Good Mothers...
...teach you what waits in the dark.
Welcome back and sorry for the late post. I was indulging in a nice reset this weekend. I hope all of you did the same.
Mother's Day was yesterday, and what better way to come down from all that brunch and flower-giving than with stories about what waits for you after you crawl in bed? Mothers teach us to be afraid of the right things. Strangers. Sharp corners. The deep end of the pool.
But the best horror knows that the things worth fearing don't always announce themselves. Sometimes they wave at you from the wall. Sometimes they bleed quietly in the night. Sometimes they love you so hard they hollow themselves out to do it.
Enjoy!
Announcements
EJ Trask and Bridget Riley did a collab together, and the result is a murder zine! Buy Diary of a Murder here!
Diary of a Murder is an exclusive murder mystery from Bridget Riley (author of Naptime Novelist) and EJ Trask (author of Age of Aquarius).
Can two amateur detectives solve a cold case that everyone else has given up on? Drew and Jane are writers, but when they find the diary of a murdered woman, they’re suddenly inside the story.
Have an announcement to share (releases, calls for submissions, or milestones)?
Let us know in the comments or the chat, and we’ll help spread the word.
Featured Stories
Standout posts from last week.
Kate M. Sine brought us “Afterlife.” A gorgeously written piece set in 2138, where there's no earth left to bury the dead, and certain people carry souls so others don't have to. Tender and imaginative. One of the most quietly beautiful things I've read in a while.
M. Brandon Robbins gave us “Shadow.” Who knew you could turn a prompt about a possum having peppermint tea into this. Eve wakes at 2am, as she always does. But tonight, her shadow waves at her. What follows is quiet, deliberate, and deeply unsettling.
Horror Addenda dropped a sharp, thoughtful review of the new Canadian film Honey Bunch. If you haven't heard of it yet, consider this your sign. Maria writes about the film through a disabled lens, exploring how new weird horror can capture the specific vulnerability of long-term partnership, caretaking, and bodies that don't cooperate.
Community Recommendations
Have a story you think deserves more readers?
Reply to this post or respond in the chat we’re always looking for pieces the community loves.
Recent Publications
A new Substack horror anthology is out and available for purchase! Erica Drayton of Top In Fiction released a collection by names you know and love. Eye See You is a curation of 18 authors (and a forward by our own John Coon of the Macabre Monday grave tenders—clears throat—I mean, admins).
Buy it now!
Grab your PRINT copy today: (click the relevant link below)
Amazon US / Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble
Bookshop.org
Walmart.com
Grab your EBOOK copy today: (click link below)
TiF Press Shop
Eighteen horror and dark speculative fiction writers came together for a shared creative challenge centered on the concept of watching eyes. What those eyes witness, who they belong to, and why they watch varies wildly from story to story-yielding a collection that is as imaginative as it is disturbing. From quiet, creeping dread to moments of outright terror, these tales examine surveillance, perception, obsession, and the horrifying consequences of being noticed when you least expect it.
This anthology invites readers to peer into worlds where sight itself becomes a weapon, a curse, or a doorway to something far worse. The result is a haunting exploration of fear that lingers long after the final page-best read with the lights on, and perhaps the curtains drawn.
Have a book or a story in a magazine or anthology published recently?
Post a link in the comments, and we’ll include it in an upcoming issue.
New Voices
New to the Macabre Monday community?
Post a link to your Substack in the comments! We’ll feature your work in an upcoming issue!
The chat is open. Bring your stories, your poems, your freshly published pieces and your works-in-progress. Bring the thing you wrote that you’re not sure anyone will understand. Someone here will. Come say hello.
great mix of stories this week.
🖤🖤