My Annual Roundup of the Bram Stoker Award Winners with Readalikes via The Lineup

I write 4 columns (at least) a year for The Lineup and because their focus is on the backlist, these columns are a resource of evergreen Horror recommendations for you to use. I have a permanent link to every column I have written for them over on the Horror Blog in one of that site's best resource pages-- Archives of Becky's Lists, Articles, and Presentations. 

However, you can always just head to The Lineup and use this link to pull up every column I have written in reverse chronological order.

And that link is especially useful as my most recent article went up recently-- my annual look at the 5 major fiction categories for the Bram Stoker Awards. I take the winners and offer you readlaikes. And because of this link, you can see the past few years of these article with one click.

Below is the article or you can click here to see it on the site. On the site it is prettier and has links.

From the Haunted Stacks: 2023 Bram Stoker AwardsⓇ Wrap Up

Each year, the Horror Writers Association presents the Bram Stoker AwardsⓇ for Superior Achievement in thirteen categories. There are a few interesting things about these, the most prestigious awards in the Horror genre. 

One, the award itself is very cool, an eight-inch replica of a haunted house, designed specifically for HWA by sculptor Steven Kirk. The door of the house opens to reveal a brass plaque engraved with the name of the winning work and its author. 

Two, the Bram Stoker AwardsⓇ are not for the “best” works of the year, rather they are “for superior achievement” which leaves room for more titles to be considered in a broader context. And three, the awards are chosen by a hybrid system of juries (one for each category) and member input.  

When you put all of this together, the results are always a cause for celebration. And that is exactly what happened on June 1, 2024, when the Bram Stoker AwardsⓇ  for books published in 2023 were presented live in San Diego, CA as part of StokerCon.  

Visit the Bram Stoker AwardsⓇ  official website for a full list of winners here. Or you can watch the entire ceremony for yourself in the YouTube video here.  

In Haunted Stacks style though, I am not here to simply list the winners for you. Rather I am going to focus on the titles that won in five of the categories, and offer you two read-alikes to continue your superior reading adventure.  

Superior Achievement in a Novel

Tananarive Due became the first Black person to win the Bram Stoker AwardⓇ in the novel category. Due had been nominated in this category before, but The Reformatory was her first win. Set in Jim Crow Florida, this novel is based on a real and notorious reformatory school, a place where many children, especially those who were poor and/or Black were sent, some never to return, including a relative of Due’s. As I wrote about this masterpiece on this very site in my 2023 Horror Book Highlights article: The timeline may be short but the history of the horror that imprisons Robbie is long and the ghosts who live on the school’s grounds are unwilling to wait any longer for justice. An engrossing and heartbreakingly beautiful story that speaks to all situations where injustice occurs and compels its readers to act. 

If you like The Reformatory try….

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

Whitehead’s historical novel about systemic racism is based on the true events at the Dozier School for Boys when bodies were dug up; the same school and notorious history that Due used in her novel. While it does not have any of the supernatural ghosts that appear in Due’s novel, it is just as menacing and disturbing. Told in layers, readers follow Elwood during his childhood before he got sent to the school through when he is out as an adult and living his life in NYC. The story bounces back and forth, but it is not confusing, in fact, this narrative choice adds suspense and quickens the pacing. It also prepares readers for the ending, guaranteed to leave all speechless.

The Trees by Percival Everett

Everett’s uncanny, terrifying, and stunning story is framed as a police procedural set in Mississippi, where Black law enforcement officers are called in to investigate a series of strange murders, all committed by Black men against white people. The killings are tied to lynchings from the past and the killers are found dead at the scene, but then they "disappear." This highly sardonic novel quickly transforms into a revenge driven zombie story, but one that draws heavily on the rules established by the Afro-Caribbean zombie tradition. This book expresses the anger, sadness, frustration, and victimization of our country's violent history of White people killing people of color just because they are Black or Asian, or Indigenous, LGBTQ etc… with raw and honest emotion and page turning suspense. 

