Welcome to Dark Whispers - the official blog of the Horror Writers Association. If you are looking for information on the organization, its members, news on the latest horror releases, you’ve come to the right place.
What is it about the cat that captivates the creative imagination? No other creature has inspired so many authors to take pen to page. Mystery, horror, science fiction, and fantasy stories have all been written about cats.
From legendary editor Ellen Datlow comes Tails of Wonder and Imagination, showcasing forty cat tales by some of today’s most popular authors. With uncollected stories by Stephen King, Carol Emshwiller, Tanith Lee, Peter S. Beagle, Elizabeth Hand, Dennis Danvers, and Theodora Goss and a previously unpublished story by Susanna Clarke, plus feline-centric fiction by Neil Gaiman, Kelly Link, George R. R. Martin, Lucius Shepard, Joyce Carol Oates, Graham Joyce, Catherynne M. Valente, Michael Marshall Smith, and many others.
Tails of Wonder and Imagination features more than 200,000 words of stories in which cats are heroes and stories in which they’re villains; tales of domestic cats, tigers, lions, mythical part-cat beings, people transformed into cats, cats transformed into people. And yes, even a few cute cats.
Table of Contents:
Through the Looking Glass (excerpt) – Lewis Carroll
No Heaven Will Not Ever Heaven Be… – A. R. Morlan
The Price – Neil Gaiman
Dark Eyes, Faith, and Devotion – Charles de Lint
Not Waving – Michael Marshall Smith
Catch – Ray Vukcevich
The Manticore Spell – Jeffrey Ford
Catskin – Kelly Link
Mieze Corrects an Incomplete Representation of Reality – Michaela Roessner
Guardians – George R. R. Martin
Life Regarded as a Jigsaw Puzzle of Highly Lustrous Cats – Michael Bishop
Gordon, the Self-Made Cat – Peter S. Beagle
The Jaguar Hunter – Lucius Shepard
Arthur’s Lion – Tanith Lee
Pride – Mary A. Turzillo
The Burglar Takes a Cat – Lawrence Block
The White Cat – Joyce Carol Oates
Returns – Jack Ketchum
Puss-Cat – Reggie Oliver
Cat in Glass – Nancy Etchemendy
Coyote Peyote – Carole Nelson Douglas
The Poet and the Inkmaker’s Daughter – Elizabeth Hand
The Night of the Tiger – Stephen King
Every Angel is Terrifying – John Kessel
Candia – Graham Joyce
Mbo – Nicholas Royle
Bean Bag Cats(R) – Edward Bryant
Antiquities – John Crowley
The Manticore’s Tale – Catherynne M. Valente
In Carnation – Nancy Springer
Old Foss is the Name of His Cat – David Sandner
A Safe Place to Be – Carol Emshwiller
Nine Lives to Live – Sharyn McCrumb
Tiger Kill – Kaaron Warren
Something Better than Death – Lucy Sussex
Dominion – Christine Lucas
Tiger in the Snow – Daniel Wynn Barber
The Dweller in High Places – Susanna Clarke
Healing – Benjamin Dennis Danvers
The Puma – Theodora Goss
Whispers about Tails of Wonder and Imagination…
“… an assortment of 40 stories by authors who are for the most part willing to take cats on their own ground. Datlow avoids the trap of a too-narrow premise: though there appears to be a slight bias toward horror, the stories are various within that field, from Jack Ketchum’s ghost story “Returns to Michaela”, Roessner’s highly scientific “Mieze Corrects an Incomplete Representation of Reality” and Edward Bryant’s brilliantly repellent “Bean Bag Cat”. Other tales are amusing, like Lawrence Block’s “The Burglar Takes a Cat”, or gently sentimental, like Dennis Danvers’s “Healing Benjamin”. This is that rarity of rarities: an anthology of cat stories worth reading.” — Publishers Weekly
The Templeton werewolves are back — and they mean to destroy Laura Greenacre once and for all…
When a Russian criminal is torn to pieces by a powerful animal, Moscow cop Lev Dasaev follows the trail to the U.S. – and to the lair of a murderous madman called Wheeler Burns.
