As my publisher said to me earlier this week, “They grow up so fast.”
It’s been exactly three months since my latest book and latest collection, Hannah and Other Stories, was released (and the anniversary even falls on a Saturday!). If you’re unaware, the collection contains seven tales that feature ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things. It’s the product of a lot of hard work over two years between me and my publisher.
And in the three months since I’ve released it, I’ve been hard at work to ensure it reaches as many readers as possible. Just the other day, I was on a podcast talking about it (should be out next week, I’ll post a link to my social media when it comes out). It hasn’t been easy getting people to read it, partly due to the fact that the book’s still currently available only in ebook, and partly due to the plethora of other writers out there with millions of other books out there. And I’m my own marketing team, so it’s all on me to get people interested.
Still, there have been results. I’ve gotten some reviews and those who’ve read the book have been mostly positive. Just check out this review my friend Allen Huntsman, AKA Death Ground Reviews, left on his YouTube channel about Hannah.
Some things he didn’t care for, but mostly good. And I have to agree: if you want to see if my work is right for you, this book might be a good start. Especially if you enjoy carnivorous horses.
And representation. I try to represent plenty of different kinds of characters and from what I hear, the results have been well received. Then again, when you write about communities you’re familiar with because you’re part of them, it’s probably going to turn out better.
Anyway, it’s been hard work, and I’m hoping that all this work will lead to good things for Hannah. Hopefully a paperback and maybe even an audio book. Maybe someone will figure out whom the character of Hannah is based on. Yes, the character of Hannah is based on a real person. If you guess who it is, I will name a character after you and you will not be dissatisfied with the results.
And if you are at all interested in reading the collection, I’ll leave links below. Like I said, it’s currently only available in ebook, but hopefully a paperback and maybe even an audio book aren’t too far away, so supporting the ebook is a good way to help. And if you decide to read the ebook, I hope you’ll leave a review letting me, and other readers, know what you think.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ve got a big day ahead of me. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and if I don’t catch you before Monday, a Merry Christmas to all who celebrate.
Praise the King in Yellow, because Solar Press Books has released its first anthology of horror, The Solar Press Horror Anthology Volume I. As you are probably aware, this book contains my story “The Dedication of the High Priestess.” I’m so excited, because this is both my first paid reprint and this particular story’s first time in print! (It was previously published on the Tales to Terrify podcast.)
I also consider “Dedication” some of my best work. The story follows a young ballerina who believes she’s getting the opportunity of a lifetime to model for a famous artist, only to find herself on the path to a dark destiny. Kind of a twist on the coming-of-age story if you think about it.
But besides “Dedication,” there are sixteen other scary tales in the anthology worth checking out. One of them is even written by a friend of mine, Ann Heyward. We’re both Ohio horror writers and we’re both thrilled to be part of the same anthology. I’m looking forward to her reading my story and me reading hers.
Anyway, if you want to check it out, or if you want to get a copy as a gift for someone (it is the holiday season, after all), you can order them using the links below. One site is for readers in the UK and Europe, the other is for those of us in the US of A. And if you like what you read, leave a review or spread the word via social media. Not only do we love the feedback, but it lets other readers know that the book is worth checking out.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night, happy reading, and pleasant nightmares.
You know the drill: new Ito comes out, I read it, I write a review.
Mimi’s Tales of Terror follows Mimi, a college student who has a bad habit of encountering supernatural or strange phenomena in the course of her everyday life. The stories are adapted from Shin Mimibukuro, which from what I’ve been able to gather is some sort of anthology of urban legends and spooky stories that may or may not be connected to a series of movies and TV specials. In this volume, Ito takes those random tales and centers them around one girl, who should honestly learn how to be like the Winchesters of Supernatural.
Anyway, Ito’s work can go either way for me. Some of it is awesome, some of it is terrible, and a lot of it is average. Where did Mimi fall? I’d say above average.
Granted, the first three stories are definitely below average. Two of those stories are only a few pages long, so you wonder why they’re included or not fleshed out more. The third, about a woman in black whose height seems to change every time she leaves her apartment, had a good premise but ultimately left me unfulfilled and disappointed.
