Mark Zirbel profile picture

Mark Zirbel

I am here for Friends and Networking

About Me

I write dark fiction that ranges from hard-boiled realism to dream-landscaped surrealism. Much of my work combines elements of horror with a twisted sense of humor, such as my story "Bags," which was published in the anthology DEATHGRIP: EXIT LAUGHING (Hellbound Books) and received an Honorable Mention in the 2007 edition of THE YEAR'S BEST FANTASY AND HORROR (St. Martin's Press).
Other anthologies and magazines featuring my stories include DEAD BAIT, CTHULHU UNBOUND VOLUME 2, BOOK OF SHADOWS VOLUME 1, CHIMERAWORLD 4, BLACK BOX, MORPHEUS TALES #4, BARE BONE #10, and REDSINE #9.
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My Interests

I'd like to meet:

Fellow dark fiction authors, editors, and publishers, as well as fans of dark/horror-related movies, books, artwork, comics, you name it.

My Blog

News Release: Mark Zirbel Signs On with Lovecraft Press

From LovecraftPress.com:Lovecraft Press is proud to welcome Mark Zirbel to the family. We will be releasing Love, Sex and Other Horrors in April 2010.LOVE... A man enters his ex-girlfriend's basem...
Posted by on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:52:00 GMT

Two New Reviews for DEAD BAIT

DEAD BAIT, the new horror anthology from Severed Press, has been getting some good press  as has my entry in the book, Something Fishy Is Going On. FANGORIA gave the book 2 ½  skulls (out of 4), ca...
Posted by on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:31:00 GMT

FANGORIA Praises "Santiago Contra El Culto Cthulhu"

FANGORIA has posted a review of CTHULHU UNBOUND: VOLUME 2, including some kind words for my story in the anthology. According to FANGORIA:The most entertaining story in the second volume is Santiago...
Posted by on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:31:00 GMT

"The Bug Woman" Takes Third Place at Killercon

My story The Bug Woman received Third Place honors in the Erotic Horror Flash Fiction Contest, held on Saturday, September 19, at Killercon 2009 in Las Vegas. Stories needed to be scary, sexy, and l...
Posted by on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:35:00 GMT

Now Available: DOUBLE MAIM EVENT: TWO TALES OF MAT-SLAMMING HORROR

I've been a longtime fan of both horror and professional wrestling. In 2004, I wrote a story that combined the two, called "Red Equals Green." This nasty bit of horror noir was set in the seedy world ...
Posted by on Sat, 18 Oct 2008 04:21:00 GMT

Check out my story in MORPHEUS TALES #4

Issue #4 of MORPHEUS TALES, a horror digest published out of England, is now available. This issue features my story "Under the Placenta Tree," along with an interview with Bram Stoker-award-winn...
Posted by on Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:24:00 GMT

The Contents of the BOX Have Been Revealed!!

Whats inside the BOX? "A Special Trick" from yours truly!BLACK BOX, the sequel to the critically-acclaimed e-anthology SHADOW BOX, includes my story "A Special Trick," as well as flash fiction from 8...
Posted by on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 01:58:00 GMT

"Bags" Receives Honorable Mention in THE YEAR'S BEST FANTASY AND HORROR

The 2007 edition of The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror is now available at bookstores everywhere. Ever since I was first published back in 2000, I've been checking each edition of this comprehensive b...
Posted by on Mon, 15 Oct 2007 18:06:00 GMT

"Roadkill Angel" Takes Second Place Honors at World Horror

I'm happy to announce that my story "Roadkill Angel" won second place in the annual Twilight Tales Flash Fiction Contest, which took place March 31 at the World Horror Convention in Toronto.Contestant...
Posted by on Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:15:00 GMT

BARE BONE 10 Is Now Available: Check Out This Amazing Lineup!

Bare Bone 10 is now available, including stories and poetry by Tom Piccirilli, Charlee Jacob, Jeremy Robert Johnson, Ronald Damien Malfi, D. Harlan Wilson, and many other great writers. Check out the ...
Posted by on Thu, 26 Apr 2007 09:05:00 GMT