Ruth Templeton will stop at nothing to destroy Laura Greenacre, the mysterious woman who was last seen disappearing into the tunnels beneath London – and her quest leads her to America.
The Templetons and the Greenacres will go to war one last time. And as in London eight years previously, werewolves will be unleashed – this time on the streets of New York.
Bloodlust and vengeance unite Ruth and Burns as they conspire to annihilate Lev and Laura – and the ultimate hunter becomes the ultimate prey…
Whispers about Prey…
“Laura Greenacre is gory and gorgeous, beauty and the beast, the stuff that dreams (and nightmares) are made of.” — Hellnotes
After facing off against the lethal Vampire Killer, Hollywood stuntwoman Dawn Madison and her friends are reeling with shock. They’re injured, exhausted, and hurting in every way possible.
For Dawn, the pain is much more personal. She’s learned more about her missing father and long-dead mother than she ever wanted to know — a burden of truth that is straining her sanity. And her conflicted feelings about both her enigmatic boss Jonah, and P.I. Matt Lonigan are only making things worse.
Yet Dawn is still determined to save her father. Her private battle will lead her directly into the Vampire Underground, where she will encounter an unthinkable betrayal. And where, finally, the question of who is truly good and who is truly evil will become a matter of life, death — and undeath…
Whispers about Break of Dawn: Vampire Babylon (Book Three)…
“A powerful, character-driven thriller that keeps the audience riveted from start to finish.” — Alternative Worlds
“An engaging heroine and a killer mystery.” — Kelley (The Summoning) Armstrong on Night Rising (Book One)
“If you like your fantasy with an edge, then you’ve struck gold. Despite the vampires and other paranormal elements, there is a ring of truth to the biting (no pun intended) allegory. This is a fantastic start to a new series and one you should try to keep up with as it unfolds.” — Eternal Night Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Fiction
When tourists are murdered in a resort town in the northern mountain range of Minnesota, FBI Special Agent Angela Wallace is called in to investigate. But what she finds tests her training and sanity, for what she discovers should not exist.
Book one of the new supernatural thriller series that re-imagines the werewolf mythos in a way you never see coming.
Whispers about The Pack: Winter Kill…
“Mike Oliveri writes with an audacious and unflinching style guaranteed to punch you in the guts and get you coughing blood.” — Tom Piccirilli, author of Shadow Season and The Cold Spot
“A masterful blend of crime, suspense and the supernatural.” — Brian Keene, author of Darkness on the Edge of Town and Urban Gothic
A breathtaking collection of literary dark fiction that will force you to face the terror lurking…in the closet and under the bed.
In this collection of fifteen tales, award-winning author Lee Thomas casts light on the shadows in our closets and explores the fear of boogeymen and beasts we sense lying in wait under our beds. Featuring nine original tales and six acclaimed short stories gathered together in one volume for the first time anywhere, In the Closet, Under the Bed reminds us that sometimes the most terrifying aspects of the human condition come from within.
Table of Contents:
Foreword | David Thomas Lord
All the Faces Change New
An Apiary of White Bees
Healer
Dislocation New
They Would Say She Danced
Shelter New
The Good and Gone
Appetite of the Cyber Tribes New
Crack Smokin’ Grandpa New
Anthem of the Estranged
I Know You’re There New
Down to Sleep New
I’m Your Violence
Tears to Rust New
The Tattered Boy New
Afterword | Michael Rowe
Whispers about In the Closet, Under the Bed…
“From lyrical to poignant to funny to beautifully grotesque and back again, this smart, gleefully original collection showcases Lee Thomas’ Herculean talent. What I love most though, is that Thomas gets the purpose of horror: to cast light on the darkness, so that we readers recognize what is good, what is obscene, and what our society has confused between the two.” - Sarah Langan, Award-Winning Author of The Missing and Audrey’s Door
“Lee Thomas’ stories always start as a come-on, with silky smooth prose that draws you into a comfortable world so effortlessly you fail to see the razor-sharp teeth before it’s too late. This is horror at its best, guaranteed to leave you with the shivers, whether you wanted them or not.” - David Wellington, author of Monster Island and 23 Hours
“Lee Thomas brings to the writing of queer horror fiction a versatile sense of genre and a fierce emotional agenda. Here is a man with issues, as well as back issues. This intense and dynamic collection includes dark psychological narratives, grim physical horror, visionary fantasy, crime and science fiction. You will find fifteen stories in which the multicolored threads of horror and queer sexuality are woven together – but which are, first and foremost, stories about human nature.” - Joel Lane, British Fantasy Award-winning author of The Lost District and The Terrible Changes
In life, they were flawed. In death, they are perfect works of art — killed, preserved, and carefully molded into replicas of Michelangelo’s most celebrated creations. Only The Sculptor can bring forth their true beauty and teach the world to appreciate his gift.
