A New Chapter: Stygian Media

After three years of building The Stygian Society, we're excited to announce our evolution into something bigger: Stygian Media. This transformation marks our evolution from a publishing house into a full-fledged media company dedicated to Canadian horror storytelling across multiple platforms.

Stygian Media will merge The Stygian Society publishing house with the Haunted Montreal YouTube channel, which Holly Rhiannon has co-hosted with French host Dr. Mab since 2022. Together, these ventures have built a loyal following through consistent, well-researched content that celebrates Canadian horror across print and video.

"For three years, we've been building something special with The Stygian Society," says Rhiannon. "I've also been running the Haunted Montreal channel for over three years, and keeping these as separate projects never quite made sense. Bringing The Stygian Society and Haunted Montreal together under one umbrella just makes everything flow better. Instead of fragmenting our focus across separate initiatives, it's all feeding into one cohesive vision: celebrating Canadian horror and the people who create it."

What's Changing

The relaunch brings several key developments.

Canadian Creators Only: While The Stygian Society previously published international works, Stygian Media will exclusively feature Canadian creators as of April 2026. This change reinforces our commitment to championing homegrown horror and building a stronger Canadian dark fiction community.

Expanded Video Content: The Haunted Montreal YouTube channel, produced in partnership with Donovan King's tourism company of the same name, will continue under the Stygian Media banner. Two new hosts are joining the team: Derek Delaronde, bringing tales from Kahnawake that amplify Indigenous voices and legends from the Mohawk community, and Sarah Beaupre, exploring Montreal's dark music scene and haunted venues.

Channel Network Opportunities: We're opening applications for creators to join the channel network, either contributing content to the main channel or partnering as network affiliates in a promotional ecosystem designed to support Canadian horror content creators.

Focused Publishing Mission: Moving forward, Stygian Media will concentrate exclusively on dark fiction and paranormal content. The Stygian Zine will increase production in 2027, with plans to publish more than two issues per year. We're also launching periodicals through our blog, creating a pipeline to full print publication for emerging voices.

The Stygian Seal: An annual writing prize celebrating the best in Canadian dark fiction published in The Stygian Zine. The first winner will be announced October 31, 2026. Selected by an expert panel of judges, the winner will receive a $150 CAD cash award, certificate, digital winner seal, exclusive t-shirt, and free submission fee waiver for the following year. As Stygian Media grows and secures additional funding, the prize value will increase to better recognise exceptional Canadian horror writing.

Community Support Model: To sustain growth and continue compensating contributors fairly, we're introducing submission fees for The Stygian Zine. Fees start at $5 CAD per submission, with selected works receiving a $20 CAD honorarium and eligibility for The Stygian Seal.

What's Not Changing

Stygian Media will remain committed to the values that defined The Stygian Society: no AI-generated content, fair compensation for creators, and a focus on community over commerce. We will continue to operate with a "for authors, by authors" philosophy, prioritising quality storytelling over passing trends.

Looking Ahead

The official Stygian Media launch is set for April 2, 2026.

"Canadian horror gets lost in the noise," Rhiannon explains. "International voices dominate the shelves and screens, while our own ghost stories and dark fiction struggle to find audiences. Stygian Media exists for the readers who want horror that reflects our folklore, our history, and our fears."

With over 300 videos and 4,610 subscribers on YouTube, a Discord community of 700+ members, and a successful publishing track record including the launch of Matt Poll's "Dark Flock" and The Stygian Zine, Stygian Media is positioned to become a leading voice in Canadian independent horror.

Come Meet Us

Want to learn more about what's coming? Join us at Mad Monster Party on February 28 and March 1 from 11 AM to 6 PM each day at the Knights Of Columbus Of Caughnawaga. Entry is free, and we'll have books, videos, and exclusive information about the Stygian Media launch.

STYGIAN: Last Rites

Stay tuned for more information on STYGIAN: Last Rites, our special event laying to rest the press and launching Stygian Media. Tickets will go on sale February 28 and are limited. This is one night you won't want to miss.

We'll be sharing more details about submission guidelines and applications as we get closer to the April 2 launch. We've been lurking in the darkness. Now we're ready to show our teeth.