Coming August 20th, 2024!

Preorder Clown in a Cornfield 3: The Church of Frendo in hardcover, audiobook, or ebook here on amazon.

Or here to order a signed and personalized copy through indie the bookstore Childrens Book World in Haverford, PA. As these orders need to be signed and personalized in-person, please be patient and allow extra time for shipping *after* the book’s August 2024 release date. US only, the store cannot ship to international customers: sorry!

If you haven’t read the first two, including the Bram Stoker Award Winning original, you can check them out here, and here for the sequel, in paperback, and all other formats. Or you can order them signed through my partnership with CBW here.

Note: these are Young Adult slasher novels. Young Adult does not equate to PG-13. Each would carry the equivalent to an R-rating. Readers proceed with caution.

Some more praise and blurbs for the series:

• “A pulse-pounding thrill ride for retro-horror fans who are not faint of heart (or stomach).” — Kirkus Reviews
• “There’s a lot to love about Adam Cesare’s new novel, Clown in a Cornfield. First, the title. Holy crap. Then the front cover. Double holy crap. Also consider it’s already received blurbs from people like Clive Barker, Stephen Graham Jones, and Paul Tremblay? Triple holy crap. People are going to be talking about this novel all year. Get ready for it.” — Lit Reactor
• “Cinematic and blood soaked.” — Booklist
• “This party starts early, and it does not stop until all the bodies have hit the floor.”  — Stephen Graham Jones, author of Mongrels and The Only Good Indians
• “Adam Cesare’s CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD starts as a fun and scary retro-slasher but then cleverly twists and bloodies its way into being a very new kind of beast. Rejoice horror fans new and old, and be terrified of Adam’s everyday clowns.” — Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts and The Cabin at the End of the World
• “Tense, modern and gory, Cesare’s Clown in a Cornfield is simultaneously classic and fresh. This is thrilling, old school horror for a new generation.” — Madeleine Roux, author of the Asylum series
• This debut horror novel has all the trappings of a good, popcorn-scented slasher flick. Reluctant readers will find this a quick and fun read. They will definitely appreciate the stress-relieving escapism. Suggest it to readers looking for Stephen King read-alikes and fans of the Friday the 13th franchise. — YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers Nominee
• “This book is a violent and timely tale with thinly veiled yet compelling subtext that should resonate. It’s a breakneck slasher sequel that doesn’t waste any time getting to the action and suspense.” — Bloody Disgusting
• Clown in a Cornfield is a true-to-form classic horror story, complete with blood and gore, chainsaws and crossbows, and abundant deaths. This is a truly fun piece of escapism for teens who are okay with slasher-flick violence.   — YALSA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults Nominee
• “Clown in a Cornfield delivers everything the title promises–and more. More carnage, more mayhem and a sly social commentary that cuts to the bone. A must-read for horror fans.” — Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of Final Girls
• “Cesare’s cinematic eye means the set-pieces are loud, brash, and dramatic (it’s no surprise that there’s a film adaptation in the works). Given what we are all experiencing now, there’s something wonderfully pleasing, nostalgic, and even therapeutic spending several hours cheering on Quinn – smart and brave — as she takes on […] killer clowns.”  — Locus Magazine
• “With this novel, Cesare is going to create a new generation of life-long horror fans.” — Signal Horizon Magazine
• “This pitch-perfect horror experience can be enjoyed as pure entertainment for its fun retro slasher style, but teen readers will also fully appreciate the sly underlying social commentary.” — Booklist (starred review)

Also don’t miss… INFLUENCER, a teen psychothriller Audible Original. Coming to paperback, expanded and revised, in October 2024! Pre-order now!

Do you know how hard it’s been keeping a whole new novel a secret?!

But I did. Mostly.

Yes Influencer is out right now exclusively on Audible. Click here to listen. You’re either going to need an audible membership, or *I think* you can buy the book ala carte here on Amazon.

As detailed in this announce in Variety, it’s narrated by not one, not two, but three incredible talents: Isabela Merced (the upcoming Fede Alvarez Alien and Superman Legacy),Christopher Briney (The Summer I Turned Pretty), and with a special appearance by audiobook star Brittany Pressley.