FBI Special Agent Sam Markham has a reputation for tracking serial killers, but this artful adversary is meticulous, disciplined, and more ruthless than any he’s encountered. The only clue is a note dedicating the latest “statue” to Cathy Hildebrant, an art historian who shares Sam’s fear that the killing has just begun.
In a quiet Rhode Island town, The Sculptor shapes his latest macabre creation, waiting for Cathy to draw nearer so that his message can be understood at last. And the only way to save her is for Sam to unlock a psychopath’s twisted mind before his final, terrifying masterpiece is revealed.
Whispers about The Sculptor…
“A stone-cold thrill ride! Unique and unexpected twists make this one a keeper!” – Lisa Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Left to Die and Malice
“The Sculptor is a masterful mix of Michelangelo and murder by a gifted author. Funaro provides clever plotting and plenty of suspense. This one’s a thinking reader’s thriller that engages the mind yet punches hard to the gut. Michelangelo would be proud.” – John Lutz, New York Times bestselling author of Urge to Kill and Night Kills
“The Sculptor is a masterfully haunting read! Gregory Funaro explores the dark, diabolical mind of a unique serial killer, The Sculptor, who turns murder into an art form — and his victims into classic visions. Fast-paced, exciting and wildly surreal, Funaro’s debut thriller delivers gasp-out-loud terror and relentless suspense. A genuine page-turner! When you start The Sculptor, get ready for an all-nighter, and double-lock your doors!” – Kevin O’Brien, New York Times bestselling author of One Last Scream and Vicious
Donovan DeChance is a collector of ancient manuscripts and books, a practicing mage, and a private investigator. When, despite the finest in natural and supernatural security, a sexy and well-loved, three hundred year old lady vampire is kidnapped right out from under her lover’s nose, Donovan is called in to investigate.
He soon finds that there is much more to the case than a simple abduction when an unknown intruder invades his home and steals a very rare, very ancient manuscript. There will be no ransom for the kidnap victim, and if Donovan doesn’t prevent an ancient, forbidden ritual from reaching its culmination, far more than a single vampire’s undead existence will be at stake.
Calling on his lover and partner, Amethyst, and an odd assortment of contacts, informants, and connections, Donovan follows the ghostly trail of the kidnapper through a winding maze of intrigue-always a step behind-through magical battles, murders, and confrontations with a rogue band of young vampires intent on beating Donovan at his own game.
Vintage Soul is a dark urban supernatural mystery with a hint of romance. Set in an underground society, a city within the city of San Valencez, California, it opens portals to the unknown darkness that surrounds us. Fast-paced, strewn with clues, investigation, and magic, this is a book sure to slake the appetites of fans of mystery and the supernatural.
Welcome to the darkness; welcome to Vintage Soul – Book One of The DeChance Chronicles.
Whispers about Vintage Soul – Book One of The DeChance Chronicles…
“This book has no fat – it’s lean and quick to the punch. Once the kidnapping hits it just rolls forward with a force and drive all its own.” – Kurt M. Criscione
Brace yourself for a harrowing journey of thrilling suspense as tragic, unexplainable events seem to point to a deadly future for the world. While on vacation, journalist Sandy Travis and her fiancé Tom are in a horrendous helicopter accident. Tom is seriously injured and has an N.D.E. — a near-death experience. After Tom is revived, he tells Sandy that he’s spoken to God. As it turns out, Tom is wrong. Horribly wrong.
