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2022 Word Horde Schedule Announced!

It’s been a weird couple of years for publishing, from the pandemic and supply chain breakdown to rising paper prices. Nevertheless, we persevere. We’ve got some great books lined up for you in 2022, and we’re looking forward to bringing you your next favorite reads.

March: Mr. Gaunt and Other Uneasy Encounters, John Langan
Word Horde is excited to bring you a new edition of Bram Stoker Award-winning author John Langan’s long out-of-print debut collection, featuring the addition of an all-new story. Mr. Gaunt and Other Uneasy Encounters is a collection of tales both elegant and macabre, steeped in the tradition of the literary weird.

April: And at My Back I Always Hear, Scott Nicolay
From World Fantasy Award-winning author Scott Nicolay comes And at My Back I Always Hear, a new collection of eight tales of the macabre and the uncanny.

May: Corpsemouth and Other Autobiographies, John Langan
John Langan returns with one new and ten previously uncollected tales of cosmic horror in Corpsemouth and Other Autobiographies. In these stories, Langan continues to chart the course of 21st century weird fiction, from the unfamiliar to the familial, the unfathomably distant to the intimate. Includes extensive story notes and an introduction by Sarah Langan.

June: In the Devil’s Cradle, S. L. Edwards
Senator William Esquival is in a rush to save his family’s life. Fleeing political persecution, William takes his family from the capital and flees to the family stronghold of Rio Rojo, a town known as the birthplace of William’s ancestor, a powerful former dictator whose legacy haunts the nation of Antioch. But even as the Esquival family seeks refuge, the country continues to fray around them. As Antioch bleeds, ancient hatreds, secrets, and ghosts pour from its wounds.

August: Mothwoman, Nicole Cushing
From Bram Stoker Award-winning author Nicole Cushing comes a novel about family, grief, aliens, mental illness, trauma, sexism, the Mothman legend, Covid, and the encroachment of unreality into American political life. Mothwoman combines the style and playful dark satire of A Sick Gray Laugh with the grimness and relatively quick pace of Mr. Suicide.

October: How to See Ghosts & Other Figments, Orrin Grey
A new collection from the author of Guignol & Other Sardonic Tales and Painted Monsters & Other Strange Beasts. Orrin Grey returns with eighteen haunting stories of the strange and supernatural.

Stay tuned for preorder announcements!

Word Horde Emporium Grand Opening!

Sorry for the radio silence over the last few months, folks, but we’ve been hard at work on a special project. We’re so excited to finally announce the opening of the Word Horde Emporium of The Weird & Fantastic!

As the flagship Word Horde store, the Emporium will certainly feature all of your favorite Word Horde titles, but we will also be carrying the best in horror and weird fiction coming out of our favorite small presses.

We’ve got plenty from the Big 5 as well, top new releases in genre fiction, as well as the classics. Speaking of classics, we may have the largest collection of Penguin Classics in Sonoma County. And did we mention our awesome spooky kids section?

We wouldn’t be an Emporium with just books, however. We’ve got a fun selection of dice and supplies for tabletop gaming, as well as D&D 5e books, but this section will continue to grow in the near future, with the same focus on horror/weird themes and small presses.

The store is also stocked with an amazing assortment of fun ephemera to accompany your books and games. A little spooky, a bit witchy, definitely geeky, we’ve stickers, buttons, pins, jewelry, journals, bath and body, candles, bags, plushies, collectibles and decor, an incredible tarot selection, and so much more!

We’ve been testing the waters this past week, but our grand opening will be Saturday, October 30 from 12 to 5. If you’re a Bay Area resident or happen to be visiting then, stop by 301 2nd Street in Petaluma and say hello! We’re winging it a bit, but we’ll have goodie bags (while supplies last), raffles, tarot readings by Madame Elle, and author readings.

Word Horde Emporium of the Weird & Fantastic

Word Horde Emporium of the Weird & Fantastic

If I’ve learned one thing living through this pandemic, it’s to never postpone your dreams for a more convenient time.

