For most of my life, I’ve been the kind of reader who skims the back of a horror novel, thinks its premise sounds fascinating, but ultimately chickens out before cracking it open. Growing up as a sensitive kid with a vivid imagination and a severe case of evangelical rapture anxiety, I wasn’t exactly a prime candidate to become a horror convert in adulthood. But after hearing enough bookish people rave about horror’s ability to explore real-life fears from the safe distance of fiction, I’ve recently been dipping my toes into the genre.

Whether you’re a horror-curious reader like me or a seasoned fan, the new collection Red Line: Chicago Horror Stories serves up a smorgasbord of styles, themes, and perspectives that will satisfy a range of tastes. Edited by Michael W. Phillips Jr., these

See Full Page