Archive for the ‘Scary Stuff’ Category

“Hannah and Other Stories” is One Year Old Today!!! Plus, Some Exciting News!!!

Posted: September 23, 2024 in Living and Life, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Pop the champagne! Run wild through the streets with hardly any clothes on! Propitiate the horror gods with sacrifices, lest you be eaten by monsters! Hannah and Other Stories is a year old today!

So, if you were unaware, Hannah and Other Stories is my second collection and my fifth book overall. The collection contains seven short stories, among which are tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things. Yes, you read that right. Carnivorous horses! They’re horrifying and will get you when you least expect them!

Honestly, it’s hard to believe that this collection has been out a year. I started collecting the stories and then shopping them around to publishers in 2021, at the height of the pandemic. In October of that year, while I was on vacation, BSC Publishing Group told me they wanted to publish them and sent me a contract! Over the next year and a half, we worked to get the stories up to scratch, finally releasing them on September 23, 2023. And here we are today, at the one-year anniversary of the release!

And I’ve been doing a lot for this anniversary. In addition to the usual posting to social media, I created a book trailer, which you can watch below.

Pretty cool, huh? Personally, I think it’s my best work yet! And hopefully it conveys the terror within Hannah.

But this isn’t the only thing I’ve been doing for Hannah and Other Stories. I also did a radio interview recently that should air soon. Yes, you read that right as well. A real radio interview, for a show about artists and writers’ techniques and processes for creating their work called The Craft. I’ll post more details when I can, so you can listen to it live with me.

But more than that, I have a big announcement to make: the title story of the collection, Hannah, is going to be adapted into an audio play!

You see, the guy who produces The Craft, Doug Dangler, does a yearly show where short stories are adapted into audio plays for Halloween, and Hannah is going to be one of those stories! For those of you who don’t know, Hannah follows some ghost hunters who sneak into an abandoned school to ghost hunt, and find more than they expected. Anyway, the story will be adapted and acted out by local high school students, and I can’t wait to see what these kids are able to do. I’ll be sure to let you know when the show airs, but it should be around late October.

With all this going on, I hope this leads to a lot of people checking out Hannah and Other Stories, as well as leaving reviews. The reviews I’ve gotten so far have been rather positive. Take a look:

I just finished Hannah and Other Stories by Rami Ungar. This is a great little collection. Stories range from ghost hunting to the dangers of social media to diabolical new friends and Lovecraftian horrors and more. Had this on my TBR for a while and finally pulled the trigger to finish (the adhd is strong). Very fun collection and I would recommend it and am excited to see his future work. I give it a 4/5.

Dustin Allen, Amazon

This collection of seven stories had me hooked from the get-go. Each story has a little bit of everything: horror, occult, revenge, betrayal, ghosts, and so much more. Every story is solid and unique. Expertly crafted and well told. If you are a fan of horror anthologies, this is an absolute must-read. I’m still thinking about some of the stories. Good stuff. Check it out!

5 severed fingers out of 5

Yeti Reads and Reviews, Goodreads

There are horror stories set in houses across the street and in apartments next door. There are also horror stories set in exotic locations like the Catacombs of Paris. There are even horror stories set in imaginary worlds of cosmic horror and monstrous gods. And then there is Rami Ungar’s collection which manages to be all those things at once. This is what makes these stories so special: a combination of exotic and familiar; Ohioan farmlands and Romantic paintings; Lovecraftian gods and suburban ennui. The stories in this collection range from a traditional haunting with a strange twist at the end (“Hannah”) to a postapocalyptic small-town horror reminiscent of Stephen King’s Cell (“The Red Bursts”); from an unfortunate encounter on a Parisian rooftop (“The Autopsy Kid and Doctor Sarah””) to a rather more optimistic, though equally bizarre, Beauty-and-the-Beast meeting in the Catacombs (“Poor Unfortunate Souls”); from a creepypasta (“Queen Alice”) to a Renaissance poem coming to life on social media and in the Midwest (“What Errour Awoke”). My own favorite story is “Fuseli’s Horses,” which seamlessly blends the famous Romantic painting of The Nightmare by Henry Fuseli with the realities of farmwork and growing up in rural America. It is not the combination I would ever think of, but the story is flawlessly plotted and executed. The stories in this collection combine moments of visionary beauty and visceral horror, perfect for the genre’s afficionados. Rami Ungar is a writer to watch!

