Ghoulish Book Fair

Ghoulish Books is bringing back the Ghoulish Book Fair to The Highball on Monday, September 21, from 11 AM to 4 PM. It's the fair's fourth year, and this time it's running as a vendor event inside Fantastic Fest, the city's genre film festival. The whole thing is built around horror and weird fiction, and it's one of those days where you can just wander through tables and pick up books you won't find at a big chain.

There are more than a dozen indie presses and authors on the floor. Along with Ghoulish Books, you'll find Interstellar Flight Press, Little Gay Bookshop, Haunt Happy Books, and Pod Mortem. The author list is long: Miguel Villa, Andrew Hilbert, Zach Chapman, Lesly Julien, RJ Joseph, Richard Santos, KD Blade, Lucas Mangum, and Shane McKenzie. It's a good chance to find local work, too, with Austin writers like Richard Z. Santos and Miguel Villa in the mix.

For a bit of context on the organizers, Ghoulish Books is a small press based in Minneapolis that specializes in weirdo, transgressive horror fiction, often written through a queer lens. They describe their books as tackling themes and ideas not always available to readers, especially those who grew up in strict, conservative households, with an aim to help readers rebel against toxic influences. They also sell merchandise, including a 'GHOULISH BOOKS WILL KILL YOUR PARENTS' T-shirt.

The fair runs from 11 AM to 4 PM at The Highball at South Lamar Alamo Drafthouse, 1120 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704.