Cemetery Dance is an American company known for their specialty press publisher of horror and dark suspense and their horror magazine of the same name. Cemetery Dance was founded by Richard Chizmar, a horror author, while he was in college. Cemetery Dance Publications was formed in 1992 after Chizmar and the company's success with ''Cemetery Dance'' magazine, another branch which was founded in 1988. They later expanded to encompass a magazine and website featuring news, interviews, and reviews related to horror literature. Cemetery Dance Publications is known for their high quality hardcover releases. These are usually available as collectible autographed limited editions and lettered editions.

History

Cemetery Dance was first founded as a literary magazine by Richard Chizmar in 1988, during his final year of college at the University of Maryland's College of Journalism. Chizmar named the magazine after one of his short stories and wanted it to feature dark fiction akin to what he saw on ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described ...

'' and ''

Night Gallery ''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, '' The Twilight Zon ...

''. The first issue was published in December 1988; prior to its release the company publicized ''Cemetery Dance'' heavily in genre magazines and "practically anywhere else we could afford an ad". Chizmar originally intended for the magazine to release no more than twice a year, however in 1990 the decision was made to publish four issues a year. The company initially solicited authors through writers' organizations and publishers contacts; over time the magazine began to receive submissions from authors and literary agents. In their 14th issue the magazine would publish

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...

's short story " Chattery Teeth", marking the start of the company's work with King. In 1992 the book publishing wing of Cemetery Dance was launched; Chizmar has stated that both branches of the company were launched for roughly the same reason: that he "saw an opportunity to put some of my favorite authors in hardcover and the temptation was too much to resist." For the first few years of the book imprint's existence the company published about two to three hardcovers a year, which increased as the company's sales and experience grew. The first book published by Cemetery Dance was '' Prisoners & Other Stories'' by Ed Gorman and featured an afterword by

Dean Koontz Dean Ray Koontz (born July 9, 1945) is an American author. His novels are billed as thriller (genre), suspense thrillers, but frequently incorporate elements of horror fiction, horror, fantasy, science fiction, Mystery fiction, mystery, and sati ...

. In 2007 the company moved to their Forest Hill, Maryland location.

Awards

* Richard Chizmar won the 1999

World Fantasy Award The World Fantasy Awards are a set of awards given each year for the best fantasy fiction published during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by the World Fantasy Convention, the awards are given each year at the eponymous ann ...

for Cemetery Dance Publications (the magazine won in 1990 and 1992). It was also nominated for the same award in 1993 and again in 1998. * ''Dark Harvest'' by Norman Partridge won the 2006

Bram Stoker Award The Bram Stoker Award is a recognition presented annually by the Horror Writers Association (HWA) for "superior achievement" in dark fantasy and horror writing. History The Awards were established in 1987 and have been presented annually since ...

for Best Long Fiction, has been nominated for the 2007

, and it was named one of the 2006 "Best Books of the Year" by

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

. *'' Basic Black: Tales of Appropriate Fear'' by Terry Dowling was an Honourable Mention for the 2006 Australian Shadows Award (hosted by the Australian Horror Writers Association).

Bram Stoker Award nominations and wins

*2006

Winners: : Long Fiction: ''Dark Harvest'' by Norman Partridge : Short Fiction: "Tested" by

Lisa Morton Lisa Morton (born December 11, 1958) is an American Horror fiction, horror author and screenwriter. Biography Morton was born in Pasadena, California, and entered the film industry in 1979 as a modelmaker on ''Star Trek: The Motion Picture''. ...

, in CD #55 : Fiction Collection: ''Destinations Unknown'' by Gary A. Braunbeck :

Anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and g ...

: ''Mondo Zombie'' edited by

John Skipp John Skipp (born May 20, 1957) is a splatterpunk horror and fantasy author and anthology editor, as well as a songwriter, screenwriter, film director, and film producer. He collaborated with Craig Spector on multiple novels, and has also colla ...