I’ve spent much of my life working in book and music stores, for every kind of boss, and have consistently invoked the refrain, “when I have my own store, I’m going to do this differently.” I’ve long daydreamed about building my own store, stocking it with my favorite things, and on many levels, Word Horde has been an extension of this dream. It’s given me the chance to travel to conventions all over, setting up pop-up Word Horde bookstores.

Lately, the stars have aligned, and we have the opportunity to open our own brick and mortar store, right here in Petaluma: The Word Horde Emporium of the Weird & Fantastic.

So we’re jumping in, opening our retail store at a ridiculous time, and filling it with things that amuse us, objects that complement the Word Horde philosophy and aesthetic. Products inspired by the fiction we love, spooky stuff, gifts for geeks and goths and anyone else who enjoys the darker side of life.

We’ll have tools for writers, and some for wrongers. Role playing games, board games, and tarot. Books from presses large and small, a highly curated selection of weird, fantastic, and speculative fiction from a wide variety of amazing authors. Curiosities, jewelry, stickers, and so much more.

Over the next few weeks, we will be readying the store for opening, building and filling shelves, and reaching out to publishers, authors, artists, and creators that we’d love to feature (and feel free to reach out to us as well).

We’re starting small, in a limited space, but we’re looking forward to making the Word Horde Emporium of the Weird & Fantastic the kind of store that will continue to grow and evolve as we bring in more of our—and your—favorite things.

Stay tuned to Word Horde social media and www.WordHorde.com as we approach our grand opening announcement. For those who can’t make it to Petaluma, California, we will be offering a selection of featured products in our online shop.

Questions or comments, please query emporium[at]wordhorde[dot]com. Be sure to follow the Emporium on Instagram: @wordhorde.emporium!

Release Day: The Molly Tanzer Collection

Today is Release Day for The Molly Tanzer Collection from Word Horde!

Back in print after some time, these new Author’s Preferred Editions of Tanzer’s early works feature refreshed content, new introductory material and notes, and these amazing new chromatic covers from Matthew Revert!

Find Rumbullion, A Pretty Mouth, and The Pleasure Merchant at better independent booksellers everywhere and most online retailers. Order the full Molly Tanzer Collection direct from Word Horde for a special bundle price, and you’ll also get free eBooks and signed bookplates!

Coming Attractions

But, wait, there’s more, you also get…

It’s been a fantastic year for Word Horde books (and their striking covers) so far—from Christine Morgan’s Vikings to Molly Tanzer’s Decadents—but we’re just getting started!

We’ve also got a pair of collections from John Langan coming late summer/early fall. A reissue of John’s long out-of-print first collection, Mr. Gaunt and Other Uneasy Encounters will be released in August, and a brand new collection, Corpsemouth and Other Autobiographies will wrap up our production year in October. Both will feature more amazing art from Children of the Fang cover artist Matthew Jaffe. Keep watching this space for cover reveals and preorders!

And now… (drumroll please)

We’re super excited to tell you about our first two titles acquired for 2022!

First up is a new collection from World Fantasy Award-winning author Scott Nicolay. Dropping in February (2.22.22!), And at My Back I Always Hear is a sizeable collection of stories and novellas from the always erudite and provocative Nicolay.

Following in April will be the debut novel from S. L. Edwards, In the Devil’s Cradle, a captivating haunted house novel where the house is an entire country, a nation coming apart due to influences both internal and external, both natural and supernatural.

Why follow the herd? Join the Horde!

Cover Reveal: The Molly Tanzer Collection

Landing May 25, 2021: The Molly Tanzer Collection from Word Horde! Back in print after some time, these new Author’s Preferred Editions of Tanzer’s early works feature refreshed content, new introductory material and notes, and these amazing new chromatic covers from Matthew Revert!

Preorder your copies today from Word Horde, and you’ll also receive signed bookplates from Molly Tanzer, and free eBooks in your preferred format. Order the full Molly Tanzer Collection bundle for a special price!

And now, on to the covers!

Rumbullion by Molly TanzerRumbullion — An unsettling epistolary novella filled with 18th century decadence, weird rituals, and murder.

