James Dorr's Blog, page 97

Updated Blurb, Cover, With DeadSteam October 1 Release Announced

Reader beware:  to open this tome is to invite dread into your heart.  Every page you turn will bring you closer to something wicked.  And when the dead begin to rise from the steaming pits of hell, only then will you discover that it is already too late.  Your life is forfeit.

Featuring an introduction by Leanna Renee Hieber, author of the Eterna Files and Strangely Beautiful saga, DeadSteam plays host to the scintillating writing of David Lee Summers (Owl Dance, The Brazen Shark), Jen Ponce (The Bazaar, Demon’s Cradle), Wendy Nikel (The Continuum), Karen J Carlisle (The [image error]Adventures of Viola Stewart), Jonah Buck (Carrion Safari), and more . . .

With seventeen chilling tales of dreadpunk, gaslamp, and dark steampunk, DeadSteam will leave you tearing at the pages, desperate for more.  For within these pages, the dead rise from their graves to haunt the London Underground, witches whisper their incantations to the wind, a sisterhood of bitten necks hunts fog-drenched alleyways lit only by gaslight, and only one thing is certain:  that dread will follow you until you turn that final page.

And that sinking feeling in the pit of your chest?  That fear that something is following you, watching you, hunting you?  It is not for nothing. Look over your shoulder, dear reader.  Watch behind you.  Listen to the whispers in the darkness.

But know this . . . it is all inevitable.

And there is now a Hardcover Edition as well!

This came late Sunday from Editor Bryce Raffle for a, for all practical purposes, Labor Day revelation, the main that Grimmer & Grimmer Books’ DEADSTEAM (cf. June 29, January 31, et al.) now has an official October 1 release day set.  Hence the new blurb, above, plus an updated cover, in a necessarily truncated holiday post (blame the computer cave’s primitive ways) with more info to come in the next day or so.  And for those who’ve forgotten, my part in this is a tale about fast times in the Victorian English funeral biz, “The Re-Possessed,” originally published in CEMETERY RIOTS (Elysium Press, 2016).

“Tears” Tales Star at Bloomington Writers Guild Spoken Word Stage

Well, it was actually just one of many readings on the Spoken Word Stage, and that just one facet of Bloomington’s annual Labor Day weekend 4th Street Festival of the Arts and Crafts (cf. August 27; September 23 2017, et al.), but one does what one does.  And mine was the only one touted as “horror fiction,” or as one person said afterward, welcome “chilling” on a hot, humid, hazy (with one smidge of light rain about 2 p.m., a safe hour and a half before show time for me, and anyway the readings were under a tent) late summer day.  Preceding me were two half hours of fiction, “audio theatre”, and more poets and [image error]theatre; just after a “poetry band” called SHAKESPEARE’S MONKEY (who we’ve met before, see March 10 2017, et al.), more poets, and a storyteller.  And that’s just today, with more poets and fiction, storytelling, and audio theatre scheduled for Sunday.

My reading featured two stories from my 2013 collection THE TEARS OF ISIS (press its picture in the center column for more information, reviews, and/or ordering), with the curtain raiser “Bones, Bones, The Musical Fruit,” a dystopian future (of sorts) fairytale about music and the making of performers’ instruments.  Then finishing off was “River Red,” a far-future variant of “Snow White” — with ghouls — preceded by reading part of the back cover blurb for TOMBS:  A CHRONICLE OF LATTER-DAY TIMES OF EARTH, in which universe this story is set.

The audience wasn’t super large, but I kept everyone who showed up from the start (some of whom may have looked a bit nervous before it was over), and it was fun.  So, after, I treated myself to a bowl of “drunken” noodles from the Thai restaurant across Dunn Street from us, that had a stand set up at the corner.

Humanagerie, Crow and Rat Proofs Received, Returned Thursday Evening

One for “the writing life,” the PDF proof received from Editor Allen Ashley for Eibonvale Press’s upcoming HUMANAGERIE, including my TOMBS universe-set story “Crow and Rat” (cf. August 11, July 29).  This is the one for tales and poems on the theme of animals, or perhaps more precisely connections symbolic or more concrete between humans and lower forms.  Thus “Crow and Rat,” beggars in the New City of TOMBS:  A CHRONICLE OF LATTER-DAY TIMES OF EARTH, and also the lowest of the low in their own story here with a hoped for October publication.  All seeming in order, the proof went back last night.

