Mike Thorn's Blog, page 32

Fated, Faithful, Fatal: Ranking and Reviewing 25 Years of Marilyn Manson

"Twenty-five years ago, Marilyn Manson released his debut album Portrait of an American Family. Ten albums and multiple band changes later, his catalogue presents an extensive, medium-crossing statement on a culture he both reviles and embodies. Manson’s oeuvre presents a messy, self-contradicting statement, bound up in its creator’s narcissism and his uniquely Ouroboros-like relationship to the popular American landscape."

Read the full article in Vague Visages.

Darkest Hours author Mike Thorn talks to Josiah Morgan about writing, genre and influences.

Josiah Morgan and I have been online acquaintances for several years, bonding initially over our mutual passion for film. I recently read his debut poetry collection Inside the Castle and was stunned by its formal sophistication, thematic complexity and breadth of reference. I sent him a message asking if he would like to publish a chat with me about writing, genre and influences and he kindly agreed.

Our conversation is now available to read on Kendall Reviews.

New Review of Darkest Hours in Kendall Reviews

" Darkest Hours is brutal. I mean that in the best way possible. The stories here range from cosmic horror to real horror and everything in between. I, myself, am a massive fan of heavy music and it was great seeing stories interjected with death and black metal imagery and references.”

Read the full review in Kendall Reviews.

Cinematary Dialogue with Andrew Swafford about Lords of Chaos

I had a good time discussing Lords of Chaos with Andrew Swafford for Cinematary. Among other things, we delved into the film’s dealings with black metal, representation vs. reality and fascism. Check it out.

New Review of Darkest Hours in Joyful Antidotes

"Overall, I can’t fault this collection of versatile, dark, gory, graphic, psychological stories."

Read the full review.

Guest panelist on Slicin’ Up Eyeballs podcast, Part 2

Autumn and Jake of the Slicin' Up Eyeballs podcast invited Justine Peres Smith (National Post, Ebert, Little White Lies), Scout Tafoya (Ebert, Los Angeles Review of Books) and me to discuss our favorite films of 2018.

Part 2 is now up. Hear our top 5 picks.

Listen to part 1.

New article about Rob Zombie's House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects for HorrorNews.net

I wrote a new retrospective article, "The Grease-Painted Corpse of Americana: Revisiting Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects," for HorrorNews.net.

Click here to read it.

Guest panelist on Slicin’ up Eyeballs podcast

Autumn and Jake of the Slicin' up Eyeballs podcast invited Justine Peres Smith (National Post, Ebert, Little White Lies), Scout Tafoya (Ebert, Los Angeles Review of Books) and me to discuss our favorite films of 2018.

Listen to part 1. 

New Review and Interview in Horror Bound

“His stories are bizarre in the best way and bring personal flaws and disaster to the forefront. Most of these protagonists are not the greatest of folks but somehow you’re still rooting for them as their lives completely fall apart. Thorn knows how to grab you within the first few sentences and then throw up all over you in the best way. Some of his best stories in this collection are everyday situations that are twisted and given a dash of demon, a dash of murderous ghosts, and some drug abuse. And at the end you’re sweating from the tension.”

Horror Bound just posted a new review of Darkest Hours and an interview with me. Read now!

Darkest Hours included on best of the year lists (Char's Horror Corner, That's What She Read, High Fever Books)

As 2018 ends and 2019 begins, I'm unbelievably grateful to see some book reviewers listing Darkest Hours as one of their favorite books of the year.

Check out the full lists:

Mother Horror's Most Loved Books of 2018

Char's Horror Corner: Top Ten Anthologies and Collections of 2018

That's What She Read: Best Books of 2018