOUR ELDERS by Adam L. G. Nevill

Look at the TOC! These are names you know, some of your most popular horror voices, and plenty that will be new to you and your patrons.

While that TOC alone is enough for you to add this book, what I really love about all of the anthologies French has edited is that he introduces today's horror readers to the Lovecraftian Gods, allowing us all to see why they are enduringly terrifying, and making sure their horrible human of a creator is paired with a diverse group of today's voices (which I hope is making Lovecraft roll over in his grave).

It is the responsible way to present this man and his work. We cannot ignore that Lovecraft is responsible for creating some of the best horror of the 20th Century. We cannot also ignore that his work has inspired and continues to inspire many of today's authors-- especially many who come from he marginalized communities who Lovecraft actively and publicly expressed his hate for. Take The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle and House of Bone and Rain by Gabino Iglesias for example. These are two works that have been nominated for major awards and both actively grapple with Lovecraft's racism in their works.

Thanks to JournalStone I have 2 finished copies that 2 winners will be able to add to their collections. But everyone should check out all three anthologies mentioned in this post and consider adding them to your horror collections.

Good luck!

The giveaway is off next week for Thanksgiving.

Friday, October 4, 2024

31 Days of Horror Day 4 -- What I'm Reading: Booklist Online Only Reviews

I have reviews of a collection by a bestselling author and an anthology highlighting the work of a forgotten classic author, both as e-only reviews out for Booklist right now. As always, draft reviews are below. I highly recommend both for all library collections.

They also both are a great conversation starter to connect new readers to the history of the genre through today's writers-- my theme for everything I do here on the blog as mentioned a few days ago here.

Please note, online reviews have a much higher word count so I don't have much in my "further appeal" section for these books.

In the Mad Mountains: Stories Inspired by HP Lovecraft
By Joe R. Lansdale
Oct. 2024. 256p. Tachyon, paper, $16.95 (9781616964245).
First published September 27, 2024 (Booklist Online). 

Lansdale has captured the hearts of readers with his quirky characters, sardonic wit, and gritty tone. His latest collection gathers 8 stories, published in various anthologies since 2009, stories he describes in the book’s introduction as the “best” inspired by Lovecraft that he has written. Taking on the troublesome racism and sexism of the classic author head-on, Lansdale also actively eschews Lovecraft’s use of cumbersome prose, instead employing his trademark direct and folksy narrative voice to the Lovecraftian concept of “the Old Ones,” terrifying but also alluring beings from another realm, trying to intrude upon our world. The result is a collection that makes the enduring appeal of Lovecraft’s brand of existential dread and terrifying nihilism more accessible to today’s readers. Looking into well mined tropes such as selling your soul, the supernatural detective, and a stranded polar ship, Lansdale adds a layer of Cosmic Horror which makes these stories both familiar and fresh at the same time. There are even characters from across the literary landscape that make some fun appearances from Huck Finn to Auguste Dupin to his own Dana Roberts and more. Readers new to Lovecraftian Horror should start with “The Tall Grass,” the shortest story in the volume, and one that perfectly captures the visceral and immersive pull of Cosmic Horror as a subgenre. A man steps off a train, gets lost in a field, and experiences a terror like he has never known. Lansdale has a wide fan base for good reason, but this book presents a wonderful opportunity to expand it even further by suggesting this collection to fans of 21st Century Cosmic Horror authors such as Hailey Piper and Lucy Snyder.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Quirky Characters, Sardonic, Direct and Folksy Narration

Further Appeal: Lansdale is very popular. Readers, even those who do not read Horror will be interested int his one. Also every story has a great introduction setting it up by Lansdale himself writtenin his distinctive voice.

Readalikes: Any cosmic horror or Lovecraftian story is a good read here. The House of Bone and Rain by Gabino Iglesias and The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle. But use any resource to find more options for readalikes. This may introduce new people to Lovecraftian Horror, so be ready. (click the link for more titles from me)

Side note: one of the stories here was first published in The Gods of H.P. Lovecraft, an anthology I reviewed for Booklist back in 2015. 

Also, I will have a giveaway of my review copy on the Horror blog next week. Stay tuned.

Where the Silent Ones Watch: Stories of the Borderland, the Night Land, the Sargasso Sea, and More!
 Edited by James Chambers
Oct. 2024. 278p. Hippocampus, paper, $25 (9781614984436).
First published September 27, 2024 (Booklist Online). 
William Hope Hodgson may be the most powerful and the most neglected fantasist and horror writer of the twentieth century, argues Chambers, the Bram Stoker Award Winning editor of this collection of 26, original to this volume, stories and poems that celebrate the author and his legacy. Using the ideas, themes and narrative devices of the classic author, one of the foundational voices in Weird Fiction, as their springboard, the contributing authors showcase how his style of wildly imaginative, atmospheric horror, featuring malevolent, unexplainable, supernatural forces as they enter our known world, told in a confessional first person narration that heighten the unease with every word, still resonates today. Readers can expect strange happenings on trains and boats, in space or isolated towns, even in the shadow of Elvis Preseley’s death and amidst Black Lives Matter protests– some places Hodgson set his own stories and others which he could never have imagined. However, what elevates this collection is in how the authors place Hodgson-esque ideas into modern settings while eschewing the classic author’s tendency to use distractingly ornate prose. These choices work in tandem to heighten the fear for a 21st Century reader both in these 26 pieces and Hodgson’s own tales as well. The table of contents includes a nice mix of authors whose works are already widely available on library shelves such as Steve Rasnic Tem, Linda D. Addison, Wendy N. Wagner, John Langan, and Andy Davidson, but there are also plenty of up and coming voices worth checking out. For example, Todd Keisling’s “Little House on the Borderland,” takes the themes and fear inherent in Hodgson’s own classic novel, House on the Borderland, but frames it in the world of podcasts and social media while the anthology’s unforgettable opening story, “The Events at Apoka Station” by Pete Rawlik and Sal Ciano uses a fateful train ride to tell an unsettling story that is both timelessly terrifying and yet clearly set in our present. A great option for Weird fiction fans new and old.

Three Words That Describe This Book: confessional narration, malevolent forces, fantastical Horror


Further Appeal: This anthology gave me a brand new appreciation for Hodgson. Just as the Lansdale Collection above will draw people to Lovecraft, this book will bring people back to Hodgson.


Also, Hippocampus Press is a very trustworthy press. Click here to learn more about them.


Readalikes: Any books by Chambers, the editor, or anyone in the TOC will be a great place to begin-- besides Hodgson himself. I have reviewed books by many of the authors.


Here is the list of authors from the publishers website:

Linda D. Addison • David Agranoff • Meghan Arcuri • Sal Ciano • Michael Cisco • L. E. Daniels • Andy Davidson • Aaron Dries • Patrick Freivald • Teel James Glenn • Maxwell Ian Gold • Nancy Holder • Todd Keisling • John Langan • Adrian Ludens • Lee Murray • Lisa Morton • Peter Rawlik • Sam Rebelein • Ann K. Schwader • Steve Rasnic Tem • Tim Waggoner • Wendy N. Wagner • Kyla Lee Ward • Robert E. Waters • L. Marie Wood • Stephanie M. Wytovich

Thursday, September 8, 2022

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway 97: Swedish Cults by Anders Fager

This week I have an ARC of the first English language translation of the author known as Swedish Lovecraft. I reviewed it in the most recent issue of Booklist. But first here are the details on how to enter: 

  1. You need to be affiliated with an American public 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.
Click here to see giveaway #96. Our winners were Kim from Siouxland [SD] Libraries and Sara from Brandon Township [MI] Public Library. Now on to today.

This is an excellent release by one of my trusted publishers. 

Swedish Cults
[stories]By Anders Fager

Translated by Ian Lemke and Henning KochSept. 2022. 232p. Valancourt, $29.99 (9781954321564); paper, $16.99 (9781954321571)First published September 1, 2022 (Booklist). 

