With the coronavirus outbreak wreaking havoc in the convention industry, given how impossible it is to enforce social distancing guidelines in a hall packed to capacity, it’s disappointing but no surprise that the Connecticut-based CT Horrorfest, which was scheduled for this September, has announced its cancellation, with a replacement date of September 18, 2021. I call that a smart move; it’s good to know the CTH folks are thinking of the health of their vendors, their guests, and the horror fan community.

However, this shutdown means my…well, I’m not sure you could call it a “convention schedule,” since my 2020 appearances consisted of CTH and Pow Con, back in January, but okay, let’s a call it “convention schedule.” Anyway, it means I won’t be showing up at any other cons this year—although, honestly, attending one in 2020 doesn’t make a lot of sense, since conventions are already notorious for spreading what’s become known as “con crud”: cold and flu germs spread by people who insist on foisting their poor health on everyone else instead of staying home when they’re sick. I’ve suffered from it on occasion; maybe you have, too. So why take the risk of picking up something even worse?

Well, you might not be able to enjoy the StarWarp Concepts Experience at CT Horrorfest this year, but you can still have the convention experience by buying yourself one (or all!) of the awesome books available from Pan’s publisher. From the dark urban fantasy adventures of The Saga of Pandora Zwieback and Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase to Illustrated Classics like Carmilla and King Kong, and from the graphic novel terrors of Lorelei: Sects and the City to the Brothers Grimm’s dark fairy tale Snow White, StarWarp Concepts has a lot to offer horror fans!

Stay safe, stay well, and I’ll hopefully see you next year!