Horrific Scribes

an online archive of the provocative, scary, and strange

L. Andrew Cooper, editor

Horrific Scribes is an expanding online archive of dark short fiction (and some poetry) by authors who share the Horrific Scribblings imprint’s dedication to the provocative, scary, and strange. It collects dark, transgressive fiction, mostly horror (all subgenres, bloodless to extreme, nothing off limits) and “horror-adjacent” work in areas such as dark fantasy, dark sci-fi, the surreal, and the experimental.

Works in the archive are intended for mature readers and often contain graphic violence, explicit sexuality, profanity, and other material that some readers may find triggering or offensive. By continuing, you acknowledge that you read at your own risk.

**Coming Oct. 13: Extremely Weird Splatter!**

Because gloriously countercultural splatterpunk fiction tends toward grounded, all-too-possible types of horror, while the more fantastic category of “weird” fiction has become far too respectable, we feel a need for EXTREMELY WEIRD SPLATTER, an anthology of stories that highlight the awesome potential released when extreme aesthetics and splatter savvy fuse with the way-out weird that leaves “grounded” behind.

JG Faherty, Christine Morgan, Jason Nickey, Monica J. O’Rourke, Steve Rasnic Tem, and many other outstanding talents stretch the boundaries of the acceptable and the rational beyond their breaking points in EXTREMELY WEIRD SPLATTER. See the Books page for more.

NEW EXHIBIT!

Exhibit Eight: Scary, Strange, and Totally Alien reaches deep into the archive to unite some of our earliest prizes with more recent acquisitions to give you nine stories about the ultimate type of modern monsters: ALIENS! Dark science fiction infused with horrors weird and cosmic–and sometimes comic–await you in the forms of plant aliens, fungus aliens, bug aliens, parasites, and things best left to the authors to describe.

Blake, "Weed Killer"
Charman, "Vote Abyss"
Christie, "Echoes of an Endless Hour"
Clendaniel, "And Then There Were Ten Billion"
Davis, "It Hungers"
DeHaan, "It Gets Worse If You Pick At It"
Dunham, "Survival Instinct"
Fomley, "Traffic Stop"
Mathes, "Swimmer"

Horrific Scribes does not have “issues” like a magazine. However, it does have “Exhibits,” selections of stories and poems collected because of commonalities (themes, subgenres, images, etc.) and united by an introduction and cover art. Selections appear in a sequence that highlights meaningful connections.

Reading an Exhibit is like reading an anthology. Past Exhibits remain available:

ARCHIVED FEATURES

After time in the feature spotlight (below), Scribes and their Scribbles (or Scribblings) remain in the archives according to the months when their works first appeared. Browse the archival depths! For a specific author, try the “Authors” link above. For something else, try the “Search” option at the bottom of the screen.

FEATURED SCRIBES AND SCRIBBLES

(SCROLL DOWN FOR THE LATEST)

J.W. Bodden

Joined September 1, 2026

When not prepping for doomsday, he’s an unapologetic wanderer of alternate worlds.

“Twink Death“

An aging hustler defies his inevitable Twink Death by searching for a legendary pimp.

Read “Twink Death” (~3800 words)

Author Keywords: Dark fantasy, urban fantasy, horror.

Author Trigger Warnings (if any): Sex Work, Gun Violence.

Horrific Scribes Extremity Rating:

Eric Fomley

Second Scribbling, September 2, 2026

Writer of scifi, fantasy, and horror flash fiction.

“Inhuman Cravings“

Side effects not included.

Read “Inhuman Cravings” (100 words)

Author Keywords: Alien Horror, Body Horror, Scifi Horror

Author Trigger Warnings (if any): None.

Horrific Scribes Extremity Rating:

J.S. Douglas

Third Scribbling, September 3, 2026

J.S. Douglas transforms anything that disturbs her into prose and poetry so that it can disturb you, too.

Four Poems of Violence and Revenge

Poems that probe various facets of violence and vengeance.

Read Four Poems of Violence and Revenge (~600 words)

Author Keywords: spontaneous human combustion, blood, revenge, suicide, social media, violence, and domestic violence

Author Trigger Warnings (if any): violence, domestic violence, and suicide

Horrific Scribes Extremity Rating:

Lena Ng

Third Scribbling, September 4, 2026

Lena Ng lurks in the catacombs of Toronto, Canada, and is a ravenous member of the Horror Writers Association.

“Happy Birthday, Baby“

A birthday brings a gruesome new chapter.

Read “Happy Birthday, Baby” (100 words)

Author Keywords: Birthday, chrysalis

Author Trigger Warnings (if any): implied gore

Horrific Scribes Extremity Rating:

Eric J. Guignard

Joined September 8, 2026

A writer and anthologist of dark and ghostly fiction, operating from the shadowy outskirts of Los Angeles

“Monster at The Black Heart“

“All right,” Baby said in a voice that dropped all emotion. “I’ve got to get this off my chest. I’m three-lived, like I’m three-eyed.”

Read “Monster at The Black Heart” (~2300 words)

Author Keywords: Weird Fiction, Horror, Speculative Fiction, Original Monster, Hollywood, Dive Bar, Baby Blue

Author Trigger Warnings (if any): n/a

Horrific Scribes Extremity Rating:

Ken MacGregor

Joined September 10, 2026

Ken MacGregor is the writer and editor of deeply creepy, frequently funny, Speculative Fiction.

“Together at Christmas“

This story has a very sticky end…

Read “Together at Christmas” (351 words)

Author Keywords: Xmas, Horror, Family, Christmas

Author Trigger Warnings (if any): Unsettling visuals.

Horrific Scribes Extremity Rating:

Josh Pearce

Joined September 15, 2026

Published in top magazines including Analog, Asimov’s, Clarkesworld, and more!

Deathwatch and Others

The death of a fly, the haunting sound of a deathwatch beetle, and all the stars in the sky don’t bode well for humanity.

Read Deathwatch and Others (three poems, ~200 words)

Author Keywords: beetle, spider, clock, stars, nuclear warheads

Author Trigger Warnings (if any): [silence]

Horrific Scribes Extremity Rating:

Shahnaz T.M.

Joined September 16, 2026

Shahnaz T.M. is a horror/science-fiction writer who enjoys writing impactful stories with a twist.

“I did it“

Paranoia or Patriarchy?

Read “I did it” (293 words)

Author Keywords: Science-fiction, psychological horror, female protagonist

Author Trigger Warnings (if any): Violence

Horrific Scribes Extremity Rating:

Shawn Montgomery

Fifth Scribbling, September 22, 2026

Leaves fall and the sky darkens earlier each passing day; the cemeteries begin to sing again. Shawn leans in closer to the spirits calling him…there are so many stories and songs to share.

“The Service“

“Watching the prisoner hurt himself, Cody marveled at how great the Service was. Everything was perfectly legit—he wasn’t going to get into any trouble doing this. Sure, the cost was ridiculous, but compared to the alternatives, it was totally worth it. He wasn’t going to prison for this shit.”

Read “The Service” (~4500 words)

Author Keywords: Body Horror/Revenge/Dystopian

Author Trigger Warnings (if any): Hate language/Slurs; Sexual Assault

Horrific Scribes Extremity Rating: