Forrest J Ackerman – 11/24/16 – 12/4/08

The Associated Press reports that legendary Famous Monsters of Filmland editor Forrest J Ackerman passed away on Thursday, December 4th at his Los Angeles home. Ackerman, or "Uncle Forry" as he was affectionately known by friends and fans alike, died of heart failure. He had recently celebrated his 92nd birthday. Reports started circulating several weeks ago that the venerable pop culture icon was in failing health, as he welcomed his many friends and colleagues - including Ackerman "discovery" Ray Bradbury and Fangoria editor Anthony Timpone - to say their final goodbyes at his private Hollywood residence. Until 2002, Ackerman lived…

Joseph McGee 7/07/85 – 11/27/08

It is with great sadness that the HWA reports the passing of one of its members, Joseph W. McGee. McGee, 23, of Worcester, passed away suddenly Thursday, November 27, from complications with diabetes. McGee was the author of the novels The Reaper and Snow Hill and a member of the New England Horror Writers Association. His family describes him as "a quiet giant with a mountain for a heart who left us better than he found us." Excerpted from the Worcester Telegram & Gazette: He leaves his mother, Theresa (Kwiatkowski) Conte-McGee; his brother, Anthony J. Conte and his wife Francesca;…

First Stoker Weekend Guests Announced!

Stoker Weekend co-chairs John R. Little and Lisa Morton are pleased to announce the first four Guests of Honor for the HWA Stoker Weekend to be held June 12-14, 2009, at the Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel in Burbank, CA. Richard Matheson is a legend in the horror field. His groundbreaking work includes the classic novels I Am Legend, The Shrinking Man, What Dreams May Come, Bid Time Return, Hell House, and many others. In addition to penning countless short stories, many of his works have been turned into movies - including several where Matheson wrote the screenplay. He also wrote many episodes…

Rue Morgue Shows the Love…

Several HWA members enjoy noteworthy reviews in the latest issue of Rue Morgue magazine: On Lisa Morton's A Hallowe'en Anthology..."for deeper understanding of the folklore, customs and literature related to October 31, this anthology is a must-have all year round." On Gord Rollo's The Jigsaw Man..."will break readers' hearts, and continue to haunt them long after the last page is turned. With this novel, Rollo establishes himself as a name to watch on the horror fiction landscape." And, Del Howison and his co-editors on The Book of Lists: Horror get some Morgue props..."Simply put: if I were to ever pen…

Dark Whispers Watercooler: The Genre That Devoured Itself?

Rose Fox over at her Publishers Weekly blog offers up The Genre Formerly Known as Horror, and Other Stories. Horror as an effect versus genuine genre? Horror as a fluke - one named Stephen King? Did the horror genre devour itself? "Horror, swept away while this has gone on, has re-emerged as a component underneath the "thriller" umbrella, probably coming in through the serial-killer side door. I've been told that Scott Smith's superb The Ruins was to have ushered in a category dubbed "literary horror," although I'm almost certain that Thomas Harris would argue he's been delivering that for a…

HWA Proudly Presents – Blood Lite

...a collection of entertaining tales that puts the fun back into dark fiction, with ironic twists and tongue-in-cheek wit to temper the jagged edge. Edited by NYT Bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson Blood Lite Editor: Kevin J. Anderson Publisher: Pocket Release Date: October 21st, 2008 ISBN-10: 1416567836 ISBN-13: 978-1416567837 Charlaine Harris reveals the dark side of going green, when a quarter of die-hard environmentalists host a fundraiser with a gory twist in "An Evening with Al Gore"...In an all-new Dresden Files story from Jim Butcher, when it comes to tracking deadly paranormal doings, there's no such thing as a "Day…

Writers Strike Statement

The Horror Writers Association, on behalf of its writer members, stands in support of the Writers Guild of America strike in seeking appropriate compensation for writers when their work is distributed digitally, either via DVD or Internet downloads. Although HWA is not a union, it is an organization of writers that advocates for authors' rights. Writers Guild of America and its demands fall solidly into this category. All writers will be affected by the outcome of this strike, and we stand in solidarity, resisting those who seek to distribute our work on the Internet, DVD, or any format without fair…

