Amy H. Sturgis's Blog, page 171

11 Days Until Halloween

My most recent StarShipSofa "History of the Genre" segment, which discusses the popular penny dreadful Varney the Vampire, or The Feast of Blood (1845-1847), one of Dracula's most significant ancestors, is now available in the latest episode of the podcast. You can download it or listen to it here. If you listen, I hope you enjoy. (A full list of my past podcast segments, with links, is available here.)

And here are some noteworthy links related to Varney:
Read the full text of Varney the Vampire online here.
See original illustrations from Varney here.
Download unabridged narrations of Varney at Librivox here.
Read more about the authoritative edition from Zittaw Press here.
See the graphic adaptation (a work in progress) here.

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Text of the Day: Appropriately enough, our text is Varney the Vampire.

Teaser:
A tall figure is standing on the ledge immediately outside the long window. It is its finger-nails upon the glass that produces the sound so like the hail, now that the hail has ceased. Intense fear paralysed the limbs of the beautiful girl. That one shriek is all she can utter -- with hand clasped, a face of marble, a heart beating so wildly in her bosom, that each moment it seems as if it would break its confines, eyes distended and fixed upon the window, she waits, froze with horror. The pattering and clattering of the nails continue. No word is spoken, and now she fancies she can trace the darker form of that figure against the window, and she can see the long arms moving to and fro, feeling for some mode of entrance. What strange light is that which now gradually creeps up into the air? red and terrible -- brighter and brighter it grows. The lightning has set fire to a mill, and the reflection of the rapidly consuming building falls upon that long window. There can be no mistake. The figure is there, still feeling for an entrance, and clattering against the glass with its long nails, that appear as if the growth of many years had been untouched. She tries to scream again but a choking sensation comes over her, and she cannot. It is too dreadful -- she tries to move -- each limb seems weighted down by tons of lead -- she can but in a hoarse faint whisper cry, --

"Help -- help -- help -- help!"

Read more of Varney the Vampire, or The Feast of Blood here.

12 Days Until Halloween

There's a book coming out in a few days that I think will make excellent Halloween reading: The Last Man Anthology from Sword & Saga Press.
The Last Man Anthology takes inspiration from one of my very favorite novels, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's The Last Man, and showcases short stories and poems that build on the theme of finality.

Here's the official description: "From experiencing the last snowmelt to taking part of the last day on Earth, The Last Man Anthology propels catastrophic literature into the twenty-first century while staying true to Shelley's timeless themes of chaos and isolation. How would it feel to know you were experiencing your last day on Earth? What would the end of the world look like to the Greek gods, the last bookstore owner, or the last philosopher? Contributors include veteran writers Ray Bradbury, C.J. Cherryh, and Barry N. Malzberg, along with such classic sci-fi authors as H.G. Wells, Edgar Allan Poe, and Jack London, and an assortment of contemporary writers from four continents."




Mary Shelley's novel The Last Man is available as follows:
Online here in a hypertext edition
Online here as a free unabridged audiobook
In addition, I recommend three films for the Halloween season that depict Mary Shelley's historic visit with Lord Byron in Villa Diodati by Lake Geneva, the visit that spawned Frankenstein (and, for that matter, Dr. John Polidori's The Vampyre):
Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Gothic (1986)
Haunted Summer (1988)

Text of the Day: Today's text is the short story "The Corpse on the Grating" by Hugh B. Cave (1910-2004). Enjoy!

Teaser:
In the gloomy depths of the old warehouse Dale saw a thing that drew a scream of horror to his dry lips. It was a corpse—the mold of decay on its long-dead features—and yet it was alive!

Read the complete story here.

13 Days Until Halloween

Happy birthday to witchcat07 . May your day be as fantastic as you are!


Celebrating its 12th year on the air, Out ov the Coffin is a specialty radio program hosted by D.J. Ichabod. Out ov the Coffin is great fun, and it's brought to you by WRVU, broadcasting from my alma mater, Vanderbilt University. Go 'Dores! What was first conceived as a means of spreading dark and esoteric music to the Nashville area is now available to the whole world over the web streamed at its website and on iTunes radio via WRVU. The program's website also has archived shows and playlists. (Note: Go here to download the 2007 Halloween special, which includes "guest cameos" from Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, and Bela Lugosi, among others!)




Text of the Day: This short story is a classic for a reason: "The Horror-Horn" by E.F. Benson (1867-1940).

Teaser: "Six thousand feet more when you have already accomplished twenty-three thousand does not seem much, but at present no one knows whether the human frame can stand exertion at such a height. It may affect not the lungs and heart only, but possibly the brain. Delirious hallucinations may occur. In fact, if I did not know better, I should have said that one such hallucination had occurred to the climbers already."

