Gothic horror is a well known genre, molded into its current shape in a colonialist atmosphere. But when BIPOC writers take on those tropes and make them their own, something new happens. Readers get a fresh look into the genre, seeing visions of what might have been, and what could still be, both in horror and in hope. These are the types of stories collected by Lauren T. Davila in When Other People Saw Us, They Saw the Dead, an anthology originally published in the UK by Haunt Publishing and now brought to the United States by Outland Entertainment.
A faceless man stalks a woman's nightmares in Hollywood. A Kanontsistó ntie is summoned to seek revenge in a residential school. A move from the projects to Manhattan leads to ominous shadows closing in. Two sisters discover a secret room in their farm, unearthing a sinister power.
Originally published in Scotland, When Other People Saw Us, They Saw the Dead is an anthology of dark, unsettling writing from some of the most exciting contemporary BIPOC writers. Blending Gothic, horror, folklore, fantasy and fairy-tale, these eerie short stories will disturb, move and humor you. Death is ever-present in the pages of They Saw the Dead, blending with notions of home, memory, grief and belonging, as well as gentrification, white supremacy and colonization.
Edited by Lauren T. Davila, They Saw the Dead explores what it is to be truly haunted.
Outland is delighted that original UK cover artist Mina Martinez's work is also featured on the American edition!
Check out more information about the creators included in the collection, then pick up your copy from your friendly local bookstore (or here at Outland) today!
-Alana Joli Abbott, Outland's Editor in Chief, is actually scared of ghost stories, but she loved When Other People Saw Us, They Saw the Dead despite having to fight her fears. She also worked with Lauren T. Davila as the copy editor for the upcoming eco-horror anthology To Root Somewhere Beautiful, coming soon to Kickstarter!