First Came Fear: New Tales of Horror

Charlotte Byrne · Christopher Calix · M.P. Diederich · Daniel Gooding · Andrew L. Huerta · Oliver Ledesma · Jack Lothian · Dwayne Martine · Samantha Pilecki · P.J. Schaefer · John Sperry · Sarah K. Stephens · Ken Teutsch · Michael J.P. Whitmer

Oct 2018 · The NEW Series Book 4 · New Lit Salon Press

About this ebook

Emerging as the dark side of Romanticism, horror is one of literature’s oldest genres. Its history is so diverse it’s sometimes difficult to define. Are moody stories about ghosts and vampires related to gory tales of beasts and zombies? And what about the more realistic terrors of murderous rogues and diabolical doctors? The emotion of fear unifies the 14 stories in First Came Fear: New Tales of Horror. But fear is legion in its varieties. The authors skillfully navigate terror of all types. M.P. Diederich’s “Dressage for Beginners” and Christopher Calix’s “The Wedding Gift” are fine examples of the ghoulish humor tradition while J.P. Whitmer’s “Loved to Death” will frighten you in a stunningly visceral way. Oliver Ledesma’s “Atabey” and Samantha Pilecki’s “Roser and the Guide to the Inexplicable” impart fear through non-traditional storytelling and Sarah K. Stephens’ “The Factory” shows how effectively, and chillingly, horror can tackle social issues. All the stories are accompanied by Luke Spooner’s dramatic art, which combines Gothic macabre with echoes of classic horror illustration. The entire collection will have you gripping the edge of your seat or biting your fingernails, yet leave you longing for more!

About the author

Casey Ellis graduated from Manhattanville College in 2004, where he wrote a senior thesis on ethical issues in Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. He received a Masters in English from the University at Buffalo in 2006, with a thesis on the language of the fool characters in Shakespeare's major tragedies. Casey was the editor of Startling Sci-Fi: New Tales of the Beyond, and line editor of Southern Gothic: New Tales of the South, Behind the Yellow Wallpaper: New Tales of Madness, and Salon Style: Fiction, Poetry & Art which featured his short story "The Creature from the Lake." He is currently an adjunct professor of English. Luke Spooner a.k.a. 'Carrion House' and 'Hoodwink House, ' currently lives and works in the South of England. Having graduated from the University of Portsmouth with a first-class degree he is now a full time illustrator and writer for just about any project that peaks his interest. Despite regular forays into children's books and fairy tales, for which he has won awards for literary and artistic merit, his true love is anything macabre, melancholy or dark in nature and essence. He believes that the job of putting someone else's words into a visual form, to accompany and support their text, is a massive responsibility as well as being something he truly treasures. Visit Luke at http: //www.carrionhouse.com/.