Archives de catégorie : Horror

IN RESIDENCE de Jessica Widner

A literary ghost story in the vein of Pola Oloixarac’s Mona with a Shirley Jackson twist, for fans of Jordan Peele.

IN RESIDENCE
by Jessica Widner
Mariner, Fall 2027
(via Wolf Literary Services)

When Eva and Elliot receive a vast inheritance from Elliot’s mother, it is as welcome as it is troubling. Middle aged, without children and already leading a comfortable middle-class life in Edinburgh, they decide to use the money to launch a fully funded residency for emerging artists.

Yet, as soon as the money arrives in Elliot’s account, a strange atmosphere converges around the couple. It follows them to the Yorkshire Dales, where they renovate a large countryside property ahead of the inaugural residency. They each begin dreaming of a presence, a dark and inescapable creature, and whispers seem to linger in the air even after they wake.

When the first batch of guests arrives – a dancer from Busan, a mixed-media artist from Los Angeles and a writer from Toronto – they too are caught up in the increasingly terrifying happenings. Tensions escalate as they all suspect each other of foul play, but the true culprit is a legacy that extends far into the past, surfacing to remind Eva and Elliot of the full extent of their inheritance.

Perceptive and piercing, Widner examines the small compromises we make with ourselves every day, spinning a story of patronage, privilege, class, and complicity until its dark heart emerges.

Jessica Widner is a writer and literary scholar. She is a lecturer in English & Creative Writing at the University of Strathclyde.

SEA-MOUTH de Melissa Oliver-Powell

With a sapphic romance at its heart and evocative horror imagery along the way, SEA-MOUTH will appeal to readers who have been drawn to the atmospheric isolation and queer passion (with a touch of marine gothic) of Our Wives Under the Sea and Portrait of a Lady on Fire, and the gritty disgust and body horror interwoven with everyday intimacies of The Lamb, Nightbitch and Woman, Eating.

SEA-MOUTH
by Melissa Oliver-Powell
Virago, Publication date TBD
(via Mushens Entertainment)

Vinia is a high-flying corporate solicitor for a London firm, where she spends her time defending the interests of GlauCo, a multinational oil and gas giant. Her life is upended when she washes up on a polluted beach following an accident on a luxury yacht, and is rescued by Laura, a PhD researcher monitoring the mysterious migratory patterns of silver eels.

While convalescing under Laura’s care, Vinia’s recovery is stalled by a horrifying physical transformation. What begins as an insatiable hunger for rotting meat and a strange coarseness on her skin soon escalates into a full-scale metamorphosis: she begins growing silvery scales, gills, and a dorsal fin. Additionally, feelings of anger and passion that Vinia has spent her life repressing also rise to the surface.

Through a blossoming relationship, Laura and Vinia learn to embrace the strange (and hungry) parts of Vinia that can no longer be ignored. But her newfound freedom is threatened by Matt Glauser, the heir to GlauCo, and she must choose between returning to the “civilization » that exploited her and the ancient, monstrous fury rising from her own blood.

Melissa Oliver-Powell is a senior lecturer in Film and Literature at the University of York and spends her time teaching students about feminist theory and queer studies and showing them weird films from the sixties. Melissa is widely published as an academic, with work on French, English, Senegalese and American film in several books and journals, including Feminist Studies and French Screen Studies. Her book, Pepsi and the Pill: Motherhood, Politics and Film in Britain and France, 1958-1969, was published with Berghahn Books in 2022. She is originally from Cambridgeshire, spent her twenties as a Londoner, and is now based in York, where she lives with her wife, Aimee. 

DOG MOM de Madi Stine

Satirical horror debut perfect for fans of Girl Dinner and Motherthing, about the lengths to which a doting dog mom will go for her bloodthirsty fur baby.

DOG MOM
by Madi Stine
akaSTORY/Abrams, January 2028

Phoebe has felt alone all her life. She’s the outsider in her adopted family, and she’s always felt her parent’s love is conditional on her being good. Her marriage is no better, and when Phoebe experiences a late–term miscarriage, it destroys any hope she’s harbored of finally finding unconditional love. Until she meets Teddy…

Teddy is a stray wolf dog. Though Teddy’s origins are mysterious, it’s clear he’s all alone in the world too. He’s injured, starving, and needs Phoebe’s help to survive. Although Teddy treats Phoebe’s house like a toilet and massacres her unused baby toys, he gets Phoebe out of bed to tend to his messes. In a way, he takes better care of Phoebe than her husband, Quinn, ever has.

