Macabre Daily’s PAPER CUTS!

If you’re reading this, you already understand the power our favorite stories hold over us. Most of us can think back to a challenging time in our lives and point to at least one book that saved us. These beloved characters and adventures gave us insight into difficulties or an escape from a world we couldn’t handle. Giving ourselves over to another entity and trusting them with our well-being is...

Eco-Horror is emerging as one of the most exciting and terrifying subgenres out there these days, and with good reason. As we see the current psychotic administration roll back just about every single climate policy and deregulate damn near everything, keeping us from bursting into flame, the time is ripe to illustrate just how f*cked we really are. Corey Farrenkopf, Tiffany Morris, and Eric Ragli...

As if the Lansdales weren’t dominating fiction enough, here comes Kasey Lansdale with a crackerjack debut Southern Gothic Noir that will make your hair stand on end. “First Chance” is the kind of crime thriller that rarely sees print these days. Sure, streaming services are jam-packed with limited series featuring strong women banding together, kicking ass and taking names, but on bookshelves it’s...

Josh Malerman has been crafting beautiful nightmares for readers since 2014’s “Bird Box” hit bookstore shelves and announced the coming of a new powerhouse voice in horror fiction. Since that monumental debut, he’s delivered countless tales of terror, from “Mad Black Wheel” to “Unbury Carol” to “Incidents Around The House,” and now, his latest, “Pictures of You,” which takes the reader on a journe...

The Long Pig is having quite a year. Cannibal themed horror has been lining bookshelves for ages, but since 2023 we’ve seen a brilliant resurgence in the subgenre that would make Hannibal Lecter proud. Now, Megan Mostyn-Brown has taken that taboo theme and created something both sinister and wonderful with her debut novel, “The Need.” Leaning into her remarkable background in television and theate...

It’s no secret that we absolutely adore George Dunn. He’s been one of our top go-tos for everything horror literature-related for quite some time now. His insight into the genre is razor-sharp, but never at the expense of humor, warmth, and genuine passion. George has interviewed some of the most dynamic and creative authors writing horror today, but his true superpower has been guesting on some o...

Jonathan Janz may be one of the most exciting authors working in genre fiction today. With over a dozen novels to his name and praise from the likes of Jack Ketchum and Joe R. Lansdale, he’s been keeping busy, and folks have been noticing, including us here at Macabre Daily! Janz’s latest novel, “Marla” ( which you can read our review of ), is a slow-burn story about a small town and the big probl...

2026 has seen some of the best haunted house fiction in ages, and Max Doty’s “The House That Eats The Dead” joins the ranks as one of the most unique and creative. A house that literally eats organic dead matter. Like Theodore Geisel said, “Oh, the places you’ll go!” Max takes this concept and dials the mystery, intrigue, and terror through the roof. No spoilers here, but you’ll be ripping through...

Macabre Daily has been highlighting the amazing authors chosen for the 2026 Summer Scares Reading Program, and we’ve finally reached the final group of dynamite creatives: the Adult Authors! After the incredible line-up of Middle Grade and YA authors, this group certainly brings the chills with two novels and an anthology that will rock your world. CJ Leede (“Maeve Fly”), Noah Medlock (“A Botanica...

A few weeks ago, we spilled the beans on the superstar Middle Grade Authors chosen for the 2026 Summer Scares Reading Program, and now we’re ready to unveil the Young Adult Authors, who are just as amazing as you’d expect! Ann Fraistat (“What We Harvest”), Linda Cheng (“Gorgeous Gruesome Faces”), Yamile Saied Mendez and Amparo Ortiz (“Our Shadows Have Claws”). bring the (moderate) scares to reader...

with “She Wore Black,” an amazing deep dive into all things horror, gothic, dark romance, and dark fantasy, but she does it with some of the most incredible voices writing horror today! Lately, each episode has been doing a deep dive into a theme; that theme is then discussed by both Agatha and the guest, and book suggestions and read-alikes are laid out for the listener like the best buffet you’v...

This week’s PAPER CUTS Podcast is an incredible Indie Spotlight Two-fer of Dane Erbach, the author of “Meat Bees,” one of the best titles ever to see print, as well as a cover that will haunt your nightmares (what comes after the cover is pretty spectacular too), and Joshua Millican, author of “Dopefoot,” the trippiest Redwood Gothic to come out this year. These novels are two of the best reads of...

