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The Calamities

Part of The Fiends

Hardcover
$32.00 US
6-1/8"W x 9-1/4"H | 29 oz | 12 per carton
On sale Aug 18, 2026 | 592 Pages | 9798217091812

additional book photo
The heir to one of the world’s most influential families reckons with the demonic secret of their power in this contemporary dark fantasy that melds occult magic with shocking family drama, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Accidents.

“Vivid, unsettling, and darkly compelling, The Calamities is Chuck Wendig at his best.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth

Mourning Mayne knows he’ll one day bear the duty of managing his family’s vast empire of wealth and power. But the feckless Mourning has always struggled to accept this legacy of cruelty, domination, and exploitation . . . and something even darker.

Because the Maynes are no ordinary family: Hidden in our world are the fiends—half-human, half-demon, and possessed of a dark magic born from buying human souls—and the Maynes are one of the oldest and most influential fiendish families.

But when Mourning’s estranged father, the formidable and terrifying Hadrian Mayne, demands that Mourning return to the fold, he has to decide whether to accept his legacy and embrace his role in the family or to forge his own destiny, and with it, change the course of the world.

Because along the way home, he will meet Key, a black-market seller of human souls, and Quinn, an artist who may hold the dark truth behind the fate of the fiends. Alone, they have all struggled with the darkness of their natures . . . but together, they might find a path out of the shadows.

Book One of The Fiends
Praise for The Calamities

“Vivid, unsettling, and darkly compelling, The Calamities is Chuck Wendig at his best.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth

“The Calamities is a twisting, winding river of darkness—part ink-black Gothic tale, part brutal family saga, and housed in a demonic nesting doll of a dark fantasy novel. Taken as a whole, it reminds me yet again of Wendig’s wildly lethal range and versatility when it comes to horror. The guy is, simply put, unstoppable.”—Keith Rosson, author of Coffin Moon

“The most terrifying thing about these demons is how human they are. The Calamities is a delightfully brutal and inventive take on demonology from the blast furnace of Wendig’s imagination. A gore-stained epic.”—Chris Panatier, author of Daytide and Worry Box

“A massively ambitious, classic horror free-for-all that's macabre, smart, and FUN.”—Sarah Langan, author of Good Neighbors and Trad Wife


Praise for The Staircase in the Woods


“Chuck Wendig is the Frank Lloyd Wright of horror, and here’s his masterstroke of malaise. The Staircase in the Woods is a true blueprint for terror.”—Clay McLeod Chapman

“Chuck Wendig weaves his magic once more, turning a lonely staircase in the woods into a searing, propulsive, dread-filled exploration of the horrors of knowing and being known. I’d follow him anywhere.”—Kiersten White

“A masterclass in character . . . Unputdownable, with imagery that cuts like a knife—this is Chuck Wendig at the top of his game.”—Thomas Olde Heuvelt

“Chuck Wendig has given us another stunner. The Staircase in the Woods is as mysterious, alluring, heartbreaking, ever-shifting, and unnervingly powerful as the nature of friendship itself.”—Nat Cassidy

“Heart-wrenching and anxiety inducing . . . As if the crew from Stephen King’s IT were thrown into the chaotic hallways of Mark Danielewski’s House of Leaves, The Staircase in the Woods will become lodged in your mind, if you let it in.”—Jenny Kiefer

“Chuck Wendig has crafted a very sinister take on the familiar urban legend. Highly original and deeply disturbing, this one will stick with you.”—Gwendolyn Kiste

The Staircase in the Woods is delicious, disorienting, and deeply captivating. It will pull at the threads of your psyche in the best way until you feel like you just emerged from the most exquisite nightmare.”—Alaina Urquhart
© Michelle Wendig
Chuck Wendig is the New York Times bestselling author of Wanderers, The Book of Accidents, Wayward, and more than two dozen other books for adults and young adults. A finalist for the Astounding Award and an alumnus of the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, he has also written comics, games, and for film and television. He’s known for his popular blog, terribleminds, and books about writing such as Damn Fine Story. He lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with his family. View titles by Chuck Wendig

Photos

additional book photo

About

The heir to one of the world’s most influential families reckons with the demonic secret of their power in this contemporary dark fantasy that melds occult magic with shocking family drama, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Accidents.

