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February 2022 on Shudder is shaping up to have some fun horror experiences to embrace in one of the shortest but coldest months of the year. January turned out to have a number of great additions to the Shudder library. This month in the US, Shudder fans get to take a deep dive into Boris Karloff’s work, celebrate a little bit of Black History month with Tales from the Hood, and spend Valentine’s Day weekend with Joe Bob Briggs.

Not to be outdone, all of Shudder‘s regions have originals, exclusives, and new and returning films added to their libraries. It’s called Februscary for a reason, after all.

So, what is on offer on Shudder for February 2022.

Shudder February 2022 Originals and Exclusives

As always, here is our guide to the service as a whole. We’ll get into regional specifics in a bit. As for originals and exclusives, we have a few.

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Slapface (February 3)

Slapface still depicting child with blood on his face, Shudder February 2022

After the death of his mother, Lucas, a loner who lives in a rundown home with his brother Tom, regularly seeks solace in the nearby woods. With his only “friends” being a group of female bullies, he keeps to himself most of the time. But, after a strange encounter with an inhuman monster, Lucas begins to withdraw from others. When the two reach a tentative trust, a bizarre friendship is born, and Lucas is swept up in a series of primal adventures.

Slapface, which won the “Best Audience Award” for “Best Horror/Thriller/Sci-Fi” Film at the Cinequest Film Festival in 2021, was written and directed by Jeremiah Kipp (Black Wake60 Seconds to Die ‘Monster’; The SadistThe Pod) based on his short film of the same title. The film stars August Maturo (Girl Meets WorldThe Nun), Mike Manning (Son of the South, Teen Wolf), Dan Hedaya (The Usual Suspects), Mirabelle Lee (Blood Ties), Lukas Hassel, and Libe Barer (Sneaky Pete), Bianca D’Ambrosio (The Bay, I Am Mortal, Fear of Rain)Chiara D’Ambrosio (The Bay, I Am Mortal).

Premieres February 3, available on Shudder US, Shudder UKI, and Shudder ANZ.

All The Moons (February 10)

All The Moons screencap depicting man and child in darkened room, Shudder February 2022

North of Spain, at the end of the 19th century, during the final throes of the last Carlist war, a little girl is rescued from an orphanage by a mysterious woman after it’s destroyed by a bomb. Wounded and close to death, the girl believes the woman is an angel coming to take her to Heaven. Soon, however, she discovers that this strange being has given her the gift of eternal life by turning her into a vampire.

Directed by Basque filmmaker Igor Legarreta (When You No Longer Love Me), All the Moons won several awards at the 25th Edition of The Fantasia International Film Festival, including “Best Director,” “Best Cinematography,” and “Audience Award.” The film stars Haizea Carneros, Josean Bengoetxea, and Itziar Ituño.

Premieres February 10, available on Shudder US, Shudder UKI, and Shudder ANZ.

They Live in the Grey (February 17)

They Live In The Grey screencap depicting a couple in conflict in a kitchen, Shudder February 2022

While investigating a child abuse case, a young social worker discovers that a supernatural entity is tormenting the family. To save the parents from losing custody of their child, she must confront her fears and use her clairvoyance to stop the malevolent force. Written and directed by brothers Burlee and Abel Vang (The Tiger’s Child.) They Live in the Grey stars Michelle Krusiec (Hollywood), Ken Kirby (Good Trouble, Dynasty), Ellen Wroe (For All Mankind, Shameless), Madelyn Grace (Don’t Breathe 2).

Premiers February 17, available on Shudder US, Shudder UKI, and Shudder ANZ.

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Hellbender (February 24)

Hellbender screencap depicting two women on stairs, Shudder February 2022

16-year-old Izzy leads an isolated life on a lonely mountaintop. All she’s learned is from her protective mom and the wilderness that swallows them. It’s a gentle, quiet existence — except for when Izzy and Mom bang out loud songs for their band, H6LLB6ND6R. Izzy dreams of a live gig, but her mother thinks she’s too sick and mustn’t be around others. Questioning her illness and starved for companionship, Izzy sneaks down the mountain where she befriends brazen Amber. Izzy is in heaven until a cruel drinking game with a live worm unleashes a new kind of hunger.

Hellbender, which had its world premiere at the 25th Fantasia International Film Festival in August 2021, is the sixth feature film written and directed by the filmmaking Adams family, Toby PoserJohn Adams, and their daughter Zelda Adams (The Deeper You Dig, Halfway to Zen, The Shoot).  Poser and Zelda Adams stars in the film, along with Zelda’s sister Lulu Adams. Zelda took home the Best Actress award at the Fantasia Intl. Film Festival.

