Welcome to the sixth installment of Third Coast Review’s Featured Creatures, in which we ask Midwestern horror authors to recommend writers, artists, musicians, and stories that deserve more attention. Find your next scare here. Thank you to all the contributors, and be sure to check out their bios for information about their own work. Happy Halloween!—Lit Editor Dan Kelly (Featured Creature art created by Kathy Moseley.)
Recommended by Bryan Alaspa
A few years back, UK-based author MJ Mars exploded on the scene with one of the best haunted house novels in a while: The Suffering. She followed it up with an amazing collection of short stories called We’ve Already Gone Too Far. Now, in 2025, she comes back onto the scene with The Fovea Experiments.
A tale of an experiment gone wrong, it’s too easy to reveal too much about this amazing edge-of-your-seat novel. Something lurks behind everyone’s eyes. Something seen just as people are about to drift off to sleep. Something that can burst through and take shape in the real world.
The Fovea Experiments moves fast, and does that thing where you start to care about several people, only for horrifying things to happen to them. Mars has a way of developing characters without dedicating entire chapters to them. How she manages to get you to slowly care about her characters is truly magical, and it works so well with this novel.
Expect a story that sucks you in, gets you emotionally invested, then pulls the rug out from under you. Add in some truly terrifying scenes and gross out horror as well. The Fovea Experiments is a must read from 2025.
Bryan Alaspa is an award-winning author from Chicago, In 2025, he had the novel The Given, the novella Obsidian, numerous short stories, and the sequel to his novel Devoured, The Witch of November published. His horror anthology podcast When the Night Comes Out, created with voice talent and producer Allie James, returned with a Halloween Special!
Recommended by Donald J. Bingle
Historical horror fiction is a very difficult thing to pull off well. Stick too close to the actual details of the case and you are competing with true crime—in many ways a much more disturbing genre. On the other hand, if you push the fictional envelope too far you run the risk the tale will veer toward silliness and camp or come off as mere window-dressing for a purely fictional horror tale. In Lizzie Borden: Zombie Hunter, C.A. Verstraete does a fine job of intertwining the historical details of Lizzie Borden's tale, broadening and deepening our understanding of what really happened, while placing it in a context which encompasses all the grit and ghastly horror of classic zombie tropes. At the same time, she manages to capture the essence of the historical era with language choices, character motivations, and rich, descriptive flourishes that feel right for the period, without being so bound to historical rhetoric that the narrative loses the pace modern audiences need or becomes difficult to parse. I found the first half of the book especially compelling, as the narrower focus on Lizzie's situation, and the inquest and trial following, make the story a bit more intimate and ultimately more credible. Well-written, well-edited, well-researched, and well-constructed to deliver what those of you reading this review are probably looking for.
Christine Verstraete loves writing both short and long fiction. Her short stories have appeared in various anthologies and publications including Descent Into Darkness; Baby Shoes: 100 Stories by 100 Authors; Steampunk'd; Sirens Call; and Mystery Weekly Magazines. She is also the author of The Haunting of Dr. Bowen, and Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter 2: The Axe Will Fall. Learn more at her website, cverstraete.com or stop by her blog, girlzombieauthors.blogspot.com
Donald J. Bingle has authored nine books and more than 70 shorter works in the horror, thriller, mystery, science fiction, fantasy, steampunk, comedy and memoir genres, including Frame Shop, a tale of murder in a suburban writers' group, punctuated by violence, humor, and occasional writing advice, and (with Jean Rabe) The Love-Haight Case Files, Books 1 and 2, about two young lawyers representing the legal rights of supernatural creatures treated as other-than-human in modern-day San Francisco. He also edited Familiar Spirits, an anthology of spooky ghost stories. He has two audiobooks with stories in Morse Code: Morse Code Mysteries and Missives and Morse Code Memories and Musings. See more at donaldjbingle.com.
Recommended by Lauren Bolger
I knew I'd adore The Scald-Crow by Grace Daly early on. But I can't remember whether it dawned on me the first time I: A. laughed out loud, or B. physically recoiled.