Elana, Goodreads

Along with the titular story, “Hannah”, this collection from the Master of Fear comprises 5 other short stories and a novelette.

There is a certain level of intense imagination, dread-filled atmosphere, and relatable characters that I’ve come to expect from Ungar’s short stories. The last three stories in this collection certainly delivered all these qualities and more.

This is an enjoyable anthology, with solid stories. At times, the political message in some of the stories detracted from the characters and plot. It worked best in “The Red Bursts”, where it layered seamlessly with other thematic elements without distracting from the story.

“Hannah and Other Stories” is a worthy addition to the bookshelves of the Followers of Fear.

Iseult Murphy, author of “Gone But Not Forgotten,” Amazon

Sorry, I couldn’t help but want to post some of these reviews. They’ve all been overwhelmingly positive! And if more people read the book and leave reviews, with any luck we’ll get a paperback edition soon. Yeah, BSC Publishing is waiting until we’ve reached a certain threshold in sales and reviews before giving the okay on a paperback. I’ve been working since well before the book came out for this, and I’m hopeful the first anniversary will bring it about.

Anyway, if you would like to read Hannah and Other Stories, I’ll post links below. And if you like what you read, please leave a review somewhere so that I, as well as other readers, know what you thought. Plus, reviews help me out so much in the long run.

Thank you, my Followers of Fear. I’m so grateful for all the support you give me everyday, and especially over the last year. I hope the next year brings plenty of amazing things for my career, as well as Hannah.

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Bertrand
Booktopia
Fable
Goodreads
Kobo
Wook

One more thing, Followers of Fear: I know I’ve already said this, but this Saturday, September 28th, is the Hidden Marietta Paranormal Expo! If you’re in or around Marietta, Ohio this weekend, stop by the Washington County Fairgrounds. There will be psychics, ghost hunters, and me, doing Tarot readings and selling books. More information can be found on the website here.

Hope to see you there. Until next time, good night (or morning) and pleasant nightmares, my Followers of Fear!

13 Films to Watch for Spooky Season 2024

Posted: September 9, 2024 in Review, Scary Stuff
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As we’ve entered September, horror fans have started celebrating spooky season. Because as we all know, spooky season starts as soon as the stores start putting up stock, and a few stores already have. And since we’re all thinking about what movies to watch, I’m putting out another list of films you can consider for this year.

I’ve tried to come up with a good mix of well-known and lesser-known films, as well as a good mix of older and newer films. So, hopefully there’s something here that will appeal to every horror fan out there. Enjoy, and let me know if you’re familiar with any of these films or if there are any I should check out myself. The more films we share, the better!

YellowBrickRoad (2010)
In 1940, a small New Hampshire town up and walked north along an unmarked trail into the unexplored woods. Half were found dead, and the other half were never found. In modern day, a film crew tries to figure out the mystery of the disappeared townsfolk, including following the townspeople on the route they went. A route with a stone marker bearing the legend “YELLOWBRICKROAD.”

This move is an unsung gem. It’s a surreal and psychological piece of rural horror that takes the isolation and interpersonal conflicts of The Blair Witch Project and ups the ante by 100%. It’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is certainly going to be an interesting watch, no matter what.

Antrum (2018)
A film-within-a-film, Antrum is a documentary about…Antrum, a supposedly cursed film said to be the deadliest film in history. The documentary crew manage to get a rare copy of the film, and, for the first time, show it to the public. What proceeds is a horrifying trip through hell which will leave you wondering if you’ll survive to see the morning.

I love horror mockumentaries, and this one is one of the best I’ve seen. It starts out as a documentary, showcasing the history of the film, before showing us the actual film. And it all feels damn realistic, to the point you could almost believe there’s a cursed film called Antrum and you’re really watching it. In fact, my sister and I saw it together and wondered if we would survive after watching it! As you can see, we did, but it still made us believe a little.

Peeping Tom (1960)
This proto-slasher follows a shy young man who works as a cameraman and spends his free time killing women while recording their deaths. It’s a slow-burn psychological horror that really lets you get to know its main character. I’m honestly surprised it hasn’t been remade, because we’re so obsessed with recording everything. Anyway, I would totally check this out if you’re interested. It’s not as bloody and horrifying as other horror films, but it is fascinating and at times quite tense.

