Philip Fracassi's Blog: PHILIP FRACASSI BLOG, page 9

ALL IS FULL OF HELL – Now Available

Pleased to announce the official release of ALL IS FULL OF HELL: A Panegyric for William Blake.


 


This anthology includes my story KING MOB.


 


This is a gorgeous, limited-edition fine press book (133 copies printed) from Mount Abraxas Press (an imprint of Ex Occidente). Edited by D.T. Ghetu and Damian Murphy, and illustrated by Denis Forkas Kostromitin.


 


Copies can be reserved with Ziesing Books in the US by emailing info@ziesings.com, and with Fantastic Literature Ltd and Cold Tonnage in the UK. For more info, email exoccidente@gmail.com.


 


Full table of contents:


 


Trefoil is the Grail of Perdition by Sebastian Montesi​​​


​​The Kings of Cobweb and Dandelion by Colin Insole​


Feast of Fire by Alcebiades Diniz Migue​l​


​​Ghost of a Flea by Rhys Hugh​​es​


​Shadow of Horror risen in Eternity by Stephan Friedman


Great, Pale World by D.P. Watt


​Horrox ​​by Andrew Condous


​​The Secret Wound in Life by Joseph Dawson​​​


Burnt the Fire of Thine Eyes by Oliver Smith


King Mob by Philip Fracassi


La Fleur Infernale by Leopold Nacht


The Torso in Shadow by Adam S. Cantwell


I Want! I Want! by Henry Jovial


Christian Singles by Thomas Phillips


Wollstonecraft by Karim Ghahwagi​


​​​The Golden Mile by John Howard​


​​Nocturnal Gardens by​ Ramon Lasalle​


The Living Rapture by Jonathan Wood​


​Synarchy of Molten Bones by Deathspell Omega

Publication Day for my new novella, SACCULINA

I’m very pleased to announce today, May 12, is the official publication day for my new horror novella, SACCULINA, from JournalStone Publishing.

SACCULINA, as the title portends, is a seafaring story about a group of family fishermen that find themselves meeting a new genus of sea creature head-on. First contact with a species that, while historically benign, has newfound intentions with humanity.

This story was built to thrill and entertain – but mostly frighten. I hope it accomplishes those goals for the reader.

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To purchase the ebook or print copy of the book, click HERE to go to Amazon.com.

Early praise for SACCULINA:

“Philip Fracassi’s Sacculina is a smart, terrifying, and poignant tale of creeping menace. I devoured it in one frenzied sitting and came away with two thoughts: this Fracassi guy is damn good, and I’m never going on a boat again!” — Richard Chizmar, author of A Long December and co-author (with Stephen King) of Gwendy’s Button Box

“[Fracassi] sets the hook into a reader’s imagination, and as he reels the reader in through creeping dread and all-too possible darkness, they’ll soon understand that there is no escape.” — Jake Marley, This Is Horror

“Behold the Void” reviewed as ‘Dante’s Pick’ in May issue of RUE MORGUE

Thanks to reviewer Dejan Ognjanovic and RUE MORGUE MAGAZINE for the fantastic review of my new collection, BEHOLD THE VOID.

“…think vintage King at his best.”

To purchase the May issue – in digital or print – or ANY other issue of one of the world’s premier horror magazines, click HERE to visit their website. (Note: For the digital issue, click DIGITAL in the menu bar).

To purchase BEHOLD THE VOID from Amazon in print, ebook or audio, click HERE.

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FRAGILE DREAMS — Excerpt

I thought it would be fun to publish a small excerpt from my novella, FRAGILE DREAMS, currently available through JournalStone and all online retailers.

Hope you enjoy it.

 

 

The shaking stopped.

He could barely breathe, the pain unbearable.  He groaned, gritted his teeth.  There was a loud cracking sound, loud but muffled, down in the belly of the ruins beneath him, a monster’s belch.

