James Dorr's Blog, page 48

Moons, Pulp Literature PDF Received For Autumn

So perhaps it may be a bit late, but PULP LITERATURE 28 (cf. October 8, September 11, et al.) has at last been published — or at least its electronic manifestation received today, though its order page shows the print issue as well. This is the one with a story of mine reprinted from the July 1993 TOMORROW, “Moons of Saturn.”

So what’s “Moons” about? Let us quote from the contents preview: Then, like trailside inukshuks, memories pile up and tumble away in ‘Moons of Saturn’ by James Dorr, ‘Practising the Art of Forgetting’ by Soramimi Hanarejima, and ‘Starry Nights’ by David Milne.

So there, three for one! Or more to the point, it is of course about Saturn’s moons for one thing. More precisely, about TV coverage — much more detailed than it had, in fact, been at the time — of NASA’s 1980/81 Voyager 1 and 2 flybys of the planet Saturn, as watched by the narrator and his highly imaginative girlfriend. But girlfriend, Phoebe, it turns out is also dying from an unknown disease, which adds the problem of how to cure her.

Added to this are references to the Greek mythology concerning Saturn and his siblings, as identified with characters in the story, some in Phoebe’s mind but others, presumably, in the story’s reality. A bit complicated to explain, but in addition to the admittedly late-publishing (hey, we’re in the midst of a pandemic too, let’s give them a break) Autumn PULP LITERATURE, “Moons of Saturn” is also reprinted in my collection TEARS OF ISIS, for more on which one can click on its picture in the center column.

PULP LITERATURE is a Canadian magazine with a decidedly literary bent (never mind their publishing riffraff like me!) and from what I’ve seen so far a potentially very interesting read. For more, or for ordering, one can press here.

Mid-Month Royalties Not Mammoth, Not Minuscule Either (At Least This Time)

Two surprise royalty statements received/discovered yesterday were greater than the usual pittance the short story writer expects from anthology sales. That is, as one contributor out of a dozen or more (twenty-five, e.g., in the case of 25 GATES OF HELL featured just below), whatever the publisher got for the whole book will have been divided among many authors. Think of a single sardine, for example, dropped in the midst of a school of sharks. But there can be exceptions.

The first one wasn’t so much surprising as unexpected — publishers often will hold actually paying until one’s royalty reaches some semi-worthwhile amount, in some cases ten dollars. The royalty this time actually came to a few dollars more, but was for a large enough number of years I’d completely forgotten there might be one coming. However, it does mean that this was a book with staying power, still finding buyers in this case more than ten years after its initial publication.

As is my practice, for royalty matters I name neither the book/publisher nor the amount to avoid embarrassment on both sides, but the other one (which I discovered quite accidentally, due to PayPal’s long-standing policy of refusing to tell recipients when money is added to their accounts) was for a book published less than half a year ago(!), and is enough to actually pay for a decent dinner, including a cocktail or a glass of wine (though probably not both) if one were so inclined. And for an anthology this is rare, although realistically an early sales spurt will usually not be repeated. But still . . . well, maybe I should keep an eye out if that particular publisher puts out a call for a new anthology — at least if they’re still accepting reprints.

25 Gates of Hell Is Here For December Dark-Night Reading

Now, dear reader, you seem to have stumbled upon it.

And you have opened it.

You must reap what you have sown.

So proclaims the book’s Amazon blurb and, as I come into the home stretch with my current read, AFTER THE KOOL-AID IS GONE (see just below, December 4), what should appear on my front porch this afternoon but 25 GATES OF HELL (cf. October 30, et al.), with more horror stories to keep me awake for for more than a few long winter nights to come. Though I have, of course, read one tale already, “The Re-Possessed” — or “The Repossessed” (no hyphen) as this new manifestation would have it — originally published in 2016 in CEMETERY RIOTS, of Victorian funerals and shady practices, and not all of them performed by Haitian sailors.

