It’s no secret that horror and politics go together like Michael Myers and masks.
Horror as a genre has long reflected social anxieties and critiqued the whole spectrum of political ideologies, from Frankenstein’s (1931) death by fire of the monster—which restored a conservative, heteronormative social order—to Get Out’s (2017) evisceration of liberal racism and white progressivism. As politics has come to dominate the national conversation in recent years, then, it makes sense that horror would experience a corresponding rise in popularity—even and especially in politically contentious states like Texas!
I’ve called Austin home since 2014, and in that time I’ve witnessed the birth of two new all-horror bookstores in Central Texas and one women-run horror movie festival. I’ve also participated in two longer-standing local horror conventions—one geared toward writers and one that celebrates all things speculative in film. Below, I outline what these horror gems offer and where you can find them, so that if, like me, you wish it was Halloween year-round, you, too can get your fix on the regular.
- Haunt Happy Books | Lockhart, Texas
To get to Haunt Happy Books, which opened in January 2024, you first have to drive to little Lockhart (pop. 17,000), also known as the barbecue capital of Texas. You then have to descend an interior set of concrete stairs plastered with bloody vampire heads into a purportedly haunted basement. (“It’s why the rent’s so cheap,” bookstore owner and musician Chris Hoyt proudly told me.) Brave your fears, and you’ll be pleasantly rewarded by a wide assortment of bestselling and indie horror titles for adults and kids alike, plus spooky candles, gruesome greeting cards, and ouija-board themed jewelry. Haunt Happy is open seven days a week, 12-6 p.m., and later on First Fridays or for special author events.
Bookstore Address: 107B N Main Street, Lockhart, TX 78644
Website: https://www.instagram.com/haunthappybooks
- Ghoulish Books | San Antonio, Texas
Before Ghoulish Books was a brick-and-mortar bookstore in downtown San Antonio, it was the publishing imprint of Max and Lori Booth. Together, they’ve published more than 80 horror titles since they entered the game as Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing in 2012—including my latest extreme horror novel, Mother-Eating. This August, the couple relocated the small bookstore they’d run for two years in Selma, Texas to San Antonio’s bustling St. Mary’s Street, and business has never been better. Ghoulish Books now sells its own titles there alongside classic and harder-to-find horror books, including R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps series and politically-divisive-but-evergreen entries from Dennis Cooper, Poppy Z. Brite, and other LGBTQ+ authors. Visit Ghoulish Books online or in-person every day but Mondays, when they’re closed.
Bookstore Address: 628 S St. Mary’s Street, Suite 102, San Antonio, TX 78205
Website: https://ghoulish.rip/
- Fantastic Fest | Austin, Texas
Founded in 2005 by Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League to showcase horror, fantasy, and sci-fi movies, Fantastic Fest is now the largest genre film festival in the United States. To celebrate turning 20 this year, festival organizers launched a new pitch competition, and by screening under-appreciated features like The Cramps: A Period Piece (about a woman whose menstrual cramps manifest as actual monsters) renewed their commitment to supporting emerging filmmakers. Black Phone 2 and The Restoration at Grayson Manor (co-written by bestselling horror author Clay McLeod Chapman) premiered here in 2025, just before a secret screening of the latest (Bugonia) from one of my favorite horror filmmakers: Yorgos Lanthimos. The festival happens every September, and always sells out quickly—so if you want to go, set an alert and get your badge early! (Hint: 2026 badges will likely go on sale next summer.)
Festival Address: Alamo Drafthouse S. Lamar | 1120 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
Website: https://www.fantasticfest.com/
- Ethereal Horror Fest | Austin, Texas
Setting itself apart from Fantastic Fest in all the right ways, Ethereal Horror Fest (a relative newcomer to the field; the first fest was held in 2019) is deliberately small, primarily women-run, and dedicated to offering film students in particular—though it’s open to anyone—access to some of the industry’s brightest lights and darkest directors. Scheduled over the November 14-16 weekend this year, panels include “From Student to Real World Industry” and “SFX Secrets: Making Dirt and Grime Look Real.” Festival creative producer Janelle Austin is also the writer and director of Pressure Points. Student tickets start at $20.
Festival Address: AFS Cinema | 6259 Middle Fiskville Rd, Austin, TX 78752
Website: https://www.etherealhorrorfest.com/
- Armadillocon | Austin, Texas
Last but certainly not least, given that it’s been around longer than any other outlet on this list, we have Armadillocon: a horror, sci-fi, and fantasy book convention for readers and writers from around Central Texas and beyond. Typically held in August or September, this year’s con featured special guest P. Djèlí Clark, plus three full days of programming centered on the craft and business of books. There’s always a pre-conference workshop for new and developing writers, happy hours for social readers and writers, and plenty of solo author readings or quiet nooks and crannies in which to get lost in the Austin Southpark Hotel for more introverted readers and writers needing a break from the creative chaos.
Conference Address: Austin Southpark Hotel | 4140 Governors Row, Austin, TX 78744
Website: https://armadillocon.org/
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There you have it, folks. If you didn’t know Central Texas was a hotbed for horror before, now you do. Be sure to check out Haunt Happy Books and Ghoulish Books for gore-ific novels by Central Texas horror authors like Josh Rountree, Ryan C Bradley, and yours truly, and Armadillocon to discover your next favorite SF/F/H book. Or, if you’re craving more horror movies, snag your badge to Fantastic Fest or Ethereal Horror Fest today.
Conservative, liberal, or somewhere in between, you’ll find something for everyone in Central Texas, the new home for horror.
