07/13/2026 Crack the Spine by Kerry E.B. Black
- Candace Nola
- Jul 13
- 2 min read
Crack the Spine - July, 2026
Written by Kerry E.B. Black
July is National Picnic Month in the United States. This time-honored tradition sees families fighting ants and mosquitos to soak up some sun and enjoy a meal al fresco. To that end, let’s pack a hamper with our favorite treats, spread a red checkered cloth, and crack a spine or two - of our favorite, thematically appropriate horror books, of course!
In Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, Eleanor and Theodora encounter a peculiar vision of a picnic while walking in the oppressive woods surrounding Hill House. The contrast between the woodland setting and the sunlight, intrusive scene of the vision juxtaposes to reveal the characters’ motivations. Perhaps they flee from domesticity, or something darker lurks in the shadows of the brightly lit, but the analysis is left to the imagination of the reader.
Nick Antosca’s novel, Midnight Picnic, has its lead discover the bones of a murdered child whose spirit begs for help. This leads to an act of revenge and a trip through an imaginative and creepy afterlife.
For a change of pace, the colorful Manga series Otherside Picnic by Iori Miyazawa (translated into English by ZackZeal) features two young ladies traipsing through the paranormal world, encountering every supernatural thing from traditional Yokai to internet horror stories and urban legends. Its a breezy, scary world they encounter.
For a shorter story, check out Gemma Files’ unnerving and unforgettable “The Jacaranda Smile.” It’s published in a number of anthologies, including The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror, 2010.
What picnic-related spines will you crack this month? Devouring minds want to know!
More about Kerry E.B. Black
Kerry E.B. Black writes from an over-stuffed little house situated along a fog-enshrouded river in the land where Romero's Dead roamed. Her children think she's dull, and their dogs agree, but the family cats, Poe and Hemingway, feel differently. The felines find a kinship with their nocturnal buddy and encourage Kerry to write.
More on Kerry E.B. Black
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