The horror writing community gathered over the weekend at StokerCon to honour the most bone-chilling books of 2024, with the prestigious Bram Stoker Awards recognising outstanding achievement in dark fiction and fantasy, per bookriot.com.
The Horror Writers Association handed out their coveted trophies, celebrating works that made readers lose sleep for all the right reasons. Named after the legendary author of Dracula, these awards have been the gold standard for horror excellence since 1987.
Gwendolyn Kiste claimed the top prize for her novel The Haunting of Velkwood, while newcomer Monika Kim struck gold with her debut The Eyes Are The Best Part. The first novel category showcased fresh talent bringing new nightmares to bookstore shelves.
Middle grade readers scored double thrills with a rare tie between Robert P. Ottone’s There’s Something Sinister in Center Field and Eden Royce’s The Creepening of Dogwood House, proving that young audiences crave quality scares too.
International acclaim went to Gou Tanabe’s graphic adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s The Call of Cthulhu, while Sofia Ajram’s Coup de Grâce dominated the long fiction category. Poetry lovers celebrated Pedro Iniguez’s Mexicans on the Moon, which blended speculative themes with cultural depth.
The awards also recognised non-fiction contributions, with Emily C. Hughes winning for Horror for Weenies, a guide helping timid viewers navigate scary movies. Lisa Wood earned recognition for her essay examining racial representation in horror cinema.
Screen adaptation honours went to Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance, bridging literature and film. Short fiction champion Laird Barron impressed judges with Versus Versus, while anthology editors Carol Gyzander and Anna Taborska triumphed with Discontinue If Death Ensues.
