James Dorr's Blog, page 153

Corpus Update: Paperback Now on Amazon Too

A quick note that CORPUS DELUXE UNDEAD TALES OF TERROR (see just below) is now available on Amazon in both Kindle and trade paperback editions.  For the latter, one may press here while, for those who prefer Kindle, the new direct-to-electronic page is here.

Corpus Deluxe Dead On for Christmas, Print Now on Createspace

Quoth the blurb, “Explore the true meaning of horror through these eighteen undead tales of terror, each written by new and veteran storytellers brought to you by Indie Authors Press.  PLUS an excerpt from BLOOD OF NYX, by Druscilla Morgan and Roy C. Booth!”  Yes, it’s CORPUS DELUXE (cf. October 28, September 24, et al.), subtitled UNDEAD TALES OF TERROR, and it’s now available in print, at least on Createspace for which press here, with Amazon soon to come.  And it’s even garnered its first review, this latter for the Kindle edition for which one may press here.

Edited by Roy C. Booth and Jorge Salgado-Reyes, my contribution to this charnel house is “River Red,” originally published in ESCAPE CLAUSE (Ink Oink Art Inc, 2009) and also in my collection THE TEARS OF ISIS (Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing, 2013 — and for which, this being the season of selling, one may press its picture in the center column as well as check out Amazon, et al.).  “River Red” is a tale set in the Tombs, my far-future, dying Earth universe of about fifteen stories published thus for (two more, “The Ice Maiden” and “Mara’s Room,” are also in THE TEARS OF ISIS, the first of these original to the volume), in which one can sometimes not be quite sure of what is dead and what maybe not so much so.

Who Needs Krampus, or, Is There a Killer Santa in Your Pre-Christmas Stocking?

Some of these we’ve seen before (cf. December 13, below), but what the heck, it’s already Christmas Monday!  So herewith, for your Yuletide run-up nightmare pleasure, by Katie Rife, “The night Santa went crazy:  18 killer Santas from TV and film” via AVCLUB.COM.  Kudos for this one to Mike Olson on Facebook’s ON THE EDGE CINEMA, and to see for yourself, one need but press here.

(My favorite, I think, may be number 13, 1999’s “Xmas Story” from FUTURAMA:   Xmas is now a holiday of fear after a Santa ’bot programmed to separate the naughty from the nice was recalibrated way too far on the “naughty” side in the year 2801.  With his sensors registering everyone he sees [except for Dr. Zoidberg] too naughty to live, the humans of the future spent their Xmas Eve indoors, singing carols with lyrics like, “You’d better not breathe, you’d better not move / You’re better off dead, I’m telling you, dude / Santa Claus is gunning you down.”)

Grip the Raven — the Dickens-Poe Connection Revealed; Corrections Approved for Christmas Bubba

What shall we call it?  Another pre-Christmas literary treat, this one especially for pet lovers perhaps?  Be that as it may, “Did You Know Charles Dickens’ Pet Raven Inspired Edgar Allan Poe?” by Julia Mason on HISTORYBUFF.COM, brought to us via Joel Eisenberg and Lisa Morton on the HWA’s Facebook page, lays out the skinny:  “We recently discovered that Charles Dickens had a pet raven named Grip. The illustrious avian appeared as a minor character in the author’s 1841 serialized mystery novel, BARNABY RUDGE.  This is, in and of itself, the best news ever.  Then we found out that Dickens’ pet inspired Edgar Allan Poe to write ‘The Raven.’  Which basically makes Grip a literary god.”

Grip, it seems, was bought by Dickens as, essentially, research material for BARNABY RUDGE.  Thus, Mason tells us, “[o]n 28 January 1841, Dickens wrote to his friend George Cattermole: “My notion is to have [Barnaby] always in company with a pet raven, who is immeasurably more knowing than himself.  To this end I have been studying my bird, and think I could make a very queer character of him.”  While of Poe, while Grip may not deserve all the credit, “most scholars agree that the feisty bird helped inspire his 1845 poem ‘The Raven.’  Poe wrote a review of BARNABY RUDGE for GRAHAM’s MAGAZINE in Philadelphia in 1842.  Although Poe praised the book, he thought Dickens should have given Grip a starring role:  ‘The raven, too, intensely amusing as it is, might have been . . . prophetically heard in the course of the drama.’”

