Welcome to Issue #145 of Nightmare Magazine!
My friends, it is finally October, which means it is time to celebrate all things spooky. I know plenty of people who take a “Thirty Days of Halloween” approach, watching a horror movie every day of the month or reading a horror short story. Others throw parties or make art, and some put it all together for an absolute explosion of spooktacular joy.
Of course the very best part of October is Halloween itself. I fell in love with Halloween at a young age. It was so exciting to put on a costume and become someone different—especially if that someone (or something) was a little unsettling. I’ve never set out to truly frighten anyone with my costumes or home décor, but I quite enjoy making people uneasy for one special night. Halloween is the perfect time to try on your dark side for a few hours.
In honor of the holiday, this month’s issue is all about our dark sides. It’s packed with eerie doubles, demons, and devils, all stand-ins for our worst impulses and unrestrained ids. Gemma Files brings us our first short story, “Little Horn,” delving into the difficult and lonely life of a young Antichrist. Simon Gilbert’s story “Perfect Water” is a quieter tale, set on a peaceful cove along the Welsh coast. With its clear waters and handsome lighthouse, it’s just the place for a relaxing read . . . if only there wasn’t something spooky going on.
In our shorter work, Isabel Cañas brings us “NotRob,” the very unnerving story of a tormented young family, and Martins Deep has penned a darkly unsettling poem called “Possession.” Don’t forget that these short works are now being podcasted just like our short stories! They’re bundled together in their own special Horror Lab episode, and of course you can listen to these not only on our website, but also in all your favorite podcast sites (I love playing these on Spotify when I’m at the gym).
Our H Word essay by novelist Nicholas Belardes is about birds and horror. In the de•crypt•ed column, Joe Koch writes about his complicated relationship with Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw. We also have author spotlights with our short fiction authors.
For those of you who are also poets, please note that we are briefly opening to poetry submissions this month. You can check our submissions page for more information.
I hope you all enjoy this spooky issue of the magazine. Next month we’ll be releasing our second annual dark fantasy-themed issue (it’s such a great way to make November more fun), so be ready for a little magic.
Happy Halloween, my fiends!
