The 2011 Bram Stoker Awards

The 2011 Bram Stoker Awards were held recently by the Horror Writers Association. Several close friends of mine won awards and I just wanted to take a moment to congratulate them. Here is a list of winners from the HWA’s site (www.horror.org):

HWA Announces 2010 Bram Stoker Award Winners

Superior Achievement in a NOVEL  

A DARK MATTER by Peter Straub

Superior Achievement in a First Novel (tie)

BLACK AND ORANGE by Benjamin Kane Ethridge
CASTLE OF LOS ANGELES by Lisa Morton

Superior Achievement in Long Fiction

INVISIBLE FENCES by Norman Prentiss

Superior Achievement in Short Fiction

THE FOLDING MAN by Joe R. Lansdale

Superior Achievement in an Anthology

HAUNTED LEGENDS edited by Ellen Datlow and Nick Mamatas

Superior Achievement in a Collection

FULL DARK, NO STARS by Stephen King (Simon and Schuster)

Superior Achievement in Nonfiction

TO EACH THEIR DARKNESS by Gary A. Braunbeck

Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection

DARK MATTERS by Bruce Boston

HWA 2010 SPECIALTY PRESS AWARD GOES TO DARK REGIONS PRESS

ANGEL LEIGH McCOY AWARDED 2010 SILVER HAMMER AWARD

MICHAEL COLANGELO AWARDED 2010 RICHARD LAYMON AWARD

I highly recommend checking out any of these books. While I haven’t yet made the complete rounds through them myself, I can vouch for many of them. My friend and mentor Lisa Morton is among the best writers working in the field today and her CASTLE OF LOS ANGELES is one of those rare books that you find yourself having a difficult time putting down. Gary Braunbeck is also a master of the genre and TO EACH THEIR DARKNESS ranks up there with King’s DANSE MACABRE as an in-depth analysis of what not only makes horror tick but also what makes it so appealing. Benjamin Kane Ethridge is also proving himself to be a force to be reckoned with and, aside from just being a damn nice guy, writes like a demon. HAUNTED LEGENDS is filled great stories if you’re looking for some shorter work.

As much as I love King and Straub, do yourself a favor and check out some of the other authors on this list. You can find them on Amazon.

Brad C. Hodson is a writer living in Los Angeles. His stories have appeared in anthologies alongside Neil Gaiman, Chuck Palahniuk, George RR Martin, and many more of his literary heroes. For a listing of his literary and film work, please check out his Bibliography at https://brad-hodson.com/bibliography/