Author Archive

“The Shape of Evil:” The Third Draft is Finished!!!

Posted: May 18, 2025 in Novel, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, Writing
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Well, it happened. It’s finally done. Took a bit longer than I’d hoped, but it is done. The third draft of The Shape of Evil is finally completed.

To be precise, I finished it late last night. Very late. Like close to three in the morning late last night. You see, I was up in Cleveland visiting family and drove home in the afternoon. I got home in the early evening, grabbed something to eat, and thought to myself, I wanted to get it finished this week! And I only have fifty pages to go! I might as well try!

Thus, I started working on it. And by the time I was done, it was three in the morning.

I regret nothing.

Anyway, if you’re new here and wondering what the hell I’m talking about, The Shape of Evil is a novel I wrote last year about a 3D Printer from Hell. Yeah, you read that right. A 3D Printer from Hell. Think “Word Processor of the Gods” by Stephen King meets Gothic by Philip Fracassi with strong LGBT and disabled representation. And I honestly never intended for it to become a novel–it was originally going to be a novelette–but the story just kept growing and growing, and before I knew it, the story was a novel and I was thinking how I would get it published.

Since then, I’ve done a second draft, and then I had sensitivity readers take a look at the story, because my main character is non-binary and I wanted to make sure that I was portraying a non-binary person well. And after I got their notes back, I started work on the third draft.

All this effort is hopefully going to pay off very soon.

And man, the journey this book has gone on has been something else! Not only has the story grown with every draft (273 pages/72,500 words for the first draft, 283 pages/75,300 words for the second, and 291 pages/78,400 pages for this latest one), but it really feels like it has improved with every go-through. Especially this current draft: as I said in a previous post, I’ve been working hard to make sure the words in this draft bring out the full potential of the story. And I think it does. There were a few times where I looked over the text and was like, “Did I really write this? Just from the word choice, it looks and sounds like something come from a much better, more experienced writer!”

Well, wherever it came from, it’s ready to be pitched at StokerCon next month. If you’re unaware, StokerCon is the big convention hosted by the Horror Writers Association, and they have a session where you can pitch your works directly to agents and editors. I was lucky enough to get a slot to pitch to one of my top choices, so I’m glad I got the book done in time.

Me after my marathon editing session and before my next project.

So, now what happens? Well, I’m going to create a pitch sheet, which is sort of an informational sheet about the book, and practice my pitch between now and StokerCon. And in-between, I have a few things to work on, including the version of Hannah and Other Stories that I’ll use when I re-release it later this year. Should keep me wonderfully busy.

And hopefully soon, I’ll be able to share some wonderful news with all of you.

But I think tonight, I’ll just pour a glass of wine and put on a movie. After all, having time to relax is important. Especially when you work hard and you have so many irons in the fire.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m off to work on a bit more stuff before dinner and wine and the movie. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Ten Years a Graduate

Posted: May 14, 2025 in Living and Life, Reflections
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Me, my grandfather Seymour Ungar of blessed memory, and my dad Rabbi Michael Ungar at the English Department’s Graduation Breakfast.

I did promise I would write about this in its own post. And I do my best to keep my promises.

This past Saturday, May 10th, as well as being the Halfway to Halloween Expo in Ann Arbor and the third anniversary of when The Pure World Comes was released, it was also the ten-year anniversary of my college graduation. When I became an alumnus of The Ohio State University.

Wow. Ten years. It’s kind of crazy to believe. Some of you were following me even back then, reading as I made my way through my college experience, the highs and lows and everything in-between. I remember it being a very momentous occasion. All of my immediate family, as well as some of my grandparents who were close enough to make it, came to see me make that walk. I remember the head of our alumni association at the time making a speech, none of which I remember, as well as the former Secretary of Health and Human Services speaking as well (and someone booing her, which felt tacky AF). And I remember going down from the stands, getting my diploma, and then coming out feeling different. When I reached my apartment to change, I knew I was different.

I was a graduate.

Not even a year later, when I went on campus for a job interview, I felt so out of place walking among all those students. An adult among relative children. Ridiculous, because some of them were my age or older, and there wasn’t much separating us, but still.

