It was an idea I’d been kicking around for a long time. I wanted to write a story that took place in just one night, but it didn’t feel like a whole novel. When my publisher asked if I had anything in the story drawer that might work for a novella, I thought of it immediately. The story grew from there, drawing on a lot of things in my academic past—including the graveyard behind my dorm where I hung out as an undergrad and my own experience of chronic insomnia and the desperation that it causes. Because I also work in the medical humanities, I was eager to try putting a sci-fi spin on something. With the length in mind, I wanted something fast-paced and fun, so I did kind of take Scooby Doo as a model. I’d like to think it’s a grown-up version of that—same wacky energy but with a little more intellectual substance.
― M. L. Rio, Interview, Los Angeles Public Library
What booksellers are saying about Graveyard Shift: A Novella
- If The Last of Us was told through a dark academia lens, it would be Graveyard Shift. After discovering a large, freshly-dug hole in the ground during a late-night meetup, a group of insomniacs uncovers a mysterious plot with dangerous ramifications. An absolutely immersive narrative!
― Matilda McNeely, Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, Georgia | BUY
- M.L. Rio returns! This novella is the perfect way to spend a rainy evening. Graveyard Shift is a story made up of insomniacs and their worst imaginings. Nightmares meet reality, and it all unfolds in the span of a few sleepless hours. I could read it again and again!
― Rachel Randolph, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee | BUY
- Brimming with late-night decadence, this novella will chill you through all your sleepless nights. M.L. Rio knows how to make a memorable cast of characters and propel you through the story with mystery and literary charm. I couldn’t get enough!
― Hallee Israel, Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville, Arkansas | BUY
- The Breakfast Club meets The Last of Us meets—yes—Scooby Doo in this quiet, uncanny Gothic. Our tale begins with five acquaintances from different walks of life, bonded only by their chronic insomnia and pervasive loneliness, discovering an empty grave one sleepless night. Then come the rats. The ensuing unraveling of both a sinister conspiracy and our heroes’ collective sanity unfolds hour by hour, from midnight to 10am, as they piece together the awful truth about their mundane university town. M.L. Rio creates atmosphere like few can, attending to each grim detail with the macabre glee of someone who loves horror. (And let me just say: as a woman who spent many restless nights wandering the cemetery outside my dormitory, I felt deeply connected to this work.)
― Charlie Monroe, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina | BUY
- An eerie story about a group of strangers all connected by their nocturnal movements, “Graveyard Shift” was a perfect combination of horror and sci-fi. I loved the way the characters’ lives intertwined yet still felt distinct. This story has added fuel to my suspicions that mushrooms are better off left alone. The story was well-paced and perfectly creepy despite being short. And I fully believe more books should include playlists and drink recipes.
― Ashley White, Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs, Louisiana | BUY
About M. L. Rio
M. L. Rio is the author of international bestseller If We Were Villains, which has been published in twenty countries and eighteen languages. She holds an MA in Shakespeare studies from King’s College London and Shakespeare’s Globe and a PhD in English from the University of Maryland, College Park. Graveyard Shift is her first novella.
