Simon Strantzas

I’ve been quoting that “hotel window” passage for years, so I’m kinda angry you’re stealing all my thunder. I’m all Samson-post-haircut over here.

If you’re not reading BP your head’s not on right.

Cover of issue 12 of WEIRD HORROR showing a witchy figure floating above the ground and gliding right to left as their hair and robe traisl behind. Chloe N. Clark, Roy Graham, Rick Kennett, Annika Barranti Klein, Rajiv Moté, Russell Nichols, Rory Say, R.L. Summerling, D. Matthew Urban, and Aliya Whiteley.

Weird Horror #12 is alive! Another fab ToC! Thank you to everyone who preordered. I will get your copy out soon. You can grab a copy direct from us (or elsewhere). Our friends @weightlessbooks.bsky.social have the official digital subscription.

Thx!

undertowpublications.com/shop/weird-h...

Wherein I attempt to explain just what I mean when I contrast “European Horror” with “American Horror”.

Let the hate flow through you!

www.weirdhorrormagazine.com/on-horror-12

The odd couple in the rotting holiday park. The dark side of lacemaking. The twin town and its horrible secret. Wide range of macabre weirdness inspired by the late, great Rob Aickman. Spec writing of the highest order. @strantzas.bsky.social
My review: paulfinch-writer.blogspot.com/2019/05/back...

Monuments in Darkness Check out Monuments in Darkness - <p>This volume commemorates Nicholas Kaufmann's twenty-five years as a writer of weird fiction, which began with the story "La Bête Est Morte" (2000). In this diverse...

A friendly reminder that my new collection MONUMENTS IN DARKNESS is available in paperback and e-book! I think it contains some of my very best short work, and I'm extremely proud. Its publication also marked my 25th anniversary as a professionally published author. I hope you'll give it a read!

Little Ghosts Books Workshop Space Little Ghosts Books horror bookstore & community hub is looking to expand its space by renovating our back garage into a studio to host our workshops, book clubs, and author events.

Can we help our pals @littleghostsbooks.bsky.social expand their programming and build a fabulous workshop?

crowdfundr.com/littleghosts...

2026 Pre-Order Bundle — Undertow Publications Pre-order all 3 of our 2026 titles: Weird Horror #12 (Shipping March) Weird Horror #13 (Shipping August) Best Weird Fiction of the Year, Vol. 2 (Shipping November)

Reminder you can really help us out by pre-ordering our 2026 titles.

Thank you!

Weird Horror #12 (Shipping March)

Weird Horror #13 (Shipping August)

Best Weird Fiction of the Year, Vol. 2 (Shipping November)

undertowpublications.com/shop/2026-pr...

Thinking about creating a special email address to give to writers I like and telling them “just email me here and tell me if/when you have a new book coming” because, at this point, I’m nowhere near present enough to see their (no doubt) multitudinous social media posts on the subject.

Cover for issue 13 of Weird Horror. Art by James Hutton depicts a red figure with tree limbs sprouting from mouth and chest and yellow moon in background.

I know issue 12 isn't even out yet—soon—but revel in the glory of the cover and contributors of issue 13 (Summer). Art by James Hutton. Design by Vince Haig.

I'll be doing a big pre-order push soon on our 2026 titles to try and secure some much-needed operating funds.

Holy smokes did I ever sleep on The Gits.

Other Sides | Lethe Press In Other Sides, Simon Strantzas invites you to explore the eerie fringes of reality, where the familiar twists into the unexplainable. A hungry house that demands a price from its occupants. A boy who...

I’m Simon Strantzas. I write horror but also sort of don’t. It's complicated. I wrote the collection Burnt Black Suns and edited the anthology Aickman’s Heirs. Last year I published a new collection called OTHER SIDES that I really think you might like.

www.lethepressbooks.com/product-page...

I don't, unfortunately.

The last time I spoke to Terry was probably around 2014, and at that point he was living in Amsterdam. I choose to believe he is still there, sitting on patios and drinking beers. I don't expect he thinks much about writing any longer.

I’d just like to say it was an immense honor to be part of this omnibus.

If you can afford a copy, you should buy a copy.

www.centipedepress.com/horror/thing...

Caught this play a few days ago in Toronto. Not sure how much it reminded me of either Poe or Jackson, but it was a fun experience.

www.crowstheatre.com/shows-events...

I’ve received a lot of pushback on this thread.

Why does it happen? Because it happens.

Roll the bones.

Do you like them better in the high school halls, or in the shopping malls?

People gonna people, I suppose.

My dudes and dudettes and all those between: it wasn’t my intention to harsh your mellows today. I wish you all long and successful short story writing careers from the bottom of my blacked heart.

I honestly believe if this thread discourages someone from writing, they were never going to make it anyway.

My musing on collection oversaturation is more nuanced than Bsky makes room for. (I mean, I’m 7 in, so obv it’s not stopping me.)

Other Sides | Lethe Press In Other Sides, Simon Strantzas invites you to explore the eerie fringes of reality, where the familiar twists into the unexplainable. A hungry house that demands a price from its occupants. A boy who...

"Strantzas is one of the masters of modern weird fiction, able to mine the common materials of everyday life for unmistakable signs of dread." — Steve Rasnic Tem

www.lethepressbooks.com/product-page...

This is probably why there’s motivation for so many short story writers to write a novel. Even if it’s just to experiment with something different after so long, it gives them a chance to toe the waters of a different, more tempting and lucrative pond. (9/9)

I wonder if it wouldn’t be better to only publish 2 or 3 short story collections at most over a career. Once you get past 5, who really wants to keep reading them? Isn’t around fifty short stories enough to get the gist of what a writer’s all about? With 2 or 3, you leave them wanting more. (8/9)

There’s a heavy mental load buying a book of ten short stories, much heavier than buying a novel where there’s only one story. And the more books of stories you write, the more daunting that mental load becomes. (7/9)

Why would anyone buy ANOTHER book you wrote when they already bought the last two? (6/9)

And, if that doesn’t kill your short story writing dream, what follows is a slow decline into the firmament of the genre. People take your presence for granted. Reviews of your work dry up, readers mention you less often. (5/9)

What no one tells you is being a fresh new kid on the block has a short lifespan. People want the high of discovering a new thing, so as soon as you’re the thing, you’re out the door in favor of the next fresh new thing. Readers… they don’t care who they hurt. (4/8)

If you fight through all that—if you get through the constant rejection and overcome life’s obstacles and continue writing—you may be one of the lucky ones who develops a bit of a buzz. You may even become a bit of a thing. Congratulations! You’re a fresh new kid on the block! (3/8)