In the aftermath of a party gone terribly, fatally wrong, nobleman Julian Bretwynde strives to make sense of the evening’s events, interrogating those in attendance, including the mysterious Count of Saint Germain, the Lady Nerissa, and a servant named Dionysios.

As Julian attempts to excavate the truth from wildly disparate stories, he finds that truth may be far stranger–and deadlier–than he imagined.

A Pretty Mouth by Molly TanzerA Pretty Mouth — An interlaced collection detailing the triumphs and misadventures of the decadent Calipash dynasty, a family blessed–and cursed–by cosmic weirdness.

A faithful valet is forced into the service of a decadent lord. A young writer of erotica returns to the family estate after many years in exile. A pair of decadent twins conspires to explore the most eldritch and macabre debaucheries. A troupe of soldiers face off against unimagined barbarity. A young man determines to be part of the in crowd… at any cost.

The Pleasure Merchant by Molly TanzerThe Pleasure Merchant — A novel of despair and desire, equal parts psychological thriller and sensual parlor drama.

When apprentice wig-maker Tom Dawne’s greatest creation is used as part of a revenge scheme against a powerful gentleman, he is dismissed by his embarrassed master and forced to abandon his dreams of completing his training, setting up a shop of his own, and marrying his master’s daughter. Determined to clear his name, Tom becomes the servant of the man he suspects set him up. Tom finds himself caught up in a web of ambition, deceit, mesmerism, sex, and power… and at its center, a man able to procure pleasure for anyone–for a price–and a woman whose past has been stolen.

News From The Horde – April 2021

It’s Release Day for Christine Morgan’s The Wolf’s Feast, preorders are now open for The Molly Tanzer Collection, and FREE Scratch and Dent Fisherman!

Release Day: The Wolf’s Feast

Happy Freya’s Day and Blessed Walpurgisnacht! Today is release day for Christine Morgan’s newest collection of Viking stories and sagas, The Wolf’s Feast, as well as her redesigned first collection, The Raven’s Table. Both covers feature Elinore Eaton’s amazing artwork depicting a mythic panorama. Publishers Weekly described this collection as “infused with mythology and magic, these dark tales cast a powerful spell.” Order yours today!

Preorder The Molly Tanzer Collection

Preorders are now open on a trio of titles by Vermilion author Molly Tanzer coming May 25, 2021:

  • The Pleasure Merchant: A novel of despair and desire, equal parts psychological thriller and sensual parlor drama.
  • Rumbullion: An unsettling epistolary novella filled with 18th century decadence, weird rituals, and murder.
  • A Pretty Mouth: An interlaced collection detailing the triumphs and misadventures of the decadent Calipash dynasty, a family blessed–and cursed–by cosmic weirdness.

Previously published by Cameron Pierce at Eraserhead Press, these critically acclaimed books have been out of print for some time.

The Molly Tanzer Collection from Word Horde are the Author’s Preferred Editions of these works, each featuring new introductory material and notes, and we are quite pleased to bring them to you. We’ll be showing off new cover artwork by Matthew Revert very soon, so get your order in and stay tuned!

Get a FREE Scratch and Dent copy of The Fisherman

We have an overabundance of Scratch and Dent copies of John Langan’s Stoker Award-winning novel The Fisherman. While supplies last, use the coupon code GOFISH to get a FREE Scratch and Dent copy of The Fisherman. Be sure to add it to your cart with your other items. If you’ve already got a copy, this is a great way to get one for a friend.

Coming Soon from Word Horde

Here’s what’s coming from the Horde later this year.

Two collections from John Langan, the all-new Corpsemouth and Other Autobiographies (October), and a new edition of Langan’s out-of-print debut collection, Mr. Gaunt and Other Uneasy Encounters (August). More details coming soon!

News From The Horde – March 2021

Keep reading for news about Christine Morgan’s The Wolf’s Feast and other upcoming titles, an updated Scratch and Dent Sale, and FREE Scratch and Dent Fisherman!

