The 2022 Cosmic Horror Holiday Gift Guide
Welcome, friends. We gather together once again, having circled the burning orb another year and finding ourselves back in the same place whence we last marked this moment. The same dark scar, the same gloom-ridden spot, the same soiled stain where we as a species have been eternally doomed: Black Friday. The dimmest of western holidays. Yet even in this shadowed place burns a light of deliverance. All is not lost. I’m delighted to introduce my ninth annual List of Lists for 2022. As with previous years, you’ll find a plethora of paraphernalia for the weird-fiction fanatic, cosmic-horror connoisseur, or mythos maniac in your life. I’ve worked to assemble a list of exceptional items for all ages and budgets. I hope you enjoy it.
The Annual Notes: All book links point to IndieBound where possible. Please do what you can to support your locals. They can get you anything the big box stores can, and it’ll help out your community, and you’ll meet cool people. Author links go to their web pages and blogs and sometimes Wikipedia. I try to avoid Amazon links, but occasionally I’ll need to link there, and I will let you know if I do—I avoid affiliate links. If you see one, let me know, and I’ll fix it. I spend 40+ hours putting this together, and it’s common for me to share my creations alongside things I find. If you want to support me, buy something of mine. If not, that’s okay too. While I’ve ordered these by price, all prices and availability are subject to change. Shipping and stock are out of my control. I’m just sharing cool stuff made by the community.
Happy shopping!
❄️ QUICK LINKS ❄️
• Books • Music • Apparel • Games •
• Housewares • Miskatonic •

❄️ Books ❄️
The Tindalos Asset by Caitlin R. Kiernan
$14.99 + Shipping (Paperback) $9.99 (eBook)
The third in Kiernan’s Tinfoil Dossier series of novellas reunites the reader with The Signalman. While he and a former Dreamland agent begin to explore horrors rooted in Frank Belknap Long’s seminal Hounds of Tindalous, Kiernan takes use to much weirder and wilder places.
Chills by Mary Sangiovanni
$15.00 + Shipping (Paperback) $1.99 (eBook)
If you’re looking for an icy tale of cultic horror this winter, you can’t go wrong with Sangiovanni’s 2016 novel Chills. Dead bodies marked with strange symbols appear in the small isolated community of Colby. With a winter storm bearing down, Detective Jack Glazier and pals must find the reason behind the murders before it’s too late.
Jawbone by Mónica Ojeda
$16.95 + Shipping (Paperback) $8.98 (eBook)
Leaning into the weird in weird fiction, with a heavy dose of transgressive literature, Jawbone is a multifaceted story following the lives of two twins, both seeking extremes, their school-mates, and a teacher slowly losing her grip on reality. This novel won’t be for everyone, but it is a simmering psychological horror that will give back to those willing to put in the time.
Gleam Upon the Waves by K. M. Alexander
$16.99 + Shipping (Paperback) $5.99 (eBook)
The fourth book in my Lovecraftian urban fantasy series The Bell Forging Cycle arrived last year. Caravan Master Waldo Bell finds himself outward bound on an enormous floating casino en route to the canals of Empress, the mysterious capital of the hermit-nation Victory. There Wal will discover darkness runs deeper than he ever thought possible; reality is not what it seems, and a new apocalypse is closer than anyone predicted.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
$17.00 + Shipping (Paperback) $13.99 (eBook)
Set in Mexico after the Mexican Revolution, this novel follows Noemí Taboada as she seeks to help her recently married cousin Catalina in the forboding High Place—a creepy English-Manor in Mexico occupied by a strange sort. The plot quickly moves from mystery to thriller and, ultimately, horror blending aspects of gothic and cosmic in a delicious and unsettling way.
A Black and Endless Sky by Matthew Lyons
$19.99 + Shipping (Paperback) $10.49 (eBook)
Jonah and Nell, brother and sister, embark on a road trip across the American Southwest back to their hometown of Alberqueue, New Mexico. But along the way, unsettling events befall the siblings, and disturbing visions plague Nell. As an impending sense of doom begins to distort their reality, a strange figure pursues them, and they know more about Nell’s condition than they’ll let on.