There were a few more splintering snaps, as if two-by-fours were breaking in half – SNAP – SNAP – CRACK-SNAP – and then everything beneath him sagged a few inches, and Matthew’s body sank along with the debris.  Mercifully, the slab ramming itself into his spine did not lower, and the pressure released itself from his spine, guts and groin as his body leveled out.  Breath leapt into his lungs.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” he whispered in a hushed, torn voice, breathing in more easily now as the incredible pressure, threatening to break him, ebbed.  He could feel the blood in his body racing to his legs and chest, free once more to flow without obstruction.

After a few moments of nervous gratitude, waiting for another aftershock, praying his body was not too badly damaged, Matthew took a deep breath and made an attempt to once again assess his position.  He was still unable to turn, or twist his body at all, the weight of the slab still resting on top of him heavily, if not with the deadly force of a few moments prior.  He imagined it was as if the Thing, that rock monstrosity from the Fantastic Four comics and movies, was resting his bony ass on Matthew’s spine, waiting for backup to arrive, and Matthew could do nothing but squirm and try to keep breathing beneath Thing’s bulk – a trapped, feeble villain.

For the moment, at least, the ground had ceased its final vibrations, and Matthew was still alive.  With the release of the sharp fear came cold despair, an icy blanket that wrapped around him, filled him, and he sobbed like a child.  Tears ran down his face and into the concrete.  He realized, with no small sense of shame, he had pissed himself, whether from terror or the immense pressure on his bladder he did not know, but he could feel the urine cooling along his hip and thighs.  He wiped his face with one dirty hand, and then cried some more.  The sobs became louder, more ragged, soon pitched into the air as panicked screams.  The weeping and cries of hysteria, of terror, of a person slowly, and quite painfully, dying.

Am I going to die? he wondered.  He desperately wished he could see what was around him.  I’m so goddamn sick of the dark! he thought, straining to make out anything, any shapes.  He wondered how deeply he was buried, how precariously.  Was he ten feet above-ground, or twenty-feet below?  If above, would he collapse downward with the next aftershock?  Sliding down and down into the bowels of the earth?  And if below, what if the rescue teams because surely there were rescuers they always showed them on TV always always always brought in heavy machinery and accidentally drove over the rubble sitting on top of him, squashing him beneath like a bug?

He felt panic rising again and wanted so desperately to be able to just turn over and look above him.  Would he see light?  A pin-prick, perhaps?  The proverbial ray of hope?

Or would there be nothing but more darkness?  The total inky black submersion that did not let you see the hand in front of your face.  The kind that muffled the sounds you made as if your body was trapped in warm outer space, wedged between dimensions like a dead rat between walls in a rickety old house.

Matthew began to hyperventilate.  He had to get out.  He had to get out.  He had to get out.

With a fresh surge of mindless panic, he started to push and twist, crying out in pain as the edge of the slab on top of him dug into his flesh.  He felt skin tear and a warm gush of blood spill down his side, seep into the waistband of his boxers.

He stopped.  He was making things worse.  “Damn it!” he screamed, feeling more helpless and alone by the moment.  He tried to slow his breathing, tried to calm himself.

He was slowing his heart-rate, regaining some of his composure, when something – something behind him in the dark – pulled at his foot.

His head snapped up, eyes wide.

He had time to think, did something… when he felt another quick, sharp tug.  Not his foot.  His toe.  Or, more accurately, the sock of his toe.  It felt as if two tiny fingers were pulling at the very tip of his sock, teasingly trying to pull… it… off.

 

To read more, visit Amazon.com or JournalStone.com.

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My StokerCon 2017 RECAP

This year’s StokerCon took place aboard the haunted, and quite stationary, Queen Mary cruise ship in Long Beach, CA. I was able to attend Friday, April 28 and Saturday, April 29.

Overall, Stephanie and I had a wonderful experience.

