Mike Thorn's Blog, page 29

Howling Libraries: Interview and Review of Dreams of Lake Drukka & Exhumation

Destiny of Howling Libraries reviews Dreams of Lake Drukka & Exhumation and welcomes me as her blog’s first ever interviewee.

Read the interview and review.

Dreams of Lake Drukka & Exhumation Reviewed in Biff Bam Pop

“This is an excellent double shot of Thorn’s brand of creeping, slow burn horror, continuing from 2017’s short story collection Darkest Hours .

You might know Thorn through his film criticism in the MUBI Notebook or Vague Visages, among others. His fiction has appeared in Dark Moon Digest and Tales to Terrify. His style is somewhere between the weirder short works of Stephen King and the more down to earth works of Clive Barker. I found Darkest Hours to be a surprisingly fun read where I often didn’t know where I was going or why, but when I got there I felt fully satisfied with the journey.”

Read Tim Murr’s full review of Dreams of Lake Drukka & Exhumation in Biff Bam Pop.

Limited time offer: Get a signed copy of DARKEST HOURS

Once again, I find myself with a few spare copies of Darkest Hours that I’m willing to sign and mail out ($18 USD + shipping).

Contact me if you’re interested!

“Perfectly paced from the first sentence, these stories grab you by the collar with the urgency of mortal danger. Highly recommended.”
— Bram Stoker Award nominee S.P. Miskowski, author of Strange is the Night

“Thorn presents a collection of horror stories that are not only scary, but also intelligent, thoughtful, and carefully planned confronting the anxieties of modern life.”
— iHorror

“Just read the opener, ‘Hair’ and became an instant fan. How can you not delight in a story about a metalhead fixated on long hair who starts obsessively eating it until hair begins to… um, well, buy Darkest Hours now and find out.”
— Bram Stoker Award winner Michael Arnzen, author of Grave Markings

“When you first encounter Thorn’s writing, a number of qualities impress themselves: the macabre intelligence (brutal really), the chilling wit, the naturalness of the dialogue. Plus there’s the skill and style of the prose. It may all play out like a nightmare, but a terrible logic remains inherent.”
— Robert Dunbar, author of The Pines and Willy

“These short stories show the author’s incredible range and versatility.”
—Sadie “Mother Horror” Hartmann

“Fast, fun and full of fear, Darkest Hours turns on a dime from a laugh to a scream. Terrifying and sly, Mike Thorn writes with refreshing originality and hides fangs behind a smile.”
— John C. Foster, author of Mister White

“Mike Thorn’s debut story collection is not to be missed by those who enjoy an academic intellect with a potent flair for fiction.”
— Dustin LaValley, author of A Soundless Dawn

“Take a dollop of Michael A. Arnzen and Brian Evenson’s quirky styles, and add a pinch of Mark Twain, stir well and let bubble, and you have a sense of Mike Thorn’s stories.”
— Bram Stoker Award winner Marge Simon, author of Four Elements and Satan’s Sweethearts

“One of the best and most rewarding feelings as a horror fan is reading a new author’s work and being blown away by their talent and the awe of discovering something cool. That is the exact feeling I got when I first sat down to crack open Mike Thorn’s debut story collection, Darkest Hours.”
— The Horror Bookshelf

“I think Mike Thorn is an author to watch. I think he’s going to do great things in the world of horror and dark fiction, and I for one, will be there to watch it. Will you?”
— Char’s Horror Corner

“Darkest Hours is for readers wishing to take a thrilling walk on the dark side. Mike Thorn has delivered a promising debut with this collection showing off his commitment to stories of nuance, heart, and of course… darkness.”
— Daniel Braum, author of The Night Marchers and Other Strange Tales

“Darkest Hours is a varied and hugely enjoyable gathering of dark fiction. There is more than enough talent showcased within these pages to suggest that Mike Thorn’s journey has only just begun.”
— Grim Reader Reviews

“Darkest Hours is horror for horror people. For the ‘confirmed ghost story and horror film addict,’ if you will. But it’s also for people with strong emotions and a desire for philosophical thought.”
— One Critical Bitch

“There are times in Thorn’s prose where I’m reminded not only of some of the best Stephen King from Skeleton Crew or Night Shift, but also of some of the more bizarre stories from Clive Barker’s Books of Blood.”
— Biff Bam Pop

“The stories are clever and witty. The characters are all too real.”
— Cedar Hollow Horror Reviews

“Mike Thorn’s Darkest Hours contains the most diverse selection of stories that I’ve ever read from a single author.”
— Sci-Fi & Scary

The Sci-Fi and Fantasy Reviewer on Dreams of Lake Drukka & Exhumation

Dreams of Lake Drukka & Exhumation  is another excellent, high-quality addition to Demain Publishing’s Short Sharp Shocks! imprint, and also a further demonstration that Mr Thorn is a skilled and deeply imaginative Horror writer able to range across sub-genres at will. "Dreams of Lake Drukka" is a fantastic short story that really digs into the nature of parental loss, delayed grief and then mixing in elements of supernatural horror; and "Exhumation" is a fast-paced and gory tale of supernatural dues owed.

Read the full review.

Dreams of Lake Drukka & Exhumation reviewed on Aphotic Realm

Reviewing Dreams of Lake Drukka & Exhumation, Aphotic Realm's Morgan Tanner writes, "Both tales carry an air of unease and some awesome shocking moments that will linger with me for a while I’m sure."

Read the full review.

Dreams of Lake Drukka & Exhumation reviewed on Forever Lost in Literature

“…intriguing tales of horror that are full of unpredictable moments.”

Read the full review.

Bedtime Bookworm discusses Darkest Hours in “September 2019 Reading | Wrap Up”

Bedtime Bookworm's September 2019 reading wrap-up video includes some thoughts on Darkest Hours.

Watch the video.

Beyond Empowertainment: Feminist Horror and the Struggle for Agency

Coming October 31 from The Seventh Row: Beyond Empowertainment: Feminist Horror and the Struggle for Agency

Discover some of the best female-centred horror films of the decade and how they’re pushing the genre forward. The collection features Mike Thorn’s essay “‘No Desire If It’s Not Forbidden’: Dread, Eroticism, and Text Messaging in Personal Shopper,” an interview with Personal Shopper director Olivier Assayas, and contributions by Orla Smith, Elena Lazic, and Mary Angela Rowe, among others.

Dreams of Lake Drukka & Exhumation reviewed on The Seventh Terrace

“If you’re looking for someone to deliver impactful short sharp shocks, you’ve come to the right place. Mike Thorn has crafted two delightfully dreadful stories demonstrating that family secrets are best kept buried and once you leave home, there’s no going back.”

Read the full review.

Buy Dreams of Lake Drukka & Exhumation.

Guest Post on Night Worms: 100 Favorite Metal Albums

“Exhume to Consume” was my working title for the second story in my new duology, Dreams of Lake Drukka & Exhumation ; unfortunately, the title already belongs to a song from Carcass’s Symphonies of Sickness (which is included on this list). Like many of the pieces in my collection Darkest Hours , this new story owes something to the atmosphere and imagery of death metal and black metal. For Night Worms, I’ve listed and (very, very roughly) ranked my 100 favorite metal albums.

See the full list.