Mike Thorn on Losing the Plot podcast
Mike Thorn is a beloved Losing the Plot alumnus who returns to discuss his latest book, Dreams of Lake Drukka & Exhumation, out with Demain Publishing’s Short Sharp Shocks series. We talk about the influence of location on fiction, films we’ve enjoyed recently, the challenge of long distance relationships and more!
Marna Larsen reviews Darkest Hours
Marna Larsen is an insightful commentator on all things horror esoterica, so I was thrilled when she reviewed Darkest Hours. On the story “Fear and Grace,” she writes:
“… a reminder about a certain kind of predatory magnetism that simultaneously makes someone charismatic to the masses and also a horrifying monster one on one.”
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.
31 Days of Horror 2019: Mike Thorn’s ‘Dreams of Lake Drukka/Exhumation’
“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.
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.
Dreams of Lake Drukka & Exhumation reviewed on Aphotic Realm
“Both tales carry an air of unease and some awesome shocking moments that will linger with me for a while I’m sure. I have yet to check out Mike Thorn’s short story collection, Darkest Hours, but on the strength of these two it’s certainly creeping up that TBR pile!”
Brennan Lafaro reviews Dreams of Lake Drukka & Exhumation
“The vivid descriptions of one of the characters in this story just might give you a little trouble falling asleep at night, and Thorn crafts an ending we’re not going to forget.”
September 27: Dreams of Lake Drukka & Exhumation
On September 27, Demain Publishing will release an e-book including two new Mike Thorn stories, “Dreams of Lake Drukka” and “Exhumation,” as part of their Short Sharp Shocks series. The e-book is now available for pre-order. Please reach out if you’re interested in a digital copy for review!
The stories are companion pieces: both depict unfulfilled pacts with supernatural undercurrents, both include journeys to uncover unresolved familial trauma, and both pivot around the revelation of repressed memories. I wanted to explore the relationship between setting and atmosphere in these pieces, and to depict horror within internal and physical ‘sites of trauma.’ The characters are grappling with painful memories / experiences that have held them back, consciously or unconsciously. One story focuses on a character who is the agent of her own revelations, whereas the other story sees someone whose agency is quickly and brutally taken away.
Mike Thorn 