As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

When Darkness Loves Us

In Engstrom’s two novellas, newlywed Sally Ann becomes trapped underground. Elsewhere, Martha’s buried memories may restore her old self or expose those around her to childhood nightmares.

Read full description

Sally Ann and Martha. Two women, searching for love. Finding terror.During a terrifying storm, a gentle childhood is destroyed by a twisted man who promises love but delivers nightmare.In the lightless depths of an underground labyrinth, unseen creatures lie in wait for an innocent traveler, cold skeletal hands stretched out in welcome. There is horror in darkness - -horror made greater ... WHEN DARKNESS LOVES US

This long-awaited reissue of Elizabeth Engstrom's 1985 horror classic features a new introduction by Paperbacks from Hell author Grady Hendrix as well as the original foreword by SF legend Theodore Sturgeon and the original cover painting by Jill Bauman.

First published: 1985
Publisher: Valancourt Books
Pages: 231
Amazon reviews: Read reviews on Amazon

Book tags

Content warnings

Child Harm

Missing warnings do not mean other content is absent.

Horror profile

Scary: Not rated
Creepy: Not rated
Gore: Not rated
Disturbing: Not rated
Weird: Not rated

How we calculate this

These are editorial estimates of intensity, informed by reading and review evidence, then checked before publication. They aren't star ratings, reader-vote averages or a measure of quality.

Each dimension runs from 1 (low) to 5 (exceptionally intense). A 5 is reserved for strongly consistent evidence. People experience horror differently.

Scary: Fear, tension and immediate threat.
Creepy: Unease, dread and an uncanny atmosphere.
Gore: Graphic injury, blood and bodily detail.
Disturbing: Upsetting ideas and lingering psychological impact.
Weird: Surreal, strange and reality-bending elements.

We draw a filled profile only when all five scores have been reviewed. Unrated does not mean mild. Missing scores are not estimated from genre tags or your saved taste. This profile isn't a complete content-warning guide.