Now Sandy is in a dangerous race to save her fiancé from dark forces that want to control his every action. She must follow a trail of coded secrets and targeted assassinations if she is to unveil the otherworldly cabal who uses the process of N.D.E. to orchestrate Armageddon.
Demon Days is a spellbinding tale of puzzles, prophecy and possession that will make you think twice about the world we live in. And the climax will leave you gasping for air.
Whispers about Demon Days…
“[A] fresh and rich approach to the age-old battle between good and evil.” – Andrew Neiderman, author of The Devil’s Advocate
“By far and away, the best damned horror novel I’ve read in ages.” – Ray Garton, author of Live Girls and Bestial
“Inevitably, somebody will try to tell you this book is part The Da Vinci Code, part The Exorcist, but they will be doing Demon Days a grave disservice…Finney and Snell have reached beyond those beginnings and have given us a truly important modern horror story.” – Joe McKinney, author of Dead City and Quarantined
The first volume in our Kaiki series introducing the world of Japanese weird and supernatural literature, Tales of Old Edo presents a selection of outstanding works drawn from centuries of creativity in the field, with an in-depth introduction to the genre by recognized authority Higashi Masao.
Table of Contents:
Robert Weinberg / Preface: “An Ordinary World, Interrupted”
Higashi Masao / Introduction: “The Origins of Japanese Weird Fiction”
Lafcadio Hearn / “The Value of the Supernatural in Fiction” (1898) and “In a Cup of Tea” (1902)
Ueda Akinari / “The Chrysanthemum Pledge” (1776）
Kyogoku Natsuhiko / “Three Old Tales of Terror” (2005)
Miyabe Miyuki / “The Futon Room” (2000)
Okamoto Kido / “Here Lies a Flute” (1925）
Tanaka Kotaro / “The Face in the Hearth” (1928）
Koda Rohan / “The Pointer” (1938）
Inagaki Taruho / “The Ino Residence, Or, The Competition with a Ghost” (1972）
Yamamoto Shugoro / “Through the Wooden Gate” (1959）
Sugiura Hinako (manga) / “Three Eerie Tales of Dark Nights” (1993）
Whispers about Kaiki: Uncanny Tales from Japan/Volume One: Tales of Old Edo…
“Kaiki will cater to a clear gap in the market. Japanese supernatural fiction (in contrast to film and manga) is little known in the English language world. A whole new experience―yet one sometimes strangely familiar―is out there and waiting.” - John Howard, Wormwood No. 13
The holidays have never before been more spine-tingling or more fun for tweens, teens, and adults alike than in this anthology of 13 supernatural tales. All of the stories were originally written and then read on the radio by author Fred Wiehe, primarily at Halloween and Christmas, for KKUP—a nonprofit, public radio station in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Christmas-themed stories in this anthology include: “A Gremlin for Christmas”, “Holiday Madness”, “The Three Wolf Men”, “Run, Run Rudy: A Zombie’s Not Too Far Behind”, “Santa’s War”, and “Christmas-Time Gremlins: A Sequel”. The Halloween-themed stories include: “Trick or Treat: It’s the Puppet People” (published Halloween 2007 in Sinister Tales), “Trick or Troll” (published Halloween 2008 at ShadeWorks), “The Uglies”, “The Halloween Box”, and “Ghosts, Inc.” “Raven Mocker” and “Bad Moon” – two stories for all occasions – round out the collection.
Whispers about Holiday Madness…
“Wiehe’s 13 tales of holiday terror will shock and thrill you to the bone. Teens and adults alike will love the twists and turns in this collection. Not a word wasted. Great stuff!” – Nate Kenyon, author of The Bone Factory, The Reach, and Bloodstone
“Ghouls and Santa, Ghosts and Aliens—a stocking full of bloody holiday stories hung with care. Scrooges of all ages will shriek with delight!” — Del Howison, editor of the award-winning Dark Delicacies anthology series
“With Holiday Madness Fred Wiehe proves that Halloween is no longer the scariest time of the year. Holiday Madness is weird, twisted, spooky, wild and outrageous. Very highly recommended!” — Jonathan Maberry, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Ghost Road Blues, Zombie CSU, and Patient Zero
Tails of Wonder and Imagination