Gehenna and Hinnom List 43 Underappreciated Horror Movies

Here’s another list, this one rather long and special as well as one I’d like to save for myself:  “43 Underrated Films from the Darker Side of Cinema You’ve Probably Never Seen — A Gehenna Post Article” via GEHENNAANDHINNOM on WordPress.  Well, of course I’ve seen some, but I use these things to check out the ones I haven’t in case there [image error]might be something I’ve missed that I’d better look for at least on DVD.  One’s mileage varies, as the saying goes, but to see for yourself check here.  In addition, G & H’s editor, publisher, and now list maker C.P. Dunphey not only bought my story “Flesh” for YEAR’S BEST BODY HORROR 2017 ANTHOLOGY (see November 1 2017, et al.), but also ran an interview of me on the GEHENNA POST along with an extremely positive review of TOMBS:  A CHRONICLE OF LATTER-DAY TIMES OF EARTH (cf. June 3 2017, and/or check it on Amazon et al.), which can be seen by pressing here.  Or in other words, we know already he has good taste.

Bloomington Writers Guild Spoken Word Stage: Labor Day Weekend Schedule

So, okay, cutting to the chase I’m scheduled for Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m for a half hour (well, 25 minutes anyway — cf. just below, August 26) reading, probably of stories from THE TEARS OF ISIS.  But here is the entire two-day schedule from the horse’s mouth, as it were, of readers and performers, poets and prose writers, some known to us from before, some unknown.  So if in the area this coming weekend do plan to stop by — [image error]it’s the FOURTH STREET ARTS FESTIVAL, with artists’ booths galore, but also the Writers Guild’s Spoken Word Stage on Dunn Street, just south of 4th.  While I, in the meantime, practice timed reads while making my final story selections.  (Hint: it’ll probably be a short curtain raiser followed by “River Red,” which I’d read once before a few years back and had gone over well then, set in the TOMBS: A CHRONICLE OF LATTER-DAY TIMES OF EARTH universe although actually printed in TEARS.  Two birds with one stone, eh?)

So read, plan, enjoy:

When:

September 1, 2018 @ 10:00 am – September 2, 2018 @ 6:00 pm

Spoken Word Stage at 4th Street Arts Festival

Presented by the Writers Guild at Bloomington

Supported in part by the Bloomington Arts Commission

Labor Day Weekend

Saturday, September 1: 10am – 6pm

Sunday, September 2: 10am – 5pm

Intersection of Dunn and Fourth Streets

Fourth Street Festival of the Arts and Crafts

http://www.4thstreet.org

Save the Date!

Now in its 8th year, the Spoken Word Stage at the 4th Street Arts Festival is one of the largest literary performance events in the Midwest, featuring storytelling, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, live radio theatre, and other unique collaborations.

And of course, the ever-popular Poetry on Demand table will be staffed with a fleet of poet [image error] s armed with typewriters ready to deliver!

SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE!

CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES!

SATURDAY SEP 1

10:30 . 5 Women Poets (poetry)

11:00 . Patsy Rahn (poetry)

11:30 . Merry MAC Players (theatre)

12:30 . Shana Ritter (poetry)

1:00 . Maria Hamilton Abegunde (poetry)

1:30 . Fig Tree Fellowship Radio Players (audio theatre)

2:30 . Mary Pat Lynch (fiction)

3:00 . Juliana Ramos Crespo (fiction)

3:30 . James Dorr (horror fiction)

4:00 . Shakespeare’s Monkey (poetry band)

4:30 . Erin Livingston (poetry)

5:00 . Butch D’Ambrosio (sonnets)

5:30 . Stephen Vincent Giles (storytelling)

SUNDAY SEP 2

10:00 . Eric Rensberger (poetry)

10:30 . New Leaf-New Life (poetry and fiction)

11:00 . Adam Henze (poetry)

11:30 . Monroe County Civic Theater

12:00 . Joan Hawkins (fiction)

12:30 . Lisa Kwong (poetry)

1:00 . Jasper Wirtshafter (poetry)

1:30 . Arbutus Cunningham (storytelling)

2:00 . Richard Hague (poetry)

2:30 . Cricket’s Bone Caravan (audio theatre)

3:30 . Michael Brockley (poetry)

4:00 . Jeffrey Pearson (poetry)

4:30 . Bloomington Storytellers Guild 

Last Sunday Poetry Readings Resume for Fall

Well, it’s been rather longer for my attendance it would seem, but this fall’s edition of “Last Sunday Poetry Reading and Open Mic” (cf. September 24 2017, et al.), co-sponsored by the Bloomington Writers Guild and the Monroe Cou[image error]nty Convention Center, came back from its summer break this afternoon.  Featured were Lisa Kwong who we’ve met before (see July 17 2016, et al.) reading selections from a new chapbook MS-in-progress, and PDVNCH who we’ve also just met (see August 5) with work from several poetry books he’s had published.  After the break, when “Open Mic” time came I was third of five, reading the first of three four-minute sets I’d recorded for local radio station WFIU’s “The Poets Weave” (see August 8) from my VAMPS (A RETROSPECTIVE) collection, the poems themselves being “La Méduse,” “Vampire Thoughts,” “Daylight Savings,” and “Night Child.”

