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Black Hole Sundown
“I believe the common denominator of the universe is not harmony, but chaos, hostility, and murder.” —Werner Herzog
In his sixth, and likely final, full-length story collection, Brian Hodge serves up his most mature and expansive vision of a universe that is, by turns, actively hostile and coldly indifferent...
Yet, at the same time, is the ultimate battleground for carving meaning out of chaos. Come for the horrors of the cosmos, writ large in the gulfs of space and time; stay for the horrors writ small, between the beats of a human heart. Among the casualties:
“West of Matamoros, North of Hell”
Taken by members of a cartel, three electro musicians from Mexico City struggle to keep their lives and souls intact when they’re plunged into the ancient Mesoamerican heritage of human sacrifice.
“Insanity Among Penguins”
Two film nerds, clinging to the long-gone glory days of indie video stores, pursue their ultimate prize: a nightmarish lost documentary by the legendary Werner Herzog.
“Weird Shadows Over Innsmouth”
The downfall of H.P. Lovecraft’s notorious seaport town, as seen by the hulking, career-doomed Bureau agent who broke the case wide open.
“The Atrocity Exhibitionists”
When the monstrous god of social media demands its due, nothing has less value than your dignity, your conscience, your soul.
“The Weight of the Dead”
After her father is exiled from their post-apocalyptic community, an adolescent girl deals with her sudden vulnerability to the resident predators, while a dark magic begins to re-emerge from the forests.
“On These Blackened Shores of Time”
A family suffering an unimaginable tragedy is engulfed by the discovery that their loss was hundreds of millions of years in the making.
Make your peace. A black sun is coming down, and it’s about to swallow everything.
In his sixth, and likely final, full-length story collection, Brian Hodge serves up his most mature and expansive vision of a universe that is, by turns, actively hostile and coldly indifferent...
Yet, at the same time, is the ultimate battleground for carving meaning out of chaos. Come for the horrors of the cosmos, writ large in the gulfs of space and time; stay for the horrors writ small, between the beats of a human heart. Among the casualties:
“West of Matamoros, North of Hell”
Taken by members of a cartel, three electro musicians from Mexico City struggle to keep their lives and souls intact when they’re plunged into the ancient Mesoamerican heritage of human sacrifice.
“Insanity Among Penguins”
Two film nerds, clinging to the long-gone glory days of indie video stores, pursue their ultimate prize: a nightmarish lost documentary by the legendary Werner Herzog.
“Weird Shadows Over Innsmouth”
The downfall of H.P. Lovecraft’s notorious seaport town, as seen by the hulking, career-doomed Bureau agent who broke the case wide open.
“The Atrocity Exhibitionists”
When the monstrous god of social media demands its due, nothing has less value than your dignity, your conscience, your soul.
“The Weight of the Dead”
After her father is exiled from their post-apocalyptic community, an adolescent girl deals with her sudden vulnerability to the resident predators, while a dark magic begins to re-emerge from the forests.
“On These Blackened Shores of Time”
A family suffering an unimaginable tragedy is engulfed by the discovery that their loss was hundreds of millions of years in the making.
Make your peace. A black sun is coming down, and it’s about to swallow everything.
- GenresHorrorShort Stories
594 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2025
About the author
Brian Hodge
158 books472 followersBrian Hodge, called “a writer of spectacularly unflinching gifts” by Peter Straub, is the award-winning author of ten novels of horror and crime/noir. He’s also written well over 100 short stories, novelettes, and novellas, and four full-length collections. His first collection, The Convulsion Factory, was ranked by critic Stanley Wiater as among the 113 best books of modern horror.
He lives in Colorado, where he also dabbles in music and photography; loves everything about organic gardening except the thieving squirrels; and trains in Krav Maga, grappling, and kickboxing, which are of no use at all against the squirrels.
He lives in Colorado, where he also dabbles in music and photography; loves everything about organic gardening except the thieving squirrels; and trains in Krav Maga, grappling, and kickboxing, which are of no use at all against the squirrels.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 20, 2026
The maestro of cosmic horror is back for another serving. This book keeps claiming that it's "probably" his final collection, but honestly... If you want to retire, just retire, you don't have to write a weird afterward about how you might be willing to come back if only your unappreciative fans will get on their knees and beg for it. It's your choice, so quit acting like the ball is in our court. If you retire, I wish you all the best in chilling to your heart's content.
April 14, 2026
amazing
Brian Hodge’ stories poke and disturb and read inexplicably real. I love how he paints with facts, rearranging real-life horrors from newspapers and documentaries into stories like “West of Matamoros, North of Hell” and “Insanity Among the Penguins” (and actually, I think all of the stories here) to create a dread-filled world you recognize, with characters and motivations all too human, experiencing the completely alien, unreal, and terrifying. Highly recommend
Brian Hodge’ stories poke and disturb and read inexplicably real. I love how he paints with facts, rearranging real-life horrors from newspapers and documentaries into stories like “West of Matamoros, North of Hell” and “Insanity Among the Penguins” (and actually, I think all of the stories here) to create a dread-filled world you recognize, with characters and motivations all too human, experiencing the completely alien, unreal, and terrifying. Highly recommend
November 30, 2025
I’ll admit I am quick to give a 5 star review, but this collection is truly special. There is not a weak story in the bunch.
I can only hope that Hodge doesn’t keep his promise and he continues to write and share stories. He’s one of the best we have.
I can only hope that Hodge doesn’t keep his promise and he continues to write and share stories. He’s one of the best we have.
April 24, 2026
Frightening things await
May 10, 2026
As well as Brian Hodge is known, I don't think it's well enough. Black Hole Sundown is another fantastic example of his work, drawing standouts from anthologies into a nice (especially if it's the Cemetery Dance hardcover) collection. Brian's farewell to horror, based on his closing notes, so it's a little bittersweet.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews