It is I – Bronwen (AKA Birdy). It’s still Christmas in July, and so it’s my turn to come to you with some of the best horror picks I’ve found from DriveThruFiction!
It’s the first time I’ve written anything about this Christmas in July thing, and am still very much a newcomer to DriveThru ANYTHING, so I feel a bit like Steve Buscemi‘s character above.
But onwards. Horror is something I’m NOT new to, not in the slightest – in fact, you may consider me a bit of a connoisseur, and that’s why I’m excited to share with you my top five horror fiction picks.
Let’s get started, shall we?
1. S. Petersen’s Field Guide to Lovecraftian Horrors
If you’re looking for something beautifully illustrated and details, I highly recommend checking out S. Petersen’s Field Guide to Lovecraftian Horrors.
You can tell a lot of love has gone into this book. Although not a bestiary or monster manual, and omitting any stat blocks, it does provide information on these ‘horrors’ such as distinguishing features, lifestyle habits, habitats (where to find them!) and more.
It brings these monsters to life in a way that an ordinary bestiary cannot, and the visuals alone are enough to feast on. Here’s the blurb:
A Field Observer’s Handbook of Preternatural Entities and Beings from Beyond The Wall of Sleep
“With its clear visuals and hard-won information, this guide has saved my bacon on more thanvone occasion!”—Ernest P. Wilderbeast, Visiting Professor of Preternatural Studies
Miskatonic University
Weird shapes in the park? Odd rumbling noises in the basement? A lurking dread in the kitchen?
Bad dreams involving strange adventures and bizarre creatures?
Identifying the lurking horrors of the Cthulhu Mythos is never an easy task, so researchers need
all the help they can get—don’t leave home without the Field Guide!
An essential spotter’s guide for the budding and experienced preternaturalist.
This watermarked pdf also features 53 Lovecraftian creatures categorised and detailed, full colour illustrations, observer warnings and more. Just how special is this? I love it!
Grab your copy of S. Petersen’s Field Guide to Lovecraftian Horrors here.
2. Dearly Bleak (A Deviant: The Renegades Novella)
The first thing that caught my eye about Dearly Bleak (A Deviant: The Renegades Novella) is the cover, and… Joshua. Joshua Alan Doetsch. What have you done? That is absolutely priceless.
Once you get past the cover, the blurb will do the rest for you. I mean – I was immediately sold. I don’t think I could be any more buzzed about a book I’ve only just stumbled upon.
I’ll give you a second to read it:
Once, there was a boy named Dearly Bleak. That’s not his birth name, but that’s not the point. Dearly became so deathly ill, his parents allowed a smiling self-help cult to turn their son’s body into a home for a cosmic maggot god.
“Ever the praises to the Conqueror Worm!”
“Ever the praises to the Crawling Library!”
“The Knowledge that Eats!”
“The Broodsac Sultan!”
Dearly was healed, and then everyone screamed. For a time, Dearly found himself all on his own, though never ever alone. One day, to his delight, he found fellow misfits and deviants like him.
This is the story of the boy and the Worm and what they are willing to do to the conspiracies that threaten their found family. This is the story of a boy who likes toys, lunchboxes, and catching bullfrogs. But most of all, he likes brains.
Welp. Just shut up and take my money, Joshua. This is what I’m reading next.
Buy Dearly Bleak (A Deviant: The Renegades Novella) right here.
3. Strangeness in the Proportion
The title of this one feels like something my art lecturer has personally said about my work – can you tell I’m traumatised? Strangeness in Proportion is another fiction from the mind of Joshua Alan Doetsch, but this one grabbed me differently. I’m intrigued.
From the moment a quirky medical examiner falls in love with Jane Doe, he is drawn into the hidden supernatural world behind her murder: a World of Darkness.
This novel set in the new World of Darkness was previously serialised on the White Wolf website, and is now collected together for the first time!
Please note that the black & white print editions of this book are not full-bleed – due to printing requirements, there is a small white border around the edge of each page (no biggie).
Grab your copy of Strangeness in Proportion here.
4. Cthulhu Conspiracy
This Cthulhu Conspiracy comic/graphic novella is a great little hidden gem by Amanda Kahl.
It’s fun, and unexpected with a great little story – and the perfect read for Cthulhu fans.
Here’s the official blurb:
“The time is drawing near … we have been reading the signs in the stars, tracking their progress for centuries … we must advance our plan to hold back the darkness … the Horror.”
In “The Cthulhu Conspiracy,” fantasy artist Amanda Kahl takes a whimsical look at the modern infatuation with the most famous of the Great Old Ones and one approach to battling the effects of his imminent awakening.
Get your copy of Cthulhu Conspiracy here.
5. Trilogy of the Fallen Book 1: Ashes and Angel Wings
Last but not least, we have Trilogy of the Fallen Book 1: Ashes and Angel Wings. It’s perfect if you want a nice, meaty story to get into – and you know there’s more waiting for you to sink your metaphorical teeth into once you’re through with Book 1.
The official synopsis reads:
Hell to Pay
The gates of Hell have cracked and demons have escaped to walk the earth, dressed in human flesh. But when the ancient Scourge Hasmed finds himself in the body of three-time loser and mob bagman Harvey Ciullo, he finds the world a very different place than he expected. Using his demonic will, he begins to claw his way up the New Jersey underworld, determined to make it his own.
The Angelic Host that locked him away seems to have vanished, but other demons are out there. And all the while, this hardened child of the pit can’t quite shake his affection for Harvey’s daughter, an instinct that could redeem his soul or destroy him forever.
Buy Trilogy of the Fallen right here.
Quick Links
- DriveThruFiction: Christmas in July.
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