Superior Achievement in a First Novel

Once again the First Novel category revealed a plethora of exciting new voices, and this year, Christa Carmen took home the haunted house statue for her meta exploration of the Gothic genre. The Daughters of Block Island opens with Blake, as she heads to the titular island, 14 miles off the coast of Rhode Island, to confront her birth mother and untangle her family’s complicated history. However, she is quickly murdered, but not before getting a letter off to the sister she never knew. That sister, Thalia, returns to the island after a ten year absence to finish what Blake started. A compelling debut about grief, trauma, and the pain caused by secrets that also consciously contemplates the act of storytelling within a Gothic framework, past and present.

If you like The Daughers of Block Island try….

Reluctant Immortals by Gwendolyn Kiste

A finalist in the novel category last year, Kiste’s book shares with Carmen’s an interest in probing Horror’s classic storytelling tropes and characters from a 21st Century perspective and the results in both cases make for a great reading experience. Here the setting is 1967, the Summer of Love, and our main characters are ripped from the pages of classic novels– Lucy, from Dracula and Bee, the first wife from Jane Eyre. Together these women, who were the victims of evil men whom history has turned into romantic heroes, are cursed to protect the world from Dracula’s return. A serious but fun adventure that honors its source material while injecting something new into the canon.

The Spite House by Johnny Compton

Fellow nominee on the 2023 ballot, Compton is also a voice on the rise. Like Carmen, his novel uses the lens of grief to take a fresh look at an established Horror trope, in this case, the Haunted House. Eric is running away from his past, trying to protect his two daughters, when he sees an ad to be the caretaker of one of the most haunted places in Texas, he jumps on the opportunity. If he can stay there long enough to prove the paranormal activity, without being driven mad, not only will Eric get a huge pile of money, but he may save his family from what has kept them running scared all these years. Sounds easy, right?  But many have failed in the past, and Eric must fight with everything he has in order to survive. 

Superior Achievement in Long Fiction

Ai Jiang has received just about every possible nomination for her novella, Linghun, and it came as no surprised that the Chinese-Canadian took home her first haunted house trophy at the Bram Stoker AwardsⓇ ceremony. Jiang’s original and unique tale is set in the town of HOME, a place where the dead live on as spirits and the relatives of the dead, filled with intense grief, do whatever they can to be close to their deceased loved ones. However, what is the cost of living in a town that worships the dead but has no respect for the living? This thought-provoking and confident novella will make you excited to read what Jiang publishes next.

If you like Linghun try….

Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman

When her best friend, Silas, dies of a drug overdose, Erin learns that he had discovered a pill that allowed him to see the dead. Wanting one more chance to see Silas, Erin takes the pill and begins a descent into a terrifying world of wandering ghosts and addiction. This is a poignant, immersive, and visceral tale about the power grief has to pull us out of the real world and into a nightmare, all to spend just a few more precious moments with the ones we love. LIke Linghun, Chapman’s story provides a new  twist on the haunting trope.

The Perfectly Fine House by Stephen Kozeniewski and Wile E. Young’s

Kozeniewski and Young’s novel is one of the best overlooked books of the past few years. Imagine a world where ghosts not only exist, but they live openly, alongside the living as functioning members of society and the economy. After Donna has a panic attack at work, her dead twin brother finds her the perfect getaway, a house so far off the grid, it isn’t even haunted. But when Donna arrives, she unknowingly unleashes a force that may alter their world forever. A compelling and intriguing novel set in an expertly crafted world, featuring great characters, that will fill readers with existential dread even as they are racing to the finish to find out what happens.

Superior Achievement in an Anthology

With no nomination for Ellen Datlow and a strong field, the anthology category was up for grabs this year, and the competition was astounding with some of the strongest anthologies I have seen on a single ballot ever. Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror edited by Jordan Peele, featuring stories by titans of Black Horror today such as  Erin E. Adams, Maurice Broaddus, Chesya Burke, P. Djèlí Clark, Tananarive Due, Nalo Hopkinson, N. K. Jemisin, Nnedi Okorafor and more, walked away with the award. These are stories that actively grapple with the Black experience and its notable absence in anthologies of the past and all are a terrifying joy to experience.