And so it goes.  The “feisty bird” — and Grip apparently was, having eventually been exiled from Dickens’s home to the carriage house — alas died young, most likely of lead poisoning.  The author’s children, it is reported, were glad to see him go.  However, by a concatenation of fate, his stuffed form may still be found today in Philadelphia USA in the Free Library’s Rare Book Department.

For more details, to return to Mason, “Here’s a primer on the coolest pet in avian history” — and for which, press here.

Then for a short note, Saturday’s email also brought PDFs of the corrected pages for “Bubba Claus Conquers the Martians” from Joanne Merriam of Upper Rubber Boot Books, to be published in THE MUSEUM OF ALL THINGS AWESOME AND THAT GO BOOM in, if all goes well, earlyish 2016 (cf. December 1, September 3, et al.).  Thus, even though not a Christmas anthology itself, it will have a Christmas story by me, and be out as well not all that far from Christmas.

Auditioning for the Next Horror Show (a Pre-Christmas Treat?)

Forget such staples as giant lizards or apes, or even big sharks or killer insects.  Here are some creatures that are entirely real, yet half unbelievable — and in some cases quite photogenic.  50-foot jumping miniature reindeer to pull Santa’s Sleigh, maybe, or overgrown squid the size of school buses?  Sea-going unicorns?  Man-eating monkeys (perhaps not by choice, but if you’re what’s around. . .).  And best not neglect the poisonous platypus!  For more, click here for “Believe there’s nothing left in nature that can surprise you?  Guess again,” by Heather Libby via UPWORTHY.COM.

And see now if you can just dream of sugarplums on Christmas Eve!

10 Films to Peruse for Your Christmas Holiday Watching Pleasure

If it’s thematic weight, Oscar-worthy performances or richly textured visuals you’re after, then JACK FROST probably isn’t the film for you.  If in place of those loftier ideals, you’ll settle for a wise-cracking homicidal snowman, then step right up folks.  With zero pretension to anything other than the basest Z-movie thrills, this is awfulness to cherish, and awfulness it possesses in spades — but it’s about a giant killer snowman, so stop your griping.

So says Matthew Thrift of the 1997 movie JACK FROST (absolutely not to be confused with the Michael Keaton film a year later) in “10 Great Christmas Films” via BFI FILM FOREVER.  That’s darker Christmas films, of course, to in the compiler’s words “[d]eck the cinematic halls with boughs of blood-soaked holly.”  Some of the standards are there, to be sure, like BLACK CHRISTMAS, GREMLINS, and the 1972 TALES FROM THE CRYPT (the inspiration for 1984’s SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT, among others).  But there are others I’ve not seen myself such as Finland’s RARE EXPORTS or CALVAIRE from Belgium, so perhaps I’ll join you in watching some of these myself.*  To see the whole list, one need but press here.

The picture above, by the way, is also from 1997’s JACK FROST.

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*In fact, I’ve just ordered British director Tom Shankland’s THE CHILDREN (number 9 on the list), promised to be delivered by December 22.

Tears, All Perpetual Motion Titles on Pre-Christmas Weekend Sale

Came the announcement late Friday evening from Publisher Max Booth III:

Starting now and lasting throughout the weekend, all Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing titles are 20% off.  Purchase now and get them in time for Christmas.

Featuring books by T Fox Dunham, David James Keaton, John Foster, Kurt R eichenbaugh, Vincenzo Bilof, Jessica McHugh, Craig Wallwork, James Dorr, Sue Lange, Jay Wilburn, Rafael Alvarez, Matthew Dexter, Eli Wilde, and Polly DeVine.

My Rudolph in the reindeer pack is, of course, THE TEARS OF ISIS, 2014 Stoker® Fiction Collection Nominee, starring along with the Egyptian Goddess such luminaries as La Méduse, Maria Sanchez, the vampiress Ms. Celaeno, the Bone-Carver, Cinderella’s Godmom, the Ice Maiden, Waxworms, the Christmas Rat, more. . . .  But see for yourself by clicking its picture in the center column!

Then from there, if one wishes, one can find other books in the PMMP store (look for stories by me as well in SO IT GOES and BLEED!).  But please do consider THE TEARS OF ISIS — “The Christmas Rat” will be forever grateful.

And for all selections, this weekend only, be sure to enter the discount code HOLIDAY20 at check-out.

Chocolate Scandal in France — Can it Now be Revealed?

