Daily Dead Q&A: Author Mike Thorn Discusses His Short Story Collection DARKEST HOURS: EXPANDED EDITION
Earlier this year, we had the great pleasure of conducting a Q&A with author Mike Thorn for his debut novel Shelter for the Damned, and with his short story collection Darkest Hours: Expanded Edition also now available from JournalStone Publishing, we once again caught up with Mike in a new Q&A to discuss revamping his previous short story collection, adding in new goodies for readers, and more!
Darkest Hours: Expanded Edition Now Available
This definitive edition includes:
• A foreword by Sadie Hartmann (Mother Horror)
• Author notes for all 16 original stories
• 17 essays on horror cinema
Order yours now:
Mike Thorn on Sister Luna Podcast
“On this episode I interview horror author Mike Thorn. His stories gave me nightmares but this conversation served up the laughs.
There’s a wicked poltergeist story and a double dicked demon. What more could you ask for?”
Darkest Hours: Expanded Edition Featured in Calgary Herald
In the introduction to Calgary writer Mike Thorn’s short-story collection, Darkest Hours: Expanded Edition, American horror aficionado Sadie Hartmann offers a list of the complex subgenres found inside.
Hartmann, who goes by the name Mother Horror, found traces of everything from “gross-out body horror,” to “satirical black comedy,” “slasher,” “urban legends” and even the “Satanic panic” of the 1980s in Thorn’s work.
Darkest Hours: Expanded Edition – Review ARCs Available
I now have digital ARCs of Darkest Hours: Expanded Edition (coming June 11 from Journalstone). This version includes all 16 original stories, plus 17 essays on horror cinema.
Contact me here if you’re interested in reviewing and/or interviewing.
Influences on Shelter for the Damned: Novels About Obsession (Guest Post on Where the Reader Grows)
Obsession is a primary driving force in Shelter for the Damned, as the novel’s protagonist, Mark, becomes intensely fixated on a shack he discovers in a suburban field. As the Shack begins revealing its weird sentience, Mark’s interest grows. His relationship to the Shack eventually becomes horrifically parasitic, evoking the nature of debilitating addiction.
While writing Shelter for the Damned, I was conscious of several other books focused on obsession and dependency. I was especially interested in novels that used first-person or quasi-omniscient style to depict their protagonists’ experiences. I have provided snapshots for some of the most overt influences on Shelter for the Damned below…
Mike Thorn 