THE 2023 BRAM STOKER AWARD® WINNERS

SAN DIEGO, CA–The 2023 Bram Stoker Awards® took place on June 1, during the Annual Bram Stoker Awards® Banquet at StokerCon™ 2024. Winners received awards for superior achievement in the following categories:

Superior Achievement in an Anthology

Aquilone, James – Shakespeare Unleashed (Crystal Lake Publishing, Monstrous Books)

Golden, Christopher, and Keene, Brian – The Drive-In: Multiplex (Pandi Press)

Hawk, Shane and Van Alst, Jr., Theodore C. – Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology (Vintage)

Rowland, Rebecca – American Cannibal (Maenad Press)

(Winner) Peele, Jordan, and Adams, John Joseph–Out There Screaming (Random House) 

Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection

Keisling, Todd – Cold, Black, & Infinite (Cemetery Dance)

Malerman, Josh – Spin A Black Yarn (Del Rey)

Nogle, Christi – The Best of Our Past, the Worst of Our Future (Flame Tree Press)

Read, Sarah – Root Rot & Other Grim Tales (Bad Hand Books)

(Winner) Files, Gemma–Blood from the Air (Grimscribe Press) 

Superior Achievement in a First Novel

Compton, Johnny – The Spite House (Tor Nightfire/Macmillan)

LaRocca, Eric – Everything the Darkness Eats (CLASH Books/Titan)

Leede, CJ – Maeve Fly (Tor Nightfire/Macmillan/Titan)

Rebelein, Sam – Edenville (William Morrow/Titan)

(Winner) Carmen, Christa–The Daughters of Block Island (Thomas & Mercer) 

Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel

Bunn, Cullen (author) and Leomacs (artist) – Ghostlore, Vol. 1 (BOOM! Studios)

Cesare, Adam (author) and Stoll, David (artist) – Dead Mall (Dark Horse Comics)

Ito, Junji (author and artist) – Tombs (Viz Media)

Tanabe, Gou (author and artist) – H.P. Lovecraft’s The Shadow Over Innsmouth (Dark Horse Comics)

(Winner) Chu, Amy (author) and Lee, Soo (artist)–Carmilla: The First Vampire (Dark Horse)

Superior Achievement in Long Fiction

Due, Tananarive – “Rumpus Room” (The Wishing Pool and Other Stories, Akashic Books)

Khaw, Cassandra – The Salt Grows Heavy (Tor Nightfire/Macmillan/Titan)

McCarthy, J.A.W. – Sleep Alone (Off Limits Press LLC)

Murray, Lee – Despatches (PS Publishing)

(Winner) Jiang, Ai–Linghun (Dark Matter INK) 

Superior Achievement in Long Nonfiction

Coleman, Robin R. Means and Harris, Mark H. – The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema from Fodder to Oscar (Gallery/Saga Press)

Fitzpatrick, Claire (ed.) – A Vindication of Monsters: Essays on Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley (IFWG Publishing International)

Morton, Lisa – The Art of the Zombie Movie (Applause Books)

Murray, Lee and Smith, Angela Yuriko (eds.) – Unquiet Spirits: Essays by Asian Women in Horror (Black Spot Books)

(Winner) Hartmann, Sadie–101 Horror Books to Read Before You’re Murdered (Page Street Publishing) 

Superior Achievement in a Middle Grade Novel

Henning, Sarah – Monster Camp (Margaret K. McElderry Books)

López, Diana – Los Monstruos: Felice and the Wailing Woman (Kokila)

Tuma, Refe – Frances and the Werewolves of the Black Forest (HarperCollins)

Young, Suzanne – What Stays Buried (HarperCollins)

(Winner) Senf, Lora–The Nighthouse Keeper (Atheneum Books for Young Readers)

Superior Achievement in a Novel

Hendrix, Grady – How to Sell a Haunted House (Berkley/Titan)

Jones, Stephen Graham – Don’t Fear the Reaper (Gallery/Saga Press/Titan)

