WENDY N. WAGNER is a hiker, trail runner, and nature lover. She's the author of the critically acclaimed works The Deer Kings, The Secret Skin, and the Locus bestselling An Oath of Dogs. Her short fiction has been nominated for the Theodore Sturgeon and Shirley Jackson awards, and her short stories, poetry, and essays have appeared in more than seventy venues. She serves as the editor-in-chief of Nightmare Magazine (for which she was nominated for the Locus award), and is part of the Hugo award-winning editorial team behind Lightspeed Magazine. She lives in Oregon with her very understanding family, a giant cat, and a Muppet disguised as a dog.

Praise for Girl in the Creek:

"There's no one out there writing quite like Wendy N. Wagner. Her fiction is always the perfect combination of horror and heart. With glittering prose, an unforgettable protagonist, and too many spores to count, Girl in the Creek will haunt you and break your heart in equal measure. A fantastic achievement."
--Gwendolyn Kiste, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Haunting of Velkwood

"Wagner combines the body horror of classic King, the tension of Crichton techno-thrillers, and the nostalgic fun of creature features into a love song to the beautifully terrifying grandeur of the Pacific Northwest. Both a critique of the modern true crime landscape and a deep contemplation of humanity's environmental devastation."
--Maria Dong, author of Liar, Dreamer, Thief

"Dazzling. Girl in the Creek is unflinching eco-horror, steeped in the pitch-perfect setting of the rainswept Pacific Northwest. I devoured it even though it gutted me, and it solidifies that Wagner is an absolutely electrifying writer."
--Keith Rosson, author of Fever House

Publisher: Tor Nightfire

Pub date: 2026-05-19

Length: 272 pages