The Nudge: A Psychological Thriller by Fink, Joseph

A new horror novella from the creator of Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn't Dead featuring original illustrations from Night Vale series artist Jessica Hayworth.

On the open road, evil doesn't chase you. It waits . . .

Late one night, a wounded man checks into a remote roadside hotel. He's running from something he can't explain or escape. And over the course of a night, he'll tell the hotel's proprietor how his life fell apart.

It started with his wife. Subtle changes. Smiles that didn't belong to her. Then violence--sudden, intimate, almost casual. Therapy offered hope. Recovery seemed possible. Until it wasn't. He believes a hidden influence has attached itself to him, one that never forces, never commands. It whispers. It suggests. Nudges people toward their worst impulses.

Now the man wanders the country as a fugitive, hoping to break free from the evil that's wormed its way into him. But as our narrator's story unfolds, he begins to question whether he's fled far enough . . .

Tense, atmospheric, and chilling, The Nudge is a slow-burn tale of suspense that will linger like a whisper in the dark, long after the story is over.

Author: Joseph Fink
Publisher: Podium Publishing
Published: 09/01/2026
Pages: 144
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.55lbs
Size: 8.10h x 4.90w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9798347042159

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 01/01/0001
Library Journal 07/03/2026 pg. 1
Booklist 08/01/2026

About the Author

Joseph Fink is the critically acclaimed creator of the podcasts Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn't Dead as well as the New York Times-bestselling author of the novels Welcome to Night Vale, It Devours!, The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home, Alice Isn't Dead, The Halloween Moon, The First Ten Years, and The Nudge. He lives with his wife in California.