Strange things are afoot on the Eris Ridge Trail.
The barriers between worlds are breaking down.
People, planes, an entire military base—all have gone missing, transported to an ever-changing cosmic kaleidoscope where they’re hunted, haunted, recruited, and cursed, trapped in time and terrorized by forces they can’t comprehend.
A man afraid of flying boards a never-ending flight. An online paranormal show’s investigation takes a bloody detour. A woman on the run is recruited by a mysterious corporation with nefarious plans. An army guard fights for his life when the military opens a doorway they can’t close.
In An Hour Before Dark, Larry Hinkle returns to the Trail with ten interconnected tales that deepen the mystery while expanding the mythos.
Watch your step on the Trail. It will be dark soon.
About the author:
Larry Hinkle is still probably the least famous writer you’ve never heard of. A copywriter living with his wife and two doggos somewhere in America, when he’s not writing stories that scare people into peeing their pants, he writes ads that scare people into buying adult diapers, so they’re not caught peeing their pants.
His newest collection, An Hour Before Dark, comes out in February, 2026. His cosmic horror novella, The Eris Ridge Trail, was released to great reviews in March 2025, while his debut collection, The Space Between, was published in February 2024. His short stories made the preliminary ballot for the Bram Stoker Awards (horror’s highest honor) in 2020 and 2022. His stories have also appeared in The Rack: Stories Inspired by Vintage Horror Paperbacks; The Rack II: More Stories Inspired by Vintage Horror Paperbacks; October Screams: A Halloween Anthology; and multiple times on The NoSleep Podcast, among others.
He’s an active member of the HWA; a graduate of Fright Club and Crystal Lake’s Author’s Journey short story and novella programs; an HWA mentee; and a survivor of the Borderlands Writers Bootcamp.
Richard Schiver 
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