Gargoyle Safari

Cults, criminals, monsters, and maniacs abound in the highly anticipated debut collection from a writer quickly becoming known as one of the most unique and stylish voices in contemporary dark fiction. This collection gathers 12 of the author's best and most celebrated stories published to date, as well as two brand new pieces, for a nightmarishly beautiful blend of hardboiled horror and occult noir ideal for fans of Keith Rosson, Johnny Compton, and Laird Barron. These tales meld terrors both subtle and shocking, classic and cutting-edge ... An infamous influencer's grisly demise and alleged possession are investigated in The Mythologization of Tymber Prescott in Five Selected Photos (a 2022 Brave New Weird Award winner). Equal parts splatter and sentiment, 'Till the Road Runs Out (a Signal Horizon pick for best PseudoPod episodes of the year) sees a queer modern-day Bonnie and Clyde speeding toward their dream life run afoul of a feral cult that worships death. Elsewhere, readers will find an aging TV horror hostess forced to contend with the unexpected loss of her job and thwart the twisted fantasy of a violent predator on Halloween night; an ambitious student pursuing a missing author all the way to the grave (and beyond) using clues in the vanished man's final manuscript; and a cynical photojournalist who discovers escalating horrors at the scene of a gruesome car crash, which may not be the accident it initially appears. These are just a few of the macabre revelations awaiting those brave enough to explore the pages of Gargoyle Safari by Luciano Marano, whose writing has for years earned outspokenly generous praise from editors and readers alike. Featuring a special introduction by C.M. Muller.