GARGOYLE SAFARI

“Marano’s range is astonishing. Here is an author who has steeped himself in life and literature, and who fashions his fictions into beautiful palimpsests that reveal both the underlayer of inspiration as well as the glowing epidermis that is his unique vision and voice.” —C.M. Muller (from his introduction)

“In Gargoyle Safari, Marano not only molds language—shifting style with the subgenre and influences of each story—but conjures it with the ease of some prose-wizard. Each tale carries its own distinct flavor, its own inventive approach, and a wild imagination that never strays into inaccessibility. The weirdness runs just deep enough to lend an umami-rich undertone, the kind that invites you to peel back the surface and discover what lurks underneath. Gargoyle Safari is one of the best collections I’ve read in years.” —C. F. Page, author of Native Fear and The Swallowed Town

Cults, criminals, monsters, and maniacs abound in the highly anticipated debut collection from a writer quickly becoming known as one of the most unique and stylish voices in contemporary dark fiction.

This collection gathers 12 of the author’s best and most celebrated stories published to date, as well as two brand new pieces, for a nightmarishly beautiful blend of hardboiled horror and occult noir ideal for fans of Keith Rosson, Johnny Compton, and Laird Barron. These tales meld terrors both subtle and shocking, classic and cutting-edge…

An infamous influencer’s grisly demise and alleged possession are investigated in The Mythologization of Tymber Prescott in Five Selected Photos (a 2022 Brave New Weird Award winner). Equal parts splatter and sentiment, ’Till the Road Runs Out (a Signal Horizon pick for best PseudoPod episodes of the year) sees a queer modern-day Bonnie and Clyde speeding toward their dream life run afoul of a feral cult that worships death. Elsewhere, readers will find an aging TV horror hostess forced to contend with the unexpected loss of her job and thwart the twisted fantasy of a violent predator on Halloween night; an ambitious student pursuing a missing author all the way to the grave (and beyond) using clues in the vanished man’s final manuscript; and a cynical photojournalist who discovers escalating horrors at the scene of a gruesome car crash, which may not be the accident it initially appears.

These are just a few of the macabre revelations awaiting those brave enough to explore the pages of Gargoyle Safari by Luciano Marano, whose writing has for years earned outspokenly generous praise from editors and readers alike.

Featuring a special introduction by C.M. Muller.

“Luciano Marano writes horror like an undercover reporter from the margins of a haunted world in mid-collapse. With a shrewd eye for detail, square-jawed prose, and the occasional fleck of gold in a pitch-black heart, Gargoyle Safari’s mad ones and monsters won’t let readers escape.” —Gordon B. White, finalist for the Shirley Jackson and Bram Stoker Awards

The paperback version of this book includes a free electronic copy of the same book. You will be provided with the download link once you have completed the purchase process.

Shipping, handling and all applicable sales taxes are included in the overall price listed. Shipping charges are for the domestic United States only. For all other shipping costs please contact christophercpayne@journalstone.com.

Product Details:

Author: Luciano Marano

Publication Date: February 20, 2026

Price:

Paperback: $15.95 plus $3.00 shipping, handling and sales tax. Total price: $18.95

Electronic: $5.95

Print Length: 166 pages

Publisher: JournalStone