HORROR AND FANTASY WRITER
Among the plethora of new horror fiction releases in the first half of 2026, I couldn't help but notice three talented authors I enjoy reading have hit the market with interesting stories. I don't know if the overused clichés “under the radar” or "not mainstream enough" apply here, but these writers are producing some of... Continue Reading →
(Editor’s note: Since 2024, Cryptid Quarterly is a feature where I highlight cryptid horror fiction from each quarter of the year, using Amazon Kindle release dates.) Luka T. Jacobs takes the top two spots on the Cryptid Quarterly VIII chart with a holiday cryptid thriller and Book 6 of her Nicole Beretti Thriller series. Sasquatch... Continue Reading →
The Horror Writers Association released the 2025 Bram Stoker Awards Final Ballot on February 23 via announcement on its website, BramStokerAwards.Horror.Org. The highlight of the list is the category for Superior Achievement in a First Novel, where seven works were selected instead of the typical five. “This year, the thrill of seeing the Final Ballot... Continue Reading →
Full Throttle, an Extreme Horror anthology published by Uncomfortably Dark Horror, led the list of nominees for the 2026 Splatterpunk Awards, according to an announcement January 10 on KillerConATX.com. Edited by Candace Nola, Full Throttle received noms for Best Anthology, and two of its tales were nominated for Best Short Story -- “And She Was... Continue Reading →
(Editor’s note: Since 2024, Cryptid Quarterly is a feature where I highlight cryptid horror fiction from each quarter of the year, using Amazon Kindle release dates.) James Kaine debuts atop the Cryptid Quarterly VII chart with a Jersey Devil thriller, and D.A. Roberts returns at No. 2 with the fourth book in The Lakeview Man... Continue Reading →
SPOILER ALERT! "The Call Shift" by N.J. Gallegos won the 2025 Alien Buddha Horror Showdown. It's a slice-of-life tale from the point of view of a resident doctor dealing with exhaustion and a zombie virus amid a pandemic. Gallegos also won the Showdown in 2022 with her domestic horror story titled "The Fruits of Her... Continue Reading →
(Editor’s note: SHORT SHOTS is an occasional feature where I review horror short stories.) For me, the most uncomfortable horror fiction starts in the womb. In April 2022, I read and reviewed “Birth” by Lisa Quigley, the Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of The Forest. The story was in Issue #8 of Unnerving Magazine, and it... Continue Reading →
Splatterpunk legend and award-winning horror author Edward Lee announced his retirement on August 20 with a brief but earnest Facebook post. "Friends, on this memorable day that is August 20, the great HP Lovecraft's birthday, I must announce my retirement," Lee wrote. "Getting too old and too hobbled with health problems to continue. The tank... Continue Reading →
The End of the World As We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King’s The Stand officially hit the shelves August 19 and became an instant bestseller. It debuted at No. 3 on The New York Times Best Sellers list for September 7, at No. 16 on USA Today's Best-selling Booklist for August 27, and reached No.... Continue Reading →
Kristopher Triana won Best Novel for his survival tale The Old Lady at the 2025 Splatterpunk Awards presented at KillerCon in Austin, Texas, on August 2. Triana is now a three-time honoree in the category, previously winning Best Novel for Full Brutal in 2019 and The Night Stockers (co-authored with Ryan Harding) in 2022. Visit... Continue Reading →
LIONEL RAY GREEN 