crime
Lately I’ve Been Dressing For Revenge: What Taylor Swift Teaches Us About Genre Fiction
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I used to say I hated Taylor Swift. The year was 2008. I was a poor grad school student subsisting on cheap slices and dollar Bud Lights, the latter of which brought me to a dive bar close to campus one night after an evening poetry seminar. Crowded and loud, I was sipping from my…
The Existential Crisis of Home Invasions: A Reading List
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I got into a car accident right after college, and I knew some insurance money was coming my way. The insurance agent had hinted it would be in the tens of thousands, and I told myself that I was going to make a movie with the money. That was something I’d always wanted to, but…
October’s Best Psychological Thrillers
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October brings a host of wonderful new psychological thrillers, distinguished by their commitment to using the form to explore pressing social issues as the genre continues to evolve and take on a wider scope. Below, you’ll find 6 new books, each with its own unique take on crafting compelling suspense. Jessica Knoll, Bright Young Women (S&S/MarySue…
A Visit to the Trans-Allegheny Asylum; or, On Hauntings and History
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What do you pack for a ghost hunt? The answer depends on what you hope to find. For my first ghost hunt I have brought a digital voice recorder (for EVP, electronic voice phenomena) and an EMF (electromagnetic field) reader, both purchased from Amazon after reading reviews on various ghost-hunting sites and seeing how little…
Black Horror Fiction Has Always Been Here. What’s Changed Is The Attitudes of Gatekeepers.
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2023 has, so far, been a year full of innovative and mind-bending anthologies, and Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror is one of the best. With an incredible list of contributors, and Jordan Peele as editor, this collection is meant to be savored and celebrated. I asked contributors to the anthology to answer a…
Learning to Love Thrillers and Their Morally Compromised Characters
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I’ve been a stay-at-home dad for six years now and I could tell you horror stories. I’ve changed diapers on gas station bathroom floors that should have been condemned. I’ve caught my babies picking up the most vile things in city parks. There are events with Roombas and couch cushions and Cheerios that would live…