About me
"I’ve always been drawn to the weird and uncanny -
– the forgotten tales of ancient civilizations, the whispered legends carried through generations, and the hidden magic woven into the landscape of my homeland, Pakistan. These stories have rooted themselves in my imagination and continue to breathe life into the worlds I create.”
Maliha Rao is a dark fantasy and horror writer whose stories live at the eerie crossroads of South Asian folklore, grief, and the fantastically weird. Her fiction conjures ghosts with grudges, jinn with existential crises, and monsters that giggle as they bite. With a deep love for the uncanny and the folkloric, Maliha crafts tales that are both bone-chilling and whimsically strange because horror doesn’t always have to scream; sometimes, it wears a crooked smile and dances.
Born and based in Karachi, Pakistan, Maliha is also a seasoned digital communication expert with two decades of experience in creative strategy, copywriting, and brand storytelling. When she’s not building digital narratives, she’s building fictional worlds. Her short horror stories have appeared in local anthologies, and her debut novel, a horror anthology about grief, magic, and monsters, is set to release in 2025 with Liberty Books.
"Grab a cup of tea and enjoy my dark universe made of words, wonder and a touch of whimsy."
Beyond the page, Maliha is a passionate advocate for speculative fiction in South Asia. She’s on a mission to nurture a thriving community of fantasy, horror, and science fiction writers in Pakistan through writing clubs, workshops, and literary events. Whether she’s helping emerging authors find their voice or championing bold new narratives, she’s committed to preserving cultural storytelling while pushing its boundaries.
She lives with too many books, a few spoiled pets, and an unstoppable urge to create something strange.
