Josh Hanagarne's Blog, page 12

Closing Keynote – Internet Librarian 2013

Hi all, sorry I’ve been away for so long. Crazy travel days.

I just gave the closing keynote at the 2013 Internet Librarian Conference today. If you’re into it, you can watch it here. 

And in the first two minutes you can see me spank Stephen Abram, who had it coming.

It was a great crowd and a great conference.

Night Film by Marisha Pessl

Hey all, October’s already winding down and I’ve totally dropped the ball, but here’s a recommendation today of a book that I’ve devoured.

Night Film by Marisha Pessl. I’ve heard people calling it an “ultimate guilty pleasure,” but I have no idea what that means. My love for this book is overt, non-guilty, and exuberant. It’s a creepy read, but I had such a good time.

The story involves a reclusive filmmaker, whose disturbing films (and fans) make Kubrick look like Ron Howard, his missing (?) daughter, a disgraced reporter, and a whole lot of weirdness. It’s a big book, but I read it quickly, just couldn’t put it down.

If you read it or have read it, let me know what you think!

Josh

Speaking at SXSW

Hi all, just a quick notice. I learned yesterday that I’ll be speaking at SXSW 2014.

It’s in March, it’s in Austin, and if any of you are from the area and come for the freak show, I hope you’ll come say hi.

On the horror/Halloween front, if you haven’t read anything by Jack Ketchum, I just read Lost. It’s an effective, disturbing story about (in a very roundabout way) a guy who wishes he was taller. More than that, I shan’t say.

Josh

Scariest Movie?

I have a huge stack of horror novels I’m trying to get through, but unfortunately my Netflix queue has gotten a little skimpy.

To date, the scariest movie I have ever seen, which has rattled me at every viewing, at every year of my life, remains the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It isn’t nearly as bloody as you might guess from the title. What persists for me is the mood. I don’t like what it feels like to watch this movie, even when nothing disturbing is happening. It all manages to disturb me, long before things start moving fast in the final act.

I had a similar reaction to The Exorcist upon my first few viewings, but I watched it again recently and was mostly bored. Most of that movie is very slow for me, and the shocking bits don’t startle me anymore.

How about you? Got a nomination for scariest movie? How long has it been since you watched your choice?

Relentless Dead Poster

Hey all, I’m on the road today, but I do have an October entry for you. The first poster for Relentless Dead, the zombie movie I was in, is here. Take a look. I’m the big bald guy. For you Salt Lake folks, the premier of the movie is on 10/29 at Brewvies. Should be fun! Not that I’d know, I’ll be elsewhere, on the road, the usual.

Also, I’ve started writing for Book Riot My first post is up today, a few thoughts on why I can’t stop reading Blood Meridian, and a few thoughts on why I wish I could. Read it here.

New Kids On The Block Cruise

Hi all, this might scare some of you, so I’m including it as part of Horrorfest.

I have found my destiny. It is to go on the New Kids On The Block cruise in June of 2014. Yes, this is a thing. And yes, I feel like I was put here to write about it. And if you’ve been following me for long, you know that I’ll be able to write something good for you.

The piece will probably be included in the next book of non-fiction.

I’ll be starting a Kickstarter and asking for your help soon.

As always, hangin’ tough,

Josh

What’s The Scariest Book You’ve Ever Read?

October marches on,

I’ve been rereading books that scared me in the past. Some of them still give me the willies. Some have lost their edge for me, for now at least.

From Stephen King it was It and Pet Sematary. 

It still has plenty of scary moments–it still holds up for me on almost every level. But it didn’t have the same effect on me as when I was a child. Part of that is probably that when I was a child, I identified so strongly with the terrified, desperate kids in the book, kids who couldn’t get the adults to listen to them.

Pet Sematary is still a perfect horror novel to me. I don’t think that will ever change. 

I reread Summer Of Night by Dan Simmons, which, if you liked It, I’d highly recommend. It isn’t as frightening as it used to be, but it’s still unnerving.

I’ve been rereading HP Lovecraft. The Rats In The Walls still freaks me out.

I just read Gaiman’s Sandman volumes that feature The Corinthian. Still as awful as I remembered. It’s giving me goosebumps just thinking about it.

At this point, if you asked me what the scariest book I’ve ever read was, I wouldn’t have a good answer. I can think of scenes that will always rattle me. I can think of characters that I never want to meet on the page again.

Time to stop babbling. Reader, do you know what the scariest book you’ve ever read is? Do you think it will change for you as you age?

 

Three Short Horror Stories

Okay, I’m back. Still can’t type much, but I can’t stand not being on the blog.

Here are three short stories I’d recommend to anyone looking for a scare, or some psychological undoing on behalf of Halloween.  All are available online and I’ll provide the links.

The Horla by Guy De Maupassant.

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Gilman.

The Shadow Over Innsmouth by HP Lovecraft.

If you’re looking for something longer, and free, The Monk by Matthew Lewis is a great gothic romp. Available at Project Gutenberg.

I’ll do my damnedest to be back with something more substantial tomorrow.

Read! (please)

I’m Back – Horrorfest Begins With Doctor Sleep

Hi all, thanks for letting me have the hiatus. I wish the rest had done more for me, but I’m still having a hell of a time with tics. It’s making typing particularly difficult, so I’ll be brief today.

In honor of October 1, I am happy to report that Stephen King’s book Doctor Sleep (sequel to The Shining!) is better than I could have hoped for. In some ways I like it more than The Shining. I wanted a worthy sequel, but Doctor book totally stands on its own.

The book comprises the further adventures of Danny, the boy from The Shining, as an adult. Something (some things) followed him out of the Overlook Hotel, across the decades, and now there’s a new fight.

And some of it is truly frightening. So good.

Read it!

More tomorrow.

 

A Couple Of Pictures From The Zombie Movie

September hiatus briefly suspended for these two pictures.

Here’s the hard-looking crew of humans, the survivors (???) of the zombie apocalypse. ALL Business.

And here’s what most of the day was actually like:

It was a long day, but it was a lot of fun. And it was really cold.