And now, ten years later, how do I feel?

Well, obviously I’m glad I went to college, and that I went to the college I did (Go Bucks!). Sure, there are some things I would have done differently if given the chance to do them over, but I feel like most of my experiences there, positive or negative, made me into the person I am today.

But do I feel any momentous feelings regarding the passage of time? Or that I want to go back to my student days?

My sister Adi and I after I’ve gotten my diploma. And I’m about to go on the craziest journey I’ve yet to experience in my short life.

Not really, no. In fact, when I remembered on Saturday that today was the ten-year anniversary of that momentous occasion, I didn’t really feel anything. I just noted it like how one notes that it’s a bit warmer than the day before, or that I need to put something on the shopping list before I go shopping on Monday. It was a fact, nothing more. And as for whether I want to go back…well, whenever I have dreams about being back in school, no matter what grade I’m in or which school it is, I’m always annoyed about the situation. So I’d say going back feels more like a hassle than a chance to relive my glory days.

I’m not entirely sure why that is. Perhaps that’s because so much has happened in the ten years since, personally and on a global scale. It could be that either the world started becoming a darker place to be, or I started realizing the true extent of its darkness, or both, after college, and that dampens the feelings a bit. Maybe my sense of nostalgia only extends to formative media that I experienced at a certain age, rather than phases of my life.

Most likely, it has to do with not just being a different person than I was then, but the kind of person I am. I’m always looking forward, rather than looking back. Rather than focus on what happened or what I wish happened, I prefer to look into the future and daydream of what might happen or what I hope will happen.

But hey, maybe that’s all for the best. After all, there’s a time and place for everything. There was a time when college was one of the main focuses of my life, and that time has long ended. And like I said, I still have fond memories of what I experienced during those four years. Not to mention knowledge from my classes and life lessons that I’ve carried with me through the years. And I will always be grateful for that.

I think I’m a good example of OSU’s motto in action. At least, I hope so.

I just don’t want to focus on what was and what could have been. Instead, I want to focus on what is now and what could be.

Which, in its way, is probably a good thing. And I bet my old alma mater would agree. After all, Ohio State’s motto is disciplina in civitatem, or “education for citizenship.” And I got the education I needed to make my way as an adult and a citizen in this crazy world, trying to improve it and eke out a living as best I can. And if I’m not dying to go back or constantly wistful for my college days, then I consider it a job well done.

How do you feel about your college days, Followers of Fear? Do you miss them? What do you think and how do you feel when you look back at them? Let’s discuss.

The Pure World Comes: Three Years Since Release

Posted: May 10, 2025 in Novel, Scary Stuff, Writing
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Well, we’re at another anniversary. Today’s the three-year anniversary of when The Pure World Comes was released in paperback and ebook.

(It’s also the ten year anniversary of when I graduated college, and I will talk about that eventually, but not in this post.)

So, if you weren’t aware, The Pure World Comes is my most recently-published novel, a Gothic horror novel about a maid who goes to work for a mad scientist and what happens once she starts working at his estate. Think Frankenstein and Crimson Peak had a baby together. The novel is my love letter to the Victorian era and the dark stories that came out of that era. It was originally published in 2021 on a book reading app, but then it was released on May 10, 2022, which I count as the real release date.

And in the years since the book came out, TPWC has had its fans, I’m happy to say. Here’s what people are saying:

I love it when I’m pleasantly surprised by a book. Rami Ungar is not a debut author, (according to the back of the book, this is his fourth novel), but his work is new to me and so I went in not knowing what to expect. What I got was a short novel so perfectly Victorian and utterly Gothic that it made my old-fashioned self giddy as a schoolgirl…Mixing classic-romantic Victorian elements with early science-fiction, tales of Jack the Ripper/Spring-Heeled Jack, and a bit of the occult, this book gives the reader a truly chilling and also slightly fun little Gothic adventure.

