👻 Ghost Stories

Waste Ground

✍️ Marc Ruvolo
Reader Score
4.5
(1 review)
$14.99
In stock — ready to ship Ships in 1–2 business days
📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A gothic horror novel merging queer identity with atmospheric dread.

This paperback release challenges readers to confront emotional intensity through psychological unease. Ruvolo crafts a narrative that leans heavily into gothic sensibilities, creating a mood that persists long after reading. The story avoids rapid action in favor of creeping tension and immersive pacing. It targets audiences who appreciate the specific tone of occult themes within the LGBTQ+ spectrum. The work is designed to unsettle through atmosphere rather than explicit shock or jump scares. It offers a direct descent into the darker corners of gay fiction, prioritizing emotional depth over conventional horror tropes. Readers seeking traditional genre clichés will find little here. Instead, they will find a focused exploration of fear that mirrors human vulnerability.

Key Themes
queer identity supernatural terror atmospheric dread
Literary Context

Published in March 2025 by Slashic Horror Press, this work sits at the intersection of gay fiction and traditional horror. It targets readers who appreciate atmospheric dread and psychological unease. The book aligns with tastes for emotional intensity and gothic sensibilities within the LGBTQ+ spectrum.

Difficulty
●●● Challenging
Recommended For Fans Of
Daphne du Maurier · Thomas Ligotti · Oscar Wilde · Colson Whitehead's The Nickel Boys
👻
Ghost Stories
🏛 Slashic Horror Press 📅 2025 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9780975638095

📝 Description: Waste Ground

Marc Ruvolo writes Waste Ground for readers who prefer atmospheric dread over sudden shocks. This paperback from Slashic Horror Press merges gay fiction with traditional horror to create a lingering sense of unease. The narrative avoids genre clichés by focusing on emotional intensity and psychological tension rather than rapid action or explicit shock. It offers a steady pace that immerses the reader in gothic sensibilities, exploring fear as a reflection of human vulnerability. The book targets those who appreciate the intersection of queer identity and supernatural terror. It draws on occult themes and ghost stories within the LGBTQ+ spectrum to unsettle through mood rather than jump scares. Ruvolo’s approach aligns with tastes for emotional depth and psychological complexity. Readers seeking quick thrills or standard horror tropes may find this work too slow. This is a focused exploration of fear for those who view horror as a mirror for personal fragility. Waste Ground suits audiences who value creeping tension and atmospheric dread. It does not suit readers looking for action-heavy plots or conventional genre structures. The story prioritizes the intersection of queer identity and supernatural terror without relying on tired clichés. It promises a mood that lingers long after the final page. This work is a deliberate descent into darker corners of fiction, designed to unsettle through sustained atmosphere.

💎 Our verdict on Waste Ground

“
🩸
Horror Reads editorial team
Horror desk
Marc Ruvolo crafts a narrative that leans heavily into gothic sensibilities, creating a mood that persists long after reading. The story avoids rapid action in favor of creeping tension and immersive pacing. It targets audiences who appreciate the specific tone of occult themes within the LGBTQ+ spectrum. The work is designed to unsettle through atmosphere rather than explicit shock or jump scares. It offers a direct descent into the darker corners of gay fiction, prioritizing emotional depth over conventional horror tropes. Readers seeking traditional genre clichés will find little here. Instead, they will find a focused exploration of fear that mirrors human vulnerability.
✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers who appreciate atmospheric dread and psychological unease will find this book rewarding. It offers a focused exploration of fear that mirrors human vulnerability, avoiding rapid action in favor of creeping tension. Those interested in the intersection of queer identity and supernatural terror will gain emotional depth without relying on tired clichés. The narrative creates a lingering sense of unease through gothic sensibilities rather than explicit shock or jump scares. It suits those who view horror as a mirror for personal fragility, providing immersive pacing that unsettles through mood. This work is ideal for readers seeking to descend into darker corners of fiction where emotional intensity takes precedence over conventional plot structures.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.5
Based on 1 reviews
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Horror Reads editorial team

Marc Ruvolo crafts a narrative that leans heavily into gothic sensibilities, creating a mood that persists long after reading. The story avoids rapid action in favor of creeping tension and immersive pacing. It targets audiences who appreciate the specific tone of occult themes within the LGBTQ+ spectrum. The work is designed to unsettle through atmosphere rather than explicit shock or jump scares. It offers a direct descent into the darker corners of gay fiction, prioritizing emotional depth over conventional horror tropes. Readers seeking traditional genre clichés will find little here. Instead, they will find a focused exploration of fear that mirrors human vulnerability.

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