But don’t let the multiple, big-name narrators fool you: this isn’t a podcast or an audiodrama or a “sound movie” anything “new media” like that. This is a full-blooded, real-meal, whole-ass novel! It’s got themes and plot and everything! And at nearly 100,000 words It’s actually my longest book?

What’s it about you ask? Well, Audible’s official synopsis gets a little spoilery for my liking so let me just say that it’s about a sociopathic Instagram poet, kind of a teenaged American Psycho, who plays a game of cat-and-mouse with the one girl at his school who sees through his act.

I’m so incredibly proud of this audiobook, produced in conjunction with Temple Hill Entertainment (they of the upcoming Clown in a Cornfield movie fame) and hope that you’ll take the time to sit down and listen to these wonderful performers read the most insane, deranged sequences I’ve ever written.

Which brings us to the warning on the product page: It’s serious! Yes, like Clown in a Cornfield this is a Young Adult novel. But this warning is there for good reason. This is a dark book. No worries if you have to sit it out because of the content.

But for those of you who want to go for it: when you finish, please consider leaving a quick rating and review. It only takes a moment, using Audible’s app or desktop interface and it would help me out so much.

Oh. And because I know it’s going to be a question I hear a lot: yes, this is an Audible Original/Audible Exclusive. There is not a physical or ebook edition at this time. But I’m well aware there are people who either don’t do audiobooks or want to double-dip and have a physical paperback on their shelves. I can’t give you a release date or any details beyond: I got you. Believe me. Sorry you have to wait (maybe even as long as a year) but I’ve got you.

Also: did you see this? Yes. Another beautiful Matt Ryan Tobin cover, designed by Jenna Stempel-Lobell. Clown in a Cornfield 3: The Church of Frendo will be out August 20th, 2024. Which is a long time from now but pre-orders help tell the publisher that the saga of Kettle Springs should continue onto book 4 (which I really want to do but don’t have the greenlight for yet)!

Yes! It’s true! That is the cover (Matt Ryan Tobin’s art and Jenna Stempel-Lobell’s design) for Clown in a Cornfield 3: The Church of Frendo. If you’d like to hear more about the book and a few exclusive tidbits, head over to Bloody Disgusting

It’s out August 20th, 2024. Which sounds like a long ways away, and it kinda is, but pre-orders help communicate to HarperTeen that they should let me write more books, so I very much appreciate anyone who picks up the book early.

You can grab it from amazon, Barnes & Noble, or wherever else you get books.

And if you’re not caught up on the series remember that Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives recently reached paperback. Which you can buy from amazon or signed and personalized from our friends at Children’s Book World.

UPDATE: if you’re in the US you can pre-order signed, personalized copies of Dead Mall from Children’s Book World. While Dead Mall’s certainly not a “childrens” book, CBW is a great bookstore local to me who’ve been kind enough to ship out signed books.

Don’t care about the signature and want a the cheapest option? Order on Amazon here, or ask for it at your local comic shop.

Your eyes are not deceiving you, that’s art by Siren Head creator Trevor Henderson! Recently revealed over at Dread Central, the trade paperback edition of Dead Mall (the comic written by me, with art by David Stoll and letters by Justin Birch) hits comic and bookstore shelves in June 2023, but is available for pre-order right now! If you want to hear David, Trevor, and I talk about the series (and “mall horror” as a subgenre) with DC editor Mary Beth McAndrews: please click over to Dread.

The team and I couldn’t be prouder of this book, I couldn’t be happier with the support we’ve received from Dark Horse (both on an editorial and a promotional level), and we’re so excited to bring you the whole bloody story collected as a graphic novel (which, don’t worry, the trade is going to include some special goodies for everyone who’s already read the miniseries as single issues).

I’ve talked ad nauseam about how important pre-orders are for prose books, and the same goes (maybe even moreso) for comics. So I won’t bore you with why, but please pre-order (amazon, B&N, or through your local comic shop).

Also, unrelated, but big news I’d forgotten to post until right now:

Yes, the deal’s been in place for a while, but a few months ago Deadline officially announced the Clown in a Cornfield movie. Eli Craig (Tucker & Dale vs Evil) is attached to direct from a script by Carter Blanchard. I’m overjoyed, to say the least, and so happy to be working with Temple Hill to be bringing this dream to reality.

