Beauty hurts: Madam Koi Koi

Beauty hurts: Madam Koi Koi

I had the privilege, for much of my high school education, to go to boarding school. For a kid who prized independence and adventure, it was a dream. Boarding schools are weird places. Living away from the safety of your familiar routine—and being effectively locked...
Epistolary horror: Ghosts of Ancient Rome

Epistolary horror: Ghosts of Ancient Rome

History! It’s important that we know it, and that we learn from it. One of the reasons that I’m so into ghosts is how they represent history encroaching upon the present: literally, they can’t be ignored. This month has been full of historical events, great and...
Hit the panic button: The Popobawa

Hit the panic button: The Popobawa

Content warning: Sexual violence and supernatural endowment. Smiles are contagious, but so are screams. In February 1995, fear spread like a disease among the inhabitants of Pemba, one of the two main islands that make up the Zanzibar archipelago. Much like the killer...
Grisly Green Giants: On Monstrous Plants

Grisly Green Giants: On Monstrous Plants

I love the outdoors. I love camping, hiking, and walking around without a flashlight at night while trying to guess the shape of the shadows next to me. But whenever I sleep under the stars, there’s a small part of my brain that remains wide awake, watchful of...