November inspires me to bring out the fuzzy blankets and all my favorite comfort reads, like the fantasy novels that inspired me to get into writing in the first place (Pamela Dean and Charles L. Grant, I am looking at you). Which is why I’m extremely glad that way, way back in the spring, I decided to make November our first-ever all dark fantasy issue.

These stories are beautiful, well-written pieces that shout about the way our society has simply stopped caring about certain populations of people. As allegories both delightful and painful to read, they do the kind of work that only speculative fiction can do, and I am honored to present them to you.

I don’t need to dig into Lovecraft’s backstory. If you don’t know that he’s a deeply racist person who let his problematic ideas bleed cruelty all over the horror genre, you’ve either been asleep for a few decades or you just started reading this stuff.

Of all the classic urban legends, the story of the babysitter sharing a building with a murderous caller has always been my favorite. That punchline at the end is the perfect descriptor for an endless array of horrors, because a house can stand in for so many other things.

Those early years of my life have given me a deep appreciation for a genre of fiction you might call “Financial Horror.” Stories in this genre start with bills in the mail or a leaking roof and end with big, grim consequences, especially when financial difficulties slam up against supernatural disasters. Our two full-length short stories this issue land squarely on the “Financial Horror” side of the ledger.

One of the things I love best about my life is that I get to be a part of the amazing, weird, and wonderful horror community. The horror community is a place for fans of all kinds—from folks who enjoy watching the occasional Netflix release all the way through people who obsessively collect and comment on special issues of whatever medium or merch calls their name. Every horror creator I’ve met has been a fan of the genre in some way, shape, or form.

When I was a freshman in college, eager to knock out all those pesky general education requirements before I dug in and got serious about my major, I signed up for Phil. 207: Early Modern Philosophy, 1500-1750. Philosophy, as I understood it from shelving books as a library volunteer, had something to do with world religions, alien abduction, and/or hallucinogenic drugs. I didn’t know they were into all of that in 1500, but I expected I was in for a fun time.

Welcome to Issue #127 of Nightmare Magazine, and welcome to April, that month of fools and taxes. It’s a time of year when bad choices can really come back to bite you in tender places, a time when it’s all too easy to find yourself shaking your head and saying “Why the heck did I do that?” And that’s why this issue is all about self-sabotage and bad ideas.

One of winter’s biggest trials was that I got a new laptop and had to find updated versions of all my favorite pieces of software. I had no idea the software landscape had changed so dramatically in ten years! Everything’s based on the subscription model these days, and even basic programs have bells and whistles my Luddite brain can’t fathom. When your first computer experience involved five-and-a-quarter-inch floppy disks, you sometimes find yourself greatly suspicious of programs eager to check your grammar and word choice.

I like to think of this issue as a bit of first aid for the cabin-feverish soul. We’re pulling out all the stops on ultraviolence and creepiness for . . . The Killer Issue. In related news, we are also test-driving the addition of content warnings for all of our stories! While a content warning can feel like a bit of a spoiler, I also know that even the most hardcore horror lover can still have topics they need to protect themselves from. If we’re going to help all kinds of readers find their horror groove, then we need to do a better job making sure our readers feel welcomed and safe!