E.M. Markoff's Blog, page 7
October 1, 2019
Guest Post: How Metal Changed My Life by Jonathan Fortin
https://horroraddicts.wordpress.com/
My short story Requiem in Frost is not exactly autobiographical. I’m not a Norwegian girl, and I’ve never lived in a house haunted by the ghost of an extreme metal musician. But there is an important facet that is taken fairly directly from my own life.
Requiem is the story of Ingrid, a fourteen-year-old girl who discovers music that speaks to her after finding it abrasive throughout her childhood. This was more or less my own experience growing up as a hypersensitive autistic boy. Bright sunlight hurt my eyes; my first time showering felt like needles were puncturing my back; I was disgusted by food that everyone else loved; and music made my ears hurt. That last one made me feel especially alone in the world; who didn’t like music? It didn’t help that my dad was a jazz guitar player, and my brother a drummer, whose drum set took up a big chunk of the room we shared. At school, the other kids blared hip-hop, the bass turned up so high that I felt its vibrations in my chest and temples—an uncomfortable, violating sensation that would render me unable to think or function.
As a result of all this, I considered music to be abrasive, inescapable noise that was forced upon me. I enjoyed certain movie soundtracks and didn’t mind the angsty punk rock that my brother introduced me to, but nothing really awakened my passion until I turned seventeen, and I decided to seek out music of my own. I was obsessed with Tim Burton movies, and had got it into my head that I was a goth, even though I had yet to dress the part or listen to the music associated with the subculture. My school didn’t have too many goths, so I took to the internet, asking online acquaintances for suggestions—some of which I liked, some of which I didn’t. Slowly, I expanded my musical knowledge, and was soon hooked on goth, industrial, and of course metal.
My exposure to extreme metal began, as it did for many in my generation, with Cradle of Filth. At seventeen, I was not yet accustomed to screamed or growled vocals, finding them as abrasive as high-bass hip-hop. The beautifully gothic music video for Cradle of Filth’s “Nymphetamine” changed that. It mixed Dani Filth’s (rather silly) growls with clean, angelic vocals from Liv Kristine and a sumptuous visual style. I was so taken by the aesthetic of the clip that I watched it over and over, slowly becoming desensitized to the growled vocals. From there I moved on to Dimmu Borgir’s symphonic epic “Progenies of the Great Apocalypse,” and shortly thereafter moved onto more traditional (or “proper”) black metal acts—eventually falling in love with the likes of Emperor and Immortal. Amongst seasoned black metal fans, Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir are largely a joke. Both bands are cheesy and commercialized when compared to true black metal. But I think it’s important to realize that these bands can serve as a gateway to what many of us think of as better music.
Black metal doesn’t have the best reputation. Most “normal” people find it too abrasive to listen to; its history is full of suicide, church-burning, and murder; and there’s an unfortunate Neo Nazi contingent in the fandom. But for me, the dark music became a source of comfort and catharsis, its abrasions somehow healing, its barbarism somehow peaceful. It also became a source of community, allowing me to meet other people with similar interests and beliefs. I cannot understate what a hugely significant thing this was. Growing up, I didn’t have too many friends—I was awkward, shy, and didn’t have too much in common with my peers. Discovering my music allowed me to discover my people.
In other words, this dark, satanic music was a wholeheartedly positive influence on my life, and a big reason why I managed to grow up into a well-adjusted, high-functioning adult.
You’ll have to read Requiem in Frost to find out whether the same can be said for Ingrid.
September 30, 2019
Reading "Leaving the # 9" at the 3rd Annual Tales of Horror
This Wednesday, 10/2, at 7pm-8:30pm, I will be at the 3rd Annual Tales of Horror at the San Mateo Public Library. I had quite a lovely time at the 2nd Annual Tales of Horror and am looking forward to reading to the public once again! Last year’s event was a lot of fun with authors dressing up in costumes and reading excerpts from their books. I’m hoping to dress up again this year, but lately the Kleenex box has been my best friend. Maybe I can be a catrina with a head cold. lnstead of a crown of roses in my hair, maybe I should consider a crown of tissues, lol!
I’ll have a limited number of copies of “Leaving the #9,” The Deadbringer, and To Nurture & Kill on hand for sale. And since you’ll be buying direct from me, all purchases will include a free limited edition Ellderet bookmark (while supplies last). If you’re one of my Newsletter of the Cursed subscribers, you know all about the trials and tribulations behind these bookmarks. If you’re not subscribed, please consider becoming one of The Damned. The Faceless God will most certainly be getting its own limited edition bookmark, and I would like to ask my newsletter subscribers to help me choose the design.
