Step into the twisted mind of Del Howison with this unflinching collection of dark tales. What Fresh Hell Is This? brings together stories from across Howison’s prolific career, each one exploring the eerie and the macabre, examining humanity’s deepest fears and desires. Drawing on his rich life experiences—from being baptized in a river and attending a private Christian college to his ownership of the famed Horror bookstore Dark Delicacies—Howison crafts tales that delve into the darkest corners of the human soul.

These tales push boundaries, blending the supernatural with psychological terror, and invite readers into worlds where the unimaginable becomes real. From paranormal happenings to supernatural horrors, Howison’s storytelling prowess ensures that these stories will stay with you long after you turn the last page.

Things appear different in a group. All the dark tales in What Fresh Hell Is This? were written at different times and even different years for anthologies, magazines, and e-books. They have never been compiled in one place before. My first viewing of these as a group opened my eyes to a cohesiveness in my tale-telling that I never realized. The way I end stories, the way I pace, the POVs I choose to reveal what is going on. I’ve found that I’m slightly askew. I think that’s a good thing.

Patience truly is a virtue, especially when it comes to publishing. The entire industry moves at glacial speed. To push it faster rarely results in a better product. Rewriting, reediting, reformatting, etc. only improves the product with each pass. Don’t be in a hurry. I might be antsy to get the story out there. But once it is out there, it is out there forever. The extra time you take might save an eternity.

There is no such thing as a perfect book. Every book contains a mistake, a misspelling that wasn’t caught or an editing error, possibly a formatting faux pas. It doesn’t matter how many times it is edited or rewritten, there is an error imp hiding amongst the lines of your tome. Upon receiving your book, he is usually discovered in the first place you open it to. It doesn’t matter how inconsequential the error is. It stands like Mount Everest on the page. Every author has a publishing disaster in their past that never leaves the back of their mind, clinging to their anxiety and fear with the release of every book.

You can write to any theme the editor gives you. The freedom to write your own novel or story is a wonderful thing. But many times, that is not where the money comes from. An editor tells you they need an article or piece of fiction about X. In your mind you say, “But I don’t write about X.” Yes, you do and Y and Z also. When you write it and turn it in for that sale there is confidence that you gain. You become a better writer for pushing yourself to the other side of your self-imposed barriers.

When doing research for your writing don’t look only at the item you are researching. If you pay attention you will find a mention or a hint of something connected to you research that you didn’t know, an idea you didn’t realize before beginning your search. Follow that thread and see where it leads. Many times it will take you through a doorway that opens up an entire room of possibilities. Don’t get tunnel vision. Don’t close yourself in.

Del Howison is an author, journalist, SAG actor including the upcoming horror film Big Baby directed by Spider One. He is a Bram Stoker Award-winning editor of the anthology Dark Delicacies: Original Tales of Terror and the Macabre by the World’s Greatest Horror Writers. He has written articles for Fear.net, Gauntlet Magazine, and Writers Digest among others. Del’s short story Cul-de-Sac appeared in Weird Tales Magazine #369. His western short story The Lost Herd was turned into the premiere (and highest rated) episode, The Sacrifice, for the series Fear Itself. His dark western novel The Survival of Margaret Thomas was shortlisted for the Peacemaker Award given out by the Western Fictioneers. He has been shortlisted for over half a dozen awards including the Shirley Jackson Award and the Black Quill. Del’s retrospective short story compilation of dark tales, What Fresh Hell Is This? was released in early 2025. He is the cofounder and owner (with his wife, Sue) of Dark Delicacies, a book and gift store known as “The Home of Horror,” located in Burbank, California. The store won the “Il Posto Nero” award from Italy and has been inducted into the Rondo Hatton Hall of Fame.

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