Dare I open it, then, especially in view of the warning above? You bet I do, and in fact I have already to see that it is a hefty book at somewhat over 300 pages with, as the title (sort of) implies, 24 stories plus a closing poem, this last by Editor R.L. Burwick. To again quote the blurb: Come, step into the pages. See firsthand what hell is capable of. And what, indeed?

To find out oneself, or for more information as well as to order (possibly even in time for Christmas? But hurry! Hurry!), one need but press here.

After The Kool-Aid, Invisible People Hits Computer Cave Mailbox

Amazon reviewer Kim Farr says (and I quote it in full) this is the best political book that I have read. you will enjoy it too!! The book is D&T Publishing’s AFTER THE COOL-AID IS GONE (see October 25, 15, et al.) and my print copy arrived today, Friday, in late afternoon.

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Thus far the above review is the only one, at least on Amazon, but more about it can be found in its back cover blurb:In the world we live in today, what is more horrific than true life? Seems everyone has a view and a stance. So, what will happen after the Kool-Aid is gone? When decisions have been made and eyes have been opened? Between these covers, are seventeen stories about what just might be on the agenda. My story in this is “Invisible People,”originally published in DARK INFINITY for Winter 1992-3, a tale of just trying to get along, being a good citizen, working hard and keeping your mouth shut, that kind of thing, and what happens when the society stabs you in the back anyway.

I’m looking forward to getting into it, possibly tonight (just finished MADAME GRAY’S CREEP SHOW earlier this week), though to counter the really good review above, I will mention two things a little off-putting: that the table of contents does not include page numbers, making looking up individual stories a little awkward — though it does have running titles at the tops of pages which makes up for it a little — and that the stories themselves are arranged in alphabetical order according to author, so don’t look for interior story arcs, or even connections between the stories other than of the broadest sort (e.g. “have to do with politics”).

That said, though, I’m anticipating what I expect will be a good read. For those interested more, with ordering information, can be found here.

Murder And Machinery Proof Received, Returned

Welcome to December. I hope it’s treating you well. First of all, thank you for your patience. I’ve contacted some of you regarding minor changes to your stories. If you haven’t heard from me, it’s because everything looked nice and sparkly. Of course, you will notice formatting and stylistic changes to your stories — an anthology needs continuity after all. American authors may notice a “flavor” has become “flavour”, for example, or “traveled” changed to “travelled”. Please don’t take this personally, as it’s just part of ensuring a sense of uniformity and, as indicated in the submission guidelines, you’ve submitted to a publisher who uses BrE.

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Thus began the email late Wednesday from Black Beacon Books’ Editor Cameron Trost, with attached proof copy of (to give it its full title) MURDER AND MACHINERY: TALES OF TECHNOLOGICAL TERROR AND MECHANICAL MADNESS, with request to [r]ead your story and let me know if you spot any issues. And so the Writing Life starts for December. My story in this is a steampunkish saga of life as a church sexton in mid-nineteenth century New England, “Vanitas,” first published in the January 1996 ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S MYSTERY MAGAZINE. Well, maybe not just ordinary church life — it also involves the need for more graves in the churchyard due to a traveling circus disaster, plus the creation of the region’s most powerful church organ.

Late last night I went through the attachment and, earlier this afternoon, emailed back my okay, noting only two minor typos. Thus the cogs of publication grind on, with confirmation of a final draft to come, review copies to be sent out, other promotional work to be planned, and a release date, most likely in April or May, to be announced. More will appear here as it becomes known.

At The Movies: December Brings List Of Best Horror Thus Far For 2020

A lot of this year’s best horror has been coming out in unexpected places. With movie theaters either shuttered or showing a severely limited slate due to the pandemic, many of the year’s best horror pictures have been released on VOD or have gone straight to streaming services like Netflix, Shudder, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. Fortunately, no matter how you watch your movies, there’s bound to be something on this list that will keep you sleeping with the lights on for at least a few nights. . .