"And what was that?" I asked.

"You will find that they thought they came across the tracks of some naked human foot at a great altitude."

Read the complete story here.

14 Days Until Halloween

Happy spawning day to vulpine137 , and thanks to lizziebelle for today's very eerie and appropriate picture.

Librivox is feeling the October spirit. The site has some unabridged narrations of Halloween-appropriate works newly available for free download:
The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe (1604)
Mrs. Shelley by Lucy Madox Rossetti (1890)
The House of the Vampire by George Sylvestor Viereck (1907)
Let 'Em Breathe Space by Lester del Rey (1953)

Speaking of the October spirit, Mark Tatulli's daily comic strip Liō definitely is Halloween mode:


Read more Liō here.


Text of the Day: It doesn't get more chilling than this: "The Haunted Oak" by Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906).

Pray why are you so bare, so bare,
Oh, bough of the old oak-tree;
And why, when I go through the shade you throw,
Runs a shudder over me?

My leaves were green as the best, I trow,
And sap ran free in my veins,
But I say in the moonlight dim and weird
A guiltless victim's pains.

They'd charged him with the old, old crime,
And set him fast in jail:
Oh, why does the dog howl all night long,
And why does the night wind wail?

He prayed his prayer and he swore his oath,
And he raised his hand to the sky;
But the beat of hoofs smote on his ear,
And the steady tread drew nigh.

Who is it rides by night, by night,
Over the moonlit road?
And what is the spur that keeps the pace,
What is the galling goad?

And now they beat at the prison door,
"Ho, keeper, do not stay!
We are friends of him whom you hold within,
And we fain would take him away

"From those who ride fast on our heels
With mind to do him wrong;
They have no care for his innocence,
And the rope they bear is long."

They have fooled the jailer with lying words,
They have fooled the man with lies;
The bolts unbar, the locks are drawn,
And the great door open flies.

Now they have taken him from the jail,
And hard and fast they ride,
And the leader laughs low down in his throat,
As they halt my trunk beside.

Oh, the judge, he wore a mask of black,
And the doctor one of white,
And the minister, with his oldest son,
Was curiously bedight.

Oh, foolish man, why weep you now?
'Tis but a little space,
And the time will come when these shall dread
The mem'ry of your face.

I feel the rope against my bark,
And the weight of him in my grain,
I feel in the throe of his final woe
The touch of my own last pain.

And never more shall leaves come forth
On the bough that bears the ban;
I am burned with dread, I am dried and dead,
From the curse of a guiltless man.

And ever the judge rides by, rides by,
And goes to hunt the deer,
And ever another rides his soul
In the guise of a mortal fear.

And ever the man he rides me hard,
And never a night stays he;
For I feel his curse as a haunted bough,
On the trunk of a haunted tree.

15 Days Until Halloween

John Anealio has posted a new song, "Stormtrooper for Halloween." I find it hard to resist. Hmmm, I wonder why.

I hope you enjoy it, too:



Text of the Day: I simply can't recommend this haunting story enough. (You can read my review of East of the Sun and West of Fort Smith, the collection in which this story appears, here on Goodreads.) A Nebula Award nominee in 2004, I present "Dry Bones" by the amazing William Sanders (1942-present).

Teaser:
It was a hot summer day and I was sitting under the big tree down by the road, where we caught the bus when school was in, when Wendell Haney came up the road on his bike and told me somebody had found a skeleton in a cave down in Moonshine Hollow.

"No lie," he said. "My cousin Wilma Jean lives in town and she came by the house just now and told Mama about it."

I put down the Plastic Man comic book I had been reading. "You mean a human skeleton?" I said, not really believing it.

Wendell made this kind of impatient face. "Well, of course a human one," he said. "What did you think?"

Read the complete story here.

16 Days Until Halloween

I'm so glad I listened to witchcat07 and arymetore when they said that the best pumpkin spice coffee could be found at the Coffee Shop of Horrors. They were right! It's called Ichabod's Dame, and it's delicious. If you visit the site, be sure to check out other coffees and teas, too; with names like Burial Grounds and Graveyard Shift, the shop shows proper October spirit. (Hint: Use the discount code GRAVEYARD and receive 10% off your first order.)

If you're looking for free printable Halloween potion bottle labels, check out the links here. Very clever stuff! (Thanks to agentxpndble .)

Speaking of good advice, take mine and listen to Peadar Ó Guilín's ( peadarog 's) chilling short story "The Evil-Eater," now available here at Pseudopod, narrated by Wilson Fowlie. I thoroughly enjoyed this creepy story when it came out in Black Gate. Go forth and listen!

