You all need this book in your hands. It is scary, very dark, and highly fucked up with some awesome dark humor. Also, that cover is so good!!

Coming 12/30 as an ebook to Godless and to Amazon in January of 2026, my new collection of horror stories, The Dinner Show and Other Consumptions. @renbolger.bsky.social says "Arzate is a trope-crusher" and calls it "one wild-ass ride!" Cover art by Ruth Ann Evans.

Heyyy come get The Barre Incidents for 15% off with the MALARKEY offer code! Still have a few really nice Bookmobile-printed copies and have a few fun things I can add that were part of the preorder package.

Today's book mail: award-winning Bizarro, extreme horror, and what I got from the NYRB sale.

My contributor's copy of Bizarro Circus of Madness, edited by @rileyodellwriter.bsky.social, came today. Pick it up on Amazon in paperback or Kindle.

I have a new prose poem up at The Cattle. substack.com/@thecattle/n...

My story, Gravel on the Path, has moved up to #4 on the Godless Top Ten!

Order a copy! Long beautiful stories—and we’ll send stickers and a few zines.

Give if you can! Proceeds go to indie authors having trouble with SNAP. www.gofundme.com/f/support-in...

What if you bought a book of poetry? malarkeybooks.com/store/hairsh...

I'll have more details about both to share soon, but in addition to a new short story collection coming soon from myself, Rob Ramirez's debut has found a new home. Big things are on the horizon.

Micro-fiction "The Job Interview" by Ben Arzate “The interviewee goes to the nearby window. He jumps out. He falls twenty floors and dies on impact with the sidewalk…The company accepts him for the position two days later….” www.bloodhoneylit.com/fiction/the-...

Today's book mail is Idiocy by Pierre Guyotat and Opioid, Indiana by Brian Allen Carr.

Good news. My new short story, Gravel on the Path, reached #9 on the Godless Top Ten. Pick it up at Godless.com.

As we look toward 2026, we need more book club members. Join up now for a year of book mail and, while we have them, a free t-shirt. malarkeybooks.com/store/2026bo...

I went to the re-launch of Iowa's Biggest Book Sale and here's what I picked up.

🧵5 - my story of crushing depression in King Ludd’s Ray from @malarkeybooks.bsky.social Get it here: malarkeybooks.com/store/klr18-19

Over at my Substack, I take a look at a book the debut novel of Mojo Storyteller Joe R. Lansdale. I was surprised to learn this one was out of print.

Today is the release day of Bizarro Circus of Madness, edited by @rileyodellwriter.bsky.social It contains my story "The Garfield Phones from the Ocean." Get it on Kindle at Amazon.

My short prose piece, "The Job Interview," is up at @bloodhoneylit.bsky.social

Remember Saturday Morning Cartoons? What if they held a dark secret? Check out my short novel, Saturday Morning Mind Control from D&T Publishing for a quick Halloween read.

Celebrate the Blue Jays with @emilyjoythomas.bsky.social’s story “Blue Jays in Cottage Country” from KLR 4, which also features a great one by @chrisstevenson.bsky.social. Buy it for $4 or, while the Series is going, get it free with any book order. malarkeybooks.com/store/king-l...

I finished the second round of edits on a manuscript of a short story collection and sent it to a few authors for quotes. I also had a short prose piece accepted for publication. More news soon.

spent ~$100 this morning alone on books, so why not slide into the ol' DMs and get yerself a copy of TOADSTONES, the greatest collection of weird fiction ever written by mortal man! $25 flat fee (includes S+H!!!) and i'll scribe you a monster guy in there AND send you a silly S&S bumpersticker

Got some @malarkeybooks.bsky.social from Craig Rodgers today. Thanks Craig!

I have a new story up at Godless. A surreal nightmare about two men breaking out of prison, only to find themselves stuck on a seemingly endless path.

I had to start a new FB page. Add me if you're on there. www.facebook.com/share/19ebqp...

honestly, buy a hundred copies and hand em out to the trick-or-treaters

Finally got some Malarkey books in an NPR article!

Over at Horror Realm, I talk about my new novel, If today the sun should set on all my hopes and cares...

Good morning. Here is the cover, designed by @johnchrostek.com, for @trentbwrites.bsky.social’s forthcoming novel, The Walls Are Closing In On Us, which you can, which you should because it’s good, preorder now! malarkeybooks.com/store/thewal...

New Thomas Pynchon acquired.

I finished putting together a manuscript today. Next step is editing. Stay tuned.

the free shipping bookshop dot org sale is a good time to buy my collection of original weird fiction which i guarantee you'll love bookshop.org/p/books/toad...

New @dharlanwilson.bsky.social in the mail today.

Over at my Substack, I review a collection of dark stories about family by National Book award-winning author, Samanta Schweblin.

Got some @ghoulish.bsky.social in the mail today. @michaelallenrose.bsky.social

We can’t fix this world but we can put more books in it. To a lot of people that doesn’t matter but often it’s the things that people think don’t matter that are the most meaningful. I don’t know.

Some updates and a couple cover reveals at the latest edition of my Substack.

Got some gritty crime fiction today from @tusitalabruni.bsky.social

Overestimated how many copies we actually have available. This is actually your last chance to order a copy of Hellarkey IV. We will be sold out very soon.

Recently acquired books from @bitterkarella.bsky.social @whiskeytit.com @kaijupoet.bsky.social @davidscotthay.bsky.social

Hell yeah! I hope you enjoy those books!

Facebook suspended my account. Possibly permanently. I'm not even sure why. I have another account there under Benjamin Arzate. Feel free to shoot me a friend request.

My story, "The Garfield Phones from the Ocean," will be in the anthology Bizarro Circus of Madness, releasing Nov. 4th. Thank you to Riley Odell for having me! It's currently available for pre-order on Kindle. ⬇️

check it out! My story "The Very, Very Last Gender Apocalypse," about the very very last gender apocalypse, is gonna be in the Bizzaro Circus of Madness anthology!! :D www.amazon.com/dp/B0FQ8PPZZB

Printers Row went really well this year! Only two books left. The first one to message me can get both signed and sent for only $15. Thank you @michaelallenrose.bsky.social, Sauda Namir, @renbolger.bsky.social, @tusitalabruni.bsky.social and everyone at @whiskeytit.com and @deadskypub.bsky.social

Reposting. Come see us at the Bizarro booth At Printers Row Lit Fest this weekend!

Next weekend, I'll be at the Printer's Row Lit Fest with the Chicago Bizarro Writers Association and @whiskeytit.com. I'll have signed copies of several of my titles for sale. Come by and pick up books or just to say hi.