“Vivid, unsettling, and darkly compelling, The Calamities is Chuck Wendig at his best.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth

Mourning Mayne knows he’ll one day bear the duty of managing his family’s vast empire of wealth and power. But the feckless Mourning has always struggled to accept this legacy of cruelty, domination, and exploitation . . . and something even darker.

Because the Maynes are no ordinary family: Hidden in our world are the fiends—half-human, half-demon, and possessed of a dark magic born from buying human souls—and the Maynes are one of the oldest and most influential fiendish families.

But when Mourning’s estranged father, the formidable and terrifying Hadrian Mayne, demands that Mourning return to the fold, he has to decide whether to accept his legacy and embrace his role in the family or to forge his own destiny, and with it, change the course of the world.

Because along the way home, he will meet Key, a black-market seller of human souls, and Quinn, an artist who may hold the dark truth behind the fate of the fiends. Alone, they have all struggled with the darkness of their natures . . . but together, they might find a path out of the shadows.

Book One of The Fiends

Praise

Praise for The Calamities

“Vivid, unsettling, and darkly compelling, The Calamities is Chuck Wendig at his best.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth

“The Calamities is a twisting, winding river of darkness—part ink-black Gothic tale, part brutal family saga, and housed in a demonic nesting doll of a dark fantasy novel. Taken as a whole, it reminds me yet again of Wendig’s wildly lethal range and versatility when it comes to horror. The guy is, simply put, unstoppable.”—Keith Rosson, author of Coffin Moon

“The most terrifying thing about these demons is how human they are. The Calamities is a delightfully brutal and inventive take on demonology from the blast furnace of Wendig’s imagination. A gore-stained epic.”—Chris Panatier, author of Daytide and Worry Box

“A massively ambitious, classic horror free-for-all that's macabre, smart, and FUN.”—Sarah Langan, author of Good Neighbors and Trad Wife


Praise for The Staircase in the Woods


“Chuck Wendig is the Frank Lloyd Wright of horror, and here’s his masterstroke of malaise. The Staircase in the Woods is a true blueprint for terror.”—Clay McLeod Chapman

“Chuck Wendig weaves his magic once more, turning a lonely staircase in the woods into a searing, propulsive, dread-filled exploration of the horrors of knowing and being known. I’d follow him anywhere.”—Kiersten White

“A masterclass in character . . . Unputdownable, with imagery that cuts like a knife—this is Chuck Wendig at the top of his game.”—Thomas Olde Heuvelt

“Chuck Wendig has given us another stunner. The Staircase in the Woods is as mysterious, alluring, heartbreaking, ever-shifting, and unnervingly powerful as the nature of friendship itself.”—Nat Cassidy

“Heart-wrenching and anxiety inducing . . . As if the crew from Stephen King’s IT were thrown into the chaotic hallways of Mark Danielewski’s House of Leaves, The Staircase in the Woods will become lodged in your mind, if you let it in.”—Jenny Kiefer

“Chuck Wendig has crafted a very sinister take on the familiar urban legend. Highly original and deeply disturbing, this one will stick with you.”—Gwendolyn Kiste

The Staircase in the Woods is delicious, disorienting, and deeply captivating. It will pull at the threads of your psyche in the best way until you feel like you just emerged from the most exquisite nightmare.”—Alaina Urquhart

Author

© Michelle Wendig
Chuck Wendig is the New York Times bestselling author of Wanderers, The Book of Accidents, Wayward, and more than two dozen other books for adults and young adults. A finalist for the Astounding Award and an alumnus of the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, he has also written comics, games, and for film and television. He’s known for his popular blog, terribleminds, and books about writing such as Damn Fine Story. He lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with his family. View titles by Chuck Wendig