Review: Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward

cover of Nowhere BurningNowhere Burning by Catriona Ward
Tor Nightfire (February 2026)
Reviewed by Haley Newlin

Of all of Catriona Ward’s books, Nowhere Burning might be the most unputdownable. Ward is known for her rich, gothic, atmospheric horror that turns readers around and around, only to reveal that the story on the surface is far more complex than they could’ve imagined. In Nowhere Burning, Ward delivers another character-driven psychological horror narrative that presents the terrifying possibility that we don’t know ourselves as well as we think we do.Continue Reading

Night Time Logic with Matthew Bartlett

Night Time Logic with Daniel Braum

“Monsters as monsters”, “No God only devils”, and “Halloween”

photo of author Matthew Bartlett
Matthew Bartlett

Night Time Logic is the part of a story that is felt but not consciously processed. It is also the name of this interview series here at Cemetery Dance online and over on my YouTube channel where we explore the night time part of stories, the strange and uncanny in horror, dark fiction, and more.

My latest book, Phantom Constellations: Strange Tales and Ghost Stories, out now from Cemetery Dance Publications, is full of these kind of subtle, strange, and intentionally ambiguous tales the operate with Night Time Logic.

Over the years I’ve had the good fortune to run into Matthew Bartlett in conventions such as Necronomicon in Providence Rhode Island. In 2021 he was one of the readers in the Night Time Logic Summer Reading Series which can be viewed here.

I recently acquired a copy of Bartlett’s short story “Gaspar” from Dim Shores Press a sequel to the story “Rangel.” 

We begin our conversation here with a discussion of “Rangel.”Continue Reading

Review: The Mills of the Gods by Tim Powers

cover of The Mills of GodsThe Mills of the Gods by Tim Powers
BAEN Books (December 2025)
Review by W.D. Gagliani

A new novel by two-time World Fantasy Award-winning author Tim Powers (author of The Anubis Gates, The Stress of Her Regard, Declare, On Stranger Tides, and the Last Call/Fisher King trilogy, and many others) is always cause to celebrate. Continue Reading

Review: A Song for the End of the World by Mia Dalia

cover of A Song for the End of the WorldReview: A Song for the End of the World by Mia Dalia
Earthling Publications (January 2026)
Reviewed by Dave Simms

Once again, Earthling has published another enticing entry into its ever-expanding stable of great stories.
Mia Dalia has written an amazing novella about the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle and the legendary creatures who may live in its waters. If one is not familiar with Dalia, rectify this soon. Her novel, Haven, is stunning, as as her upcoming Beautiful, Once, and what is alluring about her writing is she never plays in the same sandbox twice. The breadth of her work is varied, imbuing various voices and plots that explode in fun directions, which is one of the reasons why this novella works so well.
The story? A crew for a television show needs a homerun to stay on the air, especially in a world where reality shows need to be bombastic and full of drama.
The show is Reggie’s baby — Here Be Dragons, a reality piece where he and buddy Colin explore the topics of the unknown. Competing with others which have more clout and drama, the duo are in search of a ratings monster
The new episode is all about the elusive sirens, beings of the sea who lure sailors to their death by way of intoxicating songs.
The rest of the group include the cameraman, makeup artist, sound man, and assistant, who take off into the wild frontier of the triangle, a place that might be an amazing bastion of mystery — or simply one of fairy tales and bad luck.
Yet once the crew is out on the water, something begins to happen. The edges of reality bend and warp, the personalities on the boat stretch and strain, and the sheer isolation of the location toy with the crew’s minds.
Are there truly sirens in the Bermuda Triangle, or are they just another tall tale from drunken sailors?
This could be a trite creature feature from a lesser author, but Dalia’s strong narrative sense and mastery of style keep the pages turning, allowing the reader to sink into the depths of the ocean with the crew. She holds attention without stepping into clichè or quick scares. Everything is a slow, deliberate roll through the cresting, crashing waves that serves as a hypnotizing excursion through the unknown. She captures the mood of the water and its environs with a smooth voice while drawing the disparate character personalities with a deft hand.
Like all of Earthling’s offerings, A Song for the End of the World comes highly recommended. A mind-bending read, it serves as a fine introduction to Dalia’s work. In a sane world, this would be a much bigger name in the field. This story just might be the one that brings the writers’ magic to the masses.

Interview: Kristi DeMeester on Dark Sisters

banner graphic that says Cemetery Dance Interviews

photo of author Kristi DeMeester
Kristi DeMeester

Kristi DeMeester is the author of Dark Sisters, Such a Pretty Smile (which was selected as a Georgia Author of the Year finalist) and Beneath. Her short fiction has appeared in publications such as The Dark, Black Static, multiple volumes of The Year’s Best Horror, Year’s Best Weird Fiction, and in her short fiction collection Everything That’s Underneath. She lives, writes, and makes horror-themed candles in Atlanta, Georgia.

She is represented by Stefanie Lieberman at Janklow & Nesbit Associates. She is at work on her next novel.

DeMeester sat down with Cemetery Dance to talk about her new folk and religious horror novel, Dark Sisters, what it’s like growing up in a mega church, the increasing demand for feminist and pink horror, and book recommendations within the subgenre.  Continue Reading

Review: Dark Sisters by Kristi DeMeester

cover of Dark SistersDark Sisters  by Kristi DeMeester
St. Martin’s Press (December 2025)
Reviewed by Haley Newlin 

“And from their blood we will prosper.”