After her estranged mother dies, Brigid (pronounced Breej) moves into her very Jesus-y, very Irish, childhood home in St. Charles, Illinois. I enjoyed how the structure of the novel had Brigid cleaning one room of the house at a time as a vehicle to uncover more about her childhood trauma, and how her disability and an unseen someone (or something) complicate these tasks. All the while, her mother's room is shrouded in dread and mystery.
Daly incorporates Irish mythology as well, further weaving depth into this story. Her work is refreshingly humorous and unflinching in how it handles invisible disability, grief, and some truly original and delightfully absurd gore. Equal parts earnest and sarcastic, she nails both, making this a fun and creepy horror novel while also honoring the more harrowing subject matter. This book went full throttle, which makes the humorous scenes wildly cathartic, the illness scenes feel all the more real, and the Horror scenes inventive and thrilling. A fantastic book that reads more like a seasoned veteran's later work than a debut. I couldn't put this one down!
Lauren Bolger is a Horror fan, and an avid music fan and drummer. Her Sci Fi/Horror novel, The Barre Incidents came out October 1 2025, and her debut Supernatural/Occult novel, Kill Radio, was released in 2023 by Malarkey Books. She lives within driving distance of Chicago with her husband, kids and cats. More information about appearances and publications can be found at laurenbolger.com.
Recommended by Grace Daly
When Barre, Vermont resident Kara’s father passes away from silicosis contracted from his mining job at the local quarry, she struggles to grieve. Frustrated by her mother’s inability to correctly observe Jewish burial customs, she mourns in her own way. Eventually she returns to her father’s gravesite with her best friend, Alec, only to witness a highly strange and frightening event. As horrors mount, she comes to realize many of the odd legends of strange happenings in Barre are true. The most concerning one? Dead miners are drawn from their graves every night to work in the quarry, and her father is among them. As she rushes to save him from undeath she uncovers ever-stranger mysteries, placing her and all she loves on a knife’s edge.
The Barre Incidents by Lauren Bolger has a propulsive plot containing a fascinating marriage of Jewish religious beliefs, Nordic folklore, and American cryptids. Through the course of the story, all the various beliefs are granted consideration and presented non-hierarchically.
The effect is one where seemingly contrasting plot lines weave together in a wholly unique and unfamiliar way. The fact it works so well is a testament to Bolger’s skill as a speculative writer. The story also features various perspective shifts as well as “found footage” elements.
Each perspective has an identifiable voice fitting the character or material and adds significant depth and richness. Additionally, they are well-placed in the novel, making the story feel unified.
Barre, Vermont is a vivid setting perfect for a horror novel, enhanced by Bolger’s sense of place. Particularly enjoyable was how much care went into the writing of minor characters; they all felt whole and complete, and their presence added to the feeling of Barre being a living, breathing town. The main character, Kara, has quirks and flaws which make her pop, but in spite of her stubbornness and occasional short-sightedness, the reader is left rooting for and relating to her. In other words, an ideal main character. The romance elements were a wonderful addition to the story; they provided increased opportunities for character development and increased investment in the characters, while also adding small, touching breaks from the terror which helped increase the impact of the horror scenes. The romance was also integral to the main plot, moving it forward and affecting the mysteries directly, which was a rare and delightful feature.
Bolger’s The Barre Incidents is an engaging, fast-paced horror novel with a unique approach to incorporating folklore and traditions from multiple different cultures simultaneously, and is a perfect addition to any fall reading list.