If you like Out there Screaming try….

Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst

Hawk and Van Alst were also nominated this year for their identity based anthology, this one featuring original, dark fiction stories by authors from across the literary landscape such as Cherie Dimaline, Tommy Orange, Rebecca Roanhorse, and Morgan Talty. They use the fact that many Indigenous cultures share a belief that one should never whistle at night as the unsettling springboard to introduce the reader to chilling tales steeped in each author’s personal history. The resulting volume is not only a stupendous achievement as a themed Horror anthology, but it also serves as a celebration of Indigenous people and their survival despite history’s aggressive attempts to silence them.

Beyond the Bounds of Infinity edited by Vaughan A. Jackson and Stephanie Pearre

This brand new anthology could very well be a contender in this category next year, and it makes a great readalike for this year’s winner as well. Centered around the popularity of Cosmic Horror but openly acknowledging the trope’s racist progenitor– Lovecraft– debut editors Jackson and Pearre set out to share brand new tales of Cosmic Horror from the perspective of marginalized the voices Lovecraft himself despised. Well known authors like S.A. Cosby, Mary SanGiovannni, and L. Marie Wood anchor the volume, sitting alongside 15 authors chosen from an open call. The result, an anthology bursting with existential dread that would make Lovecraft himself shudder with fear as he spun in his grave.

Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection

Gemma Files nabbed her second win in this category in the last two years with Blood From the Air. Showcasing her expertise in the scary short story format, Files once again explores common tropes in new ways, using lyrical prose and presenting an ethereal and immersive reading experience, featuring characters that readers will follow even when they know they shouldn’t always trust them. One uniting feature of this particular collection is the appearance of angels throughout many of the stories. Like any collection by FIles, this one was a not to miss read even before she took home yet another Bram Stoker Award.Ⓡ Two other nominees in the category this year are also worth checking out.

If you like Blood From the Air try….

Cold, Black, & Infinite by Todd Keisling

A previous nominee in the Novel category for Devil’s Creek, this year marked Keisling’s first appearance in the Collection category. His stories have already appeared in critically acclaimed anthologies alongside such established names as Josh Malerman, Gabino Iglesias, and Linda Addison, but here his work is gathered into one tome with 13 previously published stories and 3 new to this book. This is a thought provoking collection of immersive and uneasy stories that look into terrifying topics such as insatiable corporate greed, bullying, and mental health struggles. Also of interest here, many of the stories are part of the Devil’s Creek universe, adding an extra layer of enjoyment for readers even as the stories stand strongly on their own.

Root Rot & Other Grim Tales by Sarah Read

A former nominee in this same category and winner of the Bram Stoker AwardⓇ  for Superior Achievement in a First Novel in 2019, Read’s collection more than lives up to its promise of providing “grim tales.” The 18 stories contained here use both fairy tale frames of yore like dark woods and wishes granted, and familiar tropes from science fiction and fantasy such as parallel worlds or uninhabitable cities. Read sustains a compelling pace, encouraging readers to experience each utterly original, immersively terrifying, and extremely sinister tale, repeatedly stabbing the reader in their most tender places. It won’t be long before Read is nominated again in this category.

My bonus 5th column for The Lineup in 2024 posted recently and since today is my weekly #HorrorForLibraries giveaway over on the Horror blog, I thought today would be a good day to post this one.

Please note, it is part of a larger trend in both Horror and all genre fiction. Space Horror is hot, yes, but so is the entire concept of merging two genres into one awesome reading experience.

Click here to read the article and enjoy the links to related articles or see below for my draft text. Click here to see everything I have written for The Lineup as well.

From the Haunted Stacks: Space Horror That Actually Terrifies 

These books have an other-worldly fear factor.

