It's time for 3 Picks! This week features Stoker Award Nominee, Todd Keisling. Todd's novel, Devil's Creek, is nominated for Superior Achievement in a Novel for the 2020 Bram Stoker Awards. Ugly Little Things: Collected Horrors and The Smile Factory are also among the notable catalog of work Todd Keisling has written.
Devil's Creek has consistently been well reviewed since it's release. Being nominated for the Stoker Award is an outstanding achievement that speaks to exemplary work Keisling has written. To win the highest honor for a horror novel would be the icing on the cake. But, being on the final ballot for the Stoker Award is an insane achievement in and of itself. Any piece of horror that makes it the the final list has already won something special. Let's not forget those special works that fell just short of winning an award but succeeding in being recognized as superior work and the cream of the crop.
So it is with that in mind, that Todd Keisling gives his 3 Picks for horror books that made it to the final list but fell short of winning the Stoker. Just because they didn't win doesn't mean they aren't winners.
Pick 1: CROSSROADS by Laurel Hightower – Preliminary Ballot for Long Fiction (2020)
I’m going to cheat with this one. It didn’t make it to the final ballot (and official nominee status), but goddammit, it should have. What Hightower accomplishes in this novella is something most of us struggle to do in a full-length novel. The story of a mother grieving the loss of her son is already emotionally charged, but Hightower ups the ante with every page, telling a tale of how far a parent is willing to go to see their child again. The emotional fallout is devastating. The best stories often are.
Pick 2: KILL CREEK by Scott Thomas – Nominated for First Novel (2017)
One of the better “haunted house” tales I’ve read. It’s a new take on an old trope: a small group of horror writers gather on Halloween at the Finch House, a place with a bloody past, for a publicity stunt. Strange shit ensues, and quickly escalates to violence. I went into the book expecting another rehash of Amityville or Hill House, but this one surprised me, and I had a blast reading it. This would’ve been my pick for Best First Novel that year.
Pick 3: OCCULTATION by Laird Barron – Nominated for Fiction Collection (2010)
One of the de facto collections of modern cosmic horror (although to be fair, all of Laird’s collections deserve that moniker). Nine stories, including the fantastic novella, “Mysterium Tremendum.” I’ve said this for years and will continue to do so: I want to write like Laird Barron when I grow up. If you want an education about the state of cosmic horror, start here. Definitely would’ve been my pick for Best Collection.
Pick 1: CROSSROADS by Laurel Hightower – Preliminary Ballot for Long Fiction (2020)
I’m going to cheat with this one. It didn’t make it to the final ballot (and official nominee status), but goddammit, it should have. What Hightower accomplishes in this novella is something most of us struggle to do in a full-length novel. The story of a mother grieving the loss of her son is already emotionally charged, but Hightower ups the ante with every page, telling a tale of how far a parent is willing to go to see their child again. The emotional fallout is devastating. The best stories often are.
Pick 2: KILL CREEK by Scott Thomas – Nominated for First Novel (2017)
One of the better “haunted house” tales I’ve read. It’s a new take on an old trope: a small group of horror writers gather on Halloween at the Finch House, a place with a bloody past, for a publicity stunt. Strange shit ensues, and quickly escalates to violence. I went into the book expecting another rehash of Amityville or Hill House, but this one surprised me, and I had a blast reading it. This would’ve been my pick for Best First Novel that year.
Pick 3: OCCULTATION by Laird Barron – Nominated for Fiction Collection (2010)
One of the de facto collections of modern cosmic horror (although to be fair, all of Laird’s collections deserve that moniker). Nine stories, including the fantastic novella, “Mysterium Tremendum.” I’ve said this for years and will continue to do so: I want to write like Laird Barron when I grow up. If you want an education about the state of cosmic horror, start here. Definitely would’ve been my pick for Best Collection.
There you have it. 3 Picks for horror books that could have, maybe even should have, won the Bram Stoker Award. But, not everyone can win and not winning doesn't make these gems and so many others winners in their own right. If you haven't read any of these titles you, be sure to check them out knowing you will be reading stand out works of horror fiction.
And, whether Devil's Creek wins or doesn't at this year's Bram Stoker Awards ceremonies, know for certain that Todd Keisling has already won. Best of luck to Todd and all the rest of the nominees for this year's Bram Stoker Awards!
You can find out everything you ever wanted to know about Todd Keisling at https://www.toddkeisling.com/
What are your 3 Picks for horror books that fell short of winning the Bram Stoker Award? Let us know in the comments below.
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