Epeolatry Book Review: You’re Not Alone in the Dark, ed. Eugene Johnson & Eric J. Guignard

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Title: You’re Not Alone in the Dark
Author: Various, ed. Eugene Johnson & Eric J. Guignard
Genre: Non-fiction, essay and interview collection
Publisher: Cemetery Dance Publications
Publication date: 22nd November, 2024

Synopsis: “The world can be an overwhelming and terrifying place. People often feel as if they are beaten, trapped, hunted-pursued by the very real monsters of mental illness, disabilities, abuse, loss, and countless other fears.

Featuring essays and interviews with some of the best writers in the horror genre, and compiled by the highly acclaimed Stoker Award winning editors Eugene Johnson and Eric Guignard, this non-fiction anthology lets people know that no matter how dark it gets, they are not alone. Contributing authors range from NYT best sellers to indie publishers, each sharing their own personal experiences, their struggles, their coping mechanisms, and what the genre community has meant to them.”

When I saw “You’re Not Alone In the Dark” was up for review, I sent in my request hoping no one else saw it before I did. Not only were many of the authors near and dear to me (reading their works has gotten me through many troubled times) but the topic was very apt for where I am in my life. I wanted to know that I wasn’t alone and that people had survived worse. I needed to know I wasn’t the only broken one. 

Lisa Morton’s piece, “Dealing with Dementia: When a Writer Must Become a Caregiver, and How to Get Through It,” struck a deep chord with me as my own father has just been diagnosed with the disease. I don’t know what is ahead for us, but I hope we get there together. Carina Bissett’s piece “Walk the Line” is another one that rang true for me. We may have gone through different physical traumas, but the mental ones are quite relatable. David Simms’ “Caging the Beast” is an anxiety favorite.

The only one that, though very good, seems more for an issue of Writer’s Digest, is “False Summits” by Kevin J. Anderson. It does fit the parameters of the anthology in its own way, but it seems more about helping the writer than getting through a trauma. 

I found new authors to read and admire and gained more respect for some of my favorites. Our writing heroes seem so untouchable until you read some of their backstory. Then somehow you feel like you know them, and that you can relate to them as a person, which makes their writing all the more enjoyable.

Many of these stories hit home. And truly, the essays show you that you are not alone. That broken can be the norm. Sometimes you read their essay and wonder how they survived at all. You might be tempted to binge read this book. Don’t. Even though the heroes survive, they are still hurt. And the residual clings.

The darkness is there for many (if not most) of us. It is all in how you deal with it. This is how some horror writers dealt with darkness and continue to deal with it. If they could, then maybe we can too.

/5

Available from Amazon and Bookshop.

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