Hal Duncan's Blog, page 5

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A Short Film: Sodom

A short experimental film based on my long poem, "Sodom." Images from "Cities of Flesh," a series of abstract/cityscape collages constructed out of gay porn.

Peaceful Protest

What Tolkien REALLY Said

"I have claimed that Escape is one of the main functions of fairy-stories, and since I do not disapprove of them, it is plain that I do not accept the tone of scorn or pity with which “Escape” is now so often used: a tone for which the uses of the word outside literary criticism give no warrant at all. In what the misusers are fond of calling Real Life, Escape is evidently as a rule very

Who Do You Write For?

One of the questions you get as a writer is "Who do you write for? Do you write for yourself, or do you have an ideal reader in mind, or whatever?" I always felt that was one of those questions that starts with a wrong premise, where you can't answer because its startpoint involves an assumption that just doesn't make sense for you.

Like, do I write for myself? Not really. My noggin is just the

SCRUFFIANS! Review

I fell in love with Hal Duncan's collection, Scruffians! as soon as I read the first story. How can that be? Well, as Gob would say, that one story is the hook. It got me to read the whole book in one sitting.Hal Duncan's work can be dense, non-linear, and highly imaginative along with extraordinary writing skills that always impress. With the addition of his homoerotic fantasy-based Scruffian

"The Unfortunate Rake"

Rhapsody

"Hal Duncan, in Rhapsody: Notes on Strange Fictions, turns a critical eye to the genre of SF—considering not just the turf wars and definitional spats, but also the deeper functions and facilities of the “strange fiction” mode in literature. Employing sardonic and often cutting analysis delivered within convincing theoretical frames, Duncan deposes various received-wisdom ideas about the

Scruffians! Deluxe Edition

Two hundred and twenty five pages, full colour, with forty full colour photographs throughout to illustrate and complement the stories, one of which is an extra, not included in the trade edition. Cloth-bound hardback with a wraparound dustjacket. Signed in the spit and venom of yours truly.

US customers should order via Lethe, but I should be getting a batch of these beauties in over the

Caledonia Dreamin' Review

Caledonia Dreamin' is a unique and well edited anthology of
strange fiction of Scottish descent. It's a daring and original glimpse
into Scotland, the Scots language and Scottish culture. Each story is
based on or inspired by a Scots word.


It was truly a pleasure to read this anthology, because I don't remember reading anything similar ever before. There have been plenty of anthologies