Fearsome Fiction

A Grab Bag of Horror News, 3 to 9 March 2024

A selection of things that caught our attention in the world of horror this week

Horror news

Table of Contents

Bite-Sized Horror News

Vale

  • Condolences to family, friends, and fans of voice artist Mark Dodson. Dodson worked as a voice artist for several decades doing movies, video games, radio, and commercials. Among other memorable roles, he was the voice of Salacious Crumb in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and the Mogwai voice in Gremlins. RIP.

Horror Book Bits

  • The 2024 Ghoulish Book Festival is on next weekend (15 to 17 March) in San Antonio, Texas, with book vendors, panels, live readings, and other ghoulish fun. This year’s Ghouls of Honor are Daniel Kraus, Jessica McHugh, and RJ Joseph. The vendor hall is free, but you’ll need a GBF ’24 badge ($75) to attend the panels and readings. The badge is good for all three days and include a special program book, a welcome bag, and other goodies.
  • Stephen King Rare Editions is hosting KingCon 2024, from 24 to 27 October in Las Vegas, Nevada. The convention line-up is still being finalized and special guests will be announced as they are confirmed.
  • A. Cosby’s All the Sinners Bleed won the Thriller/Suspense category of the 2024 Audie Awards. The book, narrated by Adam Lazarre-White, is about a black sheriff, a small town, and a serial killer. The other nominees for this category were: The Woodkin (Alexander James/Alex Knox), Bad Cree (Jessica Johns/Tanis Parenteau), I Will Find You (Harlan Coben/Steven Weber), and None of This is True (Lisa Jewell/Nicola Walker et. al.).
  • Bards and Sages Publishing has closed and is in the process of winding down the business.

Horror Movie Morsels

Horror TV Treats

Horror Festival Fare

“The art of the jump scare in literature is a crafty blend of timing, misdirection, and the reader’s own imagination.”

Joe Mynhardt, Shadows & Ink: Mastering the Art of Horror Writing and Publishing

Writing Horror

  • Brandon Sanderson has some potentially good news for authors about Audible royalties. Recently, three key Audible officers met with Sanderson’s company and presented a new royalty structure which they say they intend to offer to independent writers and smaller publishers. While there are still elements of the offer that he is not happy with, he believes it is a huge step forward and is a genuine attempt by Audible to meet him halfway.

Some places accepting submissions.

  • Cold anthology (Dead Sky Publishing with Death’s Head Press)
    Pays: 4 cents a word
    Theme: Cold/winter horror short stories
    Submissions close: 31 March 2024
  • Nordic Horror anthology (Sentinel Creatives
    Pays: $125 to $200
    Theme: Original weird tales set in the Nordic Region that explore the human (and inhuman) experience through the lens of the weird and the horrific
    Submissions close: 31 March 2024
  • Super Canucks: An anthology of small-town Canadian superheroes (Latitude 46 Publishing)
    Pays: $200 CAD
    Theme: Stories from across Canada that push the usual superhero tropes while shining a spotlight on unique corners of Canada
    Submissions close: 21 April 2024

“The secret to a successful jump scare in fiction is the buildup.”

Joe Mynhardt, Shadows & Ink: Mastering the Art of Horror Writing and Publishing

Trailer Horror

A taste of things to come.

Horror TV Trailers

  • The Faceless Lady. Immersive VR horror anthology. Win her games, or lose your life. Premieres on Meta Quest TV on 4 April 2024.
  • Parasyte: The Grey, Season 1. South Korean creature horror. When unidentified parasites violently take over human hosts and gain power, humanity must rise to combat the growing threat. Premieres on Netflix on 5 April 2024.
  • Fallout, Season 1. Post-apocalyptic horror. In a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles, citizens live in underground bunkers to protect themselves from radiation, mutants and bandits. Premieres on Prime Video on 12 April 2024.