Premieres February 24, available on Shudder US, Shudder UKI, and Shudder ANZ.

Continuing Series

This month, Shudder wraps up the third season of A Discovery of Witches and brings us a brand new Joe Bob Briggs special.

A Discovery of Witches: Season 3

In the final season of A Discovery of Witches, Matthew (Matthew Goode) and Diana (Teresa Palmer) return from their trip to 1590 to find tragedy at Sept-Tours. They must find the missing pages from the Book of Life and the Book itself before it’s too late. Their enemies are gearing up against them, and a monster from Matthew’s past who has been lying in wait will return for revenge. A Discovery of Witches Season 3 is based on the “The Book of Life” novel from Deborah Harkness’s bestselling All Souls trilogy and is the third and final installment.

New Episodes Saturdays, Series Finale February 19, available on Shudder US.

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Joe Bob’s Hearthbreak Trailer Park (February 11)

Joe Bob's Heartbreak Trailer Park key art, Shudder February 2022

Love (and a tinge of horror) is in the air for The Last Drive-In’s new special! Joe Bob Briggs will be joined by special guests for a double feature of two unique films that explore the heartbreaking side of Valentine’s Day

Premiers February 11, available on Shudder US.

Leaving Shudder

Unfortunately, Shudder has not listed what is leaving for February 2022. We will update this article when we learn more.

The Boris Karloff Collection

A collection of Boris Karloff’smost iconic film roles, premiering February 1 on Shudder US.Presented as a companion to the January 27th Shudder Exclusive documentary Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the MonsterThe Black Cat, Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, House of Frankenstein, The Mummy, and Son of Frankenstein, along with The Old Dark House and Black Sabbath, both now available on Shudder US.

Regional Schedules

Here are the regional release schedules for Shudder’s various markets. We present the dates in their standard form for the region, and all originals and exclusives will be listed in bold.

Coming to Shudder February 2022: CA Region

2/1

Amulet

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Censor

Roh

2/3

Slapface

2/5

A Discovery of Witches Ep. 305

2/7

Rock, Paper, Scissors

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Entwined

Fragile

2/10

All The Moons

2/12

A Discovery of Witches Ep. 306

2/14

Knocking

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I Am A Ghost

Silent Retreat

2/17

They Live in the Grey

A Discovery of Witches Creator Series (Season 2)

2/19

A Discovery of Witches – Season Finale

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2/21

Come to Daddy

Bloodline

Dawn of the Beast

Detention

2/24

Hellbender

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Shudder February 2022 - Content Guide Graphic for Canada
Shudder February 2022 – Content Guide Graphic for Canada

Coming to Shudder February 2022: US Region

2/1

Boris Karloff Collection

  • The Black Cat
  • Frankenstein
  • Bride of Frankenstein

Queen of the Damned

Valentine

Roh

2/2

Boris Karloff Collection

  • House of Frankenstein
  • The Mummy
  • Son of Frankenstein

Blood Glacier

Last Winter

2/3

Slapface

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2/5

A Discovery of Witches Ep. 305

2/7

Tales from the Hood

Tales from the Hood 2

Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight

Tales from the Crypt: Bordello of Blood

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Rock, Paper, Scissors

Entwined

Fragile

Cherry Falls

2/8

I Blame Society

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2/10

All the Moons

2/11

Joe Bob’s Heartbreak Trailer Park (9 PM ET)

2/12

A Discovery of Witches Ep. 306

2/14

Knocking

Corporate Animals

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I Am A Ghost

Silent Retreat

Spring

Eat Brains Love

2/17

They Live in the Grey

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A Discovery of Witches Creator Series (Season 2)

2/19

A Discovery of Witches – Season Finale

2/21

Dawn of the Beast

Dogs

Detention

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2/24

Hellbender

Shudder February 2022 - Content Guide Graphic for US
Shudder February 2022 – Content Guide Graphic for US

Coming to Shudder February 2022: UKI Region

1/2

The Initation

Battle Royale

Battle Royale II

3/2

Slapface

7/2

Entwined

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City of the Living Dead

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage

10/2

All The Moons

14/2

The Wretched

31

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Hagazussa

17/2

They Live in the Grey

21/2

Dawn of the Beast

Undergods

The Lesson

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24/2

Hellbender

28/2

V/H/S/2

V/H/S Viral

Shudder February 2022 - Content Guide Graphic for UKI
Shudder February 2022 – Content Guide Graphic for UKI

