The Internet makes it easier than ever for readers to connect with their favorite dark scribes. And the award-winning Horror World site takes that convenience a step further by creating a virtual watering hole of macabre talent. Indeed, one visit to Horror World is the equivalent of hundreds of book signings—a who’s who of the genre world where you can read original fiction, browse reviews, and even chat with your favorite authors via message boards. It’s a dark genre bibliophile’s dream come true.

Dark Scribe Magazine recently sat down with Horror World’s proprietress Nanci Kalanta to learn more about the origins of her sinister world.

Dark Scribe: What was the genesis of Horror World and how did you come to be involved?

Nanci Kalanta: Horror World originally started out as Masters of Terror run by Andy Fairclough of the UK. The site featured message boards for UK horror authors. Several years later HorrorNet, which featured message boards for US horror authors folded and Andy invited them to MOT. Eventually Andy changed the name to Horror World and ran it successfully for several years before he decided that he wanted to pursue other interests. He posted in August of 2003 that he was going to let the site stay as it was unless he could find a successor. He actually found two – Ron Dickie and myself. We became co-editors (with Andy) in October of 2003.

One of the first things we did was to bring back some of the more popular features that had fallen by the wayside – Reviews and Fiction. We had a lot of support from the authors whose message boards we hosted and Andy let us run with it. In January 2004 Andy told us that the site and logo were ours going forward. He was pleased that we were going to take good care of the website he had nurtured over the years. In April of 2004 we found out that we were finalists for the HWA's Bram Stoker Award for Alternative Forms which helped give us credibility as "professionals". The next step was to move Horror World from a free web host to it's own URL. Deena Warner was hired to design the site and we officially unveiled the new site on October 31, 2004.

Ron Dickie left in August of 2005 to pursue his own writing so now I edit Horror World on my own with the help of the authors who provide the stories, the reviewers who hand in terrific reviews and Steve Wedel, my newsletter editor and interviewer.

Dark Scribe: How many hits per month does the Horror World site receive on average?

Nanci Kalanta: On average we receive around 8500 unique visitors a month, which translates to about 800,000 hits per month.

Kalanta (center) with 'Creepers' scribe David Morrell and the legendary Gahan Wilson at the 2007 World Horror Convention in Canada

 

Dark Scribe: How many hours per month do you dedicate to running Horror World? What’s your biggest challenge in administering the site?

 

Nanci Kalanta: I usually devote about 20 hours a month on the website. That includes coding the site, answering emails, working with publishers, authors, reviewers and content providers. My biggest challenge is time. My day job is quite demanding (I work 10-12 hours a day) so finding the time is hard. Sleep is a luxury some months (laughs).

Dark Scribe: Tell us some of the features that Horror World has to offer for dark genre fans.

Nanci Kalanta: Horror World offers a free original fiction story each month, interviews with authors, publishers and artists, reviews of the latest releases from publishers such as Cemetery Dance Books, Necessary Evil Press, Leisure Books and several other specialty publishers too numerous to mention here. We also host the monthly Pod of Horror podcast.

Dark Scribe: What do you think Horror World’s strongest offering is?

Nanci Kalanta: I can't really single any one thing out – I like to think that Horror World has a little something for all the horror authors and readers out there.

Dark Scribe: What’s in the future for Horror World?

Nanci Kalanta: Good question – would you happen to have a crystal ball handy? (laughs) Horror World has branched

Horror World webmaster Nanci Kalanta, pictured here with author Steven Savile and his novel, 'Laughing Boy’s Shadow'.

out to include HW Press. Our goal is to produce signed/limited trade paperbacks for the collectors who want a nice collectible, but who can't always afford the high priced hard covers. Our first offering, Eulogies – A Horror World Yearbook , was published last year in a limited run of 300 copies. Eulogies was a compilation of all of the content from 2005. This year we've produced Laughing Boy's Shadow by Steven Savile which we published as 100 signed, limited-edition hardcovers and 200 signed, limited-edition trade paperbacks. We also released Sparks and Shadows by Lucy A. Snyder as 300 signed, limited-edition trade paperbacks. Then I'm taking a bit of time off before we start looking at our next publishing project.

 

Sounds like a well-deserved rest indeed! Visit Nanci Kalanta's Horror World at its virtual home at www.HorrorWorld.org.