Thanks to everyone who took part in my poll on "off the beaten track" films for Halloween. I'm going to follow up on your excellent suggestions and watch some spooky films! Here's the trailer for the movie recommended by marthawells , which is too much fun not to share:




Text of the Day: If this isn't a Halloween-friendly title, I don't know what is. Here's the short story "Stolen Brains" by Captain S.P. Meek (1894-1972).

Teaser: Three of the men grasped the doctor and forced him into the chair and Slavatsky started the generator. The violet light bathed Dr.[19] Bird's head and he felt a stiffness and contraction of his neck muscles, and as he tried to shout out his knowledge of Slavatsky's treachery, he found that his vocal chords were paralyzed. Through a gathering haze he could see Carson approaching with an anesthesia cone and the sweet smell of lethane assailed his nostrils. He fought with all his force, but strong hands held him, and he felt himself slipping—slipping—slipping—and then falling into an immense void. His head slumped forward on his chest and Slavatsky shut off the generator.

Read the complete story here.

17 Days Until Halloween

I have another 2010 book to recommend for your Halloween reading: The House of Dead Maids by Clare B. Dunkle. The novel follows fictional 11-year-old Tabby as she's take to become a maid at the distant and dilapidated Seldom House. There she encounters her very dead predecessors and her very live charge, a precocious and wayward little boy, whom she tries to protect from the sinister forces around them, as well as his own ignorance and willfulness. As the two unravel the secret of Seldom House, they discover that peril comes from forces far older and much closer than they could have imagined.

Clare B. Dunkle weaves a classic Gothic tale of moral innocence versus indifference as a child's simple but profound faith is pitted against an ancient and now debased practice. (It wouldn't be inappropriate to think of a mashup between The Secret Garden and The Wicker Man.) Better still, Dunkle nests her story within the larger context of the Brontës. According to the novel, the fictional child (who has all the courage and tenacity of Neil Gaiman's modern-day Coraline) grows up to be the "real life" adult Tabby who serves as the Brontë family's housekeeper at Haworth, the one who reportedly told the Brontë sisters dark and imaginative tales -- some, Dunkle implies, from firsthand experience. The author suggests that the "heathen git" child that Tabby protects at Seldom House is none other than the "real" Heathcliff, whom Emily Brontë later immortalized in her masterpiece Wuthering Heights.

In short, it's ideal reading for a dark and stormy night. You can read my full review here at Goodreads.



Thanks to cookiefleck for today's spooky picture!

Inspired by agameofthree , I now invite you to find yourself at...
eldritchhobbit 's Halloween party:



_archaicangel_ dressed as the love child of Larry Bird and Calista Flockhart.

_snitchbitch dressed as Mary-Kate Olsen with her very own conjoined Ashley.

actourdreams dressed as Squidward.

adamantrealm dressed as blues legend Blind Chicken Rivers.

aelfgifu dressed as Derek Jeter.

agameofthree dressed as the Viscount of Apliupox.

agentxpndble dressed as a character from Harry Potter and the Harp of the Advice.

agingaglaea dressed as a new member of the Wu-Tang Clan, Annoying Assassin.

ailing_prophecy dressed as Winona Ryder.

aishabintjamil dressed as Karl Rove.

akaihyo dressed as a character from Harry Potter and the Prince of San Antonio.

alex_beecroft dressed as Michelle Trachtenberg riding a chicken.

alicambs dressed as Sigfried in need of testosterone.

alicia_stardust dressed as Dennis Miller.

alii_s dressed as a Firthway employee.

alitalf dressed as Lady Godiva without the horse and far too little hair!.

alohanamarie dressed as a new member of the Wu-Tang Clan, Merry Specialist.

altariel dressed as Camilla Parker-Bowles when she becomes Queen.

amygrech dressed as a ghost.

angelinehawkes dressed as Sybil - except that Sybil didn't show but the other 31 personalities did, and it suited them disturbingly well.

animated_max dressed as Nosferatu the Supreme Vampire.

ankh_hpl dressed as a very fake witch-doctor complete with a collection of shrunken skulls.

antonioreyes dressed as the Governor of Virginia.

apexdigest dressed as a devil.

aragornlover dressed as Courtney Love.

arisbe dressed as the Earl of Pickstown.

arkhamdenizen dressed as Ken Jennings.

artwhisperer dressed as the love child of Kevin Costner and Meg Ryan.

arymetore dressed as Ivan the Terrible of Russia.

ashesngolddust dressed as Sandra Bullock, and it suited them all too well.

astromachy dressed as the resurrected dead -- complete with the most convincing coffin.

autodidact dressed as a fullback for the Falcons.

baka_kit dressed as a monster from a Silent Hill game.

barbedwriting dressed as legendary space hero Punch Manmuscle.

batteredhaggis dressed as Bartman.