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So begins “15 Best Horror Movies of 2020,” by Orrin Grey on THE-LINE-UP[DOT]COM and, one usually waiting a year for prices to go down for the DVD, I’ll have to confess I haven’t seen any of these titles yet. I do have two immediately marked to check about, though, EXTRA ORDINARY (number 15 and a British ghostly quirky comedy, according to Grey, one I’d find welcome in a year where a bit of humor has seemed extra special) and, one I’d heard about and have been waiting for, COLOR OUT OF SPACE (number 13). This latter is one of three adapted from stories, the others being THE INVISIBLE MAN (3) and GRETEL & HANSEL (12). And another is from, at least, a kind of urban (and maybe not so urban either) legend LA LLORONA(9).

That leaves ten to go, including such themes as sea stories (UNDERWATER at number 1 and SEA FEVER, 7) and the occult (HOST, 4), one anthology movie (THE MORTUARY COLLECTION, 10), you get the idea, most from the US but with at least one Korean as well as the British one cited above. And a lot that can be streamed, as noted above, for enjoyment right now!

To find out which, as well as the remaining six on the list, one is invited to press here.

One-Day Cyber Monday Addition To “1,000 Words” Flash Fiction Kickstarter

This in late Sunday evening from Editor/Publisher Jason Brick on WORTH 1,000 WORDS: A FLASH FICTION ANTHOLOGY (cf. November 18), including my story “The Third Prisoner,” and its kickstarter ending at 12 a.m. PST December 3:

We’ve reached 250% but I’d like to keep the ball moving as the kickstarter reaches its close, with a Cyber Monday deal. Here’s how it works.

Anybody who backs the kickstarter tomorrow [Monday] also gets a free ebook sent to them, chosen from a list.

Anybody who increases their backer level by $10 or more tomorrow [Monday] gets every book on the list sent to them.

Now that, especially the last, sounds like a pretty good deal — and, if you check the various levels, there may even be some extra premiums added. But the specials will be for one day, Cyber Monday, only so you’ll want to hurry.

For more, press here.

Tears of Isis Included In Black Friday Publisher’s Book Sale

That is, you can get twenty percent off through Sunday on Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing books, including my (ahem!) Stoker(R)-nominated collection THE TEARS OF ISIS. Or in PMMP’s own words:

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Anyway, yeah, book sale! All weekend long, we’re discounting our books by 20%. All you gotta do is enter code BF20 upon checkout, and you should be all set.

Here is a link to our webstore.*

That’s where the books are.

For more on THE TEARS OF ISIS itself, one can click its picture in the center column. Or to go directly to PMMP, here. Then for other PMMP titles as well, one can navigate from there.

But again one must hurry, it’s only on from now through Sunday. And enter BF20 for the the 20% discount, on THE TEARS OF ISIS as well as all other PMMP titles.

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*That is to say (again), press here.

Triana Wishes To Remind Us Always To Be Thankful For Even Small Blessings

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(Like Cats)

Thirteen Full-Length Cartoons For A Cringe-ful Christmas

Some of these may be okay in general for children to watch too, but as Marian Phillips points out in “13 Spine-Chilling Animated Horror Movies,” via THE-LINE-UP[DOT]COM, even they have some scary portions or scenes, or share themes like abandonment that might at the least be unnerving to kids.

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For an example, WATERSHIP DOWN or THE PLAGUE DOGS, about dogs and bunnies, but as stand-ins for aspects of human society that are more than horrific. But we’re speaking of Christmas, or dark days and nights when darker cartoons may add some cheer, so THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS is first on the list, followed by THE CORPSE BRIDE (with particularly beautiful animation in my opinion), as is THE LAST UNICORN (in general not so scary except in certain scenes — this is one I watched with my nieces as I recall, though by then they weren’t exactly children either). Others include some I haven’t seen, SEOUL STATION, for instance, and PARA NORMAN, while ending it up is a kind of favorite of mine, about Frankenstein perhaps when he was a boy and refused to accept the loss of a pet, FRANKENWEENIE.

That brings us to eight with five more to go, all of which can be checked out, with brief descriptions, by pressing here.