Conventions are tricky. There are so many people you’d like to meet who you maybe sorta know, or know via Social Media, or just “know of.” There’s folks you want to meet for fun (fellow authors, etc.), and folks you want to meet for networking purposes (editors, publishers, etc.). For the most part, this is a good, positive experience. There are times when it can also be not so positive, but I prefer to focus on the positive.

First off, Lisa Morton and Kate Jonez did an amazing job putting this together. It was organized, efficient, and well-stocked with panels, signings, readings, book buying opportunities, and easy access to all the food and drink and events you could want to fit in. So, Bravo! to the HWA organizers.

My personal experience with the conference was incredible. I was on the “Business of Screenwriting” Panel and had a lot of fun talking about my experiences in the field of selling and producing screenplays.

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“Business of Screenwriting” Panel Members

Ultimate fan-boy moment: George R.R. Martin signing our copy of “Game of Thrones” (yeah, first printing).

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Nerd Achievement Unlocked

I was able to do a reading along with 7-time Stoker nominee Scott Edelman, and shared a signing table with folks like Michael Marshall Smith, Stephen Jones, Peter Atkins and – a highlight for me – Dennis Etchison, who is one of my favorite short story writers. Appreciated the awesome Nick Gucker bringing some loot for me to sign as well.

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Mr. Dennis Etchison

There were so many people who were gracious and kind and who I really enjoyed meeting over the two hectic days, not least of which was Christopher Payne, President of JournalStone Publishing, who made sure my drink glass was never empty; having dinner with Chris, Jonathan Maberry and his lovely wife, Sarah Jo, was another dream-like highlight.

The other amazing moment for me was getting to hang with horror writer / director Mike Flanagan, who was one of the nicest people I’ve ever met in an industry I’ve worked in, on and off, for more than 20 years. Thanks to the gracious Jonathan Lees for coordinating the Film Festival portion of the StokerCon event. I wish I had a photo, but I’m not the most aggressive picture taker.

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Interviewed by John Palisano prior to award ceremony.

Quick shout-outs to all the amazing folks I met (often briefly) who could not have been kinder to an upstart horror writer: John Joseph Adams, Tim Waggoner, Mike Flanagan, Stephen Graham Jones, Kate Jonez (again) for being an amazing host, Dennis Etchison, Jonathan Maberry, John Skipp, Grady Hendrix, Taylor Grant, Leslie Klinger, Scott Edelman, Greg Bastianelli, Autumn Christian (whose hand I shook not once but twice), Richard Thomas, Ted Grau, Robert Payne Cabeen and Cecile Grimm-Cabeen, John Palisano, Nick Gucker, Nikki Guerlain, Jonathan Lees, Christopher Payne and the indomitable Jake Marley.

All photos by Stephanie Simard.

StokerCon 2017 Special — ALTAR is Free through May 1

In honor of StokerCon 2017 this weekend, I am offering my acclaimed novelette ALTAR for FREE the remainder of April.

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“ALTAR is redolent of hard-edged supernatural horror from the golden days of McCammon and King…” — Laird Barron

“…an intense and satisfying reading experience. Admired the depiction of the family dynamics as much as the horror.” — Jeffrey Ford

“…a terrifying beast of a tale.” — The Ginger Nuts of Horror

“…gets into the mind of a young boy better than I’ve seen anyone do since Stephen King’s IT…” — Shotgun Logic

“…a well-written, tightly paced extravaganza…combined with cinematic, bloodcurdling terror.” — This Is Horror

“…well worth picking up any time you’re in the mood for a quick dip into darkness. Recommended.” — Cemetery Dance

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If you haven’t read my work, this is a good jumping-off point. And if you like the story, please pick up my new collection, BEHOLD THE VOID, for ALTAR and 8 more stories of supernatural cosmic horror.