But that’s not all that was announced in that article. If you read carefully they spill that… yes, I’m writing Clown in a Cornfield 3. The subtitle and synopsis to that one’s still under-wraps (believe me: it’s good), but it’s a great time to make sure you have the first two books and are caught up on the series:

Behold! That’s the first issue of Dead Mall, a cosmic horror monster comic that hits comic book shops October 26th. The book has covers and interior art by David Stoll, letters by Justin Birch, and is being published by one of the best pubs out there: Dark Horse Comics.

Dead Mall is a 4 issue mini-series about a group of teens who become trapped in an abandoned mall… a mall that wants to eat them. To say any more would spoil the surprise of these 4 issues, but I’ll just say: I’m very very proud of what we’re making here, a book pitched as “Chopping Mall meets The Ruins meets Nightbreed“. If you’re a fan of my work in prose, especially the Clown in a Cornfield books, you will enjoy this comic!

And don’t take my word for it, you can read the first six pages of issue one over at Bloody Disgusting.

Great, right? Single issue sales help comics a lot. So, please, consider driving out to your local comic shop on Wednesday October 26th and picking up the print edition. And while you’re there, please pre-order issues #2-4 or have them added to your “pull list” with the shop. If you don’t *have* a local comic shop, print copies can be ordered through Things From Another World right here.

And, since I know I’m going to get this question: yes, there will be a collected trade paperback edition (in fact, you can already pre-order it on amazon here), but pretty please grab the single issues as they’re released!

I’ve written a few comics (most notably this arc on Dark Crystal), and love the medium. But this is my first creator-owned book, so any and all support in spreading the word is appreciated. Thanks!

Yes, the sequel to the Bram Stoker Award-winning Clown in a Cornfield is now out hardcover, ebook, and audiobook from HarperTeen.

You can order the book through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, or wherever else books are sold. I can’t thank you enough for the support and want to remind you, once you’ve read it: leaving a quick retailer rating or review helps me out so much!

I think it’s bigger, bloodier, and more frightening than the original, but don’t take my word for it, check out these early reviews:

“In this fun, frenetic sequel, Cesare tackles mob mentality and misinformation, and the return of Frendo oozes with old wounds and angry conspiracy-fueled grudges. With the rising body count and nonstop action, the pace will feel familiar to slasher fans as it delivers satisfying fight and death scenes.” — Kirkus

“It’s a breakneck slasher sequel that doesn’t waste any time getting to the action and suspense. Cesare understands slashers—and more importantly, slasher sequels—really well and crafts a strong narrative around the hardened survivors from the first novel. In true slasher sequel style, the body count is higher along with the brutal deaths that hurt. Whereas Clown in a Cornfield was a fun YA slasher, this sequel is a more mature, robust, and thrilling continuation that improves upon its predecessor.” — Bloody Disgusting

And if you haven’t read the original, critically-acclaimed teen slasher, pick up the Clown in a Cornfield paperback.

I’ve been so excited, sitting on this news and this image. That’s Matt Ryan Tobin’s cover for Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives. You can see a bigger version and read the exclusive synopsis over on Bloody Disgusting. Huge thanks to John Squires for premiering these exclusives.

You can pre-order the hardcover on Amazon and Barnes & Noble right now! And if you haven’t read where it all began you can order the paperback of the first book , which includes a special preview chapter for the sequel.

Why should you pre-order Clown in a Cornfield 2? A book that doesn’t release until August 23rd, 2022? Good question! Firstly, because it helps me out: pre-orders tell a publisher (and retailers) there is demand for a book. Which in turn leads to more analytic visibility, bigger orders, and more eyes on the book at every level (in brick-and-mortar stores and online). Secondly, because you’ll probably save money: amazon (and most other retailers, I think), charge you the lowest price offered between when you pre-order and when the book ships. I virtually guarantee between now and release day, the big-A will drop the price a few bucks and you’ll pay less than MSRP. Thirdly: the supply chain issue is a very real thing. And probably still will be in the month’s leading up to Clown 2’s release. So indicating to HarperTeen that you want a copy lets them know to print enough.

