What happens when you have some of the most brilliantly twisted minds at the same place at the same time?
Well, in this instance, a book signing! (And surprisingly, not a portal from Hell opening on Earth … or a serial killer’s soul embedding itself in a “Good Guy” doll, for that matter.)
Terrifyingly talented authors gathered to celebrate their latest releases at Dark Delicacies, known as “America’s Home of Horror,” in Burbank on Saturday afternoon.
Masters of horror in attendance included: Mick Garris, Tom Holland, Peter Atkins, Adam Novak, Bret Nelson, John Penney, Mark Alan Miller, William Malone and Dread Central’s former editor-in-chief, Josh Millican!
All authors are with Encyclopocalypse Publications, a recently established publishing company that serves as a place where original horror novels, movie novelizations and resurrected horror paperbacks can live on.
The event marks the company’s second book signing since its inception. Literary legends and new novelists assembled to share their spine-chilling stories and meet with supporters to talk about all things horror.
It was Josh Millican’s debut book signing for the release of his new novel, Deeper Than Hell, an occasion he considers to be a surreal culmination of a dream come true.
“I’ve been to a dozen signing events here at Dark Delicacies, and I’ve been on the other side of the table,” Millican tells Dread Central. “Being on this side of the table is just wonderful, absolutely wonderful.”
Millican was working anywhere from 60–70 hours during his time as editor-in-chief for Dread Central. He went on a sabbatical from journalism in Fall 2021 and decided he’d like to try to make the shift from writing daily for websites to writing books, both fiction and nonfiction.
“Encyclopocalypse put out Deeper Than Hell, which is my drug-fueled, fever dream, hellish dissent, X-rated Alice in Wonderland and Dante’s Inferno,” he says.
Josh Millican
Millican initially wrote his novel six years ago and was able to revisit it to beef up the story with more recent conspiracy theories and Creepypastas that didn’t exist at the time. He says he was able to add details that brought it into the 2020s that ultimately made a difference in the overall impact of the story.
When asked about a compliment on his novel that stands out, Millican says, “One person said it’s the grossest thing they’ve ever read and still actually worth reading.”
Encyclopocalypse will also be releasing Millican’s first nonfiction book, which will consist of a collection of the interviews he did over the years at Dread Central this November.
“This is my first year outside of journalism, and I’ll have two books by the end of it,” Millican says. “It’s a wonderful shift for me, and I hope I can keep it going.”
Other authors in attendance, like the iconic Tom Holland, displayed the same level of humility and enthusiasm as if they were brand new to the world of literary horror.
When asked about his monumental, nightmare-inducing work, Holland says, “I can’t believe it. If you told me 30, 40 years ago that this was going to happen to me at this point in my life, I wouldn’t have believed you.”
At 79 years old, Holland is there signing his latest release, the original teleplay for the 1995 television event, Stephen King’s The Langoliers.
Tom Holland
Reflecting on what keeps him writing, Holland says, “I have stories inside of me that I have to tell that haven’t been told yet. The wonderful thing about writing, as opposed to just directing, is you’re never out of work. You may be out of money, but you’re never out of work.”
Fellow horror icon and professional hellraiser, Peter Atkins, says it’s always a pleasure to be at Dark Delicacies with his colleagues.
“It’s fabulous to be here with some people of my age who wrote movies in the ‘80s and ‘90s and also with a couple of exciting new authors. I certainly am happy to celebrate Encyclopocalypse Publications, who are providing decent homes for all of us,” Atkins says with a grin.
As any horror lover might expect, the event had a tremendous turnout.
“We had a lot of fun,” says Del Howison, store owner of Dark Delicacies. “A lot of people in the industry that you know and the signers like William Malone, Pete Atkins, Tom Holland … It was a pretty good turnout.”
As horror fans, readers, and film watchers, the daring duo of Del and his wife, Sue, found a need in the community and have been a source of unwavering support for industry professionals since 1994.
Alas, the event couldn’t have happened without Mark Alan Miller, President and Founder of Encyclopocalypse. Miller has a background in publishing books and producing movies. He previously ran Seraphim, Clive Barker’s production company, where he learned the ins and outs of publishing by digitizing Barker’s library.
After constantly juggling multiple responsibilities, Miller decided to take a gamble and start his own company. “The lockdown happened, and I was already building [Encyclopocalypse],” he says. “The rest is sort of history. It all worked out perfectly.”
Miller says horror enthusiasts can expect more signings, audiobooks, and novelizations on the way, some of which include novelizations of Cube and Splice, among others.
He adds that working with amazing authors is a joy for him in this new chapter of his career. “I knew I still wanted to work with all the same people [from Seraphim]. Getting to work with all these awesome people, really, that’s my favorite part.”
Want to keep up with the latest horror books from your favorite authors? Visit Encyclopocalypse’s website or give them a follow on Twitter!
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