San Antonio horror writer Joe McKinney has nabbed his second Bram Stoker Award nomination.

McKinney’s novel Apocalypse of the Dead was listed in the Superior Achievement in a Novel category alongside heavy hitters Joe Hill, nominated for Horns, and Peter Straub, nominated for [Read it all...]]]>

Joe McKinney's latest zombie novel is up for a Stoker Award.

San Antonio horror writer Joe McKinney has nabbed his second Bram Stoker Award nomination.

McKinney’s novel Apocalypse of the Dead was listed in the Superior Achievement in a Novel category alongside heavy hitters Joe Hill, nominated for Horns, and Peter Straub, nominated for A Dark Matter. Members of the Horror Writers Association vote on the Stokers annually to recognize the best in literary horror.

“I’m a little stunned,” McKinney said. “There are some writers on the ballot I grew up reading, and when I see my name up there next to theirs, well, that’s a humbling experience. I’m absolutely thrilled, though. It’s been a great week.”

McKinney’s novel “Quarantined” grabbed a nomination for the 2009 Stokers but ultimately lost out to Audrey’s Door by Sarah Langan.

Stay tuned, folks. Missions Unknown will catch up again with McKinney on Friday with a full “Made in S.A.” interview, where he talks about the nomination, his interest in hard-boiled crime writing and the future of the zombie-apocalypse genre.

And for those seeking the whole rundown on the 2010 Stoker nominations, here you go:

Superior Achievement in a NOVEL

HORNS by Joe Hill (William Morrow)
ROT AND RUIN by Jonathan Maberry (Simon & Schuster)
DEAD LOVE by Linda Watanabe McFerrin (Stone Bridge Press)
APOCALYPSE OF THE DEAD by Joe McKinney (Pinnacle)
DWELLER by Jeff Strand (Leisure/Dark Regions Press)
A DARK MATTER by Peter Straub (DoubleDay)

Superior Achievement in a FIRST NOVEL
BLACK AND ORANGE by Benjamin Kane Ethridge (Bad Moon Books)
A BOOK OF TONGUES by Gemma Files (Chizine Publications)
CASTLE OF LOS ANGELES by Lisa Morton (Gray Friar Press)
SPELLBENT by Lucy Snyder (Del Rey)

Superior Achievement in LONG FICTION
THE PAINTED DARKNESS by Brian James Freeman (Cemetery Dance)
DISSOLUTION by Lisa Mannetti (Deathwatch)
MONSTERS AMONG US by Kirstyn McDermott (Macabre: A Journey through Australia’s Darkest Fears)
THE SAMHANACH by Lisa Morton (Bad Moon Books)
INVISIBLE FENCES by Norman Prentiss (Cemetery Dance)

Superior Achievement in SHORT FICTION
RETURN TO MARIABRONN by Gary Braunbeck (Haunted Legends)
THE FOLDING MAN by Joe R. Lansdale (Haunted Legends)
1925: A FALL RIVER HALLOWEEN by Lisa Mannetti (Shroud Magazine #10)
IN THE MIDDLE OF POPLAR STREET by Nate Southard (Dead Set: A Zombie Anthology)
FINAL DRAFT by Mark W. Worthen (Horror Library IV)

Superior Achievement in an ANTHOLOGY
DARK FAITH edited by Maurice Broaddus and Jerry Gordon (Apex Publications)
HORROR LIBRARY IV edited by R.J. Cavender and, Boyd E. Harris (Cutting Block Press)
MACABRE: A JOURNEY THROUGH AUSTRALIA’S DARKEST FEARS edited by Angela Challis and Marty Young (Brimstone Press)
HAUNTED LEGENDS edited by Ellen Datlow and Nick Mamatas (Tor)
THE NEW DEAD edited by Christopher Golden (St. Martin’s Griffin)