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• Photo Credit: John Fowler / Unsplash

By Becky Spratford | Published Apr 4, 2024

The universe is vast, cold, empty, and mostly unknown. Sounds like the perfect setting for a Horror novel, right? It is, but honestly, until recently, there were not many Space Horror tiles to choose from. Sure there are many books, including some newer titles, set in the Aliens movie franchise universe and there are a few anthologies of classic scary Science Fiction stories set in space such as In Space No One Can Hear you Scream edited by Hank Davis, but what about some intentional 21st Century takes on the subgenre? Books that set out to scare in space, not just Science Fiction featuring some serious chills that are good enough for Horror readers.

Today, I am here to help you navigate the current Space Horror landscape, with nine books that offer a range of scare levels, inventive otherworldly monsters, storytelling styles, and settings from generation ships to exploring new planets and more. 

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

The first book in the Locked Tomb series, this novel is set in a fantasy world similar to  an epic Fantasy series like Game of Thrones, except it is in space. Gideon, our narrator, is a lesbian neuromancer, who must compete in a violent series of events all driven by the Undead Emperor. She is snarky, hot tempered, complicated, and utterly fascinating to follow. Gothic, tense, and violent, this is a story that is driven by the way it invokes real, raw emotions. Readers who are new to Space Horror but already familiar with Dark Fantasy, will find this to be a great bridge title to dip their toes into a new genre.

Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes

Clarie Kovalik, is leading a final mission on the farthest outpost in space, when the crew are shocked to discover a lost luxury ship, one that held a who’s who of the rich and famous, before it went missing. After some deliberation, the crew decides to enter the ship to see what happened to everyone inside, but immediately, they can tell this was no ordinary disaster, and, even worse, they might be the next victims. Featuring a compelling ghost ship frame, sustained visceral unease, an exclusive first person narration from Koalik’s increasingly unreliable point of view, and biting social commentary, Barnes is quickly cementing herself as the go-to author in Space Horror. Look for her next standalone, Space Horror novel, Ghost Station, to be published in April 2024.

Hematophages by Stephen Koziniewski 

Paige, a historian on a team sent to salvage a ship that has been lost for centuries, has never left her space station home base. She narrates, giving the reader insight into a future where the male gender is extinct, corporations have replaced governments, and most humans live off-Earth. But when the team reaches the ship, the true terror begins, a terror which springs from the hematophages, lamprey-like creatures, who attach onto their prey and suck out their insides for nourishment. They especially enjoy the brain. Think Office Space meets Event Horizon, with excellent world building, dark humor, a fast pace, awesomely gross scenes, and a perfect Horror ending. Readers may also want to check out the prequel novella, Skinwrapper.

The Scourge Between the Stars by Ness Brown

Generation ships are a big subgenre within Science Fiction and Space Horror has titles that embrace the theme such as in this critically acclaimed, fast paced, and emotionally resonant, debut novella by Brown, a self proclaimed “speculative fiction author by day and astrophysicist by night.” Jacklyn “Jack” Albright is the Captain of a doomed generation ship populated by the last humans, with nowhere left to go. She is not only trying to keep the peace among her understandably anxious passengers, but also, there appears to be something evil, and not human, stalking the ship as well. This is a great choice for readers who want their chills wrapped up in a scientifically accurate blanket.

The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling

In this intensely claustrophobic novel, Starling brings readers to a near future dystopia, sending them deep underground on a non-earth planet while introducing them to two captivating but very unreliable women. Gyre, our narrator, lies her way into a great paying job, exploring a system of caves. Em is the person above ground who acts as her guide and is monitoring Gyre’s well being through a very intricate bodysuit. But as Gyre begins to find the dead bodies of past explorers, the entire story takes a terrifying and monstrous turn. This is a psychological horror tale that will burrow into your soul. Starling is a rising star in Horror, an author who is a great choice for all Horror fans, but please note, this is her only title in the Space Horror category.