baylorsr dressed as a 1990's grunge child.

bdrixhaettc dressed as the spirit of their dead grandmother Morgan.

beholdaphoenix dressed as Sigfried in need of testosterone.

beledibabe dressed as Tiffani-Amber Thiessen.

bellatook dressed as Mde. Lachienne Foutue d'Enfer -- you don't wanna know.

belleferret dressed as Josephine Baker but the banana "skirt" didn't survive the night.

bibliotrope dressed as Michael Jackson.

bluerocean dressed as the resurrected dead -- complete with the most convincing coffin.

boojumlol dressed as a sedimentary conductor.

bookwoman2009 dressed as Optimus Prime.

bouncybabylemur dressed as the equator.

brighteyed_jill dressed as Mary Queen of Scots ... without her head. Most convincing.

byslantedlight dressed as Barbra Streisand.

camelottreasure dressed as Superman.

captnofmyheart dressed as the Lord of Schikydcade.

carolyn_claire dressed as Marie Antoinette going to her death.

carpdeus dressed as Jack the Ripper in a time machine, complete with gory knives.

carrie_ryan dressed as Lady Godiva without the horse and far too little hair!.

caster121 dressed as a bottle of Cerebic.

cathexys dressed as Tonya Harding.

ceosanna dressed as a skunk.

cherylmmorgan dressed as something morose, but what, specifically, you can't tell.

chickenfried_jo gets drunk, strips naked, and somehow emerges dressed as Kirsten Dunst.

cinda_cite dressed as Mde. Lachienne Foutue d'Enfer -- you don't wanna know.

circuit_archive dressed as Franklin D. Roosevelt.

clara_swift dressed as Mary-Kate Olsen with her very own conjoined Ashley, and it suited them all too well.

coalitiongirl dressed as Sigfried in need of testosterone.

cookiefleck dressed as the Gray Power Ranger.

coppervale dressed as Kobe Bryant's brother.

crackferret dressed as legendary space hero Flint Ironstag.

crazywritergirl dressed as a fresh mummy.

creehawk dressed as a unknown kitchen.

curtana dressed as a 1980's yuppie child.

cyloran dressed as a zombie.

cynleitichsmith dressed as a executive paper pusher.

d_tauscher gets drunk, strips naked, and somehow emerges dressed as Marie Antoinette going to her death.

dannyboy8406 dressed as the Earl of Ashdale.

darchildre dressed as the Vicomte des Boules-Velues.

darkdestination dressed as Adam-the-first-man but the fig-leaf was far too big.

darthsindel1981 didn't dress up, spoilsport.

davidbcoe dressed as the love child of Elvis Presley and Milla Jovovich.

dduane dressed as a specialization.

deadship dressed as blues legend FatBoy Liver Thompkins.

dejla dressed as your mother-in-law.

delenn1960 dressed as Sybil - except that Sybil didn't show but the other 39 personalities did.

delwyncole didn't even show up and doesn't get any candy.

dement1a dressed as a buffalo, and it suited them all too well.

dfable dressed as a pixie.

doctorwho42 dressed as a kicker for the Falcons.

dodger_winslow dressed as a spoon.

domynoe dressed as Ronaldo riding a raccoon.

dormannheim dressed as Sybil - except that Sybil didn't show but the other 17 personalities did.

dqg_neal dressed as the Duke of Denver.

dr_sturgis dressed as a slimy skeleton.

dracschick dressed as Ivan the Terrible of Russia.

duncatra dressed as the Lord of Lundberg.

earthorongil dressed as the Vicomte des Boules-Velues.

ebonange dressed as legendary space hero Slake Beefgnaw.

edroxy dressed as a associate network administrator, and it suited them disturbingly well.

ekeppich dressed as a llama.

eldritchhobbit dressed as a crispy skeleton.

ellen_datlow dressed as a goblin.

elmwood dressed as Mary-Kate Olsen with her very own conjoined Ashley.

elvenjoy gets drunk, strips naked, and somehow emerges dressed as a volume.

emerdavid dressed as Sybil - except that Sybil didn't show but the other 12 personalities did.

eowynmaiar dressed as a deficiency.

estellye dressed as the Governor of South Dakota, though it looked more like Nosferatu the Supreme Vampire.

eveningblue dressed as Mde. Lachienne Foutue d'Enfer -- you don't wanna know.

faramirgirl dressed as Optimus Prime.

febobe dressed as a very fake witch-doctor complete with a collection of shrunken skulls.

fenice_fu dressed as Elvis Presley.

firiath didn't dress up, spoilsport.

forthright forgot to put on clothes!

fory_san gets drunk, strips naked, and somehow emerges dressed as a bottle of Valulzonelog.

frahulettaes dressed as someone who just had sex.

frodosweetstuff dressed as a disturbing self-made character called "Squeezit Diapertush".

fungus_files dressed as Tori Amos.

gabrielle_h dressed as a disturbing self-made character called "Buttercup Pottyhonker".

gamgeefest dressed as Camilla Parker-Bowles when she becomes Queen.

gbsteve dressed as your mother.

ghani_atreides dressed as a disturbing self-made character called "Squeezit Burgerlips".

gilda_elise dressed as the spirit of their dead grandmother Angie.

gloriana dressed as Josephine Baker but the banana "skirt" didn't survive the night.

gods_lil_rocker dressed as the main character of "The Sixth Sense".

gondoriangirl dressed as the main character of "Mulholland Drive".

goodnightlady dressed as the Fuzzy Power Ranger.

graashoppa dressed as Warren G. Harding.

granger2malfoy dressed as a data entry intern.

greenhoodloxley dressed as the Governor of Virginia.

greygirlbeast dressed as the Archbishop of Vuiqa, though it looked more like Jerry Bruckheimer's mother-in-law.

griffith_gwyn dressed as Liv Tyler riding a hedgehog.

grinning_soul dressed as a character from a Silent Hill game.

grisemalkin dressed as Lyndon B. Johnson.

groovekittie dressed as the Governor of West Virginia.

gryphonrhi dressed as a very fake witch-doctor complete with a collection of shrunken skulls.

gypsyjr dressed as a turkey.

halliet dressed as Kirsten Dunst - tarred and feathered.

hisluvpet dressed as Winona Ryder.

history_spork dressed as the main character of "Glory".

homespunheart dressed as Mde. Lachienne Foutue d'Enfer -- you don't wanna know.

iconsbycurtana dressed as a very fake witch-doctor complete with a collection of shrunken skulls.

iconzicons dressed as your mother-in-law.

idwoman dressed as "Bones" McCoy from "Star Trek".

ievil_spock_47i dressed as Mary Queen of Scots ... without her head. Most convincing.

ithildyn forgot to put on clothes!

ithiliana gets drunk, strips naked, and somehow emerges dressed as a diplomat from Iraq.

izhilzha dressed as Ivan the Terrible of Russia.

jadepilot dressed as a inverse skeleton.

jagash dressed as the resurrected dead -- complete with the most convincing coffin.

jalara dressed as Optimus Prime.

jamesenge dressed as Camilla Parker-Bowles when she becomes Queen, though it looked more like Osama bin Laden.

janissa11 dressed as Adam-the-first-man but the fig-leaf was far too big.

jasonbsizemore dressed as Jeri Ryan riding a ferret.

jedi_archives dressed as Calista Flockhart - tarred and feathered.

jinjifore dressed as Ichabod Crane, the schoolmaster from Sleepy Hollow.

jinxed_wood dressed as a new superhero: Major Empress.

johnjosephadams dressed as a spoon.

jpsorrow dressed as a new superhero: Mad Albino.

juxiantang dressed as a lion.

kailara_me dressed as a IE&D & Co., LLC employee.

kalquessa dressed as Jack the Ripper in a time machine, complete with gory knives.

kangeiko forgot to put on clothes!

karmaku dressed as Jack the Ripper in a time machine, complete with gory knives.

killerweasel dressed as Dr. Crusher from "Star Trek".

knesinka_e dressed as the love child of Saddam Hussein and Tipper Gore.

lalam dressed as Angelina Jolie, though it looked more like Trent Reznor.

lbilover dressed as Elizabeth Regina on steroids and roller skates.

lbiloverfics dressed as Frylock.

lexie_marie dressed as a 1980's yuppie child, though it looked more like a Montana & Co., LLC employee.

lin4gondor dressed as a first baseman for the Indians.

lindajsingleton dressed as Adam-the-first-man but the fig-leaf was far too big.

lisa_marli dressed as Nosferatu the Supreme Vampire.

lizzieausten dressed as a pimp.

lizziebelle dressed as Bill Clinton.

llembas dressed as a skunk.

loligo dressed as Regis Philbin.

lothithil dressed as Sigfried in need of testosterone.

louise_bohmer dressed as the spirit of their dead grandmother Alma.

louise_norlie dressed as Camilla Parker-Bowles when she becomes Queen.

lovefromgirl dressed as something still, but what, specifically, you can't tell.

lukeski dressed as Josephine Baker but the banana "skirt" didn't survive the night.

lwe dressed as Elizabeth Regina on steroids and roller skates.

lynn_maudlin dressed as a cat, and it suited them all too well.

lyria_theringer dressed as something irate, but what, specifically, you can't tell.

m_stiefvater dressed as a pixie.

mackiedockie dressed as the Electric Power Ranger.

