by Michael M. Jones Art by Arnold T. Blumberg “First day on the job, huh?” the elder kobold growled, looking down his crooked green nose at the visibly nervous rookie standing before him. “Yes, sir,” came the reply. “Chim the Extremely Lesser, of Clan Coaleater.” “Another Chim. I swear, every
by Vince Stadon “I'd rather see you dead than meddling with Black Magic!” – Duc de Richleau It’s England in 1929. George V sits on the throne. Stern-jawed, stiff-upper-lip Englishmen are racing fast cars—and single-handedly flying light aircraft—around the leafy, sun-kissed countryside, speeding from one impressive
by Sam Logan Art by Arnold T. Blumberg You have started a conversation. Chatbot: Hi! I’m your employer-provided mental health coach. How are you feeling today? Employee: Well, I’m NOT thrilled to discuss my mental state with an artificial intelligence chatbot. This is a mandated session after I
by Vince Stadon I read The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson back-to-back with The Shining by Stephen King. I was fourteen. In both cases, I wondered how filmmakers had made Hill House and the Overlook Hotel as scary and unnerving and as alive as they are depicted so
By Cody Schell
By Jack Morton Art by Arnold T. Blumberg Gran shuffles over from the stove, a thick, home-knit cloth protecting her hand from the black iron handle of the kettle. She pours over the dried brown leaves, and a thick, musty, homey smell rises with the steam. It smells like a
by Vince Stadon “Have you never wanted to do anything that was dangerous?” – Henry Frankenstein Henry Frankenstein is an asshole. He’s not the worst asshole in Frankenstein, a film populated by assholes, but he’s up there near the top. Before we look at this gallery of jerks, I’
by Malda Marlys Artwork by Doan Trang My daughter haunts me. Her shadow lingers in doorways that are empty when I look. The cat, older than dirt, wakes only to yowl for her attention. Books tumble, sensible books she bought me for Christmas that I never read. They fall from
by Vince Stadon “Remember, I'll be watching for you on the big screen.” – Irene I don’t know what Mulholland Dr. is about. I’ve watched it dozens of times—always thrilled by it, always seduced by it, always perplexed by it. Sometimes I wonder if the next
by Chris Doty-Dunn Art by Arnold T. Blumberg 187 Begonia Avenue was depressed. The house had been happy once. As a starter home, a suburban oasis, a hospice. But since its last occupant had died, only raccoons and mice and a few splotches of mold lived under 187’s sagging
by Vince Stadon “Suzy, do you know anything about... witches?” – Sara Simms I’ve always found it a bit odd that, given it’s a medium of moving images, cinema—particularly Western cinema—favours storytelling above all else. Weird films with little regard to narrative are the preserve of the
by Dan Peacock Scott, I know this isn’t a good time for you, with the mysterious ultradimensional entities occupying most of downtown. But it’s not a good time for anyone. It’s taken me a long time to pluck up the courage to write this letter, but here
Vince Stadon
by Vince Stadon “What else am I good for?” – Håkan It’s 1982 and Oskar is a weedy, lonely, twelve-year-old blond boy who is being relentlessly bullied at school. His dad is an alcoholic who would rather drink with friends he brings home than be with his boy. Each day,
Lorraine Schein
by Lorraine Schein Art by Arnold T. Blumberg She has heard a whisper say, A curse is on her if she stay To look down to Camelot. She knows not what the curse may be, And so she weaveth steadily, And little other care hath she, The Lady of Shalott.
Vince Stadon
by Vince Stadon “Would you believe me if I told you there was something inside of that rock we found tonight? Something that could wipe out this whole town?” – Steve Andrews In the ‘50s, the UK didn’t have hot rod racers, the atom bomb, or Steve McQueen. We had
Cody Schell
by Cody Schell © 2025 Cody Schell
Liz Hill
by Liz Hill Art by Arnold T. Blumberg I stood on the roof of our goat hut and listened to the song of the coming storm. Footsteps sounded behind me on the roof planks. I drew in a deep lungful of air. “It calls to me, Machel.” “It’s not
Vince Stadon
by Vince Stadon “Now I'm gonna do what any rational human being would do, and that is to get the fuck outta here.” – Joel Irony. It was everywhere in the ‘90s – the culture was steeped in it. Back then, it wasn’t cool to just like things: you
Robert Jeschonek
by Robert Jeschonek Artwork by Doan Trang JOE BLOW RINKY-DINK Joe’s Saturday To-Do List: 1. Pick up fresh produce 2. Paint bedroom accent wall 3. Plant flowers 4. Prune Marcie’s favorite roses 5. Make pasta for dinner RINKY’S ROLL-OUT-THE-WELCOME-WAGON-FOR-JOE-DAY TO-DO LIST: 1. Get up bright & early
A Personal History of Horror Films in 101 Quirky Objects
by Vince Stadon “I'll be perfectly honest with you, David. I'm not in the habit of bringing home stray, young American men.” – Alex Price. The London of An American Werewolf in London is still there, just about. Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, London Zoo, Tottenham Court Tube
Brian K. Lowe
by Brian K. Lowe Artwork by Doan Trang [Camera, close in on host.] Horatio Walpole: "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is 'The Chat'. I'm your host, Horatio Walpole. Tonight, we're both honored and terrified to bring you the Dread Lord of the
A Personal History of Horror Films in 101 Quirky Objects
by Vince Stadon “Because everything with you is seeing, isn’t it? Your primary sensory intake, that makes your dream live, is seeing.” – Will Graham Manhunter is all about seeing. Francis Dollarhyde is murdering families because he has seen prints of William Blake’s The Great Red Dragon and the
A Brief History of the Stasis Field and its Ethical Considerations
by Andrew Kozma The strangest quality of the stasis field was not that it stopped time, but that some version of time still passed for those inside it. Here, we are talking about objective time vs. subjective time, i.e. the universe’s irrevocable aging second by second vs. the
A Personal History of Horror Films in 101 Quirky Objects
by Vince Stadon “I won't have any regrets.” – Nicole Horner The world was cold in the early 1950s. Money was coming. Money was surely on its way to warm things up and make everybody feel better, but in the meantime, everywhere was cold and everyone was broke. America