Why do we HISTORICALLY see a rise in horror stories during more politically turbulent times? And how does it help us process true horrors in a safe way?

Speculative fiction author Victor Manibo will be joined by the hosts of the podcast Ghouls Next Door for a conversation about using the horror genre to explore injustices.

Horror is on the rise in recent years in pop culture from award-winning novels to the 2026 Oscars sweep of horror genre film awards. Some of us are new to the genre, and others are life long fans happy to see its resurgence. This will be an engaging conversation, wherever you fall on that spectrum!

Victor Manibo is a Filipino novelist living in New York. A 2022 Lambda Literary Emerging Voices Fellow, he is the author of the science fiction novels The Sleepless and Escape Velocity and the crime novel Dead Note. His first horror novel, The Villa, Once Beloved (November 2025) is a gothic tale of family, homecoming, and postcolonial vengeance spanning from the United States to the Philippines. Across the genres, his books share explorations of social justice themes, ensemble casts of characters and are unapologetically queer,

Ghouls Next Door is an award-winning podcast hosted by Gabe Castro and Kae Kushin that explores the societal, historical and scientific influences behind our storytelling fears. Over nearly a decade they have produced dozens of episodes exploring everything from films to anime to novels.

This event is free and open to the public, though space is limited in our cozy store. Copies of Manibo’s novels will be available for purchase to be signed by the author after the discussion. Ghouls Next Door merch will also be available for sale.

~Please note that the content of this event is for mature audiences; any minors must be accompanied by an adult.~