However, the rest were quite spooky. In one, Mimi moves to an apartment building next to a graveyard and witnesses some stuff that I found a little unsettling. In another, a little girl clings to her because a strange phantom follows her around and leaves ash everywhere. And then, after she and her boyfriend have a fight, Mimi joins a friend in a secret basement with a red spot on the wall that changes appearance over time. It’s all quite freaky and showcases Ito’s love of strange and macabre.
I also got a kick out of Mimi and her friends’ speech patterns. They’re written like they have American southern accents, which probably means they’re from the Kansai area of Japan. (I wouldn’t call it the Japanese equivalent of the south, even if it is in the southern part of the country, but generally people from the Kansai area in anime and manga are given southern accents when the work is brought to North America to differentiate them from folks who speak with a more Tokyo-ish/General American pattern.)
The most unsettling tale, however, is an extra at the end of the volume called “Monster Prop.” In this story, a young woman working for a haunted attraction tries to recreate a scary experience she had as a kid as a prop for the haunted house. However, doing so has some unintended and unforeseen consequences. It’s truly freaky stuff.
On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give Mimi’s Tales of Terror a 3.8 out of 5. If you avoid the stories that are under six pages and the one with the woman in black, you’ll probably enjoy the old school psychological horror vibe of the volume. Give it a shot and see what you think.
Recently, I tried to read Goblin by Josh Malerman. For those of you who don’t know, Goblin is a collection of six novellas that all take place in the small Michigan town of Goblin, where it rains sixty percent more than anywhere else in the US, the police resemble shuffling zombies, and you don’t enter the woods if you want to come out again.
I liked the idea of it and finally got around to reading it recently. And…I was unimpressed. I got through pages quickly every time I picked it up, but the stories within were just not drawing me in. By the time I got to the fourth novella (I know, I’m a trooper), I was lagging. And finally, by the first night in Marietta, I just couldn’t finish it. I put it down, never to pick it up again.
What was the issue? Well, it was the focus on the titular town. There was too much time spent on it and not enough on the stories. On the storytelling. On the horror.
Way too many words are spent on the town’s history and geography. It feels more like a history lesson at times. In fact, the second novella is focused on a former high school history teacher who knows the town history like the back of his hand. And you get that there’s a lot of interesting history there. And you can feel Malerman’s love for the fictional town.
But all that isn’t what we picked up the book for. We came for a book with six interconnected novellas centered around a single town that will hopefully scare the shit out of us. And this emphasis on worldbuilding by the author comes at the expense of the scaring the shit out of us.
Now, every story, regardless of genre, requires some degree of worldbuilding. The horror genre is no exception. You have to establish the setting, the people, the vernacular, and all that. Sometimes this can be done with having a date at the beginning of the story or just a few hints. Other times, like with stories set in historical eras, you have to do a ton of work to build the setting, bringing to life the clothes and manners and whatnot. And in the fantasy and sci-fi genres, authors will have all sorts of complicated compendiums and charts and maps to make their made up worlds feel as real as possible.
That being said, in the horror genre, the emphasis has to be on scaring readers. So, while you can spend time building those worlds, you have to remember it’s all in subservience of telling your story and scaring those readers. Look at Alma Katsu’s historical horror novels, or my own novel The Pure World Comes. We put so much research into the eras our stories take place and spend so much time building those locations, you can almost feel the winter chill killing the Donner Party, or smell the offal in the street of Victorian London.
The Hunger is a great example of a story where the worldbuilding doesn’t overwhelm the storytelling.
But neither of us forget that this is all for the story. We never think that the location, while interesting, is more important than telling the story. And it feels like with Goblin, Malerman, for all his strengths as a writer, got those priorities mixed up. And the result were six subpar novellas that might have been decent if more time was spent trying to frighten us readers.
Honestly, I wish the book had approached Goblin’s history like King approached the history of Derry in IT. In that book, the town history, which has several chapters devoted to it, doesn’t detract for the story. For one thing, most of those chapters take place in-between the action, which doesn’t detract from the story. Second, most of those history-building chapters are presented as Mike Hanlon doing research on the town and on It, so these sections are not only part of the main story, but they add context and help us realize just how ingrained It is to Derry. In Goblin, the history is rarely related to the events of any of the novellas, which only detracts from the stories.
