Bram Stoker Award winners
 

Anybody have any insight into the selection process for these?
I figure these winners would be a good place to look for some good reads.
I was wrong.
Some of these books straight up suck donkey balls.

So, I'm wondering if some of these might be "rigged", if you will, i.e. heavily laden with some sort of political tom foolery?

Sure, a lot of the winners have been great, but some are real head scratchers e.g. Heart Shaped Box.

I think the prelim ballots are actually better for picking out new stuff because they tend to have things that are a bit more risque and unusual than stuff on the final ballot. Now, that's not to say the people on the final ballot are hacks or anything, but the prelim ballot is the place to find the really unique work.