With the city’s “4th Street Arts Festival” coming up in just under a week plus “Frankenfest,” celebrating the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN (cf. August 21, 5), coming up in October, this fall is shaping up as an especially busy one locally for the written and spoken arts.  To help keep on top of things, one may want to check out the Bloomington Writers Guild’s website (as well as these pages) by pressing here.

A Bit of Light Horror, Perhaps, In Our Tea?

Just a quick note, another list but one I want to save for myself courtesy of WordPress’s blog feed, “The Top 10 British Comedy Horror Films,” by C.M. Saunders.  I’m embarrassed to say I’ve only [image error]seen three of them myself (and maybe one of the Honorable Mentions), number one SHAUN OF THE DEAD, of course, and LESBIAN VAMPIRE KILLERS, plus AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON which almost doesn’t count as it pops up on TV from time to time on this side of the pond too.  But see for yourself by pressing here, and CARRY ON SCREAMING (number seven on the list and one of a series of British “CARRY ON” outings, this one parodying Hammer films).

Goodreads Comparison: Tombs to Jack Vance

Adding to yesterday’s post, I’ve discovered another recent (August 15) 5-Star TOMBS review on Goodreads, this one citing TOMBS:  A CHRONICLE OF LATTER-DAY TIMES OF EARTH in conjunction with Jack Vance’s THE DYING EARTH.  Says reviewer John Rennie, in part, . . . this is a good, no excellent, example of a book inspired by Jack Vance’s work.  It paints a wonderfully weird and colourful [image error]picture of an Earth lapsed into a rather Byzantine senescence.  There is more, to be sure, for which one may press here, while for all seven reviews of TOMBS that currently appear on its Goodreads page, press here.  One warning, however, not all of the Goodreads reviews are “5-Star,” TOMBS perhaps not being aimed for all people, but as Mr. Rennie himself concludes, [a]ll I can say is that I loved it and if this sort of rather quirky writing appeals to you then you will love it too.

Sixth Tombs Review on Amazon Marks Year of Mary Shelley

With the skill of a nineteenth century storyteller, James Dorr weaves tales that would impress Mary Shelley.  Say what?  Well, 2018 is the 200th anniversary of the first edition of FRANKENSTEIN (for a mention, cf. August 5 at the very bottom), although the third, published in 1831, may be more familiar to most readers.  (Though actually there isn’t all that much difference.)  But literary trivia aside, August 17 2018 (yes, I’m four days late, oops) marks the appearance of the sixth review of TOMBS:  A CHRONICLE OF LATTER-DAY TIMES OF EARTH on Amazon, in which reviewer S. Ramey continues:  He pulls you into a wor[image error]ld of gothic darkness, challenging your conceptions of life, death and love.  Some stories may shock the reader, but in the time of the Tombs, the Old City, and ghouls, life is very different.  Or why not read the review for yourself, as “A future apocalyptic world that will challenge your world views,” by pressing here?

For myself, my thanks to reviewer Ramey and I am humbled by the mention of Mary Shelley.  But to the point also, reviews like this are a life blood for authors to help spread the word to new potential readers, so a special thank you for making my day!  For others who see this, if you’d like to look into TOMBS itself, you can also get to Amazon’s main page by clicking its picture in the center column.  To quote a final time from the review:  If you like horror, zombies, Gothic romance, or apocalyptic science fiction, this is a story collection for you.

And, should you read it and enjoy it, you might consider reviewing it as well.

Summer Star*Line Arrives in Print; Poets Weave Reading for Radio for Fall

Yesterday saw the arrival of STAR*LINE 41.3, for summer, in the computer cave’s postal mailbox.  My entry in this is “What She Learned” (cf. July 15), on page 22, a humorous poem of a novice vampiress and how she was warming to her new career.  STAR*LINE[image error] is the quarterly publication of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association and with it came their annual DWARF STARS anthology of poems of ten lines or less, the best of which will be voted on by the SFPA membership.  More on it as well as STAR*LINE can be found on the SFPA website, for which one may press here.

Then speaking of vampires, this afternoon I read poetry at the Indiana University Radio-TV building for “The Poets Weave,” a series of five-minute poetry segments presented on WFIU, the University public radio station (see August 6).  I ended up reading three groups of four, three, and four poems each on the “who,” the “where,” and the “attraction” of vampirism, all from my 2011 collection VAMPS (A RETROSPECTIVE), preceded by brief quotations from Rudyard Kipling, Bram Stoker, and Sheridan Le Fanu, respectively.  According to coordinator LuAnn Johnson, these probably won’t be aired until fall, as the season of Halloween approaches, with more exact dates as they’re known to be reported here.