The Night Before Christmas by Jason Ciaramella
$19.99 + Shipping (Board Book)
The minds behind C is for Cthulhu, and the recently released Counting, Colors & Cthulhu, retells the story within Clement Clarke Moore’s classic poem “Night Before Christmas” but adds a Lovecraftian twist. It’s cute, delightful, and perfect for any young cosmic-horror fan. (And yes, there are plushies.)
West of Innsmouth by Hideyuki Kikuchi
$20.00 + Shipping (Paperback) $10.99 (eBook)
From the mind behind Vampire Hunter D comes a tale of the old west with a distinctively cosmic-horror twist. Shooter, a bounty hunter, pursues the “Dreams Made Flesh,” four outlaw gunslingers born from the fleeting thoughts of Cthulhu through the badlands of Kansas and, ultimately, history itself.
The Hollow Kind by Andy Davidson
$28.00 + Shipping (Hardcover) $14.99 (eBook)
In recent years, Davidson has become a favorite writer of mine, and his latest novel has been a standout this year. When a Nellie is willed a thousand-acre turpentine estate owned by her great-grandfather, she packs up her car and son and flees an abusive marriage. But things at Redfern Hill aren’t any better, and she discovers a monstrous evil lurking in the dark recesses of her family history. Phenomenal.
Out of Space and Time by Clark Ashton Smith
$4,000 + Shipping (One Copy Available—Sold via AbeBooks)
A rare first-edition 1942 hardcover of what Clark Ashton Smith considered some of his best work can be yours! Own a piece of cosmic-horror history, Arkham House only printed 1054 copies, making this collection of short stories extremely rare (and quite expensive).
No book catches your interest? Check out the books featured in one of the previous guides.
• 2014 Books • 2015 Books • 2016 Books • 2017 Books •
• 2018 Books • 2019 Books • 2020 Books • 2021 Books •

❄️ Music & Audio ❄️
Lovecraft Investigations by BBC Radio 4
Free (Digital Download/Streaming)
Presented as a Serial-like production following a team of investigators delving into a mystery. It starts with the strange case of one Charles Dexter Ward but quickly spins into a larger conspiracy. Well-acted and incredibly produced, this series, written by Julian Simpson as part of his “Pleasent Green” universe, takes the original Lovecraft tales into new and compelling places while maintaining their cosmic horror character. Loads of fun and free!
At the Mountains of Madness by Cosmic Nightmares
$4.00 USD (Digital Download)
If you love horror—especially horror movies—you’re familiar with synth and the synth-wave sound. It’s the music of classic 80s horror, led primarily by composer (and filmmaker) John Carpenter. So it fits that Argentinian-based Cosmic Nightmare has stepped up and produced a compelling synth album based on Lovecraft’s icy tale of arctic terror, and they do a damn fine job of it along the way.
Vitskär Süden by Vitskär Süden
$7.00 (Digital Download)
Rooted in dark fantasy and cosmic horror, this psychedelic prog-rock album from 2020 resonated with me when I first listened to it earlier this year. Layers of melodic sound work together in unexpected yet captivating ways, and the tales woven therein build upon a mythos that is fresh yet all too familiar.
Heathen Hof by Sons of Perdition
$7.00 (Digital Download)
How to describe this one? Okay, so take an experimental atmospheric sound, but blend it with a narrative Americana and murder-ballad folk. On top of that, add a healthy dose of doom druids but mix them with a doom-rock, gothic-country influence, and you’ll get close to describing the sound of Sons of Perdition. Or you won’t. It could be the madness talking.
People of the Black Circle by People of the Black Circle
€10.00 ($10.27 USD) + Shipping (CD) (Digital Download Avl.)
I’ve appreciated this resurgent in cosmic-horror-influenced psychedelic rock, especially if it’s willing to blend the metal, synth, and dark ambient sounds that have defined Lovecraftian music. People of the Black Circle and this self-titled album (named after a Robert E. Howard Conan story) is a phenomenal and compelling cohesion of those sounds. Engaging as it is haunting.