madkestrel dressed as blues legend Screamin' Sugar Smith.

magicwondershow dressed as Nosferatu the Supreme Vampire, though it looked more like the Governor of Florida.

mamomo dressed as Guy Fawkes but the exploding barrel of dynamite didn't go down too well.

manonlechat dressed as Mary-Kate Olsen with her very own conjoined Ashley.

marm dressed as Elizabeth Regina on steroids and roller skates.

marthawells dressed as Josephine Baker but the banana "skirt" didn't survive the night, and it suited them disturbingly well.

marycrawford dressed as Guy Fawkes but the exploding barrel of dynamite didn't go down too well.

marypearson dressed as a safety for the 49ers.

matthewsrotundo dressed as a hyper skeleton.

mbranesf dressed as Martin Van Buren.

mediacannibals dressed as Helga the wisewoman, although the live snake was a mistake.

melissagay dressed as Elizabeth Regina on steroids and roller skates.

merrigold dressed as Catherine Zeta-Jones.

metal_aria dressed as Helga the wisewoman, although the live snake was a mistake.

meylia dressed as a kicker for the Bills, and it suited them all too well.

mguibord dressed as Thomas Jefferson.

milkybarbiatch dressed as Ichabod Crane, the schoolmaster from Sleepy Hollow.

mjolnir1964 dressed as a lampshade, and it suited them disturbingly well.

mmarques dressed as a first baseman for the Brewers.

mollypunkin dressed as the spirit of their dead grandmother Tammy.

morfin didn't even show up and doesn't get any candy.

mr_earbrass didn't dress up, spoilsport.

muuranker dressed as Pavlova the ballerina -- dancing on point too, and it suited them all too well.

mypreoccupation dressed as Nosferatu the Supreme Vampire.

nakeisha dressed as the main character of "A Clockwork Orange".

nickdcam dressed as a walking Guillotine.

nightlywanderer dressed as Gwyneth Paltrow.

nihilistic_kid dressed as the Tender Power Ranger.

nurdbunny dressed as Jack the Ripper in a time machine, complete with gory knives.

onegoat dressed as Paris Hilton.

otoselkie dressed as Guy Fawkes but the exploding barrel of dynamite didn't go down too well.

pambachorz dressed as Padme Amidala.

parisntripfan didn't dress up, spoilsport.

passionrulesme dressed as the main character of "The Gold Rush".

peadarog dressed as Ichabod Crane, the schoolmaster from Sleepy Hollow.

penfold_x didn't even show up and doesn't get any candy.

penguinkeggard dressed as Mary Queen of Scots ... without her head. Most convincing.

persona_obscura dressed as a cell.

pewterwolf dressed as Nicole Richie.

pinkfinity dressed as Marie Antoinette going to her death.

pktheater dressed as an iPod.

poenari dressed as a WOADG SoftwareCooperative employee.

potboy dressed as a character from Harry Potter and the Council of the Sword, though it looked more like a chicken.

primroseburrows dressed as Pavlova the ballerina -- dancing on point too.

primsong dressed as the President of Belarus.

princeofcairo dressed as Johnny Depp.

pseudoanorexic dressed as a passage.

pwilkinson dressed as Mary Queen of Scots ... without her head. Most convincing.

rachelcaine dressed as Guy Fawkes but the exploding barrel of dynamite didn't go down too well.

randomalia dressed as a bottle of Celermetabic.

reading_is_in dressed as a Level 5 paladin.

reynardine dressed as a new superhero: Wolf Monkey.

roo2 dressed as a first baseman for the Mets.

rosamundeb gets drunk, strips naked, and somehow emerges dressed as a monster from a Super Mario game.

rymfireebooks dressed as a lost advice.

saffronhouse dressed as a new member of the Wu-Tang Clan, Midnight Ambassador.

sailingwest dressed as a mummy.

saladinahmed dressed as Helga the wisewoman, although the live snake was a mistake.

sally_maria dressed as a Level 12 thief.

sarah531 dressed as Optimus Prime.

savagedoc45 dressed as a 1980's yuppie child.

savageseraph didn't even show up and doesn't get any candy.

scribblerworks dressed as a tower.

seemag dressed as a Roosevelt PrebitIncorporated employee, though it looked more like Bugs Bunny.

semielliptical dressed as the Vicomte des Boules-Velues.

serpentcoils dressed as Julia Stiles's uncle.

serpentgraphics dressed as a walking Guillotine.

sfawardswatch dressed as a goblin.

shadow_truths dressed as Counselor Troi from "Star Trek".

shadowkittykat_ dressed as James Polk.

shalna dressed as Marie Antoinette going to her death.

shelled_avenger dressed as a character from Harry Potter and the Shield of Berkley.