Heather Daughrity, author of Tales My Grandmother Told Me, Goodreads

This was a lot of fun! Shirley Dobbins longs to be a head housekeeper. She is at once (and perhaps in contrast to a lot of period set stories) relatable…She is level-headed, pragmatic, the sort of woman everyone would get on with…This feels like a traditional science romance for the modern age, but much easier to engage with. I listened to the audio version of this and must say the narrator was well-chosen here (even if, at first, I thought it was Jenna Coleman!)

MG Mason, author of Residents of the James Hotel, Goodreads

There were quite a few things I liked about this book – the attempt to make it historically accurate (required a lot of research), the author’s take on a possible Jack the Ripper scenario (no spoilers!), And the Big Reveal itself. I quite like the idea. I think it has many possibilities and potential uses as a plot device for future (possibly non related) stories…A little darker, a little more philosophical. Exceptional work.

Ronald Gillepsie, author of Inside My Nightmares, Amazon

Jenna Coleman. I wish a former Doctor Who companion would narrate one of my books. However, the narrator of the audio book, Nikki Delgado, did an extraordinary job with the narration, and I’m glad I got to work with her. And yeah, it took a lot of research into the Victorian age to get it right. Five years, to be exact. Everything from the history of the age, to how to run a Victorian home, to bathroom habits from the day, to Jack the Ripper, who makes an appearance in the novel. I did not skimp on anything.

And I’m happy to say, the results came out better than I’d hoped.

And moving into the book’s fourth year, I hope more people discover TPWC and that they come to love it as much as I do. I’m going to do my best to make that happen.

If you would like to check out The Pure World Comes, I’ll post links below. It’s available in paperback, ebook and audio book, so whatever you’re reading preference, you’ll find it. And if you like what you read, please leave a review so I know what you thought. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me out in the long run.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m off to a convention where I hope to put my books, including The Pure World Comes, into the hands of many readers. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Amazon
Apple Books
Audible
Barnes & Noble
BingeBooks
Chirp
Fable
Goodreads
Hoopla
Kobo
Libro.Fm
Palace Marketplace
Scribd
Smashwords
Spotify
Storytel
Thalia
Vivlio

“Symphony for Walpurgis:” One Week Since Release

Posted: May 8, 2025 in Novelette, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, Writing
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Has it really been a week? It feels less like a week and more like a day. Surreal.

So, as many of you know by now, I released my sixth book and third collection, Symphony for Walpurgis, last Thursday, on the Feast of Saint Walpurga, when witches are supposedly at their most powerful. The book contains nine novelettes, with stories ranging from wannabe starlets encountering cryptids (“Famous”), malevolent spirits oppressing the family of a cruel and greedy lawyer (“The Parasite Man”), and even a Jewish exorcism (“The House on Lafayette Square”).

What many of you don’t know is that I got a tattoo and a Tarot reading to celebrate, and I think they’re both bringing me good luck.

Here’s the back cover summary of the book:

What’s the difference between humans and monsters? Is there a fine line, or is it more gray and blurred? Rami Ungar, author of Rose and Hannah and Other Stories, explores this question in his latest collection, Symphony for Walpurgis. From legendary cryptids to malevolent spirits and from Ohio in the 1950s to modern-day California, readers will be treated to nine terrifying stories of the weird and macabre. So settle down and be prepared. For you have bought your ticket to Symphony for Walpurgis.

Not bad. Other writers find writing summaries of their work exhausting, but I’ve never really struggled with that.

Anyway, in the first week, Symphony has done pretty decently for an author of my reach and the marketing I was able to do. I even put out a video of myself reading from the book’s introduction on my YouTube channel (you can watch that video here). And as a result, not only have I had some great sales across different platforms, but I’ve even received some reviews. And I’m happy to say, they’ve all been extremely positive.

Here’s what people are saying:

Bravo! This might just be Rami Ungar’s best work yet. Offering tales of unearthly retribution, dark mysteries, vampires re-imagined and blood curdling entities, Symphony is a gloriously ghoulish anthology with something for almost every kind of horror fan.

