Murder Ballads and Other Horrific Tales
“It’s time to declare John Hornor Jacobs as a major author: every sentence he writes feels drawn from a pit of fire and hammered into a sword.” —Daniel Kraus, New York Times bestselling co-author of The Shape of Water
A terrifying collection of horror and crime noir from the author of Southern Gods and A Lush and Seething Hell.
Featuring ten tales, two never before in print, Murder Ballads and Other Horrific Tales is an exciting glimpse into the dark territories of the human heart.
These are coming-of-age stories. Stories of love and loss, grief and revenge. Survival and redemption. From old gods to malevolent artificial intelligences, vampires to zombies to ghosts, Jacobs exposes our fears and worst imaginings.
Contains the titular “Murder Ballads,” the sequel to Southern Gods.
“Jacobs demonstrates masterful control of his eclectic themes and frequently propels them into unexpected and pleasingly original territory… Offers plenty to keep genre fans hooked.” —Publishers Weekly
The paperback version of this book includes a free electronic copy of the same book. You will be provided with the download link once you have completed the purchase process.
Film/TV rights: Tara Timinsky at Grandview LA
“This collection of 10 weird fiction tales from Jacobs, two of which are original to this volume, bristles with energy and style. “The Children of Yig,” a work of cosmic horror, sees an otherworldly scourge blindside a horde of Viking berserkers. In the title novella, a southern gothic extravaganza, Jacobs traces the aftermath of his 2011 novel Southern Gods through the lives of its younger characters as they struggle to evade an infernal menace in rural Arkansas in the 1950s and ’60s. Several stories skillfully splice horror with science fiction, notably “Verrata,” in which the narrator’s Virtual Reality implant becomes infected, inducing ghostly visions, and “Single, Singularity,” which features a horrifyingly sentient Artificial Intelligence. Jacobs demonstrates masterful control of his eclectic themes and frequently propels them into unexpected and pleasingly original territory. This marvelously eerie collection offers plenty to keep genre fans hooked. ”
— Publisher’s Weekly