There is always something special about a story that blends the holly jolliness of Christmas and the terrors of a horror story. Michael R. Goodwin is no stranger to that with his stories The Ritual and its sequel The Ritual II: Krampusnacht, but now he returns to the horrors of the holidays with The Candlemaker and It’ll Grow on You. Two quick tales to terrify you during the festive season.
The Candlemaker
While I am not typically someone who actively seeks out stories based in the 1800s, when said story is only 13 pages long and based around the holidays it’s worth cozy up with. Michael R. Goodwin creeps us the hell out with The Candlemaker just in time for the Christmas season.
It is three weeks before Christmas, 1847. A candlemaker, buried under orders he has yet to fulfill, resorts to alternative methods to get his work done on time.
I am not sure how I didn’t see the twist in The Candlemaker from the outset, but glad I didn’t. Goodwin crafts a story where a hardworking craftsman is just trying to keep up with orders and dwindling supplies to fulfill said orders. The holidays are stressful for most of us with decorating, family, buy gifts, and more, but it can be even harder for those trying to make a living during this busy season.
It takes talent to deliver a horrifying holiday tale in only a few short pages, but Goodwin does this with easy. There is a sense of unease from the first sentence until the final paragraph. The story is just long enough for the unsettling horrors to creep under your skin and creep you the hell out. Sometimes I feel good short stories could be longer and I would enjoy them more, but what Goodwin does here is just perfect.
The Candlemaker is an unsettling holiday horror with a dread-filled twist that had me giddy with terror. Michael R. Goodwin knows his way around a Christmas horror story told in only a few pages, this one is no different. The Candlemaker might be his best yet.
The Candlemaker drops November 24, 2026.
NOTE: We received an advance copy of The Candlemaker from the author. Opinions are our own.
It’ll Grow on You
Santa is a big part of the holly jolly part of Christmas, but being a mall Santa honestly seems like hell. Michael R. Goodwin inches the horrible part of being a mall Santa further towards the horrifying with It’ll Grow on You, one of his two new holiday horror stories.
Needing extra cash for the holidays, Ethan suits up for a job he never thought he’d have. Hired on the spot, he didn’t stop to think if his new side hustle was too good to be true… until it was far too late.
Sitting in the middle of a mall and allowing little snot-nosed children sit on your lap all day seems like torcher in its own right and putting on a suit that may or may not have been cleaned from the previous sweaty fat dude to wear it before you doesn’t sound any better. What if there was more to this suit than meets the eye, and not in the best way.
It’ll Grow on You has a really uncomfortable vibe to it over the 16 pages where even I felt a bit dirty and gross after reading. Ethan’s need for a few extra dollars outweighs any apprehensions to wearing a dirty old suit and allowing children to sit on your lap. Even an itchy suit won’t deter him from doing the job.
It’ll Grow on You feels like a love letter to holiday horrors feature a mall Santa, but even more twisted than expected. Michael R. Goodwin brings an unsettling vibe to this frightening tale that makes you just as uncomfortable as the person in the itchy old Santa suit.
It’ll Grow on You drops November 24, 2026.
