StokerCon 2026 Programming Preview

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The Programming Committee is excited to share this sneak peek at panels and events that will be happening this year in Pittsburgh. The team is hard at work reaching out to our moderators and panelists. The full schedule and lineup will be announced soon. Stay tuned!

 

Author to Editor and Back Again

Many authors dream of editing their own anthology, but what does it actually take to cross the line from author to editor? What unique challenges arise from blurring these boundaries and wearing both hats? Join panelists as they discuss navigating the potential obstacles and social barriers of being both authors and editors.

 

Be a Dear: Trad Wife Horror

The push to maintain gendered roles in and outside of the home is nothing new; however, in the era where Roe v. Wade has been overturned, "trad wives" are trending on TikTok, and women's roles in the traditional workforce are shrinking, we are seeing a resurgence of suburban nightmares in the Horror genre. How do current events shape these stories? How have modern narratives destabilized or reinforced the mad housewife archetype? What can we learn from these works of fiction that seem all too real?

 

Bizarro Fiction: The Wrecking Ball of Weird vs. the Boundaries of Genre

In the early 2000s, a new subgenre peeled itself off of horror and slithered forward, picking up the detritus of other genres on its way. Bizarro fiction is the genre for people who don't like to color inside the lines. Too funny, too weird, too off-beat for traditional horror publishers, the bizarro community coalesced around the same purity of storytelling as children: no boundaries, no limits, and an internal logic that assumed it didn't matter how things would happen in the real world. From surreal lit fiction to pulpy insanity, and weirding up everything from spaghetti westerns to noir, Bizarro has come into its own over the past two decades, but still maintains a strong tie to its roots in the horror scene. How is the Adult Swim of literature helping shape modern horror?

 

Bloodsplatters: Art, Storytelling, & Horror

It’s more important than ever to support visual art made by humans. Join artists, book designers, cover artists and other creators in horror to learn more about their process and inspiration, and also to discuss actionable ways to continue the support of art created by people.

 

Closing Ceremonies

Join our Guests of Honor, the StokerCon organizers, and others to wrap-up StokerCon 2026! 

 

Demystifying the Bram Stoker Awards

What are the Bram Stoker Awards and how do they work? Join members of the Awards Committee and others for a discussion of the processes and rules of the Awards and how horror authors can share their work for consideration. Discussion will include explanations of the Stoker’s hybrid system. How can you submit your work to the juries and how do the juries function? How do member recommendations work and who can submit? Why are the awards presented for Superior Achievement? Come prepared to ask anything you’d like to know about the Bram Stoker Awards.

 

Female Asian Gothic: Fury and Metamorphosis

Every Gothic fiction wave reflects the anxieties of its time and its cohort. What fears, furies, and transformations have emerged in the recent groundswell of Asian female horror? Join authors and editors as they discuss the influences that have shaped their works, how the female Asian Gothic converges and diverges from other Gothic literature, share recommendations, and explore what’s next.

 

The Ghosts in the Margins: Queerness in Gothic Horror

With queer authors such as Mary Shelley and Oscar Wilde at the forefront of the genre, the gothic has long been a sanctuary for LGBTQ+ writers, characters, and readers. From Frankenstein and The Picture of Dorian Gray to The Haunting of Hill House and The Gilda Stories, the genre abounds with tales that are at once transcendent and terrifying. Join our panelists as we discuss our love of the queer gothic and how we employ the gothic tradition in our own work as well as why the gothic is such a perfect outlet for queerness in horror.

 

The Hounds of Hell: Dogs in Horror

Whether a terrifying threat or man’s best friend, dogs in horror elicit strong emotions. Let’s talk about how dogs have been used in past horror works, evolving from dying early in the story, to modern evolutions of richer story arcs. This panel will celebrate some of the best loved (and terrifying) instances of dogs in horror and how these canines can be used in effective storytelling.

 

HWA Board Meeting

The officers, trustees, and the executive director will provide an update on the state of the Horror Writers Association with highlights from the past year and plans for the future. This meeting is open to all attendees, both members and non-members of the HWA and will include time for Q&A.

 

The Legacy of Dell/Abyss

The acclaimed Abyss Books line of the early-mid 1990s brought underground experimentalism and literary existentialism into mass market horror, generating a half-decade of award-winning books and influential stories. The publisher launched the careers of writers like Poppy Z. Brite, Kathe Koja, and Robert Devereaux, while expanding the canon of the genre by featuring women and LGBTQ authors, as well as other writers working from the fringes. This panel will mark the 35th anniversary of the imprint by reflecting on the line's history and impact and how it fit in with the broader mass market horror trends of the 1990s. 

 

Lend Me Your Ears! (Not Literally): Horror Podcasting

Podcasts offer a unique way to network and connect, to promote the work of authors, and to generally strengthen bonds within the horror community. How does one grow their podcast and keep the momentum going? What are some of the dos and don’ts of podcasting that we should be more aware of? Join panelists as they share their expertise and guidance on what makes a horror podcast stand out, as well as advice for those who hope to be guests on podcasts.

