Laird Barron's Blog, page 19
July 14, 2015
Listen to This: John Langan on The Outer Dark
Langan is a world class writer. Horror and weird fiction are his weapons of choice. Scott Nicolay interviews John on The Outer Dark.
John’s latest collection is a doozy: The Wide Carnivorous Sky and Other Monstrous Geographies.
courtesy Seattle PI
July 10, 2015
Read This: Norman Partridge
Norman Partridge is one of the unsung heroes of literary horror. He could have written crime in the vein of Elmore Leonard and Joseph Wambaugh, or noir like Jim Thompson. He could have done up westerns and mountain man novels in echo of Louis L’Amour and William Johnstone. Norm surely knows his Lovecraft, Lansdale, and Robert E. Howard. Instead, he took those influences and fused them into the service of a career in the weird and the macabre.
Authors are always in dialogue with our predecessors. We benefit, or suffer, from the influence of those who went before. Partridge ranks among the contemporary greats because of his nascent talent, and also because he successfully embeds literary influences into his own style, and does it in such a way that you cannot help but see the parts moving individually and in conjunction.
This is tough-as-nails hard-boiled horror with a streak of weirdness and paranoia a country mile wide. It is wholly North American in its sympathies, its textures, and its provenance. Highly recommended for fans of the genre; essential for new writers as an example of how it’s done by one of the best short story writers in the business.
The Man with the Barbed Wire Fists
July 9, 2015
Watch This: The One-Minute Time Machine
Creepy, romantic, and a bit unsettling in its implications.
July 7, 2015
Listen to This: S.P. Miskowski on The Outer Dark
This week on The Outer Dark, Scott Nicolay interviews S.P. Miskowski.
Miskowski writes with a neo gothic vibe. Her star seems to be in rapid ascent. I highly recommend Delphine Dodd
June 29, 2015
On Writing: Cover Letters
Tina Jens has written an essay about cover letters at Black Gate. She lays it all out quite thoroughly. My two cents: If you have pro credits, you already know what to put in a cover letter. If you don’t have pro credits, Tina cuts to the chase.
Dear Black Gate editors, [If the market’s website lists the editor’s name, go with that.]
Enclosed is my story “The Orc’s Ascension.” It is 2,500 words long.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Tina Jens
It’s this simple.
June 23, 2015
The Outer Dark Podcast: Livia Llewellyn
Scott Nicolay talks with one of my favorite authors, Livia Llewellyn.
image via The Outer Dark & Project iRadio; illustration by Nick Gucker
June 18, 2015
Read This: A Head Full of Ghosts
Paul Tremblay and Cara Hoffman are reading Word Bookstore in Brooklyn tonight, 7PM. I highly recommend Paul’s latest novel, A Head Full of Ghosts. It’s not a terrific horror novel–it’s a terrific novel.
June 10, 2015
Ross Lockhart Profile
Ross Lockhart, owner of Word Horde, is one of the good guys. Also a strong supporter of horror and weird fiction. Here is a recent interview with Bohemian.com.
June 6, 2015
On Writing: Justification
On responding to criticism with justification:
1. You will never justify yourself to the satisfaction of your detractors.
2. You already had your say.
Richard Chizmar Speaks
Nightmare Magazine has an interview up with Richard Chizmar. Founder of Cemetery Dance. The piece covers publishing, editing, and adapting Stephen King’s work for film.
And yes, go watch Mad Max: Fury Road. Thanks to Charlize Theron, the film lives up to the advance hype, and then some.
