LIBRARY JOURNAL has reported the 20 top-selling, most requested horror titles by public libraries during the six months preceding May 26, 2023. EPISODE THIRTEEN ranked at #16!
Check out the list here.
THE CHILDREN OF RED PEAK Recognized by HWA
I am happy to announce THE CHILDREN OF RED PEAK has joined the Horror Writers Association’s Mental Health Initiative list of Notable Works.
This list identifies horror fiction that destigmatizes portrayals of mental illness in horror, promotes understanding, and even offers solace. After a review process involving five sensitivity readers and a nominating review by HWA member Sheri White, the novel was accepted.
THE CHILDREN OF RED PEAK is a novel of cosmic and psychological horror. It tells the story of several people who grew up in an apocalyptic cult and now, years later, struggle with being the sole survivors of a nightmare. Struggling with their lives, they decide to return to Red Peak, where their families died, to find closure and learn if the apparition they saw on the last night was real.
Thank you for HWA for recognizing this novel and for the kind review.
PHASMAPHOBIA
When EPISODE THIRTEEN, my found-footage novel about a paranormal reality TV show, came out, I was asked in interviews about sources of inspiration for it. A big one for me was PHASMAPHOBIA, a computer game. This is the scariest, most enjoyable horror game I’ve ever played.
When I first heard about it, I was skeptical. The game’s graphics and game play looked pretty janky to me. You don’t have any weapons, which feels weird when you’re used to playing first-person games that have a combat element. You move slowly. Most of the houses you explore aren’t creepy mansions but instead regular suburban homes. What’s scary about this?
A lot, it turned out. It scared the crap out of me.
Okay, here’s how it works. You’re a member of a team of up to four professional ghost hunters. You travel to haunted houses and explore them to 1) locate where the ghost is, 2) identify the type of ghost based on the evidence you collect, and 3) do optional actions like get the ghost to blow out a candle or get a picture of it. The only problem is the ghost generally remains unseen, so you have to use a variety of detecting equipment to discover physical evidence the ghost leaves. Another problem is the longer you’re in the house and depending on what you say over the mic to the ghost or your teammates–the game uses voice recognition–the ghost starts to get agitated. This is good, as its activity leaves evidence, but bad, in that the ghost may decide it’s time to hunt and kill you. The lights flicker, the door slams, you’re trapped, and you have to hide and pray the thing doesn’t get you.
The detective work is fun, but what makes this game work is the atmosphere of dread–something I tried to bottle in EPISODE THIRTEEN–in this case achieved with darkness and subtly with sound along with your own willing suspension of disbelief. The moment you go into the house, you know you’re on the clock for the ghost getting angry. There are jump scares, but they’re sparse and earned, such as when you’re just about to leave the house and the door slams in your face, signaling the ghost is coming for you. Out of all the games I’ve played, this one comes closest to the experience of reading, where the player’s imagination does a lot of the work. Like watching a horror movie, if you tell yourself it’s only a game and doesn’t matter, it likely won’t affect you much; but if you run with it and let yourself be immersed, it will very likely freak you out.
PHASMAPHOBIA is a classic game that is virtually unique among horror games, though it has had many (poor in my view) imitators. I recommend it if you’re looking for a horror experience you can enjoy solo or with some buddies online.
My Interviews with Ginger Nuts of Horror and Paul Semel
With the recent release of EPISODE THIRTEEN, I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by Ginger Nuts of Horror and Paul Semel.
In the Ginger Nuts interview, I talk about EPISODE THIRTEEN, the horror genre, and what it’s like as an author to get a bad review. In the Paul Semel interview, I talk about EPISODE THIRTEEN and the opportunities, challenges, and mechanics of writing an epistolary “found footage” book.
Check out the Ginger Nuts of Horror interview here.
Check out the Paul Semel interview here.
Big thanks to both for having me on a guest!
HorrorBound on EPISODE THIRTEEN: “I Highly Recommend This”
HorrorBound recently reviewed EPISODE THIRTEEN, which released earlier this week, advising readers, “I highly recommend this.”
A snippet:
“Wow wow WOW I LOVED this! Absolutely Craig DiLouie’s best and strongest novel so far… Great for found footage fans, for fans of shows like Ghost Adventures, and for fans of cleverly told ghost stories.”
Check out the complete review here. Thank you for the kind words, HorrorBound!
And click here to learn more about my new horror novel published by Hachette.
EPISODE THIRTEEN Releases!
I could not be more excited today as the long-awaited publication of EPISODE THIRTEEN, my new horror novel from Hachette, releases to become available in bookstores, libraries, and online sellers everywhere.
You can get the book at Amazon here.
Thank you for reading!
Here’s the synopsis:
Fade to Black: Led by husband and wife team Matt and Claire Kirklin, it’s the new hit ghost-hunting reality TV show.
Episode 13 will take their investigative team to the former site of the Paranormal Research Foundation in Virginia. In this brooding, derelict mansion, they hope to use their scientific methods and high-tech gear to crack an infamous haunting while uncovering clues about the bizarre experiments that went on there in the 1970s.
