07/26/2025 UNCOMFORTABLY DARK HORROR HAPPENINGS
- Candace Nola
- Jul 26
- 6 min read
Tons going on in the indie world right now, as well as in the Uncomfortably Dark World! This summer is flying by with events happening all over, releases gone wild, and deadlines to manage!
Let's get to the month-end recap, latest releases, note-worthy news, and more!
Uncomfortably Dark Top Orders & Page Reads for July 2025
*Amazon stats only
TOP ORDERS FOR JULY 2025
THE VET- CUCKOO- BISHOP- HANK FLYNN: THE RETURN
TOP PAGE READS AS PER AMAZON KDP FOR JULY 2025
CUCKOO- THE VET- HANK FLYNN: THE RETURN- BAKER'S DOZEN
Uncomfortably Dark Review Team Stats for July 2025!
July Stats:
Books Read: 55
Pages Read: 9,585
ARCs Read: 5
Year To Date:
Books Read: 290
Pages Read: 57,490
ARCs Read: 25
Fantastic Month for the Review Team!
Did you know that the team reads and reviews graphic novels, award nominees for the Stoker, Booker and the Splatterpunk awards, mainstream horror, Godless reads, Audible, brand-new ARCs and more? All horror, all sub-genres, in almost all formats?
Need Something Reviewed? Check out our Author Services Page to put your request in today!
INDIE HORROR NEWS FROM AROUND THE INDUSTRY!
NEW RELEASE NEWS
DREAM...EPICALLY by Michelle Schmer just released! You may know her as Michelle Coffee, from one of the industry's favorite podcasts: Coffee Fueled Stories. Grab her new book now and show her some love!
PERIL BENEATH THE SURFACE by John Lynch now on sale!
Don't miss the newest novel from John Lynch, currently on sale for .99 on the 'zon.
THE FOVEA EXPERIMENTS by MJ Mars is out now!
Grab the latest release from MJ Mars now and see what all the hype is about! This new release soared to number 1 within days of its release and is holding steady in the top 25 for Occult Ghosts & Haunted Houses category as well as Occult Occultism.
MY EYES ARE JUST HOLOGRAMS by John Boden just released last week! If you have read Boden, you know what a master he is! Grab his new poetry collection today and thank me later. Not many authors can put words together like John Boden can and its intensely emotional, gut-wrenching, and wonderful all at the same time!
PRE-ORDER NOW: EXTINCTION DREAM by Andrew Najberg! Releasing August 1, 2025!
Not even out yet and this new book is wowing reviewers everywhere! Order it now and be among the first readers to check out this incredible new sci-fi horror from the incredible mind of Andrew Najberg!
THE MITCHELL COUNTY STORIES by Carietta Dorsch, just released on July 23, 2025!
Don't miss volume 2 of these dark and disturbing stories from rising indie author Carietta Dorsch! Be sure to give her a follow and check out the audiobooks she's been narrating for some of the industry's top authors!
NOTEWORTHY NEWS- PROMOS- LINKS
CONGRATS TO HAPPY GOAT HORROR & KAYLEIGH DOBBS!!
Happy Goat Horror just hit over 100k views last week on their YouTube channel. Kayleigh Dobbs runs the site and hosts reviews, runs articles, movies reviews, and more. She's a shining light in the industry, a truly wonderful human, and is immensely supportive! Be sure you are subscribed to her channel and that you spend a bit of time each week getting caught up on all she has to offer there!
WEBSITE: https://happygoathorror.com/
WHAT SCREAMS MAY COME- A NEW PODCAST FROM RICK HIPSON
Check out the all-new podcast from Rick Hipson featuring your favorite indie horror authors, in interviews, special features, and more!
FREE HORROR BOOKS! HUGE BOOK FUNNEL PROMO HERE!
Ends on July 31!!
BOOKSIRENS- MASSIVE SHORT STORY ARC PROMO- JULY BUNDLE!
Sign up now to be a reader for these awesome new ARCs before they release!
ARE YOU A GAMER? DO NOT MISS THIS GIANT BOOK BUNDLE FROM STORYBUNDLE!
For the low price of $35, you can snag over 60 eBooks full of great gamer themes, walk-throughs, and more! Sale ends in 19 days!