With the success of their World Horror Anthologies, Valancourt continues their march to get the globe’s best Horror writers into more hands with the first English translation of the top Horror writer in Sweden. This story collection, first published in 2009, is best described as “Swedish Lovecraft.” The world he has created, while very much set in and influenced by his Nordic home, expertly draws off the established Lovecraftian universe, setting an atmosphere with each tale that steadily rises to existential terror as cosmic gods so pervasive and powerful, drawfs, even mock at times, the pitiful humans who hope to survive their wrath. A great example is the second story, “Grandma’s Journey,” an original tale of a journey across Europe, despite a tear in the universe that keeps getting wider. The repetition of the phrase “grandma’s going on a journey,” dozens of times, brilliantly adds another layer of unease. Also of note are the four “Fragments,” brief snapshots of atmospheric horror placed between each of the five longer stories. A must read for fans of 21st Century Lovecraftian Horror as written by those like Kiernan or Snyder.

Further Appeal: “Swedish Lovecraft.” – And that is not simply publisher marketing, Fager is the real deal. The Call of Cthulhu role playing game even uses Fager’s work for the Swedish edition of their popular game. So there's your book talk-- Swedish Lovecraft...'nuff said for a lot of readers.


But it is more that that though. It has an atmospheric tone that rises to the existential dread of the very best cosmic horror. It is also extremely grounded in its place-- Sweden. 


For those not as well versed in Cosmic Horror, here is a short snippet from my book, a piece of a quote from author and Cosmic Horror scholar, Mary SanGiovanni:

"In Cosmic Horror, there is a sense that the antagonistic force, whether evil or just utterly indifferent, is so pervasive and powerful, and of such a size and scope, that its very existence dwarfs the significance of humanity."


Three Words That Describe This Book: Lovecraftian, translation, strong sense of place


Readalikes: My book has an entire Lovecraftian/Cosmic Horror chapter. And I have a bonus list of titles that got cut from the book here. You have plenty of topics, but to the 2 readalikes included above I would also like to include The Gods of H.P. Lovecraft edited by Aaron French. 

Thanks to Valancourt for the ARC for this giveaway. And good luck! 

Tuesday, July 27, 2021

New Book Bonus Annotations: Chapter 12: Lovecraftian and Cosmic Horror

When I was writing the Third Edition of the Readers' Advisory Guide to Horror, I originally had over 20 annotated choices per subgenre appearing in chapter 4-13. However, for word count sake, I had to reduce each lists to a well packaged dozen. Obviously making the cuts was hard, but I was able to include the tittles of those deleted annotations in an appendix at the end of the book with a promise that the annotations would run here on the blog.

And that promise begins today. Each list will be posted on the blog over a series of 10 weeks, every Tuesday, beginning June 1, 2021 and running through August 3, 2021. This weekly series will serve to promote the book's upcoming release in August of 2021, but I have also created an archive of all of the lists that will live here. That page is the official index of this bonus content.

In the book, my top three choices in each list are marked to denote Becky's Picks. I will also do that in these lists to give you a place to begin as you suggest. Just like the titles in the print book, every title appearing here is a great options for all public libraries. You can use these lists for collection development, displays, lists, and suggestions. Each subgenre has an essay discussing its history and appeal in the book which you can order here

Bonus Annotations

Chapter 12: Lovecraftian and Cosmic Horror*

[+] Denotes Becky’s Picks


Baker, Jacqueline. Broken Hours: A Novel of H.P. Lovecraft. 2016.
 
It’s 1836 and Arthor Crandle is offered a job to be an assistant to a reclusive author in Providence, RI. Crandle has no idea what he is getting himself into, but readers will know right away due to the setting and novel’s subtitle. What follows is a story of Crandle’s odd experiences including nightmares, strange happenings, and even tentacles all of which are now a part of his everyday experience. This is a story that is more focused on recreating the atmosphere and tone of a Lovecraft novel and less interested in crafting terror. There are also basic Lovecraft biographical details sprinkled in amidst the weirdness. A great choice for Lovecraft novices who want to understand both the man and this subgenre.


Campbell, Ramsey. Thirteen Days by Sunset Beach. 2015.

