About Sam
Samantha Kolesnik is an author, filmmaker, and artist based in central Pennsylvania. She is best known for her books Waif (2021) and True Crime (2020).
She is also the author of the YA novella Elogona (Weirdpunk Books) and the short fiction collection Tales From Between Presents: Samantha Kolesnik’s Lonesome Haunts.
Her short films have screened at festivals internationally, including Mama’s Boy, which premiered at the Telluride Horror Show.
She is also a producer of the upcoming feature film Dead Format (dir. Michael Lombardo).
A trauma survivor living with PTSD, Kolesnik continues to explore film, photography, and writing as tools of reclamation, resistance, and healing.
reviews
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I’ve taken in a lot of rather dark literature over the years, but I can unequivocally say True Crime is the most disturbing book I’ve ever read.
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It’s an eerily enchanting tale, sucking the reader in despite the horrors. Its short length and fast pace, combined with its visceral feel, pack a psychologically intense punch, yet it is also beautiful and hopeful.
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...could easily become one of the most talked about novels of 2020. Its brevity makes it easy to devour…digestion will take much longer.
True Crime, Third Edition. This edition features new cover art by the author, as well as new acknowledgments.
Waif, third edition. This edition features new cover art by the author, as well as new acknowledgments.
Spanish language edition of True Crime, published by La Biblioteca de Carfax in Spain. Cover art by Kim Martín Humphrey.
Spanish language edition of Waif, published by La Bilioteca de Carfax in Spain. Cover art by Kim Martín Humphrey. Coming October 2025.