Superior Achievement in a COLLECTION
OCCULTATION by Laird Barron (Night Shade Books)
BLOOD AND GRISTLE by Michael Louis Calvillo (Bad Moon Books)
FULL DARK, NO STARS by Stephen King (Simon and Schuster)
THE ONES THAT GOT AWAY by Stephen Graham Jones (Prime Books)
A HOST OF SHADOWS by Harry Shannon (Dark Regions Press)

Superior Achievement in NONFICTION
TO EACH THEIR DARKNESS by Gary A. Braunbeck (Apex Publications)
THE CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE HUMAN RACE by Thomas Ligotti (Hippocampus Press)
WANTED UNDEAD OR ALIVE by Jonathan Maberry and Janice Gable Bashman (Citadel)
LISTEN TO THE ECHOES: THE RAY BRADBURY INTERVIEWS by Sam Weller (Melville House Publications)

Superior Achievement in a POETRY collection
DARK MATTERS by Bruce Boston (Bad Moon Books)
WILD HUNT OF THE STARS by Ann K. Schwader (Sam’s Dot)
DIARY OF A GENTLEMAN DIABOLIST by Robin Spriggs (Anomalous Books)
VICIOUS ROMANTIC by Wrath James White (Bandersnatch Books)

Looks like South/Central Texas horror creators and fans have cause to celebrate. (This breaking news courtesy of JOE MCKINNEY.)

The WORLD HORROR SOCIETY has named Austin, Texas, as the location for the 2011 WORLD HORROR CONVENTION. The international gathering of horror’s brightest talents and their fans will take place from April 28 [Read it all...]]]>

Sarah Langan

Looks like South/Central Texas horror creators and fans have cause to celebrate. (This breaking news courtesy of JOE MCKINNEY.)

The WORLD HORROR SOCIETY has named Austin, Texas, as the location for the 2011 WORLD HORROR CONVENTION. The international gathering of horror’s brightest talents and their fans will take place from April 28 through May 1, 2011.

Austin, Texas was chosen for its unique style and rich genre history. The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre was filmed near the city, and the remakes of both Chainsaw Massacre and Friday the 13^th were filmed in town. Austin also serves as home to the largest urban bat colony in North America, and at sunset 1.5 million bats fly over the city, truly marking it as a horror locale.

“Texas has a long history of strange fiction, serving as home to such luminaries as ROBERT E. HOWARD, MICHAEL MOORCOCK and JOE R. LANSDALE,” says Convention Co-Chair NATE SOUTHARD. “Bringing the World Horror Convention to Austin is a natural. It’s a vibrant city with a taste for the eccentric and a love of the arts. Further, its central, southern location makes it convenient for travelers throughout the US, and visitors from abroad will have no trouble reaching us either.”

Known as both the Capital of Texas and the Live Music Capital of the World, Austin provides the entertainment and cultural draws of a large city with the intimacy of a small town. This smaller size translates to ease of transportation in and around the city with many opportunities for convention attendees to absorb what Austin has to offer.

Convention Chairs, Southard and LEE THOMAS, promise to bring the convention back to the US in style. Focusing on literary horror’s newest stars, WHC 2011 has already confirmed author SARAH LANGAN as its first Guest of Honor.

“We couldn’t be more pleased,” Thomas said. “Sarah was at the top of our list, and her enthusiastic agreement to attend really set the tone for what we hope to achieve with this convention. We’ll be inviting additional industry luminaries, and we’ll make announcements when those folks are confirmed.”

Ms. Langan’s first novel, The Keeper, was named a New York Times editor’s choice. Her second novel, The Missing, won the Bram Stoker Award for outstanding novel and earned an American Library Association Award. Her third novel, Audrey’s Door, will be released in late 2009 and has already been optioned by the Weinstein Company for film.

Additional Guests of Honor, registration information, and hotel information will be forthcoming. A website featuring convention information is currently in development.

The World Horror Convention is an annual gathering of professionals in the horror industry; publishers, authors, artists, musicians, filmmakers, dealers and, of course, horror fans. WHC serves as both an industry insider’s networking event and a chance for fans of the genre to get together, meet some of the creative talents in the field, and generally spend a weekend celebrating All Things Scary.