Coming to Shudder February 2022: ANZ Region

3/2

Slapface

8/2

Initiation

Entwined

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10/2

All The Moons

15/2

The Wretched

A Night of Horror

XX

17/2

They Live in the Grey

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22/2

Dawn of the Beast

24/2

Hellbender

Shudder February 2022 - Content Guide Graphic for ANZ
Shudder February 2022 – Content Guide Graphic for ANZ

With some riches of the career of Boris Karloff as well as some new originals and exclusives, February ends up Februscary indeed. What are you most looking forward to watching on Shudder this month? Let us know n the comments. We’ve love to hear your thoughts.

Breaking News

#ChadGetsTheAxe Coming Out September 1st

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Look, I’m a simple guy. Sure, I like my Small Town Monsters and my silly-billy movies about cats eating people.

But sometimes there comes a film that’s smartly written, full of humor and social commentary, plus great acting. Oh, and scares that actually scare the shit out of me.

Almost a year to the date, I got to watch such a film called #CHADGETSTHEAXE that I saw as a screener for FilmQuest Fest in October, 2022. And I was blown away by the talents of director/co-writer Travis Bible and co-writer/producer Kemerton Hargrove; starring Spencer Harrison Levin (Black Jesus), Michael Bonini (New Amsterdam), Taneisha Figueroa (Duck World), Cameron Vitosh (Walker), Brandon Doyle (Murder Made Me Famous), and Shun Hagins (Snitch).

Mini-Review, I swear it’s short:

And, I know, I know, I know. ‘But Brannyyyyk, isn’t livestreaming horror movies just a flash in the pan? Hasn’t it been done beforeeee?’ For one, stop saying it like that, it’s weird. For two, not like this. The care and attention that went into #CHADGETSTHEAXE is wickedly clever with such tongue-in-cheek humor of influencers, humanity, and the toxic culture of fandom. It’s the shining example of live-streaming movies because it’s so f-ing smart.

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Case in point, the characters are living up to their personas. However, even when the personas are ragged and driven to the edge of life and death, we never see them as people, fully dimensional people, because we never see them break away from their devices. There’s never a shot that shows us ‘hey, this is a film, now let’s see them as the real character they are’. The actors are really carrying dual roles as the personas and the real people underneath; as they are struggling to keep up appearances in front of the millions of viewers.

Plus, don’t get me started on the characters within the livestream feed, along with running jokes and clues to the haunted house.

Anyway, I don’t want to give too much away as I’m going to be covering it on Streamin’ Demons soon. But I wanted to also tease about the fact that I’m going to be interviewing some VIPs from the movie for What’s Kraken? So, shhh, only tell your closest friends because it’s going to be incredible.

It has the characters taking selfies in front of an axe killer

Join the Hype Train:

Adapted from an award-winning short with the same title, #ChadGetsTheAxe follows four social media influencers as they live-stream their trip to Devil’s Manor, former home to a Satanic Cult. Things don’t go well. And as the violence ramps up… so do the views.

The film premiered at FilmQuest in October 2022 and Internationally at FrightFest Glasgow in March 2023 where it was well received by critics. #ChadGetsTheAxe was produced by Travis Bible, Eric Gibson, Kemerton Hargrove, and Frances O’Hanlon, while Dream Big Group serves as executive producers.

The Horror Collective is the genre label of Entertainment Squad — a production and distribution company founded by veteran producer Shaked Berenson (TURBO KID, TALES OF HALLOWEEN). The label’s latest releases include the Daytime Emmy nominated Limited Series DOOMSDAY, the killer-pants Shudder Original SLAXX, and the critically acclaimed horror-comedy SUMMONING SYLVIA.

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Website: https://thehorrorcollective.com/

I’m hoping it gets DVD distribution one day because I’m old and I need DVDs for when the zombie apocalypse happens.

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June Title for Arrow Streaming

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Welcome to June! There’s so much on the hopper for Arrow that I just have to give you, my friends, the hot goss.

Just a picture of the stuff I'm talking about after the picture.

June 2nd:  Paul Joyce Documentaries

June 2nd kicks off the month with ARROW’s latest curation of Paul Joyce documentaries, this time looking at legendary filmmaker John Cassavetes, straight from the mouth of his friend and collaborator co-star Peter Falk (Columbo) in Out of the Shadows: The Films of John Cassavetes.