Louise Conway, Goodreads

Symphony for Walpurgis is a collection of novelettes, all horror. There are themes of money-power-arrogance (I should just say “corruption”), abuse of nature and one another, grief, and (my favorite) insects… “Mother of Spiders” still haunts me. In fact, characters like Ingrid (the Mother in this story), Cressida (from another story), and the detestable Bardo (from yet another story) continue to haunt me even now, after I’m done reading…Overall, five scary, creepy, disturbing stars.

Priscilla Bettis, Amazon

Novellettes are a strange beast. Many publishers and readers find them difficult because they’re such an in-between style of writing. They’re too short to build real suspense, some readers will tell you. Others will insist that they’re too long, and that they’re just short stories that need more editing. However, as the novelette is Ungar’s chosen form, he’s done his best to prove naysayers wrong, and what a job he has done!

Joshua Gage, Cemetery Dance Online

It’s reviews like these, so full of gushing and love for the horrors I’ve created, that make me hope that the book will continue to find readers. And I’m going to work hard over the next year so that it happens. Who knows? I may end up getting five-hundred books sold this year, as well as fifty reviews on both Amazon and on Goodreads. I’ve got a few ideas on how to make that happen, so we’ll see if I can pull it off.

And if you would like to check out Symphony for Walpurgis, I’ll leave links below. Now that it’s out, it’s available in both paperback and ebook, so hopefully that won’t be a problem. And if you like what you read, please be sure to leave me a review. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me and other readers in the long run.

Thank you, and welcome to Symphony for Walpurgis.

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Goodreads
Kobo

One more thing, my Followers of Fear: the day after tomorrow, May 10th, I’ll be at the Halfway to Halloween Expo in Ann Arbor, Michigan from 10 AM – 6 PM. This is an amazing convention of vendors, a haunted house, and more than I could list here! So, if you’re in the area, stop by the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds, where I’ll have books and Tarot readings available.

And if you’re not…well, I have plenty of books available online if you’d still like to support me or you’re into scary stories.

Rami Ungar’s Books

That’s all for now. I’ll see you all very soon. Until then, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares.

“Symphony for Walpurgis” Has Been Released!!!

Posted: May 1, 2025 in Novelette, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, Writing
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Hide in your homes and turn off all your lights! It is Walpurgis Night, also known as the Feast Day of Saint Walpurga, when witches are at their most powerful! And it is the release day of Symphony for Walpurgis, my brand new collection of novelettes!

I am so excited that this collection is finally out! I’ve been working on this project, first secretly and then not-so-secretly, for months now. It’s been a true labor of love, bringing together all nine novelettes–a length of story between 7,500 and 17,500 words that, in my humble opinion, doesn’t get enough love or attention–creating a spooky cover for the book, and doing everything in my power to get people interested in reading it. Including the book trailer you see below.

And I’m happy to say, my efforts have appeared to pay off. Not only did I get a lot more preorders, the most for any book I’ve self-published before, but I’ve already had some reviews from advanced readers, and they’ve all been extraordinarily positive. If things continue to go well, I hope more people will read this book and leave reviews so others can find out if it interests them.

And in case you’re interested, this book contains nine novelettes featuring tales like “Blood and Paper Skin,” about a group of teens who end up in what appears to be someone’s private jail/torture chamber, and learn the dark reason why they’ve been brought to this place; “Disillusionment and Trauma Sometimes Go Hand-in-Hand,” in which a teenage girl gets wrapped up in a plot to avenge her best friend, and ends up having the last laugh; “The House on Lafayette Square,” which is about a Jewish exorcism (yes, we have those); “Mother of Spiders,” about a small town in 1950s Ohio whose dark past comes back to haunt the present; “Famous,” about a wannabe Las Vegas starlet who will do anything to get what she believes is rightfully hers, including a deal with a beast straight out of cryptid legend; “The Little Goddess of Horror,” about the strange and eventful life of a beloved actress and scream queen; “The Parasite Man,” about a lawyer/loan shark whose family gets their just desserts from a malevolent spirit; “Cressida,” about a man keeping a mermaid with an uncanny resemblance to his daughter in his basement; and “Natural Predators,” about the crazy shit that goes down when a summer camp becomes ground zero for the next pandemic.

