Bloodlines

Bloodlines collects four remarkable stories from four exciting, new voices in the world of weird fiction. These tales aptly explore the horrors of family: a lesson on familial sacrifice, selfishness, and self-annihilation, our vulnerability to our close relations, the sins of the father manifesting in an all too concrete way, even after death, the effect family has on our reality—perceived and objective. Within these pages the reader is presented with the stark inevitability of family, the awfulness of family conformity, the terrible fact of where we come from and who and what we are. I burned through the thematically linked stories in Bloodlines—nodding, chilled and delighted. You will too! Don’t miss it! —Jon Padgett, author of The Secret of Ventriloquism Bloodlines is a terrifying journey into what it means to be family. From the impossible weight of parental obligations to the inevitable but horrific realization that all of us will be replaced one day, Winter et all manage to capture frightening family portraits that feel uncannily familiar. In the vein of The Relic and Hereditary the voices of Bloodlines capture just how disturbing and weird our families can be. —Tyler Unsell, owner and Editor in Chief, Signal Horizon Four memorable stories about the cruelty, betrayal, pain—and yes, sometimes love and tenderness—of family life. —Christi Nogle, author of Beulah If you’ve ever dreaded a family dinner, felt terror at the blood pumping in your veins; if you’ve ever thought maybe the people you call kin just aren’t quite right—Bloodlines will hold you in its thrall with its literary daring, blood-soaked wit, and taste for carnage. From quiet horror to caterwauling bloodshed, this quadruple feature is fun for the whole family. A trio of sisters take turns sharing a migraine that challenges their pain tolerance—and sanity ("Our Migraine," Christopher O’Halloran). A man struggles with his inheritance when his absent father—and namesake—dies, leaving him with disturbing visions and an unwanted purpose ("Nos Da, Tad," Antony Frost). A young ghost watches a sinister family gathering complete with a prettier, smarter replica of herself—then, makes sure it’s their last ("I Am Not to be Replaced," Carson Winter). Following the death of his mother, the eldest of five siblings must uncover the true nature of his family’s strange, isolated existence while an apocalyptic event looms ("The Heads of Leviathan," Alex Wolfgang). This is where the family tree meets the family plot. This is Bloodlines.