Winner of the Spokane Prize in Fiction
Featured in the Missouri Review, Raleigh Review, Sun Magazine, and Best American Mystery Stories.
"Dark and mesmerizing, haunting." C.J. Box
Discover what the book is about:
From award-winning author Doug Crandell comes, Equipment for the Darkness, a compelling new collection of short stories set against the bleak, unrelenting landscape of rural Indiana. In these tales, a young man braves a blizzard to save his sister, while a small-town sheriff is haunted by the father of his childhood friend. Two brothers confront the harsh realities of manhood and loss. Across eleven piercing narratives, Crandell masterfully weaves together themes of isolation and connection, serenity and disruption, unflinchingly providing us with the tools we need to endure the long, cold darkness.
Doug's playlist while writing the book!
Songs are like short stories: compact, narrative, and fun to share with others. During the writing of his short stories in Equipment for the Darkness, Doug often had a heavy rotation of music that inspired him. Here are some tracks that made the list:
1) Ghosts of our Fathers by Otis Gibbs
2) Head West by Martin Zellar
3) Daniel by Joshua James
4) One by One by Julia Bullock
5) Sadly Beautiful by The Replacements
6) Des Moines by Jeffrey Foucault
7) Rogers Park by Justin Townes Earle
8) Going Home by Malcolm Holcombe
9) Dirty Old Town by The Pogues
10) The Getaway by The White Buffalo
11) Late at Night by Kristy Lee
12) Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman by Lizzie West
13) Indiana Wants Me, covered by Gin Blossoms, Blues Traveler, and Spin Doctors
An excerpt:
I fell asleep, and the old familiar dream began again, scoured some, and in reverse: the massive barn beam retracting from the ground and sucked back up into the rafters, the sky going from wild and blurry back to a peaceful azure. The sparrows weren't hatched yet, and their speckled eggs, like antique porcelain, were bunched in a group, cradled in the beam divot with pieces of hay, tiny feathers, feedbag string, and a loop of Mom's yarn. The last image before waking was that of a calf, just born, legs wobbling, an axe hovering above its slim neck.
Stay up-to-date with Equipment for the Darkness:
Soon, in early 2026, Doug will appear in several locations to read from his book. This is the place where the dates and venues for these events will be announced. Stay tuned!
Can you match the photo to the story?
