This is Horror Award Winners 2017

Click here to see the all winners. I have also posted it below and linked, where applicable, to my reviews. Also, don’t forget I have this permanent page which archives all the horror and horror-esque awards. Use that page to find backlist winners too. They all make great sure bet horror suggestions.

Every book listed here is a great option to add to any public library collection. I have read all or part of every single title listed here [except Looming Low].

Finally, check out my popular post Using Awards Lists As A RA Tool for more advice.

Novel of the Year

Winner: I Wish I Was Like You by S.P. Miskowski
Runner-up: In the Valley of the Sun by Andy Davidson [Becky's review]

“I’m honored, and surprised. Thanks to everyone who voted. Thanks to my publisher, JournalStone. This Is Horror sets a high standard for inquiry and discussion without a hint of elitism or pretentiousness. The site’s reviews, articles, and interviews are offered in the best spirit of horror, which is (after all) a leveler, an admission of vulnerability. Horror embodies the knowledge that we may be smart and pretty and popular and well-off but at four a.m., alone with our worst fears and suspicions, we are all scared animals waiting for daybreak. I’ll try to live up to the honor of the award by staying true to that spirit. Thank you!”

—S.P. Miskowski, author of I Wish I Was Like You
THIS IS HORROR NOVEL OF THE YEAR

Novella of the Year

Winner: Mapping The Interior by Stephen Graham Jones [Becky's Review]
Runner-up: Agents of Dreamland by Caitlin R. Kiernan 

“This is amazing, I’m floored, thank you thank you, voters, thank you, This is Horror, and thank you, Ellen Datlow, for getting me to write this one, and to the Tor.com team for, first, making it such a beautiful little book, and second, for getting it out into everybody’s hands and heads and hearts. This is a serious honor. Long live the form of the novella.”

—Stephen Graham Jones, author of Mapping The Interior
THIS IS HORROR NOVELLA OF THE YEAR

Short Story Collection of the Year

Winner: Behold the Void by Philip Fracassi [My review]
Runner-up: Everything That’s Underneath by Kristi DeMeester [Becky's review]

“Wow. This is crazy. Thank you so very much to everyone who voted for Behold the Void. I was honored to be included as a nominee and am stunned to have my book voted ‘Best Story Collection of the Year.’ I have been deeply moved by the reception my debut story collection has received from readers and reviewers, and to now get this award leaves me speechless with gratitude. Thanks also to Michael Wilson and Bob Pastorella at This Is Horror, amazing advocates of this fantastic, weird and horrifying industry.”

—Philip Fracassi, author of Behold The Void
THIS IS HORROR SHORT STORY COLLECTION OF THE YEAR

Anthology of the Year

Winner: Looming Low Volume I, edited by Justin Steele and Sam Cowan
Runner-up: Black Feathers: Dark Avian Tales: An Anthology, edited by Ellen Datlow [Becky’s Review]

“Wow! Thanks to everyone who voted for Looming Low Volume I. I’m absolutely thrilled that it has won a This Is Horror award, especially against such stiff competition. Justin and I received a number of great submissions and it was tough to choose the final table of contents but we were both very satisfied with how it turned out. Justin did the lion’s share of the editing, including the story order, and deserves a lot of credit for the final book. And another big thank you to everyone who shared social media posts, left reviews on Goodreads or Amazon, and helped promote the book in general. Cheers!”

—Sam Cowan, editor of Looming Low Volume I
THIS IS HORROR ANTHOLOGY OF THE YEAR

“Whoa, this sure is flattering! Looming Low was quite a large project with many people involved. I’m really proud with how it turned out, the authors did an excellent job, and the cover artists gave us some gorgeous art. I’d like to thank them all, and thank all the people who took the time to read the book. Cheers!”

—Justin Steele, editor of Looming Low Volume I
THIS IS HORROR ANTHOLOGY OF THE YEAR

Fiction Magazine of the Year

Winner: Black Static
Runner-up: Apex Magazine

“This is a wonderful surprise. On behalf of all Black Static staff and contributors many thanks to everybody who voted for us.”

—Andy Cox, editor of Black StaticTHIS IS HORROR FICTION MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR

Publisher of the Year

Winner: Crystal Lake Publishing

Runner-up: Journalstone

[Both publishers appear in Becky’s Archive of the Best Independent Horror Publishers for Libraries]

“First I’d like to thank This Is Horror and the fans who voted for us. It’s such an honour. Then I’d also like to thank everyone who supports small presses and authors. I’ve been in this business now for about six years, and it’s a tough one. I’ve seen publishers come and go for various reasons, and I’ve learned from each one. So if you find a small press with quality products you enjoy, that supports authors and fellow creators and treats them with respect and loyalty, please continue supporting them by buying their books and telling others about them. Most publishers I know do this out of love and passion, but without your continued support, no matter how little, that passion will eventually die. ”

—Joe Mynhardt, CEO of Crystal Lake Publishing
THIS IS HORROR PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR

Fiction Podcast of the Year

Winner: Pseudopod
Runner-up: Nightmare Magazine Podcast 

“The Editors would like to thank the This Is Horror Podcast and their audience for bestowing on us this honor for a second time. It is both humbling and heartening to know that our work means so much to so many, and that the quality we strive for is appreciated. Please spread the word—we have so many more things to show you in the dark.”

—Shawn Garrett and Alex Hofelich, co-editors of Pseudopod
THIS IS HORROR FICTION PODCAST OF THE YEAR

“We’re amazed and grateful to This is Horror readers and listeners for voting us the Best Fiction podcast for a second year! Massive thanks to all our writers, narrators and staff. And massive thanks too to the other finalists. This is an amazing time to be working in horror podcasting and it’s an honor to stand with them. And as ever, we’ll have more true stories for you this week.”

—Alasdair Stuart, host of Pseudopod
THIS IS HORROR FICTION PODCAST OF THE YEAR

Nonfiction Podcast of the Year

Winner: The Horror Show with Brian Keene [Mentioned here on the blog]
Runner-up: Lovecraft eZine Podcast

“I’m honored and humbled. Our goal has always been to teach about horror’s past, its present, and its future, and it is wonderful to see the support for that endeavor. On behalf of myself, Dave Thomas, Mary SanGiovanni, Mike Lombardo, Coop, Phoebe, and Dungeonmaster 77.1, thank you!”

—Brian Keene, host of The Horror Show with Brian Keene
THIS IS HORROR NONFICTION PODCAST OF THE YEAR

Horror Review Index Update

I have added two new reviews to the index:

Click here for review

Click here for review

Top 20 Horror Book Blogs and Websites via Feedspot

Recently Feedspot released its list of the top 20 Horror Book Blogs and Websites here:

Horror Book Review Blogs List.The Best Horror Book Review blogs selected from thousands of Horror blogs and Book blogs in our index using search and social metrics. We’ve carefully selected these websites because they are actively working to educate, inspire, and empower their readers with frequent updates and high-quality information.These blogs are ranked based on following criteria

• Google reputation and Google search ranking

• Influence and popularity on Facebook, twitter and other social media sites

• Quality and consistency of posts.

• Feedspot’s editorial team and expert review

While RA for All: Horror made the list at #13 [not bad for my second, occasional blog], I am really posting this to let you see the other 19 options since you have already landed here on your own. This is a good list of places you can go to read more about he horror book world. I know, trust and visit many of the sites in this list myself. They feature essays, information, and reviews you can use to help patrons.

I have also added this list to my Horror Resources page so that you can access it anytime with just one click.

StokerCon 2018 Report

Horror legend Ramsey Campbell
and editor Don D'Auria
in the hotel lobby

I spent 2/28-3/4 in Providence at StokerCon 2018 in the Biltmore Hotel. I was the organizer of Librarians’ Day on 3/1, so that took most of my time. In this post I will report in detail about that day and then I have a few other comments about the rest of my time.

However, before I begin, I would like to make an overall comment about StokerCon. This is now my second time attending, but my first as one of the organizers. I have both attended and organized a wide variety of library conferences in my time and I have to say, even though StokerCon is fairly new, they do a wonderful job. The Con is extremely well run but more importantly, the attendees were all happy to be there and excited to be networking and learning with and from each other. For example, I saw huge names like Ramsey Campbell, Victor LaValle, or F Paul Wilson on a panel with new writers and the established authors were not only kind to the newbies, but they also learned from them.

I loved every minute I was at StokerCon and I have these men in the photo to thank. From left to right: Kevin Wetmore, Brad Hodson, Brian Matthews, and Jim Chambers. They were the ones doing the bulk of the organizing of SotkerCon. They did a wonderful job.

On Thursday 3/1 though, I was in charge, and after months of planning, Librarians’ Day went off without a hitch.  I would like to once again thank Kristi Chadwick for all her help coordinating this event with me. Her work with the publishers, doing local promotion [we had an amazing turn out with over 60 people in the room at one point!], and handling any logistical questions from the attendees before the event was invaluable.

Below is a brief overview [with pictures] of what was discussed that day and over the entire weekend.

