Here’s a small selection of the horror and genre news that caught our eye during the last week …
Sadie meets Wilder Girls in this unnerving tale about the struggle for survival, the twisted satisfaction of revenge, and the darkness hiding in all of us. From Erica Waters, the acclaimed author of Ghost Wood Song and The River Has Teeth, this mystery will haunt you to the end. The Cloudkiss Killer is dead. Now a true-crime podcast is hosting a contest to find his bones. Lucy was almost the serial killer’s final victim. Carolina is a true-crime fan who fears her own rage. Maggie is a psychology student with a little too much to hide. All of them are looking for answers, for a new identity, for a place to bury their secrets. But there are more than bones hiding in the shadows…sometimes the darkness inside is more frightening than anything the dead leave behind. Available for pre-order now in hardcover, you can guarantee your copy here.
For Flight Engineer Cynthia Han and her fellow astronauts aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 81 has proved as mundane as space travel ever gets. Yes, this would be Cynthia’s final NASA mission, for reasons she’s so far kept from the rest of the crew; and yes, the latest billionaire “space tourist” has managed to irritate everyone on board. Still, none of them could have asked for a smoother experience. Until the morning they wake up to silence. All communication with Earth, gone. From half a dozen different agencies with multiple installations and redundancies across the globe, there is simply… nothing. And through the viewports of the ISS, only the thick veil of churning, lightning-veined dust to suggest the Earth remains at all. Now, without ground control, without the proper telemetries or calculations or even reliable visuals, Cynthia and the rest of Expedition 81 must make their way home. For most, it will be the most fraught and the most frightening task of their lives.
But it will be nothing compared to the world that now awaits them beyond the dust. Available to pre-order in eBook, with a paperback edition to follow, you can guarantee your copy here.
Whether in an old weathered mine shaft, somewhere off the beaten path, out in the woods, or right here in the middle of this ghost town, danger awaits. We’re going to take you way back, drop you right smack dab in the middle of the Old West at its finest. But we’re not just going to give you shootouts and bullet wounds and blood splatter. Yes, those things are prominently featured, but there’s so much more to this anthology of western horror. Maybe it’s a well-known creature popping in for a visit, or some new creepy crawly monster sucking out your soul, we’re going to turn the Old West inside-out and explore its guts to the fullest. There are new adventures to be had, monsters both familiar and unfamiliar to be thwarted… And we’re not always going to be the victors. Life in the Old West is hard, trying at its best, and it can wear you down quick. So, prepare yourself to be transported back in time. Get yourself up on that rickety stagecoach, draw your guns, and let’s get going. There’s vast territory to cover here, and your journey begins now. Available now in eBook and paperback, you can grab yours here.
Azazel’s Public House is a dive bar in Staten Island, the New York City borough best known for its mountainous garbage dump, and it’s run by Pete, who happens to be a lot more than just the manager. Pete’s ever-seeking spirit gallops on the foul stench that wafts from the Dump and torments the good people of Staten Island. But Pete’s had his fill of outer-borough provincial life and is gunning for a promotion. To land the new gig, he’s got to impress the man downstairs. He needs a couple of big scores and lucky for him, Staten Island is oozing with potential for evil. Carl and Anthony, two teenage buddies who share a bond that goes deeper than friendship, deeper even than blood, may be just the ticket. Pete descends upon them in a desolate lot. He orchestrates a depraved act of violence and betrayal, which sends him cruising towards his promotion. The only person standing in Pete’s way is a skinny teenage misfit named Gina, who Pete laughs off as a pushover. But when Gina and Pete collide, all hell’s going to really break loose. Available now in eBook and paperback, you can get your copy here.
KEV HARRISON