Lucio Besana's New Novel and the State of Italian Horror

The release of Lucio Besana's new novel, his first full-length work, comes less than a month after an article by Mauro Covacich in a major Italian newspaper, where Covacich devoted two pages to science fiction while admitting he does not like the genre and prefers not to read it. This juxtaposition highlights the dysfunctional relationship with genre fiction in Italy. Besana's previous works include the short story collections 'Storie della serie cremisi' (2021) and 'Ombre dei vivi e dei morti' (2023), and the novel 'L'innocenza del buio' (2023), co-authored with Giovanni De Feo. The article by Marco Malvestio and Anita Romanello, published on doppiozero.com on March 4, 2026, discusses Besana's new novel and the broader context of Italian horror literature. The piece suggests that in a normal country, the release of a new Besana novel would be a significant event, but in Italy, genre fiction is often marginalized. The article criticizes the prevailing attitude towards genre literature, as exemplified by Covacich's piece, which is symptomatic of a wider cultural bias. The new novel represents Besana's first sustained engagement with long-form narrative, marking a departure from his acclaimed short fiction. The article underscores the importance of this release within the Italian literary landscape, particularly for fans of horror and genre fiction.