Horror Magazine Review: House of Stitched Fall 2021 Issue

I remember being a teenager, fixated on horror, but only being able to read Seventeen magazine because there just weren't that many main-stream options. There wasn't an Amazon at the time for me to browse, and none of my friends quite shared my obsession. For the first decade of my adult life, I perused the Barnes & Noble mystery and horror sections - though the horror sections were more aptly named the Stephen King section - carting out armfuls of books, not even realizing that horror magazines existed.

Aren't I in for a treat?

It wasn't until recently that I stumbled upon the masterly Trevor Kennedy of Phantasmagoria magazine. My horizons were broadened, and I was voracious.

But I wasn't ready for House of Stitched.

Though I adore classic 80's horror, those of you familiar with my writing know my style is very atmospheric. I love a creepy, haunted house vibe. I live for the grayscale tones and macabre creatures of Silent Hill. Give me dark and ominous any day of the week.

The House of Stitched Fall Issue 2021 is available on Amazon as of August 1st for $4.99 as an ebook. As always, click the image below to purchase your copy. The physical copy can be found here for $25.79. A bit pricey, I know, but trust me when I say that you are going to want a copy of this on your coffee table.

Being quite green to the horror magazine scene, I wasn't sure what to expect when I was first approached about reading House of Stitched. I loved the name, gives me the appropriate heebie jeebies - yes, horror authors still get those - but what was I really in for?

Turns out, more than I could have ever expected.

Whatever you love about horror - poetry, movies, novels, artwork - they've got it covered. The interviews are candid, refreshing, informative, and inspiring. I absolutely adore their focus on more obscure names in the industry, allowing others to shine in a world of giants. I walked away from the magazine with a few new names to follow and an affinity for more horror mediums than I began with.

For instance, did you know there is such a thing as prose poetry? I didn't, but I do now, thanks to the absolute genius of Maxwell I. Gold. It looks like a narrative paragraph but reads like a decadent wave of tangible fear. I'm hooked. Turns out Gold has his first book of dark poetry coming out with Crystal Lake Publishing in the near future, and I have one more book added to my TBR pile.

I haven't seen A Quiet Place II, have you? It wasn't even really on my must-see list. At least it wasn't until I read Tommy Clark's review of it in the magazine. At that point, it wasn't even about the movie anymore; it was about Clark's descriptions of it and his relatability. His in-depth character analysis and overall style discussion makes his review relevant for a movie-goer trying to pick a date-night flick or someone who has already seen the movie in theaters and is interested in continuing the dialogue.

The interview of author James. A. Moore was beautifully peppered with the covers of some of his more well-known manuscripts in a very Grady Hendrix Paperbacks from Hell vibe. Again, if you don't know that one, you will. I'll be discussing it in my next blog post. But what really stuck out to me was the pertinent questions about the industry being asked of him by the interviewer, D. Pardee Whiting. Whiting didn't only ask Moore about his own novels, reflections, and inspirations. He was asked about the self-publishing community and his opinion of editors. As both a self-publishing author and fiction editor, I was extremely interested in his take.

But to me, the crowning glory of this edition of the House of Stitched Magazine is the artwork. Take a moment and revel in the absolute deliciousness of this table of contents.

Every other image used throughout the magazine was equally as depraved and exquisite. The attention to detail and layout is captivating and alluring. Even ad space is used for reader pleasure, focusing on horror novel promotion rather than what toothpaste to use, reserving the normal magazine ads for their website edition. What you're left with is over 150 pages of debauchery, devilry, and immersive horror.

Yes, you need this!