We Have Always Been Here by Lena Nguyen

Grace Park is the psychologist on the Deucalion, a ship that is scouting the icy planet Eos, to see if it is habitable. None of the crew like Park and treat her poorly, but it gets worse as a radiant storm cuts off all communication with the outside world. And then,  the crew begin acting strange, as if possessed. But by what? And how can she figure out why? There are dangerous secrets about Eos and the mission being withheld, and her only hope to find answers may be the ship’s androids, with whom she has a unique relationship. This atmospheric debut satisfyingly straddles the line between Science Fiction, Thriller, and Horror.

Salvation Day by Kali Wallace

Cult Horror fans, rejoice as there is a perfect Space Horror novel for you to devour. Zahra and her team, acting on a plan devised by their leader, set out to find their exiled cult a new home on the exploration spaceship, House of Wisdom, now deserted because a virus killed everyone on board. In order to gain access to the ship, however, Zahra and her team must kidnap the only survivor of the House of Wisdom disaster so that they can access the ship using his genetic signature. And because this is solidly a Horror novel, once on board, they find out the truth behind what killed the previous crew, a secret that is not happy to be awakened. Featuring great characters, an intricate plot, and suspenseful tone, this is a riveting and creepy read.

Screams from the Void by Anne Tibbets

Mechanics Ensign, Reina is done with living on the freighter Demeter after two years in deep space, stuck with a small crew, collecting plant life from other planets, all alongside her abusive ex, a fellow crew member. However, she may have even bigger problems, as a wolfesque creature appears to have snuck on board during one of their stops. As it literally tears through the crew, Reina needs to figure out how to stop it. Horror fans will be uneasy from the start as the ship’s name will ring a doomed bell. This is also a great choice for fans of the Aliens film franchise.

Paradise-1 by David Wellington

I began this list with a title that was a great way for Dark Fantasy fans to try Space Horror, and now I want to end with a great option for Hard Science Fiction readers. Special Agent Petrov and Dr. Lei Zhang are being given another chance to serve the interstellar government by being sent to Earth’s first deep space colony, Paradise-1. However, the second they are woken from their travel sleep, their ship comes under attack by frozen yams!?! Working with the ship’s Captain and its inventive and scene stealing robot, Rapscallion, the crew realize that they are surrounded by dozens of spacecraft that appear to be devoid of life. Balancing a steady stream of increasingly dire action, creepy world building, satisfying character development, an original monster, and the right dose of humor, readers will be eagerly awaiting the sequel, Revenant-X coming in November of 2024.

Weird Westerns: An Annotated Reading List by Me via The LineUp

One of my favorite outlets to write for is The LineUp. You can click here for all of the times I have written for them or about them here on the blog. 

I love getting to write about books directly to the reader audience.  And I really believe in the work that the LineUp does. They are professional, care about getting backlist titles into the hands of readers, and pay me as promised and on time.

This is one of 5 columns I have contracted to write for the LineUp this calendar year. You can read everything I have written for them with this link.

Below is a link to the entire article with the introduction reposted here.

These Weird Horror Western Books Are Re-Inventing the Genre

Where the horror howls.

By Becky Spratford | Published Mar 19, 2024

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• Photo Credit: Kym MacKinnon / Unsplash

Back in 2017, I noted the following trend on my blog for library workers:  

“…Westerns are making a comeback…because the genre is shifting to fit what readers want to read about today, while still staying true to the essence of what makes something "a Western." 

Up until recently, in order to be called a "Western" a book needed to be about the expansion of the West—and the men who “tamed” it. It also had to be set from after the Civil War to the turn of the 20th Century.

Okay, before I go any further, you can see right away why there is a problem with this definition—mostly white men, very strict time frame, and limited scope. 

But there are other things that are appealing about Westerns that many readers love and that this genre always got 100% right. For example, the rich descriptions of the beautiful landscape and the plots which place the characters in a morality play (with) revenge and redemption…at the center. These appeals are not unique to the West but they are things about the genre that fans also adore. 

This renewed interest in Westerns uses these basic appeal factors and a broad definition of "The West" as a place, but not always in those former strict time constraints. These are stories of the West that add in something else, like another genre, a darker tone…or are just plain "weird." They can now also be set anytime as long as "The West" as a place features prominently.” 