The day began with Dacre Stoker [pic- right] talking about how his great-granduncle’s masterpiece, Dracula, has remained revelent in pop culture. It was a fascinating and broad look at the influence of the text over time.

He also talked about the October release of the first Stroker estate sanctioned prequel to Dracula entitled Dracul written by Dacre Stoker with J.D. Barker. From Goodreads:

It is 1868, and a 22-year-old Bram Stoker has locked himself inside an abbey's tower to face off against a vile and ungodly beast. He is armed with mirrors and crucifixes and holy water and a gun - and is kept company by a bottle of plum brandy. His fervent prayer is that he will survive this one night - a night that will prove to be the longest of his life. Desperate to leave a record of what he has witnessed, the young man scribbles out the events that brought him to this point - a childhood illness, a mysterious nanny, and stories once thought to be fables now proven true.  

A riveting novel of Gothic suspense, Dracul reveals not only the true origins of Dracula himself, but also of his creator, Bram Stoker . . . and of the elusive, enigmatic woman who connects them.

Place your orders now. Besides the Dracula connection Barker, the co-author here is becoming a big name in thriller, suspense, and horror himself.

The next panel was moderated by me and was entitled, “Why Horror Matters: A Conversation with Experts on the Genre and Its Practitioners.” It featured Christopher Geissler [the head archivist from the John Hay Library which holds the papers of H.P. Lovecraft among other horror legends], Andy Davidson, Me, Grady Hendrix, Les Klinger and Eric Guignard. A few interning points that came up in our conversation:

• I talked about how in times of difficulty some people gravitate toward horror to feel better. When things are bad, they look for something worse to help them feel better.
• Someone mentioned that everyone is scared of something.
• Grady talked at length about what a large part women have played in horror and its history.
• Eric talked about his series of printers on writing by short dark fiction, by living authors. Click here for more detail on that.
• Les talked about what he has learned annotating great works like those by Lovecraft and Shelley.
• Andy talked about how he mixes genre and why he gravitates to horror as the anchor to his work.
• Christopher talked about the archive, what they are preserving there, who uses it, and why it is important.

It was a great way to get the real conversation about horror going for the day. Dacre got us excited and then this panel made us focus on purpose.

L to R: Morgan, Stephen, Mary, Nadia

The final morning panel was moderated by Bram Stoker Nominated author Mary SanGiovanni. Entitled, “A Panel of Fresh Voices for Your Collections. This panel gathered newer authors who many library workers may not have heard of before, including Nadia Bulkin, Stephen Kozeniewski, and Morgan Sylvia.

Mary talked to them about their writing, what the publishing landscape is like today, how they get the word out about their books, and what they are working on next. I should note, I have featured all of these authors here on the blog [or in Nadia's case I will soon]. These are authors you should know about and add to your collections.

This panel was fascinating  because rarely do we library workers get to hear from the smaller authors, those who are just starting to break in with work that is being noticed. These authors are on small presses now, but they will all be working with larger publishers soon. For example, in the bottom right corner of that picture, feverishly taking notes, is Rick Chillot a senior editor from Quirk Books.

Speaking of Rick...

After a fun lunch where panelists, authors, and attendees all got to mingle and chat with one and other, we had the panel everyone was most excited about-- “Horror Programming at Your Library,” moderated by J.G. Faherty, the Library and Literacy Coordinator for HWA and featuring 2 pairs of people who have worked to do just what the title says. Liz Rieur, librarian from Haverhill [MA] Public Library who organizes the extremely popular Merrimack Valley Halloween Book Festival with best selling and Bram Stoker Award winning author Christopher Golden, who appeared with her on the panel as well as Grady Hendrix and his editor Rick Chillot from Quirk Books.

As you can imagine, there were many questions from the library workers in the audience, especially for Liz, on how to do programming around horror. Faherty also talked about how the HWA can help connect us with local authors to start planning our own programming.

On a side note, on Saturday I spoke on this same topic to the authors in a program entitled, "Promoting Your Book To Bookstores and Libraries." On the left you can see a picture of our panel featuring [L to R] Jeff Strand, Me, J.H. Moncrieff, and Grady Hendrix. This was also moderated by Faherty. I was very popular. The authors want to know how libraries work and are often surprised when I begin by saying, "The first thing you need to know is that libraries are giant bureaucracies, even the little ones." I am always happy to share how libraries work with authors.

Finally we ended the day with Book Buzzes from publihsers and my Mass Library System book talk on Lovecraft inspired titles from 2016 [when in Rome]. The details and links to the slides were originally posted here on 3/1/18.

