4 Terrifying New Releases from Indie and Small Presses This May

Let your fear flower with this month's fresh new reads.

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  • Photo Credit: Sydney Rae/Unsplash

Bigger doesn't always equal better, and when it comes to horror publishing, good things come in small packages. Or small presses, anyway. While behemoth publishers may have bigger marketing budgets, the freedom that comes with independent publishing keeps the horror genre lively, unique, and vital. For the best reads around, keep an eye on the little guy. Here are four incredible horror titles coming to indie and small presses this May.

Indie Horror Books Coming Out in May

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Narcissus

By Adam Godfrey

At the heart of every legend lies a kernel of truth. The Greek myth of Narcissus is turned chillingly on its head in this striking new novella. Four American tourists take a vacation to Greece and set out to find the pool rumored to be the very body of water that trapped the demi-god Narcissus in self-obsession. Soon their fun trip turns deadly when their reflections become infected by an ancient evil. In order to survive, they'll have to avoid looking at themselves. But can they resist?

This book is available now from Shortwave Media!

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The Stradivarius

By Rae Knowles

Escaping her repressed life via elopement, Mae and her new husband hope for a fresh start in her childhood home. However, the crumbling Victorian seems to be haunted by more than just the wicked rumors that continue to surround her father's unsolved murder...

As Ollie, a genderqueer outsider, takes it upon themselves to solve the old murder case, Mae is relentlessly taunted by a feminine specter, disembodied voices, and melodies of the priceless Stradivarius violin stolen the night her father died. Is it madness? A message from beyond? Or something more malevolent?

This book is available now from Brigids Gate Press!

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The Briars

By Stephanie Parent

Ex-ballerina Claire and dominatrix Ruby work at a commercial dungeon in Los Angeles called the Briars. This sordid spot has been haunted by the friendly spirit of its founder since her death in the 1990s. But the ghost's behavior turns dangerous with the arrival of a new submissive. Lives—and livelihoods—are threatened with this turn of events, and Claire and Ruby must uncover the dark secrets of the specter before it's too late. But in the midst of disaster, can these women weather their growing chemistry?

This book is now available for pre-order, and will be released on May 9th by Cemetery Gates Media!

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no one will come back for us

No One Will Come Back For Us

By Premee Mohamed

This collection of short stories takes readers into the darkest depths of cosmic horror and dark fantasy. From the farthest stretches of space to the bottom of the ocean, these tales explore the dichotomies of life and death, love and hate, science and magic, and gods and monsters. Are you brave enough to step beyond the comfortable world you know?

This book is now available for pre-order, and will be released on May 16th by Undertow Publications!

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More Indie Horror Releases from 2023

Featured image: Sydney Rae/Unsplash