Member Profile – Tom Piccirilli

HWA member Tom Piccirilli lives in Colorado where, besides writing, he spends an inordinate amount of time watching trash cult films and reading Gold Medal classic noir and hardboiled novels. He's a fan of Asian cinema, especially horror movies, pinky violence, and samurai flicks. He also likes walking his dogs around the neighborhood. Are you starting to get the hint that he doesn't have a particularly active social life? Well to heck with you, buddy, yours isn't much better. Give him any static and he'll smack you in the mush, dig? Tom also enjoys making new friends. He's the author…

HWA Partners With World Horror Con 2008

The Horror Writers Association is proud to announce a partnership with the World Horror Convention for the 2008 event to be held in Salt Lake City, Utah. Deborah LeBlanc, HWA president, said the partnership is beneficial to both the HWA and the convention organizers because it brings together two of the genre’s biggest events in the annual World Horror Convention and HWA’s Stoker Awards Banquet. “We were fortunate to be able to hold our Stoker Award Banquet in conjunction with the 2007 World Horror Convention,” LeBlanc said. “We are very pleased to be able to continue that partnership with the…

Ready to Apply

Congratulations! We can't wait to meet you. Applications Checklist What is my membership category? (choose one)Supporting AllyAffiliate WriterActive Pro WriterAcademic AllyAssociate Ally For Affiliate Writer and Active Pro WriterI have documents ready to upload showing I received payment for the qualifying work. (Most members provide screenshots of PayPal or bank statements.)If the name of the qualifying work doesn't appear on my payment documents, I have a contract for the qualifying work.If my qualifying work is self-published, I have spreadsheets from the online seller (Amazon, Square, etc.) that show the title of the qualifying work and the date of sale.I am…

Gather Your Documentation

Membership Documentation When you fill out the form to apply, you’ll be asked to upload documentation that shows you qualify for the membership level. Failure to provide correct documentation may significantly delay your application or result in rejection. If you’re unsure whether you have the right documentation, contact our Membership Committee via email. No Documentation is required for Supporting Ally membership. Applicants for all other levels must provide documentation of their qualifying sales to complete the application process. You must have received payment for the work and provide documentation that links the payment to a specific title. Documentation may include,…

Join Now – Choose the Appropriate Category

This and the following pages will walk you through the decisions you have to make before you fill out the application form, one step at a time. We recommend you take notes as you go about your choices. Determine Your Membership Category Whether you’re an aspiring writer working toward your all-important first pro-level sale or a seasoned novelist with a dozen books to your credit, the HWA can help further your career. If you’re a producer, publisher, editor, or agent, you’ll find our networking resources invaluable. If you’re a librarian or bookseller, you’ll have an inside track on talented writers,…

Past Award Nominees and Winners

Following is a list of all Bram Stoker Award nominees and winners, arranged chronologically. Bram Stoker Awards are presented during the year following the publication of the eligible works. To view nominees published in a particular year, click the corresponding link below. | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | | 2013 | 2014…

More Award Information

Submitting a Work for the Bram Stoker Awards Prior Winners and Nominees RULES Complete Bram Stoker Award Rules (PDF) About the Bram Stoker Awards Each year, the Horror Writer's Association presents the Bram Stoker Awards for Superior Achievement, named in honor of Bram Stoker, author of the seminal horror work, Dracula. The Bram Stoker Awards were instituted immediately after the organization's incorporation in 1987. To ameliorate the competitive nature of any award system, the Bram Stoker Awards are given "for superior achievement," not for "best of the year," and the rules are deliberately designed to make ties possible. The first…

Award Etiquette

Bram Stoker Awards® Etiquette Rules Everyone wants to win a Bram Stoker Award®. And every author of an eligible work wants to give that work the best possible chance of winning. On the other hand, no one wants to be deluged with spam. And no one wants the reputation of the Awards to suffer from the effects of ruthless campaigning or outright dishonesty. If there is a single thought to keep in mind here, it is the difference between promoting and soliciting. Promoting (acceptable) is the business of spreading the word about your work and making sure anyone who wants…

HWA Dues Payment

HWA dues are collected annually during the months of January and February. If you are accessing this page from the nav bar link in the Members Only area of the site any time after April 1, then your dues are paid and you are in good standing. You will receive an email from the HWA asking you to renew. The link to your HWA member account will be in it. Please follow this link to renew. If you did not receive such an email, contact admin@horror.org to get a new one sent to you. Please note the following items concerning…