Jeff Burk's Blog, page 3
October 20, 2018
31 Days of My Favorite Horror Books – Day 20 – THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS by John Wyndham
For the month of October, I will be writing brief essays about my 31 favorite horror books.
[image error]
“When a day that you happen to know is Wednesday starts off by sounding like Sunday, there is something seriously wrong somewhere.”
That right there is one of the greatest opening lines in all of genre fiction.
THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS is best known in the United States as a cheesy movie and a reference in the opening song of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. But the actual novel is a fantastic piece of sci-fi horror that has a large following in the U.K. After a meteor shower leaves most of humanity blind, they then fall victim to large, walking carnivorous plants (the Triffids from the title).
While this may sound a little out there, this novel is really the starting place for the modern zombie genre. Remember how 28 DAYS LATER and THE WALKING DEAD have the same opening with the main character waking up in the hospital? That’s how THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS opens, both 28DL and TWD were referencing this book. The general post-apocalyptic grim tone, combined with humanity turning on each other, and the slow-moving man-eaters created the template of what we think of as a zombie story but this book came out in 1951.
Looking for more Halloween reading? Check out the newest titles from Deadite Press:
NO GIG IS TOO SMALL by Andre Duza
October 19, 2018
31 Days of My Favorite Horror Books – Day 19 – A HEAD FULL OF GHOSTS by Paul Tremblay
For the month of October, I will be writing brief essays about my 31 favorite horror books.
[image error]
This is one of the most recent entries on my list. Tremblay takes the possession story trope and updates it and spins it around in some very ingenious ways. The story primarily focuses on two sisters, the younger of the two who may be possessed by a demon. A reality show gets involved documenting the sister and the attempts at giving her an exorcism. But that all happened years ago. The book also flashes to the present where the older sister, now a writer for horror outlets, is giving an interview to a book writing looking back on what happened.
Multiple time periods, viewpoints, a media make this an extremely engaging book that constantly has the reader wondering what is going on and where is this all headed.
While I enjoyed the novel while reading it wasn’t until the end and the two final “twists” that I was really blown away. The ending left the story lingering in my mind for days and consider how much horror media I consume, that’s really saying something.
Looking for more Halloween reading? Check out the newest titles from Deadite Press:
NO GIG IS TOO SMALL by Andre Duza
October 18, 2018
31 Days of My Favorite Horror Books – Day 18 – THE RUINS by Scott Smith
For the month of October, I will be writing brief essays about my 31 favorite horror books.
[image error]
Scott Smith has only written two novels, the fantastic crime drama, BLOOD SIMPLE, and the bleak and strange horror story, THE RUINS.
THE RUINS follows a group of American friends backpacking in Mexico who go to check out an off-the-map ruins of a temple. While at the temple, the locals surround the structure and refuse to let them leave. At first it seems the local population is the threat but that’s that not remotely the case. If you haven’t read the book or seen the movie, I won’t spoil what the actual threat is to the characters but I will say that it’s super strange, surreal, and absolutely horrifying.
Smith hasn’t written much but his work really taps into a core understanding of characters going through traumatic situations. While reading this book you will feel the characters suffering and dying from exposure to the elements. And when the “monster” strikes, it will make you cringe at the grotesque physical body horror. The monster doesn’t just destroy it’s victims bodies, it fucks with their minds that will stay with you long after you finish the story.
Seriously, this book is such an amazing horror novel and it frustrates the fuck out of me that Smith hasn’t returned to the genre since.
There’s also a pretty great movie adaptation of the book scripted by Smith. I also recommend checking that out.
Looking for more Halloween reading? Check out the newest titles from Deadite Press:
NO GIG IS TOO SMALL by Andre Duza
October 17, 2018
31 Days of My Favorite Horror Books – Day 17 – THE ISLAND by Richard Laymon
For the month of October, I will be writing brief essays about my 31 favorite horror books.
[image error]
Richard Laymon is one of the trashiest horror authors to have ever lived. And I only mean that as a compliment. His work is a perfect example of modern pulp fiction. The plots of thrilling and the stories are filled with sordid sex and violence.
