At Oregon State University, kinesiology professor Sam Logan is expanding his work beyond the classroom by blending science education with an unexpected passion: horror writing.
Logan teaches kinesiology in the School of Exercise and Sport Science and also instructs Body Horror courses in the OSU Honors College. He is the creator of “Slugger”, a new horror magazine built from student and public story submissions.
Logan began teaching the Body Horror course in fall 2023. To better understand the primary assignment he gives his students, he chose to write a short horror story himself.
“I should probably at least try to write a story once so that I understood what I was asking the students to do,” Logan said.
He connected with online writing communities and small publishers through platforms such as Discord to receive feedback and strengthen his writing. Since beginning that process, Logan has written multiple short stories, several of which have been published.
Logan’s interest in horror began in childhood through the “Goosebumps” book series. His interest deepened during college, where he became a fan of Stephen King and later discovered small-press and independent horror authors.
“I came across more independent authors who are publishing their stories with small presses, not the big traditional publishing companies. And there’s so much talent and great stuff out there people just aren’t aware of,” Logan said.
“Slugger” features stories from students in the Body Horror class as well as from contributors outside the university.
Each issue also includes a black-and-white illustration created by an OSU student.
A special edition containing stories from all students in the course will be released separately.
As the project gained momentum, Logan and his team received more than 400 submissions from the public.
Three issues are planned for this academic year. The first issue is scheduled for release on December 8, 2025, with the second and third issues planned for OSU’s winter and spring terms. Physical and digital copies of “Slugger” will be available through the website.
In addition to horror writing, “Slugger” includes a section titled “Sound Trails”, which features album reviews written by students in Logan’s Punk 101 course.
