All creators have now been revealed! You can now find out who made your favorite spooky works.

Thanks to everyone for participating!

We are announcing a new rule for next year:

To participate in Summer of Horror, you must have commented on your gift(s) from the previous year by the time nominations open for the new round. If there is some issue with a gift that prevents you from commenting, please let us know (either via our mod email or a Dreamwidth DM) so that we can either help resolve the issue or waive the commenting requirement for you.

This rule goes into effect for the 2027 round, which means if you participated in this round and want to participate in the next round, you need to comment on your gift(s) by the time nominations open in 2027.

(This rule only applies to returning participants. If you are participating for the first time, you don't need to worry about it.)

All assignments have been filled, and the collection will open at 8:00 PM EDT on July 25.

Thank you to all of our pinch hitters!

The deadline has passed, so we have some new pinch hits! To claim a pinch hit, reply below (comments are screened), or email us at summerofhorrorex at gmail dot com. Be sure to include your AO3 username.

Please note: these requested tags are character groupings, not necessarily gen relationships. Check optional details to see whether someone has opted into those characters in a ship.

The deadline for these pinch hits is July 16 at 8:00 PM EDT. Let us know if you're interested in one of the pinch hits but would need a little more time, and tell us how best to contact you (DW or email) so we can confirm that with you.

We've also given out some extensions, so don't worry if you don't have a gift yet and aren't on this list!

EDIT: We have three new pinch hits that have been added!

( PH 1 - Murder Drones (Web Series) )

( PH 14 - Fargo (TV), Kingdom Come: Deliverance (Video Games) )

( PH 17 - Red Rooms (2023), Le Vourdalak (2023), The Elric Saga - Michael Moorcock, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien )

( PH 18 - Those About to Die (TV), A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Dracula - Bram Stoker (Novel 1897) )

( PH 19 - Midsomer Murders (TV), The Brokenwood Mysteries, Victoriocity (Podcast), Original Work )

( PH 20 - Teen Wolf (TV), The Exorcist (TV), Shoresy (TV) )

( CLAIMED - PH 21 - Original Work, Fairy Tales & Related Fandoms, Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon & Comics), Le città invisibili | Invisible Cities - Italo Calvino )

( CLAIMED - PH 22 - Companion (2025), Sometimes I Feel So Deserted - Chemical Brothers (Music Video), Pantheon (Cartoon), Original Work )

( CLAIMED - PH 23 - Bleach (Anime & Manga), Pet Shop of Horrors (Manga), 怪獣８号 | Kaiju No. 8 (Anime) )

( CLAIMED - PH 24 - Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen, Scream (Movies), Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Send Help (Movie 2026), The Fly (1986), Rose Red (TV), The Yellow Wallpaper - Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Carrie (1976), Warlock (1989) )

( PH 25 - Trigun (Anime & Manga 1995-2008), Chainsaw Man (Manga), 凸变英雄X | To Be Hero X (Cartoon), Dorohedoro )

( PH 26 - Heated Rivalry (TV), 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Anime & Manga) )

Assignments have been sent! We also have 16 initial pinch hits.

If you want to claim a pinch hit, please comment here (comments will be screened) or email summerofhorrorex at gmail dot com. Make sure to include your AO3 username when claiming a pinch hit.

Minimums are 500 words or a piece of original art (no manips), either digital or on unlined paper. You may not use generative AI. Please note: these are character groupings, not necessarily gen relationships. Recipients may opt into ships in their optional details.

These will be due July 11, at 8:00 PM EDT.

( PH 1 - Murder Drones (Web Series) )

( CLAIMED - PH 2 - The Defenders (Marvel TV), True Detective (TV 2014), Buffet Infinity (2025) )

( CLAIMED - PH 3 - Those About to Die (TV), A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Dracula - Bram Stoker (Novel 1897) )

( CLAIMED - PH 4 - Limbus Company (Video Game), 忘却前夜 | Morimens (Video Game), The Locked Tomb Series | Gideon the Ninth Series - Tamsyn Muir, 忘却前夜 | Morimens (Video Game) )

( CLAIMED - PH 5 - The Dark Tower Series - Stephen King, Misery - Stephen King, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon - Stephen King, New Mutants (Marvel Comics), X-Men (Comicverse) )

( CLAIMED - PH 6 - Trigun (Anime & Manga 1995-2008), Chainsaw Man (Manga), 凸变英雄X | To Be Hero X (Cartoon), Dorohedoro )

( CLAIMED - PH 7 - とんがり帽子のアトリエ | Tongari Boushi no Atelier | Witch Hat Atelier (Manga), 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Anime & Manga) )

( CLAIMED - PH 8 - Congress - Joy Williams, Look Outside (Video Game), Searching For A World That Doesn't Exist - Wifies (Web Series), There is No Antimemetics Division - qntm )

( CLAIMED - PH 9 - Forbidden Fruits (Movie 2026), 転生悪女の黒歴史 | The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess (Anime), 女王的游戏 | Road to Empress (Visual Novel) )

