A short life of the author
Cynthia “Cina” Pelayo (born c. 1980 in Chicago) is a Puerto Rican-American writer of horror and dark fiction. Her work draws on fairy tales, folklore, and urban legend, filtered through the geography and social history of Chicago and through her Latina heritage.
Major Works
Children of Chicago (2021, Agora Books/Polis Books) reimagines the Pied Piper of Hamelin as a serial killer preying on young people in Chicago, drawing on the city’s real history of unsolved disappearances and violence. The novel was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award and the International Latino Book Award.
Into the Forest and All the Way Through (2023) — a verse novel that retells fairy tales through the lens of gendered violence and urban decay.
Shoemaker’s Magician — continues her project of transplanting European folk narratives into contemporary American settings.
Collecting Pelayo
Pelayo’s books are published by small and mid-size presses; first editions have modest print runs. Children of Chicago (2021) first editions bring $20–$50. As her reputation grows in the horror community, early titles may appreciate. Signed copies are available through horror conventions and independent bookshop events.