I Destroyed Horror - AMA

The first story and nonfiction piece from Queers Destroy Horror! went live at Nightmare Magazine this Wednesday. The story is Matthew Bright's phenomenal "Golden Hair, Red Lips," which drops the protagonist of my favorite novel into an AIDS-crisis era San Francisco, and ends on an absolutely chilling note. The nonfiction is the editorial introduction, including a few words from guest editor-in-chief Wendy Wagner, poetry editor Robyn  Lupo, and yours truly:

As queer writers and readers, we find ourselves feeling both at home and deeply unwelcome in the horror genre. Sexual and gender nonconformity are in the genre’s DNA; queer people began writing horror long before it was a recognizable fiction category, and our ranks include some of the biggest names in the contemporary horror scene...It makes sense that many of us are drawn to fiction that tackles [sex and desire] in unexpected and often unsettling ways. But, as the essays and interviews in this special issue demonstrate, if we often see ourselves reflected in horror stories, it can also feel like the genre wants us gone—or dead.

If you don't want to wait, or if you want to read the full slate of fiction and nonfiction in this oversized issue, it can be purchased in paperback or e-book.

Also, the QDH team is doing an Ask Me Anything on r/Fantasy on Tuesday, October 13. Unless dire circumstances arise to prevent me, I'll be dropping by in the afternoon. Come and ask us questions, or lurk your way through the answers.

Final, unrelated note: Mirror Dance will be closed to submissions until January 15, 2016 so that I can clear out the backlog. Exam reading has not been kind to my slush schedule,and too many authors have been waiting way too long for a response. If this is you: my apologies, and thanks for your patience.

Saturday, October 10, 2015

editing, horror, nonfiction, queer fiction