Warren Adler's Blog, page 48

Bram Stoker books: How ‘Dracula’ created the modern vampire

Share: Before there was ‘Twilight’ or ‘True Blood,’ there was Bram Stoker. Today is Bram Stoker’s 165th birthday.

“So who was Bram Stoker, exactly? Only the progenitor of the modern vampire craze. Long before there was “True Blood,” “Vampire Diaries,” or “Twilight” – with its sophisticated “vegetarian vampires” – there was Stoker and his most famous creation: a long-toothed, blood-thirsty Transylvanian transplant.”

Read more: Matthew Shaer, Christian Science Monitor…

NPR: 6 Book Stories That’ll Cast The Election In New Light

With the presidential election upon us, NPR looks at six books that shed new light on the race.

“NPR Books dug into the archives for new ways to look at the election story. Here you’ll find accounts of past campaigns gone wrong, an examination of the science and art of prediction and an idea of what happens when the pre-presidential storyline gets a dose of sci fi, fantasy and puberty, respectively.” (Read more: NPR Books)

 ‘Pursuit Of Darkness’: Beltway Bloodsuckers 

“Washington insider Jeff Gillenkirk mixes politics and the supernatural in an election novel that imagines a world in which vampires have controlled American politics for more than 200 years. Despite its fantastical facade, Pursuit of Darkness presents a picture of Washington that feels frighteningly familiar. (Book Review, April 3, 2012)”

 ‘Signal’ And ‘Noise’: Prediction As Art And Science

“In an election year, with numerous polls being taken on a daily basis, it’s impossible to avoid predictions, but statistical analyst Nate Silver says humility is key to making those predictions accurate.…

My Ideal Bookshelf

(Article originally published in the Wall Street Journal)

If you could pick a small selection of books to represent you, what would they be? Over 100 creative types, including chefs, writers, architects and filmmakers, answered the question for “My Ideal Bookshelf,” edited by Thessaly La Force (Little, Brown, $24.99). James Joyce and Marcel Proust make expected appearances—as do “Harriet the Spy” and “The Complete Far Side.” Sherlock Holmes shows up on the shelves of both writer Michael Chabon and doctor/author Atul Gawande. Each interview is accompanied by a hand-painted illustration of the selected books by Jane Mount, whose paintings of bookshelves inspired the collection, due out Nov. 13. Here is a sampling:

Judd Apatow, Film Producer

“I chose a few books that were important to me when I was a kid dreaming of becoming a comedian. ‘The Last Laugh’ was the first portrayal of the comedian’s life where I wanted in.

…

And If The Polls Are Dead Wrong?

Allow me to make a hypothetical assumption that to many will border on fantasy.

Suppose all the polls which predict one of the tightest races in Presidential electoral history are dead wrong and one or another candidate wins in a landslide, both popular and electoral?

Dad’s Boys

It is often on the smaller details of observation that the truth lies. A good example of this is the aftermath of the Presidential debates, not the main conflict.

Why Do We Still Love the Short Story?

(This article was originally published in Staug News, Nov. 1, 2012)

Short story first became popular in the United States of America as an effort to create a distinct form of American literature separate from European styles.

The following excerpt comes from the book A Short History of the Short Story: Western and Asian Traditions by Gulnaz Fatma.

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Numerous causes have led to the short story’s development as a popular form of literature. The rapid development of the short story in modern times is largely due to the hectic schedule of life that does not allow people to devote enough time to reading the lengthy epics, novels, and plays that appealed to earlier readers. Now, people can hardly afford to read lengthy novels like Henry Fielding’s Tom Jones (1749) and Samuel Richardson’s Clarissa (1748), the latter the longest novel in the English language at roughly 2,600 pages, because it takes a long time to read fiction continuously.…

Adorable Photos of People Dressed Up as Books

“Check out ten charming book costumes, and let us know which cardboard tome you’d most like to strap onto your torso.” (Emily Temple, Flavorwire)

(1 of 10) The most scandalous Halloween costume we’ve seen this year.

 

(2 of 10) For a very highbrow Halloween.

 

(3 of 10) A very cheerful Bible.

 

(4 of 10) What if she gets hungry?

View and read more: Emily Temple, Flavorwire…

The State of the Short Story

Share this: Lorin Stein, editor of The Paris Review, says that if you think short stories are dead, you aren’t paying close enough attention.

“At first glance, there is a simple explanation for why short stories fell off our radar.Once upon a time, stories were a fixture not merely of so-called literary magazines, but of popular interest publications, too. An author could support himself or herself with short fiction, and many – Thurber, Lardner, to say nothing of O. Henry – did just that. But popular entertainments are vulnerable to technological change. Along came the radio serial, the movies, and TV. As readership softened, the big magazines saw that it was easier to attract advertisers by publishing fashion tips — in general, by featuring products – than by giving up pages to fiction…

…There is a time for multi-tasking and a time for losing yourself. The short story offers something else: a chance to pay close attention — and have that attention rewarded because, for once, every little plot twist, every sentence, counts.…

10 Novels That Are Scarier Than Most Horror Movies

“Here are 10 horror novels that are scarier than almost any movie you could be watching. Better read these with all the lights on, kids.”

Read more: Amanda Yesilbas & Charlie Jane Anders, io9.com

 

1. The Shining by Stephen King

“Sure the book is chock full of supernatural visions — but equally disturbing is the human-on-human violence. The child’s-eye view of his parents’ deteriorating relationship — and sanity — is meant to dredge up uncomfortable memories of childhood’s confusion and powerlessness.”

 

 

 

 

2. Haunted: A Novel in Stories by Chuck Palahniuk

“It is said that when Palahniuk read the first tale “Guts” on book tour, people were fainting left and right. The reader is freaked out, not just by the graphic violence and unnerving supernatural bits — but also, the uncomfortable questions about what people will do for fame.”

 

 

 

 

3. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

“What makes the novel so effective is its unreliable narrator, Eleanor.…

Warren Adler Launches Book Experience Application with Dynamics for Dynamics ePlate Credit Card Device

 

 

 

October 23, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

World-renowned author Warren Adler today launches with Dynamics a payments application for the battery-powered Dynamics ePlate™ credit card device. The innovative offering lets consumers earn exclusive Warren Adler books with every purchase.

When the Warren Adler experience™ is selected, a consumer will earn Adler’s masterpiece The War of the Roses for the first $25 the consumer spends using their ePlate™. The ebook is delivered instantly to their mobile phone the second the purchase is completed. Subsequent purchases help earn additional books in the collection as well as one chapter at a time of an exclusive, never before published Warren Adler book. Upon completing the library, the consumer will receive physical copy of The War of the Roses personally signed by Warren Adler, and the complete exclusive book. This version of the work will only be available to Dynamics ePlate™ users.

Consumers can sign up for a battery-powered Dynamics ePlate™ credit card device at www.dynamicsinc.com/warrenadler

“When I saw the ePlate™ platform, I thought this was an innovative way to engage my readers,” said Warren Adler.…