Halloween: New Poems

Halloween: New Poems
edited by Al Sarrantonio

Cover artwork by Alan M. Clark
Interiors by Keith Minnion

About the Book:
Here is the first-ever collection of brand-new poems written expressly for the Orange-and-Black holiday, edited by horror master Al Sarrantonio!

Halloween: New Poems contains original poetic gems by some of today's best horror writers – including the first poems ever published (a total of six!) by Joe R. Lansdale.  Along with Lansdale find such horror greats as Tom Disch, Gary Braunbeck, T.M. Wright, Elizabeth Massie, Tom Piccirilli, Steve Rasnic Tem and Brian Freeman, as well as poetry by Al Sarrantonio himself.

This is a book you will take down from your shelf every Halloween season – a real keepsake and one-of-a-kind volume, with a beautiful cover by Alan Clark and fantastic interior art by Keith Minnion.

Halloween: New Poems is sure to become a collectible – and for those who want a real treasure there's a lettered edition of only 52 copies signed by Al Sarrantonio himself.  So be sure to order your copy today!

"This anthology gathers original verse from some well-known horror and sci-fi writers—mostly of prose willing to risk the ridicule of being labeled poets in order to delight readers with new material about their favourite holiday... The big selling feature is the first-ever poetry by author Joe R. Lansdale. In his six pieces, Lansdale proves himself perfectly suited to the task…he exhibits a distinct voice, restraint with his words and a command of the slow reveal... (the) best selections are haunting enough to be enjoyed year round."
— Rue Morgue

"Al Sarrantonio has brought forth 100-plus pages of distilled Autumn magic. Warm up some cider, stoke the fire, and dim the lights – this is one you’ll be pulling off the shelves every October for years to come."
— Blu Gilliand, Dark Scribe Magazine

"Sarrantonio and Cemetery Dance have put together another unique collection that will be of interest to lovers of poetry and horror. This collection is one that will be of interest at times other than Halloween. Pick this one up before it goes out of print and keep it on the shelf next to The Devil's Wine, if you were fortunate enough to obtain the other landmark volume of poetry from Cemetery Dance."
— The Baryon Review

"Perhaps the highlight of the book, though, is the inclusion of the first-ever published verse by Joe R. Lansdale. Lansdale's distinctive style and darkly comedic worldview are on display in a half-dozen entries, including the gloriously grisly 'Observing Nature on Halloween Night' ...this is the type of book that you'll eagerly pull off your shelf year after year; such assured treasuring makes Halloween: New Poems a worthy investment in October festiveness."
— Macabre Republic

"They are gathered into sections by rough subject matter and include quite a variety of styles and themes. A couple of them are genuinely creepy, most atmospheric, and a few quite clever. Nice illustrations accompany them."
— Don D'Ammassa

"This is one of those special books you can take down off the shelf year after year, reading and rereading the works, finding something new each time. I look forward to curling up with it later this Autumn as the leaves are falling from the trees and the weather turns crisp, waiting for the trick-or-treaters to ring the doorbell…"
— Andrew Monge, horrordrive-in.com

Table of Contents:
"Introduction" by Al Sarrantonio
"How to Play Dead" by Steve Rasnic Tem
"Beggars’ Night" by Gary A. Braunbeck and Lucy A. Snyder
"Spider’s Night Out" by Elizabeth Massie
"Treats of the Trick" by Brian Freeman
"My Treat" by Elizabeth Massie
"The Fishmonger" by David Niall Wilson
"Making Ready the Celebration" by T.M. Wright
"They Grow Pumpkins Down There" by James A. Moore
"Pumpkin Eater" by Steve Rasnic Tem
"The Midnight People" by Brian Freeman
"Pumpkin" by Al Sarrantonio
"Jack’s Lantern" by James A. Moore
"Crossroads, All Hallows Eve" by Ardath Mayhar
"Trick or Treat" by Al Sarrantonio
"Samhain" by Melanie Tem
"Bringing Halloween" by T.M. Wright
"Phantom Pains" by Tom Piccirilli
"Houses with Broken Windows" by David Niall Wilson
"The Lady Dewitt" by Joe R. Lansdale
"Longhaired Puppies" by David Niall Wilson
"The Value of an October Kiss" by Tom Piccirilli
"Warnings and Post-Mortems" by T.M. Wright
"All Hallows Eve" by T.M. Wright
"Autumn" by James A. Moore
"Thanatology – or, the Halloween Ball" by David Niall Wilson
"Observing Nature on Halloween Night" by Joe R. Lansdale
"Under the Halloween Tree" by Brian Freeman
"Another Horror Flick from DeSica" by Thomas M. Disch
"Got a Girl Named Billy Sue" by Joe R. Lansdale
"Untitled" by Peter Schneider
"Remembering Octoberland" by Brian Freeman
"Halloween High" by Neal Barrett, Jr.
"On Hallows Eve" by Peter Crowther
"Bat at the Glass" by Joe R. Lansdale
"Fright Night Triple Feature" by Gary A. Braunbeck and Lucy A. Snyder
"Red Jack" by Joe R. Lansdale
"Certain Spirits" by Al Sarrantonio
"A Halloween Night, with Ghouls and Weirdies and Things that Bite" by Jersey Fitzgerald
"A Pirate Crew" by Thomas M. Disch
"Cap’n Hook" by Bradley Denton
"The Year Near Closing" by T.M. Wright

Al Sarrantonio is the author of more than forty books. He is a winner of the Bram Stoker Award and has been a finalist for the World Fantasy Award, the British Fantasy Award, the International Horror Guild Award, the Locus Award and the Private Eye Writers of America Shamus Award.

His novels, spanning the horror, science fiction, fantasy, mystery and western genres, include Moonbane, Skeletons, House Haunted, The Five Worlds Trilogy, The Mars Trilogy, West Texas, Orangefield, and Hallows Eve, the last two part of his Halloween cycle of stories.

Hailed as "a master anthologist" by Booklist, he has edited numerous collections, including the highly acclaimed 999: New Stories of Horror and Suspense, Redshift: Extreme Visions of Speculative Fiction, Flights: Extreme Visions of Fantasy, and Halloween: New Poems.

His short stories have appeared in magazines such as Heavy Metal, Twilight Zone, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, Realms of Fantasy, Analog, and Amazing, as well as in anthologies such as The Year's Best Horror Stories, Visions of Fantasy: Tales from the Masters, Great Ghost Stories, and The Best of Shadows. His best horror stories have been collected in Toybox, Hornets and Others, and Halloween and Other Seasons.

He has had numerous book club sales, and his work has been translated into more than a dozen languages and appeared in comic book form. He currently lives in New York's historic Hudson Valley region with his family.

Published in two states:
• Trade hardcover edition ($40)
• Traycased Lettered Edition of 52 signed (by the editor) and lettered hardcover copies bound in leather with a satin ribbon page marker and additional full-color artwork ($175)

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