The psychologically rich post-apocalyptic horror story Them was initially released in monthly 10,000-word instalments to readers of author W.H. Chizmar’s Patreon page before being published by Lividian Publications in 2024, complete with an afterword by Josh Malerman. Now, it receives a new and expanded release through Gallery Books, featuring revisions and refinements from Chizmar.
A landmark entry into the dystopian canon that blurs the line between monster and victim, the novel blends creature-feature thrills with deeper themes of fear, difference, loneliness and our need for connection.
When a top-secret government experiment brings a living, otherworldly entity to Earth, a catastrophic highway accident unleashes the unstoppable nightmare upon the New England countryside. Years after the sudden collapse of human civilization, a scarred survivor journeys through the eerie, monster-infested ruins of the East Coast in search of other remnants of humanity. Navigating a brutal new natural order, he must fight to preserve his own fading sanity and pray that any survivors he encounters haven’t become monsters themselves.
To celebrate the release, CinemaChords sat down with Chizmar to discuss the evolution of Them, from its Patreon origins to its new incarnation, the science behind its creatures, and the challenges of creating a post-apocalyptic world that leaves plenty of room for mystery.
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