LaValle, Victor – Lone Women (One World)

Tingle, Chuck – Camp Damascus (Tor Nightfire/MacMillan/Titan)

Wendig, Chuck – Black River Orchard (Del Rey/Penguin Random House)

(Winner) Due, Tananarive–The Reformatory (Gallery/Saga Press/Titan) 

Superior Achievement in Poetry

Gold, Maxwell Ian – Bleeding Rainbows and Other Broken Spectrums (Hex Publishers)

McHugh, Jessica – The Quiet Ways I Destroy You (Apokrupha Press)

Pichette, Marisca – Rivers in Your Skin, Sirens in Your Hair (Android Press)

Walrath, Holly Lyn – Numinous Stones (Aqueduct Press)

(Winner) Wytovich, Stephanie M.–On the Subject of Blackberries (Raw Dog Screaming Press) 

Superior Achievement in a Screenplay

Brooker, Charlie – Black Mirror: Beyond the Sea (Episode 03:06) (Zeppotron, Babieka, Banijay Entertainment, Broke and Bones, House of Tomorrow)

Cervera, Michelle Garza and Castillo, Abia – Huesera: The Bone Woman (Disruptiva Films, Machete Producciones, Maligno Gorehouse)

Duffield, Brian – No One Will Save You (20th Century Studios, Star Thrower Entertainment)

Rugna, Demián – When Evil Lurks (Machaco Films, Aramos Cine, Shudder)

(Winner) Yamazaki, Takashi–Godzilla Minus One (Robot Communications, Toho Studios) 

Superior Achievement in Short Fiction

Daniels, L.E. – “Silk” (Hush, Don’t Wake the Monster: Stories Inspired by Stephen King, Twisted Wing Productions)

Jones, Rachael K. – “Sound of Children Screaming” (Nightmare Magazine)

Miller, Sam J. – “If Someone You Love Has Become a Vurdalak” (The Dark)

Tabing, Nadine Aurora – “An Inherited Taste” (No Trouble at All, Cursed Morsels Press)

(Winner) O’Quinn, Cindy–“Quondam” (The Nightmare Never Ends, Exploding Head Fiction) 

Superior Achievement in Short Non-Fiction

Bissett, Carina – “Words Wielded by Women” (Apex Magazine)

Kulski, K.P. – “100 Livers” (Unquiet Spirits: Essays by Asian Women in Horror, Black Spot Books)

Murray, Lee – “Displaced Spirits” (Unquiet Spirits: Essays by Asian Women in Horror, Black Spot Books)

Wetmore Jr, Kevin – “A Theatre of Ghosts, A Haunted Cinema: The Japanese Gothic as Theatrical Tradition in Gurozuka” (The Wenshan Review of Literature and Culture: Special Issue on Asian Gothic)

(Winner) Bulkin, Nadia–“Becoming Ungovernable: Latah, Amok, and Disorder in Indonesia,” (Unquiet Spirits: Essays by Asian Women in Horror, Black Spot Books) 

Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel

Bayron, Kalynn – You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight (Bloomsbury YA)

Dimaline, Cherie – Funeral Songs for Dying Girls (Tundra Book Group)

Simmons, Kristen – Find Him Where You Left Him Dead (Tor Teen)

Smith, Cynthia Leitich – Harvest House (Candlewick Press)

(Winner) Tran, Trang Thanh–She Is a Haunting (Bloomsbury YA) 

SPECIALTY PRESS AWARD

Thunderstorm Books

THE RICHARD LAYMON PRESIDENT’S AWARD

Brian W. Matthews

THE KAREN LANSDALE SILVER HAMMER AWARD

Lila Denning

MENTOR OF THE YEAR AWARD

Lisa Wood

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Mort Castle

Cassandra Peterson.

Steve Rasnic Tem

Next year’s StokerCon™ will take place June 12-15 in  Stamford, Connecticut.