Soft Skull Press

14/08/2026

Peter Rock's MAKESHIFT is a must-read book of August!

"A poignant novel about wilderness, isolation, and survival for those who grew up on Island of the Blue Dolphins and graduated to Ling Ma’s Severance."— Marie Claire

https://buff.ly/1wUun1n

Take advantage of your last few weeks of downtime this summer by picking up one of these novels.

11/08/2026

Don't miss THE FLAYED MAN author Chloe Lauter in conversation with Kerry Cullen this Friday at Books Are Magic! And if you can't make it in person, you can tune in via YouTube live.

RSVP here: https://buff.ly/DNMjcMc

05/08/2026

MAKESHIFT is a must-read book of August! 📚

"Beguiling and mysterious, a dystopic puzzle box wrapped intricately with incredible tenderness and love for its three young characters. Come for Peter Rock’s intoxicating language and stay for this beautiful tale of sisterhood and hope in the face of destruction." — Chicago Review of Books

https://buff.ly/wCr8XgF

Come the dog days of summer, when the heat begins to grind you down and the days start to blend, there’s nothing better than encountering a story that will provide a spark of excitement. Maybe a little humor, some gripping tension, or a reason to shed a tear. Couldn’t we all use a good book…

30/07/2026

"If you are looking for a new kind of bloodsucker in a more quietly horrific world, Lauter gives you one. They don’t sparkle in sunlight, but they just might wither under the weight of existential dread." — Chicago Review of Books

Our review of Chloe Lauter's new novel, "The Flayed Man."

28/07/2026

UV 9+ ✅️ clear skies ✅️ iced coffee in hand ✅️ soft skull paperbacks in tote ✅️

What more could you want for the ideal summer day?

22/07/2026

In honor of the release of Chloe Lauter’s THE FLAYED MAN, a few folks from the Soft Skull team shared their favorite vampires 🧛

Who had the correct answer? 👀 Let us know!

22/07/2026

THE FLAYED MAN author Chloe Lauter shares some of the books that influenced her as a young writer via Debutiful.

https://buff.ly/Ye4Tvve

Set against the Mojave Desert and Las Vegas, Chloe Lauter‘s debut novel, The Flayed Man, blends horror, dark fantasy, and family drama into a gripping story of survival and sacrifice. Ellis Karsten spends her days caring for patients in the emergency room and her nights searching for blood to keep...

21/07/2026

Happy pub day to Chloe Lauter's THE FLAYED MAN! This one is for all the readers dying for Halloween in the middle of summer...🧛‍♀️

A complex mother-daughter relationship is taken to a new level in this fresh and propulsive novel of family curses, blood-thirsty ghouls, and budding romance set against the Mojave Desert and Las Vegas.

✨ An August 2026 American Booksellers Association Indie Next Pick

✨ "Miss your Anne Rice fix? Check out Chloe Lauter’s THE FLAYED MAN, the story of a Las Vegas triage nurse, Ellis, entrusted with the care of her aging mother, who needs a regular blood fix to stop from turning into a grotty predator. And there’s more: A monster waits in the wings—the eponymous Flayed Man, whom Ellis tracks down in the Mojave Desert. Buckle up." — Alta Journal

✨" Brutal, horrific, disturbing, yet amazingly heartfelt and touching, THE FLAYED MAN deserves a spot on your summer reading list." — Gruesome Magazine

✨ "In this debut, Lauter has crafted a genuinely frightening book with emotional depth. Readers of complex fiction with a gritty sensibility such as Andy Davidson’s In the Valley of the Sun or Hailey Piper’s strong, complex women characters will love this book." — Library Journal

✨ "A hallucinatory vampire noir meets Love Lies Bleeding, THE FLAYED MAN is a lyrical, inventive horror novel that is emotionally stirring and authentic." —Paul Tremblay, New York Times bestselling author of Horror Movie and A Head Full of Ghosts

09/07/2026

Thanks for the shout out for BONE HORN, Denver Public Library!

01/07/2026

THE FLAYED MAN by Chloe Lauter is an August 2026 Indie Next Pick! As always, a huge thanks to all of the booksellers who nominated us! ✨

THE FLAYED MAN hits bookstores officially on 7/21 and is available to preorder now!

📚 ADVANCE BOOKSELLER PRAISE 📚

✨ "Written in crisp, propulsive prose, this unique take on the vampire novel explores the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters and what we owe to those who have both raised and hurt us. THE FLAYED MAN had me on the edge of my seat–not so silently–rooting for Ellis and Veer, the woman who might just save her.” —Cheryl Cornwell, Northshire Bookstore (Manchester Center, VT)

✨ “Visceral and vicious and chock-full of physical monstrosity and sensory detail, this is a gritty take on vampire lore featuring complicated, f-upped women. Read this if you love body horror and terrible mothers.” —Kaitlyn Mahoney, Under the Umbrella Bookstore (Salt Lake City, UT)

✨ "Chloe Lauter’s debut is a fascinating, horrifying addition to the vampiric canon that makes you feel like you’re being flayed yourself. An absolute banger.” —Charlie Marks, Fountain Bookstore, Inc. (Richmond, VA)

✨ “Part horror, even more part vampiric lit fic, THE FLAYED MAN is the gritty addition to vampiric literature you've been waiting for. Lauter writes an atmospheric book that reads like cinema - at once immersive and edge-of-your-seat.” — Mavey Books (Ardmore, PA)