Bog Phosphors by The Cube of Unknowing
$11.00 + Shipping (Cassette) $7.00 (Digital Download)
This is the year of weird-fiction synth, and this release under composer Franic Heely’s Cube of Unknowing project focuses on the bogland plains of Ireland’s county Galways and the inherent cosmic otherworldliness one can experience therein. It’s a resonant grounding of astral dread in a real-world local, as engaging and personal as it is haunting as esoteric.
Haunted by Confusion Master
€16 ($16.64 USD) + Shipping (Vinyl) (Digital Download Avl.)
Suppose you’re a fan of the early-70s Black Sabbath but want an even grungier, doomier, and sludgier feel. Well, I am happy to say the German rock quartet Confusion Master is here to fill that void and add a healthy dose of cosmic horror to the mix. It works in that warmly nostalgic and strangely maddening feel. (The price above reflects the standard vinyl edition. There are loads to choose from here.)
Not finding any music or audio that interests you? Check out one of the previous guides.
• 2014 Music • 2015 Music • 2016 Music • 2017 Music •
• 2018 Music • 2019 Music • 2020 Music • 2021 Music •

❄️ Apparel ❄️
Cthulhu Sleep Mask
$16.99 + Shipping
More like cute-tulhu, am I right? (I am.) This super soft, cotton fabric mask will help you keep you dreaming in comfort even through the brightest light. You don’t even need to be buried in a dead city to appericate it! (Slumber may not be protected from New Zealand-based and terrified armored steam-yacht crews.)
Cthulhu Slippers
$34.99 + Shipping (Limited Availability)
It’s cold deep beneath the ocean, so why not be cozy with these sleeper slippers? Few will mess with you when you come stumbling out of the bedroom adorned in these grumpy recently-awoken fellas. Recommended fit is men’s sizes 9-12. (If they sell out here, google ’em, they’re available all over.)
The Shadow Out of Time Mechanical Pocket Watch
$45.00 + Shipping
This mechanical pocket watch is created by and for Lovecraftian fans, anyone intrigued by ancient astronauts, the mysteries of the cosmos, and the universe in general. Inspired by the Great Race of Yith introduced in H. P. Lovecraft’s short story “The Shadow Out of Time,” this 46.5 mm “antique” pocket watch is inscribed with mysterious totems and scripts that may be the devices used by the Yithians to travel across time. Mysterious yet delightfully elegant.
Cthulhu Baby Gift Set
$61.93 + Shipping
Suppose you’re looking for a great little gift for the wee one in your life that pays proper tribute to the greatest of great old ones, the Great Dreamer, the Sleeper of R’lyeh. Well, look no further. Not only do you get a (customizable) organic cotton body suit, but you also get a super adorable crocheted rattle to compliment (and possibly call) Ol’ Mr. Cthulhu himself.
Carcosa Tie Clip
€75.00 ($77.00 USD) + Shipping
Most of us aren’t wearing ties daily anymore. But for those times when one wants to gussy up, why not let a little classy cosmic horror don your visage? Borrowing from the True Detective King in Yellow aesthetic, this sterling silver tie clip is elegant enough to blend in but strange enough to catch the eye.
Re-Animator Sweater
$84.99 + Shipping
Like it or not, everyone expects an ugly holiday sweater at this time of year. It’s become a tradition as much as trees and lights and cookies. So when you get invited to your next ugly sweater party, at least lean into your cosmic horror fandom and choose Herbert West. (HR may get upset at the reverse side, but that’s on you, pal.)
Cthulhu Masquerade Mask
$125 + Shipping (Limited Availability)
This heavily textured and quite disturbing masquerade mask features Mr. Deathy Dreaming himself front and center, but from his horrible visage, corruption spreads. Made from a variety of recyclable parts and materials. Give yourself time for this order. It’ll be worth it. (Missed this particular mask? There’s plenty more to choose from.)
The Shadow Over Innsmouth Boots
$157.99 + Free Shipping (US)
The boots are made for walkin’… away from your musty hotel room and out of town as quickly as possible! Are those FISH PEOPLE? Made of vegan leather, these lace-up combat boots feature everyone’s favorite Oberlin alumn on one side and the strange inhabitants of Devil’s Reef on the other. If Innsmouth isn’t to your liking, the shop features a few other Cthulhu-themed boots as well.
Not finding apparel you like? Check out the apparel on one of the previous guides.
• 2014 Apparel • 2015 Apparel • 2016 Apparel • 2017 Apparel •
• 2018 Apparel • 2019 Apparel • 2020 Apparel • 2021 Apparel •

❄️ Games ❄️
Blackout: The Darkest Night
$5.99 (Digital Download – PC/Mac) $5.99 (Kindle)
You have been part of something terrible, something so unspeakable that caused you to blackout and forget all recent events. Now you have the choice of pursuing this dark truth or trying to bury it in the past in this non-linear interactive fiction game set in a dark modern universe. (Also available in a choose-your-own-adventure style Kindle eBook.)
Gates of Delirium
$9.00 + Shipping
Take on the role of a researcher, seeking the truth behind the scattered tomes that speak of evil monstrosities. Travel worldwide in this cut-throat card game that pits you against 2-3 other players. Discover lost manuscript pages and ancient maps that reveal more of the ancient evil while you struggle not to be driven mad in the process.
The Great Old One: Playing Cards
$15.00 + Shipping
Created by and for Lovecraftian fans. This 54-card poker deck features exclusive Cthulhu-themed artworks based on Lovecraftian characters and scenes depicted. Beautifully designed, featuring less noisy artwork, giving the cards a classier overall look that’s still rich in details. The background mimics old textured paper and adds a vintage touch. Poker night? Solitaire? Cribbage?
Tiny Cthulhu
$17.99 (PDF Download) $24.99–34.99 (Physical Formats)
Face off against unknowable horrors as classic Lovecraftian protagonists in this cosmic-horror-focused ruleset from Gallant Knight Games’ popular “Tiny” series of tabletop RPGs. Using a minimalist D6-focused ruleset allows you to spend more time fighting the denizens of the darkness and less time pouring over complex rules.
Grey Dawn
$19.99 (Digital Download – PC)
Christmas Eve in 1920, Father Abraham seeks to solve the mystery of a missing altar boy while confronting the face he might be the man who killed him in the first place. A first-person puzzle-focused psychological (and often very weird) thriller set in a gothic-inspired Eastern European world that is as beautiful as it is horrifying.
Shadows Over Normandie
$39.97 + Free Shipping (Amazon)
It’s 1944, and the heroes of the Allied forces are about to face an unexpected threat. Fanatic cultists from the Order of the Black Sun are laboring to unleash demonic forces on Normandy’s World War II battlefields. Only a battalion of Rangers and their heroic allies can stop them and save the world from an endless era of despair. Compatible with Heroes of Normandie.
Empty Faces: The Woods Box Set
$99.99 + Shipping
In the isolated forests of West Virginia, a young woman from a family of witches lies unconscious, afflicted by an ancient evil. Comb through her possessions and correspondence to figure out what happened to her and reconstruct her life in the months before she fell ill. (Includes all five episodes. No subscription required.)
Not finding a game you’d enjoy? Check out the games on one of the previous guides.
• 2014 Games • 2015 Games • 2016 Games • 2017 Games •
• 2018 Games • 2019 Games • 2020 Games • 2021 Games •

❄️ Housewares & Collectables ❄️
Lovecraft-Inspired Vintage Postcard Set
$8.63 + Shipping (Limited Stock)
I’m a sucker for beautifully designed ephemera. So, I was drawn to this set of postcards based on Lovecraft’s most famous locations. The sort of thing one might happen across in an out-of-the-way store in a remote part of Essex County. Seven postcards are included: Arkham, Arkham Asylum, Miskatonic University, four views of Miskatonic University, Dunwich, Innsmouth, and Innsmouth Harbour, with a suitable vintage rear side.
