In The Valley Of The Headless Men: Novella Review
Does anyone really like camping? Are we all just prey to be eaten alive by whatever lurks in the bushes? If LP Hernandez’s book is to be considered, then stay away. Stay far far away.
No spoilers where we’re going, dear reader, grab your sleeping bag and let’s hike.
The Author
I am LP Hernandez, writer of horror and speculative fiction. You may have heard me on The NoSleep Podcast. You may have read me in anthologies from Cemetery Gates Media, Sinister Smile Press, and Dark Matter Magazine. You may have seen me across the street from your home, taking studious notes. What are you doing up so late? Why so many piles of dirt? Wh- sorry, a bit off track there.
When I am not writing I serve as a Medical Service Corps officer in the Air Force. I love heavy metal, using cruise control to save gas, my wife and kids, dogs of all sizes, and a crisp high five.
— LP Hernandez’s website
You can check out more on Hernandez’s website, or follow him on BlueSky.
The Book
Nahanni National Park is one of last truly wild places on earth. Accessible only by plane, and only when the weather cooperates, it's the perfect place for estranged brothers Joseph and Oscar to have an adventure following the death of their mother. Gillian, Joseph's first love, invites herself along in the spirit of friendship. The park is much more than beautiful. It's mysterious, with legends of giants and hidden, prehistoric animals. And among its few visitors, an outsized number of violent deaths inspire its second, more seductive name. While dreaming of the future, the group finds themselves confronted by the past. Far from home and far from help. In the Valley of the Headless Men.
"LP Hernandez is one of the most entertaining and much needed voices in horror fiction's new vanguard." - Brian Keene
— Goodreads page for In The Valley Of The Headless Men
Independently published and written by LP Hernandez, In The Valley Of The Headless Men is a supernatural horror novella set in the legend-ripe Canada’s Nahanni National Park.
The Review
Another reason never to go camping! Forget the mosquitoes, the sunburn, and annoyance of setting up tents – here come the headless men of Nahanni! Hernandez’s novella explores grief and regret, as brothers Joseph and Oscar, along with Jillian the tag-along, visit the isolated park known as the Valley of the Headless Men.
More than memories haunt the three as a mysterious guide leads them to stranger and stranger sights. A simple journey to connect, to grieve, to move on becomes so much more.
Each page is ripe with dread as the characters are pulled towards the heart of the park. The closing grip of the land feels inevitable, like quick sand, as the tight pacing and thick atmosphere draw you in.
What does it cost to confront your inner scars? How much to finally let go? What happens if you can’t?
And what are the headless men?
In The Valley of the Headless Men is as poignant as it is chilling. Definitely pick up a copy if you’re a fan of folklore and wilderness horror!
8/10
x PLM
