02/07/2026 BLACK HISTORY MONTH: P.M. Raymond

Candace Nola
49 minutes ago
4 min read

As we do every year in the month of February, Uncomfortably Dark takes time out to honor Black authors and Black history from every era, past and present. If you already read widely and diversely or want to get started; please add these authors to your Must - Read lists and to those TBR piles!

A massive thank you to fellow author Eliza Broadbent for this huge undertaking for this month, enabling Uncomfortably Dark to honor at least one author a day, or more!

P.M. Raymond is an award-winning author and aspiring screenwriter from New Orleans, Louisiana, who knows a thing or two about good gumbo, grits, and café au lait. She is a 2025 Killer Shorts and Horror2Comic Semifinalist, the Sisters in Crime 2024 Eleanor Taylor Bland Award Winner, 2024 Claymore Award Finalist, and 2024 Killer Shorts Finalist. She was named to the 160 Black Women in Horror in 2023.

Her debut interconnected short story collection - THINGS ARE AS THEY SHOULD BE and other words to die for - is coming April 2026 from Uncomfortably Dark Horror. Her work has appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Writer’s Digest, Punk Noir, Flash Fiction Magazine, Kings River Life Magazine, Dark Fire Fiction, Pyre Magazine, The Furious Gazelle, Dark Yonder, and THE MOST DANGEROUS GAMES anthology from Level Best Books, among others.

Today, we honor P.M. Raymond

1. What kind of horror do you write/publish, and what brought you to the horror genre in particular?

My work incorporates aspects of psychological horror, Southern Gothic, and crime noir. I’m also moving towards adding hints of thriller and suspense in my upcoming work. I grew up reading horror since I was in grade school, so I naturally gravitated towards the genre, but I also read the standard for my age group like Encyclopedia Brown and Judy Blume so lots of mystery and drama.

Horror isn’t the only genre I write. I also have many crime noir short stories published as well. I like to play with different genres and formats like writing cozies and taking up screenwriting

2. What piece of writing has meant the most to you, and why? This can be both your own and/or another author’s.

The inclusion of my short story, “The Entitled Life and Untimely Death of King Booker”, in the literary crime noir publication, Dark Yonder, was huge for me. I appeared in the very first issue along with some of the leading short story writers in the business. It was the first time I’d submitted my work to a highly competitive environment, and it held its own. It gave me the mental boost I needed to keep writing.

3. Who do you think everyone should be reading right now?

There are so many brilliant authors to choose from - Tamika Thompson, Ashley-Ruth Bernier, Victor LaValle, Tananarive Due, Steph Nelson, Cynthia Pelayo, S.A. Cosby, Andrew K. Clark, David Joy, Meagan Lucas, K. T. Nguyen, and Delia Pitts. I really could name more but, I’ll stop there!

4. What’s it like being a Black horror writer/editor at this particular moment?

Horror has always been an allegory for the worst or most problematic behaviors in society. The horrors that Black and brown people have dealt with are becoming normalized again. Over policing, intimidation, and stripping away of basic rights and dignity are back on the table for an expanded group of targets. The quiet part is being said out loud and it is disheartening and unsettling.

We are at a particularly critical time in history where discourse matters more than ever. Horror themes have an opportunity to put someone in another person’s shoes and inform that discourse. As a Black writer, just existing is transgressive, so I might as well lean in and fearlessly communicate uncomfortable ideas.

5. Do you do any writing or editing that’s not fiction? If so, how did you come to that space, and where can we find it?

I write non-fiction articles covering craft and other writing topics. Most recently, I’ve had articles appear in Writer’s Digest. My next article, “3 Project Management Principles to Pace Yourself Through Your Next Writing Conference”, will be in the March/April 2026 issue.

6. What advice do you have for Black horror writers who are just getting started in the genre?

Write what you want and don’t let anyone dim your light. Your viewpoint is valuable and your work doesn’t have to cater to anyone but your own sensibilities. Find a healthy critique group to bounce ideas off and to build your community. Community is more important than you know. And last, DO NOT USE AI. That should go without saying and not be controversial, but it is which is unfortunate. Creating art is one of most human things you can do.

Can you tell us about your books or short stories?

My upcoming collection – THINGS ARE AS THEY SHOULD BE AND OTHER WORDS TO DIE FOR – releases on April 21, 2026. THINGS ARE AS THEY SHOULD BE is an interconnected journey from Reconstruction New Orleans to a present-day landscape of terror. Each story invests the reader in a setting and characters that traverse the fringes of the Louisiana swamps, pool halls in New Orleans, and attics filled with boxes of cherished memories, patinaed with desperation and death.

Early praise regarding the book comes from S.A. Cosby: “P.M. Raymond is a bright new star in the world of speculative fiction. Not to be missed.”

Also, Tamika Thompson, author of The Curse of Hester Gardens says, “…The gothic setting, gorgeous prose, and unforgettable characters make this a powerful must-read collection.”