If that sounds like it might be up your alley, you can now order a copy using the links below. I’ll also include the link for the Goodreads page, in case you want to read the advanced reviews before you decide whether to check out the book or not.

And if you do, I hope you’ll let me know what you think in a review. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me out in the long run. Not to mention, it helps other readers out.

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m off to get a new tattoo, and then I’m off to celebrate the release of this wonderful new book. Until next time, good night, happy reading, and pleasant nightmares. I look forward to seeing what you all think of Symphony for Walpurgis.

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Goodreads
Kobo

“Symphony for Walpurgis:” The Paperback Edition is Available for Preorder!!!

Posted: April 24, 2025 in Novelette, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, Writing
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Well, better late than never, am I right? Finally, with just a week out till release, Symphony for Walpurgis is available for preorder in paperback!

So, if you didn’t know, Symphony for Walpurgis is my latest collection. It contains nine novelettes that range in subject from cryptids (“Famous”) to malevolent spirits (“The Parasite Man”) to even a Jewish exorcism (“The House on Lafayette Square”). It’s a very exciting time for me, as the book comes out in seven days, and I can’t wait for people to read it.

Now, since January, it’s been available for preorder, but only as an ebook. That’s because Amazon doesn’t do paperback preorders for books published through their KDP platform, and Barnes & Noble…well, Barnes & Noble took three months to update my vendor account to reflect the address I’ve been living at for the past three years. They only got through that recently, which meant I was finally able to post Symphony to Barnes & Noble’s website yesterday.

And now Symphony for Walpurgis is available for preorder on Barnes & Noble, including in the paperback version! Yay for people who prefer paperbacks!

Now, there is a catch: B&N Press has rules about how many days between submitting the paperback for publication and when it comes out (especially if preorder is an option). And because B&N Press took so long to get my vendor account updated, the Symphony for Walpurgis ebook will be out on May 1st, but the paperback will be out on May 8th.

Yeah, I know, it sucks. On the bright side, the paperback will probably come out on time on Amazon, but you won’t be able to preorder it. Either way, you likely won’t get a print copy of Symphony on May 1st. Which is pretty typical of paperbacks ordered online these days, now that I think about it.

Anyway, no matter which way you prefer, if you want a paperback copy of Symphony, you can now at least preorder it.

And I hope you want to check it out, paperback or ebook. This collection has been a labor of love. I’ve worked hard on each individual story to make it as good as possible, whether that story involved lots of spiders (“Mother of Spiders”), mermaids (“Cressida”), or being locked up in a jail (“Blood and Paper Skin”). I wanted to deliver a collection that would delight all sorts of horror fans, as well as maybe grow the interest in novelettes. Whether or not that’s true, I’ll leave to readers, but I like to think I’ve at least done a good job.

So, if you would like to check it out, I’ll leave links to where Symphony is available, as well as Goodreads where the advanced reviews are located, below the book trailer. And whether you preorder it or wait till the day of, I hope you enjoy what you read. And if you could leave a review letting me know what you think, I would appreciate it. Positive or negative, I enjoy reader feedback, and it helps me and other readers out in the long run.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I have a busy day today, but it’ll be full of excitement as I count down the days till Symphony releases. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and why is a little girl come out of my TV and ranting about me stealing her line? Weird.

Amazon
Apple Books
B&N
Goodreads
Kobo

Events in 2025

Posted: April 23, 2025 in Living and Life, Writing
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It’s that time again. No, not the time to promote my work or to make bizarre faces. One of those will come later. No, it’s time to talk about the events I’ll be doing in the near future! As you know, I try to go to as many events as possible. It’s a great way to meet new readers, and once or twice, I even get a few readers who come with the hope of meeting me in-person. So, I occasionally post updates on which events I’ll be at, in case any of my Followers of Fear want to stop by and see me.

So, without further ado, let’s get talking about the events I’ll be attending over the next few months.

