Gabino Iglesias

Gabino Iglesias is an American author, journalist, editor, and book critic whose fiction blends crime, horror, and literary storytelling with social commentary. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he moved to the mainland United States as a young adult and later earned a PhD in English from Texas A&M University. His academic background and experiences as a Puerto Rican living in the United States have deeply influenced his writing, which frequently explores immigration, poverty, identity, violence, and the lives of marginalized communities. In addition to writing fiction, Iglesias has become a prominent voice in the horror and crime fiction communities through his criticism and essays, contributing to publications such as The New York Times, NPR, CrimeReads, The Los Angeles Times, and The Boston Globe.

Iglesias first gained recognition with his genre-defying novels Zero Saints and Coyote Songs, works that fused crime fiction with supernatural horror while introducing what many critics describe as "barrio noir." He achieved broader international acclaim with The Devil Takes You Home (2022), a harrowing thriller following a father drawn into increasingly horrific acts of violence in an attempt to save his family. The novel won the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Novel and was praised for its powerful blend of crime, horror, and social realism. He later published House of Bone and Rain, further establishing himself as one of the leading contemporary voices in literary horror.

Known for lyrical prose, uncompromising realism, and emotionally charged storytelling, Iglesias writes fiction that confronts inequality, racism, faith, trauma, and survival while incorporating elements of folklore and the supernatural. His work has helped redefine the boundaries between horror, crime fiction, and literary fiction, earning him widespread critical acclaim and a devoted international readership.