Hi, horror fans! I have to say, March is a great month for new LGBTQ+ horror releases. I’ve got two new ones to share with you today, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to mention some other recent queer horror releases I think you’ll love! Let’s do this.
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Bookish Goods
Black Phillip Bath Bomb by The Fizzing Witch
Okay, so The Witch is not a book, but it’s one of my favorite horror movies. And honestly, what’s a better bookish feeling than getting in the tub with a delicious bath bomb and a book? This Black Phillip bath bomb is really going to set the mood for a good horror read the next time you’re in the tub. And it’s $10.
New Releases
Bury Your Gays: An Anthology of Tragic Queer Horror, edited by Sofia Ajram
Okay, let’s talk about the queer horror new releases that inspired this week’s focus on LGBTQ+ stories. First up, a new horror anthology that features 16 stories by queer authors that explore and subvert the tragic “bury your gays” trope. This includes new stories from Cassandra Khaw, Joe Koch, Gretchen Felker-Martin, Robbie Banfitch, August Clarke, Son M., Jonathan Louis Duckworth, M.V. Pine, Ed Kurtz, LC Von Hessen, Matteo L. Cerilli, November Rush, Meredith Rose, Charlene Adhiambo, Violet, and Thomas Kearnes.
The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo
And we’re getting a new one from Lee Mandelo — author of Summer Sons and Feed them Silence — this week. Set in Appalachia in the 1920s, The Woods All Black is a queer historical romance/horror story/revenge thriller. When Leslie Brun is sent to the township of Spar Creek by the Frontier Nursing Service, he believes he’s truly ready for the judging eyes of Spar Creek’s backwoods/churchy inhabitants. But something violent is bubbling beneath the surface in this town, and the hills and the woods surrounding Spar Creek contain secrets and horrors beyond Leslie’s comprehension.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
She is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran
Here’s a fabulous queer YA horror novel set in Vietnam. When Jade Nguyen arrives in Vietnam for a visit with her estranged father, all she wants to do is smile and get along so she can get away with the college money her father has promised her. But there’s something strange about the house her father is restoring. Every night, Jade wakes up paralyzed. The walls are thrumming. And the ghost of a beautiful bride keeps leaving Jade cryptic warnings.
Reprieve by James Han Mattson
This literary horror/thriller is one I read back in 2021, and it’s still on my mind. The Quigley House is a full-contact escape room where survivors have the opportunity to win a cash prize. They just have to make it to the end without saying the safe word, “reprieve.” Told through court transcripts, flashbacks, and cross-examinations, Reprieve tells the story of one group who makes it to the end, but not all of them will make it out alive.
And that’s all for this week! I’ll be back next week with more scary stories to make your skin crawl. Until then, you can follow me (and message me) on Instagram at emandhercat. Sweet dreams, horror fans!