 

The Library Eats You Last: Why (Dark) Academia Makes the Perfect Monster

In dark academia, the institution itself is often the villain. This panel examines how schools, libraries, secret societies, and research labs become sentient forces in horror fiction--devouring students literally, or metaphorically. We’ll explore how power structures in academia map perfectly onto horror tropes, how intellectual obsession mirrors possession, and how the campus becomes a labyrinth the protagonist may never escape. This panel is perfect for fans of house-horror, cosmic dread, and the creeping suspicion that your thesis advisor might actually be an eldritch entity

 

Monster Mash

A fun, late-night programming piece, not at all a serious discussion--though it might just get intense! Nine participants and one host. Two teams of three. Three judges. An intrepid group who will strive to answer the age old question: "Which monster would win in a fight?" In each round, each team will randomly be assigned a monster out of classic horror or folklore and a random setting will be chosen (or provided by the audience). Each team will then make their case for why their monster would defeat the other team's monster, how their powers or characteristics would match up, and how their environment might be a factor. After the cases are presented, the judges will assess the arguments and decide the winner! Tongue-in-cheek! Outlandish! Deeply meaningful! Place yer bets and let fate decide!

 

Navigating The Horror Of The Parasocial

In an era where authors often engage with their audience directly via social media, the lines between friends, fans, and strangers can become blurry. How can authors be accessible without opening themselves up to unpleasant interactions? How can we encourage fans to be more mindful when interacting with creators?

 

"Nevertheless, We Persist: Resilient Souls Share Their Journeys"

Writers with lived experience and who face mental health challenges, yet continue to write, will share their journey. How do these challenges present themselves? How do writers deal with these challenges while typically playing multiple other roles (parents, caregivers, employees) yet persist to write and publish and stay engaged with the Horror Writing community? In a supportive, non-stigmatizing environment, panelists will discuss these experiences, and how it expresses itself in their horror fiction. Is horror fiction itself a coping skill? Walk for a mile in their shoes and discuss how horror and hope intersect in facing mental health symptoms with courage and resilience.

 

No One Wants to Publish Mr. Hyde: Professional Etiquette for Horror Writers

The horror writing community is a small world, and you never know where a new publishing opportunity might come from. It’s important to be professional and to maintain good relationships and practices as a working horror writer. But what does that mean? What are “best practices” when it comes to engaging with agents and editors, with publishers, fellow authors, and even in social media? Where is the line between personal and professional interactions? Our panelists will discuss these questions and more.

 

One of the Greats: The Folk Horror of Florence + the Machine

Werewolves and Witches, Krakens and Choreomania, with each new album, Florence + the Machine's leans harder into horror. The marketing itself for Everybody Scream includes clips of horror classics such as Carrie and Rosemary's Baby, and the videos feature a coven of witches singing back-up by her side. Her lyrics are filled with evocative imagery and introspective storytelling, brought to life by a voice full of passion. This panel will explore themes of folk horror, cosmic horror, witchcraft, nature as divine, feminine power, and the duality of darkness and love, expressed within F+TM's body of work. 

 

Open Mic Poetry with Linda Addison

Guest of Honor Linda D. Addison will host an open mic poetry reading! Open Mic is a great place to read your poetry to a supportive audience and to be inspired by hearing the poetry of others. Each poet reads for 5 minutes or less. The host will loop around the room until we run out of time.

 

Pitch Sessions Panel

Agents and editors share insights into what they’re looking for, how best to pitch your work, and what to expect during the StokerCon 2026 pitch sessions, with time for Q&A. If you’re planning to pitch your work you don’t want to miss this panel.

 

Sludging through Doom: Heavy Metal and Horror History

Good horror disturbs and distorts reality with all the fuzz of a heavy metal guitar pedal. And metal music, for its part, has long drawn inspiration from the genre of the supernatural and occult. In "Sludging through Doom," panelists will explore how the horror genre has intersected with heavy metal music across time and how horror writers continue to derive inspiration from the scary music genre, banging their heads as they bang stories out on their keyboards.

 

Uncanny Educations: Learning Horror, Writing Horror

Is it any wonder that the works of authors like Edgar Allan Poe and Shirley Jackson are popular with students and can catch the imagination of potential authors at an early age? This panel explores how horror fiction can help turn readers into writers--and how teachers and well-meaning family can encourage the process. Horror fiction helps introduce us to techniques of atmosphere, suspense, and world-building, additionally lending itself well to the creative joys of imitation and parody. Panelists will discuss reading approaches and teaching strategies that have helped them mentor students to become successful horror writers.

 

Welcome to the Dark-ive

Rare books and literary archival collections can be fertile ground for academic research, creative inspiration, and documentation of the writing process and publishing industry. Join us for a panel that uncovers how primary source research in the University of Pittsburgh Library System’s horror studies collections has been used to generate and inspire both academic and creative works, the processes behind this type of research, and the value that creating your own archive can provide to the next generation of writers and researchers.