How Jason’s Hockey Mask Became Horror’s Most Recognizable Symbol

Picture this: You're at a Halloween party, scanning the room full of costumes. There's a vampire, a witch, someone who clearly raided their closet five minutes ago and called it "casual Friday ghost." Then you spot it—that distinctive white hockey mask with its ominous red markings. You don't need to see the machete or the … Continue reading How Jason’s Hockey Mask Became Horror’s Most Recognizable Symbol

How Scream’s Meta Humor Changed Horror Forever

"Do you like scary movies?" With just four simple words, the Scream franchise didn't just launch a conversation—it launched a revolution. When that iconic phone call crackled through theater speakers in December 1996, audiences had no idea they were witnessing the birth of a new kind of horror film, one that would turn the genre … Continue reading How Scream’s Meta Humor Changed Horror Forever

The Chicago Covenant

The fluorescent lights of Chicago City Hall buzzed overhead like angry wasps as I adjusted my sunglasses for the third time in five minutes. Even with the UV-blocking lenses, the artificial lighting made my skin crawl—literally. At 247 years old, I'd survived the Great Chicago Fire, Prohibition, and the Cubs winning the World Series, but … Continue reading The Chicago Covenant

The Worst 50 – Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers

Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers 1989 Directed by Dominique Othenin-Girard Welcome back to Movie Monday, where we continue our journey through my personal list of the worst movies I've ever seen. Today we're landing at number 50 with 1989's Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, a film that managed to take everything … Continue reading The Worst 50 – Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers

The Clockwork Detective

The steam hissed from Inspector Marcus Thorne's left arm as he adjusted the brass pressure valve beneath his coat sleeve. Three months since Dr. Evangeline Ashworth had fitted the contraption, and the bloody thing still leaked when the London fog rolled in thick. The clockwork mechanisms whirred softly as he flexed his mechanical fingers around … Continue reading The Clockwork Detective

The Millbrook Recordings

Adalynn Williams had built her career on disappointment. Not her own—other people's. For seven years, she'd traveled from haunted house to haunted house, séance to séance, armed with thermal cameras, EMF detectors, and a healthy dose of skepticism that had never once failed her. Her column, "Rational Explanations," had debunked everything from the Amityville Horror … Continue reading The Millbrook Recordings

The Last Word by Taylor Adams: A Review

Rating: 4/5 Stars There's nothing quite like discovering a book that turns your planned "early bedtime" into an involuntary all-nighter. The Last Word by Taylor Adams is one of those literary criminals—the kind that hijacks your evening plans and leaves you bleary-eyed but satisfied at 1 AM, wondering where the last four and a half … Continue reading The Last Word by Taylor Adams: A Review

Friday the 13th in Video Games, Novels, and Comics

When Sean S. Cunningham's Friday the 13th slashed its way into theaters in 1980, few could have predicted that Jason Voorhees would become one of horror's most enduring icons. What started as a low-budget slasher film has evolved into a multimedia franchise spanning video games, novels, comics, and merchandise worth over $125 million. Yet this … Continue reading Friday the 13th in Video Games, Novels, and Comics

The Long Drift

The first sensation was cold. Not the gentle, medicinal cold of cryo-sleep, but a bone-deep chill that seemed to emanate from the metal walls themselves. Commander Oakley Coleman's eyes snapped open to darkness, his augmented vision systems struggling to adjust to the ship's emergency lighting. Red strips pulsed along the corridor walls like arteries, casting … Continue reading The Long Drift

The Worst 56 – House of 1,000 Corpses

House of 1,000 Corpses 2003 Directed by Rob Zombie Welcome back to Movie Monday, where we're systematically working our way down my list of the 100 worst movies I've ever seen. Today we've arrived at number 56: Rob Zombie's 2003 directorial debut, House of 1,000 Corpses. Before we dive in, let me remind you that … Continue reading The Worst 56 – House of 1,000 Corpses