( CLAIMED - PH 10 - The Love Hypothesis - Ali Hazelwood, Star Wars (Marvel Comics), Star Wars - All Media Types, The Hurricane Wars - Thea Guanzon, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy )

( CLAIMED - PH 11 - Death Note (Anime & Manga), Star Wars - All Media Types, Hamlet - Shakespeare, Tales of Symphonia )

( CLAIMED - PH 12 - Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, Fantastic Voyage - Isaac Asimov, The Mysterious Mr Quin - Agatha Christie )

( CLAIMED - PH 13 - Bleach (Anime & Manga), Pet Shop of Horrors (Manga), 怪獣８号 | Kaiju No. 8 (Anime) )

( PH 14 - Fargo (TV), Kingdom Come: Deliverance (Video Games) )

( CLAIMED - PH 15 - Nosferatu (2024), IT: Welcome to Derry (TV), IT (Movies - Muschietti), Hellraiser (Movie 2022), Skinwalkers (2006), Barbarian (2022), Locked (2025), Don't Breathe (2016), Crossover Fandom )

( CLAIMED - PH 16 - Original Work, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan, Naruto (Anime & Manga), Animorphs - Katherine A. Applegate, LOVE DEATH + ROBOTS - Swarm (Cartoon), Original Work )

Signups will close in roughly 15 hours, at 8:00 PM EDT on May 30! Don't forget to sign up before the deadline!

Here's a countdown timer.

Nominations have closed! We will be double-checking the tagset over the next few days, and signups will open on May 23 at 8:00 PM EDT.

Nomination questions

• Original Work - Body & Body's Own Ghost and Female Body & Body's Own Ghost: Nominator, do you have an edit for this that might imply the body is itself aware in some way? We usually don't accept nominations for objects, and it's implied the body in this case is dead.
  
  
• Ronon Dex & Teyla Emmagan & Rodney McKay & a John Sheppard (Stargate): Nominator, can you confirm that the "a" in the last part of this nomination is a typo? Or are there John Sheppard clones/alternate versions, and you're open to any of them? (If we don't hear from you, we'll approve this as Ronon Dex & Teyla Emmagan & Rodney McKay & John Sheppard.
  
  
• Warlock (1989): We have nominations for Warlock & Seer and Warlock & Unbaptized Boy. Nominator, we couldn't find any details on the Seer and the Unbaptized Boy. Could you clarify here where they appear in the film, just in case someone needs additional details?
  
  
• Eleven | Jane Hopper (Stranger Things) & Carrie White (Carrie - All Media Types): Nominator, since the original novel and the various adaptations have some key differences, can you choose a specific canon version for Carrie White?
  
  
• Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th) & Carrie White (Carrie - All Media Types): Nominator, since the original novel and the various adaptations have some key differences, can you choose a specific canon version for Carrie White?
  
  
• Any (Hollow Knight: Silksong): Nominator, are you intending to narrow the Any down to only characters appearing in Silksong, or is this a nomination for characters in the series generally? And should it be Solo: Any or Any & Any?

Nomination clarifications

• Anthology Programs: We have approved nominations for various anthology programs such as Tales from the Crypt, Inside No. 9, and Black Mirror in the format in which they've been submitted (some as standalone episodes and others as complete shows). We're happy to go with the fandom convention in this case, but please note that requesting, for example, three separate episodes of Black Mirror will not count as requesting three distinct fandoms.
  
  
• Shane Hollander & Hockey Arenas (Heated Rivalry) and Ilya Rozanov & Hockey Arenas (Heated Rivalry): These nominations have been rejected due to the Hockey Arenas not counting as characters.

The schedule for the 2026 round of Summer of Horror is up! You can view all the date here, and nominations will open on May 15.

Start brainstorming your preferred kinds of spookiness for the summer season!

The Summer of Horror 2025 collection is now open, and gifts have been revealed! Comments and kudos are always appreciated.

The collection will stay open, so more treats are always welcome and can be added at any time!

Creators will be revealed at 8:00 PM EDT on July 27.

Thank you to everyone who claimed a pinch hit! We have one left, and to give potential pinch hitters more time to work, we're announcing a one-week delay. The new pinch hit deadline is July 18 at 11:59pm EDT. Let us know if you're interested in the pinch hit but would need a little more time, and tell us how best to contact you (DW or email) so we can confirm that with you.

To claim a pinch hit, reply below (comments are screened), or email us at summerofhorrorex at gmail dot com. Be sure to include your AO3 username.

Please note: these requested tags are character groupings, not necessarily gen relationships. Check optional details to see whether someone has opted into those characters in a ship.

( CLAIMED - PH 3 - Psychonauts (Video Games), Higurashi no Naku Koro ni | Higurashi When They Cry, Umineko no Naku Koro ni | When the Seagulls Cry, Mortal Kombat (Video Games 1992-2020) )