Nightmare Magazine, Issue 123 (December 2022): Nightmare Magazine, #123

By Wendy N. Wagner

NIGHTMARE is a digital horror and dark fantasy magazine. In NIGHTMARE's pages, you will find all kinds of horror fiction, from zombie stories and haunted house tales, to visceral psychological horror. Welcome to issue 123 of NIGHTMARE! Our short stories this month revolve around the home. We kick off the month with a zombie-meets-haunted-house story that will make you want to either deep-clean your house or burn it down: "Break the Skin if You Have To," by writing trio Emma Osborne, Cadwell Turnbull, and Jess Essey. Mari Ness brings us a sadder story of life indoors in her unsettling tale "Wallers." Our Horror Lab originals include "Three Symptoms of a Disaster," a poem of grief and catastrophe from Angela Liu. Chris DiLeo shares his unsettling experiences with the death of loved ones in his micro personal essay "Still Breathing." As for our nonfiction, Adam-Troy Castro recommends a book and a movie to enjoy while you're staying close to the fireplace, while Eric Raglin talks about heavy metal that scares in his "The H Word" essay. And of course we have author spotlight interviews with our short fiction writers to help you see what makes them tick. Plus, our ebook readers will also enjoy an excerpt from Erika T. Wurth's novel, White Horse.
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Adamant Press
• Release date: Dec 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215855188

Book preview

Nightmare Magazine

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Issue 123 (December 2022)

FROM THE EDITOR

Editorial, December 2022

FICTION

Break the Skin If You Have To

Emma Osborne, Jess Essey, and Cadwell Turnbull

Wallers

Mari Ness

POETRY

Three Symptoms of a Disaster

Angela Liu

BOOK EXCERPTS

EXCERPT: White Horse (Flatiron Books)

Erika T. Wurth

CREATIVE NONFICTION

Still Breathing

Chris DiLeo

NONFICTION

The H Word: A Celebration of Sonic Horror

Eric Raglin

Reviews: December 2022

Adam-Troy Castro

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHTS

Emma Osborne, Jess Essey, and Cadwell Turnbull

Mari Ness

MISCELLANY

Coming Attractions

Stay Connected

Subscriptions and Ebooks

Support Us on Patreon, or How to Become a Dragonrider or Space Wizard

About the Nightmare Team

© 2022 Nightmare Magazine

Cover by Joelee Creative / Adobe Stock Images

www.nightmare-magazine.com

Published by Adamant Press

From the Editor

Editorial, December 2022

Wendy N. Wagner | 354 words

It’s issue #123 and our last one of 2022. This year has been a wild ride for us at the magazine! We had two short stories nominated for Shirley Jackson awards: Gordon B. White is creating Haunting Weird Horror, by Gordon B. White, and We, the Girls Who Did Not Make It, by E.A. Petricone, and thrillingly, Petricone’s story won for best Novelette! On the work front, we’ve brought on new staff and submissions readers, and we’ve read so many scary stories our local haunted houses made us yawn.

But now it’s time to take a cue from the weather and bunker down under our blankets. Winter calls for inward reflection and turning our attention to home and hearth, and that’s just what we’re doing in this issue. It’s our Home Issue, and we’re hoping it’s just the blend of hygge and creep that you need.

Our short stories this month revolve around the home. We kick off the month with a zombie-meets-haunted-house story that will make you want to either deep-clean your house or burn it down: Break the Skin if You Have To, by writing trio Emma Osborne, Cadwell Turnbull, and Jess Essey. Mari Ness brings us a sadder story of life indoors in her unsettling tale Wallers. Our Horror Lab originals include Three Symptoms of a Disaster, a poem of grief and catastrophe from Angela Liu. Chris DiLeo shares his unsettling experiences with the death of loved ones in his micro personal essay Still Breathing.

As for our nonfiction, Adam-Troy Castro recommends a book and a movie to enjoy while you’re staying close to the fireplace, while Eric Raglin talks about heavy metal that scares in his The H Word essay. And of course we have author spotlight interviews with our short fiction writers to help you see what makes them tick. Plus, our ebook readers will also enjoy an excerpt from Erika T. Wurth’s novel, White Horse.

So light a few candles, put on something fuzzy, and get cozy with our December issue. We hope you enjoy it!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Wendy N. Wagner is the author of the horror novel The Deer Kings and the gothic novella The Secret Skin. Previous work includes the SF thriller An Oath of Dogs and two novels for the Pathfinder Tales series, and her short stories, poetry, and essays have appeared in more than fifty venues. She also serves as the managing/senior editor of Lightspeed Magazine, and previously served as the guest editor of our Queers Destroy Horror! special issue. She lives in Oregon with her very understanding family, two large cats, and a Muppet disguised as a dog.

FictionDiscover John Joseph Adams Books

Break the Skin If You Have To

Emma Osborne, Jess Essey, and Cadwell Turnbull | 4142 words

The base of my skull buzzes as I pick up some bleach and a new scouring pad from the market. I’ve been away from my house for too long. When I get back, I must remember to clean the oven, clean the stovetop, clean the sink. In the checkout queue, I drop my basket onto the counter, and then I see her again. The new girl. So many have come and gone through the years that I barely remember them.