When We Talk to the Dead

Praise for When We Talk to the Dead: “Chorao’s novel feels almost like a cave painting of a story, full of symbolism … A slow-burning feast of adolescent confusion with the weight of trauma … [For] fans of Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare and This Wretched Valley by Jenny Kiefer.”—Library Journal“[A] startling debut … Perfect reading for Halloween or anytime you want to feel terrified.”—SFRevu“While there’s no doubt When We Talk to the Dead is a horror novel, it’s also deeply (and mindfully) psychological, as if Ian Chorao has rendered both the narrator and reader part of a brilliant therapy session. The malevolence is met by the rich characters within, yes, but by Chorao himself, too, as his mastery as a writer (and thinker) is on full display. Highly recommended.”–Josh Malerman, New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box and Incidents Around the House“You said there was something off about this place,” one of Ian Chorao’s characters says to another, and they’re right. You’d think a group of hipster undergrads returning to one’s long-abandoned house on a cursed island would know better than to mess with a Ouija board and shoot horror shorts for their social, but no. When We Talk to the Dead is a fun, old-school dark ride. “So we’re totally lost?” Yes, yes we are.”—Stewart O’Nan, bestselling author of The Speed Queen and The Night Country“The dread lingers long after the final page. You won’t be booking any island getaways after this atmospheric slow-burn that puts horror and grief on equal footing.”—Neena Viel, author of Listen to your Sister

Ian Chor is a writer and psychotherapist in private practice in Brooklyn, New York. He lives with his wife, who is a filmmaker and professor; they have two children. Like his main character he appreciates that the space between feeling and creation, reality and imagination is often ambiguous at best. This is his first book of horror.