Probably best enjoyed by those who are familiar with the works being referenced, is also enjoyable just on its own.

It’s that time of the year for us to gather around a fire and talk about our favorite books of the year! Pour an egg-nog, grab the cookies, and get a towel as we go through the best fantasy, horror, and sci-fi books of 2025 as picked by the team here at Grimdark Magazine.

I think Vecna is the worst villain of #StrangerThings. It's notable because he's based on Freddy Krueger and D&D Vecna but somehow is worse than both as well as the mindless Demogorgon monster from season one. Worse than the racist brother of season two.

I am glad to have gotten a lot of the Kindle Unlimited views for my books but alas I may have to admit that, yes, Brian Lumley and Clive Barker are more famous than me.

Hot Off the Crossroad Press - Newsletter is out - Spotlight on the late John McCarty - lost too soon. New audio from @juliehyzy.bsky.social - new preorder from @teelglenn.bsky.social - Free codes... more!

I both love and hate GOD EMPEROR OF DUNE. Why? I love its deep philosophy, intrigue, and the fact it's all about Jabba's Palace turned up a million times over. I hate it because it takes the condemnation of Paul's murder of billions then makes it justified via prescience. #Dune #books #scifi

Five Christmas Songs that don't make me want to go Santa-insane. 1. Christmas Wrapping 2. A Very Scary Solstice 3. Charlie Brown Christmas 4. A Fairy Tale of New York 5. How the Grinch Stole Christmas #ChristmasMusic #Music #HappyHolidays

I've read Cthulhu Grimoire and I have to give props to the book for its politics (and the irony of it using Lovecraft). River is a fantastic protagonist and is neither the tragic gay or bury your gays character.

Take note that there's no such thing as bad publicity. Here's one of my reviews for SPACE ACADEMY DROPOUTS.

If you've read Cthulhu: Grimoire, please leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads. This book having diverse characters and speaking frankly about police brutality and racism (let alone having a trans POV character) is going to color a lot of folks' reaction to the book.

I’ll give you a sneak preview - FOUR of the seven first books have been finished! Incredibly positive reception from ALL. The men are discussing the books amongst themselves AND me. Each finished book was enjoyed! One of the men, learned what an ARC reviewer is.. and wrote a first draft. 🎉😁📚

I know sometimes they are legit, but a thing that bugs me more than a lot of other things is a pretentious pile of books clearly curated to make the poster seem like some quirky intellectual who reads only classics. There are so many good things being created now.

Merry Christmas everyone and a happy holidays! May the Great Old Ones eat you first rather than trapping you in an eternal neverending nightmare. #cthulhu #lovecraft #christmas #horror

#Fallout theory: I wonder if The Fall of Shady Sands in 1277 is meant to be them relocating their capital to the Boneyard rather than the nuke going off given they're two separate events. I mean, this is all probably just production errors but it'd be a neat little fix. #FalloutTV

Well done, sirs. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

NC Trump supporters legit backing a nose-up-the-orange-butt guy named Whatley. It's like they've never read the Dunwhich Horror (or my story, Cletus J. Diggs & The Dun WHAT? Horror). I mean, if they are looking for Elder Gods to rise, that's how you get them.

Honestly I think it’s a point of reference you and he share that hasn’t dawned yet on him. Haha

@ctphipps.bsky.social He finished it! The review, “it was definitely weirder than what I’ve read before.. do you know if he’s written any more??” 😁🙌🏻

@ctphipps.bsky.social I’m not sure what the guy who borrowed the Cthulhu book is doing. There’s quiet chanting and he’s mad about fish fry Fridays but nothing specific yet. 😂

Hit 50K on CTHULHU'S CANYON which is the 4th/5th (including the anthology) book in the CTHULHU ARMAGEDDON series. It should be what wraps up the series, at least barring novellas and short stories. #cthulhu #horrorwritingcommunity #horrorwriting #horror #lovecraft

A review of ELDRITCH PRISONERS by David Hambling, which is a fantastic collection of horror stories set in the Cthulhu Mythos. beforewegoblog.com/review-eldri... @davidhambling.bsky.social @crossroadpress.bsky.social #horror #books #bookreviews #booksky #cthulhu #lovecraft

Hot Off the Crossroad Press - 12-21-25 The new Crossroad Press Newsletter is out. One HUGE ebook - 10 collections by 10 authors - Spotlight on the Mira Morales Thrillers White Crows & Silent Thunder - New Pre-order and more! Share! Subscribe.

I didn't know the Work Of Darkness fiction had been reprinted. I used to have a copy of Book of Nod. I have no idea what happened to it.

Yeah, getting the word out has been incredibly difficult. I'm not criticizing anyone but I wish it had been a bigger deal in the community. Here's all the books they've re-released: beforewegoblog.com/world-of-dar...

It occurred to me that the Brotherhood of Steel is so cavalier about the lives of their squires for two reasons in the #Fallout TV show (despite Veronica worrying about them dying out in New Vegas): 1. They're taking recruits now. 2. There's more recruits than functional power armor.

