Stephen King Meets Raymond Chandler In New Short Story Collection From 30 Days of Night Creator

Steve Niles set the comics world ablaze with 30 Days of Night, and now he is releasing a new collection featuring a fan favorite character.

Steve Niles, the legendary creator of 30 Days of Night, returns with a brand-new short story collection, mixing Stephen King and Raymond Chandler, and ScreenRant is excited to bring fans a first look. 30 Days of Night hit the comics’ scene in the early 2000s, helping rejuvenate the horror comics genre, as well as putting the up and coming IDW on the map, and none of it would have been possible without Niles.

Steve Niles broke into the mainstream with 30 Days of Night in 2002. Prior to 30 Days, Niles published his own comics, and worked for smaller companies such as Eclipse and Fantaco. Niles also worked on various Spawn titles for Todd McFarlane. Originally, Niles envisioned 30 Days of Night as a screenplay, but when that did not pan out, he took the story to the still relatively new IDW Publishing, who snapped it up. Along with artist Ben Templesmith, Niles launched a revolution still being felt today with 30 Days of Night.

Ironically, 30 Days of Night would be adapted into a film by decade’s end, and its success in both theaters and comic shops made Steve Niles into one of the industry’s most sought-after creators. His later work includes Simon Dark for DC as well as The October Faction, which was adapted to a Netflix television series. Niles made a name for himself in comics with intelligent and hard-hitting horror stories, and now he is bringing this sensibility to the literary world with a new short story collection.

Steve Niles and Clover Press Have Launched a Kickstarter For a New Short Story Collection

Cal McDonald: The Plague of Evil and Other Stories Will Also Feature Art From Today's Top Talent

Today, The Fourth Leaf, an imprint of Clover Press devoted to creator-owned work, announced a Kickstarter campaign for Steve Niles’ Cal McDonald: Plague of Evil and Other Stories. Collecting ten of the best stories featuring Niles hard-boiled supernatural detective Cal McDonald, the 216-page hardcover features an introduction by actor David Dastmalchian, as well as a cover by Joe Jusko. The stories will also feature art from the likes of Cat Staggs, Francesco Francavilla and Liam Sharp. ScreenRant can exclusively reveal both Jusko’s cover and interior art by Sharp. Furthermore, The Fourth Leaf has also shared a two-page excerpt from the collection.

Long-time fans of Steve Niles will instantly recognize the name Cal McDonald. Created by Niles nearly 40 years ago, McDonald has appeared in short stories and novels, as well as in the comic series Criminal Macabre. Niles was excited to return to McDonald’s world, telling The Fourth Leaf:

The last short story collection came out almost 20 years ago, so I am excited to have PLAGUE OF EVIL coming out through Clover Press. Cal has always been my favorite character to write and it feels good to be back in the saddle again. I am especially thrilled with this volume because I have so many friends along for the ride; some of my favorite artists in the industry have added their talents. I hope readers enjoy this collection because I’m aching to do more.

Similarly, Clover Press Publisher Hank Kanalz is eager to bring fans Plague of Evil and Other Stories, saying:

It’s supernatural crime horror in the classic Cal McDonald tradition, full of blood, grit, dark humor, and noir only Steve Niles can deliver.

Fans have been clamoring for Cal McDonald to return, and now their wish is being granted.

Steve Niles Deftly Mixes Stephen King and Raymond Chandler

In Cal McDonald: Plague of Evil and other stories, Niles is mashing genres together, namely Stephen King-style supernatural horror and hard-boiled detective fiction. The latter genre, which originated in the early 20th century in the works of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, emphasized explorations of human nature over any actual detection. This genre heavily influenced the film noir movement, and Niles is working in this tradition in Cal McDonald: Plague of Evil and Other Stories, while mixing in the sheer horror that was a hallmark of 30 Days of Night, creating an unforgettable collection.