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Rob Costello

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United States

September 07

Website

https://www.cloudbusterpress.com/

Genre

Young Adult, Horror, Gay and Lesbian

Member Since

August 2009

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/cloudbusterpress

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Rob Costello (he/him) writes dark and contemporary fiction with a queer bent for and about young people. He’s the contributing editor of WE MOSTLY COME OUT AT NIGHT: 15 QUEER TALES OF MONSTERS, ANGELS & OTHER CREATURES, nominated for a 2024 Bram Stoker Award® and named a 2024 CYBILS Award Finalist as well as a Notable/Recommended/Best Book of 2024 by the New York Public Library, Ginger Nuts of Horror, PseudoPod, Reactor Magazine, and Locus Magazine. He’s also author of the dark fiction story collection THE DANCING BEARS: QUEER FABLES FOR THE END TIMES, named a finalist for The Whirling Prize. His stories have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and have appeared in The Dark, The NoSleep Podcast, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, ...more

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Rob Costello’s books

Average rating: 3.85 · 1,420 ratings · 326 reviews · 11 distinct works • Similar authors

	Rural Voices: 15 Authors Challenge Assumptions About Small-Town America by Nora Shalaway Carpenter (Goodreads Author) (Editor), David Bowles (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Joseph Bruchac (Contributor) 3.78 avg rating — 921 ratings — published 2020 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	We Mostly Come Out At Night: 15 Queer Tales of Monsters, Angels & Other Creatures by Rob Costello (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Kalynn Bayron (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), David Bowles (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 3.92 avg rating — 358 ratings — published 2024 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Vol. 141, Nos. 1 & 2, July/August 2021 by Sheree Renée Thomas (Editor), Lauren Ring (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), L.X. Beckett (Contributor) 3.59 avg rating — 70 ratings — published 2021 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys 4.56 avg rating — 36 ratings — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Dancing Bears: Queer Fables for the End Times 4.50 avg rating — 22 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Dark Magazine, Issue 57: February 2020 by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Sean Wallace (Editor), Rob Costello (Goodreads Author) 3.91 avg rating — 11 ratings — published 2020	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Dark Magazine, Issue 78: November 2021 by Sean Wallace (Editor), H. Pueyo (Goodreads Author), Rob Costello (Goodreads Author) 4.60 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 2021	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Dark Issue 115 by R.L. Summerling (Goodreads Author), Steve Rasnic Tem (Goodreads Author), Abigail Kemske (Goodreads Author) 4.20 avg rating — 5 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Dark Magazine, Issue 65: October 2020 by Sean Wallace (Editor), Rob Costello (Goodreads Author), Shari Paul 4.67 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2020	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Dark Issue 117 by Nelson Stanley (Goodreads Author), Rob Costello (Goodreads Author), Steve Rasnic Tem (Goodreads Author) 4.50 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Rob is Currently Reading

Rob Costello is currently reading

Don't Fear the Reaper (The Indian Lake Trilogy, #2)

by Stephen Graham Jones (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Mar 13, 2024 06:36AM

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Rob’s Recent Updates

Rob Costello entered a giveaway King Sorrow by Joe Hill (Goodreads Author) 25 copies available, ends on September 16, 2025 Enter to win »
Sep 03, 2025 04:39PM · like · see giveaway
Rob Costello liked Rachel Drrmrmrr's review of The Dancing Bears: Queer Fables for the End Times:
Sep 02, 2025 04:01PM · see review
Rob Costello liked dav (actual seal)'s review of We Mostly Come Out At Night: 15 Queer Tales of Monsters, Angels & Other Creatures: "As lover of cryptids and all things queer, this was a fun one. Although I’m a little disappointed my boy Mothman didn’t make a proper appearance in his story, but I will forgive this huge mistake because the stories were all bangers."
Aug 27, 2025 01:03PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of We Mostly Come Out At Night by Rob Costello. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — We Mostly Come Out At Night by Rob Costello <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Rob Costello liked Bebo Saucier Carrick's review of We Mostly Come Out At Night: 15 Queer Tales of Monsters, Angels & Other Creatures: "Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I have not read many short story collections where I like the vast majority of the stories. Usually it's about half hit, half miss. I was enrapt" Read more of this review »
Aug 23, 2025 05:50AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of We Mostly Come Out At Night by Rob Costello. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — We Mostly Come Out At Night by Rob Costello <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Rob Costello entered a giveaway Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 19, 2025 10:24AM · like · see giveaway · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Rob Costello rated a book it was amazing For Lamb by Lesa Cline-Ransome (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 30, 2025 07:49PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of For Lamb by Lesa Cline-Ransome. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — For Lamb by Lesa Cline-Ransome <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Rob Costello rated a book really liked it FantasticLand by Mike Bockoven (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 19, 2025 06:22AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of FantasticLand by Mike Bockoven. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — FantasticLand by Mike Bockoven <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Rob Costello is now following Allyson and Shabby -BookBistroBlog
May 08, 2025 03:39PM
Rob Costello shared a quote “This city eats pretty boys like us alive if we let it.” Rob Costello
Apr 20, 2025 08:26PM · like · more quotes by Rob Costello · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys by Rob Costello. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys by Rob Costello <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Rob's books…

Quotes by Rob Costello (?)

“She was unafraid to be ugly and strange, to take up space, to howl and roar.”
― Rob Costello, We Mostly Come Out at Night: 15 Queer Tales of Monsters, Angels & Other Creatures

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“This city eats pretty boys like us alive if we let it.”
― Rob Costello, An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys

tags: city-life, club-scene, lgbtq-ya, lgbtqia-characters, nyc

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“Man is his own devil and his own god. He became such when he stopped believing in anything but himself.”
― Rob Costello, We Mostly Come Out at Night: 15 Queer Tales of Monsters, Angels & Other Creatures

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See all Rob Costello's quotes »

Rob’s Quotes

“Maybe the only thing each of us can see is our own shadow.

Carl Jung called this his shadow work. He said we never see others. Instead we see only aspects of ourselves that fall over them. Shadows. Projections. Our associations.

The same way old painters would sit in a tiny dark room and trace the image of what stood outside a tiny window, in the bright sunlight.

The camera obscura.

Not the exact image, but everything reversed or upside down.”
― Chuck Palahniuk

280 likes

“Sometimes you grow to love the shadow that follows.”
― Donna Lynn Hope

tags: love, shadow, unrequited-love

78 likes

“This city eats pretty boys like us alive if we let it.”
― Rob Costello, An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys

tags: city-life, club-scene, lgbtq-ya, lgbtqia-characters, nyc

0 likes