Jonathan Janz's Blog, page 24

Some Things You Might Not Know That I Love

By now you know I love my wife and kids. You know I love Stephen King. But here are some things you might not know that I love…

George Strait

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“I cross my heart…”

The Brothers Karamazov

A Classic That Exceeds Its Reputation

The smell of Iams Weight Control cat food

Yes. I used to sniff this every time I fed my cat.

Jimmy Stewart

A Gift

The change of seasons

I didn’t take this picture. That’s why it’s pretty.

Patricia Arquette in True Romance (especially her imperfect teeth)

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“Even tastes like a peach.”

Seinfeld

Genius

Ray Bradbury

We miss you, Ray.

 

Jonathan Janz ‘Savage Species Part Five: The Old One’ Review

Reblogged from Horror Novel Reviews:

Written by: Joe Hempel (of www.topoftheheapreviews.com)

The final installation of Savage Species has now been released, and what a ride it is!

The violence is stepped up, the fear is stepped up, and the excitement and suspense are turned to 11 on the dial.

I guess the biggest compliment I can give with this is to say, I hate you Jonathan Janz, I hate you so much!

Read more… 182 more words

Five-out-of-Five Stars for THE OLD ONE, the Final Installment of SAVAGE SPECIES!

Brian Keene’s DEAD SEA

*This review will make more sense to you if you’ve read Brian Keene‘s The Rising. If you haven’t, you need to and can pick up the author’s preferred edition right here. But even if you haven’t read either of these Keene novels, I think you’ll find something of interest below without encountering any major spoilers. At least that’s my intent. First, though, here’s the description from Amazon:

In 2003, Brian Keene’s The Rising revived horror literature’s dormant obsession with zombies. In 2007, Brian Keene’s Dead Sea knocked that obsession on its ass… The city streets are no longer safe. They are filled instead with the living dead, rotting predators driven only by a need to kill and eat. Some of the living still struggle to survive, but with each passing day, their odds grow worse. Some survivors have fled, frantically searching for a place to escape, even briefly, the slaughter around them. For Lamar Reed and a handful of others, that safe haven is an old Coast Guard ship out at sea, with plenty of water between them and the zombies. These desperate survivors are completely isolated from the dangers of the mainland. But their haven will soon become a deathtrap, and they’ll learn that isolation can also mean no escape! Deadite Press is proud to present this Author’s Preferred version of Keene’s over-the-top cult classic, which includes never-before-published material!

Brian Keene’s Dead Sea might sound like The Rising at first glance. Same author, same genre, same sub-genre. But that’s where the similarities end. And while I really enjoyed both books, I enjoyed them in very different ways. Dead Sea is in some ways a more innocent book than The Rising. Part of this, I think, is the frequent presence of two children in Dead Sea. There’s a very important child in The Rising (the protagonist’s son), but he’s mostly off-stage in that story. Of course, this child is constantly in the protagonist’s mind, but because we don’t physically see him much, The Rising retains a certain brand of maturity and grimness that makes us worry for the child all the more.

Tasha and Malik (the two children in Dead Sea) and the nature of their relationship to the narrator (Lamar) endows the book with a sweetness and an emotional depth that surprised me. This might also be an appropriate time to mention how well Keene handles child characters. Many book and movie children grate on my nerves. An overabundance of precocity or a surfeit of preciousness can ruin a child character for me. But the kids in Keene’s novels are neither too knowing nor too adorable. They’re just right.

However, in some ways the bleakness of Dead Sea is more pronounced than it was in The Rising. There were times I felt hopeless in Dead Sea, and it’s a rare book that can make me feel that way. This isn’t to say Dead Sea is unentertaining because it is a very quick read with some excellent action sequences. It’s also scary. But there’s a growing sense of despair that culminates in a very nasty revelation very late in the novel. I won’t tell you how it ends, but I will tell you the ending surprised me. And that’s also fairly hard to do.

Lastly, though I loved both this tale and The Rising, I’m glad Brian Keene chose to sequelize The Rising and to leave this one alone. The former necessitated a sequel (which I’ll read this fall); the latter ended exactly as it should have. To be honest, I’m sort of haunted by the ending of Dead Sea. And I mean that in the best possible way.

 

THE OLD ONE Attacks Today!

He’s here.

Isn’t that a sinister visage? I have no idea how the fabulous artist Angela Waters created this image, but it’s easily one of the coolest of the six SAVAGE SPECIES covers. Many of you have been reading the installments as they’ve been released and will be finishing the SAVAGE SPECIES serial novel shortly. Others have been waiting for all five installments to be released before embarking on their trip to the Peaceful Valley Nature Preserve. Others still are waiting for the trade paperback version to release in September. Whatever the case, I’m only going to say a couple of things about THE OLD ONE (also for sale at the Samhain website for a buck and five cents!) because I want you to experience it for yourself…

1. The ending surprised me. Like really, really surprised me. There are novels I’ve written where the only thing I DO know at the beginning is the ending. That’s how CASTLE OF SORROWS, my July 2014 sequel to my debut novel THE SORROWS, is. Though CASTLE OF SORROWS will be my longest novel ever (easily reaching the 125,000-word mark), I only really knew one thing about it when I started out—the very last scene. But with SAVAGE SPECIES, it was a total mystery right up until the end. Then when all the tumblers fell into place and that lock snicked open…man, what a surprise. I just sat there in shock staring at the monitor. I hope you have a similar reaction.

2. Prepare yourselves for the deaths of several beloved characters. I’ll obviously not say which ones will die, but as #1 above intimates, the ending to this thing is really unexpected. I still get sad thinking about it.

3. Lastly, I hope you tell your friends about SAVAGE SPECIES. I’m extremely proud of it and would love for a load of new fans to check it out.

Thanks, all, and have a fantastic Tuesday. I’m off to write and edit!

 

 

WHO GOES THERE?: A Short Review of the Novella That Inspired THE THING

John W. Campbell‘s WHO GOES THERE? is one of those stories that’s more famous for the movie (or in this case, the movies) it inspired than it is for its merits as a great piece of fiction. And it is a great piece of fiction. Any fan of the films made from WHO GOES THERE? (particularly those of you who are like me and have an affinity for John Carpenter‘s 1982 classic of claustrophobic horror and heart-pounding tension THE THING) needs to read Campbell’s story to see the origin of this fantastic idea.

Since I’m pressed for time (the deadline clocks are tick-tick-ticking…), I’ll share with you some quick thoughts. WHO GOES THERE? is indeed worth your time, and there are some flaws in it (and by sharing one criticism, I’m not saying I write better stuff than Campbell; I’m simply sharing one criticism as a reader). I won’t belabor these flaws but will instead point out one: the characters “speech” at each other rather than speak with each other. And the speeches they direct at one another do begin to take on a disconcerting uniformity. The voice of these speeches is florid, tangential, and a bit pretentious. So at times I found this to be distracting.

Having said that, WHO GOES THERE? is a gripping read that deserves its status as a seminal piece of horror and science fiction. There’s a reason why it inspired several films—it’s an awesome and awe-inspiring concept. From the Goodreads description:

“Who Goes There?”: The novella that formed the basis of “The Thing” is the John W. Campbell classic about an antarctic research camp that discovers and thaws the ancient, frozen body of a crash-landed alien. The creature revives with terrifying results, shape-shifting to assume the exact form of animal and man, alike. Paranoia ensues as a band of frightened men work to discern friend from foe, and destroy the menace before it challenges all of humanity The story, hailed as “one of the finest science fiction novellas ever written” by the SF Writers of America, is best known to fans as THE THING, as it was the basis of Howard Hawks’ The Thing From Another World in 1951, and John Carpenter’s The Thing in 1982. With a new Introduction by William F. Nolan, author of Logan’s Run, and his never-before-published, suspenseful Screen Treatment written for Universal Studios in 1978, this is a must-have edition for scifi and horror fans.

Chills

The setting is very well-drawn, and the claustrophobia that ensues once things (hah!) begin to go bad is palpable. I was surprised at how similar the 1982 film THE THING was to this tale. Granted, I knew it was “inspired” by the tale, but John Carpenter and company really took pains to utilize all that made the novella so good. The “Thing” in WHO GOES THERE? bears many of the same attributes it possesses in the Carpenter film. The blood test stuff—and if you’ve seen the Kurt Russell film, you certainly remember the blood test sequence—is darn near unbearable. And perhaps most importantly of all, the eerie sense of isolation is just as powerful in WHO GOES THERE? as it is in Carpenter’s film.

Tension

So go read it. And when you’re done with that one, grab a copy of the first installment of my serial novel SAVAGE SPECIES. Part One: Night Terrors is still free, the next three installments are cheap, and the final section is set to be released in two days.

Two More Days…

NEW Interview with Me on Horror Novel Reviews!

Hey. At the in-laws. Can’t talk long. Not being held captive, just feel weird blogging from someone else’s computer. Kinda like I’m brushing with someone else’s toothbrush. It’s a bit unclean, way too familiar, and leaves a disconcerting aftertaste. Plus, there’s all that drool on the keyboard to mop up.

Can you imagine how weird it would be if I didn’t like my in-laws?

Anyway, the very kind and cool John Wisniewski interviewed me and today the interview was posted on the excellent Horror Novel Reviews website. They led with a picture of me, but if you scroll through really fast, you won’t have to look at me.

So here’s the link: http://horrornovelreviews.com/2013/07/26/interview-jonathan-janz-talks-earliest-writings-horror-favorites-and-the-future/

Now I’m going to go rinse off my fingertips and shiver for a couple minutes.

There’s no escaping…

 

 

Five days until SAVAGE SPECIES reaches its horrifying conclusion!

Hey, friends. JJ here. No one actually calls me JJ, but I’ve always liked the initials, they’re also my son’s (though no one calls him JJ either), and, well, isn’t that enough? Notice I didn’t mention Jay Jay the Jet Plane or Brenda Blue, who both, if I’m being completely honest, kind of freak me out? But at least they don’t irritate me like Herky or Revvin’ Evan.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, consider yourself lucky.

But we’re five days away, folks. Five days from the conclusion of my serial novel SAVAGE SPECIES. The reception to this story has been off-the-charts awesome despite the fact that the final installment hasn’t been released yet.

The Face of Terror

But on July 30th, The Old One is coming. Man, is he coming. I didn’t intentionally save the best for last, and though I love each one of the five installments of this novel, I’d be a big plump liar (we don’t use the word “fat” around my house) if I didn’t say that I love The Old One far more than any of the other sections. It’s wild, it’s dark, and it’s surprising. It’s also very sad. If you’re taking bets about who lives and who dies, your chances of guessing correctly are akin to my chances of ever attending a Justin Bieber concert. Which is to say almost nil. I suppose if my daughters someday get into his music, I would go with them to keep the boys away. Or maybe if I got kidnapped by Bulgarian extremists and forced at gunpoint, I might attend. Maybe.

But shrieking Bieber fans and Bulgarian extremists have nothing on the creatures in SAVAGE SPECIES. I’ve spoken to several of my fans who’ve been waiting for all the installments to be released before they begin the series because they don’t want to get partially done only to have to wait for the rest. Well, I’d say you’re now getting into that safe zone where you can order the installments and feel secure in the knowledge that by the time you get to the last installment, it’ll be released.

And remember that the first installment (Night Terrors) is still absolutely free!

Free, friends. Read it today.

I’ve gotta go write now. Take care. And choose your music wisely.

A Thought about My Daughter’s Birthday Tomorrow

I have a problem. Actually, I have a lot of problems. Everybody does. Some don’t admit it, but the truth of the matter is we all have our struggles and flaws.

One of my many flaws is the tendency to mourn the passage of time. I do this far too much with my children. Essentially, it comes down to the fact that I love being a dad. I feel like it’s what I was put on Earth to do. I wish I could carry around a version of each one of my children at each of their ages and spend a limitless amount of time with all of them. Because no amount of time would be enough.

My middle child—an amazing daughter—turns six tomorrow.

You want to know what a mess I am? You wanna hear about my problems?

How’s this? I’ve spent the last eight nights sneaking into my little girl’s room around midnight after I get done editing, kissing her on the cheek, holding her little hand, and crying at her bedside because I don’t want her to grow up. I’m not trying to sound “touching” or “moving” here because frankly, I just feel pathetic. I kneel there beside her and stare at her angelic face and tell her I love her over and over again because I want her to know it and to feel the depth and strength of my love for her.

Author of the below quote, which hit me just at the right time

I just can’t understand how it can be. It was only yesterday I was calling the doctor on duty because the newborn baby sleeping curled up and facedown on my chest was sleeping too much. My first child—my son—had been a tempestuous newborn and had screamed himself hoarse every night. I thought it terrifying that this little girl curled up like a bug on my chest was just…sleeping. I would read, watch a movie with the headphones on, and read some more. But much of the time I just lay there smiling and gently massaging my newborn daughter’s velvety back. I’d inhale the scent of her hair, kiss the side of her face, and generally feel complete euphoria for hours at a time.

So how can that little pillbug be turning six?

A former teacher of mine posted the following Isak Dinesen quote on FB last night: “You can’t change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying about the future.”

Wow. Talk about hitting home.

Fact: My little baby girl turns six tomorrow.

Fact: My little baby boy turns eight only two weeks after that.

Fact: My youngest daughter is two, but in four years or so I’m going to be feeling the same way I feel now, only more powerfully because my other two kids will be…will be…

*stops*

*takes a deep breath*

Remembers another quote, this one by a great sage named Gandalf: “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”

One Wise Wizard

I need to fight my urge to worry. I need to battle my panic over the fact that my babies are growing up. Most of all, I need to remember that though we’re all growing older every moment of every day, my children will always be my children, and I will always be their father. I’m so very thankful for that. Because it’s the one thing that time cannot take away.

And yep, I’m crying again. But I’m doing that because of how much I feel and how much I love them. I think these tears are pretty healthy.

Happy Birthday tomorrow, my amazing, wonderful, irreplaceable, dream-come-true little baby girl. I can still feel you lying on my chest. I can still remember the euphoria of being with you.

Because I still feel the same way when I’m with you. I’ll always feel the same way, whether we’re together or apart. Because I’ll always be your daddy.

And you’ll always be my baby girl.

Audio Realms to Turn THE DARKEST LULLABY and SAVAGE SPECIES into Audiobooks!

This morning the outstanding audiobook company Audio Realms tweeted this:

Welcoming @JonathanJanz Savage Species and Darkest Lullaby soon to be on #audiobooks Thanks for coming aboard and thanks @louisefury—
Audio Realms (@audiorealms) July 18, 2013

Which means that I can finally announce that my novels THE DARKEST LULLABY and SAVAGE SPECIES are going to be audiobooks! I can’t tell you how jazzed I am about this news and how honored I am to be working with Audio Realms. They’ve done audio versions of some of horror’s best authors, including Jack Ketchum, Richard Laymon, Brian Keene, Edward Lee, and Tim Lebbon. I am humbled and elated to be in such amazing company and cannot wait to hear the audio versions of my novels.

THANK YOU to Audio Realms, for signing me on. And a HUGE thank-you to my agent, the awesome Louise Fury, who sleeps perhaps three hours a night because she’s busy working for her clients during the other twenty-one. You made this happen, Louise, and I’m incredibly thankful for all your efforts!

So…soon you’ll be able to hear this story…

…and this one too:

And that makes me very happy indeed. Have a great day! Gotta go write…

Time to enter THE ARENA: SAVAGE SPECIES Continues Today!

Hey, Friends! Today is a great day. Not only did I get to play trains with my two-year-old daughter for an hour, but the new installment of my serial novel SAVAGE SPECIES came out today. It’s called THE ARENA. At the preceding link, you can grab it for only a dollar and five cents; if you’re an Amazon, B&N, iTunes, or other kind of reader, it’s a buck fifty. In THE ARENA all our main characters finally come together. We find out Sam Bledsoe and Frank Red Elk have a history with one another. We learn just how far Charly will go to save her infant son and just how much Jesse will do to rescue his dream girl Emma.

Unfortunately, we also learn just how evil Charly’s husband Eric can be, so maybe I should warn you: THE ARENA contains one of the most disturbing scenes I’ve ever written. The kind of scene that was necessary to the plot but that I don’t even like to think about now. Here’s the cover:

There’s no escaping…

And here’s the first installment of SAVAGE SPECIES (NIGHT TERRORS), which is still absolutely free:

Free, friends. Read it today.

And that’s all! I’m entering perhaps the busiest two weeks of my writing career, so I better go hang out with my wife and kids so I can write and edit later on tonight. Have a great evening, and I really hope you check out my serial novel. And that was a lame blog post ending. But I don’t have time to come up with a better one.

Peace!

Still lame? Okay, well at least it was lame in a peaceful way, whereas the first ending was just…lame.

So peace! And love. And carnage.

But only book carnage. Preferably my book carnage.