UPCOMING EVENTS
August 1-3, 2025: KillerCon & The Splatterpunk Awards kicks off in Austin, Tx! Come on down to meet and mingle with your favorite horror authors, join some awesome presentations, and watch the awards in person!
August 1-2, 2025: Books & Brews 2.0 presented by Books of Horror. The second gathering of this horror-centric author book signing and sales event located in Noblesville, IN.
August 29-31, 2025: GenreBlast Film Festival, Alamo Drafthouse, Winchester, VA
Don't miss this international independent genre film festival, now in its 9th year!
Get your tickets now for this awesome event!
*Is there an event happening soon that we need to know about? Send me an email at editor@uncomfortablydark.com
FOR THE GAMERS
FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S: SECRET OF THE MIMIC
Reviewed by Besu Tadesse
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Secret of the Mimic is a first-person technological horror game developed by Steel Wool Studios and released in June 2025. In the game, you play Arnold, a technician for Fazbear Entertainment tasked with retrieving digital schematics from a defunct costume store known as Murray’s Costume Manor, or MCM. The dispatch team later informs Arnold that the facility is being stalked by the murderous robot whose schematics you were sent to retrieve. The robot’s gimmick is to inhabit the various suits lying around the facility, meaning that you are vulnerable at any moment. Your goal is to find the plans and return them before you are caught by the murder-bot.
For those that are longtime fans of the franchise, SOTM spells out all the hallmarks of a modern FNAF game: creepy animal mascots, vengeance of dead children from beyond the grave, and old-fashioned, run-of-the-mill corporate gaslighting. The MCM facility feels like an expansive labyrinth, both colossal in scale and oppressive in its construction. The years of neglect are apparent in the decay, with the only “life” shown in the automatic programs that still run from a never-ending power source throughout the facility.
As you solve more puzzles and gain access to more wings of the building, you can also find additional communication and examine different rooms that deepen the lore for the player. For more casual players, the story is intriguing. For the more experienced players, there is satisfaction in seeing the story tie together multiple characters and across the franchise’s books, games, and other products.
The entire experience brought real terror. Knowing that you could be attacked by any random elephant, duck, or lion costume brings a certain degree of anxiety when going around every corner. The puzzles uncover a tragic backstory of those that were once involved in running MCM, a love story that led to a terrible fate that destroyed a family, a legacy business, and (because this is a prequel) communities through the timeline of the story. And all the game’s three possible endings leave Arnold either a broken mess or (in the case of one ending accessible only through New Game Plus) a pawn in a confusing battle. It’s a great experience for all players of all ages and experiences.
Secret of the Mimic is available on PC. The buzz is crazy right now, so check it out!
About Besu Tadesse:
Besu Tadesse is a horror author and musician. He is best known for his first novella, The Ghosts of Poplar Valley, as well as contributions to various short story collections and anthologies. He enjoys reading, performing, gaming, watching movies, and spending time with his family. He currently resides in Maryland.
Check out his work on Amazon:
SELF (S)CARE ANTHOLOGY PROJECT
Self (S)care Submission Guidelines
This is a paid opportunity for self-published horror stories only.
To be eligible: stories must have been published and be available for ordering, download or purchase within 2025, on a platform such as Godless, Google Books, D2D platforms or Amazon.
Next Submission Window: AUGUST 15 THROUGH AUGUST 20.
Other Details:
Reprints only. The selected stories will be paid at .02 per word.
Anticipated Release Date is April 15, 2026.
Anthology will be produced as an eBook, paperback, and audio book.
REVIEW FULL GUIDELINES HERE BEFORE YOU SUBMIT.
Uncomfortably Dark Anthology Page:
Uncomfortably Dark Blog Summer Schedule
Sunday: Christina Critiques & 52 Extreme Reads column.
Monday: Rachel Rates Review Post
Tuesday: Besonen Breakdowns Post
Wednesday: Exploring the Labyrinth with Kit Power: A Deep Dive into the work of Brian Keene
Thursday: Guest Reviewer Posts
Friday: Warn's Wrap-up
Saturday Mornings: Danielle's Dark Corners
Saturday Afternoons: Uncomfortably Dark Horror Happenings or UD Special Reports
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