Pre-Approved for Haunting


Book Description

A collection of weird, dark stories and millennial anxieties. In this new collection, Patrick Barb explores themes of family found and lost, media consumption and the dangers of runaway nostalgia, the supernatural in our lives, and the impact of violence in both the long- and short-term. A young couple's reunited with their lost son whose favorite fuzzy bear suit connects him to the ghost of a vengeful mama bear while he's alone in the forest. A jaded screenwriter can’t escape the haunted screenplay that’s ruined his career. A man returns to his small hometown, where the people are gone and the trees have taken over. A Slasher and Final Girl brother-sister duo match wits and blades against a sentient, dimension-hopping apocalypse at a never-ending summer camp. From rural backwoods to Park Slope brownstones, Barb's characters face impossible, awful situations, testing their inner strength and understanding of reality. Covering quiet horror, weird fiction, supernatural horror, slasher horror, topical dark fiction, and more, these stories spotlight supposedly familiar terrors and fears in new and unexpected ways.




Gargantuana's Ghost


Book Description

Living in a society conditioned to fear him, young Antoine Santiago rides the New York subway and communes with the dead. With a love of history inherited from his late father, the city’s storied past is now the only friend to this loner obsessed with a long-forgotten legend about the life and tragic death of a fabled giant ape. Armed with a bargain-basement occult instruction manual and a backpack of bananas, Antoine summons the spirit of the Great Gargantuana–a kaiju-sized primate that haunts the F Train–and vows to reunite her with the only friend she knew before meeting her end on Brooklyn’s elevated tracks: Lettie, the feisty daughter of her captor, who’s now living as an elderly shut-in. One miraculous evening these three outsiders, shunned by a modern, gentrifying society that barely acknowledges their existence, converge for an alarming and otherworldly adventure of unimaginable monsters, paranormal activity and improbable friendships in this tale of NYC’s not-so-hidden magic and the cherished found families forged in the shadow of the Big Apple. REVIEWS FOR GARGANTUANA'S GHOST: "A heart-wrenching tale of old loves and fresh wounds; of what it means to find hope and strength in the dying embers of a life, or the loneliness of youth. A fresh, welcome take on what horror can mean.” — Philip Fracassi, author of A Child Alone with Strangers "An urban fantasy grounded in the reality of human cruelty, Gargantuana's Ghost is as unexpected as it is poignant. Barb infuses his unique characters with so much beauty, pain, and hope." — J.A.W. McCarthy, author of Sometimes We're Cruel and Other Stories “With a Kong-sized beating heart at its center, Patrick Barb has created an enchanting story. His deft hand takes us on a journey by way of subway and steamships, through jungles both urban and exotic, to the realms of loss and love.” — C.B. Jones, author of The Rules of the Road Proudly presented by Grey Matter Press, the independent published home of multiple award-nominated and award-winning dark fiction titles. Grey Matter Press: Where Dark Thoughts Thrive




Across the Universe


Book Description

Sorcerers, superheroes, and zombies. Out of work, out of luck, out of practice. Gods, clods, or four simple lads. Here are the Beatles as you've never known them before: singing for their supper, singing for their souls, and singing to save the world. Join 25 remarkable authors as they take you Across the Universe.




Ghostland: In Search of a Haunted Country


Book Description

SHORTLISTED FOR THE PEN ACKERLEY PRIZE 2020 ‘A uniquely strange and wonderful work of literature’ Philip Hoare ‘An exciting new voice’ Mark Cocker, author of Crow Country




The Haunting of White Horse Inn


Book Description

A financial crisis forces newly widowed Linda Rogers into making a life-changing decision. She puts her house up for sale, much to the objections of her teenage daughter, Amy, and agrees to become an innkeeper for a preCivil War mansion that has just been sold and is to become a bed-and-breakfast establishment. A first view of the mansion is not favorable; vines grow everywhere, and when Linda and Amy explore inside they are frightened into leaving by a mysterious noise. It is learned the townspeople believe the mansion is haunted by a ghost looking for his wife and daughter. Relying on her Christian beliefs, Linda doesnt believe in ghostsbut there is no logical explanation for the frequent noises and lights. A later discovery of a secret tunnel adds to Lindas anxiety. Did she make the right decision? Has she placed herself and Amy in danger?




Underexposed!


