Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you contribute to the horror genre.

Hiya, my name is M. Regan, and I am terrible at answering questions like this one. I
simply don’t consider myself an interesting topic, haha. Having said that, I do contribute
stories to the horror genre, and those stories are interesting! Arguably, my biggest and
most interesting contribution was 21 GRAMS, since it was Timber Ghost Press’s first
release. That makes me the proud eldest sibling of this publishing herd.
 
What drew you to the horror genre?

To be honest, I didn’t realize I enjoyed horror at all until I was in college. I had always
known horror to be “blood porn and jump scares,” neither of which appealed to me; it
took me far longer than it probably should have to appreciate that the dark fiction I love
lives under the same umbrella. So, in my case, it’s not so much that I was knowingly
“drawn to horror” as it is that I realized there’s horror in everything, if you think about it long enough. The call was coming from inside the house, as it were.

If you could recommend one creation of horror that everyone should consume
that is queer or queer coded, whether that be a book, podcast, movie, art, etc.,
what would you recommend?

For many years now, I have been on a one-person mission to make everyone in the
world read The Bartimaeus Sequence. That mission continues today. Not only is the
series hilarious, horrifying, and heartbreaking in equal measure, it tackles ideas of
disenfranchisement, government corruption, and exploitation in a deeply empathetic
way. It’s got magic. It’s got footnotes. It’s got a snarky, gender-nonconforming djinn as
its main character. And most notably, it’s got an author who does not use his earnings to
fund awful legislation.

Who are some queer content creators in horror you think more people should
discover?
Mokumokuren (The Summer Hikaru Died), LB Waltz (Sunny Days), Imaginary Comma
(Thirteen).

Where can folks find you these days?
I’ve not been especially active, as the internet mostly makes me sad. But I do try to
keep my website up to date, and there are links to my other social media there. Come
say hi!

Bio:
M. Regan has been writing in various capacities for two decades, with credits ranging from localization work to short stories, poetry to podcast scripts. In addition to pieces in numerous anthologies, their novella 21 GRAMS was published by Timber Ghost Press in July of 2021, and their collection STORIES IN THE MINOR KEY was released by Sobelo Books in August 2025. 

Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you contribute to the horror genre.

I’m an Australian author, editor, and publisher. I pretty much only contribute to the horror genre as I published queer horror through my press, Slashic Horror. I also write gay horror, and when I had my own editing business, I was specifically a horror editor. About me, personally, though? My pug is my best non-human friend, and tbh, he’s pretty high up the list when I count my human friends too 😂. I’m married to a gorgeous bear; probably the kindest person in existence, who has pushed me and supported me when I didn’t believe in myself. I love a good horror film, an avid reader when I get the chance, and an obsessive pug-cuddler.

What drew you to the horror genre?

I was such a fraidy cat when I was younger; a bed-wetter, nervous, terribly afraid of so many things I can’t even give examples. I grew up in an abusive household, though, so I think that had a lot to do with my perpetual sense of fear. So, when I was a teenager, I watched Scream—my first foray into horror. I had to sleep with the lights on. For me, that was not acceptable. I didn’t want to be so scared of a film that I was concerned Ghostface was real. So I began testing my limits, watching more and more horror, and I grew to absolutely love it. I also appreciate the gay coding that appears in horror, and how the history of horror has always been queer. I’ve found my place!  

What are some areas of queer horror you think are under-explored?

With greater recognition of our non-binary and trans siblings, I have always thought there is still a lack of representation or exploration of bisexuality. I’ve seen the category of bi continue to be erased by people within our own community, which I find really strange and quite counterproductive. I would love to see more bi awareness and more of an acceptance that bisexual people exist—and that they belong, just as we all do. 

What do you find scary within the horror genre?

This is a tricky one for me. I don’t find the typical tropes of ghosts, vamps, werewolves etc. to be overly scary. So I think for me it’s the themes that resonate with me on that really fearful level. At the moment, in my own writing, I am quite concerned with the nature of existence and reality, and the psychological elements of storytelling that come with that. So I guess for me, queering existence and notions of identity can be scary.

Who are some queer content creators in horror you think more people should discover?

There are so many. I will start with all of my Slashic family. If you don’t know who they are, just look at the Our Authors page on the website: https://www.slashichorrorpress.com/our-authors. There are so many wonderful, talented authors emerging every day and, admittedly, it is hard to keep up. But that page is a good start. I can really only speak to authors and book content, as that’s where I am the most comfortable in terms of queer creators. 

What advice would you give to the next generation of queer horror content creators coming into the horror genre?

