Why celebrate just one day of Halloween when you can read a spooky story for each day of October? For the third year in a row, Dr. Sam Hirst, founder of Romancing the Gothic, has put together a reading challenge that features thirty-one poems and short stories from across history and Gothic subgenres to get us into the Halloween spirit. The challenge started in 2022 using the hashtag #AGhostADay and focusing on tales of revenants and spirits of the dead. Last year, Sam expanded the focus to include all different areas of the weird and macabre and changed the hashtag to #AScareADay. You can read my recap of last year’s challenge here. This year, #AScareADay is back and I’m more excited than ever! You can see the full reading list, complete with links for where to find each story or poem, on the Romancing the Gothic website and join the discussion using the hashtag #AScareADay on Twitter or Bluesky. (I will try to post on both platforms as I finish each story.) Continue reading Preview of #AScareADay Reading Challenge 2024
Month: September 2024
Review of Lady Macbeth—A Grimdark Reimagining
“Who would have thought the old man to have so much blood in him?” Lady Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most memorable female characters, but what is it that motivates this murderess in the Scottish Play? Ava Reid uses this Shakespearean drama as loose inspiration for her gritty medieval fantasy tale Lady Macbeth, which came out last month. Continue reading Review of Lady Macbeth—A Grimdark Reimagining