As Phoebe’s bond with Teddy intensifies, he fills that void deep within her. The one that convinced her she was unlovable, unworthy. With Teddy to look after, she feels whole again. Soon, Teddy is the most important part of her life. And nothing comes between a girl and her beloved dog. Not the meddling next door neighbor. Not her family. Not her husband.

Madi Stine is an award–winning writer/director based in Los Angeles. She earned a BA in Film and English from Harvard University where she graduated with honors and was a Fulbright Scholar. As a Fulbright Scholar, she affiliated with the University of British Columbia, researching and writing a historical screenplay set on the Canadian frontier. Madi then relocated to New York where she earned an MFA in Screenwriting/Directing from Columbia University. While at Columbia, her horror–comedy short, Rose & Pinky are Metal, screened in the US and internationally before being acquired by ShortsTV. DOG MOM, her debut novel, is based on her original screenplay of the same name, which was named a 2025 script competition finalist at the Austin Film Festival.

WHAT ROUGH BEAST de Mindy McGinnis

Long-held grudges and ancient evils come to roost in this psychological, speculative horror that’s Don’t Let the Forest In meets Stranger Things.

WHAT ROUGH BEAST
by Mindy McGinnis
HarperCollins, October 2026

In a small town like Bethington, nothing stays buried forever…

Ava Germaine has learned her lesson: see something, don’t say something. Cast out at school, the only place she can find peace is Restoration Acres, the town’s animal sanctuary. Though the place sometimes seems more like an animal graveyard than a rehabilitation center, Ava’s job there is at least a constant distraction from the night everything went wrong—and the boy she still holds responsible.

Micah Harding is always prepared for the worst. As the sheriff’s son, he tries not to do things that reflect poorly on his family, especially since his dad helped him cover up his worst mistake yet. But he knows his secret is bound to come out.

Hailey Wagner is sick of being judged. And finally, things are going according to plan—until Ava Germaine starts talking. So if Hailey has to shut her up…she will.

As a strange entity begins to stir, ready to awaken—Ava, Micah, and Hailey find themselves wrapped in a centuries-old exchange, while barreling towards the truth of what ties their fates together.

Mindy McGinnis is the author of several young adult novels, including How Girls Are Made, Under this Red Rock, A Long Stretch of Bad Days, The Last Laugh, The Initial Insult, Heroine, The Female of the Species,and A Madness So Discreet, winner of an Edgar Award. She writes across multiple genres, including postapocalyptic, historical, thriller, contemporary, mystery, and fantasy. While her settings may change, you can always count on her books to deliver grit, truth, and an unflinching look at humanity and the world around us. Mindy lives in Ohio. You can visit her online at mindymcginnis.com.

STAGTOWN de Punko

A young woman investigates the strange events terrorizing her hometown in this heart-pounding horror graphic novel.

STAGTOWN (Volume #1)
by Punko
Ten Speed Graphic/Crown, October 2026

Something mysterious is happening all around Stagtown: Cameras are appearing everywhere on the streets, and even in the corners of apartments and homes. Cutting one down only spawns more in its place. Someone is surveilling the residents and now that Frankie is back home from college, she is going to discover who—or what—is behind this.

After the shocking death of her neighbor Jeremy, Frankie becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth behind these occurrences. Armed with Jeremy’s box of cryptic clues, a loyal cat companion, and the help of Jeremy’s friend Felix, Frankie embarks on a perilous journey through town. Her quest leads her to a sinister marble house, a blood-stained carousel, a dark underground cellar filled with traps, and more. Each encounter brings her closer to the horrifying truth, culminating in a desperate attempt to escape Stagtown once and for all.

With beautifully haunting illustrations and a terror-filled story, STAGTOWN is a masterpiece of psychological horror. This volume includes the complete first season of the Webtoon comic, along with a bonus mini-comic.

 

Punko is a twenty-year veteran of the comics industry. She graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design and began her career creating TOKYOPOP’s bestselling Original English Manga series, Bizenghast. Her later works include The Elephant Book, The Party Princess Handbook, Toyetica, and Cinderella Boy. She likes to loiter and tresspass in her spare time, though not in the same spots.