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.
Author
Larry Hinkle is the least famous writer you’ve never heard of. A copywriter living with his wife and two doggos in Rockville, Maryland, 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. "The Eris Ridge Trail," his new cosmic horror road trip novella (with dogs!) was released in March 2025, while his debut collection, “The Space Between,” came out in February 2024. His work has also appeared in "October Screams: A Halloween Anthology," "The Rack: Stories Inspired by Vintage Horror Paperbacks," and The NoSleep Podcast, among others. He's an active member of the HWA (his short stories made the preliminary Stoker ballot in 2020 and 2022); a graduate of Fright Club and Crystal Lake’s Author’s Journey program; an HWA mentee; and a survivor of the Borderlands Writers Bootcamp.