Clown in a Cornfield debuted in August 2020, when basically no bookstores in the US were open to foot traffic, when there were stay-at-home orders in place, etc. It shouldn’t have done well. But it was a hit because you beautiful people made it a hit. You asked local stores to order it in and ship a copy to you, you placed pre-orders, you told your friends, you left reviews on retailer sites. It was overwhelming. Over a year later, having received the 2020 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Young Adult Novel, I’m still astounded by everyone’s support.

When I finished writing the first book, I knew I wanted to do a sequel. I even knew the sketchiest of outlines to how I’d approach it. But I never thought in a million years it’d actually happen. It sounds like promo hokum, but I’m 100% serious when I say Frendo Lives is the most creatively satisfied I’ve ever been with a book. To say why would constitute spoilers, but I will say that it deepens and confounds the themes and characters from the first book in a way I’m very proud of, a way that some are probably going to be very surprised by. But if that sounds too self-indulgent for you, don’t worry: I also wanted it to serve as a thank you to everyone who enjoyed Clown in a Cornfield. Heads roll. New characters are introduced. And we go beyond the city limits of Kettle Springs in a big way.

Thank you to everyone who checks it out, helps spread the word, and I hope the next few months move fast because I can’t wait.

Am so unbelievably thrilled and honored to share that Clown in a Cornfield has received the 2020 Bram Stoker Award for “Superior Achievement in Young Adult Novel” at this weekend’s awards ceremony. Huge thanks to the HWA, its administration and voting members, and everyone who’s picked up the book either in hardcover, ebook, or audiobook. And everyone who’s ordered the new, affordable paperback edition.

Since this was an online-only event (it’s usually an actual awards banquet with dressing up, nice food, table centerpieces, etc.), I was asked to record an acceptance speech beforehand that would be played in the event the book won. You can watch the full ceremony here on YouTube, with the YA category being announced around the 34 minute mark.

Upon watching the speech back, I realize I neglected to thank Jesse Vilinsky for narrating the audiobook version. So many readers have had Kettle Springs brought to life through Jesse’s wonderful performance, I’m so grateful to her.

Thanks again to everyone who helped make this dream a reality, I’m feeling very blessed and can’t wait to share what’s next with all of you.

UPDATE: Here’s what’s next! You can pre-order the exciting sequel, Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives, right now in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook.

Update: Unsure how long this will last, but the hardcover of Clown in a Cornfield is currently half off on Amazon.

Huge news! Very honored that Clown in a Cornfield has been nominated for a Bram Stoker Award in the “Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel” category. I can’t thank the voting members/jury of the HWA enough. But also want to extend those thanks to everyone who’s picked up the book, told a friend, requested it at their local library, or reviewed it online. The support this bloody little slasher has received from the horror community is truly humbling. Thank you.

If you haven’t read the book yet, it’s available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook, from Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and wherever else books are sold.

And will you get a load of the other nominees!? A stupendously stacked list this year in all categories. Congratulations to my many friends and colleagues who’ve had their work selected. And further congratulations to some of the spectacular work on the preliminary ballot that could very easily have moved forward. It’s been said elsewhere, but… 2020 wasn’t exactly a great year by most (pretty much all) measurements, but it was a helluva year for horror fiction.

Not to be too self-promotional (or to be exactly the right amount), I’ve talked about/recommended a bunch of this year’s nominees on my YouTube channel, which updates weekly (usually on Saturdays). And plan to talk about a bunch more books in the near future. Please go check out the channel by clicking one of the thumbnails below or click here to subscribe so you never miss a video.

Over the last weeks and months I’ve been getting a lot of “what’s next?” messages. And while I can’t announce anything now, know that I’m working hard on book(s). At the same time, I’ve been asked to contribute short stories to some cool magazines/anthologies. One of those is Centralia, a shared universe anthology with Brian Keene (The Rising), Cullen Bunn (Harrow County), Heath Amodio, Michael Patrick Hicks, and Brian Quinn (Impractical Jokers). That’s in paperback on amazon and Bookshop, and in ebook on amazon.