But as Foundation House begins to unravel its mysteries, Matt and Claire discover it wants something in return.
Revealed in broken pieces, in tapes, journals, and correspondence, this is the story of Episode 13—and how an entertaining show about hunting ghosts became a nightmarish documentary of obsession, madness, and human terror.
Here’s the advance praise for EPISODE THIRTEEN:
“The newest from DiLouie follows a found-footage narrative before veering into gloriously mind-bending terror… VERDICT: In this subversion of the classic haunted-house/found-footage story, DiLouie demonstrates his ability to toy with and eventually upend readers’ expectations. What could have been a story full of the typical tropes becomes an unsettling exploration into what lies beyond life, death, and reality itself.” —Library Journal (starred review)
“With well-developed characters, a swiftly paced narrative, and mounting dread, this new twist on the ghost story will delight horror readers.” —Booklist (American Library Association)
“Craig DiLouie is no stranger to strong writing and intriguing tales… Easily destined to be an award nominee, and hopefully a film (if it’s possible to capture the material well), this is the first highly recommended novel of 2023.” —Cemetery Dance
“Episode Thirteen was a fun and gripping read that’s sure to leave a lasting impression. Craig DiLouie masterfully builds an atmosphere of dread and unease throughout the book while also developing his characters into fully fleshed and relatable figures. I really can’t believe it’s taken me this long to finally read one of his books! If you are a horror fan and you love haunted house stories and don’t mind epistolary novels, I highly recommend picking this up.” —BiblioSanctum
“A beautiful Russian doll of a story… Episode Thirteen hooks you, creeps you out, and then it overwhelms you. It’s House of Leaves meets Haunting of Hill House, in all the best possible ways.” —Peter Clines, NYT Bestselling Author of The Broken Room
“One warning only: once you pick up Episode Thirteen, set aside some quality time to read it, and be aware that once you start the book it will be next to impossible to put it down for more than the few moments you will need to catch your breath – because you will need to remember to breathe, trust me…” —Space and Sorcery
“An epistolary descent into a living nightmare … well-written and genuinely unsettling. Fans of paranormal documentaries, ghost-hunting shows, and found-footage horror will lose their minds over this one.” —Kealan Patrick Burke, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Kin and Sour Candy
“DiLouie’s tale was completely captivating, and one of those novels you just don’t want to put down, you want to read just a little more, even as some of the ideas and occurrences leave you a little shaken… I loved this one, it was creepy, twists expectations, and delivers a thought-provoking ending that may make you reconsider the whole paranormal realm.” —The Mind Reels
“It’s the literary equivalent of a found footage movie, and it works beautifully. Part ghost story, part metaphysical horror, total nightmare—Episode Thirteen is a must read.” —David Moody, author of Hater and the Autumn series
“DiLouie masterfully subverts everything you expect a haunted house story to be, and I loved every minute of it.” –Books, Bones & Buffy
“Episode Thirteen does not go where you think it will… Instead it offers bizarre twists, devious reveals, and unexpected shocks. Deeply satisfying and a hell of a lot of weird fun!” —Jonathan Maberry, NY Times bestselling author of Patient Zero and Kagen the Damned
“Episode Thirteen is a suspenseful and engaging Rubik’s cube of a novel. The reader has great perverse fun twisting the pieces back and forth, facet after facet, until Craig DiLouie’s grand design stands revealed in all its febrile splendor.” —James Morrow, author of The Last Witchfinder and The Asylum of Dr. Caligari
“A dark mosaic of reality TV and occult physics, Episode Thirteen reels you in with a found-footage mystery that spirals into a labyrinth of madness. Craig DiLouie dissects his all-too-human characters’ needs and ambitions with clinical precision as we race toward a series of stunningly beautiful—and horrifying—revelations.” —Andy Marino, author of It Rides a Pale Horse and The Seven Visitations of Sydney Burgess
“In this transcendent ghost story for the 21st century, Craig DiLouie charts the mystery where science meets the supernatural then dives in headfirst to deliver a haunted house story so heartbreaking and profoundly unsettling it ranks alongside the classics of the genre.” –James Chambers, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of On the Hierophant Road and On the Night Border
“If you enjoy haunted house horror, found footage, strange scientific/paranormal experiments, and unexplained paranormal discoveries, you will enjoy this book.” –Mother Horror
“This story goes to places you’ll never expect … I loved how this one started, where it went and how it ended. It was a perfect 1-2-3 punch.” –Steve Stred, author of Mastodon
“This book is bursting with creativity… Creepy and trippy, and a fun epistolary tale with some unique storytelling devices, Episode Thirteen is a solid new entry into the found materials genre.” –The Library Ladies
“It’s one of those trips–a terrifying descent into darkness and madness, where supernatural and metaphysical blend and distort all reality. A classic case of abyss gazing back … pure wow. Nearly impossible to put down, electric ride of a story. Bravo, author.” –Advance the Plot
“The author masterfully writes … different perspectives throughout the story… The way the hauntings begin promises to send chills and make you keep your light on at night… The ending was freaking awesome.” –Pirate Twinkie Reads