*2004 Bram Stoker Award Nominees: :

First Novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to p ...

: ''Black Fire'' by James Kidman :Short Fiction: "A Madness of Starlings" by Douglas Clegg in CD #50 :Fiction Collection: ''The Machinery of Night'' by Douglas Clegg :Anthology: ''Shivers III'' edited by Richard Chizmar :

Non-Fiction Non-fiction (or nonfiction) is any document or content (media), media content that attempts, in good faith, to convey information only about the real life, real world, rather than being grounded in imagination. Non-fiction typically aims to pre ...

: ''The Road to the Dark Tower'' by Bev Vincent *2004 Bram Stoker Award Winner: :Fiction Collection: ''Fearful Symmetries'' by Thomas F. Monteleone *2003 Bram Stoker Award Nominees: :Long Fiction: ''The Necromancer'' by Douglas Clegg :Long Fiction: ''Roll Them Bones'' by David Niall Wilson *2002 Bram Stoker Award Nominees: :Novel: '' From a Buick 8'' by

:Fiction Collection: ''Knuckles and Tales'' by Nancy A. Collins :Anthology: ''Shivers'' edited by Richard Chizmar *2001 Bram Stoker Award Nominees: :Anthology: ''Trick or Treat: A Collection of Halloween Novellas'' edited by Richard Chizmar *2001 Bram Stoker Award Winner: : Alternative Forms: ''Dark Dreamers: Facing the Masters of Fear'' by Beth Gwinn & Stanley Wiater *2000 Bram Stoker Award Nominees: :Anthology: ''Bad News'' edited by

Richard Laymon Richard Carl Laymon (January 14, 1947 – February 14, 2001) was an American author of suspense and horror fiction, particularly within the splatterpunk subgenre. Life and career Laymon was born and raised outside of Chicago, Illinois, then l ...

:Short Fiction: Jack Ketchum's "Gone" (published in the anthology '' October Dreams'') *2000 Bram Stoker Award Winner: :Novel: ''The Traveling Vampire Show'' by

*1999 Bram Stoker Award Nominees: :Long Fiction: ''Right to Life'' by Jack Ketchum *1999 Bram Stoker Award Winner: :Anthology: ''999: New Stories of Horror and Suspense'' edited by Al Sarrantonio *1998 Bram Stoker Award Nominees: :Anthology: '' Robert Bloch's Psychos'' edited by

Robert Bloch Robert Albert Bloch (; April 5, 1917September 23, 1994) was an American fiction writer, primarily of crime fiction, crime, psychological horror fiction, horror and Fantasy Fiction, fantasy, much of which has been dramatized for radio, cinema and ...

and Martin H. Greenberg :Anthology: ''Best of Cemetery Dance'' edited by Richard Chizmar *1997 Bram Stoker Award Nominees: :Fiction Collection: ''Things Left Behind'' by Gary A. Braunbeck *1994 Bram Stoker Award Winners: :Short Fiction: "The Box" by Jack Ketchum in CD #20 :Fiction Collection: ''Writer of the Purple Rage'' by Joe R. Lansdale

Selected list of books published by Cemetery Dance Publications

*'' It: The 25th Anniversary Edition'' (signed limited edition) by

(December 2011) *''

Gwendy's Button Box ''Gwendy's Button Box'' is a horror fiction, horror novella by American writers Stephen King and Richard Chizmar. It was announced by ''Entertainment Weekly'' on February 28, 2017. The American edition published by Cemetery Dance included illustr ...