Grace Daly (she/her) is a disabled author with multiple invisible chronic illnesses who lives near Chicago. Her debut horror-comedy novel, The Scald-Crow, is forthcoming in fall 2025, and her fantasy novella, The Star of Kilnaely, will be released in 2026. She has been published in anthologies by Ghost Orchid Press and Sliced Up Press, as well as on the podcast Tales to Terrify, among others. Find her at GraceDalyAuthor.com, or @GraceDalyAuthor for Instagram and @gracedalyauthor.bsky.social on BlueSky
Recommended by Dane Erbach
It’s too bad the Misfits are the punk band most people associate with Halloween. After all, even though their songs are profane and provocative—maybe even “horror” songs—they aren’t exactly Halloween songs (with two obvious exceptions). Even bands like the Cramps and AFI, who delight in dark imagery, keep a relatively safe distance from from All Hallows Eve (again, with only a couple obvious exceptions). Enter St. Louis’s Horror Section, a perfect Halloween punk-rock band. Horror Section plays the pure sort of pop-punk that many associate with bands like Screeching Weasel, the Queers and Teenage Bottlerocket, but with an fun twist: all the songs are inspired by horror movies. For their third album Part III: Return to Rot (which Eccentric Pop Records released on October 10), Horror Section found inspiration in scary “threequels.” On “Happening Again,” a mid-tempo song with oppressive power chords inspired by “Amityville 3D,” frontman Teflon Dave bellows, “It’s happening again / right in front of us / It’s happening again. / It’s getting closer now,” reflecting that movie’s supernatural terror. In fact, all the songs on Return to Rot: Part III capture the conflict and sentiment of a third movie in a famous horror franchise, including “Together Forever” (inspired by Friday The 13th Part III) and Hunger (inspired by Return of the Living Dead 3).
Even the guitar licks throughout the album, such as the one in “Bloodlines” (inspired by Candyman 3), have the repetitive quality of a John Carpenter movie theme—albeit sped up and droning with distortion. Clever gimmick aside, Horror Section is a perfect starter punk band—the sort you can play for your dad who liked the Ramones or cousin who went through a Green Day phase. In fact, Teflon Dave even ditches the delinquent pop-punk sneer, opting for a smoother sound more akin to Bad Religion’s Greg Graffin than Ben Weasel, making his music even more accessible. In other words, it’s the perfect soundtrack for your next Halloween party or horror movie marathon—and a way better choice than the Misfits’ “Hybrid Moments.”
Dane Erbach is a writer from Chicago’s northwest suburbs who teaches English and journalism at a public high school. His writing has appeared in Mythaxis Magazine, Perseid Prophecies, the Frightening Tales podcast, in several speculative anthologies, and elsewhere. His novel Meat Bees will be published by CLASH BOOKS in 2026. When not writing or reading, you can find him catching Pokémon with his family, raiding his community library, and tending to the pumpkin patch in his backyard.
Recommended by Sue Granquist
If you’ve ever walked through a haunted house or rolled dice by candlelight, you’ve probably heard Midnight Syndicate—even if you didn’t know it. The duo of Ed Douglas and Gavin Goszka from Chardon, Ohio have spent nearly three decades crafting what they call “soundtracks for the imagination,” darkly symphonic albums that summon haunted mansions, ancient crypts, and shadowed dreams with no visuals required.
Their early work, like Born of the Night, set the tone for what would become the soundtrack of Halloween itself. By 1999, Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights was using their music, and haunted attractions everywhere soon followed. Since then, the pair have released more than 19 albums, scored the Dungeons & Dragons soundtrack, produced the cult film The Dead Matter, and even added a little fright to the holidays with Christmas: A Ghostly Gathering—think “Carol of the Bells” played in Beetlejuice’s living room.
They’ve also branched into games (Zombies!!! Official Board Game Soundtrack) and live multimedia concerts at Cedar Point, blending gothic visuals and symphonic horror into immersive performances. Their fan community, Legions of the Night, has followed faithfully for over 25 years.
Now, Midnight Syndicate has taken their sound to the next level with a custom score for Universal’s new Horror Unleashed attraction in Las Vegas—their first full-length composition for a permanent haunted experience. It’s a natural evolution for a band that’s always blurred the line between music and world-building.
From fog-filled halls to holiday chills, Midnight Syndicate remains the gold standard of gothic atmosphere—reminding us that darkness isn’t something to fear, it’s something to score. So, as “the season” approaches, light a candle, dim the lights, and press play. Because if you’re hearing faint organ music in the fog this October…you’re not alone.
Sue Granquist is a contributing editor for Black Gate Magazine (blackgate.com) where she writes a pop culture column on all things horror, under the byline Goth Chick News.