The Dark and the Wicked (2020)
A pair of siblings return to the family farm when it appears their father is on death’s door. However, events unfold that show that something sinister at the farm. And it’s after the family. It’s a very dark and nihilistic film, and while some will be annoyed by certain aspects of the film, such as how the characters react to the supernatural presence, it is still a very chilling film. If you’re looking for something very morbid and grim, this film is for you.

The Void (2016)
After finding an injured man on the side of the road, a sheriff’s deputy and several other townsfolk find themselves under siege at the local hospital, menaced not just by a mysterious cult, but by monsters hidden within the hospital hallways. For those who love cosmic horror, this is one of the best I’ve seen in years. The special effects and creature designs bring to mind both The Thing and Color Out of Space, and the story is a terrifying thrill ride. It’s a movie that gets better with every viewing, and I highly recommend it if you want to scare yourself silly this Halloween.

Late Night with the Devil (2023)
In the 1970s, a struggling late night show host brings the lone survivor of a Satanic cult and the therapist working with her onto the show for a Halloween special. As you can imagine, shit eventually hits the fan. When this film got its limited theatrical run earlier this year, people were raving about it and even called it the best horror film of 2024. While I wouldn’t call it that, I would say it’s quite scary and a well-done film. I’m actually planning on watching it again myself as soon as my copy comes in from the library.

(I should warn you, though, a couple of images from the film utilize AI. It’s only three, but I know a lot of people feel strongly about AI, so I figured you should know.)

When Evil Lurks (2023)
In a world where demons physically manifest like diseases and can infect everyone around the possessed, a pair of brothers try to protect their families when an infected individual goes missing and the disease starts to spread around the tiny village.

Some have called this the best horror film of 2023, and I can see why it was called that. Besides having a neat twist on the concept of demonic possession, this Argentinian horror film has plenty of tension and scary moments that keep you on the edge of your seat. Give it a watch and see for yourself.

Stopmotion (2023)
A stopmotion animation artist is assisting her demanding mother in completing her last film. When the latter becomes gravely ill, the artist tries to make her own film, only to find herself spiraling into Hell.

I’m not normally a fan of horror stories where the whole premise is “the horror is the main character’s spiral into mental illness.” However, this film is quite captivating in how it melds stopmotion animation and real life storytelling to give us a frightening film with some seriously disturbing imagery. Warning you now: have a strong stomach before you go in to watch this one.

Night of the Demon (1957)
A psychologist comes to England for a convention, only to learn that one of his esteemed colleagues has died and a so-called magician and cult leader is claiming his magic is responsible. Along with the deceased professor’s niece, the psychologist investigates the magician and his cult, and along the way learns that there may be more to the magician’s claims of magical power than just trickery and suggestible followers.

While it’s an older film, it’s quite influential in showing the demon multiple times throughout the film (quite unusual for the time), and many horror fans and creators, including Stephen King, have cited it as an influence. Just don’t watch its shortened American version, Curse of the Demon, because the original is the one to watch.

Land of the Dead (2005)
Set in the same universe as Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead, Land of the Dead takes place decades after the undead have taken over the world. Pittsburgh has become a last bastion for humanity, with the wealthy living in a magnificent luxury skyscraper and the poor living in slums. However, when one zombie, nicknamed Big Daddy, begins leading his kind to the city after a supply raid ruins his territory, it sets off a chain of events that will forever change the city.

Fun fact: this was the first time in the film series the word “zombie” was actually used for the zombies! Up until now, the terms used were “ghouls” or “undead.” Besides that, the film’s quite thrilling, with plenty of horror and action to satisfy fans. Give it a watch, especially if you’ve seen the first two films in the series (I would skip Day of the Dead, the third film).

Other fun fact: I’ve met Eugene Clark, the actor who played Big Daddy, and he was very nice. He even let me take a photo with him, which you can find on my Instagram.

In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
An insurance investigator goes to a small town to try and locate a horror author whose work is considered so terrifying, people have actually gone crazy from reading it. What happens there, however, will not only change him forever, but the world as well.