Another is Beyond the Book of Eibon. Which is a Lucio Fulci tribute anthology with a number of amazing authors on the table of contents and a cover by internet phenom Trevor Henderson. There was a Kickstarter campaign for this one that’s already over/met its goal, but the publisher still has some (extremely limited) copies for pre-order here. It’s a shame that this will be such a limited print run, because I’m particularly proud of my story in here. Hopefully I’ll be able to have it reprinted somewhere more accessible in the future.

So that’s all for announcements and housekeeping, I guess. Will have some news about my next book *very soon* but in the meantime, if you’ve read Clown in a Cornfield and are anxious for a new novel, have you tried checking out my backlist? All available in paperback and ebook, with most available as audiobooks as well.

Clown in a Cornfield is OUT NOW in Hardcover, ebook, and audiobook. Buy it now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, or Books-A-Million. Or keep reading to be convinced.

Whoa! Heck of a line-up. The above advanced praise for Clown in a Cornfield debuted as part of an article on Bloody Disgusting detailing the book and upcoming film adaptation. Each of these authors (and Mr. Clive Barker on the front cover), has had an enormous influence on me and I am overwhelmed and grateful for their kindness.

Bloody Disgusting isn’t the only media outlet that’s been good to the book (though they were doubly good, Meagan Navarro put Clown on this summer reading list). The book has received a *starred* review from Library Journal. Thanks so much to critic Becky Spratford, unerring champion of horror in libraries, for that review, and for inviting me to write a short piece for LJ’s July issue.

Not only that but the book received a *second* starred review from Booklist that said: “This pitch-perfect horror experience can be enjoyed as pure entertainment for its fun retro slasher style, but teen readers will also fully appreciate the sly underlying social commentary.”

And Kirkus says: “Cesare’s twisty prose and believable, easy-to-root-for characters makes this blood-drenched tale of extreme societal unrest disturbingly plausible. Dark humor peppers this clever homage to retro-horror classics, and Cesare barely lets up on the gas once the bloodletting begins.”

Wow! I thought slasher fans would enjoy but I’m blown away that *critics* like the book! As I’ve said in previous posts, but really can’t be overstated: sales help me out so much. The book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, through your local indie bookstore using Indiebound, and on Bookshop, where indie bookstores get a percentage of your order.

But not all the big news I’ve had recently involves midwestern murder clowns. I’ve got two great announcements that involve another world and another time:

YES! Recently detailed in this article on io9, I’ve written the words to The Dark Crystal Bestiary: The Definitive Guide to the Creatures of Thra, an upcoming (October) hardcover art book.

Illustrator Iris Compiet sketched and painted over a thousand individual pieces during production of this book and there are *hundreds* of them in these pages. Her work is truly mesmerizing, as you can see in these preview pages.

There are even a few creatures that have never before been glimpsed in either the classic film or TV show, and Iris consulted with the legendary Brian and Wendy Froud (who wrote the foreword) to make sure the look was as “legit” as possible.

I’m so proud to be part of this and thank The Jim Henson Company and publisher Insight Editions for trusting me to be a member of this creative team. Pre-orders are on Amazon, Bookshop, and wherever else you buy books.

But the Bestiary isn’t my first visit to Thra.

No, the 4-issue arc of the BOOM! Studios/Archaia comic I scripted (from a story by Netflix showrunners Jeffrey Addis and Will Matthews), with art by the amazing French Carlomagno, is being collected up into one beautiful hardcover edition.

The Ballad of Hup & Barfinnious tells the complete origin story of the fan-favorite podling paladin Hup. This action-packed story is one part road movie, one part con artist yarn, one part comedy, one part earnest examination of heroism, and ALL PARTS Dark Crystal. You can pre-order it on Amazon, Bookshop, directly from the publisher, or call your local comic shop and ask them to hold you a copy.

Outside of some mildly frightening imagery, the Bestiary and the Ballad of Hup & Barfinnious are 110% totally cool for younger readers.

Clown in a Cornfield is a Young Adult novel but, uh, maybe don’t give it to your 10-year-old. Best to aim teenagers and higher with that one, I don’t need the angry letters.