The Ghoulish Times | 03.01.26
Hello and welcome to the latest issue of The Ghoulish Times. My name is Max Booth and this is my free spooky newsletter.
Somehow, by god, it’s March. We made it through the two longest months of the year and the rest of 2026 should be smooth sailing, partner. I’m hearing about nothing but candy and sodapop from here on out. Don’t believe anything else you read. Certainly don’t look at the news. And holy shit do NOT look at social media. Never do that. Please never do anything ever again. Except continue reading this newsletter and also click the links I post and buy the books I publish. Obviously keep doing those things.
Also don’t forget about my new patreon. Never forget about that.
THE SCARES THAT SHAPED US
ICYMI, Jess Hagemann was on The Scares That Shaped Us talking about disturbing short films of the great Jan Svankmajer. Obviously she also discussed her new novel, Mother-Eating, which is out now through Ghoulish Books. Listen to the podcast HERE and buy the book HERE.
Jan Svankamjer happens to be responsible for my favorite short film ever, btw. Truly magical shit. Watch “Darkness, Light, Darkness” below:
COSMIC DYKE PATROL
Our first book of 2026, Lor Gislason’s Cosmic Dyke Patrol, is already racking up some exciting praise on sites like Goodreads. If you haven’t already ordered yourself a copy, get it HERE (or HERE if you’re in Canada).
Praise:
“Queer, horny, heartfelt, and absolutely soaked in goo, Cosmic Dyke Patrol is the rare “romantic body-horror action adventure” that actually delivers: feral host-and-creature symbiosis, brutal set pieces, and cosmic pests that don’t play nice. It sticks the landing with found-family tenderness without sterilizing the weird or sanding off the gore.” — The Blog Without a Face
“The big highlights:
-Fun, weird, interdimensional horror
-Well-developed characters who I really cared about (and a great meet cute, too!)
-Hot (and sometimes very strange!) sex scenes
-Rad dialogue (something Lor excels at)” — Eric Raglin
"This is a very emotional but also very fun read about grief and queer love and the deeply, deeply porous boundaries between worlds and bodyminds. This is a temporally-weird story that rewards multiple readings, and I loved the way the ambiguous timelines mimicked the griefworlds Marcy, Haz, and Stevie are all living in.” — Sarah Cavar
MARCH BOOK CLUB
The GHOULISH BOOK CLUB continues with March’s pick: MIDNIGHT SOMEWHERE by Johnny Compton!
From Bram Stoker® Award-nominated author Johnny Compton, Midnight Somewhere is a frightening collection of thought-provoking stories perfect for fans of Stephen King’s Night Shift, Tananarive Due’s The Wishing Pool, and the work of Junji Ito.
A man gets into a car that can take him anywhere he can imagine-including the past, into the worst mistake of his life, a memory he does not want to relive, cannot escape, and is even more afraid to alter …
A seemingly harmless, forgettable film about “alien hand syndrome” inspires a wave of self-harm among viewers-and even stranger things among those who become obsessed with it …
A woman tries to bring her dead lover to life through a macabre ritual that requires attacking his corpse. Is it because she longs to be with him again … or because the two of them have unfinished business?
The assorted characters in this thrilling collection encounter horrors that range from mysterious to murderous, discovering that darkness can find anyone, anywhere, at any hour of the day. After all, it’s always Midnight Somewhere …
Copies are in stock at our shop (10% off)! We will discuss the book all month on the GHOULISH DISCORD and if you’re local we will do an in-person discussion at our shop on March 29, Sunday 6pm. Let’s get reading, ghouls!
Find the discord on our linktree: https://linktr.ee/ghoulishbooks
Buy the book through our webstore and have it shipped to you or choose local pickup: https://ghoulish.rip/product/midnight-somewhere/
(use discount code “mar26bookclub” upon checkout for 10% off)'
RECENTLY ON PATREON
ICYMI, last month I launched a personal patreon. I’m trying to make it as prolific and entertaining as possible and worth every $$$ pledged by supporters. Here’s what you might have missed since the last newsletter:
An Embarrassing But Educational Recounting of My First Accepted Short Story
What Andy Daly’s REVIEW Can Teach Us About Experimental Narratives
Okay that’s it. Goodbye for now.
—max