James Aquilone's Classic Monsters Unleashed

October readin' and dreamin'. James Aquilone's Classic Monsters Unleashed, a who's-who of new stories about famous creatures, from some of the best horror voices in the business. 

Jonathan Maberry's "Höllenlegion", a riff on "The Island of Doctor Moreau", kicks off this delicious autumnal feast. The inimitable Joe R. Lansdale's gobsmackingly good "God of the Razor" caps it. 

Read Lansdale's piece first, I was so excited. Don't do that; it is unfair to all the other great creature stories. Over a year later, I am reading the rest, and enjoying each and every one, from Tim Waggoner's modern werewolf yarn "Blood Hunt" to Lisa Morton's fun "Hacking the Horseman's Code" à la Amazing Stories late 1980's TV incarnation.

Gorgeous cover art, and some stunningly macabre interior story art,  from Colton Worley.

Flattering post about my novel Town & Train

Winnipeg writer David Jón Fuller posted a very flattering comment about my debut 2014 horror novel, Town & Train (Lethe Press). I am quite appreciative of his shot of the railroad tracks, which puts me in a mind of the tracks in my hometown of Cornwall, which I fictionalized in the novel, as they skirted through the woods of my neighbourhood of Riverdale. I also included, for good measure, in my small city of Brandon, Ontario, the Seaway International Bridge, the Domtar Pulp and Paper Mill, and even Brookdale Mall, including Brookdale Cinemas.

Thank you kindly, David. I was having one of those stretches where these words landed just at the right time. And this photo may be new favourite thing to turn to during times of doubt.

It should be noted that Turnstone Press is publishing Fuller’s debut speculative fiction novel, Venue 13, in spring 2026 under the Ravenstone imprint.

Here's what David had to say:

Caution: Octoberly Work in progess

Trying to wrangle: my new short-story collection edits; transcribe/edit a fantastical October tale; pen a book review; file an e-interview about a promiinent queer Canuck poet; wrangle revising my second horror novel Monstrous; wotk up and organize and complete a suite of superhero-related pomes.

Also have two ready-to-print novelettes—one, "Congregation Haul", about an excommunicated queer Jehovah's Witness trying to save upstanding congregation members from their deepest fears made real; the other, "Sketchy", about an empath tracking a serial killer in Ottawa's gay village in 2002; a loveletter to bygone queer bars.

Jason Loo's Dazzler: World Tour

New comic I dug. Absolutely loved writer Jason Loo's Dazzler: World Tour with Rafael Loureiro & Alan Robinson & Terry & Rachel Dodson. 

She's a knockout. Very fun. Gorgeous art. The snappy script is surprisingly nuanced. Hm. Wonder if there's ny more Dazzler in this fellow Canuck writer's future?