My StokerCon 2017 Schedule

Hey folks — if you’re gonna be attending StokerCon 2017 at the Queen Mary in gorgeous San Pedro, CA (April 27-30), here is my schedule if you’d like to attend my panel, my reading or my signing:

Friday, April 28 — 2-3 PM


I will be on a panel discussing the “Business of Screenwriting” — I’ve had a couple scripts produced and etched a half-living doing other script grunt work – happy to pass on any knowledge that might be of help.

Saturday, April 29 — 2-3 PM


I will be signing copies of my new book, BEHOLD THE VOID, and my current novella, FRAGILE DREAMS or whatever else you want me to sign!

Saturday, April 29 — 3-3:30 PM


I will be doing a live reading from BEHOLD THE VOID. I’m sharing my reading slot with the legendary sci-fi & Marvel comics writer Scott Edelman! And right after us is Dennis Etchison… so pretty awesome.

I’ll be around pretty much the entire time, so if you’d like grab a beer or six just let me know (via PM is the best way!). See you at StokerCon!

For more info visit the official StokerCon 2017 website.

Pub Day for BEHOLD THE VOID!

Wow. Woah, man. Let me take a breath.

That was a tough climb! But look at this beauty.

It’s been an amazing year. I’ve been able to join Mike Davis and his cronies on the Lovecraft eZine podcast, I was in an anthology with Reggie stinkin’ Oliver and the amazing Egaeus Press, I got to publish with Ravenwood Quarterly and the awesome Jordan Krall, work with artists like Matthew Revert, Nick Gucker and Chuck Killorin; I have stories coming out in Strange Aeons and Dark Discoveries magazine next month, I signed with a literary agent and, coolest of all, I somehow finagled my way into a book deal with Christopher Payne at JournalStone for a couple novellas and my first-ever collection of stories.

And tonight I’ll be signing books at my favorite bookstore, and one of the coolest bookstores in the world, The Last Bookstore, to support the culmination of a year’s hard work: BEHOLD THE VOID.

Regardless of how many copies it sells or how many positive (or negative) reviews it gets at the usual places (Amazon! Goodreads!), I’m very proud of this book and it has a special place in my heart for many reasons, not the least of which is the introduction by my friend Laird Barron, for which I’m grateful and humbled.

I hope you buy the book. I hope you enjoy the stories. I did my very best for you. My goal with these stories is to first, entertain, and then hopefully scare you a little (or a lot!) and leave you with a little scar to remember me by, a skin-snag from a loose nail from my haunted house, a slight case of vertigo from my little roller coasters.

The park is expanding, so please keep buying tickets, and thank you for taking the ride.

BEHOLD THE VOID is now available in hardcover, paperback and ebook from Amazon.com and JournalStone.com.

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Behold the Void… has arrived!

Indulge me here, but it’s a pretty exciting day when your new book arrives.

These guys look and feel amazing. Handsome and high-quality. I’m really thrilled with them. Both the paperbacks and hardcovers are sweet to hold.

Allow me some baby pictures:

Want to say a big thank you to Christopher Payne at JournalStone for believing in the work and publishing this collection, Chuck Killorin for the amazing design of the cover, and Laird Barron for the wonderful and humbling introduction.

Now available through Amazon and Journalstone.com.

(And remember, if you buy a print copy I’ll send you a signed bookplate – while they last!).

Thanks for the support – enjoy the Void.

Free Autographed Bookplate

If signed books interest you or you just need to stop a mysterious leaky crack in the ceiling above your head – the one dripping black water into your eyes while you sleep for instance – I’m offering a limited, autographed FREE bookplate for anyone who buys a print copy of my collection, BEHOLD THE VOID.

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Just send me a PM via Facebook, direct message via Twitter (@philipfracassi) or email me using the CONTACT form on my website. Include your name and mailing address and I’ll shoot one out to you as fast as I’m able! If you’ve purchased more than one of my books and would like 2 book plates, please specify.

I have a limited amount of these so please respect the honor system!

Thanks so much for the support and I hope you enjoy the scares.

–PF