The Burning Maiden

By Greg Kishbaugh, Editor

Indulge me a moment.

If I were to ask you the question, “What is horror?”, how would you respond?

The truth of the matter is this: Everyone’s idea of what constitutes “horror” is different. And this is the reality one must immediately confront when editing a horror/suspense anthology. As an emotional facet of a story, horror is startlingly subjective. No two people look at it from exactly the same vantage point, and no two people fear the same thing in exactly the same way. We can all agree that clowns are terrifying, but the specific reasons why we find them horrifying are individual to each of us.

Perhaps even more importantly, if I were to ask you to name your favorite “horror” writers, what names would be included on the list? Let me stop you before you give it too much thought because, in truth, there is no such thing.

A writer is simply . . . a writer. No modifier needed.

Publishers love categories, as do book stores. They want a writer’s work to fit neatly into a specific genre. The motivation for this, of course, lies in commerce, as well as questionable (and outdated) notions about the consumer mind.

But this can be an unfair burden, as writers are far less compartmentalized in their thinking. They strive to tell a story. To enlighten. To entertain. The genre in which the story falls is not nearly as important is the story itself.

After all, how would one categorize A Clockwork Orange? Is it horror? Yes. Science Fiction? Yes. Literature? Yes. And yet, I’ve never heard Anthony Burgess referred to as a “horror” writer or a “science fiction” writer.

How about Cormac McCarthy? No one would ever deem him a “horror” writer, but then how does one categorize The Road? Is Robert Louis Stevenson a “horror” writer because he wrote The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde? Is George Orwell either a “horror” or “science fiction” writer in light of his two most famous works, 1984 and Animal Farm?

Let’s face it, many of the novels we consider classics today simply transcend genre, in no small part due to the fact that they manage to mash more than one together, producing works that resonate in our imaginations. Slaughterhouse Five. Lord of the Flies. Fahrenheit 451. Deliverance. These stories all contain skin-prickling elements of horror; yet none are categorized as “horror” novels. If such works can fit into the horror mold, then it begs the question: What is literature?

And to analyze the other side of the coin, what do we make of works that are unquestionably horror but clearly transcend the boundaries of genre? Is Something Wicked This Way Comes any less a piece of fine literature because it also happens to be a work of dread-inducing horror? How about The Haunting Of Hill House, I Am Legend or The Shining. What of some of the masterfully macabre short stories of Harlan Ellison? Or the works of Poe and Lovecraft? Certainly anyone would categorize them as glorious works of literature, all of which happen to squarely fall into the genre of horror.

The Burning Maiden was born of this conundrum. When is horror simply “horror” and when does it cross over into “literature”? What happens when writers of unparalleled talents put their minds (and writing chops) to telling stories of the supernatural, of the darkness in the human soul, of the sadness and longing that sometimes supersedes the grave — all the while telling stories with the hearts and souls of poets?

In putting together my original list of authors I hoped would accept our invitation to participate in The Burning Maiden, it should perhaps come as no surprise that none of them were known primarily for writing horror or suspense. My criteria for asking them to participate was simple: I believed them to be spectacular writers. The genres they are most associated with meant nothing to me. Because when writers of extraordinary skill ply their craft, the line between genre and literature are quickly blurred.

To demonstrate the scope and breadth of their talent, contributors to this anthology have been nominated for or awarded (to name a few) with the American Mystery Award, the British Fantasy Award, the Bram Stoker Award, the Horror Critics Award, The Edgar Award, The Dagger Award, the Crime Writers’ Association Award, the British Fantasy Society Award, the Pushcart Prize, the Asimov’s Readers’ Award, the Rhysling Award, the International Horror Guild Award, the Pulitzer Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award.

Like I said . . . spectacular writers.

The Burning Maiden was created as a showcase for horror and suspense with a strong literary bent. Stories that focus on the glorious interplay of poetry and words, set against the dark wonder that truly great speculative fiction can raise in us.

I am very proud of our first anthology, just as I am terribly excited for future editions. While this collection focuses on fiction and poetry (all new and written exclusively for The Burning Maiden, with the exception of one classic), future volumes will feature essays, graphic stories, and more. This is the beginning of a journey. One we are happy you have decided to embark upon with us.

And so . . .

•  STEVEN BARNES  •

Mr. Barnes is a Hugo Award-nominated writer of more than twenty books in the science fiction and fantasy genres, including the New York Times best-selling, “The Cestus Deception,” and “The Legacy of Heorot.” He has also written for television, with runs on “The Twilight Zone,” “The Outer Limits,” “Andromeda” and “Stargate SG-1.” He is a black belt in Kodokan Judo and Kenpo Karate.

•  LOUIS BAYARD  •

Mr. Bayard is the critically acclaimed writer of “The School of Night,” “The Black Tower,” “The Pale Blue Eye,” and “Mr. Timothy.” He has been nominated for the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award, and the Crime Writers’ Association Dagger Award. He is also an essayist and critic whose work regularly appears in the New York Times and Washington Post, among others. He teaches creative writing at George Washington University.

•  BRUCE BOSTON  •

Mr. Boston is a multiple award winner for his poetry and fiction. He has won the Bram Stoker Award for his poetry collection, “Dark Matters,” The Rhysling Award from the Science Fiction Poetry Association (SFPA), the Pushcart Prize for fiction, the Asimov’s Readers’ Award, and the Grandmaster Award by the SFPA. His books include the collection of stories, “Masques of Dreams,” and his poetry collections, “Sensuous Debris,” and “Pitchblende.” Currently, he is Book Editor for Dark Regions Press and the fiction and poetry editor for The Pedestal magazine.

