horror fiction

Yin-Yang Shadow & Light in Horror

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Some parts of who we are as human beings are self-evident. We all also have our “shadow,” which Swiss psychologist Carl Jung (1842-1896) defined as “the dark aspects of the personality.” What’s more, Jung believed awareness of this shadow to be “the essential condition for any kind of self-knowledge.”

To go even deeper, not all our shadow traits must be negative, merely hidden. For instance, while the shadow of a goody-two-shoes might be bitter resentment, a rageaholic’s could be a touching vulnerability.

Thanks, Josh, for the pop-psychology lesson. But what does this have to do with horror fiction?

Oh, I don’t know. How about…everything?

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𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗪𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗻 𝟲/𝟲(𝟲)

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Coming August 21 from Aggadah Try It / Madness Heart Press, Josh Schlossberg delivers CHARWOOD, an ecological Jewish folk horror novel 5,783 years in the making.

𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀—𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆—𝗢𝗿𝗻𝗮 𝗧𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗻𝗯𝗮𝘂𝗺 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗥𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗻, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝗱𝗱 𝘆𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁, 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱.

CHARWOOD…coming in August from Aggadah Try It

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Dark doings are afoot in the forests of Charwood…

Coming August 2023 from Aggadah Try It, Josh Schlossberg—editor of The Jewish Book of Horror, author of the cosmic horror novella, Malinae, and longtime environmental organizer—delivers CHARWOOD, an ecological Jewish folk horror novel 5,783 years in the making.

After joining the Tenders—a band of backwoods activists claiming to solve climate change by burning trees for energy—Orna Tannenbaum falls in with Rowan, their odd yet charming leader.

When she triggers a tragic accident, Orna must fend off blackmail and cope with panic attacks, all while weathering the surprise visit of her estranged orthodox Jewish father.

Until she uncovers what the Tenders are really up to in the forest and must apply the ancient wisdom of her culture to battle dark forces threatening to gain a foothold in the world. 

Celebrating Small Press Horror

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I don’t know about you, but when I want a beer, I almost always go for a microbrew. Not only do they taste better to me, not only am I supporting a small business, but because craft brewers are free to experiment with a diversity of flavors, they’re far more likely to create my favorites.

Now, I’m not here to rail against the popular mass-produced breweries, and I’ll even drink one if it’s the best option around. While it may not always suit my particular palette, at least I know what I’m getting.

I feel the same way about horror fiction. While over the decades I’ve enjoyed authors whose books have been published by large mainstream publishing houses, my favorites these days tend to come from small and indie presses.

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Indie Horror Heroes

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Some folks may wonder how I choose guests for my obscure podcast, Josh’s Worst Nightmare, where I, benighted author Josh Schlossberg, survey the dark landscape of biological horror.

Truth be told, there’s an arcane ritual with a rabid fox’s saliva, stingers from a hundred wasps, and the first spring growth of an ancient mountain spruce. But that’s all just to silence the demons in my head. My real decision-making process is a lot simpler: I invite on the writers I see uplifting others in the indie horror community.

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