That evening, Les Klinger took me on a little a trip up the hill to go to Brown University to visit Christopher Geissler at the Hay where Paul La Farge, author of The Night Ocean, gave a lecture about Lovecraft's friend, the enigmatic [to say the least] Robert Barlow. It was fascinating. Also, in a bit of irony, I read La Farge's novel on my trip to StokerCon 2017.

L to R: Chambers, LaValle, Addison, Weller

That was Thursday. I was still around for 2 more full days, but they went by in a whirlwind. I attended panels, had fun at all three late night events-- A dramatic reading of Lovecraft's only play, the Final Frame Film Festival, and a hilarious battle of monsters, pictured here on the right. There were two teams. The team you see featured Victor LaValle, Linda Addison, and Sam Weller. The teams would each pull a monster out of the pumpkin and then Jim would have someone from the audience pull a location. The authors had to then tell a story of how their monster would beat the other monster in that place. There were judges to the side to comment on their stories, but we the audience had the final say. Some of the monsters who battled were the Blob, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, Valdemort, Medusa, Godzilla and more.

Me and Linda

Over the weekend I made new friends with the people behind Raw Dog Screaming Press, Flame Tree Press, and Eraserhead Press. I book talked some of the titles for sale by the Con bookseller so that they got a few extra sales. I got to catch up with many old friends, like Linda Addison who received the Lifetime Achievement Award [an honor I am proud to have played a part in] and meet a whole slew of new and interesting writers, many of whom I have already been in touch with since.

And finally, the Con ended for me with the Stoker Awards Banquet where I got to sit next to horror legend, Ramsey Campbell and his wife during dinner and the ceremony. I am happy to report he is one of the nicest people I have ever met. I could chat with him and his wife all day.

Official program for the
awards ceremony

For the second year in a row, I had the honor of presenting the award for Superior Achievement in Nonfiction wit Les Klinger, and we got to give that award to Grady Hendrix for Paperbacks from Hell. It was so great to give the award to a friend and be there when he received it.

Here is the link to my post with all of the nominees and winners.

That's the summary of what happened. I can't wait t start planning Librarians' Day for StokerCon 2019 in Grand Rapids. 

2017 Bram Stoker Award Winners Official Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2017 Bram Stoker Awards® Winners

Providence, RI, March 3, 2018

The Horror Writers Association (HWA), the premier organization of writers and publishers of horror and dark fantasy, announces this year’s Bram Stoker Awards® winners after a ceremony held at the historic Biltmore Hotel in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. “We are excited to announce this year’s winners from another impressive list of finalists. The winners represent a broad spectrum of highly talented writers devoted to horror and dark fantasy,” said Lisa Morton, HWA President and multiple Bram Stoker Award winner. “Our members and awards juries have demonstrated considerable dedication and objectivity to the selection process for outstanding works of literature, cinema, non-fiction, and poetry.”

We proudly provide the list of talented winners along with the finalist nominees. 

Superior Achievement in a Novel

Winner: Golden, Christopher – Ararat (St. Martin’s Press)

Also nominated:

• King, Stephen and King, Owen – Sleeping Beauties (Scribner)
• Malerman, Josh – Black Mad Wheel (Ecco)
• Miskowski, S.P. – I Wish I Was Like You (JournalStone)
• Tem, Steve Rasnic – Ubo (Solaris)

Superior Achievement in a First Novel

Winner: Cabeen, Robert Payne – Cold Cuts (Omnium Gatherum Media)

Also nominated:

• Davidson, Andy – In the Valley of the Sun (Skyhorse Publishing)
• Hayward, Matt – What Do Monsters Fear? (Post Mortem Press)
• Hepler, Jeremy – The Boulevard Monster (Bloodshot Books)
• Thomas, Scott – Kill Creek (Ink Shares)

Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel

Winner: Liggett, Kim – The Last Harvest (Tor Teen)

Also nominated:

• French, Gillian – The Door to January (Islandport Press)
• Leveen, Tom – Hellworld (Simon Pulse)
• Lukavics, Amy – The Ravenous (Harlequin Teen)
• Porter, Sarah – When I Cast Your Shadow (Tor Teen)

Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel

Winner: Duffy, Damian and Butler, Octavia E. – Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation 

(Abrams ComicArts)

Also nominated:

•         Carey, Mike and Arvind, Ethan David – Darkness Visible (IDW)
•         Ferris, Emil – My Favorite Thing is Monsters (Fantagraphics)
•         Hickman, Jonathan – The Black Monday Murders (Image Comics) Liu, Marjorie – Monstress Volume 2: The Blood (Image Comics)

Superior Achievement in Long Fiction

Winner: Jones, Stephen Graham – Mapping the Interior (Tor.com)