The Damned strike a pose
Authors from left to right: Loren Rhoads, Mercy Hollow, EM Markoff, Emerian Rich
So yeah, if you’re looking for a night of spooky stories read by costumed authors dressed to impress, then the 3rd Annual Tales of Horror is for you! Many thanks to the San Mateo Public Library for hosting the event (#supportlocallibraries) and to HorrorAddicts.net for organizing.
The following authors will also be reading at the event: Emerian Rich, Jonathan Fortin, J. Malcolm Stewart, Trinity Adler, Loren Rhoads, Laurel Anne Hill, Ben Monroe, R.L. Merrill, Mercy Hollow, and Sumiko Saulson.
2019 Upcoming Events:
10/2/19: Tales of Horror | San Mateo Library | San Mateo, CA | Free | Reading
10/11/19: Stephen Chbosky with E.M. Markoff | Kepler’s Literary Foundation | Menlo Park, CA | 7:30pm - 9pm | Buy tickets
10/19/19: Lit Crawl | Dalva | San Francisco, CA | Free | Reading
E. M. Markoff
Live Reading of "Leaving the # 9" at the 3rd Annual Tales of Horror
This Wednesday, 10/2, at 7pm-8:30pm, I will be at the 3rd Annual Tales of Horror at the San Mateo Public Library. I had quite a lovely time at the 2nd Annual Tales of Horror and am looking forward to reading to the public once again! Last year’s event was a lot of fun with authors dressing up in costumes and reading excerpts from their books. I’m hoping to dress up again this year, but lately the Kleenex box has been my best friend. Maybe I can be a catrina with a head cold. lnstead of a crown of roses in my hair, maybe I should consider a crown of tissues, lol!
I’ll have a limited number of copies of “Leaving the #9,” The Deadbringer, and To Nurture & Kill on hand for sale. And since you’ll be buying direct from me, all purchases will include a free limited edition Ellderet bookmark (while supplies last). If you’re one of my Newsletter of the Cursed subscribers, you know all about the trials and tribulations behind these bookmarks. If you’re not subscribed, please consider becoming one of The Damned. The Faceless God will most certainly be getting its own limited edition bookmark, and I would like to ask my newsletter subscribers to help me choose the design.
The Damned strike a pose
Authors from left to right: Loren Rhoads, Mercy Hollow, EM Markoff, Emerian Rich
So yeah, if you’re looking for a night of spooky stories read by costumed authors dressed to impress, then the 3rd Annual Tales of Horror is for you! Many thanks to the San Mateo Public Library for hosting the event (#supportlocallibraries) and to HorrorAddicts.net for organizing.
The following authors will also be reading at the event: Emerian Rich, Jonathan Fortin, J. Malcolm Stewart, Trinity Adler, Loren Rhoads, Laurel Anne Hill, Ben Monroe, R.L. Merrill, Mercy Hollow, and Sumiko Saulson.
Upcoming Events:
10/2: Tales of Horror | San Mateo Library | San Mateo, CA | Free | Reading
10/11: Stephen Chbosky with E.M. Markoff | Kepler’s Literary Foundation | Menlo Park, CA | 7:30pm - 9pm | Buy tickets
10/19: Lit Crawl | Dalva | San Francisco, CA | Free | Reading
E. M. Markoff
September 12, 2019
Pronunciation in the World of the Ellderet. Or, My Experience Growing Up Bilingual.
Part 1:
In which statements are made, but first . . .
This post is spoiler free. Here only for the pronunciation? I gotcha. Scroll down to Part 2 and Fortune be with you. But if you want to get a clear sense where my pronunciations come from and why I have some names pronounced two different ways, then read on.
This post is indebted to a long-time Ellderet reader who stopped by my booth at SVCC 2019 to ask how to pronounce certain names from The Deadbringer. He told me the way he pronounced them, and I told him the way I pronounced them. This conversation prompted me to ask him if a glossary on pronunciation would be a welcome addition to The Faceless God. I can’t recall the exact words he used in response, but he did say that a glossary or something that explained “however you say the names, even if it’s made up” would be welcome.