This popularity has only increased in the seven years since I first wrote that post, culminating most recently with Lone Women by Victor LaValle, a Weird Western, showing up on best lists from Library Journal to Book Page and as a nominee for awards like the Bram Stoker Award and the LA Times Book Prize.  

Looking back from 2017 to now, we not only see an increase in the number of titles being released, but within the classification of “Weird Western,” we have also seen a wider range of stories available to readers.

From science fiction and dark fantasy influences to atmospheric historicals to pulps, there is a Weird Western for every reader to join the wagon train and ride this popular trend into the sunset. 

Click here to see the full article and annotated list of books.

Judging Books By Their Covers Via Me in The Lineup

I am on the record, multiple times, telling you all that you can judge books by their covers, at least when it comes to judging the appeal of a book. You can click here to see the many times I have written about covers and using them as a RA Tool.

My most read "covers" posts are here and here. That second one, refers to Lynne Hansen, the top Horror cover artists out there. After writing that post in 2020, I had the idea to do something more in depth about Horror cover artists. Flash forward 3 years to last week when my third (of four) columns for The Lineup this year posted and is all about Horror illustrators.

While my posts here on the blog about covers are geared toward library workers, this piece in The Lineup is written to readers directly.

Below is the intro and a link to the article. You can click through here or in the link after the intro to read the entire article for free.

Please note, while this is specifically about Horror (with perfect timing for your Halloween displays), you can still use it as a guide for any genre. Just physically telling readers that you judge books by their covers is a great conversation starter. It seems illicit and will break the ice as you drive to have conversations about what they want to read and why. Trust me, I do it all the time. It works. Asking a patron what their favorite book cover is, rather than favorite book, gets their attention immediately. It is unexpected and will signal that you actually want to talk about reading experiences.

And a "Judge a Book By It's Cover" display is an awesome idea, just make sure you are double checking that the books you choose for their good cover are also a great read for a wide audience. The whole, "judging a book by its cover" is not as much of a free for all as it sounds. It is a great entry point, but you still need to do the work and make sure the books should be on display for your patrons. \

Here is the article. I chose independent press titles because a lot of the major presses use in house designers. And true to the paragraph above this one, all of the books are a great read for a general audience. I trust the publishers and the content of these books to be added to your collections.

A Librarian Wants You to Judge These Horror Books by Their Covers

Psst…. I have a dark, dirty library secret for all of you. I think we have been doing this column long enough that I can trust you enough to share it with you. Here it is…

I judge books by their covers.

I will give you all a moment to recover from shock, but it is 100% true. And not only do I judge books by their covers, but I train library workers all over the world to do the very same thing.

Now I know all of you probably heard from a librarian or teacher at some point in your childhood, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” and I am sure some of you have taken this as fact and carried it into your own adult reading life, even passing it on to new generations of readers. Well, I am here to tell you to forget it.

Why?

Well let’s start with this actual fact: Publishers want their books to have a cover that sells the book to its best reader. They need the cover to do the heavy lifting of attracting readers as they walk by...

But they also want them to be the right readers, ones who if they are attracted by the cover, stop and read the back and then decide to buy the book.

If publishers are putting that much effort, money, and thought into the covers of their books, why aren’t we using the covers to help readers find the best book for them as well? It actually seems irresponsible for me, someone whose job it is to match books with their best readers, to NOT consider the covers. A cover can never tell you exactly what will happen in the book, but those covers created by the very best artists can absolutely tell you quite a bit about the feel of the book to follow, setting the tone for the story that follows.

Which leads us all to this column. Today, I am going to present six of today’s best Horror book illustrators with two example books, titles that you can 100% judge by the superior art gracing their covers. I have spoken to numerous illustrators, authors, and publishers to make sure I have found artists who are both talented and trustworthy.