You want superstars? Well, we’ve got them right here! Check out these amazing, fantastic, remarkably creative Middle Grade authors whose books were chosen for the 2026 Summer Scares Reading Program. Bree Paulsen (Garlic the Vampire), Ally Malinenko (This Appearing House), and Ally Russell (It Came From The Trees) bring the (light) scares, the thrilling plots, the creepy locations, and the all-too-...

Christopher Golden is our horror utility player. You can count on him to deliver scares no matter what he’s writing. Comfortable and confident with mystery, thriller, horror, adventure, and noir, just to name a few, Golden can whip up a cracking good tale in any and all of them. With his newest, “Carry Me To My Grave,” he blends damn near all those genres into a novel as heartstopping as it is hea...

Period piece horror has a special place in our hearts, especially westerns. There’s something romantic and ominous about the open plain's breathtaking mystery. The thoroughly researched detail of time and place adds depth and richness to the text, easily transporting us wherever the author wants to take us and, by proxy, however they want to terrify us. There’s a new favorite of this subgenre here...

What a year Daniel Kraus is having. When he’s not busy reinventing the perfect sci-fi horror mash-up, creating the claustrophobic nightmare of ending up in a whale’s gullet, or delivering the definitive expose on “Night of the Living Dead,” he’s racking up Pulitzers for Fiction, like a Boss! The man has no “off” switch, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Going through Daniel’s bibliography is...

The Summer Scares Reading Program for 2026 doesn’t just recommend nine of the most diverse, delightful, and horrific reads you could possibly ask for; it also introduces you to the rockstar authors who’ve created these marvelous nightmares. The ringleader for these marvelous misfits and the Official Spokesperson for this year is none other than best-selling superstar author, Jennifer McMahon herse...

Macabre Daily and the Paper Cuts column have always been champions of queer horror. We understand the power of the horror genre to offer catharsis and empowerment to marginalized communities and seek out opportunities to feature queer authors whenever we can. For Pride Month, we couldn’t simply rest on our laurels. We needed to find a way to step up our game, which is where Brian Finnerty, contrib...

Macabre Daily and Horrorverse joining forces is a team-up for the ages, so we wasted no time getting Sarah Stubbs in front of a microphone to suggest some delightfully dreadful book recommendations for all our podcast listeners. For those of you new to Sarah, she’s an online content creator with a passion for all things pop culture, especially food and horror. Her mother taught her how to cook at...

It’s not uncommon for authors to reference their personal history when seeking inspiration for their books. In her debut novel “Backstabbers” (2026), being published on June 2, 2026, by Bantam Books, author Eliza Jabore took that assignment very seriously! When we had the chance to talk with her recently about her forthcoming novel, we very nearly forgot to ask her any questions about her book bec...

Cynthia Pelayo is something of a magician, or maybe sorceress is a better term. She can take the most beloved story from our childhood, one that is immediately familiar, comforting, and beloved, and turn it into a nightmare factory right before your very eyes. The way in which she brilliantly subverts J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan” in the most delightfully dreadful ways is something to behold. What’s i...

Bill Wood came onto our radar back in early 2025 when Scholastic reached out to us to cover “Let’s Split Up,” the first installment in what is now a trilogy of terror! That novel became one of our favorites that year, with its fantastic mash-up of Scooby-Doo hijinks mixed with some truly terrifying “Scream” vibes, and yes, the book was just as much fun to read as that description implies. Now Bill...

If you listen to horror literature podcasts, and damn you to seven Hells if you don’t, then you obviously know who Stephaine Gagnon is, and her amazing “Books in the Freezer” podcast. Week after week, Stephanie holds a master class in getting the best from her guests, who are among the most fascinating, funny, and creative people in the horror lit community. The episodes all have fantastic themes,...

When we get word that a new Haunted House novel is on the horizon, we get a little anxious. Haunted Houses are our jam, but we may go a little overboard with anticipation and imagination. Unlike vampire, werewolf, and aquatic horror, when we finish a chapter in a Haunted House novel, turn out the light, and settle into bed, we’re essentially IN the novel. Every creak and groan becomes an ominous p...

Zombies refuse to die! Sorry, we couldn’t help ourselves, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Much like the decaying monstrosities they represent, the zombie subgenre keeps shambling along, reinventing itself every few years to expand on what is easily one of the most beloved of all horrors. Now, we’re treated to an exciting new take on the trope, with Courtney Summers novel, “This is Not a Te...