Dave Zeltserman's Blog, page 45

In less than one week... Monster!

Victor Frankenstein. Marquis de Sade. Witch burnings. Vampyres. Devil worshipers. Depraved London sex clubs. Street gangs. Vengeance. Obsession. Damnation.
In one week MONSTER will be unleashed on the world... are you ready??

imaginative and grotesque -- Booklist, starred review

This reworking of Frankenstein is chilling and captivating! -- Foreword Magazine, pick of the week
a graphic, brutal story with heart and soul -- Crimespree Magazine
A masterpiece of originality, beauty, ugliness, eloquence, wisdom and power. -- Ed Gorman
When awards season rolls around, this one's going to be a major contender. -- Bill Crider

Brilliant reimagining of Frankenstein: faithful enough to delight lovers of Mary Shelley's masterpiece, but wonderfully inventive as it takes the monster on a bloody quest for vengeance -- Roger Smith

Dave Zeltserman continues to expertly explore the depths of darkness with MONSTER -- Paul Tremblay

Improper Bostonian, Crimespree and Monster

The Improper Bostonian had me as a guest for their July 25th podcast (our interview starts around 5 minutes in) where I talk about Monster, Frankenstein, crime and horror fiction. Also, Crimespree Magazine has a very flattering review of Monster up where the reviewer sums up his thoughts on the book with: "I fucking flat out loved it." You can read the complete review here.

Ed Gorman on MONSTER

"A masterpiece of originality, beauty, ugliness, eloquence, wisdom and power. And it's one hell of a page-turner as well." Ed Gorman

The Summer of Frankenstein

Earlier this summer a filmed version of Danny Boyle's National Theatre's Frankenstein played on movie screens across the US. Currently another theatrical production of Frankenstein is playing, this one titled Monster that is being put out by the Potomac Theater Project. On Aug. 2nd my 10th published novel, Monster, will be released, and is I'm sure a very different retelling of Frankenstein than what the Potomac Theater Project is producing.

On Aug. 21, a YA novel of Frankenstein featuring a 16 year-old Victor, Such Wicked Intent, by Kenneth Oppel, will also be released.
 

ForeWord Magazine picks Monster!

ForeWord Magazine has made Monster one of their staff picks this week, saying: "This reworking of Frankenstein is chilling and captivating!...A tale of justice, true love, and ultimate forgiveness, this gruesome novel is perfect for fans of Stephen King and similar horror stories."

Bill Crider, Roger Smith and Paul Tremblay on Monster--A Novel of Frankenstein

Zeltserman got a lot of acclaim for his horror novel The Caretaker of Lorne Field. Monster is a very different kind of book, but it's just as exciting. When awards season rolls around, this one's going to be a major contender. -- Bill Crider, author of the Sheriff Dan Rhodes (read Bill's entire review here)

I was privileged to read this book in manuscript form. It is a brilliant reimagining of Frankenstein: faithful enough to delight lovers of Mary Shelley's masterpiece, but wonderfully inventive as it takes the monster (Friedrich Hoffmann) on a bloody quest for vengeance. As he hunts Victor Frankenstein he encounters vampyrs, monks, Satanists, and (memorably)the Marquis de Sade. By far Zeltserman's best work, and that's saying something.-- Roger Smith, author of Wake Up Dead and Dust Devils

Dave Zeltserman continues to expertly explore the depths of darkness with MONSTER. This brutal, clever retelling of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein pits Victor Frankenstien and the infamous evil of the Marquis de Sade versus the most famous resurrected-man-turned-creature who only longs to avenge the murder of his fiance. MONSTER shocks and rampages as well as it deftly entertains.--Paul Tremblay, author of The Little Sleep and In The Mean Time

One Angry Julius free + 2 reviews

One Angry Julius & Other Stories is free as a kindle download for the next 3 days, and as luck would have it Must Read Mysteries has put out a review today of a dozen favorite crime and mystery titles that includes  One Angry Julius, my Hunted novellas, and Roger Smith's fantastically great Dust Devils.
As well as the latest Julius Katz story, One Angry Julius & Eleven Befuddled Jurors, my Thriller Award nominated story, A Hostage Situation and 4 other crime stories are included in this volume, as well as the first chapter of my soon to be released (only 3 weeks away!) Monster--A Novel of Frankenstein. Since I'm currently happily deluding myself that if anyone reads the first chapter of Monster they'll be willing to burn down bookstores if necessary to read the rest of this book (well, maybe I'm exaggerating in my delusions--maybe not actually commit felonies, but at least be willing to take a trip to their local bookstore...) I'd like to see One Angry Julius get downloaded to as many kindles as possible. If folks can help spread the word about this, it would be much appreciated!
And a new review for One Angry Julius & Other Stories is now also up on Z7HQ.

One Angry Julius free + review

One Angry Julius & Other Stories is free as a kindle download for the next 3 days, and as luck would have it Must Read Mysteries has put out a review today of a dozen favorite crime and mystery titles that includes  One Angry Julius, my Hunted novellas, and Roger Smith's fantastically great Dust Devils.
As well as the latest Julius Katz story, One Angry Julius & Eleven Befuddled Jurors, my Thriller Award nominated story, A Hostage Situation and 4 other crime stories are included in this volume, as well as the first chapter of my soon to be released (only 3 weeks away!) Monster--A Novel of Frankenstein. Since I'm currently happily deluding myself that if anyone reads the first chapter of Monster they'll be willing to burn down bookstores if necessary to read the rest of this book (well, maybe I'm exaggerating in my delusions--maybe not actually commit felonies, but at least be willing to take a trip to their local bookstore...) I'd like to see One Angry Julius get downloaded to as many kindles as possible. If folks can help spread the word about this, it would be much appreciated!

Perfect summer read for Red Sox fans

A Killer's Essence is the perfect summer read for Red Sox and crime fans as it brings us back to that magical 2004 ALCS series with the Yankees when the Sox were down 0-3 and then pulled off the impossible.

Booklist on Monster

 Here's the full starred review from Booklist:
Repudiating the “outrageous fabrication” of Victor Frankenstein’s story as told by Mary Shelley is the aim of this imaginative and grotesque novel from the revisionist perspective of the monster. First off, the monster had a name, Friedrich Hoffmann. Second, he had a true love, Johanna. So that they could become unwilling participants in unholy experiments, the lovers were murdered by Dr. Frankenstein, whom Zeltserman portrays as a perverse maniac in the mold of Lovecraft's Herbert West, working in league with the Marquis de Sade. Awakening to find himself inside a hideous, patchwork body, Hoffmann’s first friend is Charlotte, a reanimated severed head in a bowl. Things get worse. Zeltserman’s monster is every bit as eloquent as Shelley’s, though his rage is more focused. He seeks to avenge Johanna, plain and simple. But the mystical rituals enacted by the doctor make insurrection difficult, and so Hoffmann wanders the countryside encountering changeling vampyrs, kindly monks, groveling Satanists, and, finally, a castle in which 200 girls have been kidnapped to be a part of Frankenstein and the Marquis’ unspeakable “drama.” This is juicy material for Franken-fans, and Zeltserman is just faithful enough to the original (he, too, ends with the fateful wedding night and the icebound ship) that his many fresh contributions feel entirely normal. Well, abnormal, to be accurate, but deliciously so. — Daniel Kraus

Monster will be released Aug. 2nd, and the book launch party for it will also be Aug. 2nd at the Brookline Booksmith in Brookline, MA, starting at 7 pm.