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Published by Shortwave
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
Table of Contents
About The Book
"A debut that shocks and delights... Creepy and fun, struck through with true genre savvy." – Adam Cesare, author of Clown in a Cornfield and Influencer
"Like John Carpenter had a bug baby with Guillermo del Toro." – Josh Winning, author of Heads Will Roll
Ash is stranded at a rural horror film festival about a giant killer cicada and can't decide what's worse: the movie or her idiot boyfriend. That is, until she realizes she's starring in the bloody film's sequel when people start dying and the locals won't let them leave.
Cicada is the fourth book in the Killer VHS Series, hailed as "the modern-day Goosebumps for Adults" by Horror Obsessive. Killer VHS Series titles are standalone stories featuring found footage elemnets and nostalgic vibes for horror's '80s and '90s glory days.
"Like John Carpenter had a bug baby with Guillermo del Toro." – Josh Winning, author of Heads Will Roll
Ash is stranded at a rural horror film festival about a giant killer cicada and can't decide what's worse: the movie or her idiot boyfriend. That is, until she realizes she's starring in the bloody film's sequel when people start dying and the locals won't let them leave.
Cicada is the fourth book in the Killer VHS Series, hailed as "the modern-day Goosebumps for Adults" by Horror Obsessive. Killer VHS Series titles are standalone stories featuring found footage elemnets and nostalgic vibes for horror's '80s and '90s glory days.
About The Author
Tanya Pell is a narcoleptic horror author who drinks bougie coffee and lives in the American South. She is the Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of Her Wicked Roots, Cicada, and several short stories featured in anthologies like Mother Knows Best and Obsolescence.
Product Details
- Publisher: Shortwave (September 15, 2026)
- Length: 192 pages
- ISBN13: 9798897321070
Raves and Reviews
"Seething with a feminine rage that builds to a deafening roar, Tanya Pell’s CICADA terrifies with reinvigorated small town horror tropes while delivering that wonderfully familiar VHS horror flick camp. A real bitch of a novella."
– Rae Wilde, author of I Do Not Apologize for My Position on Men
"Got under my skin to tickle and terrify in equal measure. Tanya Pell’s wickedly creepy—and funny!— debut reads like John Carpenter had a bug baby with Guillermo del Toro. If you love small-town creature features and found-footage flicks, you’re in for one heck of a treat. Just be sure to wear bug spray while reading."
– Josh Winning, author of Heads Will Roll
"You ever hear of this movie? You’ll love it. No, don’t ask me where I got the tape. Tanya Pell’s CICADA feels like that, a debut that shocks and delights, a found-footage gem to be handed around the friend group, each play making the scanlines a little fuzzier, each rewind to relish in that gnarly kill making the book’s monsters a little more real. Creepy and fun, struck through with true genre savvy."
– Adam Cesare, author of Clown in a Cornfield and Influencer
Resources and Downloads
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Book Cover Image (jpg): Cicada
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Author Photo (jpg): Tanya Pell
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