Becky Spratford, La Grange, IL

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Clown in a Cornfield

While this title is marketed to teens, adult readers familiar with the classic horror slasher movies of the 1980s and 1990s should find it appeals. For more modern genre gems, see Stephen Graham Jones’s The Last Final Girl or Gretchen McNeil’s Ten.
PREMIUM

The Bright Lands

Fram refers to himself as “Stephen Queen,” and while this should certainly be embraced as a “gay Stephen King” read-alike, it is also a confident and thought-provoking tale that explores complex family dynamics, sexuality, religion, and coming-of-age anxieties within a solid horror frame. A great choice for fans of Victor LaValle or Ania Ahlborn.

Night of the Mannequins

A hotter voice in horror would be hard to find these days, and Graham Jones does not disappoint, delivering another masterpiece. Give to fans of slasher or serial killer tales, and those who enjoyed James Tynion’s graphic novel series “Something Is Killing the Children” or Oyinkan Braithwaite’s My Sister the Serial Killer.

PREMIUM

The Perfectly Fine House

Great for readers who love haunted house stories with detailed worldbuilding, such as Tananarive Due’s The Good House, and for fans of dark, speculative tales that employ unique twists on established tropes, such as Ben H. Winters’s preapocalyptic trilogy, “The Last Policeman.”

PREMIUM

Malorie

Having read Bird Box will help, but essential worldbuilding is seamlessly interwoven in a narrative paired with enlightening flashbacks into Malorie’s childhood, making this a solid stand-alone. Malerman will no doubt add to his legions of fans with this title ripe for readers of any genre seeking an intensely thrilling ride.

Miscreations: Gods, Monstrosities & Other Horrors

Featuring well-known horror writers, as well as some need-to-know new voices, while also representing a wide range of the genre, from slight shivers to outright terror, this small press anthology is one most libraries should own. Hand to fans of Ellen Datlow’s Best Horror of the Year.

PREMIUM

The Year of the Witching

An exciting debut with the potential to appeal to a wide range of readers and fans of titles as varied as Jennie Melamed’s Gather the Daughters, Naomi Novik’s Uprooted, and Scott Hawkins’s The Library at Mount Char. It also joins a recent trend of witch-themed titles like the short story anthology Hex Life, edited by Christopher Golden and Rachel Autumn Deering.
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