Becky Spratford
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Ring Shout
Not only the perfect choice for fans of Matt Ruff’s Lovecraft Country or Victor LaValle’s The Ballad of Black Tom, but also of other dual-threat fun and thought-provoking speculative fiction such as Sarah Gailey’s River of Teeth or Justina Ireland’s Dread Nation.
PREMIUM
Writing in the Dark
This excellent writing guide by an accomplished author and teacher will enhance all collections with its instruction. It’s also a fun read that elucidates the appeal of horror while also functioning as a solid readers’ advisory resource.
PREMIUM
The Blade Between
Filled with intense dread and unease; well-drawn if flawed characters; social commentary; and a satisfying resolution, this is a great example of how a century-old subgenre can still speak directly to today’s readers. Direct those who want more to John Langan’s The Fisherman, Caitlín R. Kiernan’s Agents of Dreamland, or T. Kingfisher’s The Twisted Ones.
Boneset & Feathers
Kiste casts a spell with this original and suspenseful horror story, but it holds more than meets the eye. Clearly influenced by Shirley Jackson, this will appeal to fans of Naomi Alderman’s The Power, Alexis Henderson’s The Year of the Witching, or Zoje Stage’s Wonderland.
PREMIUM
The Hollow Places
This unsettling, character-driven story of a young woman in search of herself reads like a darker, more macabre version of Alice in Wonderland, keeping readers turning the pages long after dark. Suggest with confidence to fans of Jeff VanderMeer’s “Southern Reach” trilogy or Zoje Stage’s Wonderland.
Plain Bad Heroines
With a pointed female focus, an unease constantly seeping in from the perimeter, spilling fear all over the page at key moments, and characters who leap off the page, this volume will be sure to inspire many fans. Comparisons to Marisha Pessl’s Night Film or Sarah Waters’s The Little Stranger are spot on, but this will also appeal to fans of dark speculative tales such as Mira Grant’s Into the Drowning Deep and Tamsyn Muir’s Gideon the Ninth.
PREMIUM
Tiny Nightmares: Very Short Stories of Horror
A better entry into the world of horror as it stands today would be hard to find. The short, but never sweet, tales surprise as they unsettle and terrify. Readers will seek out more titles by the authors they discover here, or direct fans of the format to Tiny Crimes: Very Short Tales of Mystery and Murder.
PREMIUM
The Valancourt Book of World Horror Stories
This desperately needed anthology is meticulously researched and translated, offering stories from a variety of perspectives across five continents, and representing the broad range of storytelling styles and tropes that are used by all horror storytellers regardless of nationality. Readers will be clamoring for these fresh tales by current authors they probably didn’t know existed. Consider pairing it with A World of Horror edited by Eric Guignard.
Rise of the Monsters: Top Horror Titles and Trends Coming This Season
Horror and dark fiction are trending in a big way. Here are the titles and trends to keep an eye on in the coming months, including a downloadable list of every book mentioned.