I wonder if Todd Howard kicks himself for Starfield not being more...weird. The thing about it isn't that it was a bad game but it took so much attention from their other IP and didn't make any sort of splash. People remember the Outer Worlds more as the Fallout in Space. #videogames

Perhaps my most notable contribution to fiction wasn't any of my books but putting @crossroadpress.bsky.social in touch with Paradox Games to reprint all the old World of Darkness fiction. My reasons were also hilariously petty: I had a bunch of books I wanted to read on Kindle. #vamily #horror

Just got the go ahead t collaborate with my daughter on a story that will take place in one of the most iconic universes in horror... and will answer a question from a novel that has been repeated for decades (because it bugged both of us).

I do, albeit somewhat sporadic! You can find the relevant AU under the "Deep Ones in New York" tag. www.patreon.com/c/RuthannaEm...

Trying to explain Stephen King's The Dark Tower to someone who hasn't heard of it turns out to be an insurmountable task. "It's like a fantasy novel in-between realities that's also a post-apocalypse Western with the Gunslinger hunting the Antichrist..." #horror #books #StephenKing #DarkTower

I think the LAST OF US SEASON 2 has much of the same problem as Ciri's Rats plot in the Netflix #TheWitcher adaptation. The showrunners want to tone down how dark and miserable the story is as well as how unlikable the heroine gets. The problem is that's the story. They're not happy stories.

My prediction for Culkin is that he's going to be Caesar's heir. Which is a shame as I really hoped the Legion would disintegrate after his death. Still, if any group would show there's worse things than chaos on the surface, it's the Legion. #Fallout #CaesarsLegion #FalloutNewVegas

You totally need this book in your life, and the audiobook is excellent like I listened to that audiobook and forgot I wrote the damn book, it was that good (also my memory is shit and I forgot key events in this book, so that helps, too)

Thanks for taking the time to read and to write a review! I'm glad Rocky and the crew gave you a few hours of nostalgic entertainment lol

A review of Travis Baldree's BRIGANDS AND BREADKNIVES, which is the third book of the Legends and Lattes series. I really enjoyed it but it also isn't as cozy as the original. beforewegoblog.com/review-briga... @travisbaldree.bsky.social #books #bookreviews #fantasy #booksky @bethtabler.bsky.social

TROUBLE WORE RED by Chris Evans is a cozy little #cyberpunk novel where a private detective has to decide between an old flame versus the fact she's obviously crooked--but does he care? beforewegoblog.com/troubleworer... #scifi #books #bookreviews @kristadb1.bsky.social @bethtabler.bsky.social

Finished SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE AWAKENED and DREDGE today, which nicely adds to my Lovecraftian game collection. I give a slight edge to Dredge because you can side with Cthulhu. Also, I wish there'd been the option for Holmes to "prove" the cult was a fake. #videogames #Dredge #SherlockHolmes

And to close the loop! Placed on my desk at work. 🙌🏻

I have a longer post coming for each author but this needed to go up today. First delivery of Project Phoenix books to its Shelf in an Addiction Rehabilitation Facility Library! I’ll expand more below! ⬇️🧵💨

I’ll break the suspense - @williamjadams3.bsky.social book was the first one asked for. That cover paying in spades! The second before I left for the weekend was @ctphipps.bsky.social . This guy didn’t even tell me prior he was a reader. My man locked eyes with “Cthulhu” and put a hand out. 😂

I'm reading a lot of Lovecraft stories by women right now. The first two collections are Dreams from the Witch House and Cthulhu's Daughters. When I'm done with them I'll try the novel The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe.

Haven't read much Lovecraft apart from Lovecraft but have enjoyed @ctphipps.bsky.social Cthulhu Armageddon series. Lone gunman story in a world where the old ones won.

If I had a nickel for every H.P. Lovecraft inspired fishing game I've played in 2025, I would have two nickels, which isn't a lot but it's weird it happened twice. #cthulhu #humor #lovecraft #videogames #Dredge #Fallout

My canon for Fallout: New Vegas unless proven otherwise is the Courier took over New Vegas but had to sacrifice his Securitron army destroying the Tunnelers that were created in the Divide. So it's fallen to chaos. #Fallout #FalloutNewVegas #videogames

@williamjadams3.bsky.social @dlawsonauthor.bsky.social @adrianmgibson.bsky.social @alexarch.bsky.social @cjdaleywrites.bsky.social @belladunn.bsky.social @ctphipps.bsky.social

Season 2 does have Chinese flags and propaganda in Mandarin in the communist vault now

Lucy's horror at the communist propaganda is extra funny because she grew up in an idealized communist society that exists for the greater good by sharing and no personal property (see wedding dress). It just also has the evil all powerful overseer. Better not tell Liberty Prime. #Fallout

"Fallout 5 will be existing in a world where the stories and events of the show happened or are happening", says Todd Howard ➡️ pcgamer.com/games/fallou... #Fallout

Amazon: This show is a fantastic success. When's the next Fallout game coming out? Todd: Uh...

Cthulhu Armageddon was kind of a thought experiment by me about the #CthulhuMythos. It depends on the idea of the world being destroyed but not because of evil cults or malevolence but because the Great Old Ones yawn destroyed human civilization. There's no villain. Alien not evil. #horror