Horror review clichés get translated into plain English in this Halloween week dictionary from Ginger Nuts of Horror. From slow burn horror and elevated horror to the final girl, folk horror and the jump scare, every entry explains what reviewers actually mean. It also asks why horror book reviews and film reviews talk in code at all.
Jim McLeod
Dani Soncasie Is Stuck in a Horror Franchise
Hide well, trust nobody and keep something heavy within reach. Dani Soncasie Is Stuck in a … Dani Soncasie Is Stuck in a Horror FranchiseRead more
Great British Bake Off Of Horror: Who Gets the Handshake?
What if Halloween week on The Great British Bake Off let the real monsters into the tent? We sent ten horror villains through the signature, technical and showstopper, from Jason’s machete sponge to Hannibal Lecter’s flawless bakes and the Gingerdead Man, the one baker born in an oven.
I Was A Teenage Bisexual: Polis Loizou’s Monster Mash Hits the Road
Polis Loizou is back on the road with I Was A Teenage Bisexual, a one-person horror show that turns the old myths about bisexual people into a creature feature. Part vintage horror satire and part teen flick, this piece of queer horror theatre heads to Nottingham, Sale and Wolverhampton after a week in London.
Sally-Anne Martyn on Folk Horror, The Wicker Man and The Witch Elm
The Witch Elm author Sally-Anne Martyn traces her folk horror roots to a Derbyshire village of corn dollies, well dressings and gala weeks. She revisits The Wicker Man, the Nine Ladies stone circle and a Bakewell witch trial, and explains why Peak District folklore runs through everything she writes.
The Estate Called: Michael Mizov on The Last Heir of Bradbury Manor
Michael Mizov talks about The Last Heir of Bradbury Manor, his debut gothic horror novel from Three Dragons Press, and the Yorkshire house at its heart. He explains how Lottie Bradbury was built one question at a time, why the book lost its first title, and why people sure they are right frighten him more than monsters.
How Do You Battle a Voice? Weldon Burge on Enter Vengeance
Weldon Burge talks Enter Vengeance, the paranormal police procedural that sets Detective Rex Justison and psychic Alicia Masters against Tisiphone, a Fury who calls ahead. In this Weldon Burge interview he explains why the dread comes down a phone line, what Harvester of Sorrow taught him about juggling points of view, and why vengeance satisfies on the page when justice fails.
There Used to Be People Here by Kennedy Cole Review: Something Landed in Wenton
My There Used to Be People Here review looks at Kennedy Cole’s debut, a sci-fi horror novel set in 1978 Mississippi. A Black detective and his temporary partner chase a strange death towards a crash that was not a plane. It is Southern noir horror with real heart, and one of the best debuts of the year.
Dani Soncasie on Horror: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Comic creator Dani Soncasie sorts horror into the good, the bad and the ugly. She celebrates the genre’s emotional range, takes aim at slasher films that swap characters for gore, and calls time on the horror remakes and reboots that keep dragging old franchises out of the grave.
When the Night Comes Knocking by Katherine Daniel Review: The Mountain Wants Your Heart
Katherine Daniel’s debut is an Appalachian horror novel about two estranged siblings, a roadside store and a creature that feeds on guilty hearts. This When the Night Comes Knocking review explains why the siege horror novel earns four and a half stars, and why fans of books like The Mist should lock the doors and read it.

