William J. Donahue

horror novelist. kitten foster. aries.

Stories about monsters, the otherworldly, and humans behaving badly

William J. Donahue, author of the novels FIND YOUR WAY BACK TO ME, ONLY MONSTERS REMAIN, CRAWL ON YOUR BELLY ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR LIFE, and BURN BEAUTIFUL SOUL.

  • Bodies, Bodies, Bodies

    Bodies, Bodies, Bodies

    Much of the book-publishing world still remains a mystery to me, even though I’ve been in it (or on the fringes of it) for so…

  • Killing Time

    Killing Time

    Many thanks to Ginger Nuts of Horror’s Jim Mcleod, who recently ran a feature called “Confronting the Unseen Horror of Aging” about my lifelong fascination…

  • Find Your Way Back to Jim Thorpe

    Find Your Way Back to Jim Thorpe

    As I write this, shortly before dusk on Halloween 2025, my new novel FIND YOUR WAY BACK TO ME has been out in the world…

  • Into the Void

    Into the Void

    October 9 to 11: I’ll be at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, for VoidCon, the third annual conference of the Existential Horror Society. Horror panels,…

  • Slay Ride

    Slay Ride

    I am thrilled to be participating in a fang-tastic event on Saturday, September 13. Two other authors–Gwendolyn Kiste and A.C. Wise–and I will be reading…

  • Cover Reveal

    Cover Reveal

    Last year was a tough one for me, personally and professionally — including my publishing output. So far, though, 2025 is shaping up. On October…

Where Terror Meets Tenderness

I’m a horror writer and editor, kitten foster, vegetarian, and Aries. My published works include the novels FIND YOUR WAY BACK TO ME, ONLY MONSTERS REMAIN, BURN BEAUTIFUL SOUL, and CRAWL ON YOUR BELLY ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR LIFE. My favorite stories involve the challenges of connecting with other humans, including love stories that end badly. Born and raised in Philadelphia, I now live in a small but well-guarded fortress in Pennsylvania, somewhere on the map between Philly and Bethlehem.

Photo by Alison Dunlap

Read more: A Library Unlike Any Other

★★★★★

“Donahue at his best plumbs the souls of his characters. In this tale of a crushing apocalypse undreamed of by man, beast, or Bibliomancy, he redefines humanity as well as the nature of monsters.”

ef deal, author of esprit de corpse

★★★★★

“Masterfully crafted cosmic horror, vivid and visceral, with dynamic characters driving the story to its epic conclusion … Donahue is quickly forging his place among the likes of John Langan, Laird Barron, and Thomas Ligotti.”

Candace Nola, author of bishop and creator of uncomfortably dark

★★★★★

“[ONLY MONSTERS REMAIN] is a novel that deftly walks the line between cynicism and hope, with a balanced blend of cinematic set-pieces and quiet introspection, outlandish characters and attention to the smallest detail.”

grant price, author of pacific state and reality testing

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