Happy Monday, and welcome to The Fright Stuff! You love horror, don’t you? Of course you do. That’s why you’re here. What about horror novellas and short stories? I love them because they’re a way to get through more creepy stories in a shorter amount of time. Every new little bite of horror is another opportunity to get scared. Let’s call them terrorlings. So, on that note, I have terrorling recs for you this week. I hope you enjoy!
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Bookish Goods
We Have Always Lived in the Castle Roll-On Perfume Oil by The Little Book Eater
Do you love the smell of murder? What if it smells like Shirley Jackson’s classic horror novel We Have Always Lived in the Castle? This roll-on perfume oil smells like black coffee, nutmeg, sugared blackberries (no arsenic included!), sandalwood, and smoke. $16.
New Releases
The Black Girl Survives In This One, ed. Desiree S. Evans & Saraciea J. Fennell
We’ve got two new horror short story collections to kick off April! The first is an anthology featuring stories where (you guessed it) the Black girls survive the horrors they are forced to face. Authors include Erin E. Adams, Monica Brashears, Charlotte Nicole Davis, Desiree S. Evans, Saraciea J. Fennell, Zakiya Dalila Harris, Daka Hermon, Justina Ireland, L.L. McKinney, Brittney Morris, Maika & Maritza Moulite, Eden Royce, and Vincent Tirado. The foreword is by Tananarive Due.
This Skin Was Once Mine: And Other Disturbances by Eric LaRocca
If you read Eric LaRocca’s Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and thought, “Okay, this is pretty messed up, but I WANT MORE,” get ready for four even more intense short stories from this Bram Stoker Award-nominated and Splatterpunk Award-winning author.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw
In this spooky terrorling, a group of friends go to a haunted mansion in Japan to hold a wedding. A strange location for a wedding, for sure, but these friends love the fun, scary vibes. But what starts off as a fun celebration turns into something much more terrifying. The hauntings are not just rumors. The ghosts are very, very real.
Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones
Stephen Graham Jones is an author I just mentioned last week, I know, but I had to bring this book up since we’re talking about horror novellas. One night, a 15-year-old boy sees a strange figure walking through his house, someone who resembles the father he lost before they moved from the reservation. As he follows the man through their home over the next few nights, the boy attempts to map out his house…endangering his family in the process.
Okay, these are short ones, so I’m assuming you’ll finish them all and report back next week? Until then, you can follow me (and message me) on Instagram at emandhercat. Sweet dreams, horror fans!