Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚)
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Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚)
@mythicdelirium.bsky.social
830 followers 190 following 420 posts
Writer (Nebula finalist, Shirley Jackson finalist X 2), editor & publisher (World Fantasy Award finalist x 2), poet (Rhysling winner X 3), journalist (VPA winner X 4), devoted husband, obedient cat servant, metalhead \m/ \m/ https://mythicdelirum.com
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mythicdelirium.bsky.social
Here’s Mom’s obituary as it appeared in The Roanoke Times.

And here it is on the Oakey’s website: bit.ly/ShonnaAllen
Shonna Lee Allen, 83, of Roanoke County, died Monday, Oct. 27, 2025 after a fall at her home. Born in 1942, Shonna grew up in a small house by the Mississippi River in Grand Rapids, Minn. She and her lifelong friend Sue Isernhagen walked to school together every weekday. They shared a love of horses, ice skating, and reading. Part of her school's chess club and marching band-she played cornet-Shonna graduated from Grand Rapids High School at the top of her class in 1960 and left home to study chemistry at the University of Minnesota. In college, she first met a young man named Ted Allen when he helped open her locker. Later, they were lab partners, and still later, reunited by surprise through a blind date. Head-over-heels, they married in 1964. Although Shonna earned a Master of Science degree in microbiology in 1970, she stayed home with her children as Ted's jobs, first in academics, subsequently computer programming, took the family to Guam, Lake Forest, Illinois, and Wise, Virginia. In 1983 they landed in Roanoke, where they stayed. Shonna once suggested, tongue-in-cheek, that her epitaph should be, "She wore out her cookbooks." However excellent her cooking, her interests ranged wider. She imparted to her sons a love of all things science fiction-she loved attending local sci-fi conventions such as RoVaCon and MystiCon. The boys also grew up hearing tales of the 1918 forest fire that almost destroyed her parents' hometown of Cloquet, Minn. She attended every high school reunion she could, renewing old friendships and making new ones. She compiled detailed genealogies of her family and Ted's, and regularly sent Christmas cards and letters to relatives and classmates. Above all, she retained a love of music, from hymns to Beatles hits. Wherever the family lived, she sang alto in the church choir. At Covenant Presbyterian Church, the Christmas concerts conducted by music director Richard Rudolph were the highlight of her year.
November 3, 2025 at 5:23 PM
mythicdelirium.bsky.social
Thanks from me, Anita, and Ed to everyone who’s offered condolences over Mom’s passing. I’ve not had the bandwidth to respond to every one of them, but we see and appreciate all of your kind words.
Thanks from me, Anita, and Ed to everyone who’s offered condolences over Mom’s passing. I’ve not had the bandwidth to respond to every one of them, but we see and appreciate all of your kind words.
November 3, 2025 at 12:00 AM
mythicdelirium.bsky.social
HALLOWEEN IS HERE!

My #10daysofHalloween series ends w/ my Rhysling Award-winner THE STRIP SEARCH, first released 20 years ago this month (!!!) in @strangehorizons.bsky.social!

You can find all 10 poems in SLOW BURN: bit.ly/SlowBurnOrder and AFTERMATH OF AN INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT bit.ly/GetAftermath
October 31, 2025 at 5:27 PM
mythicdelirium.bsky.social
DAY TWO—10 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN!

Until Halloween, I’m posting a creepy poem from my catalog, illustrated by quick & dirty “visualizer” videos.

THE SACRIFICES appeared in SYCORAX JOURNAL #2, Feb. 2019

Collected in SLOW BURN: bit.ly/SlowBurnOrder

#10daysofHalloween

@sfpoetry.bsky.social
October 31, 2025 at 3:43 PM
mythicdelirium.bsky.social
DAY THREE—10 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN!

Each day till Halloween, I’m posting a creepy poem from my catalog.

This rage-fueled poem feels even more relevant now.

THE FIFTH HORSEMAN first appeared in SPECTRAL REALMS 12, Winter 2020

Collected in SLOW BURN: bit.ly/SlowBurnOrder

#10daysofHalloween
October 29, 2025 at 5:10 PM
mythicdelirium.bsky.social
For the few who might be wondering, my #10daysofHalloween poem/video posts will keep going, as they were scheduled before Mom’s passing. (Mom, who was never a horror fan, would’ve reacted with a shrug 🥲😏)
On a dark background with bats and pumpkins: For the few who might be wondering, my #10daysofHalloween poem/video posts will keep going, as they were scheduled before Mom’s passing. (Mom, who was never a horror fan, would’ve reacted with a shrug 🥲😏)
October 28, 2025 at 5:25 PM
mythicdelirium.bsky.social
DAY FOUR—10 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN!

This one ventures into folk horror. Anita & I concluded that it needs: TRIGGER WARNING—DEPICTIONS OF SUICIDE.