The last film in John Carpenter’s Apocalypse trilogy (the first two being The Thing and my own favorite, Prince of Darkness), this film has grown quite the cult following due to its meta-narrative and exploration of cosmic horror. It’s not perfect, but it’s a fun and at times quite scary movie with lots of great imagery and cool ideas involving what it’s like to live in a fiction story. By the end, you’ll want to read Sutter Cane’s work as well. No matter what it does to your sanity.

The Empty Man (2020)
In the 1990s in the nation of Bhutan, a group of American tourists discover a cave, which leads to terrifying events on a mountaintop. Twenty-three years later, a former police officer is asked by a friend to find her missing daughter, and finds himself wrapped in a cult with ties to the tourists in Bhutan.

This movie is almost hypnotic in how it draws you in, and it is both terrifying and…dare I say this? It’s satisfying. It’s that good, and I’m honestly sad that it’s rarely available on any streaming service I actually have access to (and never on DVD or Blu-Ray). Anyway, it’s a great horror film, so check it out if you trust my word.

Pontypool (2008)
In a small Canadian town, a radio host and his team are working in the middle of a blizzard when they get reports of riots and horrifying deaths happening elsewhere in town. As time goes on, a strange sort of apocalypse starts to occur in the town. An apocalypse based around language.

I first saw this in college and loved it. I saw it again recently, and, while there are some aspects about the ending I dislike/don’t buy, it still holds up very well. It’s a very tense and freaky film with a great concept at its heart, so if you’re looking for a fun twist on the zombie apocalypse, I highly recommend this one.

And those are my recommendations, my Followers of Fear. But tell me, Followers of Fear, have you seen any of these films? What did you think? And what are you watching this season? Anything you would add to this list? Let’s discuss.

Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night, pleasant nightmares, and only 52 days till Halloween! Get the Headless Horseman’s horse ready for him at once!

“Hannah and Other Stories” Book Trailer

Posted: September 8, 2024 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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As many of you know, my last book was a collection called Hannah and Other Stories. The book contained seven stories, among which were tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things. The collection was released on September 23, 2023, which means at the time I’m writing this, the one-year release anniversary is only fifteen days away.

In honor of the upcoming anniversary, I created a book trailer for Hannah. One was actually supposed to be created last year before Hannah was released, but things didn’t work out, so it never happened. So, to help celebrate the anniversary, I created one myself using a combination of stock footage, the Canva design app, an editing program on my desktop, and YouTube-provided music. The result is below.

And thus, I present to you, the book trailer for Hannah and Other Stories.

What did you think? Did you like it? Can you believe that was all stock footage and some photos I created myself?

And if you liked that trailer and are curious about the book itself, I’ll leave links below. Right now, it’s only available in ebook, but if enough people show interest and read and review the book, a paperback will likely happen as well.

And speaking of reading and reviewing, be sure to leave a review if you end up reading Hannah. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps both me and other readers.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope you’re looking forward to a spooktacular autumn like I am. Until next time, good night, happy reading, pleasant nightmares, and only 53 days till Halloween. Where is the year going?!

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Bertrand
Booktopia
Fable
Goodreads
Kobo
Wook

Review: “Alley” by Junji Ito

Posted: August 1, 2024 in Review, Scary Stuff
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So, I just heard that Fangoria Entertainment is going to make a whole bunch of movies based on Junji Ito’s work. They mainly will adapt stories from his collection Smashed, but I hope Remina or Madonna get adaptations as well, as they are great stories (see my reviews for Remina and The Liminal Zone, respectively). In the meantime, a new collection of Junji Ito stories got translated, so I’m here to review it.

As I say, Junji Ito can be hit or miss with me, but this one was entertaining enough.

My favorite story was probably “Town of No Roads,” which follows a teen girl who goes to live with her aunt after her parents and brothers react the wrong way to a stalker breaking into her room. As if that’s not stressful enough, her aunt’s home has been swallowed up by a giant structure where nobody has any privacy. It’s weird, but you really start to empathize with the main character and the themes of the necessity for privacy really do resonate.

Other stories really struck a chord with me, which was nice. “”The Ward” is a creepy body horror story about several women in a hospital ward who start acting funny, while “Blessing” is a tragic love story with a great twist in the end. “Mold” just grossed me out (as a homeowner, I felt the main character’s pain, especially when it comes to cleaning one’s home). And “Descent” was a weird but engrossing story with a great hook and a mysterious resolution.