Most of Campbell’s work tends to fall within this subgenre and this is a recent example of how Lovecraftian horror manifests itself in our modern world. Three generations of a family head to a Greek Island for a vacation. The grandparents are hiding a dark secret, but the island itself is holding onto an even darker one. A secret that is slowly infiltrating itself into the family, and it might not ever let go. A terrifying story that is all about the oppressive atmosphere, the details piling up on top of one and other, pressing down on the characters and the reader. Another recent option is The Searching Dead, the first book in a new autobiographical, Lovecraftian trilogy. 

Cantero, Edgar. Meddling Kids. 2017.

Scooby Doo meets H.P. Lovecraft as four kids and their dog spent the summer of 1977 solving a series of mysteries. But 13 years later, one of those mysteries, involving a lake monster, draws these now troubled and aimless adults back, and the truth is way more sinister and dangerous than they ever realized. Mixing fast paced horror action with a witty tone, this is a quirky and nostalgic tale, filled with monsters, ghosts, and extremely likable protagonists. 

Emrys, Ruthanna. Winter Tide. 2017.

This, the first book in the Innsmouth Legacy alternative history series mixes details from the Cthulhu Mythos with the Cold War paranoia through a Jewish lens. It’s 1948 and Aphra and Caleb are the only two survivors from the massacre and internment of the “Deep Ones,” a species of humans who lived in the sea and worshipped the Cthulhu elders. The FBI recruits them to reconnect with their spiritual culture to help fight the Russians who have harnessed some of their people’s supernatural powers. While this series is in direct conversation and debate with Lovecraft’s “The Shadow Over Innsmouth,” Emrys has created her own world that will appeal to fans of dark fantasy, cosmic horror, and even spy thrillers. Deep Roots is the sequel

Johnson, Kij.  The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe. 2016.

Dramatic and lyrical, this novella is set at a prestigious women’s college where the eponymous professor must go on a quest through the Dreamlands to rescue a star pupil. Inhabited by elder gods, the land is beguilingly beautiful and terrifyingly dangerous. Boe’s adventure is two-fold: to save her student and come to terms with her own life choices as she traverses a landscape that will enthrall readers, captivating those new to the subgenre with wonder and roping in experts with places straight out of  the Lovecraft cannon.

Keene, Brian. Darkness on the Edge of Town. 2008.

The residents of a small Virginia town wake up to find that they are cut off from the outside world. It is just gone. There is nothing but impenetrable darkness surrounding them with no way for others to get in, or they to get out. The story follows the citizens as it explores their isolation and varying reactions as darkness permeates their lives and the entire tone of the book. Action and character development work hand in hand to create an unsettling, richly detailed story of survival in the face of unknown supernatural forces that easily eclipse human civilization. 

Kenemore, Scott. Lake of Darkness. 2020.

Click here for my review in ALA Booklist. I added this one to the book's appendix at the last minute.

Kepnes, Caroline. Providence. 2018.

John, an odd kid, disappears. His best friend Chloe holds onto the hope that he will be found, and four years later, he is, but he may not be the same boy she knew. He wakes up with no memory of what happened after his teacher kidnapped him. He also has new powers, powers he doesn’t quite understand, powers that cause others harm just by being near him, powers that might be explained by a Lovecraft book. A move to Providence, RI, a series of strange murders, lead John, Chloe, and the detective on the case on a journey to find answers. A compelling, haunting, and suspenseful cosmic horror-thriller hybrid that is a great option for introducing the trendy subgenre and its themes to a wider audience.

+Klinger, Leslie, ed. The New Annotated HP Lovecraft. 2014.

Renewed interest in Lovecraft has drawn readers to his stories, but given the problematic nature of his beliefs it is important to provide the right edition. Award winning editor has multiple volumes collecting the cosmic horror master’s stories which he extensively annotates providing insight, context, and details to enhance the experience of reading Lovecraft in the 21st Century. This particular volume includes both an introduction by Victor LaValle and an annotated version of “The Horror at Red Hook,” the story that LaValle used to frame The Ballad of Black Tom.

Liu, Marjorie M. Monstress series. 2016.

Set in a lavishly rendered, art deco inspired, steampunk world, of an alternate early 1900s, matriarchal Asia, readers follow the strong but flawed teenager, Maika Halfwolf, as she struggles to discover her personal history in the aftermath of war, how she is connected to a monster, and what this discovery means for the world, both human and supernatural. Over multiple compiled volumes of this popular and critically acclaimed  graphic novel series, Maika goes through dramatic, emotionally resonant, and violent adventures framed by well-trod cosmic horror themes and tropes.