He wrote a shit-ton of novels. Well, over fifty. I haven’t read all of them but I’ve read around twenty and of all of them, THE ISLAND is the one that blew me away. After a yacht mysterious explodes, a bunch of people find themselves stranded on an island in the Bahamas while being stalked by a serial killer. It features everything that makes Laymon great—a thrilling, page-turning plot, crazy scenes of violence, over-the-top cheesy sex, and a dirty, sleazy grindhouse feel.
What really makes this entry in his bibliography is the last page of the story. Those that have read this book know immediately what I am talking about. If you don’t, you need to read this for an example of amazing plotting and how you do a twist ending right. Out of all the horror novels I’ve read in my life, this book stands out as having my absolute favorite last line of any book. It blows your mind and will make you gasp. Just absolutely perfect.
Looking for more Halloween reading? Check out the newest titles from Deadite Press:
NO GIG IS TOO SMALL by Andre Duza
October 16, 2018
31 Days of My Favorite Horror Books – Day 16 – THE BOOKS OF BLOOD VOLS I-VI by Clive Barker
For the month of October, I will be writing brief essays about my 31 favorite horror books.
[image error]
OK, I kinda cheated with this one and there are six books for this single entry. But anyone that has read these collections knows that they kinda fit all together into one massive work. Clive Barker was a genius of the horror genre and even if he never writes a decent book again (which is looking to be the case), he will be forever remembered for these collections.
The stories are dripping with bodily fluids be it semen or blood given willingly or unwillingly. They occupy a surreal and strange place where sex, body horror, and occultism all crossover.
While Barker is best known for his film, HELLRAISER, the BOOKS OF BLOOD are his best literary contributions to the horror genre. If you haven’t read these stories and only heard about them, you really need to unfuck that.
My favorite stories – “In the Hills, the Cities,” “Dread,” “The Age of Desire,” and “The Last Illusion.”
Looking for more Halloween reading? Check out the newest titles from Deadite Press:
NO GIG IS TOO SMALL by Andre Duza
October 15, 2018
31 Days of My Favorite Horror Books – Day 15 – A GOD OF HUNGRY WALLS by Garrett Cook
For the month of October, I will be writing brief essays about my 31 favorite horror books.
[image error]
Garrett Cook is one of the best genre writers out there right now and he’s also one of my very best friends. We met at the very first BizarroCon in ’08 and he ended up crashing at my place for two weeks after the con. Ever since he and I have been close friends and we’ve worked on many projects together.
A few years ago, Garrett moved to Portland and, for his first few months in town, he crashed at my house. There were many nights that Garrett and I stayed up late drinking and smoking and talking about horror. Specifically, we were talking about what we’d like to see in an extreme horror novel that we’d never seen before. We’ve all seen rape, cannibalism, and necrophilia in books before, but what were the more “unique” directions could someone go with coming up with new extreme horror scenarios?
From those conversations, A GOD OF HUNGRY WALLS was born.
The novel is a brilliant deconstruction and reconstruction of haunted house tropes told in a way that I’ve never seen anyone else ever do before. The entire story is told from the perspective of the haunted house itself. As a haunted house nerd, I was totally sold on the idea when Garrett first pitched it to me for Deadite Press. I’m pleased to say that it’s one of my personal favorite projects that I’ve been involved in over my ten years in publishing.
I’m also pleased to announce that today is the release day for Garrett Cook’s newest book for Deadite Press; CRISIS BOY. It’s a fucked-up and demented novel about conspiracies, mass-shootings, government secrets, and how love can mess up the best-laid plans. It’s another mind-bender from who I believe to be one of the most original voices in current genre fiction.
Click here to read CRISIS BOY.
Looking for more Halloween reading? Check out the newest titles from Deadite Press:
NO GIG IS TOO SMALL by Andre Duza
October 14, 2018
31 Days of My Favorite Horror Books – Day 14 – THE GIRL NEXT DOOR by Jack Ketchum
For the month of October, I will be writing brief essays about my 31 favorite horror books.
[image error]
This one is fucking grim.
No, seriously, if you haven’t read this before you have to know going in that this is widely considered one of the most fucked-up and disturbing novels ever written in the horror genre.
