Zen of the Dead

Welcome to Popcorn Press’s seventh annual Halloween celebration of horror poetry and short fiction! Each year, on October 1, we host an open call for horror-themed poems and stories. By October 31, we have a finished document published in ebook form, with a print version close on its heels. What you hold in your hands is the result of that creative marathon. Inside are works from writers new and old, pros and newcomers alike. Some few are previously published pieces deserving new readership; the majority have never before seen the light of day. Our goal each year is simple: to encourage a wider audience for poetry and short fiction. Halloween provides a perfect opportunity. This, then, is the result of our month-long Halloween party—though you are welcome to read the contents at any time of the year, ideally after dark…alone. (Or perhaps with a friend or two for company, to stave off the chills.)