First, I’ll be at the Halfway to Halloween Expo at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds in Ann Arbor, MI on Saturday, May 10, 2025. This is a huge gathering of horror fans, with food trucks, a hearse show, plenty of vendors, and even a haunted house attraction you can go through! I’ll be there selling books (including my new book, Symphony for Walpurgis) and doing Tarot readings, and you can buy tickets on the day of, so if you can stop by, please do. I would love to see you.

You can learn more by checking out the expo’s website here.

Fast forward to June, and I’ll be heading to Stamford, CT for StokerCon from June 12-15! If you’re unfamiliar, StokerCon is the premier convention for horror writers, hosted by the Horror Writers Association, and I’m going there this year to see all my horror-writing and horror-loving friends. And if all goes well, I’ll also be sitting on some panels and maybe even pitching The Shape of Evil to editors and agents. And if you want to come and hang out, I would love to see you.

You can learn more about StokerCon by checking out its website.

A couple of weekends later, I’ll be at the Big Ohio Book Con in Medina, OH on June 28-29. It’s a relatively new con sponsored by Black Cat Books & Oddities, but from what I hear, they had a big turnout their first year, and it looks to grow, so I’m looking forward to selling books and doing Tarot readings there. If you’re interested, please stop by. Obviously, I would love to see you.

You can learn more about the Big Ohio Book Con by checking out its website.

And last, but definitely not least, HWA Ohio will be having a booth at the Columbus Book Festival in downtown Columbus, OH on July 12-13! This is a humongous book festival, with over 40,000 guests streaming through the downtown library and Topiary Park last year. And with hundreds of authors, booths for nearly every imaginable interest, performances, food trucks, and so much more, you wouldn’t want to miss out on it this year. Plus, me and my fellow Ohio horror writers are holding a booth together, so you’re bound to find something there if you visit. So, why not stop by? All of us would love to see you.

You can find out more by visiting the festival’s website here.

And that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. If there are any more events I’ll be at, I’ll be sure to let you know. And, of course, I’ll be sure to remind you prior to the events themselves. Any more than that, however, and I worry I’ll get annoying about it.

But if you’re unable to stop by any of them but you still want to support me, or you’re just looking for a good horror story, I’ll leave a link to my book page below. From plant/human hybrids and strange gods to Mafia-hunting serial killers and Jewish exorcisms, I have something for every horror fan, so be sure to check them out. And if you like what you read, please leave a review somewhere so I (and other readers) know what you think.

That’s all for now my Followers of Fear, but I’ll be back soon (you can probably guess why). Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

Rami Ungar’s Books

My Autism Isn’t a Curse or a Death Sentence

Posted: April 19, 2025 in Living and Life, Politics and Leadership, Reflections, Social Activism
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Hello, Followers of Fear. As you know, my name is Rami Ungar. I’m a novelist specializing in horror and dark fantasy. I’ve published several books, with my sixth out in just a matter of days. I enjoy horror, anime, ballet and theater, winemaking, reading, and a bunch of other stuff. I am also on the spectrum, and have been my whole life. In fact, from the moment I popped out of the womb, I was so different, my mother thought until my sister came along that all the baby books were lying to her.*

And I am very, very upset by events this week.

Specifically, I’m upset by what our so-called Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, said during a press conference, which is reiterated nicely in this tweet:

He also called autism an “epidemic,” as if it sprouted out of nowhere and has grown exponentially in a few years, rather than a medical condition that has probably existed since prehistoric times and of which we have had a name and research for since the early 1900s. But this is a guy who openly claims he had a worm in his brain, so I wouldn’t be surprised if that worm stole his common sense (and his ability to read as well).

But this level of ignorance has upset me on so many levels. We’ve made so many strides in educating the public about autism and disability in general (I was even quoted in an NPR article last year about what actual disabled people wanted listeners to know). And I don’t even know if Kennedy spouts this crap because he actually believes it, or because he knows there’s money to be made and power to be grabbed from spreading this junk.

