When Things Get Dark: Stories Inspired by Shirley Jackson
Unlike many other book awards, the Bram Stoker Awards recognize books for "superior achievement", not "the best". The winners are voted on by the Horror Writers Association members and presented at a gala the year following publication. To be nominated, the work of horror must be published in the English language.
WINNERS!
Superior Achievement in a Novel - My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones
Synopsis: ade Daniels is an angry, half-Indian outcast with an abusive father, an absent mother, and an entire town that wants nothing to do with her. She lives in her own world, a world in which protection comes from an unusual source: horror movies…especially the ones where a masked killer seeks revenge on a world that wronged them. And Jade narrates the quirky history of Proofrock as if it is one of those movies. But when blood actually starts to spill into the waters of Indian Lake, she pulls us into her dizzying, encyclopedic mind of blood and masked murderers, and predicts exactly how the plot will unfold.
Sadly, I DNF'd this book. It had nothing to do with the writing itself, as I've enjoyed Jones' characters ni the past (particularly with The Only good Indans), and everything to do with the main character. Jade, the MC, is obsessed with slasher films to such a degree in that it became very annoying. Everything was in reference to them and the book, when I stopped reading, the way Jade seemed to be enjoying the fact that she new a murderer would be coming to her town really rubbed me the wrong way. It seems to be getting mixed reviews on Goodreads, with a rating of 3.62 but better ratings on Amazon with 4.1.
Superior Achievement in a First Novel - Queen of Teeth by Hailey Piper
Synopsis: Within forty-eight hours, Yaya Betancourt will go from discovering teeth between her thighs to being hunted by one of the most powerful corporations in America.
She assumes the vagina dentata is a side effect of a rare genetic condition caused by AlphaBeta Pharmaceutical, decades ago, when she and several thousand others were still in the womb.
But, when ABP corporate goons upend her life, she realizes her secondary teeth might be evidence of a new experiment for which she’s the most advanced test tube... a situation worsened when Yaya’s condition sprouts horns, tentacles, and a mind of its own.
I've heard of the concept before but never actually watched, read, or otherwise consumed any stories about it. It currently has a 4.19 on Goodreads and a 4.5 on Amazon, but less than 200 reviews total. It is still an impressive first showing, although I'm not sure I'll be picking this one up.
Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel - The Inhabitant of the Lake by Alessandro Manzetti (author) and Stefano Cardosell (author/artist)
This is a graphic novelization of The Inhabitants of the Lake by Ramsay Campbell. It is described as "lovecraftian" which, as much as I hate to say it, is not my favorite style of horror. I like horror that focuses more on suspense and storytelling rather than fear of the unknown and commentary on mankind's existence. Monsters and stuff like creature features just aren't what I prefer. This seems to be about a man who believes creatures in a lake are watching him.
It currently has 4.6 rating on Amazon with three ratings, although the source material has 3.79 on Goodreads.
Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel - The River has Teeth by Erica Waters
Synopsis: This book follows a girl named Natasha whose sister is missing. When no answers turn up, she turns to a magical family who harbors a terrible secret. This book sounds like it will swing one or two ways, predictable or surprising.
It is currently on my TBR but I don't tend to read horror until after the summer is over so I'll possibly read it then. It has a 3.87 on Goodreads and 4.4 on Amazon.
Superior Achievement in Long Fiction - "Twentieth Anniversary Screening" by Jeff Strand
Synopsis: This mockumentary-style dark comedy recounts the grisly events surrounding the terrible slasher flick THE ROOFER, remembered only because an obsessed fan tried to reenact the murders as they played out on the screen. When the same theater shows the film twenty years later, will the warnings that this is a really, really bad idea be justified?
It has a 4.16 on Goodreads and 4.2 on Amazon.
Superior Achievement in Short Fiction - "Permanent Damage" in Attack from the 80s by Lee Murray
This collection of short stories are all about modern tech with horror twists. It sort of sounds Black Mirroresque, but set in the 80s. I don't quite know what this specific short story is about, but it is definitely a collection that is on my radar. It has a 3.92 on Goodreads and a 4.6 on Amazon.
Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection - In That Endlessness, Our End by Gemma Files
It has a 4.22 on Goodreads and a 4.5 on Amazon
Superior Achievement in a Screenplay - Midnight Mass by Mike Flanagan
Synopsis: The arrival of a charismatic young priest brings glorious miracles, ominous mysteries and renewed religious fervor to a dying town desperate to believe.
I will forever gush about Flanagan's creations. I think I have watched everything he's created but there may be one or two lingering movies. I loved this miniseries so, so much. It was terrifying and human and beautiful. I loved the monologues and the acting was top notch. I swear Flanagan's creations have such fantastic casting. I won't lie, I also watch and liked all the other nominees in this category but I don't think any modern horror creator makes horror in the way Flanagan does.
Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection - Tortured Willows: Bent. Bowed. Unbroken. by Angela Yiriko Smith, et al.
Synopsis: The willow is femininity, desire, death. Rebirth. With its ability to grow from a single broken branch, it is the living embodiment of immortality. It is the yin that wards off malevolent spirits. It is both revered and shunned. In Tortured Willows, four Southeast Asian women writers of horror expand on the exploration of otherness begun with the Bram Stoker Award-winning anthology Black Cranes: Tales of Unquiet Women.
Like the willow, women have bent and bowed under the expectations and duty heaped upon them. Like the willow, they endure and refuse to break.
This collection has a 4.79 on Goodreads and 4.8 on Amazon
Superior Achievement in an Anthology - When Things Get Dark: Stories Inspired by Shirley Jackson by Ellen Datlow, et al.
Synopsis: A collection of new and exclusive short stories inspired by, and in tribute to, Shirley Jackson.
Shirley Jackson is a seminal writer of horror and mystery fiction, whose legacy resonates globally today. Chilling, human, poignant and strange, her stories have inspired a generation of writers and readers.
This anthology, edited by legendary horror editor Ellen Datlow, will bring together today’s leading horror writers to offer their own personal tribute to the work of Shirley Jackson.
This anthology has a 4.05 on Goodreads and a 4.5 on Amazon
Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction - Writers Workshop of Horror 2 by Michael Knost
Synopsis: Writers Workshop of Horror 2 is a collection of essays and interviews focusing on the art and craft of writing horror and dark fantasy. From bestselling authors like Stephen King, Anne Rice, and R. L. Stine, to up-and-coming writers just making their mark, this anthology is chock-full of advice and information writers of any level will find valuable and useful. Writers Workshop of Horror 2 is helmed by Michael Knost, the Bram Stoker Award-winning editor that brought you Writers Workshop of Horror, Writers Workshop of Science Fiction & Fantasy, and Author's Guide to Marketing with Teeth.
This work has a 4.5 on Goodreads and on Amazon
Superior Achievement in Short Non-Fiction - “Horror Writers: Architects of Hope” (The Siren's Call, Issue 55) by Angela Yuriko Smith
Synopsis: The 55th issue of The Sirens Call is 184 pages containing 143 pieces of dark fiction and horror in the form of short stories, flash fiction, and dark poetry! This issue also features artist Victor Hugo Palacios Mendez who has shared 12 pieces of artwork with us; a glimpse at Cult of the Box and why you want to join; featured filmmaker Mike Lera with three short films – Frames, The Shell, and The Imaginist; and featured author Angela Yuriko Smith who offers us a glimpse into her Stoker nominated book, Bitter Suites.
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