Cedric’s Eatery 11oz. Mug
$16.00 + Shipping
The weather outside is frightful, and you need a new mug for a warm beverage. Why not pick up a classic diner mug from Lovat’s own Cedric’s Eatery, located in the entresol between Levels Three and Four. (Breakfast served all day.) An in-between place for in-between folks. Waldo Bell’s favorite hangout. Fill your mug with 11 oz. of lousy coffee, your favorite tea, or something more substantial. [From the pages of the Bell Forging Cycle.]
Mythos Inspired Hot Sauce Bundle
$17.98–$26.97 + Shipping
“You Will Not Survive.” Terrorize your tastebuds with these mythos-inspired hot sauces. Do you dare experience the Caribbean flavors of the mild King in Yellow Habanero pepper sauce? Or perhaps you prefer the boldness mid-spice level of the Dagon-themed unhallowed jalapeño sauce? Or maybe you are willing to face madness and partake of the over 500,000-Scoville-unit ghost pepper-infused Cthulhu Mind Flayer? Only you can decide.
Moth & Myth ‘Kraken’ Octopus Set
$18.00 + Shipping
This beautiful 6″x5″ Caribbean Reef Octopus features a brilliant display of colors each octopi holds in life. Each cephalopod is accompanied by two tiny babies, just beginning their transformations into one of the most unique creatures in the sea. The Moth & Myth Wunderkammer Ornament series comes on a beautiful 5.5″x8.5″ backing, double-sided on pearlescent card stock. These are perfect for safekeeping or shared as a lovely gift.
Cthulhu Cocktail Bar Stirring Spoon
$19.99 + Shipping
Iä! Iä! Cthulhu fhtagn! In his house at R’lyeh dead Cthulhu waits, mixing a mean martini and a sublime sazerac. Rumor has it he can whip up a nifty negroni as well. (Yay, cocktail-themed alliteration!) So, join the High Priest of Great Old One mixology and make your drinks, using his likeness to stir the elements with this 12″ long cocktail spoon.
Cthulhu Chia Pet
$21.99 + Free Shipping (Amazon)
How can you tell that cosmic horror has gone mainstream? Well, one surefire way is checking to see if the primary mascot has a chia pet version. Well, lucky for us, that’s finally happened. Now weird fiction fans can grow our favorite eldritch terror. It’s easy! Just spread the seeds, water, and watch the cosmic chaos grow.
Color Out of Space Candle
$37.24 + Free Shipping
The indescribable color is probably paired with an indescribable smell, right? But what if it isn’t? What if that strange color smelled like rhubarb and black plum? Delicious, yeah? And what if I told you that smell could be contained in this 35-hour+ burning soy candle? You’d think me mad. But, reader, I am soberly lucid. Decorated with tentacles and floral shapes, this candle makes a perfect gift for any horror fanatic or mythos enthusiast!
‘Welcome to Arkham’ Wooden Sign
$85.00 + Shipping
Arkham, Massachusetts, a bustling academic town, home to Miskatonic University and the site of many strange, unsettling, and inexplicable occurrences. Arkham has revealed many dark secrets over the years, and it certainly has more to tell. Available in a variety of colors. The perfect piece to decorate your home, confuse your neighbors, or attract mysterious strangers. (Innsmouth signs are also available if you lean more Esoteric Order and less Miskatonic booster.)
Call of Cthulhu Classic Gamer Prop Set
$109.00 + Shipping
HPLHS always makes quality stuff, and this collection of deluxe, ultra-realistic props was assembled to celebrate Call of Cthulhu’s® 40th anniversary and help add an air of authenticity to your next classic tabletop RPG campaign. The complete set includes all 94 props named in the classic supplements, plus a whole bunch more! Over 120 individual props, all organized into handy folders with full instructions.
Cthulhu Lamp
$139.00 + Shipping (Limited Availability)
This 4.25″ x 5.75″ resin lamp is perfect for your creepy castle wall, your more secret sanctum sanctorum, or your very ordinary bathroom. Perhaps those are all the same place. You do you. We don’t judge in this gift guide. No matter where you need light, this lamp is there to provide it, in all its sorta-creepy glory.