Recommended by Aleco Julius
Do you delight in reading cutting-edge, high-quality speculative fiction stories that push the boundaries of imagination? Of course you do—that’s why you’re here. What about when those stories are accompanied by evocative, frankly badass artwork? This is the best description of the Chicagoland-based Dark Matter Magazine. This publication, based in Wheaton, was edited by Rob Carroll, a veritable curator of unique, wonderfully dark narratives of horror, science fiction, fantasy (and all manner of combinations of these delectable genres).
Dark Matter Magazine enjoyed an 18-issue run from 2020 to 2023, along with special Halloween-themed issues. Some are still available in print, but all are available on their website—the incredible artwork alongside the deeply engaging stories. If you’re a fan of shows such as Black Mirror or Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, you need to check out this magazine. As a bonus, many of the magazine’s stories are available for listening on the Dark Matter Magazine podcast, which is easily found on various platforms as well as their website. The stories are narrated by talented actors and supported by haunting sound effects. I vigorously encourage you to check it out!
Aleco Julius is the author of Weird Tales of the Great Lakes and Endless Depths: Cosmic Themes, Weird Lore, & Hidden Knowledge. His writing has recently appeared in Red Line: Chicago Horror Stories and Dolls in the Attic. He has contributed to Fiddler’s Green, Cold Signal Magazine, Hellebore and more. He lives beneath the flight paths of Midway Airport. Follow him on Instagram at @dagger_of_the_mind.
Recommended by Scott Kenemore
The best horror novel I read this year was probably Cormac McCarthy's Outer Dark. It's no secret that about half of McCarthy's novels connect deeply and directly with horror fans based on their tone and subject matter. The Road, Child of God, and Blood Meridian are probably the best examples. The other half of McCarthy's oeuvre will tell you all about inter-generational horse farming, fraught Southwestern love-romances, and zzzzzzzzz… oh excuse me I must have drifted off again. To put it another way, you don't always know what you're going to get with CM.
To my profound delight, Outer Dark—McCarthy's second novel—provides a mysterious, jarring, and deeply-horrific descent into an unnamed region of rural America that may exist 100 years ago, 75 years ago, or somehow in all times concurrently. Outer Dark can be said to be a "MacGuffin story" in that the two protagonists, a sister and brother, set out on a quest to respectively find and flee-from the child they produced through incest. They are themselves hunted by a trio of mysterious killers who may be supernatural monsters, or possibly human vices made incarnate. Yet it is the local residents of this terrifying world of rural mystery, whom the siblings meet along the way, that most effectively bring out the horror in this very dark tale. It's hard for me to recommend this book forcefully enough.
Scott Kenemore is the author of the horror novels Zombie Ohio, The Grand Hotel, and, most recently, Edge of the Wire. He lives in Evanston. Learn more at scottkenemore.com.
Recommended by Ananda Lima
Flat lands, corn fields, wind turbines, and Chicago’s elevated train tracks, bridges, alleys, warehouses, and rich history: the Midwest is fertile ground for dark fiction and horror. As a writer, I feel my imagination is constantly sent to delightfully dark and trippy places here. And it is not just me, as shown by the amazing work that sprouts from Chicago and the Midwest. There are so many great books by talented local writers, it is always hard to choose what to recommend (a great problem to have). This year I will stick with two books that have just come out this late summer and fall that make fantastic reads for November and beyond.
I highly recommend Why I Love Horror, an anthology of essays by some of today’s most influential horror writers, including Chicago’s own Cynthia Pelayo, winner of the Bram Stoker Award. The anthology is edited by local librarian, horror expert and critic Becky Siegel Spratford, who introduces the anthology and each essay. The book is a moving tribute to horror and a great place to either gain insight on your favorite writers’ relationships with horror, or get an introduction to the genre. This would work really nicely as a spine for a horror book club, say reading an essay and a book by an author each month (I am thinking of doing this myself).
