Mike Thorn's Blog, page 37

Guest Post on Kendall Reviews: Mike Thorn’s 10 favourite Horror films from the 2010s

"Horror cinema still suffers from the burden of David Edelstein’s reductive, vaguely moralizing mid-2000s condemnation of 'torture porn.' Throughout the 2010s, the genre has mostly strayed away from the urgency, viscera and political heft of films like The Devil’s Rejects (2005) and Hostel (2005), opting instead for low-budget supernatural found footage fare (see most of Blumhouse’s output) and prestige exercises in genre-deaf bluffing (see most of the most popularly praised titles of the past three or so years). I tend to like horror films that proudly inhabit their genre, paying respect to its central affect while also demonstrating formal knowledge and identifying new possibilities. I prefer to see horror films pushing boundaries within a contemporary context than vaguely 'cerebral' repetitions of the past. Limiting myself to one title per director, I’ve highlighted ten of my favorite horror films released between 2010 and 2017 (organized chronologically)."

See my picks on Kendall Reviews.

Photos from the Second Darkest Hours Launch

Owl's Nest Books hosted the second launch for Darkest Hours last night.

Check out some photos from the event on my website.

"All in the Family," by Jennifer Loring & Mike Thorn, Slated for Publication in Tales from the Id - Behind the Mask

The brilliant Jennifer Loring and I co-wrote a domestic occult horror-thriller with shades of Satanic ritualism and urban myth. It's being published in Behind the Mask - Tales from the Id, edited by Steve Dillon and featuring reprints by the likes of genre legends such as Clive Barker, Ramsey Campbell, Algernon Blackwood and Edgar Allan Poe. The book also includes a piece by Mark Allan Gunnells, who wrote an awesome novella called #MakeHalloweenScaryAgain for Halloween Carnival Volume 1.

Yes, I'm excited.

New Review of Darkest Hours in Sci-Fi & Scary

Lilyn G. of Sci-Fi & Scary on Darkest Hours: "...contains the most diverse selection of stories that I’ve ever read from a single author. "

Read the full review here.

Darkest Hours FINALLY Available on Canadian Amazon

Darkest Hours is FINALLY available in both paperback and eBook on Canadian Amazon (also available on Amazon US and UK): myBook.to/DarkestHours

Check out some of the blurb/review samples:

“The element of surprise is a tribute to Thorn’s ingenuity; the assuredness of his prose is due to his extensive knowledge of the horror genre.”
— S.P. Miskowski, author of Strange is the Night

“Mike Thorn is brilliant.”
— Waylon Jordan, iHorror

“When you first encounter Thorn’s writing, a number of qualities impress themselves: the macabre intelligence (brutal really), the chilling wit, the naturalness of the dialogue. Plus there’s the skill and style of the prose.”
— Robert Dunbar, author of The Pines and Willy

“This is subversive literary horror.”
— Tim Murr, Biff Bam Pop

“Mike Thorn has delivered a promising debut with this collection showing off his commitment to stories of nuance, heart, and of course… darkness.”
— Daniel Braum, author of The Night Marchers and Other Strange Tales

“The hallmark of great horror is that it surprises, scares, and most importantly, entertains. Darkest Hours succeeds on all these levels.”
— Brandon Wilson, The Weal

“Mike Thorn writes with refreshing originality and hides fangs behind a smile.”
— John C. Foster, author of Mister White

“Mike Thorn’s debut story collection is not to be missed by those who enjoy an academic intellect with a potent flair for fiction.”
— Dustin LaValley, author of A Soundless Dawn

Mike Thorn Brings Illumination to the “Darkest Hours”: Interview in iHorror

"If you ever want to have a truly fascinating conversation, ask an author about his or her work. Seriously, there are few things more riveting than listening to the inspiration and their personal process of writing, and even more, the subjects that sparked an author’s imagination that brought a story to life. Fortunately for me, I get to do that a lot, and Mike Thorn, whose recent debut anthology Darkest Hours just released, had plenty to say about his work and his process."

Read the full interview in iHorror.

What the Writers Say: Darkest Hours Launch at Mount Royal University

Thank you to everyone who came out to Friday’s Darkest Hours launch at Mount Royal University. It was fun to answer your questions, sign your books and read grotesque fiction aloud in public. I’m looking forward to the next launch — Wednesday, December 6th at 7pm, Owl’s Nest Books.

Check out Christian Kindrachuk's event photos on my website.

Underrated '97: Guest Post on Rupert Pupkin Speaks

Rupert Pupkin Speaks invited me to write a guest post about my picks for most underrated films of 1997. I had a great time reflecting on releases by Lillian Schwartz, Gregg Araki, Steven Spielberg and others.

Read the full post here.

Interview Feature in BeatRoute

"Halloween may be behind us, but the horror never stops, especially for Calgary artist, filmmaker and writer Mike Thorn, who just finished up his MA in English at the University of Calgary, writing his thesis on the relationship between horror and epistemology and is about to publish out his first book, a collection of 16 stories, eight of which have seen publication in various horror and genre outlets over the past couple years."

Read the full article.

Mike Thorn Q&As Dustin LaValley on Unnerving's Website

"Mike: Who are the authors that got you interested in reading? Are
they different from the ones who sparked your interest in writing? What do you read mostly these days?

Dustin: Middle School, I had an English teacher (retired Patriots player) who assigned the class collected works of Poe, though before I give them credit I have to say the fondest experience of discovering an interest in reading was due to my parents, forcing childhood me to read R.L. Stine who I loved and collected. After middle school and Poe, it was shock and awe authors such as mentors turned buddies, Jack Ketchum and Edward Lee. The last decade or so, it’s been almost all authors in the realm of crime, noir, and those of a 'transgressive' nature. A novel in the Parker or Grofield series by Richard Stark is just as likely to be read as anything by Jerry Stahl or Easton Ellis."

Read the full conversation.