Horror Movie Trailers

  • Followers. Cult horror. A year after surviving a brutal attack, a social media influencer and her friends are once again in the crosshairs of a relentless dark web cult, thirsting for retribution. Releases on Screambox on 12 March 2024.
  • Sheep’s Clothing. Psychological horror. A violent attack leaves high school principal Harper with a traumatic brain injury. After finding refuge working for a pastor at a fledgling church, Harper soon realizes the pastor’s personal struggles are creeping into the sanctuary. When a member of the church winds up dead, Harper helps clean up the aftermath, but this act of service takes him through a strange and bloody pilgrimage as he tries to save the church and himself. Releases on digital on 12 March 2024.
  • Exhuma. South Korean supernatural horror. When a renowned shaman and her protégé are hired by a wealthy family, they begin investigating a disturbing supernatural illness that affects only the first-born children of each generation. They soon trace the affliction’s origin to a long-hidden family grave located on sacred ground. Releases in limited cinemas on 22 March 2024.
  • Late Night with the Devil. Supernatural horror. A live television broadcast in 1977 goes horribly wrong, unleashing evil into the nation’s living rooms. Releases in cinemas on 22 March 2024.
  • Snow Valley. Supernatural horror. A newly engaged couple’s ski weekend goes horribly awry, when an unexpected guest arrives and the house’s dark supernatural forces begin to rise on the anniversary of a tragic event. Releases on VOD and DVD on 26 March 2024.
  • Arcadian. Post-apocalyptic dystopian horror. In the near future on a decimated Earth, Paul and his twin sons find tranquility by day but terror by night when ferocious creatures awaken and consume all living souls in their path. When Paul is nearly killed, the boys come up with a desperate plan for survival, using everything their father taught them to keep him alive. Releases in cinemas on 12 April 2024.
  • Infested. French spider horror. About to turn 30, Kaleb faces loneliness, estranged from his sister and best friend over an inheritance dispute. His fascination with exotic creatures leads him to a venomous discovery: a spider that soon turns his flat into a terrifying webbed prison. Releases on Shudder on 26 April 2024.
  • The Strangers: Chapter 1. Survival horror. After their car breaks down, a young couple is forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive. Releases in cinemas on 17 May 2024.
  • Unspeakable: Beyond the Wall of Sleep. Lovecraftian horror. A renowned oneirologist is requested to to study the strange case of a patient seemingly inhabited by the personality of a primitive colonial peasant of barbaric degeneracy, who mysteriously vanished 122 years ago. The investigation releases an alien life form bent on world annihilation. Release date TBA.

Horror Game Trailers

  • Midnight Ghost Hunt. Ghost horror. Play as either Ghosts or Ghost Hunters. The Ghosts hide inside inconspicuous furniture and hurl themselves at invading Hunters. The Hunters must find and destroy all of the Ghosts before the clock strikes midnight. At midnight, all dead Ghosts return as vengeful spirits and the Hunters become the Hunted. Releases on 21 March 2024.
  • Vacant’s Mine. Creature horror. You’ve been arrested. But In this prison camp, you can regain freedom in just 7 days! Navigate an old mine using a railway and steal whatever eggs the stingy and ominous man named Vacant requires. Releases on 29 March 2024.
  • Frostpunk 2. Post-apocalyptic horror. Make the best out of an Earth ravaged by an apocalypse for 30 years. Engage with delicate and complex social dilemmas equipped with new gameplay mechanics. Releases on PC on 25 July 2024 and later on Xbox and Playstation.

“But a jump scare in a book isn’t just about the moment of terror; it’s about the aftermath. The best scares linger.”

Joe Mynhardt, Shadows & Ink: Mastering the Art of Horror Writing and Publishing

A Selection of Horror Books Released this Week

14 horror books this week. Themes: Supernatural, psychological, ghost, Frankenstein, dark fantasy, gothic, serial killer, vampire, cosmic, water, and Arkham horror

See: A Selection of Horror Books Released, 3 to 9 Mar 2024

“And unlike a film, where the scare is over as soon as the scene cuts, a book’s scare can make you apprehensive about every line that follows, turning each page into a potential trapdoor into the abyss.”

Joe Mynhardt, Shadows & Ink: Mastering the Art of Horror Writing and Publis

A Selection of Horror Movies Released this Week

5 horror movies this week. Themes: Supernatural and found footage horror

See: A Selection of Horror Movies Released, 3 to 9 Mar 2024

“By contrasting horror with normalcy, innocence with evil, or hope with despair authors can create a more immersive and emotionally engaging experience.”

Joe Mynhardt, Shadows & Ink: Mastering the Art of Horror Writing and Publishing

What We Were Thinking About this Week

“The power of the uncanny valley in horror fiction lies in its ability to take the familiar and twist it just enough to become disturbing.”

Joe Mynhardt, Shadows & Ink: Mastering the Art of Horror Writing and Publishing

And Now For Something Completely Different

Horror-Themed Shopping

See the FearSome Fiction shop for horror designs available on a wide variety of T-shirts, tanks, sweatshirts, and hoodies, as well as bags, notebooks, phone cases, pillows, duvets, blankets, bath mats, and more.

Published: 9 March 2024

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