Blood Kin

WINNER OF THE 2015 BRAM STOKER AWARD A dark Southern Gothic vision of ghosts, witchcraft, secret powers, snake-handling, kudzu, Melungeons, and the Great Depression. Michael Gibson has returned to the quiet home of his forebears and now takes care of his grandmother Sadie – old and sickly, but with an important story to tell about growing up poor and Melungeon (a mixed race group of mysterious origins) in the 1930s, while bedeviled by a snake-handling uncle and empathic powers she barely understands. In a field not far from the Gibson family home lies an iron-bound crate within a small shack buried four feet deep under Kudzu vine. Michael somehow understands that hidden inside that crate is potentially his own death, his grandmother’s death, and perhaps the deaths of everyone in the valley if he does not come to understand her story well enough. ‘His words take root, growing like kudzu in every crack and crevice, smothering your senses with suspense and tension. Best book I have read all year.’ Michael Knost, Bram Stoker award-winning author ‘This two-headed snake of a tale is superbly structured and gracefully paced, whilst the plot proves almost unstoppable.’ Tor.com

About the Author

Steve Rasnic Tem was born and raised in Lee County, Virginia, in the heart of Appalachia. He is the author of over 350 published short stories and is a past winner of the Bram Stoker, International Horror Guild, British Fantasy, and World Fantasy Awards. Following the publication last year of his Solaris novel Deadfall Hote, Steve has published two short story collections Ugly Behavior (New Pulp Press) and Onion Songs (Chomu) soon to be joined by Celestial Inventories (ChiZine) and Twember (Newcon). In 2014 PS Publishing will bring out his standalone novella In the Lovecraft Museum.

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