And finally, It always has a hand in the history of the town. Whether appearing as Pennywise or causing some disaster at the end of Its active period, It is always there, making the history of Derry the history of It.
As for Goblin…the history could be cut out of most of the novellas I read and it wouldn’t matter. In fact, it might make the stories scarier. Especially since those stories I read don’t really have anything to do with Goblin history.
This is something important to keep in mind when writing horror in a location that requires extensive worldbuilding. Yes, it’s important to bring the location to life. Yes, the history can be interesting and can be talked about throughout the story. However, that must all be done as part of the story. In service to the story. Otherwise, you’re just going to get an ode to a fictional town, and not anything really scary.
Personally, I think I would rather read IT or The Hunger again and use those lessons in my own writing.
One more thing, Followers of Fear: The Solar Press Horror Anthology Volume I, which contains my story “The Dedication of the High Priestess,” is going to be released on December 1st. Not only is this an exciting short story anthology, it also contains one of my favorite short pieces, in print for the first time (before this, it was only available in audio).
If you would like to preorder a copy, you can do so using the links below. If you like in the UK and EU, order directly from the website. If you live in the US, use Orbit DVD.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!
Good morning, my Followers of Fear. As promised, I’m making one of my short stories available for free. And the first story I publish is “Car Chasers,” which came out in 2019 in The Binge-Watching Cure II from Claren Books.
If you’re unfamiliar with this story, it focuses on street races that take place in the woods around a small town. During these races, ghosts chase the cars around. And you do not want to be around if these spooks manage to get close to your car. Think of it like the Fast and Furious movies deciding to go in the direction of a ghost story.*
Anyway, now it’s available for you to read, and with a kickass cover to boot. Later on, I’ll make it available on my Book Links and Excerpts page, in case anyone wants to read it there. And if you do end up reading it, I hope you’ll let me know what you think. I had a fun time writing this story and I still think of it very fondly (to the point that I direct movie adaptations in my head).
And if you like what you read, consider checking out my other stories. I have plenty available, from ones about plant/human hybrids, to mobster-hunting serial killers, to ancient gods, and more. Just click on the button below the story to head to my Book Links and Excerpts Page, and see if anything strikes your fancy.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and watch out for ghosts that will chase after your vehicle.
Oh, and be sure to keep an eye on this website for the announcement of when “Cressida” comes out. Trust me, you won’t want to miss it.
*Fun fact, I first started watching those films as research for this story. And let’s face it, those films couldn’t get any more ridiculous if they went the route of horror or the supernatural, could they? I mean, that just seems like a natural direction to go at some point. I know the next one’s supposed to be the last, but you’ll forgive me if I have my suspicions.
Hey, Followers of Fear. So, there’s something I’ve been meaning to do for a while now, but I’ve really only been able to think about it recently. And that’s that I’ll be releasing some of my stories for free here on this blog/website.
Why am I doing this? Well, some of my fellow authors have short works available for free through their websites, and it brings in a lot of new readers. Seeing as I’m always on the lookout for new readers, as well as new ways to bring them in, I thought I would get in on it too. I don’t know if it’ll be effective, but I think with enough fanfare and mentions at the many events I do, some people are bound to check it out.
Who knows? They might become ardent Followers of Fear and gobble up all my work. I would be happy if that happened.
As to which short stories I’ll be releasing, I will be releasing three over the next several months that have already been previously published. There are a few reasons I chose to release previously published stories, rather than any new stuff. One is because I know they’ve already passed the test of being good enough to publish, so it makes sense to use them. I also want to expose them to new readers, and finally I think they make the best representatives of what you can expect from my work if you should decide to pursue more of my stories.
And, if the previously published stuff does well, it will make more sense for me to publish new stuff here as well.
So which stories will be coming out? First will be “Car Chasers,” which is like a spooky Fast & Furious movie. It will be followed by “Cressida,” a mermaid horror story that I’m particularly proud of. And finally, I’ll be releasing “Natural Predators,” a pandemic horror story taking place at a summer camp.
As I said, depending on how they do, I may release more on this website.
And when will the first story be released? Why, this Friday! That’s right, “Car Chasers” will be coming out on Friday through this website. It has a whole new cover and is ready to go. I cannot wait for you to read it and let me know what you think.
