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I’m Just a (Freddy) Girl: A Nightmare on Elm Street 40th Anniversary Retrospective

Posted on 2024-11-14 by Hailey Piper article

This past weekend was the 40th anniversary of Wes Craven’s horror classic A Nightmare on Elm Street, and I had the honor of writing a retrospective on the whole series, “I’m Just a (Freddy) Girl” looking at everything from the nightmarish original, through the sequels, Freddy Krueger’s fight with Jason Voorhees, a little on the TV show, and the 2010 remake. I adore this series, and I had fun looking over its history and legacy. I was also cognizant of how different movies mean a lot to different fans and sought the positive in each, regardless of my personal opinions (though those are here too).

I hope you check it out, and sweet dreams!

New articles in CrimeReads and Writer’s Digest

I have a new article up on CrimeReads! With my new novel Cruel Angels Past Sundown having recently released and being a mix of religion and horror, my new article includes seven recommendations for other books/stories on the subject. Check it out here!

And for writers, I also have a new article up on Writer’s Digest: “5 Tips for Adding Otherworldly Elements Into Your Novel.” I use Cruel Angels Past Sundown as an example in a few steps for addressing and incorporating speculative elements. Remember, the weirder, the better!

Recent article appearances

Posted on 2023-07-11 by Hailey Piper article

Short update as we approach mid-July!

First, Becky Spratford wrote “The Scares Keep Growing | Horror Preview 2023” for Library Journal, which highlighted a bunch of the exciting horror books coming in the second half of the year (there are many!), among them my upcoming novel from Titan Books, A Light Most Hateful.

And just today, Neil McRobert published “These Are the Writers Shaping Horror’s Next Golden Age” for Esquire Magazine! It’s a deep dive into horror’s recent surge in popularity, both for the past decade and right now, plus profile and interview bits for several of us. I was excited to get to be part of it!

That’s it for now. In two weeks, my Splatter Western novel Cruel Angels Past Sundown releases from Death’s Head Press. So soon!

A Light Most Hateful on Paste’s Most Anticipated

Posted on 2023-01-19 by Hailey Piper a light most hateful article novel novella your mind is a terrible thing

Overjoyed to see Paste has included A Light Most Hateful in its “Most Anticipated Horror Books of 2023.” From the article:

“Hailey Piper might be the reigning queen of great horror titles, and now the author of Queen of Teeth and No Gods for Drowning is back with yet another instantly compelling new book.

Set in a quiet Pennsylvania town, A Light Most Hateful follows a young runaway who must reckon with her own past even as a massive storm washes a monster into her community, enslaving the locals and leaving her fighting to survive. A great title, a great concept, and Piper’s elegant prose all in one package. Sign us up.”

This year is going to be quite a beast for the genre. I’ve read a couple of the titles here already and they’re fantastic. A Light Most Hateful releases October 10, 2023 from Titan Books.

And glancing back to last year, it’s very cool to see space horror tale Your Mind Is a Terrible Thing on The Line-Up’s “Best Horror Novellas of 2022.” From the article:

“A spectacular story that delves deep into anxiety and isolation through sublime body horror while weaving an intense mystery that crawls under your skin and into your brain.”

“Cross-Generational Cryptid Theory” in The Arcanist

Posted on 2022-12-08 by Hailey Piper aeg article flash fiction no gods for drowning novel queen of teeth short story

My final short story of 2022 is up!

The Arcanist is going on permanent hiatus. I’ve had the honor of appearing there four times in the past with stories Crones in Their Larval State, Demons of Particular Taste, Jormungander’s Dance, and The Mother Stitch, with the first three reprinted in my short story collection Unfortunate Elements of My Anatomy because I felt so strongly about them (and the fourth might have been there, but it came out after signing the collection with The Seventh Terrace).

So many final story of 2022 is also my final Arcanist story. I’m so glad I could be a part of its swan song with this weird post-post-apocalyptic weird familial flash fic, “Cross-Generational Cryptid Theory.” It’s free to read and listen to online, so enjoy.

In Queen of Teeth news, two items: the novel has been nominated for the This Is Horror Award for Novel of the Year 2021, so thank you everyone who voted for it. Also, the audiobook will be releasing from Tantor on December 27th, but it’s available for pre-order now.

Also exciting, No Gods for Drowning has officially made Vulture’s list of “The Best Horror Novels of 2022” alongside incredible work that came out this year. I’m honored to see my book among them.

No Gods for Drowning audiobook release

Posted on 2022-11-29 by Hailey Piper aeg article audiobook no gods for drowning novel

It’s release day! Dreamscape Audio presents: No Gods for Drowning in audiobook!

Jodie Harris has done such a beautiful narration of this horror/noir/dark fantasy novel, and it’s a joy to hear her give voice to Lilac, Arcadia, Alex, Cecil, and everyone else scrambling in the flooding city of Valentine. It’s up on Libro, Barnes & Noble, Audible, and elsewhere too! I love that different places offer samples from different chapters.

And in mid-November, BookRiot kindly included my space horror novella Your Mind Is a Terrible Thing on their list “Science Fiction Trouble Feature: 10 of the Best Sci-Fi Horror Books.”

Into the Halloween Season 2022

Posted on 2022-09-28 by Hailey Piper article novella short story the worm and his kings

September’s end is upon us as we enter the Halloween season! I’ll be part of numerous upcoming events, which I’ll share about soon. In the meantime, a few recent releases:

Last week my new novel No Gods for Drowning released from Polis Books.

But so did El Gusano y Sus Reyes, the Spanish language edition of my 2020 cosmic horror novella The Worm and His Kings. Published by Dilatando Mentes Editorial in a new hardcover volume, with art by Raúl Ruiz and a translation by Alexander Páez, I’m excited a new audience can gain access to the story of Monique’s search for Donna beneath 1990 Manhattan.

On September 25, the sapphic horror anthology Moonflowers and Nightshade released, edited by Samantha Kolesnik. My story “A Change in Universal Flavor” appears among 18 tales of queer horror, following a young woman who encounters a shift in the heavens while being blackmailed by authorities.

On September 27, Chiral Mad 5 released from Written Backward, featuring a roster of incredible authors like Stephen King, Victor LaValle, Linda Addison, Josh Malerman, and many more. My story “Sable’s Bestiary for Those Who Remain” is a help guide telling how to survive an apocalypse brought on by strange light and stranger creatures.

Lastly, in time with my recent novel release, CrimeReads was kind enough to host my article “10 Shadowy Meetings of Crime and the Occult” which delved into ten stories/books mixing crime and horror.

Audiobook: Your Mind Is a Terrible Thing; Tor Nightfire article

Posted on 2022-05-23 by Hailey Piper Announcement article novel novella queen of teeth your mind is a terrible thing

Narrated by Laura Lockwood

It’s early, but the audiobook for my new space horror novella Your Mind Is a Terrible Thing is out! Find it on Libro.FM + Audible + other sites! Laura Lockwood gives a stellar narration following the plight of Alto, Esme, and Zelany against the horrors on the M.G. Yellowjacket.

Proud to share that I’m not represented by Lane Heymont of The Tobias Literary Agency. I’m excited for what lies ahead!

Also, since I won a Stoker and lost a bet with my wife, I had to make a deleted scene from Queen of Teeth public. Thankfully Tor Nightfire was happy to host, so check out Yaya Betancourt Dreams of Teeth (Or, How to Kill a Toothy Darling).

“Blame, Pain, and Selfishness” in A Woman Built by a Man

Posted on 2022-02-17 by Hailey Piper article collection no gods for drowning novel short story unfortunate elements of my anatomy

First story of 2022! This one appears in the new Cemetery Gates Media anthology A Woman Built by a Man. My story “Blame, Pain, and Selfishness” involves a fictional woman in a book written by a man, and how she’s unwilling to stay glued to the page. Check it out!

In other news, while the cover art is still forthcoming, paperback pre-orders are up for my late year noir/horror/dark fantasy novel No Gods for Drowning over at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org.

It releases September 20, 2022 from Polis Books!

Also check out this group interview with myself, Eve Harms, and Gretchen Felker-Martin with Lovecraft Arts & Sciences, Queer Art & Conventional Discomfort.

Lastly, Unfortunate Elements of My Anatomy made an appearance on Tor Nightfire’s Best Horror Short Story Collections and Anthologies 2021 list among a stunning lineup of titles, with shout-outs to “Demons of Particular Taste” and “Aggressive Mimicry.”

“Feast for Small Pieces” on Pseudopod, TPONG audio update, 2021 lists

Posted on 2021-12-31 by Hailey Piper article audio audiobook flash fiction novella short story the possession of natalie glasgow

Last story of the year, and it’s about a favorite for many: “Feast for Small Pieces” opens my short story collection Unfortunate Elements of My Anatomy, and also opens the final 2021 episode of Pseudopod, Flash on the Borderlands LIX, which features four horrific flash fics for your listening pleasure.

In further audio news: previously available exclusively to Audible, The Possession of Natalie Glasgow audiobook, narrated by the brilliant Gemma Amor, is now available at a wide selection of online retailers, including Libro.FM!

In other news, Queen of Teeth had the good fortune to appear on a couple more end-of-year lists, and I’m immensely grateful:

– Kirkus Best Indie Books of 2021

– Autostraddle Best Queer Books of 2021

– The Lineup, 2021 Horror Book Highlights

Also, Book Riot recommended Unfortunately Elements of My Anatomy in their article Short Stories for Dark Nights.

That will do it for 2021. Thank you for all your support, and Happy New Year!