THE SHADOW TRAIN first appeared in SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY MAGAZINE 6, Aug. 2011.

Collected in SLOW BURN: bit.ly/SlowBurnOrder

#10daysofHalloween
October 28, 2025 at 4:23 PM
mythicdelirium.bsky.social
DAY FIVE—10 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN!

Every day till Halloween, I’m posting a a spooky video poem 👻🎃💀👹😈

Today’s poem was originally written for the stage—THE DREAM EATERS appeared in STRANGE WISDOMS OF THE DEAD, 2006

Collected in SLOW BURN: bit.ly/SlowBurnOrder

#10daysofhalloween
October 27, 2025 at 6:50 PM
mythicdelirium.bsky.social
DAY SIX—10 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN!

Every day till Halloween, I’m reposting a spooky video poem.

Today’s takes inspiration from Lovecraft & Clark Ashton Smith.

EDIFICE first appeared in @sfpoetry.bsky.social’s STAR*LINE,k 2021.

Collected in SLOW BURN: bit.ly/SlowBurnOrder

#10daysofHalloween
October 26, 2025 at 9:14 PM
mythicdelirium.bsky.social
DAY SEVEN—10 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN!

A poem every day till Halloween, w/ video‼️

Today’s poem provides my take on a traditional haunted house.

THE WINDOWS BREATHE first appeared in DREAMS & NIGHTMARES, 2004

Collected in SLOW BURN: bit.ly/SlowBurnOrder

Tomorrow: EDIFICE #10daysofHalloween
October 25, 2025 at 5:42 PM
mythicdelirium.bsky.social
DAY EIGHT—10 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN!

Today’s poem goes darker & comes with a TRIGGER WARNING—PHYSICAL ABUSE

SAD WISPS OF EMPTY SMOKE 1st appeared in VAN GOGH’S EAR, 2015

written in response to a @csecooney.bsky.social prompt!

Collected in this book: bit.ly/GetAftermath

#10daysofhalloween
October 24, 2025 at 2:49 PM
mythicdelirium.bsky.social
10 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN—DAY NINE!

My “visualized poetry” project continues (and gets darker) with a ghost story in verse form.

THE PAPER BOY first appeared in STRANGE HORIZONS, February 2014

Collected in AFTERMATH OF AN INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT: bit.ly/GetAftermath

#10daysofhalloween
October 23, 2025 at 2:13 PM
mythicdelirium.bsky.social
10 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN! #10daysofhalloween

Starting today, all the way through Halloween, I’ll put out a creepy poem of mine once a day, read by me, illustrated by quick & dirty “visualizer” videos.

SIX WAKING NIGHTMARES POE GAVE ME IN THIRD GRADE appeared in WEIRD TALES in Fall 2009.
October 22, 2025 at 6:22 PM
mythicdelirium.bsky.social
How neat that this happened!

My new novel from @slgable.bsky.social’s Broken Eye Books made news!

wfirnews.com/news/trial-o...
“Trail of Shadows” a tale of spirit beings, serial killers, and supernatural horrors Denise Membreno October 14, 2025 1 min read A Roanoke novelist has a new book on the shelves. Mike Allen’s second novel uses the Appalachian Trail as a backdrop for this supernatural thriller. WFIR’s Denise Allen Membreno has more. PLEASE NOTE: Bull & Bones Brewhaus in Blacksburg (not Christiansburg) will be hosting the Grave Matters event this Friday. Roanoke Science Fiction and Fantasy Author, Mike Allen has another novel on stores shelves. “Trail of Shadows” dips into the supernatural and a journey of selfdiscovery for the protagonist. WFIR’s Denise Allen Membreno reports.
October 17, 2025 at 3:50 AM
mythicdelirium.bsky.social
I hope what these cool folks have to say entices you to invite this avatar of spectral weirdness to crawl into your TBR pile, just in time for Halloween! ➡️ bit.ly/SpiderBookor...

And if you live near me, I hope you'll see me Friday at Grave Matters in Blacksburg: bit.ly/MikesGrave

[3/3]
“Mike Allen’s Trail of Shadows, set in the communities that dot the Appalachian Trail, is interlaced with strands of folk horror, high fantasy, and the just plain weird, that coalesce into a singular and fascinating milieu. Reminiscent of Manly Wade Wellman’s Silver John stories, this pivotal novel firmly establishes Allen’s launching pad for future literary endeavors that readers of Weird Fiction, YA Fantasy, and Speculative Fiction in general are sure to devour.” (Pete Rawlik, author of Reanimatrix) “Allen creates a vast, intricate, and darkly imaginative world that is a chilling joy to immerse yourself in.” (A. T. Sayre, author of The Last Days of Good People) Spooky … Recent college dropout Nathan decided to through-hike the Appalachian Trail, hoping to outrun the ghastly creatures that seemed to be trailing him on his college campus. But the hike proves no escape. …Horror fans will find some decidedly creepy scenes. — Publishers Weekly
October 15, 2025 at 3:05 AM
mythicdelirium.bsky.social
And I’m incredibly grateful to all these wonderful authors who’ve written such kind things about a novel this off-the-wall:

@mattmbartlett.bsky.social
@csecooney.bsky.social
@ethereallad.bsky.social
@gwendolynkiste.bsky.social
@atsayre.bsky.social
R. S. Belcher
Rich Larson
Pete Rawlik

[2/3]
“Trail of Shadows is a fast-paced psychedelic journey through Appalachia that’s also a tender coming of age story. Allen’s hallucinatory prose sears, full of wonder and terror, and his grasp of folklore and history shines throughout this Southern Gothic-meets-Weird fiction novel.” (Craig Laurance Gidney, Lambda Award-nominated author of A Spectral Hue) “Mike Allen has long been a force in fantasy and horror. With Trail of Shadows, he’s once again hit it out of the park. Beautiful prose and a haunting story combine to create a tale that will draw you in and refuse to let you go. Folk horror at its best.” 
(Gwendolyn Kiste, four-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Haunting of Velkwood and Reluctant Immortals) “Spry and sprawling by turns, Trail of Shadowsoverflows with potent action and hypnotic, horror-tinged imagery. When it comes to dream-quest acid trips, this one’s a hero dose.” (Rich Larson, Eugie Foster Memorial Award-winning author of Ymir and Changelog)
October 15, 2025 at 3:05 AM
mythicdelirium.bsky.social
ALL TOGETHER NOW! (a thread)

I’m grateful to @slgable.bsky.social for his willingness to take a chance on this super-strange, wildly trippy, yet deeply personal novel of mine.

I’m grateful to Daniele Serra and @kirstygreenwood.bsky.social for their stunning illustrations of my fever dream.

[1/3]
“Hallucinatory, charcoal-dark, populated with ghosts, demons, and spiders, Mike Allen’s Trail of Shadows is a violent fantasy-horror that pulses with atmosphere and atavistic terror.” (Matthew M. Bartlett, author of Gateways to Abomination and The Obsecration) “I’ve made no secret of how much I love Mike Allen’s first novel, The Black Fire Concerto (currently available from Ruadán Books—do yourself a favor and check it out). I was excited for Mike’s new novel, Trail of Shadows (from Broken Eye Books), and I wasn’t disappointed. “Trail of Shadows is a tense, tight, and constantly surprising novel. A hike down the Appalachian Trail, into a realm of shadows and surreal horror. “I can’t recommend Trail of Shadows enough. It will keep you up late and it cements Mike Allen as a horror and suspense writer to keep your eye on.” (R. S. Belcher, author of The Six-Gun Tarot and The Brotherhood of the Wheel) “Trail of Shadows is a panic-laced, spider-paced, fanged beast of a horror novel, a coming-of-age in a world of monsters. Realities bleed into each other like a Dali painting as familiar landscapes yawn open into the surreal. You don’t need psychoactive substances to go tripping balls in Mike Allen’s Appalachia. All you have to do is read this book.” C. S. E. Cooney, World Fantasy Award-winning author of Saint Death’s Daughter)
October 15, 2025 at 3:05 AM
mythicdelirium.bsky.social
MY TURN!

I think every author under the sun performs this ritual. If you get my novel TRAIL OF SHADOWS, please consider leaving a review the site of your choice—

And, if you’re on @netgalley.bsky.social, please give my book a look! TRAIL OF SHADOWS could use a boost there 😅

bit.ly/SpiderNetgal...
A graphic that makes use of the spectral spider woman cover art from my novel TRAIL OF SHADOWS alerting folks that the book is available on Netgalley
October 13, 2025 at 10:50 PM
mythicdelirium.bsky.social
Evidence of my non-commercial way of thinking: My new novel, TRAIL OF SHADOWS, has a huge spiderwoman on the cover.