So, keep your eye on this website and on your inbox, because we got an epic ghost story coming in a few days. It’ll be spookily good fun.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I have to watch a scary movie before bed. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
Get on your costumes! Bust out the creepy music! Prepare a parade of terrifying proportions to go through every neighborhood and distribute candy and frights it’s Halloween, the greatest day of the year!
And with that, I have a treat and a fright, all wrapped together, for all of you. Some of you may remember that a short story I wrote earlier this year, “The Wild Hunt,” was accepted for publication in a holiday horror anthology. The story follows two sisters who encounter the mythical Wild Hunt one Christmas Eve and what happens afterwards.
And yes, a Jew wrote a Christmas horror film. Talk about a variation on a theme, considering my tribe has written some of your favorite Christmas carols.
Anyway, the anthology, Happy Hellidays, was released today by Hellbound Books and is now available for purchase. And wow, what a cover! I mean, look at that thing! It’s terrifying. And no, that’s not the Ghostface from the Scream movies. The design of the masks from the movies is based on a general design that is open to use, including in horror anthology covers. Trust me, there are court cases on this.
But back on topic. I was proud of “The Wild Hunt,” but I did not think I would find a home for it with so much good Christmas horror out there, let alone that I would find a home for it in the same year I wrote the story. I’m so thankful to Hellbound Books, who were a delight to work with and whom I would work with again. And I cannot wait for people to read “The Wild Hunt” and tell me what they think.
That being said, there are plenty of great stories in the book. I read a few of them, and they were quite scary and creative. You should check them out and give them a read, and then tell all your friends to give the anthology a read. I’ll give you a link to check it out below.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m off to work on new stories and then watch scary movies while wearing a costume or two. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and Happy Halloween!
Has it really been a whole month? Surprisingly, yes it has. Hannah and Other Stories was released on September 23rd, 2023 and it is now October 23rd, 2023. That’s a month.
And what a month it’s been.
As many of you know, Hannah and Other Stories is my new short story collection, containing seven original tales of ghosts in haunted schools, creepypasta characters taking on lives of their own, carnivorous horses, pandemics, occult magic and cosmic monsters, budding serial killers, and so many more. It is quite the collection, and I’m so proud that it’s finally out and being read by people.
I’m actually filled with a warm feeling just thinking about it. This collection is the result of over two years of work. Most of that work was between the publisher and me just to make sure that the book was up to snuff when it released. I mean, carnivorous horses is a great idea, but you need to make sure it’s done well so that the story sticks in people’s heads.
And if the reviews are anything to go by, the stories are sticking in people’s heads. Here is what people are saying:
One of the most important things authors forget is the character’s depth and motivations. This is not the case with this book. The different stories in this novel builds out characters and scenes extremely well and as a reader I actually cared about them.
It starts off with a wonderful story and keeps moving a real page turner.
Great Job Rami
David Musser, author of The Devil’s Well
Horror anthologies are my favourite kind of horror novel, and for sheer imagination alone Hannah is one of the best I’ve ever read. The level of creativity in each story is seriously impressive; I never knew what was coming next while reading them…Overall this collection of horror tales gets 4.5 from me. Reading it was a blast from start to finish. Highly recommend!
Louise Conway, Goodreads
Ungar is not a new writer and has been publishing books and stories for over a decade. This book is yet another solid collection in an already impressive stable of work. Hannah and Other Stories is a really solid collection of horror stories that span the gamut from cozy and comforting to gory and disturbing. It’s a shorter collection, too, and very quick to read. After you have read this book, you will wonder why you didn’t own it already, and will most likely want to read everything Ungar has written. This is strongly recommended for any read of horror fiction.
Joshua Gage, Cemetery Dance magazine
Pretty good reviews, right? And there are hopefully more on the way. I’m working hard to make that happen, to make people want to read the book and even leave their thoughts on whatever website they bought it from. If they do that, then maybe a paperback version will come out (currently only available in ebook), and then maybe even an audio version.
I wonder how those carnivorous horses will come across in audio? Or maybe some of those eldritch monstrosities? That would be something to hear.
