A Santa Rosa teenager with a lifelong love of horror films and books is making his mark on the genre with a self-published novel that took five years to complete.<\/p>\n
Brendan Li, 17, debuted \u201cThose That Cry In The Dark\u201d in August, self-publishing the 290-page paperback through Amazon.com. The coming-of-age monster story, which retails for $15.50, is available online and at Santa Rosa\u2019s Barnes & Noble, where Li will be signing copies and talking to readers from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.<\/p>\n
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Santa Rosa author Brendan Li recently self-published his debut horror novel, “Those That Cry In The Dark.” (Cover art by Ginelle Helene Nikkel)<\/p>\n
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Santa Rosa author Brendan Li recently self-published his debut horror novel, “Those That Cry In The Dark.” Li will be signing copies of the book at Barnes & Noble in Santa Rosa, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Dakota Rodriguez)<\/p>\n
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Santa Rosa author Brendan Li poses with a copy of his debut horror novel, “Those That Cry In The Dark,” at Barnes & Noble bookstore in Santa Rosa. (Lorenzo Trefry)<\/p>\n
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Santa Rosa author Brendan Li recently self-published his debut horror novel, “Those That Cry In The Dark.” (Cover art by Ginelle Helene Nikkel)<\/p>\n
Expand<\/a><\/p>\n For Li, the obsession with horror goes back to when his mom introduced him to scary movies at a young age.<\/p>\n \u201cFor some parents, that might seem irresponsible,\u201d Li said. \u201cBut in retrospect, I actually think it was really cool, because she taught me the difference between reality and fiction through horror movies. Because fear is such a strong emotion, it really resonated with me.\u201d<\/p>\n The high school senior\u2019s love of writing goes back just as far as his love of horror. He said he got serious about writing at age 12 in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic kept him home with time on his hands.<\/p>\n Inspired by his favorite author Stephen King\u2019s novels of childhood adolescence and monsters, especially the 1986 best-seller, \u201cIt,\u201d Li\u2019s novel tells the story of a teenager, Aiden Baker, who moves with his mother to the small fictional California town of West Devil, which is partly based on his own upbringing in Kenwood.<\/p>\n Li said the novel\u2019s plot, in which Aiden forges friendships while uncovering a dark secret hidden beneath the town\u2019s peaceful setting, follows the universal hero\u2019s journey plot that made him fall in love with literature at a young age, while the story explores deeper themes of growing up.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think horror is just to scare people, I also think it\u2019s to get a point across,\u201d Li said. \u201c\u2018It\u2019 isn\u2019t just about a clown named Pennywise terrorizing children; instead, the novel is about a group of kids conquering their real-life fears, whether it is bullying, racism or sexism. Very real stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n