Will (he/him)
Will is one of WORD's horror and weird fiction booksellers. If you're looking for sci-fi, horror or modern fantasy come find him.
"As a fan of noir mystery and sci-fi both this was a great pick for me. Nick Harkaway does an excellent job of keeping the style of both genres and I highly recommend him for fans of Philip K Dick."
"But can we eat it?" If you've ever been playing D&D and wondered this out loud then this might be the manga story for you! An adventurous little story that explores all the ways you can have a good meal while in a fantasy world dungeon. As a food manga fan myself, I loved the twist in the genre and its style.
"Creeping and gothic, T. Kingfisher has crafted a wonderful rendition of The Fall of the House of Usher. Great for fans of the fungal horror trend we're in currenty."
There have been quite a few haunted house stories released recently, each with their own twists on the idea. Episode Thirteen was a really enjoyable take on getting what you want but not necessarily getting what you expect. Great characters and a strong philosophical haunting vibe. An enjoyable spooky read for the start of the new year.
Newly reissued after going viral on social media! If you're in the mood for the perfect light cozy read grab a copy and settle into your favorite café chair, latte and snack nearby. A great story about reinvention and pursuing a dream with a touch of romance on the side.
V. Castro's work is always a wonderful exploration of character and mythology. Dark, atmospheric and very deeply about the Latinx experience, no matter the world she's writing about.
Equal parts horrifying, imaginative, and sad at times. I found myself thinking about it well after I was done. A great quick read with the best name for a haunted house story I've ever seen!
"To paraphrase a few of the things said about this book on it's cover: This was the Bigfoot-Lesbian-RomCom-Mystery-Horror story I've wanted for awhile. Smart, fun, with great characters. Thoroughly enjoyed this read.
"Fun and fast-paced, Crazy Food Truck is great for foodies who want a quick post apocalyptic action fix. Limited to three books it's not too hard on the wallet also. One note for customers: This is manga with an explicit tag. Not for the youngsters."
"Fast-paced and fun, Bluebird is great for sci-fi readers looking for their roguish hero fix. Fans of Gideon the Ninth and Firefly will especially enjoy this book a lot."
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"If you're in the mood for the perfect light cozy read grab a copy and settle into your favorite café chair, latte and snack nearby . A great story about reinvention and pursuing a dream with a touch of romance on the side."
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A great fantasy story with a gritty biker/cowboy feel to it's characters. I thoroughly enjoyed the world Jonathan French built in this series and his unique twist to some of the tropes.
Creepy and tense with just the right amount of mystery. This was a great sci-fi horror story to start the year off with.
I'm a big fan of the Hades & Persephone myth. Rachel Smythe's take on it is beautifully written and the art is just wonderful in addition. Any fan of mythology or romance should make this a priority buy!
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A fun take on zombies from author James Ponti. Great for kids who like their reads a little spooky.
The book that birthed the Hellraiser franchise. I will always recommend not missing this great dark read. The prose feels like poetry to me in Hellbound Heart and has always remained one of my favorite Clive Barker reads.
As someone who loved Hollow Kingdom I couldn't wait to get my hands on this sequel. A great mix of apocalypse horror and adventure with really memorable characters.
Starting years after Kell Kressia has saved the land from the Ice Lich this is realistic and sometimes haunting look at the real cost of being a hero in a world of fantasy. Stephen Aryan crafts an impressive narrative that fans of more realistic feeling fantasy stories like Game of Thrones shouldn't miss.
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"I was really excited when I first saw Max Brooks would be getting back in the Sci-Fi/Horror ring. Devolution doesn't disappoint. Brooks brings that wonderful real-world first-hand account style that made World War Z such an amazing read."
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"As a history buff, Alma Katsu's books always pull me into their set perfectly. You get a real feel for the times she's writing about while also getting a touch of magical realism. Getting a look at her to take on The Titanic was a real treat."
"Great hunted house story with a twisted sense of self. I really enjoyed the build to things going fully out of control."
A fun science thriller with a great touch of humor in the writing. David Koepp hits a perfect balance of tension and character development in this story of an out of control fungus that could wipe out all life on the planet if it gets loose.
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This was a hard book to categorize. It's moody and dark. With just a hint of the possibility that things may horribly and supernaturally go wrong at any turn. Russell really makes you feel the history of his setting in this psychological horror/thriller story and it all revolves around a simple question. Is the devil real? Or is it just a product of our darker nature when we truly go mad.
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An adaptation of the 90s comic of the same name and the original story that the Venom movie drew some inspiration from. This is one of my favorite stories to involve the Eddie Brock version of Venom. Violent, a bit crazy, and trying his hardest to be a hero to the people of San Francisco they battle the Life Foundation and a group of killer cloned symbiotes of their own to protect the homeless of the city.
Mira Grant loves to take a traditional horror trope and turn it on it's head. Here she shows you how we can pay for forgetting how much we've "disney-fied" our legends like Mermaids. I really enjoyed how science and mythology met in this story to form a truley terrifying creature to come up against Mira's always well fleshed out and likable characters.
