Ink Heist Episode 3.12 – The Imposition of Normalcy with Mike Thorn
“Throughout the course of the episode, we talked about Shelter for the Damned, his influences, coming of age narratives, toxic masculinity, suburban horror, Stephen King’s Dreamcatcher, possession films and so much more. We had a lot of fun recording this episode and hanging out with Mike. We hope you guys enjoy the conversation as much as we did!”
“Boys Will be Monsters”: A. Poythress Reviews Shelter for the Damned for The New Southern Fugitives
“Thorn’s debut novel is an insight into male violence, the sloppily-hidden depths of suburbia, and the isolation of abuse. It’s not typically what you would find in the pages of a horror novel about teenage boys and a deadly, abandoned shack, but it’s the subtleties of Thorn’s narrative that keep the story moving along so quickly.”
Shelter for the Damned Reviewed on Horror Oasis
“Shelter for the Damned is suburban coming-of-age horror with shades of Stephen King, Lovecraft, and the movie Brainscan.”
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…
iHorror: Mike Thorn’s Shelter for the Damned is an Anxiety-Inducing Must-Read
“Thorn proved himself a master storyteller in his previous short story collection Darkest Hours. In Shelter for the Damned he further underscores that talent, creating a tale that is both immediately gripping while instilling an insidious dread in his reader.”
Q&A with Mike Thorn on Hellnotes
- What authors influenced you growing up? Who are you reading now?
As a young kid, I was really excited by J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and R. L. Stine. Discovering Stephen King as a preteen was a big deal, and the same goes for encountering Hubert Selby Jr. in my teens.
These days, I try to read as widely as possible. I’m currently making my way through Drawn Up from Deep Places, by Gemma Files, which is terrific. I was recently floored by two Henry James novels—The Portrait of a Lady and The Bostonians.
Shelter for the Damned Included on Read by Dusk’s 30 Most Anticipated Horror Books of 2021
“Are you ready for 2021? I am!
While 2020 has been a hellfire, fortunately the quality of horror fiction remained excellent. There were plenty of fantastic horror books released this year and I hope they entertained you, or at least took your mind off your worries for a while.
So looking ahead to 2021, I have compiled a list of the most anticipated horror books coming soon! To make it simple, I chose the ones that already have a cover and publication date.”
Check out the full list.
Stephen King’s Short Story & Novella Collections, Ranked
I’m nearly finished reading Stephen King’s fiction bibliography. Since I’ve now finished reading all of his collections, I thought I’d share my personal ranking:
- Different Seasons (1982)
- Hearts in Atlantis (1999)
- Skeleton Crew (1985)
- Full Dark, No Stars (2010)
- Night Shift (1978)
- Nightmares & Dreamscapes (1993)
- Just After Sunset (2008)
- Everything’s Eventual (2002)
- You Like It Darker (2024)
- Four Past Midnight (1990)
- If It Bleeds (2020)
- The Bazaar of Bad Dreams (2015)
Mike Thorn 