+Miller, Sam J. The Blade Between. 2020.

Ronan had to leave small, blue collar hometown of Hudson, NY in order to safely live as a gay man and pursue his career as a photographer, but now returns to care for his dying father. However, to his surprise,  the town has been completely transformed into a hip retreat for wealthy city dwellers. Reconnecting with his first love, Dom, a police office and his community organizer wife, Attalah, Ronan begins to realize that their fight against gentrification is complicated by a supernatural power buried in the land itself, a menace that doesn’t see humanity as a significant obstacle, a terror that might be on their side this time, but is not under their control. Intense dread and unsettling unease permeates this Lovecraftian tale from the very first lines while the issue oriented small town horror tropes keep the cosmic plot grounded enough for subgenre novices to easily follow along.

+Piper, Hailey. The Worm and His Kings. 2020.

It’s 1990 in New York City and Monique’s girlfriend, Donna, has simply vanished. After hearing of the disappearances of other women who, like themselves, live on the fringes of mainstream society, Piper learns that Donna might not be the victim of a human monster. Rather a crack underground has opened a wormhole, a portal to a cult world where strange, dangerous creatures rule, creatures that may have Donna in their talons. Piper must take the plunge to save Donna, but is her mind ready for what she will find hidden just below the surface? Both an exploration of the holes in our modern social services that force many into poverty and a fun, cosmic adventure through multiple, mind-bending, dimensions set in an original and wholly new mythos with obvious Lovecraftian roots, this novel announces Piper as an emerging voice in the horror community that cannot be overlooked.

Snyder, Lucy. Garden of Eldritch Delights. 2018.

One of Snyder's numerous story collections, this one contains 12 tales that are unapologetically Lovecraftian and feminist; fact, many of the stories make obvious nods to Lovecraft and his peers, ones that you don’t need to “get” in order enjoy this volume. A woman wakes up realizing that her girlfriend has ripped her heart out of her chest, a fresh take on the vampire trope, and revenge against a rapist are example plots of these tales featuring inclusive characters in original and shocking cosmic horror situations. In general Snyder’s story collections are reliable, sure bets in this subgenre.

Wong, David. What the Hell Did I Just Read?: A Novel of Cosmic Horror. 2017.

Combining his trademark comic horror tone with Lovecraftian elements, Wong bring in the characters from his previous novels to send them on another gruesome, intricately plotted, dangerous adventure that uses all of the tropes of cosmic horror to create the satisfying emotions of fear that horror fans crave while at the same time actively satirizing both the subgenre and the absurdity of modern life. Readers need not be familiar with Wong’s previous novels to enjoy this one in all of its weird and psychologically terrifying glory. 



*This chapter also relies on a longer essay that Mary SanGiovanni wrote for me in the October 2020 issue of Library Journal which you can find here.

Friday, October 16, 2020

31 Days of Horror: Day 16- #LovecraftFridays with Library Journal Continues

This year on 31 Days of Horror I am working in partnership with @ItsNiaMya from Library Journal as we host #LovecraftFridays on Twitter and here on the blog. This is part of the larger Library Journal #LJReads program. Every Friday in October we will be dissecting LOVECRAFT COUNTRY the novel by Matt Ruff and the hit HBO show. We have come up with 4 larger themes and will be taking a deep dive into them each week.

Each Friday in October around 5pm eastern, Nia will post a thread on Library Journal's Twitter to start the larger discussion on the topic. To supplement the discussion, I have prepared some more reading lists and background information to help you put it into a broader context and help your library patrons.

You can engage with the conversation anytime using the #LJReads and #LovecraftFridays hashtags. Pass it on to your patrons and encourage them to participate too.


We also have a live, free, wrap up program planned for 10/30, the final Friday and you can sign up now. by clicking here or on the graphic.


Now it is time for the discussion and this week's topic-- Shoggoth and Other Lovecraftian Creatures.