Of the rest, they were mostly decent. The titular story, “Alley,” has a great idea, but I feel like there’s too much exposition, which is followed by an ending that could have been a few pages longer. “The Inn” has a great idea and some terrifying art, though the ending kind of puttered out on me, and “Smoker’s Club” has a great idea about tobacco and smoking that would put anyone off cigarettes, though it also could have used more pages for its story. And “Memory” has a great story, though not enough scary art for me (it still would make a great movie).

The only bad story was “Ice Cream Bus,” which other than a reminder about why stranger danger exists, wasn’t much better than its animated Netflix adaptation.

Overall, I think I would give Alley by Junji Ito a 3.8 out of 5. There’s some decent horror in there, so if you’re looking to get into his work, this might be a good choice for your second or third read of his (I recommend picking between Remina, Uzumaki and Tombs for your first and second reads).

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

“White Leaves” is Getting Published!!!

Posted: July 12, 2024 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Well, WordPress is acting weird for me. For some reason I can’t access stats or most other things, and I can’t even contact WP support! Anybody else experiencing this problem? I had to go through some serious hoops just to get this blog post written, let alone published.

Anyway, enough complaining, because I have amazing news! Late last year, after The Great Editing, I wrote the first new story in what felt like forever. “White Leaves” was about the events that occurred in an apartment complex one misty Halloween morning. It was an unusual story, even for me, because it was under three-thousand words for the first draft and was written in the second person. But I was excited about it and was eager to share it with my critique group for feedback.

Well, I submitted the story to the group. And edited the story with their feedback. And, after quite a few submissions and rejections, I’m pleased to announce that “White Leaves” is being published and narrated on the Tales to Terrify podcast!

If this particular publisher sounds familiar to you, it should: Tales to Terrify published and narrated my novelette “The Dedication of the High Priestess” back in 2022. (Click here to listen to that particular episode.) I loved what they did with that story, which I feel is among my best work, and I was eager to have them do it again. And, as luck would have it, “White Leaves” made them “wickedly happy,” as their acceptance email said. So, we’re collaborating again!

Now, it’s not decided when the story will appear on the podcast. They get a lot of good stories and only are able to fit one to two each episode. It could be quite the wait. However, I know that when it’s time, it’ll be great! And I’ll be sure to update you all when it happens.

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ve got the Columbus Book Festival tomorrow, so I’m going to try to go to bed early tonight and be at full energy tomorrow. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and I hope you’re having as wonderful a time as I am!

Review: “Horror Movie” by Paul Tremblay

Posted: July 4, 2024 in Novel, Review, Scary Stuff
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My copy of Horror Movie, surrounded by some of the horror movies on my shelves. Because how could I not?

I was not a fan of Tremblay’s last novel, The Pallbearers Club (see my review here), but when I first heard of his new book and saw its cover, I wanted to read it! And when I got my copy from the library, I got even more excited. You can’t tell from the photo I included, but the pages have red borders, which coupled with the black cover, makes it look like a restricted video from the age of VHS tapes and Blockbusters. So, almost as soon as I finished reading You Like It Darker (see that review here), I started reading this.

Hoo-boy, did I get on a rollercoaster ride.

In 1993,* a small team of amateur actors and filmmakers come together to make a movie tentatively titled “Horror Movie.” However, tragedy strikes on the last day of filming, preventing it from ever releasing. However, scenes, stills and scripts from the movie have made their way online, and as many of the original cast and crew die under mysterious or tragic circumstances, an air of mystique gathers around the mysterious film. In the 2020s, a reboot is in the works and the studio brings on our narrator, who also played the original film’s villain the Thin Kid and is the only surviving member of the cast and crew, to both co-produce and reprise his role.

Thus begins a journey through the past and the present that will answer a question the narrator, and many of us, ask often: why do people do terrible and fucked up things?

First off, this novel is incredibly well-written. Tremblay takes the unique storytelling he used in The Pallbearers Club and applies it here like an art. Jumping between the production of the original film, the process of creating the reboot in the present, and the script of the original, you essentially get two different stories woven together. I have to applaud Tremblay for writing both a script for a very scary and fucked up film and then writing a very personal story around the script and the movie that was supposed to come about from it.