silveraspen dressed as a new superhero: Ice Goliath.

simple_sunshine dressed as a mean taste.

sithdragn dressed as a diplomat from Mauritius.

sittingduck1313 dressed as Janet Reno.

snard dressed as Rebecca Romijn's grandfather, and it suited them disturbingly well.

sneezythesquid dressed as Jay Leno.

solodancer dressed as blues legend Hollerin' Foot Franklin.

st_crispins dressed as a new member of the Wu-Tang Clan, Gentlemen Bandit.

stinabat dressed as the President of Mexico.

sunnysky dressed as a Care Bear.

sunshinedew dressed as a pimp.

super_chik dressed as Lady Godiva without the horse and far too little hair!.

supervillainess dressed as Pavlova the ballerina -- dancing on point too, though it looked more like Barbra Streisand.

suzume234 dressed as a elephant.

syrcleoftrees dressed as Tobey Maguire - tarred and feathered.

syredronning dressed as Elvis Presley - tarred and feathered.

taleofyears dressed as your brother.

terrylj dressed as a walking Guillotine.

the_cornettist dressed as a first baseman for the Cardinals.

thehornedgod dressed as a substitute corporate spy flunkie.

theladyrose dressed as Adam-the-first-man but the fig-leaf was far too big.

thepirateship dressed as a bottle of Remevir.

thewordoffred gets drunk, strips naked, and somehow emerges dressed as the Marquis of Comiline.

thrihyrne dressed as Jennifer Lopez.

thunderchikin dressed as Ivan the Terrible of Russia.

time_shark dressed as Ichabod Crane, the schoolmaster from Sleepy Hollow.

tiny_antares dressed as a character from a Silent Hill game.

toddlyles dressed as Helga the wisewoman, although the live snake was a mistake.

travels_in_time dressed as the Frightened Power Ranger.

travisprinzi dressed as Brad Pitt, though it looked more like a turkey.

tudorpumpkin dressed as a disturbing self-made character called "Fluffy Gerbillips".

tuesday_darling dressed as legendary space hero Crud Johnson.

tuilelindowen didn't even show up and doesn't get any candy.

turimel dressed as something arctic, but what, specifically, you can't tell.

valancourtbooks didn't even show up and doesn't get any candy.

vg_ford dressed as George W. Bush.

vivien529 dressed as a walking Guillotine.

vonjunzt dressed as the resurrected dead -- complete with the most convincing coffin, though it looked more like Mary Queen of Scots ... without her head. Most convincing.

vulpine137 didn't dress up, spoilsport.

vyrdolak dressed as Cmdr. Riker from "Star Trek".

wede_fic dressed as Marilyn Manson, though it looked more like Ozzy Osbourne.

wellinghall forgot to put on clothes!

white_gull dressed as a Level 8 ranger.

whswhs dressed as a bear.

wiccagirl24 dressed as Lady Godiva without the horse and far too little hair!.

wildviolet4 dressed as Carrie-Anne Moss's father.

wiredwizard dressed as a holstein, though it looked more like a goblin.

witchcat07 dressed as John F. Kennedy.

xanath dressed as the Vicomte des Boules-Velues.

xerum525 dressed as a Level 9 paladin.

xtrustisyoursx forgot to put on clothes!

z0mbieastronaut dressed as Jerry Bruckheimer.

zephyrious dressed as Captain Picard from "Star Trek".

zmaddoc dressed as a pirate.

zornhau dressed as Pavlova the ballerina -- dancing on point too.



Throw your own party at the Hallomeme!
Created by sigma7 : More info here.

Text of the Day: Today's short story is perfect for the season, "The Little Black Train" by Manly Wade Wellman (1903-1986).

Teaser: A ghost train running on the High Fork Railroad. Spawned by a curse during a love quarrel that ended in the murder of the engineer of the train. The Little Black Train is destined to come back and take away the guilty.

Read the complete story here.

18 Days Until Halloween

First, I have a few quick notes to share:

Thanks to lizziebelle for today's spooky picture!

Thanks also to everyone who took part in yesterday's poll. It's still open, if anyone else would like to participate.

From BoingBoing: "How to Make a Sock Cthulhu." I want one! (Thanks to wellinghall .)

One of my favorite contemporary poets, Ann K. Schwader ( ankh_hpl ), has a new dark poem just in time for the season: "Quiet in Her Mind."

Strange Horizons is holding a fund drive, with an impressive list of prizes.

The World SF Blog is offering a great discount on a truly noteworthy anthology, The Apex Book of World SF.

Apex Book Company is having a Halloween sale and contest.

