Eric LaRocca

Hey there, dark souls. I'm Eric LaRocca, and I write the kind of stories that make people nervously check their DMs to ask if I'm... okay. (I am. Mostly.)

Let me tell you something: I never set out to become that horror writer who makes readers question their own humanity while simultaneously being unable to look away. But here we are. My brain has always been wired a bit differently – I've been fascinated by the darker corners of human nature since I was young, much to my family's occasional concern. Growing up in Connecticut, I was that kid who preferred Poe to playground games and found beauty in the things that made others uncomfortable.

Writing started as my way of processing the world's darkness, but it quickly became something more. My stories live in that delicious gray area between horror and literary fiction, where beautiful prose meets psychological devastation. (Yes, I absolutely do get a tiny thrill when readers tell me they had to put my book down to take an emotional breather.)

If you've read "Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke," you know I don't shy away from the uncomfortable. That novella took on a life of its own online, sparking conversations I never expected and reaching readers who normally wouldn't touch horror with a ten-foot pole. It's weird and wonderful watching something you created become its own entity in the world – kind of like raising a particularly disturbing child and watching it flourish.

My latest collection, "The Trees Grew Because I Bled There," is probably my most personal work yet. Each story is a little piece of my soul wrapped in barbed wire and tied with a pretty bow. The stories range from body horror to psychological terror, but they all share one thing: they're meant to get under your skin and stay there. (Fair warning: some readers have reported actual nightmares. I take that as a compliment.)

When I'm not writing stories that make my therapist raise an eyebrow, I'm probably reading obsessively, watching arthouse horror films, or hanging out with my cat who, thankfully, doesn't judge my writing choices. I believe horror is one of the most honest genres we have – it's where we can explore the truths we're too afraid to face in daylight.

My writing process? Imagine taking all the polite social filters off and letting your darkest thoughts run wild on the page. That's pretty much it. I write the stories that scare me, that challenge me, that make me uncomfortable. Because if they don't affect me while I'm writing them, how can I expect them to affect you?

What can you expect from my work? Beautiful prose that lures you in, characters who will haunt you long after you finish reading, and themes that will make you question everything you thought you knew about yourself. I don't write traditional horror with jump scares and monsters under the bed (though there might be something worse in your inbox). Instead, I write about the horrors of being human – the choices we make, the ways we hurt each other, and the beautiful darkness that lives inside us all.

If you're looking for cozy reads with happy endings, I'm probably not your guy. But if you want stories that will challenge you, change you, and maybe keep you up at night questioning your own morality? Pull up a chair. We're going to have fun.

You can find me on Twitter or Instagram where I occasionally share writing updates, book recommendations, and thoughts that probably shouldn't see the light of day. And yes, I do read all my messages – even the ones from readers telling me I've ruined their day in the best possible way.

Welcome to my world. It's dark here, but I promise the view is worth it.

(P.S. Yes, those DMs asking if I'm okay? Still coming in. Still mostly okay.)