I also really liked the narrator, whose name I can’t really remember because I’m not sure if it was ever mentioned. It’s easier just to call him by his character’s name, the Thin Kid, and that sort of makes sense, as another major theme of this novel is the blending of reality and fiction. Where does our narrator end and the Thin Kid begin? Is there even a difference? It kind of reminds me of Perfect Blue,** one of my favorite horror movies, and how that movie explored how quickly reality and fiction can combine under the right circumstances.

Anyway, our narrator doesn’t have a high opinion of himself, but he’s likable. Once he commits to the movie, he commits to it–the character, the reputation of the film, and its reboot–even at the detriment to himself. Towards the end, I wondered if maybe he might be an unreliable narrator, because some of what he describes both feels like something he would do and something he might make up. It’s just amazing to read his story (which he’s narrating as an audiobook or podcast), and I had a hard time putting the book down.

If I have one thing I didn’t like, it’s that the foreshadowing sometimes worked against itself. Since the narrator is technically speaking to an audience that presumably knows about the history of the titular film, he refers to things that have happened and kind of expects his audience to know. However, the audience in the real world doesn’t, so once or twice, he refers to something that appears to be common knowledge and I’m like, “Wait, did I read that and forget? Or is it something we haven’t read yet that he’s alluding to?”

It probably did not help that I could not remember if he mentioned the narrator’s real name (I think it was David, but don’t quote me on that), so that only heightened my confusion.

All in all, however, Horror Movie is an excellent novel and well worth the read. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 4.8. Horrifying, entrancing and full of twists, you’ll find yourself hanging on as you discover not only why people do terrible and fucked up things, but how much reality and fiction can blend in the worst ways. Just grab a copy and see for yourself!

*The year I was born, by the way. Coincidence? I think not!

**BTW, if you have not checked that one out, I highly recommend it.

Conversations with Shaun Hamill

Posted: July 1, 2024 in Author Interciew, Novel, Scary Stuff, Writing
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Some of you may remember prior to COVID a rather unusual novel called A Cosmology of Monsters, about a family in the business of haunted attractions and the entities that seem to haunt them through the generations (see my review here). You may also remember my interview with the author, Shaun Hamill (which you can read here). Well, Shaun’s got a new novel called The Dissonance coming out soon, and I got him to sit down with me to discuss the new book and what went into writing it.

So, without further ado, let’s do an interview!

Rami Ungar: Welcome back to the blog, Shaun. Can you tell us what you’ve been up to in the past five years since Cosmology came out?

Shaun Hamill: Like everyone else, I’ve had a crazy few years! I’ve moved from Alabama to Texas (and then moved three more times to different living situations in the last 3 years). I haven’t written as much as I would have liked, but I managed to write The Dissonance, and I have just turned in another novel I can’t talk about yet.

RU: Tell us about The Dissonance. What’s it about, and what inspired it?

SH: The Dissonance is a dark fantasy novel (with a dash of horror), about a type of magic that feeds on negative emotions: pain, depression, and the like. The only people who can use it are usually “broken” in some way—traumatized or mentally ill or the like. The story focuses on a group of friends who discover this power as teenagers, and how it shapes their lives in good and bad ways. It was inspired during COVID, when I couldn’t see any of my friends in person. I missed them terribly, so I wrote a novel about friendship.

RU: Can you tell us a bit more about the novel’s themes and influences?

SH; As previously mentioned, friendship is a huge theme of The Dissonance. So is trauma, and pain, and regret. It was influenced mainly by Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell and Lev Grossman’s The Magicians. Some reviewers are also comparing the novel to IT (it deals with a group of friends and has a split timeline between their adolescent and adult lives), so that’s in the mix, too!

RU: Nothing wrong about being compared to IT, especially when it’s favorable. So, do you think your writing style has changed at all since Cosmology?

SH: I’m not sure. When I started The Dissonance, I set out to write a more accessible book, with characters who were a little easier to love and root for. I also wanted there to be more action and excitement. Whether that means a change in style? I couldn’t say. Maybe I’ve gotten a little less pretentious? I’ll be curious to see what readers of Cosmology think.

RU: I’ll be sure to let you know. Now, I’ve noticed based on Cosmology and on the description for The Dissonance, but you seem to have a thing for cosmic horror. Can you tell us your thoughts on cosmic horror and what about it you like?

