The Necronomnomnom
Recipes and Rites From The Lore Of H. P. Lovecraft
Hardcover | Kindle
Written by Mike Slater
Edited by Thomas Roache
Illustrations by Kurt Komoda
Publisher: Countryman Press | W.W. Norton
Release date: October 1, 2019

“In his house at R’lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming… about tasty food and drinks.” Or so you would think when you read The Necronomnomnom: Recipes and Rites From The Lore Of H. P. Lovecraft. Apparently, when the Great Old One awakens, he’ll have a hankering for some Cthus-Koos, aka Tuna Couscous. Thankfully this tome contains Cthulhu’s own secret recipe, which serves four, so it should be suitable for a lovely reunion.

If tuna’s not your thing, mix up some Tsathogguambalaja (seafood jambalaya), a favorite of the Old One, Tsathoggua (another sleepy dude). Or if any shoggoths stop by, serve them the Shogghoulash (beef and tomato goulash). For the vegetarians (like me), construct the Atlach-Nachos (nachos) without the layer of meat or summon up some Mi-Go To Go portobello sandwiches. For the young ones, the Lovecraft Macaroni and Cheese is sure to hit the spot. Then finish it all up by invoking The Ring That Should Not Be (Jell-O ring) and The Cake In Yellow (angel food cake) for dessert. Whoever (or whatever) your guests are, don’t forget the libations: Gin and Miskatonic for the adults, and At The Fountains Of Madness (gummy bears frozen in cherry syrup) for the kids.

Monster, She Wrote
The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction
Hardcover | Kindle | Audiobook
By Lisa Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson
Publisher: Quirk Books
Release date: September 17, 2019

They’re the queens of horror fiction — gothic horror’s founding mother Mary Shelley, haunted house maven Shirley Jackson, and vampire queen of the damned Anne Rice. But did you know that there have been and still are many other women writers like them contributing to the genre for centuries, most of whom wrote under repressive circumstances? Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction, a new non-fiction book from Quirk Books, gives these women and their works a spotlight.

In this 352-page compendium, authors Lisa Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson dig deep into the feminine roots of the gothic horror genre, beginning with its precursors Margaret Cavendish and Ann Radcliffe before moving on to the creator herself, Mary Shelley, author of the early 19th century classic Frankenstein.

A few years ago scrolling through the horror selections on Prime Video I found the movie Hell House LLC and it seemed intriguing enough to throw in my watchlist. There it stayed until my friend Chris (FutureBoyReviews on Facebook) told me to give it a watch. I’m an unabashed fan of found-footage horror and this was right up my alley. The movie was great, filled with genuine scares, and some of the creepiest clowns you’ll ever see. Last year, writer/director Stephen Cognetti returned with Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel, a worthy sequel that explored the backstory of the haunted attraction. On September 19, 2019, Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire debuted on AMC’s horror streaming service, Shudder, to much fanfare. (You can check out my full review of the film here.) On the day of the third film’s premiere, I got the chance to speak with Stephen Cognetti about the Hell House LLC trilogy, found-footage, his inspirations, and more. Read the interview here below.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the theatrical release of Ghostbusters, the 1984 blockbuster comedy starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson as the title paranormal investigators. Now, Fathom Events and Sony Pictures are bringing the film back to theaters nationwide for 2 days only this October.

Theaters nationwide will be showing the film on Sunday, October 6 and Thursday, October 10, 2019, and will include a screening of an introduction with newly unearthed and rarely seen alternate takes.

Finnish Nightmares
An Irreverent Guide to Life’s Awkward Moments
Hardcover | Kindle
By Karoliina Korhonen
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Release date: August 20, 2019

Finnish comic strip character Matti gets an American debut with Finnish Nightmares: An Irreverent Guide to Life’s Awkward Moments, a new hardcover collection published by Ten Speed Press.

Matti is described as a “mild-mannered and typical Finn,” and being an American with little knowledge of what the average Finn is like, I’ll just have to take creator Karoliina Korhonen‘s word for it. But going through these cartoon strips that depict Matti’s every day life, it seems like his experiences are not exclusive to native Finns. His fears of awkward social gatherings, hectic commutes, and running out of coffee have global resonance.