Where Monsters Meet Humanity

Dear Weirdlings,

What is that knocking in the walls? Do you see it? Is it real?

Some monsters slip through the shadows and squeeze through ducts, stretching their arms from dark places, grasping and viscious.

Some monsters lurk in the distance, their threat a constant hum. We cling to each other, to our love and humanity in an attempt to stand against the tide.

And yet others are monsters of our own creation, our fears leaching into the shadows, thickening them, granting them a lurching, hungry life.

What will you find here?

TV

The X-Files Rewatch: 'Squeeze' (Once Weird)

The FBI is baffled by a serial killer who is able to slip into tightly secure locations in order to murder and steal the victim’s liver. Scully and Mulder investigate amid the mockery of their fellow agents.

CBS’s The Stand Will Debut in December (Tor.com)

Based on Stephen King’s novel, the nine-episode adaptation of The Stand will “feature a new coda for the series written by King himself.”

Lore

Researchers Think They Solved the Mystery of America's 'Lost Colony' (Vice)

The mystery of what happened to the settlers of Roanoke Island has fascinated historians and paranormal enthusiasts alike since 1590, when a group of settlers returned from a resupply mission and found the entire community empty. With archeological evidence gathered over a number of years, researchers are confident they’ve solved the mystery.

Literature

Inside the Cult of Fear: Finding Humanity in Horror Fiction (Tor.com)

“I love a creepy, atmospheric premise with a wicked puzzle-box center as much as anybody, but for a story to dig its claws in it has to have an emotional hook, and that’s where the characters matter,” Kali Wallace writes in her discussion of The Magnus Archives (which I now must listen to immediately).

10 Creepy Horror Books From Around The World (BuzzFeed News)

Whether you’re a horror fanatic or a newbie, it can sometimes be hard to know how to expand your reading of the genre. Silvia Moreno-Garcia shared a list of ten books from around the world, each presenting a unique perspective on the genre.

Short of the Week

Directed by Jennifer Kent, “Monster” is a short film that provided the conceptual basis for her much acclaimed feature, The Babadook. Shot in black and white, the short is a creepy and beautifully designed creation in its own right.