SH: Yeah, I’m a cosmic horror nerd for sure. I think it stems from growing up religious (although I’m not a believer anymore). I was always fascinated by the awe and wonder that came with believing in something bigger than myself, and when I discovered cosmic horror (relatively late, in my early 30s), I found something more in tune with my personal feelings about the universe: a dark wonder, and the sense that reality is bigger and more complex and strange than any of us can ever comprehend. The best we can hope for in this life is a peek behind the curtain. Weird fiction is all about that curtain.

RU: It also seems this book will be delving quite a bit into witchcraft and the occult. Do you have experience with magic and witchcraft, or did you do a bunch of research and then make up the rest?

SH: I have an ex who practiced a bit of witchcraft. I’ve partaken in a couple of rituals (which I found as boring as church), and have spent my fair share of time in wiccan shops, browsing books of spells and baskets full of crystals and whatnot. In The Dissonance I employ a little bit of that knowledge, but mostly stick to made-up stuff, where I get to make the rules. My novel doesn’t discount the idea that pagan beliefs are valid, but it doesn’t engage with them much, either.

RU: Changing gears a bit, in our last interview, you mentioned at one point cutting down Cosmology from 250,000 words to about 100,00. Did you have to do something similar with The Dissonance?

The cover for The Dissonance.

SH: Actually, it’s the opposite! I worked hard to turn in a draft of The Dissonance at about 100,000 words. When my editor bought the book, she encouraged me to open up the world and story, and we ended up adding almost 50,000 words to the novel. Just like the cuts were appropriate for Cosmology, I think the additions ended up helping The Dissonance. The early drafts of the novel were very fast-paced—a little too fast. We needed to slow down (just a little) and give the characters time to breathe and feel between the action beats. We needed to show them having fun in addition to getting into trouble. The resulting novel is almost 50% longer than Cosmology but I have yet to hear anyone complain about the word count, so I think we got it right!

RU: Before we wrap up, are you working on anything new and spooky right now? And do you have any exciting future plans?

SH: I just turned in my third novel (which I can’t really talk about yet). It’s definitely on the spooky end of the spectrum. I’m also in talks for a fourth book (which I also can’t talk about), and have given my agent outlines for two possible other novels. So I’m going to be quite busy for the next few years! Hopefully I’ll be publishing more than once every half-decade from now on.

RU: Final question: what are some horror stories you’ve read recently that you’ve enjoyed?

SH: I loved Rachel Harrison’s latest novel, Black Sheep, and Clay McCloud Chapman’s What Kind of Mother. I’m really excited for Gabino Iglesias’s House of Bone and Rain. I haven’t been reading as much horror recently (because of the fantasy edge of The Dissonance, that’s been most of my reading), but I need to get back into it!

RU: I hope you do! It’s an amazing genre, after all. And thank you again for joining us once more.

If you’re interested in checking out The Dissonance, it comes out July 23, 2024 and is available for preorder from most retailers. And if you want to follow Shaun Hamill, you can follow him using the links listed below.

I hope you’re as excited as I am to read this book, my Followers of Fear. And until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

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The Rose Five-Year Anniversary Celebration Starts Today!!!

Posted: June 20, 2024 in Living and Life, Novel, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, Writing
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So yeah, it’s another anniversary! And this one’s very special. It’s the fifth anniversary of my novel Rose!

For those of you who don’t know, Rose was my first novel with a publisher and is my most popular book to date. The story follows a young woman who gets turned into a plant/human hybrid, which starts her on a desperate quest for survival. I first had the idea for the story in the middle of a science fiction literature class in college (yes, my school offered that course). I later wrote the story as my college thesis, and then edited it on and off through the years.

In 2018, I was introduced to the editor of Castrum Press through a friend, who agreed to publish Rose. Fifteen months and several drafts later, Rose was released and has been getting enthusiastic readers ever since. I even got some of my Followers of Fear to send me photos of them with the book for a special video I made. Check it out!

Not bad, huh? It’s been a while since I’ve edited anything like this, so I’m proud of the work I did. And thanks to everyone who contributed a photo and their thoughts about the book to the video. You don’t know how much that means to me.

And really, it means so much to me that so many people have been reading and enjoying Rose. Through the pandemic, and elections, and everything else we’ve dealt with over the past five years, Rose has continued to find readers who have taken the time to tell me how much they love the book. And with so many other great books out there for people to read, I find that frankly amazing.