Today's discussion is focused on giving you, a non-expert audience, a chance to get a primer on the creatures and their larger symbolism in Lovecraft's Universe. These creatures are complex, and there are also a lot of them! They are not only some of Lovecraft's most influential contributions to the entire horror genre, but also, they are still used today by other authors.


As Mary SanGiovanni explained on my interview with her in this month's Library Journal here

"Lovecraft's monsters were often described as connected in some way to the sea, and both the sights and sounds of these creatures, as well as the evidence they left behind, were often described in terms often used in relation to the alien aspects of sea creatures."

This is the beginning of her assessment and explanation in the primer SanGiovanni offers us all on the Lovecraftian world of monsters in that piece. Honestly, that primer is all you really need to understand enough about books and/or shows like LOVECRAFT COUNTRY which use the known universe the author created as their starting point.


In today's #LJReads #LovecraftFridays thread and in this post, Nia is going to provide some more background on the monsters, and their symbolism, that appear in the show. She will include pictures and context for many monsters, but clearly, she cannot give us everything. That is where I come in.


For those of you who want or need more, this post is going to give you more context on where to find more information, but overall, I want to make it clear to you, the library worker, you do not need to be an expert on Lovecraftian monsters in order to help fans of the show, book, or even those who are huge Lovecraftians themselves. Like all reference or readers' advisory questions you just need to know where to go to learn more. That's why I am here.


Let's begin with SanGiovanni. She is the Queen of Cosmic Horror. She not only writes in the genre herself, she is a professor so she understands how to teach thee topic to a general audience. You should consider her primer in this month's Library Journal as THE start here place for you to learn about Lovecraft, his influence, and cosmic horror as it stands today. But if you are looking for more, she also hosts a podcast called Cosmic Shenanigans [click here and then click on the podcast link in the top menu]:

Cosmic Shenanigans is a podcast focusing on cosmic horror in films, television, art, games, music, fashion, pop culture, and just about anywhere else our little tentacles can reach. Host Mary SanGiovanni delves into what makes it timelessly relevant and enjoyable, and examines how it permeates so much of modern culture. Further, as a writer of cosmic horror herself, Mary looks at her and others’ roles in the subgenre and in publishing at large, and explores the female perspective toward and within works of cosmic horror.

These are quick episodes that give context to the larger points made in the primer. I enjoy listening to understand how authors apply the subgenre to their work. SanGiovanni is well prepared with detailed notes for each podcast, and she understands that her audience is not as much of an expert as her, and yet she never talks down to us. Worth a subscription and listen when you can or when the topic is something you are interested in.

In terms of books that you can use to learn more about Lovecraft's monsters, I have two very useful resources that put the universe into context and provide modern interpretations. And both have bibliographies that will lead you to more trusted titles if you are so inclined. 

First, is a general overview of the essentials, The New Annotated H.P. Lovecraft edited and annotated by Leslie Klinger with an introduction by Victor LaValle. This book is the perfect introduction to Lovecraft and his work all in one volume. It has everything: key stories, reproductions of original illustrations, and most importantly, a running commentary on everything. Klinger's annotations are insightful and easy to understand. 

Second is a title that I gave a STAR review in the December 15 issue of Booklist, The Gods of H.P. Lovecraft edited by Aaron French. Click here or see below for my review which explains why this book is an essential guide to the monsters of the Lovecraft Universe:

H.P. Lovecraft and his Mythos have seen a resurgences in popularity in the last ten years both in popular media and scholarship, but this collection stands out among the crowd. Editor French selected twelve of the key deities from Lovecraft’s universe and handed them to some of today’s best and most popular dark fiction writers, including New York Time’s Bestselling authors, Jonathan Maberry, Bentley Little, David Liss, Joe Lansdale, Christopher Golden, and Seanan McGuire, with the direction that they should craft a story from their own imagination, in their unique voice, it just needed to feature their assigned god and pay homage to that character’s origin. The result is a book that serves as an excellent introduction to the Mythos for novices who have heard of Lovecraft but may be overwhelmed looking for an entry point, while also being a must read for Lovecraft enthusiasts who will love seeing their beloved cosmic horror deities of the past being reinterpreted by some of their favorite writers of today. Even taken out of the Lovecraftian frame, all twelve stories are solid, scary, and well crafted with plenty to offer readers looking for a post-Halloween fix. Take horror up and comer Douglas Wynne’s story, “Rattled” featuring Yig as an example. At its heart, this is a terrifying story featuring the Father of Serpents, but it is also a moving coming of age tale. This volume also contains original artwork and a commentary on each deity by Lovecraft scholar, Donald Tyson. After each story, Tyson interjects important information about the featured God and its place within Lovecraft’s oeuvre. These essays are particularly compelling as readers encounter each immediately after being immersed in that God’s terrifying world. This is must add for all horror collections. 
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE THIS BOOK: Lovecraft Reimagined, Enlightening, Compelling