Who Goes There? Deluxe Edition
$735.00 + Free US Shipping (Limited to 50 copies)
The John W. Campbell book that became John Carpenter’s horror classic The Thing is back in a VERY limited edition. This run of 50 is half-bound in cold blue book cloth with a blind emboss and supple tan leather spine. Each is stored in a custom-designed and cloth-bound portfolio containing a triptych of Antarctica with notes and sketches from the expedition and holding five frame-ready letterpress prints from the story. Embedded in the portfolio’s cover is a distinctive hand-cast, painted resin medallion of the expedition’s emblem—a true collectors edition. Angel Bomb’s attention to detail is masterful.
Not finding a houseware item you like?
Check out the housewares from one of the previous guides.
• 2016 Housewares • 2017 Housewares • 2018 Housewares •
• 2019 Housewares • 2020 Housewares • 2021 Housewares •

❄️ Miskatonic University ❄️
Miskatonic University Library Staff Pin
$9.95 + Shipping
The stacks are filled with treasures, and only one group knows the ins and outs of the strange, sometimes alien system in which every tome is organized. Join the ever-diligent Library Staff of Miskatonic University and show your school spirit with this 1.25″ soft enamel pin with double pin-back rubber backing and remember, knowledge above all!
Personalized Miskatonic University Diploma Set
$29.99 + Free Shipping
I’ve seen a lot of Miskatonic Diploma Sets, but none has yet to go as far to feel as authentic as this. Not only does this diploma look like an actual diploma, including foil seals, but it also includes the alums’ personalized name, studies, and graduation year. A purchase here also consists of a lifetime listing of the Alumni on the Miskatonic University website. (See the full listing on Etsy for details.)
Miskatonic Cocktail Club Work Shirt
$44.99 + Shipping
Even cultists take a break for a cocktail or two. Look sharp in this red and black work shirt. The front pocket features the Miskatonic Cocktail Club insignia in white. The back is printed with a larger version in white with the phrase “the stars are always right… for a drink”. This black work shirt is accented with side panels in red for an eye-catching pop of color. Perfect for poker night. Or bowling. Or esoteric investigations.
Miskatonic Tibetan Hoodie
$50.00 + Shipping
Miskatonic is a university willing to send its faculty and students to strange, far places in its relentless pursuit of knowledge. You may not know much about M.U.’s 1926 expedition to Tibet, but you will once you own this garment – it comes with two props that bring clarity to the expedition’s goals and its outcome. The hoodie proudly displays the expedition’s logo on the front left breast.
Miskatonic 3.0 Hockey Sweater
$119 + Shipping
Geeky Jerseys has been making a Miskatonic University hockey sweater for a while now, and I’ve featured them in the past. This third rendition takes ol’ MU in a new direction while maintaining that modern college hockey feel. Every Geeky Jersey will feature high-quality embroidered crests, sublimated patterns, plus a custom cut and stitched name and number. (In this case, “Cthulhu” and the #28—someday I hope we can make these custom.)
Not finding any Miskatonic University gear you like?
Check out the Miskatonic University items from one of the previous guides.
• 2014 Miskatonic • 2015 Miskatonic • 2016 Miskatonic • 2017 Miskatonic •
• 2018 Miskatonic • 2019 Miskatonic • 2020 Miskatonic • 2021 Miskatonic •
❄️ Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays! ❄️
Whelp, there we have it, folks. All good things must eventually end. The ninth annual List of Lists is in the bag. Hopefully, you found a few necessaries and were able to check a few people off your shopping list.
As always, thank you to everyone who has suggested items in the past to help me pad out this list. Your efforts are welcome. I always appreciate the help. Do you have a book, game, album, or other weird fiction-related items I should feature in 2023’s Cosmic Horror Holiday Gift Guide? Leave a comment below with links to your favorite goodies for others to see, or send me an email as a potential submission for next year!

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