'' by

and Richard Chizmar (novella first published by Cemetery Dance Publications) (May 2017) *'' Full Dark, No Stars'' (signed limited edition) by

(December 2010) *'' Blockade Billy'' by

(an original novella first printed by Cemetery Dance Publications) (April 2010) *'' The Secretary of Dreams: Volume 1'' (and ''Volume 2'') by

and illustrated by Glenn Chadbourne (2006) (''Volume IIs ) *'' From a Buick 8'' (signed limited edition) by Stephen King (2002) *'' The Dark Man: An Illustrated Poem'' by

and illustrated by Glenn Chadbourne (2013) *'' Robert Bloch's Psychos'', edited by

& Martin H. Greenberg (1997) *'' October Dreams: A Celebration of Halloween'', edited by Richard Chizmar with Robert Morrish (2000) *''Blue November Storms'', by Brian Freeman (2005) *'' Strange Highways'', by

(1995) *'' Fear Nothing'', by Dean Koontz (1997) *'' Seize the Night'', by Dean Koontz (1998) *''

False Memory In psychology, a false memory is a phenomenon where someone recalls something that did not actually happen or recalls it differently from the way it actually happened. Suggestibility, activation of associated information, the incorporatio ...

'', by Dean Koontz (1999) *'' Mucho Mojo'' signed limited edition by Joe R. Lansdale (1994) *'' Act of love'' signed limited edition by Joe R. Lansdale (1981) *'' Writer of the Purple Rage'' short story collection by Joe R. Lansdale (1994) *'' Nothing Lasting''

E-book An ebook (short for electronic book), also spelled as e-book or eBook, is a book publication made available in electronic form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. Al ...

by Glen Krisch

Selected list of published authors

Clive Barker Clive Barker (born 5 October 1952) is an English writer, filmmaker, and visual artist. He came to prominence in the 1980s with a series of short stories collectively named the ''Books of Blood'', which established him as a leading horror author ...

* Charles Beaumont *

William Peter Blatty William Peter Blatty (January 7, 1928 – January 12, 2017) was an American writer, director and producer. He is best known for his 1971 novel ''The Exorcist (novel), The Exorcist'' and for his screenplay for The Exorcist, the 1973 film adaptat ...

* Max Booth III *

Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury ( ; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of genres, including fantasy, science fiction, Horror fiction, horr ...

*Kealan Patrick Burke *

Poppy Z. Brite William Joseph Martin (born May 25, 1967), formerly Poppy Z. Brite, is an American author. He initially achieved fame in the Gothic fiction, gothic horror genre of literature in the early 1990s by publishing a string of successful novels and shor ...

* Lincoln Child * Richard Chizmar * Simon Clark * Douglas Clegg * Justin Cronin * Frank Darabont * Dennis Etchison * Preston Fassel * Gillian Flynn * Brian Freeman * Mick Garris * Ray Garton *

Christopher Golden Christopher Golden (born July 15, 1967) is an American writer. Early life Golden was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his family. He graduated from Tufts University. Career As well as novels, Golden has written com ...

* J. F. Gonzalez * Ed Gorman * Rick Hautala *

Joe Hill (writer) Joseph Hillström King (born June 4, 1972), better known by the pen name Joe Hill, is an American writer. His work includes the novels '' Heart-Shaped Box'' (2007), '' Horns'' (2010), '' NOS4A2'' (2013), '' The Fireman'' (2016) and '' King So ...

* Brian Hodge * Brian Keene * Ronald Kelly * Jack Ketchum *

* Michael Koryta * Joe R. Lansdale *

* Tim Lebbon * Edward Lee * Bentley Little * John R. Little * Graham Masterton *

Richard Matheson Richard Burton Matheson (February 20, 1926 – June 23, 2013) was an American author and screenwriter, primarily in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres. He is best known as the author of '' I Am Legend'', a 1954 science ficti ...

* Brett McBean * Robert McCammon * Thomas F. Monteleone * William F. Nolan * James A. Moore * Norman Partridge * John Pelan * Douglas Preston * Bill Pronzini * Anne Rice * Al Sarrantonio *Michael Slade * Peter Straub * Thomas Tessier *Bill Walker * F. Paul Wilson * T. M. Wright

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://www.cemeterydance.com Small press publishing companies Horror book publishing companies Publishing companies established in 1988