Tom English's Blog, page 3

My, how those evil books get around!

Here's another Twilight Zone tale about an evil book, adapted from the Manly Wade Wellman short story "The Valley was Still".

Writer's Quote:"Every writer is a frustrated actor who recites his lines in the hidden auditorium of his skull." --Rod Serling

Cat on a Cold Stone Tomb (with apologies to Tennessee Williams)

The feline in this photo probably found this perch particularly fine.

I'm not sure exactly what it was that so captivated this creature, but I do know that my imagination ran wild over what appeared to be a black cat guarding a tomb. Poe would be pleased. I snapped this picture outside Bruton Parish Church in Colonial Williamsburg, VA. I also got a look at the name on the stone. (!) More to come of this..Writer's Quote:"We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master." --Erne

You'll find DEAD SOULS at FANTASY CON 2009

The horror anthology Dead Souls (published by Morrigan Books) will be launched on September 19, 2009, at Fantasy Con in the Britannia Hotel in Nottingham, England.
I would love to be there for the book launch and signing, not to mention the opportunity to meet all the fabulous guests lined up by the British Fantasy Society, but given my present financial situation, a flight to the UK is completely out of the question. Not that I'll be too terribly missed, since the editor, Mark Deniz, will be on

Weight of Glory

My luggage was a little heavier when I returned from Readercon a couple weeks ago. Unfortunately the extra poundage consisted mainly of a few books picked up at the con, and not one of those nifty hunks of highly polished glass bestowed by the Shirley Jackson Awards jury. I console myself by scanning the list of nominees (and winners) and recognizing just how stiff the competition truly was.

But I didn't come away from the awards ceremony empty handed. The jurors F. Brett Cox and Paul Tremblay, a

Dead Souls Rising

The horror anthology Dead Souls is now available for pre-order at MorriganBooks.com.
The book is edited by Mark S. Deniz and is scheduled for an early September release. It contains 25 tales, including my story "Dry Places". And the cover creeps me out.
Table of Contents:
Bernie Mojzes - "The Collector"
T. A. Moore - "Licwiglunga"
Carole Johnstone - "The Blind Man"
Tom English - "Dry Places"
Sharon Irwin - "Begin with Water"
Robert Holt - "In the Name"
William Ward - "When they Come to Murder Me"
Chris J

Interview at Shirley Jackson Awards blog

Charles Tan recently interviewed me about my Shirley Jackson Award-nominated anthology Bound for Evil . The interview is now posted on the Shirley Jackson Awards blog. .Writer's Quote:"Be obscure clearly." --E.B. White

My Bags Are Packed and I'm Ready to GO!

I'll be heading for Readercon 20 (The Conference on Imaginative Literature) in Burlington, MA, on Thursday the 9th! Excited? Oh yeah! I'll be driving up with my pal and fellow Virginian Todd Treichel. Todd hopes to keep me from toppling over, should my legs go all wobbly at The Shirley Jackson Awards ceremony! And I hope to keep Todd from over-indulging in the convention bookshop! (If you see me with a blackened eye, you'll know the books got the best of my friend and -- well, it's never wise to

The Dark Legacy of Evil Books

The subject of ancient grimoires continues to fascinate both readers and writers of the classic weird tale. A few of the anthology shows that proliferated the airwaves during the fifties and sixties adapted stories featuring evil books. The Twilight Zone gave us Manly Wade Wellman's "Still Valley" (based on "The Valley Was Still") in 1961. Boris Karloff's Thriller presented August Derleth's "The Return of Andrew Bentley" and John Tomerlin's Lovecraftian episode "Dark Legacy", both in 1961. Here'

"Time Enough At Last" -- A TWILIGHT ZONE Tale of Some Books Gone Bad

Here's a classic episode of Rod Serling's THE TWILIGHT ZONE about ... what else? ... books. My anthology, Bound for Evil: Curious Tales of Books Gone Bad contains 67 such tales; horror, SF, fantasy, and mystery stories that probe the darker side of books. Enjoy this video while there's still time -- before the books have the last laugh!



Remember:"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read."   ---Mark Twain

BOUND FOR EVIL nominated for the Shirley Jackson Award!

My anthology, Bound for Evil: Curious Tales of Books Gone Bad , has been nominated for the prestigious Shirley Jackson Award. The winners will be announced on July 12, 2009, at ReaderCon 20 in Burlington, MA.

My bags are packed and I'm ready to go!

This is only the 2nd year of the Awards. And I think ReaderCon is the perfect place to introduce Bound for Evil to a wider audience. When I conceived of the anthology my great desire was to remind would-be readers of the power and the mystique of books.