Celebrating the Genre of Poe and Shelley.
Of the same generation but an ocean apart, Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) and Mary Shelley (1797-1851) spawned a genre that horror writers and fans celebrate each year at StokerCon.
Billing itself as “an all-inclusive event where writers of all of the many subgenres the horror world may convene to share ideas, pitch their new projects, and revel in their weirdness,” StokerCon will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this week in Pittsburgh, the city of George A. Romero, birthplace of the Living Dead.
I’ll be participating in two StokerCon events.
The first, a three-author reading where I plan to share excerpts from Mr. Edgar A. Poe Presents; the second, a panel titled Mary Shelley’s Monster: The Legacy of Frankenstein.
Here’s a preview.
Authors Reading
Excerpts from Mr. Edgar A. Poe Presents are just part of what you’ll hear during this StokerCon event, as I’ll be joined at the reading by horror writers Nicole Givens Kurtz and Larry Hinkle.
Nicole Givens Kurtz has been called “a genre polymath who does crime, horror, and science fiction and fantasy” (Book Riot). With over 25 years in publishing, She’s written for Marvel ®, Pseudopod, Apex, Fiyah, White Wolf, The Realm, Baen, Subsume, and MV Media. Her book-length fiction includes the cyberpunk noir series Cybil Lewis and Death Violations as well as the Kingdom of Aves fantasy mystery series. Nicole’s latest release, a Southern Gothic short story collection titled The Spirit Room, is out now from Undertaker Books.
Larry Hinkle writes cosmic horror, pulp, and horror comedy, tinged with a touch of weird. His short stories made the Preliminary Stoker Awards ballot in 2020 and 2022. His books include The Space Between (collection, 2024), The Eris Ridge Trail (novella, 2025), and An Hour Before Dark (collection 2026). At the reading, he plans to present excerpts from his most recent collection.
Mary Shelley’s Monster
Moderated by writer and teacher Crystal O’Leary-Davidson (top left) and featuring panelists (top to bottom, left to right) Gwendolyn Kiste, Teel James Glenn, John Langan, Lisa Kröger, and yours truly, this panel will discuss what makes Mary Shelley’s creature so enduring and compelling, the best and worst offspring of the novel, and why the ideas and themes remain relevant today.
You won’t want to miss this one.
The Progenitors of Modern Horror
Want to know about the enduring legacy of Poe and Shelley?
Below is a sampling of some previous installments of this blog that you might find interesting. Check them out … and I’ll hope to see you at StokerCon!
Mary Shelley & Frankenstein
- Now on the TEDx Channel: The Resilience of Frankenstein
- Frankenstein: The Creation Scene
- T. P. Cooke’s Demon: The First Pop-Culture Frankenstein
- Not Your Universal Monster: The Hammer Frankenstein Series
- First Impression: Discovering Frankenstein
- Beyond Imagination: Frankenstein, Shelley & Karloff
- 200 Years Ago Today: First Publication of a Misunderstood Classic
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