Reviews+

Christopher Golden pens an atmospheric horror thriller, Sarah Pinborough offers a gothic novel, and Caitlin Starling writes a medieval horror with a touch of fantasy.

M.M. Olivas calls herself a “Chicana-futurist” and has had work published in such outlets as Uncanny Magazine, Weird Horror Magazine, and Apex. Her debut novel, Sundown in San Ojuela, will be published in November by Lanternfish Press. She talks with LJ about her interest in the horror genre, its cinematic connections, and the role of folklore in her novel.

Bestselling Chuck Wendig returns with a tale of small-town scares and a mysterious staircase to nowhere, while S.A. Barnes offers more space horror; plus multiple terrifying debuts.

Even those well versed in slashers and their tropes will be surprised by the directions Jones takes. Readable both as representative of slasher films and book and as an exploration of the rules of the genre, this novel will have wide appeal to readers who are new to Jones’s work as well as established fans. Recommended as a contrast for fans of recent “final girl” books like the ones by Grady Hendrix and Riley Sager and readers who enjoyed The Pallbearers Club by Paul Tremblay.

Readers have scary new stories to look forward to from three LJ Best Book authors: Stephen Graham Jones, Cynthia Pelayo, and Erika T. Wurth.

A mushroom-filled, cosmic, cli-fi novel; a historical horror featuring vampires and a sapphic romance; spooky stories of those living with cursed objects; and even more tales to terrify this month.

Genre-bending literary horror, a winter monster, social horror, and more feature in these novels, which include books from big names Eric LaRocca and Clay McLeod Chapman.

Bestselling author Rachel Harrison was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel for The Return. She is also the author of Black Sheep, Such Sharp Teeth, and Cackle. Her next novel, So Thirsty (Berkley), is forthcoming this September. She talks with LJ about vampires, centering women in stories, her appreciation for libraries and librarians, and the inspiration for her writing.

Vampires stake a renewed claim, women’s stories and translated novels expand the genre, and psychological horror challenges tropes.