After a six year directing hiatus, Monte Hellman sat down with Paul Joyce and just talked for an hour while Joyce filmed. The result is Plunging on Alone: Monte Hellman’s Life In a Day.

June 2nd: the wild world of Ero Guro  

What is Ero Guro? Well, the Japanese sub-genre of horror and pink films Ero Guro combines the erotic (ero) and the grotesque (guro) to deviant, decadent and unforgettable effect. ARROW’s Ero Guro collection features the unholy trinity of core Ero Guro films, Teruo Ishii’s Shogun’s Joy of Torture and Horrors of Malformed Men and Yasuzo Masumura’s Blind Beast, plus plenty more exciting, explicit and enticingly depraved delights to delve into.

Titles Include: Shogun’s Joy of Torture, Blind Beast, Irezumi.

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June 6th: Warriors Two (US/CA)

After making his directorial debut with the intense The Iron-Fisted Monk and firmly solidifying his worth at Golden Harvest, Sammo Hung would be given more creative control behind the camera. Now able to inject more of his own personality, Hung would bring to life the more upbeat (yet only slightly less violent) Wing Chun cult classic: Warriors Two!

Predating the Ip Man tetralogy by three decades – as well as Hung’s own The Prodigal Son (starring Yuen Biao as the younger incarnation of Leung Tsan) by a few years – Warriors Two is one of the earliest films to authentically portray the teachings of Wing Chun while also delivering the kind of kinetic and pulse-pounding fights synonymous with the name Sammo Hung!

June 16th: Eli Roth Selects (UK/IRE/US/CA)

Splatter icon Eli Roth takes a stroll through the archives with Eli Roth Selects (UK/IRE/US/CA). “I absolutely love Arrow and have been a collector of their editions for years, and Arrow Player is the most streamed channel in my house. I’ve seen a lot of Select lists, and while I agree with them, I wanted to highlight some that people might have otherwise overlooked.”

Titles Include: Basket Case, Contamination, Madhouse.

June 19th: Toru Murakawa’s Game Trilogy (UK/IRE/US/CA)

Made at the end of the 1970s, Toru Murakawa’s Game Trilogy launched actor Yûsaku Matsuda as the Toei tough guy for a new generation. Matsuda was the definitive screen icon of 1980s until his career was tragically cut short by cancer at the age of 40, following his Hollywood debut in Ridley Scott’s Black Rain.

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The Most Dangerous Game (UK/IRE/US/CA): In this career-defining triptych, Matsuda is Shohei Narumi, an ice cool hitman of few words, a steely trigger finger, and a heart of stone, hired in The Most Dangerous Game by a company bidding for a lucrative government air defence contract to take out the competition.

The Killing Game (UK/IRE/US/CA): Narumi finds himself caught in the midst of violent yakuza gang warfare, while his own brutal past catches up with him in the form of two beautiful women still bearing the emotional scars of his past assignments.

The Execution Game (UK/IRE/US/CA): Narumi falls for a mysterious saloon bar chanteuse who may or may not be part of the same, shadowy underworld organization as the rival hitmen he is employed to rub out. (I’m assuming the tough-guy way and not the sexy way)

June 23rd: SHAAAARKS!!!

Yessss, Cruel Jaws is coming to Arrow!

ARROW heads to the beach for some terror with shark attacks.

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Cruel Jaws (US/CA): A huge shark terrorizes a beach in Florida, and the locals try everything to kill it.

Deep Blood (US/CA): Several young men have to stop an ancient native American evil in the form of a killer shark which is attacking a small beach community.

June 23rd: Sci-fi Stunners (UK/IRE/US/CA)

For the penultimate SeasonARROW boldly goes to the stars on June 23, seeking out new life and new cinema.

Sci-fi Stunners (UK/IRE/US/CA): There are other worlds than these. Come and explore them in this collection of cybernetic, planet-probing, time-travelling, cosmos-trotting, aliens-zapping, virtual and far-too-real adventures in Sci-fi Stunners – ARROW’s home world for the coolest Cult science-fiction films in the galaxy.

Titles Include: No Escape, Donnie Darko, Crimes of the Future.

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Last but not least

Cosa Nostra Collection (UK/IRE/US/CA):

The most American of directors according to celebrated critic Paolo Mereghetti, Damiano Damiani (A Bullet for the General) nevertheless surveyed his own country’s mafia history unlike anyone before him, to critical and box office success.