This got me thinking how I—as someone who grew up speaking and consuming both English and Spanish—approached names in fantasy books. I realized that more often than not that I say the names of characters, places, cities, etc. with a Spanish pronunciation, especially if the spelling lends itself to it. This feels natural to me. Is this my subconscious way of inserting my culture into my everyday narrative so I can see myself represented? Possibly — I do want to see myself in the world around me and in the fantasy stories I read. All those fantasy names with lots of r’s? You can bet I was rolling the r’s in Perrin Aybara’s name.
As for the world of the Ellderet, the way I approach pronunciation is rooted in my experiences as a first generation bilingual Latinx. That is, I often pronounce the names in two different ways, as if reading them in both English and Spanish. Let’s use the name “Judas” as an example. In English, the word has a hard “J” sound (“joo-dus”), while in Spanish the “J” sounds more like an “H” as in “hoo-dahs.” (As you have can no doubt tell, I don’t know shit about linguistics.) In my own personal experience, it wasn’t uncommon for me to hear bilingual speakers pronounce their name or a word (like “guacamole”) in both English and Spanish, and to switch back and forth between the two pronunciations in everyday conversation (Spanglish!).
Circling back to the name Judas, if it were my own name, would I prefer being addressed with one pronunciation over the other? It depends. It’s the individual who dictates how their name is pronounced, not everyone else around them. Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation most certainly had a preference, made it known, and asked others to respect his preferred pronunciation. There may be a character in the world of the Ellderet who shares Data’s views. Feel free to take a guess who it is
September 10, 2019
Check Out the Alternate Book Covers for "Leaving the #9"
Gracias (thank you) to everyone who made their voice heard on IG, FB, and via email about which cover to use for “Leaving the #9.” The vote counts for Versions B and C were very close. At SVCC 2019, a few of my Ellderet readers posed the idea of having both Version B and Version C available for purchase.
August 27, 2019
Kira Vidal and The Deadbringer Come to Life on HorrorAddicts.net Episode #172
Come for the amazing audio dramatization (at 38:90) of chapter 7 of The Deadbringer, “A Chance Encounter,” and stay for the delightfully dark music and the original Podcast drama, Darkvein Manor.
Listen: https://horroraddicts.wordpress.com/2019/08/23/horroraddicts-net-172-e-m-markoff/
Read: https://horroraddicts.wordpress.com/2019/08/23/chilling-chat-episode-172-e-m-markoff/
Thank you Emerian Rich and Naching T. Kassa for hosting. IT Crowd fan in the house!!
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August 24, 2019
Happy #Caturday: The Assistant Gets Some Rest After SVCC 2019
As always, it’s the people who make Silicon Valley Comic Con a memorable convention.
July 27, 2019
Happy #Caturday: The Assistant Strides Across His Domain
The “Ass”istant gives his “ass” of approval. Hahahaha . . . no? Yeah, no.
And thus ended her career, on this fateful #Caturday, with an unforgivably as(s)inine pun.
R.I.P. E.M. Markoff
(I don’t think even E’sinea would go this far^^;)
Quick Reminder: I’ll be at Silicon Valley Comic Con in San Jose, California from August 16-18. For more information, please head on over to Events. Hope to see you there :)
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Thank you for your support and for coming along with me on this journey
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July 25, 2019
July 23, 2019
The Ellderet Series is Among RedStarReviews’ Top 10 Fantasy Series
That red brick https://www.instagram.com/redstarreviews/
Deep breath. Relax. Remember that no one likes all caps. So, in lieu of all caps, just imagine me and the Assistant running up and down the hallway with glee. The Ellderet Series has made it to RedStarReviews’ top 10 fantasy list! Not going to lie, it was always a dream of mine to see TES on a top ten-fifty-hundred-thousand fantasy list, but that’s all it ever seemed that it could be: a dream.
Until now.
I’m so freaking honored to be included alongside so many of my favorite authors whose works have inspired me. The grin on my face would make Amonos proud. Seriously, you need to check out the list, it’s great. But above all, I’m humbled that The Deadbringer has found its way into readers’ hearts. #AchievementUnlocked
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Sign up and receive updates on new installments of the world of the Ellderet, author & book events, giveaways, writerly projects, and more.
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We respect your privacy and your inbox. Your information will never be shared or sold. Also no spam, ever. It's a promise.
Thank you for your support and for coming along with me on this journey
E.M. Markoff Blog | Writer's Life RSS
E. M. Markoff