If there was ever a time for a rally cry of a read, one that holds a mirror up to the misogyny in our world, it’s now. Kristi DeMeester delivers just that with snarling fury and unflinching realism in her latest novel, Dark Sisters. It’s folk, historical, and feminist horror interwoven like a three-strand braid and is told through three women’s perspectives across centuries. Dark Sisters is a brilliant criticism of patriarchal structures used to control women’s bodies and beliefs and the damage inflicted upon generations to come. Continue Reading

Review: The Tryst by L. Marie Wood

cover of The TrystThe Tryst by L. Marie Wood
Mocha Memoir Press (February 14, 2026)
Reviewed by Elizabeth Broadbent

L. Marie Wood’s new novel, The Tryst is the first book in her five-installment Red Thread Saga, and it’s not horror, but slipstream. For those unfamiliar (and I counted myself among them), slipstream is a catch-all term for works that blend elements of different genres to create something new. When I asked Wood about it, she told me that The Tryst blends elements of “romance, horror, sci-fi, action, mystery, thriller, and suspense.” The blend creates a novel that defies expectations — it’s romance, but with a sci-fi bent; it’s horror, but with thriller and mystery thrown in. But slipstream also uses elements of those genres to defy and remix their typical conventions. Continue Reading

Stephen King: News from the Dead Zone #245

Stephen King News From the Dead Zone

“I wanted to go back to Mid-World, which was always the Territories by another name.” So says Stephen King in announcing Other Worlds than These, also known as T3, co-authored with Peter Straub. The release date has been set: October 6, 2026. What else do we know? Read on!

Continue Reading

Hellbrothers: Todd Mignola (and His Brother) Bring a New Hellboy Tale to Life

banner that reads The Comic Vault

cover of The Crown #1Brothers Mike and Todd Mignola have come together for a new two-issue comic in the Hellboy Universe, spotlighting Hellboy and his brothers! The Crown: A Tale of Hell debuts on February 11, and Cemetery Dance spoke to Todd Mignola about working with Mike again, what’s based on their childhood, and what he hopes readers take away.Continue Reading

Review: The Bride of Ravencrest by Tamara Thorne and Alistair Cross

cover of The Bride of RavencrestThe Bride of Ravencrest by Tamara Thorne and Alistair Cross
Glass Apple Press (October 2025)
Review by W.D. Gagliani

If you’re in the mood for a thick and chewy Gothic pastiche replete with larger than life characters and a mile-wide humor streak, this new offering by Thorne & Cross may do the trick. Continue Reading

Review: The Stunted Man by Ari Loeb

cover of The Stunted ManThe Stunted Man by Ari Loeb
Abandoned House (August 2024)
Reviewed by Danica Davidson

The Stunted Man is well-written, informative, funny, emotional, dark and engrossing. It follows Hollywood stuntman Lex Mercier, who is working on the film Everyone’s Frankenstein — and finding plenty of horror in real life, nothing supernatural needed.Continue Reading

Review: Doodooality: Shots Fired from Uranus by Sumiko Saulson, Emily Loretta Flummox, Mysterious Backup

Doodooality: Shots Fired from Uranus by Sumiko Saulson, Emily Loretta Flummox, Mysterious Backup
Dooky Zines (October 2025)
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Sumiko Saulson, Emily Loretta Flummox, Mysterious Backup are members of the metal karaoke band, NypSlyp. When invited to submit to the sequel of Haipoo: 7 Poospectives in Pooetry, a collection of scatalogical verse, the group decided to create their own concept album of “haipoo, limershits, and other forms of poetry focusing on the fecalarity — the sentience of poop.” This chapbook is meant to mirror or mimick a punk rock or metal concept album, full of political import and social criticism, but quickly devolves into shock for shock’s sake.Continue Reading

Review: Mama Came Callin’ by Ezra Claytan Daniels and Camilla Sucre

banner that reads The Comic Vault

cover of Mama Came Callin'Mama Came Callin’ by Ezra Claytan Daniels
William Morrow Paperbacks (February 2026)
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Ezra Claytan Daniels is a mixed-race (black/white) multidisciplinary artist and creator of the award-winning graphic novels Upgrade Soul and BTTM FDRS (with illustrator Ben Passmore). Ezra’s work has been featured on the Criterion Channel, at Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art, and is in the permanent collection of the Whitney Museum. Ezra currently resides in Los Angeles, where he writes for film and television, including Doom Patrol, for HBO Max. His newest graphic novel is Mama Came Callin’.Continue Reading

Review: Dollface by Lindy Ryand

cover of DollfaceDollface by Lindy Ryan
Minotaur Books (February 24, 2026)
Reviewed by Elizabeth Broadbent

In a publishing landscape that loves to hand us blonde, virginal final girls, Lindy Ryan’s Dollface gives us something different: a forty-something mother. 

That shouldn’t be rare. It is. Continue Reading

Night Time Logic with Drew Huff

Night Time Logic with Daniel Braum

photo of author Drew HuffNight Time Logic is the part of a story that is felt but not consciously processed. It is also the name of this interview series here at Cemetery Dance online and over on my YouTube channel where we explore the night time part of stories, the strange and uncanny in horror, dark fiction, and more.

My latest book, Phantom Constellations: Strange Tales and Ghost Stories, out now from Cemetery Dance Publications, is full of these kind of subtle, strange, and intentionally ambiguous tales the operate with Night Time Logic.

In March 2025 I had the opportunity to meet Drew Huff at the Scares that Cares Authorcon Convention in Williamsburg Virginia and had an advance look at some of their work. I recently had the opportunity to converse with them again to talk about their new releases. We begin our conversation here with a discussion of some of their influences and favorite authors.Continue Reading