The key to this book is that it pairs essays about each creature with a story by a current practitioner of horror, a story that places the creature in a new context, but one that also honors its origins. The essays alone are worth a read. I learned so much from those essays, and I know you will too.

That's it from me this week. Please visit the #LJReads #LovecraftFridays threads and add your voice to our discussion. And before you leave this post, get yourself signed up for our live discussion on 10/30.

Monday, April 20, 2020

2019 Bram Stoker Awards Results

The 2019 Bram Stoker Award winners were announced in a virtual presentation on HWA’s YouTube channel on April 18, 2020

I am posting the winners here on the horror blog so that the titles are searchable. Please go to the Bram Stoker Awards Homepage for more details on the awards, current winners, past winners, and more.
Superior Achievement in a Novel
Winner: Goingback, Owl – Coyote Rage (Independent Legions Publishing)
Also nominated:Malerman, Josh – Inspection (Del Rey)Miskowski, S.P. – The Worst is Yet to Come (Trepidatio Publishing)Murray, Lee – Into the Ashes (Severed Press)Wendig, Chuck – Wanderers (Del Rey)
Superior Achievement in a First Novel
Winner: Read, Sarah – The Bone Weaver’s Orchard (Trepidatio Publishing)
Also nominated:Amor, Gemma – Dear Laura (Independently Published)Guignard, Eric J. – Doorways to the Deadeye (JournalStone)Lane, Michelle Renee – Invisible Chains (Haverhill House Publishing)Starling, Caitlin – The Luminous Dead (Harper Voyager)
Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel
Winner: Nzondi – Oware Mosaic (Omnium Gatherum)
Also nominated:Bérubé, Amelinda – Here There Are Monsters (Sourcebooks Fire)Dávila Cardinal, Ann – Five Midnights (Tor Teen)Gardner, Liana – Speak No Evil (Vesuvian Books)Marshall, Kate Alice – Rules for Vanishing (Viking Books for Young Readers)Salomon, Peter Adam – Eight Minutes, Thirty-Two Seconds (PseudoPsalms Press)
Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel
Winner: Doran, Colleen & Gaiman, Neil – Neil Gaiman’s Snow, Glass, Apples
(Dark Horse Books)
Also nominated:Bunn, Cullen – Bone Parish Vol. 2 (BOOM! Studios)Liu, Marjorie – Monstress Volume 4: The Chosen (Image Comics)Manzetti, Alessandro – Calcutta Horror (Independent Legions Publishing)Tanabe, Gou – H.P. Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness Volume 1 (Dark Horse Manga)
Superior Achievement in Long Fiction
Winner: LaValle, Victor – Up from Slavery (Weird Tales Magazine#363) (Weird Tales Inc.)
Also nominated:Manzetti, Alessandro – The Keeper of Chernobyl (Omnium Gatherum)Taborska, Anna – The Cat Sitter (Shadowcats) (Black Shuck Books)Tantlinger, Sara – To Be Devoured (Unnerving)Warren, Kaaron – Into Bones Like Oil (Meerkat Shorts)
Superior Achievement in Short Fiction
Winner: Kiste, Gwendolyn – “The Eight People Who Murdered Me (Excerpt from Lucy Westenra’s Diary)” (Nightmare Magazine Nov. 2019, Issue 86)
Also nominated:Chapman, Greg – “The Book of Last Words” (This Sublime Darkness and Other Dark Stories) (Things in the Well Publishing)Landry, Jess – “Bury Me in Tar and Twine” (Tales of the Lost Volume 1: We All Lose Something!) (Things in the Well Publishing)O’Quinn, Cindy – “Lydia” (The Twisted Book of Shadows) (Twisted Publishing)Waggoner, Tim – “A Touch of Madness”(The Pulp Horror Book of Phobias) (LVP Publications)
Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection
Winner: Tremblay, Paul – Growing Things and Other Stories (William Morrow)
Also nominated:Chiang, Ted – Exhalation: Stories (Knopf)Jonez, Kate – Lady Bits (Trepidatio Publishing)Langan, John – Sefira and Other Betrayals (Hippocampus Press)Read, Sarah – Out of Water (Trepidatio Publishing)
Superior Achievement in a Screenplay
Winner: Peele, Jordan – Us (Monkeypaw Productions, Perfect World Pictures, Dentsu, Fuji Television Network, Universal Pictures)
Also nominated:Aster, Ari – Midsommar (B-Reel Films, Square Peg)Duffer Brothers, The – Stranger Things (Season 3, Chapter Eight: The Battle of Starcourt) (Netflix)Eggers, Robert and Eggers, Max – The Lighthouse (A24, New Regency Pictures, RT Features)Flanagan, Mike – Doctor Sleep (Warner Bros., Intrepid Pictures/Vertigo Entertainment)
Superior Achievement in an Anthology
Winner: Datlow, Ellen – Echoes: The Saga Anthology of Ghost Stories (Gallery/Saga Press)
Also nominated:Brozek, Jennifer – A Secret Guide to Fighting Elder Gods (Pulse Publishing)Golden, Christopher and Moore, James A. – The Twisted Book of Shadows (Twisted Publishing)Guignard, Eric J. – Pop the Clutch: Thrilling Tales of Rockabilly, Monsters, and Hot Rod Horror (Dark Moon Books)Wilson, Robert S. – Nox Pareidolia (Nightscape Press)
Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction
Winner: Kröger, Lisa and Anderson, Melanie R. – Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction (Quirk Books)
Also nominated:
Beal, Eleanor and Greenaway, Jonathan – Horror and Religion: New Literary Approaches to Theology, Race, and Sexuality (University of Wales Press)Earle, Harriet E.H. – Gender, Sexuality, and Queerness in American Horror Story: Critical Essays (McFarland)Heller-Nicholas, Alexandra – Masks in Horror Cinema: Eyes Without Faces (University of Wales Press)Kachuba, John B. – Shapeshifters: A History (Reaktion Books)
Superior Achievement in Short Non-Fiction
Winner: Kiste, Gwendolyn – “Magic, Madness, and Women Who Creep: The Power of Individuality in the Work of Charlotte Perkins Gilman”
(Vastarien: A Literary Journal Vol. 2, Issue 1)
Also nominated:Liaguno, Vince A. – “Slasher Films Made Me Gay: The Queer Appeal and Subtext of the Genre” (LGBTQ+ Horror Month: 9/1/2019, Ginger Nuts of Horror)Renner, Karen J.“The Evil Aging Women of American Horror Story” (Elder Horror: Essays on Film’s Frightening Images of Aging) (McFarland)Robinson, Kelly – “Film’s First Lycanthrope: 1913’s The Werewolf” (Scary Monsters Magazine #114)Weich, Valerie E. – “Lord Byron’s Whipping Boy: Dr. John William Polidori and the 200th Anniversary of The Vampyre” (Famous Monsters of Filmland, Issue #291)
Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection
Winner: Addison, Linda D. and Manzetti, Alessandro – The Place of Broken Things
(Crystal Lake Publishing)
Also nominated:Cade, Octavia – Mary Shelley Makes a Monster (Aqueduct Press)Lynch, Donna – Choking Back the Devil (Raw Dog Screaming Press)Scalise, Michelle – Dragonfly and Other Songs of Mourning (LVP Publications)Simon, Marge and Dietrich, Bryan D. – The Demeter Diaries (Independent Legions Publishing)Wytovich, Stephanie M. – The Apocalyptic Mannequin (Raw Dog Screaming Press)