Now it may be told!  A few years ago (this is true) the European Union Financial Council adjusted the definition of chocolate, bringing down the amount of cocoa butter required for a food to be so labeled, allowing the substitution of vegetable oil instead.  In this, it followed an already existing American standard.  But how would such a change be received in a country like France, where food is sacred?

Then came the call this year from Third Flatiron Publishing that their Spring 2016 theme anthology would be on the subject IT’S COME TO OUR ATTENTION.  “Under the radar:  things that are happening quietly, without a lot of fanfare, that may still be extremely significant or make a big difference.  Like, what’s going on with all those bees. . . .”  Or, in this case, perhaps all that chocolate.

You are what you eat, yes?

Well anyway the word came Thursday from Editor Juliana Rew that my flash story “Chocolat” has been accepted.  “I’ve read ‘Chocolat’ and really loved it.  So, please consider it sold.”  This is a new story, and now its secret will be revealed, the reaction from those who truly appreciate the finer pleasures in life.

Publication date is set for February 15, 2016.  Do you dare to find out?

Untreed Reads Winter Sale Includes Christmas, New Year’s Titles

Jay Hartman of Untreed Reads Publishing has announced a 30 percent off Winter Sale from now through New Year’s Day, January 1.  But there are a few catches. One that it’s only for purchases made through Untreed’s own store; the other that  it’s not for all titles but specifically for those that involve Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali, New Year’s Eve or Day, or celebrate winter in general.  Nevertheless, that’s still a good deal and, as it happens, one entirely by me, I’M DREAMING OF A . . . , and one in which I have the lead story “Appointment in Time,” YEAR’S END:  14 TALES OF HOLIDAY HORROR, are part of the sale.  So to take advantage, one can click on I’M DREAMING’s picture in the center column or, for YEAR’S END or any of my Untreed Reads titles, press here.

While there, if one wishes, one can also move to the Untreed Reads general store for titles by other authors as well.  And, to quote the announcement directly:  “Don’t forget that when a person buys a title from our store they get ALL formats to download: EPUB, Kindle and PDF (if all formats have been made available).  Gifting is also possible from our site as is sending titles to a Nook or Kindle.”

Writers Guild, Etc., Party Weekend Includes a Lagniappe . . . and Krampus

Saturday, along with the excitement of having sold “Bottles” (see post just below), brought the Bloomington Writers Guild’s end-of-year combination business meeting, voting for officers, pot luck party, and open reading, for which I ran for nothing but brought orange slices for a healthy pot luck dessert.  Just like “party calories” though, which do not count, so, too, healthful party food adds no nutrition, so I with everyone else went for the chocolate chip cookies.  More to the literary point, however, I had brought two items for possible reading: one a Christmas story excerpt which would run about five minutes; the other three poems (one of which some people would have heard before but others wouldn’t) which could be read in less than three minutes.

The business/election part ran a bit long so I ended up taking the three-minute option, but adding that the other, a Christmas story involving a vampire and St. Nicholas, would be read “tomorrow” as a First Sunday open mike option.  And so for Saturday afternoon I read the three poems, “as a sort of introduction, to show the up side of vampirism” and all from my poetry collection VAMPS (A RETROSPECTIVE), the jazzy “Hi-Flying,” the unlife-celebratory “Night Child,” and the exhilarating “The Aeronaut.”

Then Sunday brought December’s First Sunday Prose Reading with featured participants Shayne Laughter with “Emmonsburg,” from a collection of stories inspired by her grandfather’s writings about growing up in Indiana; speculative fiction and poetry writer Darja Malcolm-Clarke with an excerpt from a novel in progress, HIS ONE TRUE BRIDE; and Poet Eric Rensberger with “a prose thing” composed by taking an existing text, chopping it up, and reassembling it into a new story, in this case from memoirs by an early American actor, John Durang.  These were followed by the open mike session where, as promised, my reading was of the latter, and larger half of “Naughty or Nice?” as published on December 21 2011 in DAILY SCIENCE FICTION, concerning the vampiress Mignonette and whether she could prove to the Saint that she was sufficiently “nice” to get presents.  And which, by the way, you can find out for yourself by clicking here.

And then two more items to complete the weekend.  Friday I went to the opening night of a workshop production of Jean Anouilh’s version of ANTIGONE, in this case combining dance with the action and very well done.  Then Saturday evening, after the party, brought a visit to the local Bloomington Krampusnacht celebration, considered one of the best these days in the United States.  For various reasons this was the first I was able to get to since the initial one three years ago, for which see below, December 9 2012.