Full of twists and a fascinating meta-commentary on cinema, Damiani points the camera at himself and the genre as he investigates the social impact of mafia violence, a fitting end to this survey of Damiani’s Cosa Nostra.

Titles Include: Day of the Owl, The Case is Closed, Forget It, How To Kill a Judge.

About ARROW:

From Arrow Films, a recognized world-leader in curation and creation, ARROW is a premium platform giving audiences an unparalleled viewing experience across multiple devices, so fans can explore the films and TV shows that the Arrow brand is famous for.

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Specially curated by members of the ARROW team, ARROW is home to premium film and TV entertainment, exclusive new premieres, cutting edge cinema, international classics and cult favorites – such as the works of Lars Von Trier, Brian De Palma, Dario Argento, David Cronenberg and Park Chan-wook, and brand-new short films from both new and established filmmakers.

In the coming months, ARROW will be adding Oscar-winning hits, European classics, Asian cinema masterworks, rediscovered Westerns, offbeat gems and much more as part of ARROW’s international strategy to support and celebrate the medium of film.

For more information on ARROW and its titles, please contact: justin@justincookpr.com or visit https://www.arrow-player.com.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ArrowVideoUK

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arrowPlayer

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/Arrow_Player

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArrowVideo

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A horror author goes to Nebula Con

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The Science Fiction, Fantasy Writers Association is one of the most prestigious organizations in America for speculative fiction writers. While horror is not specifically mentioned, we all know that it’s nearly impossible to discuss fantasy and science fiction without the shadow of horror creeping in. 

Each year, SFWA hosts a convention for writers called Nebula Con. I have virtually attended the convention for the past two years. And if you’ve never attended, you might want to consider it. Even if your writing, like mine, is long in the shadows and short on the elves.

First off, I do want to be clear that Nebula Con is a convention for speculative fiction writers. There are some fan panels, like the one on the works of Robin McKinley, this year’s Grandmaster. But the majority of the panels and events are for writers. 

That being said, there are panels for writers at every stage of their careers. 

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For writers interested in crafting better stories, craft panels abound. My favorite panel was the one titled For The Love of Short Fiction. This panel started with a reading of some of the best short works from 2022. Then, each panelist dug into what made that piece work for them.

Clip from Nebula Con, 2023

There were several other terrific panels, including one all about constructing a realistic legal system in your fictional world and writing fictional podcasts. (Like I do.)

But, you might say, these are panels for sci-fi and fantasy writers. No, these are panels for speculative fiction writers. Horror authors who want to have any kind of career would do well to master the short story. And if you don’t think there’s room for some legal horror in the market, you are wrong. 

While the craft panels were wonderful, the career and marketing panels were probably the most useful and valuable of the whole convention. Are you, like many other online creatives, worried about the effects AI-generated writing is going to have on our field? There were two informative panels regarding that. Are you wondering how writers’ relationships with agents have changed now that self-publishing is so prevalent? There’s a panel for that.

A lot is going on in the publishing world. It’s confusing as hell, my friends. And one of the ways we keep each other up to date is with conventions like this. What I got out of the panel most was that having a career in writing is possible. My fellow participants and I learned from writers who are doing the thing. It’s hard, but it’s possible.

Of course, a convention is more than just panels. There’s the chance to meet with other authors. This might be where a virtual convention seems to have a deficit. And while I’ll admit that meeting online isn’t the same as meeting in person, there are certainly perks. I was able to meet, chat with and share stories with other writers in a Zoom chat room. And I came away feeling much like I did as a kid, having met new friends at summer camp. Even if I wasn’t sitting across from them, it was great to be surrounded by other people who want to make a living scaring the hell out of other people. 

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All of this writing joy culminates with the Nebula Awards Ceremony. If you’re interested in catching the awards but didn’t make it to the convention this year, you can watch it all on Youtube. Each year speculative fiction authors of all kinds of honored, from written work to gaming to television. This year’s toastmaster was Cheryl Platz, an author, and actress. As a critic, awards ceremonies are usually something I usually force my way through. The Nebula Awards are a rare treat in that scene. Partially because there’s a chance I’ve met the people up for the awards. But also because the people involved are, first and foremost, writers. It’s amazing how much more entertaining events are when the people being honored are, you know, talented storytellers.

If you’ve been on the fence about attending Nebula Con virtually, I suggest giving it a try. The world certainly needs more stories that go bump in the night. 

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