I am a frequent (even avid) Red Line rider and was thrilled to see Red Line: Chicago Horror Stories edited by Michael W. Phillips Jr., which came out this August. The anthology collects stories by local writers, including Christopher Hawkins, Nick Medina, Tara Betts, Sahar Mustafah and Cynthia Pelayo. (When I got my copy, I immediately envisioned bringing this book on a Red Line train ride, along with Theodore C. Van Alst Jr’s The El, for a nice meta-reading experience. It hasn’t happened yet, but it will—there will be pictures). It features cemeteries, ghosts, burlesque dancers, two-headed eels and so much Chicago. It is thrilling to read stories set around places like Lake Shore Drive, the Chicago River, and that haunted spot made for horror: Lower Lower Wacker. I also love how the supernatural is used to address real life horrors, including discrimination and police violence, in this anthology. This last point nicely illustrates some of the insights from the essays in Why I Love Horror, where writers talk about their use of fiction as a way to approach difficult realities. At the moment, I am taking any help I can get on that front (whether as a way to give myself a break or find ways to process what is going on in this city that I love).
Ananda Lima is the author of Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil and Mother/land, winner of the Hudson Prize. Her work has appeared in American Poetry Review, Poets.org, Kenyon Review, Lit Hub, Electric Literature, and elsewhere. She is a Contributing Editor at Poets & Writers and Program Curator at StoryStudio, Chicago. Craft, her fiction debut, was long-listed for the Story Prize and the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. The New York Times describes it as “a remarkable debut that announces the arrival of a towering talent in speculative fiction.”
Recommended by Jon R. Meyers
No one in their right mind would’ve believed me if I told them a couple years ago that 2025 would be the year for midwestern horror. But here we are, live on the scene, with multiple all-star releases from a slew of midwestern genre and horror fiction writers all hailing from the weird, eerie, and quiet midwestern corn states and the beautiful city of Chicago. But I’d like to focus on Anthony Cleveland and his new hit five-part horror mini-comic series, Buried Long, Long Ago from Mad Cave Studios.
Out of the 220-plus comic books, graphic novels, and horror manga I’ve personally read this year, Buried Long, Long Ago, was my personal favorite. Cleveland’s writing is top-notch. We are introduced to an evil mother factually based on the American serial killer Belle Gunness—who actively murdered people in Illinois and Indiana between 1884 and 1908. In Buried Long, Long Ago we have the story of an evil mother luring men to slaughter at her residence in Laporte, IN. It’s a fun idea for a comic book because Cleveland’s interwoven mastery shines through as random men show up on the farm, play daddy, and disappear as fast as they walk through the door, some coming from across the country to build a spicy relationship with a not-so-charming old hag. The story is told from the children’s perspective, and it’s interesting to see the horror unfold before our very eyes as murderous events take shape. And what lies beyond the stack of luggage of the many slain men is something far more dark and sinister. Just ask the witch lurking in the woods.
With beautifully fantastic artwork from Alex Cormack, lettering by Justin Birch, and publication by the great and fantastic Mad Cave Studios. Cleveland’s, Buried Long, Long Ago is a hit horror comic book series for fans of all things murderous, supernatural and horrific. Highly recommended
Jon R. Meyers is a freelance author, staff book reviewer at The Horror Zine, and social media coordinator for the Horror Writers Association Chicagoland Chapter, as well as a former resident book reviewer for The Horror Fiction Review (2012–2020). His body of work has appeared in various publications specializing in Occult, Horror, and Weird Fiction. Jon is 40 currently resides in the Chicagoland area, where he can be found reading, writing, and hiking. For more information, please feel free to visit him on social media or find him at hwachicago.org.
Recommended by J. Rohr
Some people couldn’t get out of the way of a slow-moving train if their lives depended on it. Of course, it doesn’t help when all Hell is aligned against them. That’s the case for Hector, the hapless hopeless fool at the heart of I Live in Hell by Mike Salinas. It dives into the lives of Chicago gutter dwellers happily wallowing in wasted lives. Circling the drain, Hector is horrified to discover demons are chomping at the bit to see his demise. Yet, while Salinas paints a sympathetic portrait, complete with understandable reasons for addiction, characters are never let off the hook for making the wrong choices. This is, in many ways, a tale of grim outcomes presented alongside the harsh truth that no amount of substance abuse can erase the incoming mortar shell of consequences.