Book Description

The untold stories behind the 50 greatest movies never made, illustrated by 50 new and original posters For most films, it’s a long, strange road from concept to screen, and sometimes those roads lead to dead ends. In Underexposed! The 50 Greatest Movies Never Made, screenwriter and filmmaker Joshua Hull guides readers through development hell. With humor and reverence, Hull details the speed bumps and roadblocks that kept these films from ever reaching the silver screen. From the misguided and rejected, like Stanley Kubrick’s Lord of the Rings starring the Beatles; to films that changed hands and pulled a U-turn in development, like Steven Spielberg’s planned Oldboy adaptation starring Will Smith; to would-be masterpieces that might still see the light of day, like Guillermo del Toro’s In the Mountains of Madness, Hull discusses plotlines, rumored casting, and more. To help bring these lost projects to life, 50 artists from around the world, in association with the online art collective PosterSpy, have contributed original posters that accompany each essay and give a glimpse of what might have been.




Don't Eat the Pie


Book Description

In DON'T EAT THE PIE by Monique Asher, readers are transported to the hauntingly picturesque Camillia Island, where gothic horror meets family drama, unraveling the sinister secrets behind a mother and daughter's summer that promises to be as unsettling as it is compelling for fans of Shirley Jackson and Daphne du Maurier. Newlywed Sam has always wanted to be a part of a normal happy family. When her mother-in-law falls ill, Sam dutifully moves her family to Edenic Camillia Island to care for her. The island residents, namely the older women, welcome Sam and her daughter Emma with open arms, endless cocktails, and plenty of superstition. It seems perfect until it’s not. The house next to her mother-in-law’s is creepy—not only that, it’s where Ben’s first wife died. Sam’s teen daughter Emma isn’t interested in spending the summer in Camillia. It gets even worse when Emma starts to see things—knowing that there are ghosts trying to warn her of something, but what? Despite Emma’s pleas, Sam doesn’t want to rock the boat with her new family. Emma won’t pretend nothing is happening, especially as the messages become more grim and frequent. What secrets are buried on Camillia Island? And why are all the residents keen on keeping them quiet? Content Warnings: abuse/domestic violence, suicide, unauthorized medical procedures, pregnancy complications, car accident




Tales from the Haunted Mansion Vol. 1: The Fearsome Foursome


Book Description

Welcome, foolish mortals, to Disney Press' spookiest chapter book series yet: Tales from the Haunted Mansion! Based on the attractions from the Disney Parks, each new book tells the story of one of the Haunted Mansion's 999 ghosts. With eerie illustrations throughout and a beautiful three-piece cloth cover, the books are designed to look like they came straight from the library in the Haunted Mansion. Tales from the Haunted Mansion is a fun, spooky ride, just like the attraction from the Disney Parks. And if readers are familiar with the ride, they'll see elements of it throughout the entire story, from items straight of the Mansion (are those pictures stretching?) to lyrics from the narration that is heard in each Doom Buggy. In this bone-chilling book, you will hear the terrifying tales of the Fearsome Foursome--four kids who look to out-scare each other. But just wait until they hear my spooky stories. Who am I? I am Amicus Arcane, your librarian and host. Your Ghost Host. So read on... if you dare!




Best Horror of the Year


Book Description

For more than four decades, Ellen Datlow has been at the center of horror. Bringing you the most frightening and terrifying stories, Datlow always has her finger on the pulse of what horror readers crave. Now, with the sixteenth volume of the series, Datlow is back again to bring you the stories that will keep you up at night. Encompassed in the pages of The Best Horror of the Year have been such illustrious writers as: Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, Stephen Graham Jones, Joyce Carol Oates, Laird Barron, Mira Grant, and many others.




School Spirits


Book Description

Fans of Rachel Hawkins' Hex Hall series will shriek with joy over this dark spin-off adventure full of humor, magic, and snark! Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick was trained to fight monsters. For centuries, her family has hunted magical creatures. But when Izzy's older sister vanishes without a trace while on a job, Izzy's mom decides they need to take a break. Izzy and her mom move to a new town, but they soon discover it's not as normal as it appears. A series of hauntings has been plaguing the local high school, and Izzy is determined to investigate. But assuming the guise of an average teenager is easier said than done. For a tough girl who's always been on her own, it's strange to suddenly make friends and maybe even have a crush. Can Izzy trust her new friends to help find the secret behind the hauntings before more people get hurt? Rachel Hawkins brings the same delightful wit and charm captured in her New York Times best-selling Hex Hall series. Get ready for more magic, mystery and romance!