Home › Fiction › The Croning

The Croning

by Laird Barron

A geologist at the edge of the uncanny

Regular price $18.74 USD
Regular price $31.24 USD Sale price $18.74 USD
Save 40%

Paperback New

Delivery to your door
In stock·Dispatches in 1–2 business days
Standard shipping* from $4.35
Standard shipping transit* 5–8 business days after dispatch

Faster options are available.

Rates and delivery estimates depend on your destination and item quantity. Estimates are informational only; the final shipping method and rate are selected at checkout.

Secure checkout
American Express Apple Pay DiscoverGoogle Pay Mastercard PayPalVisa
30-day eligible returns Returns & refunds policy

Awards & Recognition

  • Author recognition

    Laird Barron — Shirley Jackson Award winner

    The metadata describes Laird Barron as a Shirley Jackson Award-winning author; it does not state that The Cronin...

AlbakiReads Editorial

A geologist at the edge of the uncanny

Donald Miller’s long life as a geologist and academic has kept him close to unsettling discoveries, though he has largely continued between absent-mindedness and the limits of what he can accept. As hidden forces draw his past and present together, he begins uncovering disturbing secrets involving his wife Michelle, their adult twins, and the people he trusts. The description places the Children of Old Leech, black magic, and strange cults within a cosmic-horror framework, with geological inquiry and family ties entwined in Donald’s growing recognition of what lies beyond ordinary understanding.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • For readers interested in cosmic horror and supernatural mysteries.
  • For readers drawn to stories that combine occult elements with family secrets.
  • For readers interested in horror featuring an academic or scientific protagonist.

Themes

Cosmic horrorOccult forces and cultsFamily secretsThe limits of perception and sanityGeology and the uncanny

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

Strange things exist on the periphery of our existence, haunting us from the darkness looming beyond our firelight. Black magic, weird cults and worse things loom in the shadows. The Children of Old Leech have been with us from time immemorial. And they love us...

Donald Miller, geologist and academic, has walked along the edge of a chasm for most of his nearly eighty years, leading a charmed life between endearing absent-mindedness and sanity-shattering realization. Now, all things must converge. Donald will discover the dark secrets along the edges, unearthing savage truths about his wife Michelle, their adult twins, and all he knows and trusts. For Donald is about to stumble on the secret...

...of The Croning.

From Laird Barron, Shirley Jackson Award-winning author of The Imago Sequence and Occultation, comes The Croning, a debut novel of cosmic horror.

Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.
Shipping & returnsShipping options, delivery timing, and our return policy.

In-stock items normally dispatch within 1–2 business days. The ZIP-code estimator on this page is informational only; the final shipping method, price, and availability are confirmed at checkout for your full order.

For the initial delivery estimate we use these transit windows after dispatch: Standard 5–8 business days, Expedited 2–4 business days, and Priority 1–2 business days. Holiday delays are not included.

Eligible items can be returned within 30 days in accordance with our return policy.

Customer reviews

M
AlbakiReads
Malaika Taylor

I highly recommend to for anyone looking for inner clarity

T
AlbakiReads
Thomas DiMassa

Great service and fast service

Great shopping experience! The book arrived quickly, was well packaged, and matched the description perfectly. I would definitely shop with you again

O
AlbakiReads
Olivia

Smooth.