In case it’s the former, however, and in case Kennedy or anyone else believes this garbage, let me inform you of some things: I’m 100% certified autistic. And yet, I’ve filed my taxes every spring since I turned 18. I’ve held various jobs throughout my life, being in my current job for the past nine years (I help other employees with disabilities get accommodations so they can continue working, in case you were wondering). I’ve not only played baseball and softball, but I was on my high school’s team for a little while. I’ve not only written poetry (bad as it is), but I’ve written several books and short stories. I dated here and there before I realized I was aromantic. And I use the toilet unassisted several times a day, every day, since I was a small child!

That’s because autism is a spectrum, and the people Kennedy’s describing are only a small part of the spectrum. What Kennedy is describing is like saying because the sky is blue and it’s always so visible, all colors on the color spectrum must be blue!

In other words, I’m not an exception, I’m just another dot on the spectrum. One piece out of a multicolored thousand-piece puzzle.

Autism may make me and others different, but we’re hardly all suffering. Photo by Tara Winstead on Pexels.com

And the fact that Kennedy, a man who has said time and time again he’s always looking for new research proving autism isn’t caused by vaccines, can’t seem to grasp this, shows me that he’s either stupid, stubborn, or he’s looking to profit off of other people’s fears just to be powerful. And I can’t decide which I prefer. Honestly, they’re all terrible.

And honestly, I’m mad about a lot of stuff right now–the tariffs destroying the American economy; the persecution of trans people across the world; my own government sending people out of the country without due process or any semblance of respect for the law to an El Salvadorian concentration camp with my tax dollars–but this one personally got to me. People act like autism is a curse or even worse than death to the point that they avoid giving life-saving medicine to their children!

But as much as autism sometimes hinders me in social situations, it also enhances my life. I see the world differently and am more empathetic to the plight of others because of it. It might even play a role in why I’m as creative as I am. I wouldn’t change who I am for anything! And the fact that Kennedy and his ilk pity me or treat me like an invalid not only shows how little they know, but also how much they’re missing out on people like me.

*I mention this because some vaccine skeptics tend to prefer personal anecdotes to scientific data, and also because anyone who disagrees with this and insists vaccination is the cause of my autism is calling my mother a liar. And you do not call a man’s mother a liar unless you’re prepared for the consequences.

Thanks for reading this far, my Followers of Fear. Honestly, as I’ve gotten older, as I’ve come to grasp how incredibly fucked up the world is, and as I’ve grappled with how to be vocal about my beliefs while also toeing the line at my day job (they prefer us to be politically neutral over there), I talk about politics less and less. But these days, I’m thinking about being more vocal. Especially with the road this country is going down right now.

Well, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Don’t be surprised if I talk about this subject on my YouTube channel in the near future. But until then, or until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

“Symphony for Walpurgis:” Two Weeks Till Release!!!

Posted: April 17, 2025 in Novelette, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, Writing
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It’s finally getting warmer here in Ohio. Or, at least, more and more days the weather is above fifty degrees instead of below it. Honestly, Ohio weather is a bit of a lottery sometimes.

But on the bright side, something’s coming that isn’t so hard to predict: my new book, Symphony for Walpurgis: A Collection, will release on Thursday, May 1st, 2025! Which means it’s exactly two weeks from release day!

Now, if you’re unaware, Symphony for Walpurgis is a collection of nine novelettes, some previously published and some original, that I am releasing in one big book. The stories include “Blood and Paper Skin,” about several college-aged kids who wake up locked in a jail by a very strange man and who slowly start to disappear; “Trauma and Disillusionment Sometimes Go Hand-in-Hand,” about a teen girl who gets wrapped up in a revenge plot after her best friend is murdered, and ends up summoning creatures from ancient times in an occult ritual; “The House on Lafayette Square,” about a Jewish exorcism (yes, we have those); “Mother of Spiders,” about a small town in Ohio that comes to a reckoning with its sordid past one Halloween night; “Famous,” about a Las Vegas wannabe starlet who will do anything to achieve fame, including making a deal with a mysterious creature; “The Little Goddess of Horror,” where a podcaster interviews an old man about a famous actress he knew, and gets way more than he bargained for; “The Parasite Man,” about a rich man whose family finds itself under assault by a mysterious entity using parasitic organisms; “Cressida,” about a man keeping a mermaid who looks like his daughter in his basement; and “Natural Predators,” about a summer camp that becomes ground zero for a terrible pandemic.