Anyway, if you’re at all interested, I’ll leave links for Hannah down below. Like I said, it’s currently only available in ebook, but if it does well, a paperback and an audio version aren’t outside the realms of possibility. So, if it’s not too much trouble, please leave a review once you’ve read the book so others know what you thought and may even consider getting a copy themselves.
Who knows? Maybe by the time we reach the two month anniversary, I’ll be able to make some announcements that will get everyone excited. (Though given that the second-month mark will be both Thanksgiving in the United States and the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who‘s premiere, I may need to post something a day or two early.)
Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope you have a good Monday and a good week. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
Around this time of year, you want to read something that practically screams jack-o-lanterns and chilly air and people running around in costumes. So, when I heard about All Hallows by Christopher Golden earlier this year, I knew this would be my audio book for October.
Taking place in the mid-1980s in Coventry, Massachusetts, the majority of the story is set on Parmenter Road and in the woods beyond. Here, Halloween is a big thing. The Barbossa’s turn the woods behind their house into a haunted attraction that attracts plenty of people every year; the Koenigs have a huge costume party for the whole neighborhood; and, of course, every kid is excited about trick or treating.
But despite the excitement in the air, there’s a dark undercurrent to it all. Marriages are coming undone, kids are feeling the tensions, teens are in a weird in-between state where they’re not quite kids and not quite adults, and a dozen other things are happening in the background. And then, in the midst of it all, strange children in old costumes are walking up and down Parmenter Road, asking for help. They say they are in trouble, that the Cunning Man is after them, and they need to hide until midnight.
Ladies and gentlemen, I think we have a new classic in Halloween literature.
All Hallows is so well told. The first several chapters, rather than focusing on anything outright scary like other horror stories, spends its time setting up the characters and their various problems. Tony Barbossa, Vanessa Montez, Barb Sweeney, Rick Barbossa, and many more. We all get to know these characters intimately before Halloween truly gets started, and the telling is so well done, you don’t even mind that nothing scary has occurred yet.
And when the scary stuff does start, it’s almost like the beginning of a storm. At first, it’s only a few drops here and there. Then you get a nice drizzle going on, and then before you know it, there’s an all-out thunderstorm of horror, making the last couple hours of the book quite the read, with violence and great twists and scary imagery.
Also, the audio book narrators, John Butler and January LaVoy, do a great job bringing the characters to life and giving each one a unique voice.
My one gripe is that I felt the mythology behind what we’re seeing could have been explained a bit better. The delivery for some information was delivered weirdly and all at once, and for one character, I felt like not enough was given.
Overall, All Hallows by Christopher Golden is sure to become a staple for this time of year. On a scale of 1 to 5, I’m assigning a 4.7 to the novel. Grab a copy, sit back while wearing a spooky costume, and be sure to give it a read.
If you’ve been following this blog recently, my Followers of Fear, you know that I’ve been participating in a contest called The Face of Horror. Participants competed for daily votes, and would advance through the rounds based on how many votes they got. The winner will get a cash prize and be in a photo shoot with Kane Hodder, who played Jason Voorhees in four different films.
And, as is obvious from the title of this blog post, I lost. Or rather, I didn’t get enough votes to make it to the next round.
Not that I’m bummed. I always knew I probably wouldn’t win and was instead aiming to stay in the competition as much as possible. And besides, I had fun. Thanks to all your votes, traffic on my blog went waaaaaaaaaaaaaay up! Just let me know how much you all care for me and were willing to support me in this endeavor. That in itself is its own prize.
So, what happens now? Well, back to the usual, I guess. Work at my day job, writing/editing/submitting stories, doing all those things that responsible adults are known to do, and…oh yeah, I have a new book to promote. You might have heard of it. Hannah and Other Stories? It’s a perfect collection of Halloween reading, with tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things. I’ll leave links below in case you want to check it out.
Again, thank you for supporting me in this contest. It means a lot to me. And now that it’s done, I’ll put my focus on more important stuff. Hell, maybe I’ll make some changes to this blog. I mean, who knows? The future is unwritten, though I intend to write my best life into being. Will I make that happen? Only time will tell.
Well, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m going to go and dream up dark monsters to put into stories. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
Rami Ungar The Writer 