Lone Star College-University Park English professor wins Bram Stoker Award for short fiction

HOUSTON, TX -- Lone Star College-University Park English professor, Rhonda Garcia, who publishes horror fiction under the pen name R.J. Joseph, has received the 2025 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Short Fiction for her story “Inheritance.”

Published in “Full Throttle: A Dark Dozen Anthology,” “Inheritance” explores how familiar, long-hidden horrors can become terrifying once they are recognized.

Presented annually by the Horror Writers Association, the Bram Stoker Awards are considered one of the horror and dark fantasy genre’s most prominent literary honors. Garcia was announced as the category winner on June 6 during the Bram Stoker Awards banquet at StokerCon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

“Horror literature is a well-matched venue for exploring the connections between real-world events and those from our imaginations—and the thin walls between the two,” Garcia said. “I am honored to have received this award from my peers because the short story is a valuable yet underutilized tool in teaching and enjoying the written word.”

At LSC-University Park, Garcia teaches reading, writing and critical-thinking skills while encouraging students to engage deeply and foster an appreciation for literature. Her work as a published author also allows her to bring firsthand knowledge of the writing and publishing process into the classroom.

Garcia has published fiction and scholarly work in numerous collections and literary publications, including the Halloween 2020 issue of Southwest Review. Writing as R.J. Joseph, she focuses much of her creative and academic work on horror, Black literature and the ways real-world experiences intersect with the imagination.

Garcia also was selected to participate in Bowling Green State University’s Summer Research Institute alongside scholars from around the country, where she’ll be focusing her studies on Black folk horror using materials from the university’s archival collection. She received a travel grant to help cover partial expenses associated with the institute.

Garcia’s achievements reflect the scholarship, creativity and professional experience LSC-University Park faculty brings to their students and academic disciplines.

For more information about LSC-University Park or to register for classes, visit www.lonestar.edu/upstudentsupport, call 281-290-2600, or email UPAdvising@LoneStar.edu.