Also nominated:

• Edelman, Scott – Faking it Until Forever Comes (Liars, Fakers, and the Dead Who Eat Them) (Written Backwards)
• Kiernan, Caitlín R. – Agents of Dreamland (Tor.com)
• Taylor, Lucy – Sweetlings (Tor.com)
• Waggoner, Tim – A Kiss of Thorns (DarkFuse)

Superior Achievement in Short Fiction

Winner: Mannetti, Lisa – “Apocalypse Then” (Never Fear: The Apocalypse) (13Thirty Books)

Also nominated:

• Bailey, Michael – “I Will Be the Reflection Until the End” (Tales from the Lake Vol. 4) (Crystal Lake Publishing)
• Chambers, James – “A Song Left Behind in the Aztakea Hills” (Shadows Over Main Street, Volume 2) (Cutting Block Books)
• Neugebauer, Annie – “So Sings the Siren” (Apex Magazine #101) (Apex Publications)
• Yardley, Mercedes M. – “Loving You Darkly” (F(r)iction Magazine #8) 
• (Tethered by Letters)

Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection

Winner: Hill, Joe – Strange Weather (William Morrow)

Also nominated:

• Kiste, Gwendolyn – And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe (JournalStone)
• Malerman, Josh – Goblin (Earthling Publications)
• Matsuura, Thersa – The Carp-Faced Boy and Other Tales (Independent Legions Publishing)
• McGrath, Patrick – Writing Madness (Centipede Press)

Superior Achievement in a Screenplay

Winner: Peele, Jordan – Get Out (Universal Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, 

QC Entertainment)

Also nominated:

• Del Toro, Guillermo and Taylor, Vanessa – The Shape of Water (TSG Entertainment, Double Dare You Productions)
• Duffer, Matt and Duffer, Ross – Stranger Things: MadMax, Episode 02:01: Chapter One (21 Laps Entertainment, Monkey Massacre)
• Frost, Mark and Lynch, David – Twin Peaks, Part 8 (Rancho Rosa Partnership, Inc.)
• Palmer, Chase, Fukunaga, Cary, and Dauberman, Gary – It (New Line Cinema)

Superior Achievement in an Anthology

Winner: Murano, Doug – Behold!: Oddities, Curiosities & Undefinable Wonders 

(Crystal Lake Publishing)

Also nominated:

• Brooks, Kinitra, PhD., Addison, Linda D., and Morris, Susana, PhD. – Sycorax’s Daughters (Cedar Grove Publishing)
• Datlow, Ellen – Black Feathers: Dark Avian Tales: An Anthology (Pegasus Books)
• Maberry, Jonathan and Romero, George A. – Nights of the Living Dead: An Anthology (St. Martin’s Griffin)
• Manzetti, Alessandro and Lester, Jodi Renee – The Beauty of Death Vol. 2: Death by Water (Independent Legions Publishing)

Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction

Winner: Hendrix, Grady. Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of ‘70s and ‘80s Horror Fiction (Quirk Books)

Also nominated:

• Brittany, Michele – Horror in Space: Critical Essays on a Film Subgenre (McFarland)
• Brooks, Kinitra D. – Searching for Sycorax: Black Women's Hauntings of Contemporary Horror (Rutgers University Press)
• Jones, Stephen – The Art of Horror Movies: An Illustrated History (Applause Theatre & Cinema Books)
• Mynhardt, Joe and Johnson, Eugene – Where Nightmares Come From: The Art of Storytelling in the Horror Genre – (Crystal Lake Publishing)

Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection

Winner: Sng, Christina – A Collection of Nightmares (Raw Dog Screaming Press)

Also nominated:

• Frazier, Robert and Boston, Bruce – Visions of the Mutant Rain Forest (Crystal Lake Publishing)
• Manzetti, Alessandro – No Mercy (Crystal Lake Publishing)
• Simon, Marge and Turzillo, Mary – Satan’s Sweethearts (Weasel Press)
• Wytovich, Stephanie M. – Sheet Music to My Acoustic Nightmare (Raw Dog Screaming Press)

Named in honor of the author of the seminal horror novel Dracula, the Bram Stoker Awards® are presented annually for superior writing in eleven categories including traditional fiction of various lengths, poetry, screenplays and non-fiction. Previous winners include Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, George R. R. Martin, Joyce Carol Oates and Neil Gaiman. 

Active and Lifetime members of the organization are eligible to vote for the winners in all categories. For more on the Horror Writers Association, please visit www.horror.org.

For More Information Contact:

John W. Dennehy, Communications Director

Horror Writers Association

jdennehy@johnwdennehy.com

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