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The Mothers and Fathers Italian Association
SIGNED by RICHARD T. CHIZMAR & THOMAS F. MONTELEONE ON THE SPECIAL TIPPED IN page. Signature only. NUMBER 591 of 1000. A First edition, First printing. Book is in Fine condition. Boards are clean, not bumped. Fore edges are clean. Interior is clean and legible. Not remaindered. Dust Jacket is in Fine condition. Not chipped or crinkled. Not price clipped. Dust Jacket is covered by Mylar Brodart. Thanks and Enjoy. All-Ways well packaged, All-Ways fast service.
- GenresNonfiction
488 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 1, 2020
Blunt, infuriating (for some), inspiring, and funny, MAFIA will make you a made man!
The Mothers and Fathers Italian Association (M. A. F. I. A) is a magazine column that serves as the outlet for the musings and observations of outspoken horror and science fiction author Thomas F. Monteleone. The column started in the Knights magazine, was in Horrorstruck, Horror Show, and even Mystery Magazine (!) for a while before it finally found a permanent home in Cemetery Dance Magazine.
The columns are a mixture of a. Lamentations on the state of the publishing industry, b. Opinions on various writers in the HDF (Horror and Dark Fantasy) field, c. Funny, striking and sometimes harrowing personal remembrances, and d. Responses to the various "hate-mail' received.
Be warned: The column is reflective of the personality of Monteleone: brash, opinionated, honest, funny, and passionate. If you don’t like strong opinions unapologetically delivered, do not read. I happen to not agree with some of his takes but we can’t agree with everybody in the world, can we?
Observations:
1. He has no qualms about speaking ill of the works of critical darlings like Peter Straub, Ramsey Campbell, and Robert Bloch. (See “THE (Pretty) GOOD, THE (Not-So) BAD, AND THE (Man-This-Is-Gonna-Get) UGLY) He criticizes Bloch’s cookie-cutter tendencies, Campbell’s needlessly opaque prose, and Straub’s dull writing. (Straub and Campbell would later write fiction for him for Borderlands 4 and they would all later be friends.) He even eviscerates the work of then Horror-Jesus Clive Barker, a bold move considering that every editor in town during that period were begging for Barker to write something for them. Although his piece is savage, I would like to commend him for pointing out the good qualities of their work and not just bashing them blindly. (I happen to disagree with the Barker criticism; if he thought Barker was pretentious then, he would be catatonic reading the HDF (ahem Cosmic Horror) today. No names. )
2. To say that Monteleone is anti-PC is an understatement; the guy was anti-PC before it was even a thing. He trashes celebrity preaching ( “The Cult of the Celebrity and the Acerebral or: When’s The Last Time You Read “The Marching Morons”? ), the Horror Writers Association ( “A Heinous History of the Hardly Writing Association” ), TV showrunners adapting his work ( “If You Can Write It… We Can Fuck It Up and the hilarious “‘Hate Puppet’!? What the Hell’s a ‘Hate Puppet’?” Or: C’mon… I thought I’d throw You a Bone!” ), editors ( “So Who Died and Left You Editor ), and even the stupidity of people who don’t understand what a writer’s job is. ( “You’re a Writer? – Well, Uh… Have You Ever Had Anything Published? ) That’s a long list, and there’s more that I won’t mention at the risk of giving you a heart attack. Let’s just say if he published these articles today, he would be Cancel Culture victim number xxx.
3. He is a strong-willed and tenacious MF, surviving a very bloody ordeal (I’m not making this up!) involving a vending machine’s plate glass only to be sued later for Malicious Destruction of Property by the State of Maryland. Monteleone refuses a lawyer and defends himself. ( “Attack of the Killer Vending Machine (and Other Tales of Angst) )
He writes: “I didn’t hire a lawyer to “represent” me- mainly because I believe I am more intelligent than the majority of them (and have no desire to make a few months’ payments on their BMWs), and because I didn’t like the idea of the State forcing me to spend money I don’t have on such a ridiculous situation”
Self-Confidence. Disdain for Lawyers. Tenacity. Very inspiring stuff, indeed.
Best quote from Monteleone: “I mention this to all of you for a reason. I want to make sure all of you—especially the more wimpy, compliant, and fuddle-brained of your lot—get the message here:
DON’T LET THE BASTARDS WEAR YOU DOWN!”
The Mothers and Fathers Italian Association (M. A. F. I. A) is a magazine column that serves as the outlet for the musings and observations of outspoken horror and science fiction author Thomas F. Monteleone. The column started in the Knights magazine, was in Horrorstruck, Horror Show, and even Mystery Magazine (!) for a while before it finally found a permanent home in Cemetery Dance Magazine.
The columns are a mixture of a. Lamentations on the state of the publishing industry, b. Opinions on various writers in the HDF (Horror and Dark Fantasy) field, c. Funny, striking and sometimes harrowing personal remembrances, and d. Responses to the various "hate-mail' received.
Be warned: The column is reflective of the personality of Monteleone: brash, opinionated, honest, funny, and passionate. If you don’t like strong opinions unapologetically delivered, do not read. I happen to not agree with some of his takes but we can’t agree with everybody in the world, can we?
Observations:
1. He has no qualms about speaking ill of the works of critical darlings like Peter Straub, Ramsey Campbell, and Robert Bloch. (See “THE (Pretty) GOOD, THE (Not-So) BAD, AND THE (Man-This-Is-Gonna-Get) UGLY) He criticizes Bloch’s cookie-cutter tendencies, Campbell’s needlessly opaque prose, and Straub’s dull writing. (Straub and Campbell would later write fiction for him for Borderlands 4 and they would all later be friends.) He even eviscerates the work of then Horror-Jesus Clive Barker, a bold move considering that every editor in town during that period were begging for Barker to write something for them. Although his piece is savage, I would like to commend him for pointing out the good qualities of their work and not just bashing them blindly. (I happen to disagree with the Barker criticism; if he thought Barker was pretentious then, he would be catatonic reading the HDF (ahem Cosmic Horror) today. No names. )
2. To say that Monteleone is anti-PC is an understatement; the guy was anti-PC before it was even a thing. He trashes celebrity preaching ( “The Cult of the Celebrity and the Acerebral or: When’s The Last Time You Read “The Marching Morons”? ), the Horror Writers Association ( “A Heinous History of the Hardly Writing Association” ), TV showrunners adapting his work ( “If You Can Write It… We Can Fuck It Up and the hilarious “‘Hate Puppet’!? What the Hell’s a ‘Hate Puppet’?” Or: C’mon… I thought I’d throw You a Bone!” ), editors ( “So Who Died and Left You Editor ), and even the stupidity of people who don’t understand what a writer’s job is. ( “You’re a Writer? – Well, Uh… Have You Ever Had Anything Published? ) That’s a long list, and there’s more that I won’t mention at the risk of giving you a heart attack. Let’s just say if he published these articles today, he would be Cancel Culture victim number xxx.
3. He is a strong-willed and tenacious MF, surviving a very bloody ordeal (I’m not making this up!) involving a vending machine’s plate glass only to be sued later for Malicious Destruction of Property by the State of Maryland. Monteleone refuses a lawyer and defends himself. ( “Attack of the Killer Vending Machine (and Other Tales of Angst) )
He writes: “I didn’t hire a lawyer to “represent” me- mainly because I believe I am more intelligent than the majority of them (and have no desire to make a few months’ payments on their BMWs), and because I didn’t like the idea of the State forcing me to spend money I don’t have on such a ridiculous situation”
Self-Confidence. Disdain for Lawyers. Tenacity. Very inspiring stuff, indeed.
Best quote from Monteleone: “I mention this to all of you for a reason. I want to make sure all of you—especially the more wimpy, compliant, and fuddle-brained of your lot—get the message here:
DON’T LET THE BASTARDS WEAR YOU DOWN!”
February 4, 2015
I signed in for the wit and laughs and stayed for the education. Thomas F. Monteleone is a brilliant storyteller and each column is exactly that, a brilliant story! It's like taking a master class in voice and denouement. But, as he likes to say, "There's more!" Tom gives us the real deal on life, writing, and the history of HDF (Horror/Dark Fantasy). Strap in, it's quite a ride.
January 21, 2019
I stumbled upon Mr. Monteleone's writing in a recent issue of Cemetery Dance Magazine. I'm upset that I was so late to the party, but ecstatic that I was finally able to attend. This man is the real deal.
Now, you're probably thinking, "You're just saying that because he's a Sicilian paisan. It's in your blood to stick up for each other." Well, as true as this statement may (or may not be), that isn't the case. Tom tells it like it is, and really doesn't care if you are offended or not. He has the coglioni to say what most of us are thinking - especially in this rampant PC world. For example, in response to an uproar about there needing to be more writers of color in the SciFi genre, his response (and I paraphrase) is, the only color I care about in writing is black words on white paper. Can a more perfect response be uttered? This reader doesn't think so.
Since this is a collection of columns that Tom has written, much of the first few repeat themselves, due to being picked up by different publications - he has to explain, or should I say disclaim(er), himself and what the column is about.
I enjoyed this book so much that I actually bought a copy of the eBook as a gift for a friend of mine.
If you need a laugh, and aren't easily offended by the truth, look no further than "The Mothers and Fathers Italian Association".
Cioa - We'll see you in time.
Now, you're probably thinking, "You're just saying that because he's a Sicilian paisan. It's in your blood to stick up for each other." Well, as true as this statement may (or may not be), that isn't the case. Tom tells it like it is, and really doesn't care if you are offended or not. He has the coglioni to say what most of us are thinking - especially in this rampant PC world. For example, in response to an uproar about there needing to be more writers of color in the SciFi genre, his response (and I paraphrase) is, the only color I care about in writing is black words on white paper. Can a more perfect response be uttered? This reader doesn't think so.
Since this is a collection of columns that Tom has written, much of the first few repeat themselves, due to being picked up by different publications - he has to explain, or should I say disclaim(er), himself and what the column is about.
I enjoyed this book so much that I actually bought a copy of the eBook as a gift for a friend of mine.
If you need a laugh, and aren't easily offended by the truth, look no further than "The Mothers and Fathers Italian Association".
Cioa - We'll see you in time.
June 1, 2012
I completely love this book. So funny, so informative. A must for anyone with aspirations to write, but so good that I lent it to a friend who has no interest in the writing game at all and he loved it too. Higher praise than that, I can not think of.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews