The New Year at Dark Holme: Stories, Shadows, and What’s Ahead

The start of a new year always feels a little unusual.

After the rush of December, January arrives more quietly — a pause rather than a push. It’s a moment to take stock, to let things settle, and to think about what’s worth carrying forward. That slower, more thoughtful pace suits Dark Holme, and it feels like the right way to begin the year.

So as the year gets underway, I wanted to share where Dark Holme is right now — and what’s already beginning to take shape.

Where We Are Right Now

Dark Holme has always been about intention.

We don’t rush stories into the world, and we don’t publish for the sake of filling space. Everything we release is chosen carefully, shaped with care, and given the time it needs to become what it’s meant to be. That approach hasn’t changed, and it continues to guide everything we’re working on as the year unfolds.

There’s a lot happening quietly behind the scenes — reading, planning, editing, and building — and the new year feels like the right moment to open the door just enough to let you see what’s coming.

Dark Descent: Where the Year Unfolds

At the heart of Dark Holme is Dark Descent, our ongoing webzine.

Dark Descent is where new work appears first, and where the year really begins to take shape. From now on, the webzine will be released on the 15th of every month, delivered straight to subscribers’ inboxes. It’s a steady, dependable rhythm that allows stories to arrive regularly without feeling rushed.

Every story published in the webzine goes on to be included in the yearly Dark Descent anthology. Subscribing means following the entire year as it unfolds — story by story — knowing that each piece you read will become part of the finished collection.

Looking Ahead to the Next Anthology

That ongoing work feeds directly into Dark Holme’s longer-form projects.

The second annual Dark Descent anthology, Dark Descent: Whispers From Beyond (2026), is already taking shape through the webzine. Rather than being assembled all at once, the anthology grows gradually across the year, allowing its tone, themes, and connections to emerge naturally.

Pre-orders will open on 21st April, with the full anthology arriving in June 2026. By the time it reaches print, readers who’ve been following along through the webzine will have watched it come together piece by piece.

Another Project Taking Shape: The 13th Floor

Alongside Dark Descent, editing work will soon begin on The 13th Floor, an upcoming anthology made up of three feature-length novellas.

Each novella is connected by the same unsettling idea — the 14th floor, a place that shouldn’t exist, but somehow does. While each story approaches that theme from a different angle, they’re tightly linked by atmosphere, escalation, and a shared sense of unease. As editing gets underway, it’s exciting to see how these stories deepen and sharpen as they move toward their final form.

Looking Back While Moving Forward

While the new year brings new work, it also builds on what’s already been done.

Paperback - Dark Descent: Whispers From Beyond: 2025- 100+ Bite-Sized Nightmares

£8.99£8.09

Buy Now

Dark Descent: Whispers From Beyond (2025), the first annual anthology, is available now. It brings together a full year of Dark Descent stories in one place — capturing the voices, moods, and themes that shaped the publication last year and continue to influence what’s coming next.

For some readers, it’s the perfect place to start. For others, it’s a way to return to stories that still linger.

An Open Invitation

Dark Holme isn’t about rushing readers or pushing people toward the next thing. It’s about creating a space where stories are allowed to breathe, and where readers can follow along in a way that feels natural and rewarding.

As the year unfolds, new work will continue to arrive through the webzine and upcoming anthologies, alongside projects still quietly taking shape behind the scenes. Whether you’re here to read closely, to check in now and then, or to follow the full descent as it happens, you’re very welcome.

Thank you for being here at the start of a new year. There’s a lot ahead — and we’re looking forward to sharing it with you.

dark holme · dark descent · horror fiction · literary horror · horror anthology · horror webzine · indie horror · independent horror publishing · gothic horror · dark fiction · horror writers · horror community · new year publishing update · horror stories