Horror Aficionados discussion
Group Reads: Guest Author Invite
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November 2018 Group Read #1 with Guest Authors of the anthology, WELCOME TO THE SHOW
Ken wrote: "Finished NIGHT AND DAY AND IN BETWEEN. Nice job, Mr. Janz. I love the [spoilers removed]I thought these characters were incredibly interesting in only a few pages. Any chance that we may not have..."
Thank you so much, Ken! I'm really happy you enjoyed it. I don't know if their story will continue, but I'd certainly be open to that. I really enjoyed those characters.
Thanks again! :-)
Alan, I finished your story and loved it as well. Thanks for your responses here!On to Jonathan's story next. I have no doubt this will be a great tale as well. :)
Thanks. I had a lot o fun writing it. The Anthology turned out to be a great bunch of stories.
Mod
Loved your story, Jonathan! That sure did not go in the direction I expected. :)
I grew up reading horror and science fiction. In the '70s, all the Lovecraft and related pulp came out in paperback, and I drank it down. Read a lot of Vonnegut and other weirdness in that decade. Then I started reading a lot of science fiction and fantasy: Ellison, Farmer, Zelazny, Pohl, Clark, and much older stuff--loved Tiptree, More recent influences: Patrick Suskind, Joe Lansdale, Elizabeth Engstrom, Simon Clark, Eric Witchey, John Linwood Grant, Audrey Niffenegger.
Alan wrote: "I grew up reading horror and science fiction. In the '70s, all the Lovecraft and related pulp came out in paperback, and I drank it down. Read a lot of Vonnegut and other weirdness in that decade. ..."I can't wait for Valancourt Books to bring back Engstrom's When Darkness Loves Us next year.
I love me some Harlan Ellison, but there's a lot of his work I haven't yet read.
Patrick Lacey! Loved your story, man. :)Why does the story of a band being into the occult, and getting into trouble with it sound so familiar?
(It's a similar theme to We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix, so maybe that's why?)
Mod
Why does the story of a band being into the occult, and getting into trouble with it sound so familiar?
(It's a similar theme to We Sold Our Souls by Grady..."
And I'm reading another one now that reminds me of that--from your recommendation, Char. ;). This formula seems to work for me every time!! :)
Mod
GREAT way to open an anthology!!
Char wrote: "Alan wrote: "I grew up reading horror and science fiction. In the '70s, all the Lovecraft and related pulp came out in paperback, and I drank it down. Read a lot of Vonnegut and other weirdness in ..."Liz Engstrom is a good friend of mine here in Eugene,Oregon, a mentor, a partner in business, a wonderful writer, and writing educator. I think she's excited to see the book come out again too.
Kimberly wrote: "I'm a little late in starting, but I just read Alan's story.... Solid 5 stars! I loved everything about it! [spoilers removed]GREAT way to open an anthology!!"
Kimberly wrote: "I'm a little late in starting, but I just read Alan's story.... Solid 5 stars! I loved everything about it! [spoilers removed]
GREAT way to open an anthology!!"
Thank you. I was proud that Matt asked me to open it up. He was great to work with.
I dug Bryan Smith's story quite a bit: PILGRIMAGE.So far, I'm impressed by all the different takes on this theme. Was the prompt just to write a story featuring the club itself?
Also, how does one decide in what order to present the tales in an anthology? Does a lot of thought go into that?
Thanks, Char. The only prompt I gave was that the story should be set in the club. Where everyone wanted to go from there was entirely up to them. I liked that we not only saw The Shantyman in different decades but also from different horror perspectives (comedy, psychological, extreme), a lot of great avenues were explored
Char wrote: "Loved your story, Jonathan! That sure did not go in the direction I expected. :)"That's so great to hear, Char. Thank you! :-)
I just finished up Glenn's tale which was totally rad, and Matt's story as well.I actually have an auto-immune type of arthritis which struck me in my 30's. I totally got how the protagonist felt. I also got what it must have meant to him (view spoiler)
DARK STAGE was a cool and surprising turn. Well done, sir!
I'm looking forward to Kelli Owen's story next. I just had my first taste of her work with Teeth and thought it was pretty good. :)
Char wrote: "I just finished up Glenn's tale which was totally rad, and Matt's story as well.I actually have an auto-immune type of arthritis which struck me in my 30's. I totally got how the protagonist felt..."
Thanks, Char! And you're gonna LOVE Kelli's story. Another one of my favorites in the collection.
Kelli's story kicked ass and Somer Canon's did too. :)Max Booth, though, with the pegging? That was funny as hell.(Though it wasn't really about pegging, it was still funny and entertaining overall.)
I'm looking forward to finishing up this anthology and seeing what everyone else has on offer.
Thanks Glenn :) and glad you’re enjoying it, Char!
Thanks, Kelli! I really did. :) After reading it, I was kind of surprised that no other authors went down the 27 Club's road. This theme seemed perfect for stories along those lines. Anyway, Bravo! Zany Chester's story from Jeff Strand was just what I expected, hilarious, (in an uncomfortable way), and gory all at once. :) That damn George Michael. LOL
I liked how Brian Keene's story tied a few of the others together-that was very cool! And Mary SanGiovanni's story was excellent and had some depth, as always.
Overall, I thought this was an above average collection and the theme was one that had enough room in it to allow the authors to really spread out with their ideas. Well done!
Thanks to everyone that has joined in our discussion and kudos to all of you!
A bit late to the show, but yesterday I finally started with the first story - a great introduction to the anthology!Though it is 'only' a short story, it was more complex than some novels I've read with all the details and plot twists. There was just so much packed into it, I really loved that!
But there's one little thing I have to admit: the title did not stir my interest...even after reading the story (and looking up the word rube, not a word you learn at school here ;) ) and understanding where it came from, I thought it was a bit underwhelming compared to the story behind it.
Therefore my question to Alan (hope it's not too intrusive): how did you choose the title? Or was it even intentional to 'mislead' the reader? I mean as I was so positively surprised by the story! Personally, I suck at choosing titles of any kind, e.g. for reviews I write (glad that's not required at GR), so I probably would have come up with something predictable like "The Shantyman".
However, now I'm eager to continue, especially after following this discussion and reading so much praise for the stories!
Mod
Though it is 'only' a short story, it was more complex than some novels I've re..."
I wonder if it's more of a location thing. Here in WNY, it's a common term. (view spoiler) That being said, I look forward to Alan's answer on how he decided on this. :)
Hoping to make some more headway today, but the first story was a 5-star one, for me!
Whenever I hear the word rube I think of Hannibal Lecter. I believe he called Clarice a rube at some point.Oh look, there's even a clip called the "rube monologue!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMVqI...
Mod
Oh look, there's even a clip called the "rube monologue!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?..."
That was perfect!!!
Elke wrote: "A bit late to the show, but yesterday I finally started with the first story - a great introduction to the anthology!Though it is 'only' a short story, it was more complex than some novels I've re..."
Thanks. I'm glad you liked the story. Mostly, I write novels, dark historical fiction. I call the type of novels I write Historical Terror: Horror that Happened. For me, some words take on more meaning because of expressions they're associated with. A rube is a country bumpkin, someone with little experience, easily fooled. P.T Barnum was particularly grateful for the existence of rubes. It's the name carnies and mountebanks call those they fool with sideshows, snake oil, and such. Early America was full of those looking to take advantage over others--it's a thing here still. A man in that time and place--late 19th century America--would have some of his pride bound up in his ability to discern fraud and avoid it. Mine is basically a wild-west story that happens to go to sea. Since I imagine Beverly writing the story given to him by Guthrie, I gave enough to him within my imagination that HE chose the title. He's asking Guthrie, the audience, even himself, "What sort of rube do you take me for?" Substitute "fool" for "rube" and the meaning remains the same. That's because, though he seems to confirm that he believes the story Guthrie told him, some healthy skepticism must remain since it is such a fantastic tale. The title is merely the last remnant of his doubt.
Char wrote: "Whenever I hear the word rube I think of Hannibal Lecter. I believe he called Clarice a rube at some point.Oh look, there's even a clip called the "rube monologue!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?..."
Will watch that one!
Kimberly wrote: "I wonder if it's more of a location thing. Here in WNY, it's a common term."Ah, I see. I am always eager to learn new words and terms, but sometimes it's hard to know whether it is a common thing or something local. In school we learned straight British English, which has some very different words.
There are many local words in Germany as well - so much so that sometimes I have a hard time understanding my own language, especially talking to someone with a strong regional dialect.
Alan wrote: "A rube is a country bumpkin, someone with little experience, easily fooled."Thanks so much for the extensive explanation! Now the title makes perfect sense and I understand that it is very fitting!
I wonder how many new words I will learn while reading this anthology :)
Elke wrote: "Alan wrote: "A rube is a country bumpkin, someone with little experience, easily fooled."Thanks so much for the extensive explanation! Now the title makes perfect sense and I understand that it i..."
You're welcome. Writing is a lonely pursuit that often leaves me wondering if I've communicated what I think I have. It's interesting to think these things "out loud." Sometimes the efforts to composed language are merely intuitive and not sorted out rationally. I don't necessarily think about where the words are coming from. I don't tend to wonder about them if they "feel" right. They can seem to have come directly from a character. If characters get developed well enough, they can alter what I intended to put on the page. "No, I wouldn't do that," I almost hear him saying. "I'd never say such a thing," she protests. Then the story takes a turn, at times into territory more interesting than what I had planned as long as it still fits with the plot. Anyway, it's good to see that my intuition makes sense to someone else!
Mod
Mod
I really enjoyed this collection. Unlike some themed anthologies, there were no weak links where you wonder why on earth the editor(s) chose that particular story, and there was no feeling of repetition-- although every story was set in the same venue, they were all very different. I liked every single story very much, but if I were forced to choose favorites I would have to say Rachel Autumn Deering's A Tongue Like Fire and We Sang in Darkness by Mary Sangiovanni; it was my first time reading work by either of them, but it won't be the last. Alan M Clark also wrote an incredible story about the origins of the Shantyman curse. (I've really been enjoying your Jack the Ripper Victims series, Alan!) I liked the way Brian Keene pulled together the characters from three of the other stories, and I really appreciated the way a lot of the stories referenced the classic bands and songs that I grew up with, especially John Skipp's In the Winter of No Love that was set in 1969 San Francisco. I could go on, but I think you get the idea...
Suki wrote: "I really enjoyed this collection. Unlike some themed anthologies, there were no weak links where you wonder why on earth the editor(s) chose that particular story, and there was no feeling of repet..."Suki--Thanks for the praise. I'm glad you're enjoying the Jack the Ripper Victims Series. I see you've listed as "to read" the latest, THE PROSTITUTES PRICE. Please let me know what you think of it.
Alan wrote: "Suki wrote: "I really enjoyed this collection. Unlike some themed anthologies, there were no weak links where you wonder why on earth the editor(s) chose that particular story, and there was no fee..."I am looking forward very much to reading Prostitute's Price, along with John's companion novel.
Two stories to go, and I'm stunned by the high quality and diversity of the stories!I loved 'A Tongue like Fire' and 'Dark Stage', both very surprising and with a sad angle that I found refreshing (OK that sounds weird). On the other side, 'True Starmen' and 'The Southern Thing' were extremely funny stories which created a nice balance. Oh, and 'Ascending' added such a nice romantic touch *sigh*
P.S.: Words I learned while reading this book:
1. rube (thanks again to Alan for the detailed explanation given here!!!)
2. pegging (conveniently explained in the story)
Elke wrote: "Two stories to go, and I'm stunned by the high quality and diversity of the stories!I loved 'A Tongue like Fire' and 'Dark Stage', both very surprising and with a sad angle that I found refreshin..."
Glad I could help.
Hehehhe She said pegging.
Glad everyone is enjoying their time at The Shantyman (and learning new words...)
I had a slightly broken IBM computer about 30 years ago that my cousin had pulled out of a dumpster for me so I'd have a word processor. The word processing program in it was the only thing still functioning. It's thesaurus made up words, though. My favorite was "scramblero." I guess it's just scramble with "ro" on the end, but I've always remembered it and wondered what it could mean. Anyone know?
Alan wrote: "I had a slightly broken IBM computer about 30 years ago that my cousin had pulled out of a dumpster for me so I'd have a word processor. The word processing program in it was the only thing still f..."My first thought was Ravel's Bolero gone horribly awry. Out of curiosity, I Googled it-- the only entry was a video of a kid on a Scrambler-type amusement park ride.
Kimberly wrote: "Just finished the second (Janz) story. (Seriously, these kids need to get better and go to school--I'm way behind on my reading!) ;). Loved the fact [spoilers removed]. The fact that these stories ..."I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Kimberly!
Suki wrote: "Alan wrote: "I had a slightly broken IBM computer about 30 years ago that my cousin had pulled out of a dumpster for me so I'd have a word processor. The word processing program in it was the only ..."I was thinking maybe Mexican bandit breakfast eggs.
Alan wrote: "Suki wrote: "Alan wrote: "I had a slightly broken IBM computer about 30 years ago that my cousin had pulled out of a dumpster for me so I'd have a word processor. The word processing program in it ...":-)
Char wrote: "Hehehhe She said pegging."Hey, the only way to properly learn new vocabulary is by repetition ;)
Finished, and with another two great stories! This is my very first anthology getting a five star rating, never would have guessed that after my first doubts about reading it at all - glad I did!Noticing the last story had a sci-fi angle, thereby taking the Shantyman to futuristic times, I know wonder whether the order of the stories may be loosely chronological - shame I didn't pay better attention while reading them.
So another question would be: how was the order of the stories decided, were any special criteria involved?
Oh, and the third new word I found in the "About the Authors" chapter: Pomerian. This was easy to understand by dictionary (Zwergspitz). Cute thing!
Rachel wrote: "Suki wrote: "I really enjoyed this collection. Unlike some themed anthologies, there were no weak links where you wonder why on earth the editor(s) chose that particular story, and there was no fee..."<3
I hope no one minds, but I wanted to share a tiny bit of background on how my story came about. I love Old Hollywood (or rather, I love aspects of Old Hollywood--some parts of it are thankfully dead or dying) and enjoy reading about the actors and actresses back then. This partially explains my story's male and female leads. I also love music, and that era (the 20s and 30s) spawned some really memorable music. One of those songs is "Night and Day," sung by Fred Astaire (among other artists). I love that song, so the song in my story is "Night and Day and in Between."
The other part of the song's genesis is the main piano theme from LA LA LAND (which in itself is a love letter to classic films). Here's the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_imA...
The lyrics of my song are supposed to connect to this piano theme. I think it'd be cool to hear someone sing it with that accompaniment. :-)
Jonathan wrote: "I hope no one minds, but I wanted to share a tiny bit of background on how my story came about. I love Old Hollywood (or rather, I love aspects of Old Hollywood--some parts of it are thankfully dea..."Oh, that could be arranged.
Horror Aficionados
Books mentioned in this topic
The Window (other topics)The Surgeon's Mate: A Dismemoir (other topics)
Teeth (other topics)
When Darkness Loves Us (other topics)
Teeth (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Jonathan Janz (other topics)Brian Keene (other topics)
Jonathan Janz (other topics)
Adam Cesare (other topics)
Jeff Strand (other topics)
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Char wrote: "Kelli wrote: "Hello all! I hope everyone had an awesome Halloween. Now then..."
Hello, Kelli!
I'm enjoying the hell out of