Stephen Graham Jones's Blog, page 249

Last Two Mongrels Events

Really, I think I have a stash of pics from another Mongrels thing, but now I can’t remember where. But I know I have these two anyway, as they’re from the last couple days. First was up in Fort Collins, with HEX-author Thomas Olde Heuvelt. And, Olde’s not a middle name, that’s just the first part of his last name. He’s a cool dude, smart guy, excellent horror writer. We talked about where horror comes from, the kind of genesis for/of each of our books, and then we broke out some action figures and fought witches against wolves, complete with sound effects. As you do. And here’s a string of cool happenings from last night in LA, at the Shades & Shadows reading, where, I have it on good authority, someone blacked out during a piece I was reading (also, when I looked up, there was one person who I think was gagging. it’s a cannibalism story, though. these are good signs). So, here’s the crowd, milling about beforehand: I should maybe note there that while aforesaid milling was going on? Me and Paul Tremblay were down the street at the wrong venue. Who knew one street could have two places called “Bearded Lady” within walking distance of one another? Then, inside—man. Here’s how cool the venue was:     Here’s a telephoto shot of me, moving so fast that I was blurring: That dude standing over the left, there? He was taking actually kind of high-quality photos (not to impugn Paul’s clicking abilities . . .), so there  . . . → → →

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Werewolves Out in the World, Part XV

Thinking I should have been somehow tagging these snapshots through all fourteen other iterations of this. That way I could re-index, put, say, all the Litsy ones in a gallery, all the “with pets”-ones somewhere, all the “act-of-reading” or whatever ones in another place. Categories are starting to emerge, I mean. Check the out, they’re kind of straining to self-classify: One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Fourteen One category that keeps happening is the action-figure ones, which I so dig:     And the chain bookstores are still keeping Mongrels front & center:     And, when you wear a cool jacket, it kind of just behooves you to carry an axe, so far as I know:     Ha, excellent, thank you, Briana:     Yes, yes I am jealous:     Another burgeoning category: I now get tagged in all things werewolf. Which is pretty much the dream come true:   [ link to that one here ]   Hoping Liza dug it:     Was just watching videos of redback spiders eating killer snakes in Australia. Happy to be there (and apologies—I seem to have not fit the name of whoever posted this in here. and I usually at least try to do that. but now I have no idea how to find it again . . .):     This definitely NEEDS to be the new category:     Can’t quite put my finger on it, but there’s something I like about this table . .  . . . → → →

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Writing: It Takes a Village

For the thing I’m writing right now, I of course needed info. This is just for today and yesterday, too. Here’s the process: What’s a likely military-cargo plane out of the Middle East?  ➔ called my dad (retired USAF) Where’s John Wayne buried? ➔ asked Google How does a doctor get certified to perform surgery? ➔ facebook-mailed a doctor-friend (who’s also a writer) What other Road Rage-ish kind of stories are out there? ➔ texted a friend, ended up talking about Lorenzo Lamas for many rounds, as you do (also discussed the wearing of vests without a shirt underneath) What kind of plane would a doctor have, for weekends &etc? ➔ emailed another friend (USAF, and a writer) What’s that Spider-Man cover with Pete in the middle, his troubles all around? ➔ asked on Twitter, and some very helpful followers seemed to already know What’s a good body of water around Albuquerque? ➔ emailed a friend down there (narrowly avoided the usual slate of Walter White mentions I always have handy) What’s James Stewart’s character’s name in Vertigo? ➔ “Scottie,” said Google, in kind of an insulted tone How many gears would a 1981 Shovelhead most likely have, if it was somewhat stock? ➔ texted my brother, and he knew right off For the details on a non-public ceremony coming up in a few pages? ➔ do I make it up, or do I ask friends who know it? I think I’ll just write it, then have one of them read it, tell me what-all I’m doing wrong, and how insulting I’m being (hopefully? some.  . . . → → →

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The Night Cyclist

Coming soon to a . . . well, to a Tor.com near you: Art by Keith Negley. Acquisition/Editing by Ellen Datlow

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Werewolves Out in the World, Part XIV

This week’s Mongrels roundup, brought to you by the waning battery of my ever-unreliant iPhone, and with a catch-up list provided by last week’s roundup, stairstep-style: One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen And? To start out, we get to go back to the dogs. Always the dogs. Thanks, Chip:   And then for a coffee break, a mere thirty minutes before lunch:     And, I think Mongrels got to be WITH a John Foster book a cycle or two ago. Now it’s good be with him and Paul, here:     And, two laptop-screens-as-bookstands in a row? When it’s something I’d never even thought of? Very cool:     Thrilled to be going to Rome. Feel like I’m in a Patricia Highsmith novel.  And, nobody spells a howl like Craig Wallwork:     Were I more of a cheater, I’d have advanced this to be up by Chip’s dog-pic:     Joey and Jillian, thanks. Luck in . . . Indiana, I think it is? Glad Mongrels is going along:     And, what an excellent Twitter handle, yes?     Putting this one in mostly so I can say: I’m pretty much ALWAYS thinking of Near Dark . . .     Indra’s book is out pretty much momentarily, here. I read it so long ago now that the cover’s changed since I was in the story. Also? You never really get out of this story. Fun werewolfy stuff. There may or may not be someone in there  . . . → → →

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Sequencing a Collection

Of flash fiction, anyway. Just stumbled on this—I forget who it was for (maybe Christopher Rosales, the editor? maybe myself-only?), but I know what it was for: States of Grace. The little pocket-sized book I still can hardly believe I was lucky enough to get published. Not e-, not even on Amazon, I don’t think. And right after it was all set in stone, I started kicking out more of these short-shorts, of course. Because they’re maybe my favorite form of all. I should do a part 2 to States someday. Or an expanded edition. Anyway, just wanted to stash these here, casewise I ever need them again:

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Flatliners

Thanks to Xach Fromson for the headsup on this: [ link ] Was just tweeting about it a few weeks ago, with even the same pic: Y’know, all these years and films later, Flatliners is still one of the scarier moviegoing nights I’ve had pic.twitter.com/2SdAHdGjXF — Stephen Graham Jones (@SGJ72) June 23, 2016 Thinking now I should maybe tweet about . . . I don’t know: Intruder? Popcorn? Some of the ones that usually don’t get remake/re-imagining consideration so much?  

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Mongrels in Other People’s Pens

Some cool stuff showing up now and again. Here’s three — first couple from Jordan Dyke: Then me, mid-transformation, from Joe Sherry: And Anne Barnetson: And? Chances are I’ve forgot something, someone, some perfect thing. Let me know, I’ll sneak it onto this page.

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The Elvis Room Lives

So cool, watching The Elvis Room come alive these past few months, thanks to one Andrew Schwarz. I’ve seen rough cuts, and hope to see it on a big screen somewhere in its film-fest run (starting with Fantasia). Thanks to Andrew Schwarz for making it happen. Here’s some stills: Pictured, that’s: Keir Gilchrist, Corbin Bernson, Bailey Noble, Spencer Locke. Also pictured: the Manor Hotel. Not pictured in that last still: me, down that hall to Bailey Locke’s back, wearing headphones and listening to all this happen. Was cool.

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File Under: Mongrels, Origin Stories

Or, I can’t deny that I read this like eighty-nine times in the wide-open years before ever setting werewolf pen to werewolf paper:

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