Philip Fracassi - Press — Philip Fracassi

“A gothic, gory Lord of the Flies…The horror here is as much a warning on the dangers of human corruption as a testament to hope in the face of nigh-insurmountable darkness…Horror readers will be hooked.” – PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

“A beautiful novel that should be — will likely be — remembered as one of the best of the young decade. A harrowing and unforgettable debut novel from Fracassi that should not be missed." - CEMETERY DANCE ONLINE

"Gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, and terrifying." — ANDY DAVIDSON, author of The Boatman’s Daughter

“Fast-paced, relentless, and chilling without ever neglecting the human side of the proceedings. This is pure horror that should satisfy any fan of the genre.” - JEFFREY THOMAS, author of The American

SELECT PRAISE FOR BENEATH A PALE SKY

“…readers of all stripes will find grace, humor, and some thoughtful reflections on life and death here. The rich, character-driven stories shine with elegantly crafted prose. This collection is one not to miss.” - LIBRARY JOURNAL (starred review)

“One of the best collections I’ve read in a long while.” - CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN, author of Ararat and Red Hands

"...highlights the author’s skill at capturing disasters, gore, and cosmic horror." - PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

"...this is a collection that articulates the dark emotions of the genre itself...and the results are breathtaking...a must-read collection." - BOOKLIST

"Herein lies friends of the Devil and greedy scientists, mental homes and the music of Hell. A book for the ages." - from the introduction by JOSH MALERMAN (author of Bird Box, Inspection)

"Philip Fracassi is an artist who paints with words…I don't know if I've ever read a book that left me with so many striking images. These are finely crafted stories, timeless and original." - ZOJE STAGE (USA Today and internationally bestselling author of Baby Teeth and Getaway)

“These stories conceal a depth and a darkness that will chill you…Whether weaving sweetly magical allegories or cosmic creep-outs, Beneath a Pale Sky is an end-to-end marvel.” - JEREMY ROBERT JOHNSON, author of Entropy in Bloom

“Poignant, shattering, and wholly original…a marvelous collection of tales from a master storyteller.” – JONATHAN JANZ, author of Halloween Gods, The Siren and the Specter, and Children of the Dark.

SELECT PRAISE FOR BEHOLD THE VOID

“…think vintage King at his best.” — RUE MORGUE MAGAZINE (“Dante’s Pick”)

“Fracassi…builds his horrific tales slowly and carefully…his powers of description are formidable; and he’s especially skillful at creating, and sustaining, suspense.” — THE NEW YORK TIMES

“Fracassi makes terror read so damn beautifully. He uses horror to illuminate human character and as a result these stories hit you in the gut and the heart” — VICTOR LAVALLE

“…a masterful storytelling skill rarely seen in the genre…It’s like Shirley Jackson times 50.” — BECKY SPRATFORD, RA for All

“…recalls the work of writers such as McCammon, King, and Bradbury.” — John Langan, LOCUS MAGAZINE

“This is horror fiction at its best.” — BRIAN EVENSON, author of A Collapse of Horses

“Everything here is damned near perfect… a first-rate collection.” — BLACK STATIC

“Philip Fracassi is the next big horror writer to blow your mind. If you’re a fan of the horror genre at all, then this guy is a must-read.” — MAX BOOTH III, Lit Reactor

“These stories are scary, yes, but more than that, they’re haunting – they get inside you and they don’t go away.” — BEN LOORY, author of Tales of Falling and Flying

“Behold the Void is exceptional. It reminds me of the great short works of King, but the book also harkens back to an older kind of horror — the barely glimpsed mysteries and monsters of a more cosmic dark.” — ANDY DAVIDSON, author of In the Valley of the Sun

“Every story in here is golden…some of the best storytelling and characterizations I’ve seen in contemporary literary horror. If the Brothers Grimm were writing today, they might pen such a tome as this.” — Shane Douglas Keene, HELLNOTES

“Fracassi is quickly building a reputation as a superior storyteller of incredible talent…. an author we must surely now hail as a leading light in the dark field of horror fiction.” — Thomas Joyce, THIS IS HORROR

“Philip Fracassi is a master craftsman of the dark tale… a rare talent, and this book is a marvel.” — PAUL F. OLSON, author of Whispered Echoes

“BEHOLD THE VOID is the perfect read for horror fans who expect authors to raise the bar and redefine what horror fiction means.” — RONALD MALFI, author of The Night Parade and Bone White

SELECT PRAISE FOR OTHER WORK

MOTHER

“Philip Fracassi’s Mother manages to pay homage to classic turn of the 20th Century horror stories while simultaneously fitting right in with the modern weird/occult tale.” — Paul Tremblay

ALTAR

“Altar is redolent of hard-edged supernatural horror from the golden days of McCammon and King. Nobody is safe in a Fracassi story. ” — Laird Barron

“Fracassi has a new fan. I’m going to be reading more of his stuff. You should, too.” — Ray Garton

“Philip Fracassi’s Altar does to swimming pools what Peter Benchley’s JAWS did to oceans. Highly recommended.” — Ralph Robert Moore

THE HORSE THIEF

“The story is the strongest embodiment of what seems to be the book’s prevailing theme: our human attraction, often fatal, to the unknown. In “The Horse Thief” the hero succumbs not to the lure of something dark and deadly, but to the mysterious spirit of a great animal, and although it would be a stretch to say that the story ends happily it does conclude with a wholly unexpected burst of lyricism, a moment of transcendence.” — The New York Times

MANDALA

“Mandala is, simply put, a masterpiece of short form fiction.” — Gehenna & Hinnom Magazine

SHILOH / SODA JERK

“In ‘Shiloh,’ Fracassi’s powerful, precise writing immerses the reader in the savage brutality of a Civil War battle — an exquisitely harrowing precursor to the strange horror of the tale. A masterful, mad charge into the weird.” — Jeffrey Ford

“Shiloh is chilling, atmospheric, and wonderfully written.” — Unnerving Magazine

"Read SHILOH (cause it's fantastic...) and then treat yourself to SODA JERK. It's an instant classic." — Josh Malerman

SACCULINA

“The story is exciting, and terrifically scary.” — The New York Times

“Sacculina is a smart, terrifying, and poignant tale of creeping menace. I devoured it in one frenzied sitting… this Fracassi guy is damn good.” — Richard Chizmar

FRAGILE DREAMS

“…a tour-de-force of storytelling…” — Risingshadow.net

“…heart-stopping…heartbreaking…he never lets the suspense slacken, even as his narrative rockets to its harrowing conclusion.” — John Langan

“Fragile Dreams is anything but fragile. It's harrowing, all rough edges that can hurt you, like the stuff our hero's trapped in. And claustrophobic as hell...” — Jack Ketchum