Grant Dowell

The Works of Vermin Weird Murmur Blog by Grant Dowell. Weird Fiction, Pulp Tales, and Horror Story Discussions.

A murmur about Hiron Ennes wonderfully weird upcoming novel THE WORKS OF VERMIN:

www.weirdmurmur.com/2025/08/the-...

@hironennes.bsky.social

The White Shadow Weird Murmur Blog by Grant Dowell. Weird Fiction, Pulp Tales, and Horror Story Discussions.

A murmur about Robert W. Chambers' prequel to "The Yellow Sign": the short story "The White Shadow."

www.weirdmurmur.com/2025/07/the-...

As I was thinking through the cool monsters in Erdelac's stories about John Conquer, the comparison suddenly struck me: Conquer is Silver John set in Harlem 1976!

Looking forward to the book, and I'm happy to see Hiron Ennes' "Our Best Selves" in the TOC! That and their story "The Breath of Kannask" were two of my personal favorites from 2024. @hironennes.bsky.social

Our 33 Most Anticipated Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Books for the Rest of 2025 Lit Hub’s list of the most anticipated books of the second half of the year includes many genre titles, but, one might argue, not enough. What can I say, I’m an excitable boy, still in …

Hello?? THE WORKS OF VERMIN is one of Lit Hubs Most Anticipated books of (the rest of) 2025--"Truly on par with Vandermeer and Miéville, an absolute thrill to read."

lithub.com/our-33-most-...

I love how you take the Hodgson/Houdini controversy and turn it into a Hodgsonian weird tale. Marvelous!(great title too: "Bellow of the Steamship Cow")

Leech Amazon.com: Leech (Audible Audio Edition): Hiron Ennes, Abigail Thorn, Macmillan Audio: Audible Books & Originals

Hello worms and bugs and people,

apparently the Audible version of LEECH is downpriced to $6.99 on Audible from TODAY, July 1 (Canada day, so you should buy it to punish America), to July 13th!!!! (Also a good day to punish America)

www.amazon.com/Audible-Leec...

Cathedral of the Drowned Weird Murmur Blog by Grant Dowell. Weird Fiction, Pulp Tales, and Horror Story Discussions.

A short murmur about Nathan Ballingrud's forthcoming Cathedral of the Drowned.

www.weirdmurmur.com/2025/06/cath...

It Does Not Do What You Think It Does Weird Murmur Blog by Grant Dowell. Weird Fiction, Pulp Tales, and Horror Story Discussions.

A short murmur about another wonderful @brianevenson.bsky.social story!

www.weirdmurmur.com/2025/05/it-d...

Goblins & Galaxies Magazine Launching a brand new sword & sorcery, dark fantasy magazine that pays homage to the old pulp magazines and amplifies new voices!

A new magazine of Sword & Sorcery and Dark Fantasy is always good! I've pledged, perhaps you as well?

www.kickstarter.com/projects/crt...

Table full of gamers playing ‘Of Hearth & the Harrowing’ at ChaosiumCon 2025.

What a great way to start the con! The players and I had a great time. Some Corrupted were killed and one angry wild pig. Some fumbles were rolled! Some criticals were rolled, one from a fumble against another hero! I am so happy right now. Maybe Tomas will find his tavern by the end of the con.

Favorite reads of March:
"The Happy Children" Arthur Machen
P͟r͟o͟v͟i͟d͟e͟n͟c͟e͟ Alan Moore and Jacen Burrows
"The Burrow" Franz Kafka
"The Death of Odjigh" Marcel Schwob

Complete March reading list here:
www.weirdmurmur.com/p/reading-di...

Its bad when the wizard’s apprentice has to carry the party. 😀

The I.C.B.M.'s - Conflict Personality [Tallahassee, FL / Garage Rock / New Wave / 1983]

The I.C.B.M.'s - Conflict Personality [Tallahassee, FL / Garage Rock / New Wave / 1983]
https://redd.it/hgjfbd
https://youtu.be/fGBnovrR7LM

That’s wonderful!

The Man on the Ground by Robert E Howard Weird Murmur (The Readings) · Episode

A Weird Murmur reading of Robert E Howard's "The Man on the Ground."
open.spotify.com/episode/4ZTg...

The Happy Children Weird Murmur Blog by Grant Dowell. Weird Fiction, Pulp Tales, and Horror Story Discussions.