The world today is so toxic and can be so dangerous for an incredible amount of people in our community. Horror is one space where we can all belong and where we can draw on each other for support. I guess my main point of advice would be to stay authentic to yourself and write what you want to write. I’ve had friends and family tell me to “write straight” to get my foot in the door with trad publishers and agents—my response is to never compromise on what’s important to you. We are queer and our stories matter; writing those stories is one of the most valuable, meaningful things I have done in my writing career.

Where can folks find you these days?

I’m on almost every platform, but my LinkTree is probably the easiest way to find me: https://linktr.ee/djfletcher.

Bio:

David-Jack Fletcher is a gay Australian horror author, publisher, and editor, specialising in work that emphasises the everydayness of LGBTQI+ individuals. He is the Aurealis-nominated author of The Count, a vampiric novel centred on the evil that lurks within the earth itself. His other titles include the award-winning Raven’s Creek (Slashic), The Haunting of Harry Peck (Lethe Press), Hell is Other People: Stories (Lethe Press), Indentured (Truborn), He Will Have the World(Slashic) and the forthcoming Umbilical (Horrorsmith Publishing). 
David-Jack is also the founder of Slashic Horror Press, an emerging queer indie press focused on promoting under-represented voices—and stories—in horror and dark fiction. Since beginning in June 2023, Slashic Horror Press has released over 25 titles. For more details, visit the website here: https://www.slashichorrorpress.com/titles

Tell us a bit about yourself. 

Howdy! My name is Mar Smith and I’m a horror writer based in Utah. While I am currently in graduate school for Clinical Mental Health Counseling, I spend the majority of my free time creating stories. I have always absolutely adored the genre, specifically body horror. Conversations surrounding identity, politics, and autonomy have always intrigued me, specifically through the horror lens. I currently write The Westward Eye, a western horror audio drama out on most platforms. There, I work with a majority queer cast to bring to life chilling stories centering LGBTQ+ characters. 

What draws you to the horror genre?

Admittedly, in horror, I have always found myself drawn from the monsters. There is something profoundly beautiful in loving what was never meant to be loved. The nuance of the monsters surviving as the antagonists for most creature features has always intrigued me. A hero is only as good as their villain. Similarly, as a trans masculine individual, I have found my own identity plays deeply into my love for the genre. When it comes to body horror, I find that I feel a deep sense of catharsis. The idea of someone’s body changing into something seen as “monsterous” by others, but comfortable to the self is a feeling that I have experienced all too often. I feel safe and seen within the genre, which is odd to say since one of the main goals of horror is to unsettle the reader.

If you could recommend one creation of horror that everyone should consume that is queer or queer coded, whether that be a book, podcast, movie, art, etc., what would you recommend?

I cannot recommend The Deviant by James Tynion IV enough. It’s the story of a series of gruesome murders and a comic book artists who, decades after the deaths, decides to interview the “deviant killer”. It’s a story of identity and conflict. Moreso, what happens when one’s own queerness is indestructibly linked to trauma. (also ACAB)

I would also recommend my own horror audio drama, The Westward Eye (TWE). It follows three young explorers as they leave their capitalistic hellhole of a home and venture out into an unexplored part of their continent to gather testimonials. With a majority queer cast and crew, the horror is deeply steeped in the lived experiences of the LGBTQ+ community. It does not contain any homophobia or transphobia to add to its horror. Instead Tobin, Etta, and Sterling spiral deep into a realm of monsters, body horror, and ancient gods. 

When folks look back at the LGBTQIA+ movement of today’s day and age, what do you think the defining characteristic will be?

The word resilience comes to mind when I think about the current LGBTQ+ movement. There are so many things stacked against us and yet here we are. We aren’t just surviving, but thriving. Through mutual aid we can uplift one another. Through art we can tell our stories and find those who resonate. Through activism we can make lasting change. We are stronger than we think we are, especially when we can work as what we are, a community. 

What are some areas of queer horror you think are under-explored?

As a writer, I often explore what it looks like to “reclaim” body horror. I would love to see more media where, after a character’s flesh goes through an immense change, they take it in stride and find power in the shift. You see a lot of this within the superhero genre where, after an “accident” or “tragedy” of sorts, the hero finds power in their new way of being. This plays into what types of changes are seen as acceptable and which are not. I would absolutely love to see more of this is mainstream horror (and have written a fair amount of it into my audio drama). 

Where can folks find you these days?

You can find me on Instagram @meltedmothmuseum. There, I have my local art. You can find my audio drama, The Westward Eye, wherever you stream horror podcasts or on instagram and tiktok @thewestwardeye.