Next, the fabulous H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society has released a new trailer for its forthcoming film adaptation of Lovecraft's The Whisperer in Darkness:



Text of the Day: This story was nominated for the Hugo Award in 2010, and it's perfect for our Halloween countdown. Enjoy "The Bride of Frankenstein" by Mike Resnick (1942-present).

Teaser:
What am I doing here?

We have no servants, we never go out, we never have company. The furniture is all decrepit and ugly, the place always smells musty, and although the rest of the village has electrical power, Victor refuses to run it up the hill to the castle. We read by candlelight and we heat with fireplaces.

This is not the future I had envisioned for myself.

Read the complete story here.

19 Days Until Halloween (& A Poll!)

I've been thinking about good Halloween films (not necessarily horror movies, and definitely not lame slasher pictures, but suspenseful, atmospheric films that put a chill up the spine) that are "off the beaten path" -- that is, films that are independent, foreign, direct to DVD, or somehow under promoted, and thus might easily slip under the proverbial radar.

For example, we recently watched the 2009 Gothic film Dorian Gray , which I believe was never widely released in theaters in the U.S. I thought it was quite well done, true to the spirit if not the letter of Oscar Wilde's story, admirably restrained with the special effects, and graced by compelling performances by Ben Barnes, Colin Firth, and Rachel Hurd-Wood. It's perfect for the Halloween season, to my way of thinking. Here's the trailer:



Last year for Halloween we watched 2008's The Burrowers , an independent science fiction/horror Western that was short on cheap gore and long on psychological terror (just the way I like it), and we thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Here's the trailer:



Some of the other recent "off the beaten path" films that I find chilling enough for the season include the following:
the Finnish historical fantasy/horror/morality play Sauna (2008 - thanks to mr_earbrass for the recommendation),
the surreal dark fantasy Franklyn (2008),
the independent, true crime-inspired Borderland (2007),
the Spanish science fiction thriller Timecrimes (2007),
the moody, Lovecraft-inspired Cthulhu (2007),
the gorgeous, silent Lovecraft adaptation The Call of Cthulhu (2005),
the U.S. Civil War-era dark fantasy/horror Dead Birds (2004),
and the dystopian psychological thriller Final (2001).
Your mileage, of course, may vary.

Your turn!

View Poll: What "off the beaten path" film(s) do you recommend for the Halloween season?


Text of the Day: Do you have the Tuesday blues? I have the solution for you: the short story "Vampires of Venus" by Anthony Pelcher (1897-1981). Why? Because it has vampires. On Venus.

Teaser: Leslie Larner, an entomologist borrowed from the Earth, pits himself against the night-flying vampires that are ravaging the inhabitants of Venus.

Read the complete story here.

20 Days Until Halloween

To start the work week, I offer a tribute to a truly haunting phenomenon, that of L'Inconnue de la Seine ("the unknown woman of the Seine"). Legend has it that an unidentified woman committed suicide by throwing herself into the Seine in the 1880s, and a Parisian pathologist, enchanted by her tragic loveliness, made this death mask to preserve her beauty. (Others since have claimed that the mask was made using a teenaged model who was very much alive at the time, but this explanation failed to fascinate the public in the same way as the rumor of doomed maiden driven to suicide.) Replicas of the mask quickly became morbid fixtures in the homes of artists and laypersons alike.



Regardless of whether this is truly a life or death mask, however, one thing is clear: the poignant, Mona Lisa-like expression on the young woman's face has inspired uncounted international literary tributes (from authors as diverse as Rainer Maria Rilke, Vladimir Nabokov, and Chuck Palahniuk), not to mention fashion trends. The erotic ideal of a generation was inspired by a young woman who was definitely mysterious and unknown -- and, according to the popular imagination, most likely, tragically, dead.

Later, her cryptic face became the model of Rescue Annie, the first mannequin used to teach CPR.

Further reading:
From The Guardian: "Ophelia of the Seine."
From New Scientist: "The Girl from the Seine."
From Mental Floss: "The Creepiest Thing Ever: L'Inconnue de la Seine."
From Snopes.com: "CPR Annie."



Text of the Day: Here's the haunting "The Horrors of Sleep" by Emily Brontë (1818-1848).

Sleep brings no joy to me.
Rememberance never dies.
My soul is given to mystery,
And lives in sighs.

Sleep brings no rest to me;
The shadows of the dead
My wakening eyes may never see
Surround my bed.

Sleep brings no hope to me,
In soundest sleep they come,
And with their doleful imag'ry
Deepen the gloom.

Sleep brings no strength to me,
No power renewed to brave;
I only sail a wilder sea,
A darker wave.

Sleep brings no friend to me
to soothe and aid to bear;
They all gaze on, how scornfully,
And I despair.

Sleep brings no wish to fret
My harrassed heart beneath;
My only wish is to forget
In endless sleep of death.