Elizabeth Engstrom

Elizabeth Engstrom (born May 11, 1951, in Elmhurst, Illinois, and originally named Bette Lynn Gutzmer) is an American writer of horror and dark fantasy. Her first novel, When Darkness Loves Us, established her reputation for unsettling character studies rather than conventional monster fiction, an approach she continued in books such as Black Ambrosia and Nightmare Flower. Her story collection Nightmare Flower was a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award for Best Fiction Collection, and she edited the anthology series Imagination Fully Dilated with cover artist Alan M. Clark. Beyond fiction, Engstrom has taught writing extensively, directing the Maui Writers Retreat and helping found the Wordcrafters in Eugene literary community. Her novel Candyland was adapted into a 2017 film starring Gary Busey, and When Darkness Loves Us has also been optioned for film.