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)
“Perfect Pitch“
Afterward, he could never remember if he saw the monster right away.
Read “Perfect Pitch” (~2300 words)
Author Keywords: psychological; music; horror; queer
Author Trigger Warnings (if any): domestic abuse, child abuse (both non-graphic)
Horrific Scribes Extremity Rating:
“Widjibors“
They’re awfully hard to find.
Read “Widjibors” (~5000 words)
Author Keywords: witchcraft; kidnapping; folk horror; supernatural.
Author Trigger Warnings (if any): infanticide; child abduction.
Horrific Scribes Extremity Rating:
Lene MacLeod
Third Scribbling, August 13, 2026
Strange stories seep from the quiet darkness; Lene has no choice but to bring them to life.
Read more.
“The Nice Café“
Do, Be, Do—but be nice about it.
Read “The Nice Café” (~2600 words)
Author Keywords: quiet horror, revenge
Author Trigger Warnings (if any): [silence]
Horrific Scribes Extremity Rating:
Willow Nichols-Capra
Joined August 19, 2026
Nichols-Capra manages the weight of grief and human folly in her New England gothic prose.
Read more.
“What’s Your Emergency?“
A mother grieving her daughter’s tragic death finds comfort in a police scanner.
Read “What’s Your Emergency?” (~4300 words)
Author Keywords: Bleak, Gothic, Grief, Obsession
Author Trigger Warnings (if any): Child death
Horrific Scribes Extremity Rating:
Mason Soun
Joined August 21, 2026
When he is not writing or playing chess, he is worrying about the state of the Memphis Grizzlies.
Read more.
“The Extraction“
They’re here.
Read “The Extraction” (~3500 words)
Author Keywords: Guardianship, Body Horror, Dread, Speculative Fiction
Author Trigger Warnings (if any): Body Violence, Violence Against Children, Graphic Description of Mutilated Body
Horrific Scribes Extremity Rating:
Arden Jaeger
Joined August 25, 2026
Queer, transgressive cyberpunk. Body horror non-negotiable.
Read more.
“[INSIDE JOHNNY:¥]”
“You came here to witness my degradation, so witness.”
Read “[INSIDE JOHNNY:¥]” (~5200 words)
Author Keywords: Transgressive Fiction, Queer, Extreme Horror, Cyberpunk, Speculative, Found Footage.
Author Trigger Warnings (if any): Body horror, substance use, sexual violence, gore.
Horrific Scribes Extremity Rating:
SJ Townend
Third Scribbling, August 28, 2026
SJ Townend writes dark fiction about difficult decisions, strange people, and the odd moment when everything goes beautifully weird.
Read more.
“Bedroom Eyes“
George now stands in front of me, staring. I stiffen. For three weeks, each late afternoon date has curdled like this. With George giving it bedroom eyes.
Read “Bedroom Eyes” (~3800 words)
Author Keywords: quiet horror, folk horror, existential dread, domestic decay
Author Trigger Warnings (if any): [silence]
Horrific Scribes Extremity Rating:
J.W. Bodden
Joined September 1, 2026
When not prepping for doomsday, he’s an unapologetic wanderer of alternate worlds.
Read more.
“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.
Read more.
“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.
Read more.
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.
Read more.
“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
Read more.
“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.
Read more.
“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!
Read 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.
Read more.
“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.
Read more.
“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:
