Joe Hills Massive New HorrorFantasy Novel Arrives Just In Time For Halloween

Hill's fourth novel, The Fireman, released in 2016, so fans have been waiting nearly a decade for King Sorrow. The 896-page doorstopper--Hill's longest novel to date--takes place at Rackham College, a fictional university in Maine.

When Arthur Oakes is forced to steal rare books from the college library's exceptional collection, he consults his friend group to find a way to get out of his nightmare (he really loves books). Arthur's buddy suggests summoning a dragon to thwart the drug dealer who is making him steal books. Arthur and five of his friends perform the summoning ritual using an old journal bound in its author's skin. As one would expect, using a skin-bound book to summon an evil entity is a bad idea. Once the eponymous evil is summoned, the group has the unenviable task of choosing a person to sacrifice each year. If they don't, they will be sacrificed.

In August, Joe Hill's debut short story collection celebrated its 20th anniversary with a special paperback edition. Notably, 20th Century Ghosts includes the short story "The Black Phone," which was adapted into a Blumhouse horror movie starring Ethan Hawke. Black Phone 2 just released in theaters--a Walmart-exclusive 4K Steelbook Edition is up for preorder, too--so it's the perfect time to read the original story and a 14 other great horror stories. The 336-page Anniversary Edition is on sale for only $15 at Amazon and Walmart.

The 20th Century Ghosts Anniversary Edition has an appropriately ghoulish cover with misty blue and magenta cover artwork. You definitely don't own a book with stained page edges that look like this. The edges have a mixture of violet and blue with magenta swirls and neon pink insects crawling around. The Anniversary Edition features a new afterword by Hill and is introduced by author Christopher Golden, who recently co-edited New Tales of Stephen King's The Stand.

Beyond The Black Phone, standout stories include a Dracula follow-up called "Abraham's Boys," a Kafka-esque tale about a boy who becomes a giant insect, and "Pop Art," a moving tale about the friendship between a troubled boy and a boy made of inflatable plastic.

Originally released in 2005 with a very small print run, 20th Century Ghosts was a huge critical success. It won Bram Stoker and British Fantasy Awards. At the time of its publication, Hill's identity as Stephen King's son was unknown to the publishing world and general public. He confirmed his identity in 2007 while promoting his debut novel Heart-Shaped Box.

All told, the 336-page collection features 15 stories, an introduction by author Christopher Golden, and a new afterword by Hill.