•  CULLEN BUNN  •

Mr. Bunn is a New York Times best-selling author. He is the co-creator of the hit graphic novel series, “The Sixth Gun,” which has been optioned for development by NBC, and “The Damned,” which has been optioned by Showtime Networks. He is also a writer for Marvel Comics, and has written for DC Comics, Wildstorm and Oni Press. He is the author of the ongoing supernatural series for middle readers, “Crooked Hills,” from Earwig Press, and the upcoming collection of short stories, “Creeping Stones,” from Evileye Books.

•  MORT CASTLE  •

Mr. Castle has published more than 350 short stories and a dozen books, including his novel, “Cursed Be the Child,” “The Strangers,” and the non-fiction book, “Writing Horror.” In 2012, with biographer, Sam Weller, he is co-editor of “Shadow Show: All New Stories in Celebration of Ray Bradbury.” His work has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, the Pushcart Prize, and the Bram Stoker Award, among others. He teaches writing at Columbia College Chicago.

•  CORRINE DE WINTER  •

Ms. De Winter has published nearly a dozen works of poetry and prose, including “Like Eve,” “Virgins of the Apocalypse,” “The End of Desire,” and “Valentines for the Dead.” She won the Bram Stoker Award for her poetry collection, “The Women at the Funeral.” She has also won the Rhysling Award, and been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. Her work has appeared in many publications, including the New York Quarterly, Doorways magazine, and The Writer.

•  LYNDSAY FAYE  •

Ms. Faye is the New York Times best-selling author of “Dust and Shadow: an Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson,” and “The Gods of Gotham.” Her work appeared in the Best American Mystery Stories 2010.

•  ORRIN GREY  •

Mr. Grey is a writer, essayist, and skeleton. His short fiction has appeared in the anthologies “Candle in the Attic Window,” “Future Lovecraft,” and “The Mothman Files.” His first collection of stories,
“Never Bet the Devil & Other Warnings,” is forthcoming from Evileye Books.

•  CHARLES JOHNSON  •

Mr. Johnson is a novelist, essayist, philosopher, critic and playwright.  His novel, “Middle Passage,” won the 1990 National Book Award. His fiction works include “Dr. King’s Refrigerator,” “Oxherding Tale,” “Soulcatcher,” “Faith and the Good Thing,” and “Dreamer.” He is a 1998 McArthur fellow, and received the 2002 Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He is the S. Wilson and Grace M. Pollock Endowed Professor of English at the University of Washington.

•  GREG KISHBAUGH  •

 Mr. Kishbaugh, a Ray Bradbury Fiction Writing Award winner, has been an editor and publisher for twenty-five years.

•  SARAH LANGAN  •

Ms. Langan is the author of three novels, two of which won the Bram Stoker Award: “The Missing,” and “Audrey’s Door.” Her first novel, “The Keeper,” was an Editor’s Pick by the New York Times. She has also received the Dark Scribe Editor’s Choice for Outstanding Novel, and is an American Library Association Award winner.

•   JOE R. LANSDALE   •

Mr. Lansdale has written over thirty books, and eighteen short story collections. His books include “Devil Red,” “Hyenas,” “Vanilla Ride,” “Nightrunners,” “Lost Echoes,” and the Drive-In series, among others. He is a recipient of the Horror Writers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the Edgar Award, multiple Bram Stoker Awards, the British Fantasy Award, and was named a World Horror Convention Grandmaster in 2007. He is Writer-in-Residence at Stephen F. Austin State University.

•  TIM LEBBON  •

Mr. Lebbon is a horror and dark fantasy writer with nearly thirty books to his credit. He has won the Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association for his short story, “Reconstructing Amy,” and the August Derleth Award for best novel from the British Fantasy Society. His works of fiction include “The Heretic Land,” “The Thief of Broken Toys” and “Echo City.”

•  MIKE OLIVERI  •

Mr. Oliveri is a recipient of the Horror Writers Association Bram Stoker Award for his debut novel, “Deadliest of the Species.” His stories and novellas have appeared in books published by Delirium Books, Cemetery Dance Publications, Moonstone Books, and Image Comics, among others. He is the creator of the ongoing werewolf noir series, “The Pack,” from Evileye Books. Book one, “Winter Kill,” is available now. Book two, “Lie with the Dead,” will be available in late 2012.

•  MATTHEW PEARL  •

Mr. Pearl is the New York Times best-selling author of “The Dante Club,” “The Last Dickens,” “The Poe Shadow,” and “The Technologists.” His non-fiction has appeared in the Boston Globe, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal, among others.

•  KATE SHERROD  •

Ms. Sherrod is a poet and writer. Her poetry collection, “Suppertime Sonnets,” has reached the best-seller lists on Amazon.com for verse. She is a regular contributor to Indiepulp.com, and her blog,
Kate of Mind, among others. She is a collaborator on the upcoming book for young readers, “Omi & Lulu: The Siren Sea,” from Earwig Press.

•  JEREMY C. SHIPP  •

Mr. Shipp is a writer of horror and bizarre fiction. His novel, “Cursed,” was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award. His works include “Fungus of the Heart,” “Sheep and Wolves,” and “Vacation.”