Ruadán Books to Publish Haunting Tales of Lost and Dead Media in The Black Tapes

Ruadán Books is pleased to announce that it will publish The Black Tapes: Haunting Tales of Lost and Dead Media, edited by Nick Mamatas and Libby Cudmore.

BOSTON, MA, UNITED STATES, December 12, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Ruadán Books is pleased to announce that it has signed a nice deal with Nick Mamatas and Libby Cudmore, via Michael Curry of Donald Maass Literary Agency, to publish The Black Tapes: Haunting Tales of Lost and Dead Media, an anthology of dark fiction inspired by lost media, scheduled for the Summer of 2027.

Nick Mamatas previously edited 120 Murders: Dark Fiction Inspired by the Alternative Era, published by Ruadán in 2025, with its star-studded lineup of talent writing noir-tinged tales flirting with alternative songs and falling into genres from crime fiction to horror. Now Nick has teamed up with Libby Cudmore, the novelist (Negative Girl) and anthologist (Lawyers, Guns & Money) to bring the secrets of old media to light.

“I grew up around dead media,” Nick says. “My grandparents had old 78s of Greek music. I worked through college setting up slide projectors and transferring reel-to-reel tapes to VHS. And lost media, oh boy. I was one of the lucky few who got to see the rediscovered Dawley/Edison Frankenstein in a refurbished movie palace, after being haunted by the single frame of the creature in my film studies textbook for more than a decade. What else might be out there? When Libby approached me with this wonderful idea, I had to say yes. I want to find out!”

“The Timothy Treadwell tapes. London After Midnight. Like ghosts, we are haunted by what we know is out there, but cannot access,” Libby adds. “What secrets—or curses—do they hold? This anthology, packed with stories from the best writers working today, explores burned film stock, erased hard drives, warped vinyl, and tangles of tape...and what might be best left in the past. We're so excited to work with Ruadán in bringing life to these tales of dead and lost media."

Ruadán Books CEO R.B. Wood comments, “After the success of 120 Murders and the enjoyable working relationship Ruadán has had with Nick Mamatas, it was only logical that we would engage once again for a new anthology—and with the involvement of the brilliant Libby Cudmore, author of Negative Girl and The Big Rewind, as co-editor and idea originator, we are really looking forward to bringing this anthology to the public!”


About Ruadán Books
Ruadán Books, founded in 2024 to publish unique stories from underappreciated talent, is bringing readers character-driven storytelling in dark speculative fiction, including dark fantasy, horror, thrillers, and crime fiction.

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About Libby Cudmore
Libby Cudmore is the author of novels The Big Rewind and Negative Girl, as well as short fiction published in 120 Murders: Dark Fiction Inspired by the Alternative Era, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Bowery Gothic, and Eleventh Hour Literary, among others. She co-edited the Anthony Award-nominated Lawyers Guns & Money: Crime Fiction Inspired By The Songs of Warren Zevon with Art Taylor. Libby is an alumni of the Barrelhouse Writer's Camp, the recipient of the Eleventh Hour Inaugural Literary Prize, the Shamus Award, and the Black Orchid Novella Prize, among other honors. She lives in Upstate NY with her husband and two cats.

About Nick Mamatas
Nick Mamatas is the author of several novels, including the instant cult classic Move Under Ground and the posthuman riff on Shakespeare: Kalivas! Or, Another Tempest. His short fiction has appeared in McSweeney's, Best American Mystery Stories, Tor.com, and many other venues. He also co-edited the award-winning Haunted Legends (with Ellen Datlow) and the acclaimed The Future is Japanese (with Masumi Washington). Nick's fiction and editorial work has been nominated for the Hugo, World Fantasy, Locus, and Bram Stoker Awards. He previously edited 120 Murders: Dark Fiction Inspired by the Alternative Era for Ruadán Books.

Deborah Brannon
Ruadán Books
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