October is here, and with it comes a chilling slate of spooky content. Horror movie marathons, terrifying stories, skeletons hanging from every branch, costumes, and candy galore!
Naturally, horror aficionados are going to want to celebrate our favorite month with some Halloween books. But don't forget to leave some room in your October TBR for something new.
From supernatural scares with a bite to tensely terrifying New Weird short stories, these new and unique reads will keep you on the edge of your seat. Here are four of our most anticipated horror books from indie and small presses this October!
Good Dogs
Delia knows better than anyone just how difficult living as a werewolf can be. She's spent most of her life pushing down childhood trauma while fighting against her own nature to find a place in the world.
She's not the only one struggling—many werewolves are in the same boat, abandoned by their families and forced to hide who they are. All they can do is wait for the nights where the Change takes over.
Delia never thought she'd become the den mother to a group of lycanthrope misfits, but banding together under strict rules seems to help them safely navigate the Change.
Now they can hunt without putting their San Diego suburb at risk, and, above all else, they've become a pack and left the lonely days behind.
But it becomes clear just how little they belong in their suburb when a severed leg is found in their backyard. The family's only choice is to cover up the careless kill and retreat into the wilderness, far away from innocent people.
They don't want to endanger anyone. But in the wilds around Talbot, they may not be the biggest predators around.
This book is available now from Blackstone Publishing!
October
It's 1970 in Maplewood, New Hampshire, and four boys are about to cross the threshold into becoming teenagers.
But these boys have notice odd things happening around town—things that are a little too coincidentally timed with the arrival of an old magician at their neighborhood's boarding house.
At this boarding house lives a reclusive horror author. For more than 40 years, this writer has been too scared to travel outside.
In fact, the author has been terrified since the magician's last visit to town. Now children have started to vanish, and the young boys must connect the dots between seemingly unconnected phenomena to expose the dark powers taking their toll.
This book is now available for pre-order, and will be released on October 8th by Flame Tree Press!
Errant Roots
Deirdre never spent much time thinking about her family tree. After all, it's just been her and her mother for the past 24 years.
But now that Deirdre has an unplanned pregnancy, her mother is adamant that they revisit their family roots. Now the mom-to-be is on a journey to discover her family's dark secrets and just how sinister their origins are.
This book is now available for pre-order, and will be released on October 15th by Raw Dog Screaming Press!
The Off-Season: An Anthology of Coastal New Weird
This gripping anthology features 25 brand new “New Weird” short stories, all set along the edge of the sea. In these tales, the mundane becomes bizarre and terror emerges into the harsh light of day.
Prepare to leave all logic behind as you wade into the waters of mysticism, outsiders, and obsession.
This collection features stories from J. A. W. McCarthy, Richard Thomas, Tiffany Morris, and more.
This book is now available for pre-order, and will be released on October 29th by Dark Matter INK!
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Featured image: Donnie Rosie/Unsplash