Who doesn’t love a great creepy story. The bump in the night,or the scratching in the walls, or the shadow figure in the curtains. Stories that wake us up and keep us alert even when we’re trying to sleep. A story you can curl up to in the next rainstorm and while the windows rattle and the light flashes, you immerse yourself in the dark and discover the monsters. Some great short and horrific fiction is out there and packaged just for you in the form of literary magazines. If reading about monsters and madness draws you in then these are some brilliant magazines you should search out now
1. Forbidden Futures
Lavishly illustrated by horror/fantasy artist Mike Dubisch, this magazine is worth reading, losing a few hours to and maybe some sleep. Full of monsters and strange fiction about cat people and ghouls that eat dead people. Forbidden Futures has some great stories and features worth your time including “The Third Bomb” by Philip K Dick award winner, Rudy Rucker, in their most recent issue.
2. PseudoPod
An audio magazine full of dark and erotic horror. All stories are produced with a professional narrator and create an amazing atmosphere. Perfect for that dark and stormy night when your wifi is down but you still have data for Spotify. Some great tales to check out are “This Wet Red” by Marcia Pichette, and “Keeping House” by Sarah Day.
3. The Dark Magazine
Full of high quality illustrations and stories to burn into your soul. On the website they have stories available for listening as a podcast as well as some for reading. Of course the magazine itself is worth picking up as well. Read “Laughter Among the Trees” by Suzan Palumbo to keep your mind spinning.
4. Hypnos Magazine
A quarterly magazine that has suspended publication but many issues are still available. The art is fantastic, and full of gothic vibes.They have very high standards for the stories including a riveting tale that takes the basic premise of Pinnochio to new disturbing heights. Absolutely you should read “The Strings of The Marionettes” by Lawrence Buentello.
5. Boneyard Soup
“A Cold Grip”by Christie Nogle is the featured story this month and if you’re looking for the most disturbing visit to the inlaws you’d ever read this is the one. Boneyard Soup goes for more emotional horror than excessive violence or sexual themes. This magazine is very well written and includes some non-fiction essays in each issue as well.
6. Grotesque Magazine
Another quarterly publication for horror fantasy from fiction to nonfiction to poetry this magazine has it all. They even have horror-themed recipes on their website. Stories to peruse include “Molly’s Parasite” by Kevin Steffanson, and “When the Owls Call” by Lyman Graves.
7. Hello Horror
Packed full of intriguing and disturbing tales and poetry their most recent issue was in Spring of 2019 but the pandemic has derailed many great projects so let’s hope for more soon. Many issues are still available. Stories to read include “How To Steal a Man’s Heart” by Claire Holahan and “What Rough Beef” by James Fruit, both from the latest spring issue.
So pick up an issue and fill your week with visions you will never forget.