Cover Reveal: The Wolf’s Feast by Christine Morgan

Coming Freya’s day, April 30: The Wolf’s Feast, the newest collection of Christine Morgan’s Viking stories and sagas. Featuring gorgeous artwork depicting Freya and her wolves from the incomparable Elinore Eaton, this collection is “infused with mythology and magic, [and] these dark tales cast a powerful spell.” (Publishers Weekly)

To celebrate the release of The Wolf’s Feast, we’re re-releasing The Raven’s Table with an all-new Elinore Eaton cover featuring Odin and his ravens. Apart, these covers are stunning, but side by side they paint a mythic panorama. Here’s a peek at the covers and your first chance to preorder…

Continue Reading →

It’s the About Time It’s the End of the Year Sale

It’s been quite a trip around the sun: Wildfires, upheaval, a global pandemic! But we’ve finally made it to the end of this dumpster fire of a year, and not a moment too soon. Seems like a good excuse to run a sale! So, from now through December 31, take 25% off your order of all Word Horde books (except scratch and dent) with coupon code DUMPSTER. Pick up John Langan’s latest collection, Children of the Fang and Other Genealogies, Scott R. Jones’ novel Stonefish, or any other Word Horde releases… and save!

Children of the Fang and Other GenealogiesStonefish by Scott R. Jones

THE HORROR BUNDLE FROM WORD HORDE

Word Horde is proud to present a collaboration with StoryBundle, curated by Molly Tanzer. Here’s Molly:

We are fortunate enough to be witnessing a lush flowering of horror. From New Weird to throwback splatterpunk, the modes and expressions of the genre these days are as diverse as its writers. Whether you’re intimately familiar with the contemporary horror field, or just looking to dip your toe in a very deep—and monster-infested—pond, this bundle of horror novels and collections from sensational independent publisher Word Horde is not to be missed. You’re sure to find something strange, something scary, something transgressive, something that jumps out at you and demands to be reckoned with.

Word Horde’s list is eclectic, in the best way. Readers will find plenty of cosmic horror here, such as Brian Hauser’s Memento Mori, nestled alongside literary works such as John Langan’s The Fisherman, and lighter fare such as my own weird western Vermilion. You’ll also find a lot of music-inspired horror such as David Peak’s Corpsepaint, Tony McMillen’s An Augmented Fourth, and Carrie Laben’s A Hawk in the Woods. If you like your horror shorter, if not necessarily sweeter, we have a few stand-out collections, too. Orrin Grey’s Guignol & Other Sardonic Tales will dazzle you, Nadia Bulkin’s She Said Destroy will rebuke you, and Livia Llewellyn’s Furnace will incinerate you from within. As you can see, every book in this bundle has been selected because it’s essential reading for the up-to-date reader of modern horror fiction.

Like all speculative fiction, horror serves as a lens; as a mirror, really. When we read horror, we read about ourselves. That’s why it makes us shiver and squirm. So, enjoy seeing yourself reflected throughout the Horror Bundle from Word Horde. Only you’ll know if you’re seeing yourself in the heroes—or the monsters.

–Molly Tanzer

For StoryBundle, you decide what price you want to pay. For $5 (or more, if you’re feeling generous), you’ll get the basic bundle of five books in any ebook format—WORLDWIDE.
• Corpsepaint by David Peak
• A Sick Gray Laugh by Nicole Cushing
• A Hawk in the Woods by Carrie Laben
• The Fisherman by John Langan
• She Said Destroy by Nadia Bulkin

If you pay at least the bonus price of just $15, you get all five of the regular books, plus TEN more books, for a total of fifteen!
• Beneath by Kristi DeMeester
• An Augmented Fourth by Tony McMillen
• Memento Mori – The Fathomless Shadows by Brian Hauser
• Stonefish by Scott R. Jones
• Furnace by Livia Llewellyn
• Guignol & Other Sardonic Tales by Orrin Grey
• The Human Alchemy by Michael Griffin
• The Raven’s Table by Christine Morgan
• The Unnamed Country by Jeffrey Thomas
• Vermilion by Molly Tanzer

This bundle is available only for a limited time via http://www.storybundle.com