That’s a lot of words, but it does give you some idea of the stories inside, doesn’t it?

Anyway, I’m very excited for everyone to read this book. I’ve already gotten a few advanced reviews, and they’ve been very positive, which makes me hopeful that plenty of people will hear the buzz and want to read the book. I’m working hard to make that happen.

As part of that effort (and as a special treat), here are the latest graphics with quotes from the book. I’ve been posting them regularly, and I think they’re getting people interested.

What did you all think? Any of it get you intrigued? You want to read the book now?

If you do, I’ll leave links below. Right now, Symphony for Walpurgis is still only available in ebook format from the below stores, but more stores and a paperback edition are on the way. I’ll also leave a link to the Goodreads page, where the advanced reviews have all been posted.

And speaking of reviews, if you like what you read, please consider leaving a review somewhere. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me out in the long run. Plus, it helps other readers figure out whether or not they want to read the book.

Anyway, that’s all for now. I hope you’re as excited for this book as I am. And until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and I can’t wait to welcome you to Symphony to Walpurgis.

Amazon
Apple Books
Goodreads
Kobo

Review: “The Liminal Zone 2” by Junji Ito

Posted: April 14, 2025 in Review, Scary Stuff
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You know the drill: Junji Ito releases a new collection in the States; I read it; I review it. And in his latest collection, The Liminal Zone 2, Ito-sensei once again gives us four stories that try to toe the line between the world of human-caused horror and the more supernatural kind. (Plus the complicated relationships between fathers and sons, now that I think about it.)

You may recall, but I was not impressed with half of the stories in the first Liminal Zone (see my full review here). And, as Ito-sensei himself says in the afterword of Liminal Zone 2, he feels he’s having fewer ideas for stories every year. Can what ideas he has work for me this time?

For the most part, yes.

The first story, “Demon King of Dust,” follows a young boy living in what remains of a hot springs inn with his increasingly unstable father and two servants. The father is paranoid about dust, claiming it’s part of a terrible demon that rules over the abandoned resort town where the inn is located. It’s a very freaky story, where every couple of pages reveals more and more strange and disturbing imagery and truths. I love how it just escalates and how you’re left guessing how much is real or how much is in the father’s head.

The second story, “Village of Ether,” is about four college students returning to the small town one of them grew up in, and where a pair of scientists were supposedly developing perpetual motion machines (machines that lack an external power source and are considered impossible by mainstream scientists). However, the town is very changed from when the one student was a kid, and the only remaining scientist is hiding secrets that are about to come to the surface. Again, the art here is imaginative and terrifying, especially the “automaton servants,” and it just keeps getting freakier up until the end, which I would define as “explosive.”

The third story, “The Strange Hikizuri Siblings, Chapter 3: Uncle Ketanosuke,” is the latest venture in the Hikizuri siblings, six strange and dysfunctional siblings who have appeared in previous, increasingly supernatural stories (don’t worry, you don’t have to have read the previous stories to enjoy this one). In this tale, a girl named Hotaru senses a strange aura from the Hikizuri family home and ends up staying with the siblings in the hope that it may explain why she’s always felt a heavy weight upon her soul from early childhood. Be careful what you wish for, because the truth is as freaky as these siblings, and I bet a live-action film on just this one tale would be both hilarious and creepy!

The fourth and final story, however, is the weakest of the bunch. “The Shells of Manjunuma” is about a young man living in an area where the local turtles and crows are considered evil and cursed, and the turtles’ belly plates can predict who will die under mysterious circumstances. Ito-sensei himself all but admits in the afterword that he was really scraping the bottom of the barrel with this one, and it shows. The story feels pretty pointless, which only detracts from some of the very gruesome art.

But all in all, this is a much better collection of Ito-sensei’s work. Whereas The Liminal Zone earned a 2.5 out of 5, I’m awarding The Liminal Zone 2 a 3.8 out of 5. Plenty of great storytelling and scary imagery to match! Just skip the last story and you’ll be sufficiently creeped out.

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