A Tobias Literary Agency ANNOUNCEMENT: Wendy N. Wagner Nominated for a Locus Award for Best Editor

This year, we at The Tobias Literary Agency are thrilled to learn that client Wendy N. Wagner has been nominated for a Locus Award "Best Editor" for her work at the helm of Nightmare Magazine. The Locus Awards are one of the most prestigious literary awards in the science fiction, fantasy, and horror community.

Wendy is a Hugo award-winning editor of short fiction, serving as the managing/senior editor at Lightspeed Magazine and is the editor-in-chief of Nightmare Magazine. She is author of The Secret Skin (one of The Washington Post’s best SF/F/H books of 2021), The Deer Kings, and Locus bestseller An Oath of Dogs, and two novels for the Pathfinder role-playing game. She has published more than fifty short stories, which have appeared in markets like Beneath Ceaseless Skies and PseudoPod.

At Nightmare, Wendy N. Wagner has consistently produced high-quality and thought-provoking content that pushes the boundaries of horror literature. Her editorial decisions help shape the publication and consistently showcases the best of the genre. Her successful curation of Nightmare’s dark and haunting stories has made her a bright light in the horror genre, inspiring many writers to submit their work and readers to explore the depths of horror literature.

Every month Nightmare publishes new, original content, a mixture of short stories, flash fiction, and poetry, featuring a variety of authors from bestsellers and award-winners to the best new voices. Nightmare also includes stories told by podcasts, nonfiction articles, book reviews, interviews, and Q&As with authors for behind-the-scenes look at their works. .

Wendy has been praised in the horror community for her distinct voice and her ability to bring authenticity and clarity to every piece she edits, while lending her unique vision. Her editorial work has explored diverse perspectives and unique storytelling often from marginalized backgrounds. 

Represented by Lane Heymont, Wendy’s newest horror novel, The Creek Girl, was acquired by Tor Nightfire, slated for release in 2025, is described as “A tense cli-fi cosmic horror novel set in a rural Oregon forest that seems to consume any who enter.”

Wendy said of The Creek Girl:

“As an avid hiker and trail runner, I love getting out into the forested foothills of Mt. Hood to explore and enjoy nature. But as someone who grew up in Oregon in the 1980s—a time when the Pacific Northwest was probably more famous for the serial killers prowling its rainy little towns than for its scenic vistas—I can’t help but recognize the dark side of the beautiful places I’m so drawn to. It’s almost impossible for me not to think about the ways the landscape could easily be used against a person.

I really got inspired to write this novel on a trip driving up the Clackamas River in early 2020. The river shone turquoise between rugged basalt banks, and the national forest crowded right up to the edges of the road. The towns along the river catered to the outdoor crowd while still showing scars from decades of economic struggles. The region’s blend of natural beauty and human suffering demanded to have its story told. I plunged into research about the history of the area, but just as I was starting the novel, some of the worst fires in Oregon history broke out in the region. Even my house, thirty miles from the heart of the disaster, was put on emergency evacuation warning.

I could not work on the story for more than a year—not until I began to see pictures of new growth along the banks of the Clackamas—and the experience pushed the story into a new direction. The forests of the American West are in real trouble because of climate change, and it just isn’t possible to write about the trees without acknowledging it. This is a scary novel, but the real horror is what we have done to our planet.”

Her editor at Tor NIghtfire, Kelly Lonesome, said:

“I’ve long admired Wendy’s work in the horror and sff space through Nightmare Magazine, and I jumped at the chance to bring her into the Nightfire coven!

I love a really strong setting in horror, and the Clackamas National Forest absolutely delivers those eerie Twin Peaks vibes – a small town, creepy woods, and unexplainable events. Wendy’s knack for body horror is deliciously disgusting, and the way the central mystery unravels kept me glued to the page! I think our Nightfire fans of T. Kingfisher, Cassandra Khaw, and Lucy Snyder are going to love the wonderfully wicked world Wendy’s created with The Creek Girl!

Just be warned: you’ll never be able to look at a forest the same way again….”

Wendy’a nomination for the Locus Award for Best Editor is a recognition of her exceptional work and expertise in the field of horror and dark fantasy. Her editorial contributions have elevated the genre and offered readers a diverse array of stories that continue to inspire, unsettle, and enlighten us. Her nomination is more than well-deserved, and we will be keeping our fingers crossed for her on award night.

Congratulations, Wendy!