Smooth prose accompanies clever twists of phrase that make old observations feel fresh, while often spurring a smirk. Hideous abominations and haunting crime scenes are related in sharp simple details that leave the reader clearly envisioning the gruesome events depicted. Yet, a curious kind of funhouse quality keeps one speeding to the next infusion of nightmare fuel, especially as the novel’s central mystery unfolds—why is any of this happening? Thankfully, slick sentences maintain a breezy pace that keeps the book from being a slog. Composing Chicago settings, Salinas doesn’t craft tourist bait. Instead, the city is full of its natural noirish qualities. The endearing ugliness all inhabitants recognize in a metropolis prone to madness.
Salinas weaves an unsettling tapestry of wonderful weirdos, angels and demons as well as addicts aspiring to do better, not to mention worse. However, the strength of I Live in Hell is its honest relatability. It joins a kind of neo-gothic emerging tradition of stories where the true source of madness is human existence, similarly seen in the works of Cynthia Pelayo, Gwendolyn Kiste, and Hailey Piper. But most importantly, this is a fun read. It’s the kind of light quick creepy that fills a bookworm’s weekend with scary spice.
J. Rohr is a Chicago native with a taste for history and wandering the city at odd hours. To deal with the more corrosive aspects of everyday life he makes music in the band Beerfinger (available on Spotify). Currently, he writes articles and movie reviews for Film Obsessive. His various works can be kept track of at honestyisnotcontagious.com
Recommended by Mike Salinas
A Cosmology of Monsters, by Shaun Hamill
Sometimes you buy a book. You’ve never heard of it before; never heard of the author. And the cover art? It doesn’t tickle your aesthetic fancy in any meaningful way—but still, you buy it.
The back cover blurb is vague. A boy who sees monsters. A family who’s seen them too. A haunted house built out of obsession, sorrow, fear. You flip to the opening pages and see the line:
“I started collecting my older sister Eunice’s suicide notes when I was seven years old.”
You buy the book.
Knowing nothing turns out to be a blessing. You’re kept on your toes. You witness two generations of the Turner family burdened by misfortune and melancholy. At every turn, a mysterious monster watches—cloaked, with sharp teeth, sharp claws, glowing orange eyes. From father to mother, from sister to son, the monster watches. It watches from afar, then up close. It befriends the boy. It loves. It takes. It hurts.
The book reads like a dream, a nightmare, a sexual fantasy. Genres blur, sometimes more literary fiction than horror. There’s often more heartbreak than fear. You’re taken to surreal worlds ripped from a Clive Barker dark fantasy, then dropped back into a bleak suburban landscape where the real horrors live.
It makes you think of your own family: the pain they carry, the monsters they’re burdened with, the monsters they can be.
Sometimes you buy a book. If you’re lucky, that book sticks with you, like a monster watching from afar, then up close.
Mike Salinas is a writer living in Pilsen. He publishes the weird lit zine Dark Dead Things, and his first novel, I Live in Hell, is set to be released on November 20. You can follow him on Instagram @darkdeadthings or visit darkdeadthings.com.
Recommended by Richard Thomas
If you live in Chicago and are into books, you’ve probably already hung out in Wicker Park at Myopic Books and Quimby’s, but if you drive a little bit north (3182 N. Elston)
with a taste for something darker, perhaps you’ve discovered Bucket o’ Blood Books and Records. One of the coolest stores in Chicago, you can pick up some horror—they have quite an expanded section, one of the best around—perhaps a signed copy from Ray Bradbury, Richard Laymon, Joe Lansdale, or Jeff VanderMeer. When you’re done with those books, slide on over to the record section for some heavy metal, a t-shirt, or a cult classic from their film section. I’ve done a few readings here. They are some of the nicest guys in town, and their patrons are passionate and supportive.
When I think of Chicago and horror, I always think of Bucket o’ Blood, and I stop by whenever I’m in the area. You should, too.
Richard Thomas is the award-winning author of four novels, four short story collections, 175 stories in print, and the editor of five anthologies. He has been nominated for the Bram Stoker (twice), Shirley Jackson, Thriller, and Audie awards. Visit whatdoesnotkillme.com for more information.