However, the one disappointment I have encountered throughout this process is the overwhelmingly white and male representation in today’s horror cover art world. In fact, those I spoke to know it is a problem and many have been seeking out more marginalized artists to highlight and support as well. 

Therefore, this article serves two purposes. One: to help you break the taboo and get out there to judge a book by its cover. It’s fun and slightly illicit, and since I have vetted the titles for you, I can promise you that the books will be worth your time. And two: to serve as a call to action for horror artists from marginalized perspectives to reach out, leave a comment, and let us know who you are so the community can help lift you up. Then, as people encounter this article, they can explore your art as well.

Click here to read the full column.

And click here to read all RA for All posts tagged "covers"

Middle Grade Horror For Adults via The Lineup

After writing for The Lineup last year, I actually signed a contract for 4 "From the Haunted Stacks" articles this year. The first just came out and it is all about the first ever Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Middle Grade Novel.

I introduce each of the five nominees and give you 2 adult comp titles, to help you match these awesome books with an adult reader. I also write about why MG is an awesome reading option for adults in general. 

Click here to read full article and see which title fans of Carrie should read, which is best for those who like Bird Box and more.

My next article for The Lineup will be a wrap-up of the Stoker winners like I did last year, here.

You can also click here to see all of my "From the Haunted Stacks" articles in one place.

Becky's Horror Highlights 2022 via The Line Up and an Announcement

I will be spending the next 2 weeks looking back at 2022, both here on the blog and with my annual Year in Review program I prepare for PCI Webinars each year. (For your reference, here is a link to last year's slides for the 2021 Year in Review)

I find that taking the time to really assess what happened over the course of a year helps not only to put the year we just experienced in context, but also it makes it easier for me to move forward leading all of you. I have the time to spend combing though the information in order to see the larger picture. You are on the front lines dealing with the day to day. I know this because I did it for 15 years and it is exhausting. I am here to help fill in the gaps you do not have time to pursue; gaps that when filled will make your day to day work easier and more useful to your readers.

Here is a great example. For the last two years, I have been hired to do this look back from the Horror fiction perspective by The Lineup. Here is a link to my 2022 Horror Book Highlights. It is organized into 4 major trends with 4 books in each category. Click here for the full article with annotations for each title, but for your immediate purposes, here are the 4 trends:

1. Short Scares Are Going Strong
2. Retellings: Everything Old is New Again
3. Verisimilitude is Terrifying
4. The Most Breathtaking Debuts are By Women

For context, here is 2021's Horror Book Highlights where the trends I presented were:

1. Queer Horror Moves Front and Center
2. Horror Fiction Framed as True Crime
3. Final Girls Fight Back
4. Marginalized Voices Reclaim the Troops of Old

Just like with awards and best lists, it always important to include a peek further into the past than just the immediate year in order to see larger trends emerging. Yes, I am talking once again about the backlist because the backlist is ALWAYS key to everything we do. It is not a shiny and sparkly as the new books, bit it is key to serving readers.

As I said above, I will have much more to say about the year that was both from a wide angle in my formal presentation AND from a closeup look at myself. That close-up look will begin tomorrow and and conclude Thursday. 

But first, I have a announcement that involves The Lineup. As you can see here, I have written a column for The Lineup sporadically over the last year. But as of yesterday, I have agreed to a formal contract to write 4 pieces for them in 2023 as part of my "From the Haunted Stacks" column. The agreed upon topics for 2023 are:

• Middle Grade Horror for Adult (March)
• Stoker Awards Wrap-Up (June)
• Horror Cover Artists (September)
• 2023 Horror Trends and Highlights (December)

We are also still discussing another series of posts which focus on.....you guessed it....backlist titles!

I am very excited about  my formal arrangement to be a part of what editor Lisa Quigley is doing with this website. It is reader focused, and they love promoting the backlist, so the content is extremely useful for you as you help patrons. The Lineup covers True Crime, Horror, and the Paranormal, so the reach is broad and popular.

Please consider signing up for their newsletter as well.

Back tomorrow with my personal assessment of my 2022 Resolutions.