@scalzi.com grants me a guest spot, and what do I quadruple down on? 🕷️ SPIDERS 🕸️ SPIDERS 🕷️ SPIDERS 🕸️ SPIDERS 🕷️ SPIDERS

Read the essay if you dare: whatever.scalzi.com/2025/10/10/t...
The cover of TRAIL OF SHADOWS, featuring a huge spectral spider woman. Art by Daniele Serra, published by Broken Eye Books. Creepy crawlies can become less creepy when you characterize them. Such is the case for author Mike Allen, who shares with us his initial fear of spiders that has turned into more of a cautious appreciation. Follow along in the Big Idea for his newest spooky story, Trail of Shadows, and see the web he’s spun for us. MIKE ALLEN: My Southern Gothic-meets-surreal horror novel Trail of Shadows is a story of spirit beings and murderous monsters set in the Appalachian Mountains, where I’ve lived since the second grade. Rooted in the condition of living in a community without truly being part of it, the book draws from experiences had while traveling north and south along the mountain range. But it’s also rooted in close encounters of the arachnid kind — and anyone who thinks that’s a digression rather than a central part of the rural Appalachian experience has not: Walked face-first through a spiderweb while hiking a wooded mountain trail… Jumped into a hay bale in a barn and found themselves face to face with the spiders that build their nests all through the walls… Seen the exodus of spiders and stranger things that scurry toward the house when the backyard creek overflows its banks…. The inspirations for several of the major characters in Trail of Shadows live their lives right outside my front door. I’ve seen as many as five dangling out in the dark, patiently waiting for prey to come to them, their webs strategically positioned around the porch light such that swinging the screen door open leaves them undisturbed.
October 13, 2025 at 2:02 PM
mythicdelirium.bsky.social
There isn't a formal launch event for my new horror novel TRAIL OF SHADOWS, but there’s a really cool event next Friday in Blacksburg, GRAVE MATTERS, at which I'll reading from my new book … GRAVE MATTERS, is a fundraising event for the Historic Smithfield museum. Tickets are $25:
bit.ly/MikesGrave
Step into the shadows for an evening of history and horror. Historian Rebecca LeMert will guide you through Halloween’s fascinating evolution—from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain to the trick-or-treat tradition we know today. Then, brace yourself as award-nominated author Mike Allen spins chilling tales guaranteed to haunt your imagination. Your ticket includes event admission and a Bull & Bones–catered appetizer bar.
October 10, 2025 at 12:17 AM
mythicdelirium.bsky.social
Not my knee. It’s her knee.
Pandora laying claim to her favorite pillow (my knee). Pandora making use of her knee pillow.
October 9, 2025 at 2:02 PM
mythicdelirium.bsky.social
🤩 It's my book's birthday TODAY! 💪

Celebrate it with me! 🎉

A BIG thanks to @gwendolynkiste.bsky.social 🥳 I'm bowled over by her kind assessment!

Come see me Oct. 17 @ Grave Matters 💀 www.historicsmithfield.org/events/grave...

After all these years—it's out in the world! ➡️ bit.ly/SpiderBookor...
“Mike Allen has long been a force in fantasy and horror. With Trail of Shadows, he’s once again hit it out of the park. Beautiful prose and a haunting story combine to create a tale that will draw you in and refuse to let you go. Folk horror at its best.” —Gwendolyn Kiste
October 8, 2025 at 1:17 AM
mythicdelirium.bsky.social
TODAY!

Boy, am I grateful to my fellow Roanoke, VA, dark fantasy & horror scribbler R.S. Belcher: I’m so glad he found my just-released TRAIL OF SHADOWS worthy of these kind words.

Out now from @slgable.bsky.social ! ➡️ bit.ly/SpiderBookor...

Also on @netgalley.bsky.social! bit.ly/SpiderNetgal...
“Mike Allen’s Trail of Shadows is a tense, tight, and constantly surprising novel. A hike down the Appalachian Trail into a realm of shadows and surreal horror, it will keep you up late, and it cements Mike Allen as a horror and suspense writer to keep your eye on. I can’t recommend it enough.” —R. S. Belcher
October 7, 2025 at 6:06 PM
mythicdelirium.bsky.social
...two days...

I'm so honored that @mattmbartlett.bsky.social, creator of some of the most twisted tales I've ever read, had this to say about TRAIL OF SHADOWS!

Unleashed tomorrow by @slgable.bsky.social ➡️ bit.ly/SpiderBookor...

Are you a @netgalley.bsky.social reviewer? bit.ly/SpiderNetgal...
“Hallucinatory, charcoal-dark, populated with ghosts, demons, and spiders, Mike Allen’s Trail of Shadows is a violent fantasy-horror that pulses with atmosphere and atavistic terror.” (Matthew M. Bartlett, author of Gateways to Abomination and The Obsecration)
October 6, 2025 at 4:58 PM
mythicdelirium.bsky.social
...three days...

My thanks to @atsayre.bsky.social, author of the moving hard sf novella THE LAST DAYS OF GOOD PEOPLE, for these welcome words about TRAIL OF SHADOWS!

Pre-order now from @slgable.bsky.social! bit.ly/SpiderBookor...

Are you a @netgalley.bsky.social reviewer? bit.ly/SpiderNetgal...
“Allen creates a vast, intricate, and darkly imaginative world that is a chilling joy to immerse yourself in.” (A. T. Sayre, author of The Last Days of Good People)
October 5, 2025 at 6:22 PM