short story

“Cross-Generational Cryptid Theory” in The Arcanist

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.

Fangoria, TPONG, and Hideous Horrors

Posted on 2022-11-04 by Hailey Piper a light most hateful movie novelette novella short story the possession of natalie glasgow

A couple of quick things to share!

Excited to see Fangoria reporting on A Light Most Hateful movie rights being picked up! So excited! The book releases in 2023, and I’ll keep things up to date with both novel and movie news to come.

As some might have noticed, my first novella The Possession of Natalie Glasgow is now out of print. It’s been picked up by a publisher who can hopefully be named later this year or early next year. Expect to see a new edition in 2024. In the meantime, it’s only available via the audiobook narrated by Gemma Amor + stray paperbacks in bookstores.

My The Hideous Book of Hidden Horrors story “When I Catch You” appeared in this star-studded list, “15 Of the Scariest Short Stories to Read This Halloween (And Where to Find Them)” on Paste. Check it out, and the other stories on the list!

Film News – A Light Most Hateful

Posted on 2022-10-26 by Hailey Piper a light most hateful movie novel short story

I’m so pleased to share that my upcoming 2023 novel from Titan Books, A Light Most Hateful, has been picked up by producer Tony Eldridge and Lonetree Entertainment for film adaptation!

From the Deadline article:

“A Light Most Hateful is billed as a terrifying survival horror full of haunting friendships in which the female experience turns monstrous. The story focuses on Olivia, who having fled home three years prior is stuck in a dead-end job in nowhere Chapel Hill, PA with her best friend Sunflower. That’s until a night storm crashes into town with a mind-bending monster in tow. If Olivia’s going to survive the night to someday reconcile with her parents, she needs to dodge residents enslaved by the storm’s otherworldly powers and find Sunflower. But as the night strains friendships and reality itself, Olivia suspects the storm, and its monster, may have more to do with Sunflower than anything else.”

A Light Most Hateful releases from Titan Books late next year. I’ll keep things up to date on both book and movie news as allowed, but in both cases, it’s an exciting time!

On the publishing side, I have a new story out, “The Deep End of You,” which is about the most unique soul in the world–yours!–and how it can be captured, in art and in other ways. Check it out in Stories of the Eye from Weirdpunk Books!

“Hollywood Werewolf Conspiracy” in It Was All a Dream

Posted on 2022-10-20 by Hailey Piper no gods for drowning novel queen of teeth short story

I have a new story out this week, “Hollywood Werewolf Conspiracy.” Evil Dead meets The Howling in a story that’s about endings … or is it? You can find it closing out the new anthology It Was All a Dream, in which a stellar bunch of authors take on overused tropes to give them a fresh twist.

Also this month, a few of my books have wound up on some lovely lists!

No Gods for Drowning makes another list, this time on The Lineup’s “9 Chilling Supernatural Horror Books with Fresh Takes” alongside other fantastic releases, here laying out the novel’s genre stew nature.

Queen of Teeth gets another Rue Morgue shout-out in “Ten Creature Feature Books for Frightful Halloween Reading.”

And Benny Rose, the Cannibal King appeared in Tor Nightfire article “10 Slasher Novels to Send Off Summer Right.”

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.

“The Turning” in Other Terrors

Posted on 2022-07-19 by Hailey Piper short story

New story day! I’m proud to see my coming-of-age body horror story “The Turning” in Other Terrors, edited by Bram Stoker Award winners Rena Mason and Vince Liaguno, which features 24 stories by some of the biggest names in horror. My story tells of a mysterious change spreading through adolescents across the world. It takes nine weeks to turn, and you’ll never be the same.

Check it out everywhere books are sold!

“When I Catch You” in Hideous Horrors; “A Soliloquy of Tongues” for Shakespeare Unleashed

Posted on 2022-06-23 by Hailey Piper novelette short story

Late into June, I have two new stories out!

The first is a new novelette, “When I Catch You,” about a woman being followed, the ghost of an ex-lover, and the mystery of eyes in the dark. You can find it alongside stories by over a dozen incredible authors in The Hideous Book of Hidden Horrors, the first publication of Bad Hand Books. Check it out at Barnes & Noble.

I’m also appearing in the new Crystal Lake Publishing anthology Shakespeare Unleashed. The book itself won’t be out until 2023, but my Hamlet-inspired short story has been put up online for free as a teaser. Check out “A Soliloquy of Tongues” here.

Bram Stoker Award for Queen of Teeth

Posted on 2022-05-16 by Hailey Piper award novel queen of teeth short story

So something pretty cool happened this weekend:

At StokerCon 2022, members of the Horror Writers Association honored myself and Queen of Teeth with the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel. 2021 was an incredible year for horror, easy to tell both by the ballot and outside it, and every novel nominated beside this one was an outstanding piece of horror. I’m honored to have stood with them and to have received this beautiful award, and I’m grateful to every reader who’s let this weird love story wind its tentacles around them. Thank you.

I can confirm at last that the award is not made of chocolate.

I also have a new story out as of last week, “In Thrall to This Good Earth,” part of the absolutely gorgeous Howls from the Dark Ages anthology of medieval horror. It’s a stellar table of contents and I’m joyful to be part of it.

“Small Handiwork” on The Grey Rooms

Posted on 2022-05-06 by Hailey Piper audio podcast short story

Two audio stories out today! My short WWII story “Small Handiwork” appears on The Grey Rooms with a marvelous adaptation and cast production.

Over at Dark Matter Magazine, the audio production for my 2021 coming-of-age sci-fi horror story “The House of Shapes” is available, and in celebration of tomorrow’s release of Your Mind Is a Terrible Thing, it’s free until May 15, so grab it up!

New stories, end of April

Posted on 2022-04-30 by Hailey Piper reprint short story

April is about over, and I have two new stories out (plus a reprint releasing tomorrow).

“Pleasant Guests With Better Games” marks my fourth appearance in the pages of Planet Scumm, this time Planet Scumm #13. Modern holiday meets ancient folklore in this tale of family and vengeance.

In the new Brigid’s Gate anthology Musings of the Muses, my 80th published short story appears on a glorious list of authors. “One Thousand Nights for Beloved Medusa” is a queer turn on the Medusa story, where myth clashes with the future.

Lastly, “Why We Keep Exploding” appears in Your Body Is Not Your Body, an all-trans horror anthology to benefit trans kids in Texas. Get amazing horror and help a good cause.

Your Mind Is a Terrible Thing releases in just a week! It’s up for pre-order at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Ready your brains, and keep watching the skies!