Ketchum made a career straddling the line between true-crime and horror. Many of his stories and novels were loosely based on real-life occurrences. This book was based on the murder of Sylvia Likens (the real-life case if much worse than what the book depicts).
This novel is only for the fans of the extremely fucked-up shit. Seriously. If you think an Eli Roth movie or an entree in the SAW series is hardcore, you are NOT ready for this book.
This is as dark as it gets and I love it.
Looking for more Halloween reading? Check out the newest titles from Deadite Press:
NO GIG IS TOO SMALL by Andre Duza
October 13, 2018
31 Days of My Favorite Horror Books – Day 13 – IT by Stephen King
For the month of October, I will be writing brief essays about my 31 favorite horror books.
[image error]
Easily the masterpiece from the most successful horror author to have thus far lived. I’m what I’d call a casual King fan—I’ve read about 45 of his books but I wouldn’t consider him one of my favorites. Some of the stories I’ve loved, some I didn’t like at all. But IT is something very special.
Many people know the story from both of the film adaptations. While the movies are OK, one huge difference that makes the book way more fun to me is that It doesn’t appear as a clown too often in the book. Almost every scene with the monster has It assuming a different form with a vast majority of them being based on horror movie monsters. This novel is King’s tribute to all the afternoons he spent as a kid watching monster matinees.
In addition to being a monster fest, King uses the “haunted” town of Derry to explore sexism, abuse, homophobia, racism, poverty, and other forms of real-world cruelty.
While there is a fair criticism that the book could use 200 to 300 pages edited out (I agree with this), the book is still tightly packed with one imaginative scene of horror after another. I first read this novel with I was a kid and I really identified with the child sections of the book. When I revisited the novel last year, I found myself being more impacted by the abstract horrors the adults face. There are not many works of horror that encompass so many different aspects of the genre or play on so many different kinds of fears.
Looking for more Halloween reading? Check out the newest titles from Deadite Press:
NO GIG IS TOO SMALL by Andre Duza
October 12, 2018
31 Days of My Favorite Horror Books – Day 12 – THE BLOODY CHAMBER AND OTHER STORIES by Angela Carter
For the month of October, I will be writing brief essays about my 31 favorite horror books.
[image error]
Another book from an author that I rarely hear mentioned in horror circles. She’s more known for her magical realism works but I firmly argue that this collection falls well within the borders of the horror genre. There’s werewolves, vampires, and even killer cats running around this whole thing.
This book is a collection of short surreal horror stories that are written deconstructions of classic fairy tales such as “Bluebeard” and “Beauty and the Beast.” Carter brings out the sexuality, body horror, and gender commentary that is inherent to the original stories but she ramps it up to eleven. The stories are sensual, weird, gory, and insightful all at once.
Several of these stories were also adapted into the surreal horror anthology flick, THE COMPANY OF WOLVES. It’s really fantastic and I highly recommend checking it out. It features my second favorite werewolf transformation scene of all-time (AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON is number one, of course).
Looking for more Halloween reading? Check out the newest titles from Deadite Press:
NO GIG IS TOO SMALL by Andre Duza
October 11, 2018
31 Days of My Favorite Horror Books – Day 11 – THE STORE by Bentely Little
For the month of October, I will be writing brief essays about my 31 favorite horror books.
[image error]
When I was in college, Brian Keene came to the local library for a reading. Afterwards, a bunch of fans (including myself), went out with Keene for dinner and drinks. While there we talked about various horror novels and authors. Keene brought up Little and I mentioned I had never read any of his work. He recommended I start with THE STORE and I did.
Oh man, did I love it.
Basically it the book is about a Wal-Mart-like corporation that is run by Satanists. The main character gets a job there and begins to work up the corporate ladder. As he goes higher in the company, some really fucked-up shit happens.
I’ve now read a lot of Little (DOMINION and THE UNIVERSTIY are other great ones) but THE STORE is still my favorite work by him. A fantastic combination of social commentary and crazy horror.
Looking for more Halloween reading? Check out the newest titles from Deadite Press:
NO GIG IS TOO SMALL by Andre Duza