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When I first came upon Limetown, it was in a list of top horror podcasts. While a little hard to pin down into a genre, it didn't disappoint. There are elements of sci-fi and horror mixed with conspiracy on epic levels. This prequel helps draw you into the deeper mysteries involved in how everyone ended up where they are when the podcast starts, and it prepares you for Season 2 perfectly.
Historical fiction is a tricky genre, especially when the subject is a tragedy like the Donner Party. Most people know the ending already and it’s not a happy one so the author’s job isn’t to surprise you with what happens but to make you feel for the characters involved and why they’re in the horrible situation. Alma Katsu does this with great skill and weaves in a bit of the supernatural for good measure. If your a fan of the period or are interested in what her idea of what the people of the Donner Party might have been like this is the book for you.
This was a surprising book. What I thought was going to be a pretty traditional sci-fi story about meeting weird aliens and some great complicated plot hook was in fact a “road trip”-style story about what it might be like to live on a space ship-- getting along with the crew, meeting strange cultures, and finding acceptance in a world you sometimes don’t fit in. Becky Chambers instills a lot of heart into the ragtag group of misfits that make up the crew of the Wayfairer. This is a great palate cleanser from some of the hardcore fare out there in the genre right now and I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.
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Hey there. If you’ve never heard of her, let me introduce you to Squirrel Girl. One of Marvel Comic most accomplished superheroines. With a set of squirrel powers and her friends (Thousands of squirrels) she’s done things like save Iron Man from Doctor Doom, made friends with cosmic gods, and even beaten Thanos. This book series is about her start as superhero at age 13 when she finds serious trouble brewing in the sleepy New Jersey town she’s just moved to. I hope you have as much fun reading this book as I did.
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A fun, frenetic, sci fi mystery with a really good premise. A jaded time traveler has a birthday party for himself where every version of him from each year of his life will attend. Only this year when he turns 39 he finds his 40 year old self murdered. Now he has to solve his own murder before it becomes his set destiny and all his future and past selves are the suspects. I had a lot of fun reading this story, Sean Ferrell tackles something that could be really confusing as you can see from the description and makes it very easy to follow. Definitely read for anyone that likes mysteries wrapped in complex problems or those that like time travel shenanigans.
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Can we survive when all of nature turns against us? The folks of Benediction Island are about to find out. (Will)
Zoey Ashe just became the richest person in America if not the world, assuming her father's group of violent problem solvers can keep her alive long enough to collect that is. Meanwhile all she really wants to do is go back to her trailer with her very smelly cat and forget any of this ever happened. Set in the near future this is David Wong's darkly humorous tale of a girl, her cat and a crazy adventure they're forced into to protect their lives.
Grady Hendrix writes these great blended genre horror stories that I really enjoy. My Best Friend's Exorcism is no exception. It's a wonderful coming of age story about two girls growing up in the 80's. When one of them seemingly becomes possessed by evil can their friendship survive? Can they themselves survive? (Will)
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A pretty great light horror book when you're in the mood for a good ghost story. When I picked this up I mostly knew about the Youtube show. While I thought it would be a bit weak for me, the story had some twists I didn't expect, and I found myself really enjoying it by the end. (Will)
What's worse than thousands of ravenous spiders hatching out of the ground everywhere? Ezekiel Boone figured the answer out. Boone is a great character writer, which I find really important in horror. You can quickly get to know the people you're reading about—really feel for them when they're in danger. The first in a three-part series in which we face an ancient enemy that most of us are terrified of even today. (Will)
As a horror fan and bookseller I love when I find a great "starter" book that I can sell when i meet someone like myself when i was young. Wanting something with more action and a bit darker than the usual fare. Kenneth Oppel has written a great opening to a cool apocalyptic trilogy that I think will become a new go to for young future horror fans.
"I didn't know what to expect when I picked up Hollow Kingdom. While at first, it seems like a twist on the usual zombie apocalypse story it's actually a wonderful little fantasy adventure with all the characters being the animals we live with or see around our cities."
"John Hornor Jacobs is one of my new favorites when it comes to cosmic horror. His stories are slow, creeping, and always have a great atmosphere to them. These two novellas are a great primer to get you digging into his longer stories and are great starts for someone looking to get into the Lovecraftian style of horror as a whole."
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"A great light mystery with shades of Sherlock Holmes."
"A great superhero story with a touch of romance. Sarah Kuhn's kick ass Asian superheroines Evie & Aveda have relatable problems and are always fun to read. I highly recommend this series!"
"I'm a huge fan of Seanan McGuire and the Ghost Roads series is no exception. Her ability to create rich storytelling and characters you can't help but fall in love with never cease to amaze me. If you haven't yet, grab this series. It's her spin on the mythical americana of the hitchhiking ghost and all the spirits of the road we talk about when sitting around a campfire."
"I stumbled onto Bofuri purely by mistake one night while looking for some new Anime to watch and i'm so glad I did. The story is pure fun and Maple is a wonderful lead. All the manga readers and anime fans in our store love it and are waiting for more to be released along with me."