If you like Lovecraft's "The Festival," you'll probably like Arthur Machen's "The Happy Children." Here's a murmur about this creepy short story:
www.weirdmurmur.com/2025/03/the-...

Seabury Quinn The most prolific contributor to the pulp magazine ‘Weird Tales’, Seabury Quinn is famous for creating the occult French detective Jules de Grandin. The sleuth encounters otherworldly beings such a…

Delphi Classics just released a bunch of Seabury Quinn.
www.delphiclassics.com/shop/seabury...

The Death of Odjigh Weird Murmur Blog by Grant Dowell. Weird Fiction, Pulp Tales, and Horror Story Discussions.

Marcel Schwob meets Ligotti and Zapffe in the latest murmur about "The Death of Odjigh" from The King in the Golden Mask.
www.weirdmurmur.com/2025/03/the-...

What I've Been READING Weird Murmur Blog by Grant Dowell. Weird Fiction, Pulp Tales, and Horror Story Discussions.

Some reading highlights for Jan and Feb:

Bellow of the Steamship Cow by Aaron Dries
Loyalty by Matthew Bartlett
Window by Bob Leman
Beowulf, Seamus Heaney translation
Spettrini by Matthew Bartlett
Walking Aunt Daid by Zenna Henderson

Complete List:
www.weirdmurmur.com/p/reading-di...

Coming soon: Cosmic Dark Cosmic Dark is a tabletop roleplaying game of weird space horror, from the award-winning author of Cthulhu Dark.

Here's the crowdfunder for Cosmic Dark, my game of weird space horror. It'll launch shortly. Please sign up. And I really appreciate it if you share this post!

www.kickstarter.com/projects/gra...

Preorders are open! Should ship in March of 2025.

I love this collection, and it really shows off how imaginatively inspirational Hodgeson can be. WTSOW is a great book! @michaelcisco.bsky.social ‘s excellent “Night Hearing” finally got me to tackle Night Land—loved it!

"Going, Going" and "Resistant to Change" Weird Murmur Blog by Grant Dowell. Weird Fiction, Pulp Tales, and Horror Story Discussions.

Another murmur: two more stories from the James Chambers edited collection Where the Silent Ones Watch. Meghan Arcuri's and Adrian Ludens' story each look to Mary, the sister of the Recluse from Hodgson's The House on the Borderland. @mothman13.bsky.social
www.weirdmurmur.com/2025/02/goin...

This is working out as a pretty good play-by-post game!

Locus magazine blurb: “Michael Kelly, ed., Northern Nights (Undertow 10/24) This original anthology of 20 strange and chilling horror stories by Canadian authors includes work by leading lights of dark fiction Rich Larson, Premee Mohamed, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, David Nickle, Naben Ruthnum, and more.” Excerpt From Locus, December 2024 Locus Publications Plus book cover and quotes fromWashington Post and Library Journal on starry background.

NORTHERN NIGHTS made the Locus 'New & Notable' list. Today's the last day you can grab the eBook for just $2! (And all our in-print titles.) Even if you just buy this it is a great help. Thank you. The best $2 you'll spend today.

undertowpublications.com/ebooks

Excited to see that @hironennes.bsky.social Hiron Ennes' new short story in @undertow.bsky.social Undertow's Northern Nights returns to the setting of Leech! I can't get enough of their work. Is there more published Ennes fiction other than Leech, "Our Best Selves," and "The Breath of Kannask"?

YouTube video by PhD&D "He Will Be There" (1999) by Michael Cisco

Here I read an amazing King in Yellow story from 1999 by @michaelcisco.bsky.social, which is now one of my favorite King in Yellow stories. If you love this tale as much as I do, please support the author at michaelcisco <dot> com and grab "Secret Hours" (2007) which it's from.

youtu.be/yXiMB8FdyVU

The topic of "throwing spoons" became a lengthy conversational topic among friends after reading this story.

Night Hearing Weird Murmur Blog by Grant Dowell. Weird Fiction, Pulp Tales, and Horror Story Discussions.

A murmur about Michael Cisco's short story set in Hodgson's Night Land. This story works for both for The Night Land experienced and those who have not yet been called to the Redoubt.

www.weirdmurmur.com/2024/12/nigh...