Be sure to check out Rose this week! It’ll be a frightfully good time.

Anyway, if you’re at all interested in checking out Rose, guess what? In honor of the five-year anniversary, Rose is on sale from today through June 27th! So, whether you prefer paperbacks, ebooks, or audio books, you can grab a copy at a great price till next Thursday!

And if you like what you read, please leave a review. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it not only helps me, but other readers in the long run.

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope you enjoy reading what will hopefully become your new favorite fantasy-horror novel. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

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“Rose” Will Be Turning Five Years Old Next Week!!!

Posted: June 13, 2024 in Novel, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, Writing
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I swear, I didn’t set out to have so many anniversaries between May and July. Most of it is coincidence.

Anyway, as you can see from the title and the above graphic, my novel Rose is marking five years since release next week on Thursday, June 20, 2024. The novel follows a young woman named Rose Taggert who wakes up with no memories of the last two years. She soon turns into a plant/human hybrid, setting off a chain of events that not only threaten her life, but those she loves. It’s a strange, Kafkaesque fantasy-horror novel, and it’s my most popular work to date.

And in honor of this momentous occasion, the book will be on sale from June 20 – June 27. Whether you prefer paperback, ebook or audiobook, Rose will be available for a great, low price. So if you like the sound of the story, stop by your favorite retailer next week and pick up a copy!

Also, in the meantime, if you’re interested, my novel Snake is celebrating its ten-year anniversary. This one is a slasher, and follows a serial killer hunting mobsters in New York City. Think John Wick, Taken and Friday the 13th got smashed into a novel together. The sale for Snake is going through Monday, June 17, so why not grab a copy? I’ll leave the links below.

And if you read either book, or any of my books, I hope you’ll leave me a review once you have. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me out in the long run (not to mention other readers).

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll be back very soon with more news very soon. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

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Review: “You Like It Darker” by Stephen King

Posted: June 12, 2024 in Review, Scary Stuff
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My copy of You Like It Darker from the library.

I was not a fan of Stephen King’s last collection (you can read my review here). However, I am ever the optimist when it comes to King’s work, and the sound of his latest collection, You Like It Darker, got me excited. I mean, it even had a sequel to Cujo in it! Why wouldn’t I check it out?

And tonight, on the night before it’s due back at the library, I finished it. So, what did I think?

I think this is a much better collection and a finer example of King’s storytelling than If It Bleeds was.

The strongest stories in the collection are four of the novellas. “Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream,” possibly my favorite of the bunch, is a tense thriller about a man’s life unraveling after he has a nightmare and he does a good deed based on that dream. Honestly, it’s hard not to fall in love with the lead and want to find out if things get better for him or go further downhill. “Rattlesnakes,” the sequel to Cujo, starts out slow but quickly becomes a freaky ghost story that I thoroughly enjoyed once it got going. “The Dreamers” feels like an updated version of HP Lovecraft’s “From Beyond,” and I would love to see a movie version of it.

As for the final novella and the final story of the collection, “The Answer Man,” it’s King’s fantastical literary style of storytelling at its finest, and (surprisingly) left me with a warm feeling in my heart.

As for the short stories, “On Slide Inn Road” is a fun tribute to Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find” (and delivers on the “darker” part of the book’s title), and “The Turbulence Expert” feels fresh while also like classic King. “Laurie,” which I’ve read before, is a fine story about grief and finding new life, and “The Fifth Step” and “Willie the Weirdo,” while not anything amazing, had some fun twists I enjoyed.

Unfortunately, the book has some duds. “Two Talented Bastids,” the opening novella of the collection, was a total letdown for me, which is sad because it had a strong start. The short story “Finn” felt like a crime thriller that never got around to thrilling anyone, and “The Red Screen” felt like it needed a few more pages to deliver on its premise.

However, like I said, You Like It Darker is a much better collection of King stories. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give this collection a 4.2. If you don’t mind the duds, you’ll probably enjoy this one, and feel like you’re reading one of King’s older collections again. So, if you haven’t already, go out and grab a copy.

In the meantime, I’ll be picking up my next read from the library tomorrow. It might even be my next review. And from what I’m hearing, it’ll be worth reading…

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