Columns

10 Great Horror Books That Will Never Be Movies

November 18th, 2016

Most classic horror novels have already been turned into films, with many of them having been subjected to that treatment more than once. The fact is that a lot of great horror authors seem to have the ability to write novels that easily translate into movies. Stephen King, Richard Matheson, Brian Keene, and, more recently, Paul Tremblay and Adam Cesare all belong to that group. However, especially when it comes to hardcore horror, there are some novels that have received rave reviews and/or have a cult following but will never be turned into films.

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When Authors Read Their Own Audiobooks: 5 Great Performances

November 16th, 2016

Audiobooks don't get enough respect. I wrote about this in a recent article, but they really are very entertaining. A mediocre book can be elevated by a great performance from a voice actor, and a good book can be made great. Not only that, but sometimes famous actors take a stab at classic works. Take, for instance, Ethan Hawke's intense reading of Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five.

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The Horror Stigma

November 15th, 2016

I doubt the fact that horror comes with a stigma will shock any LitReactor readers. I doubt it shocks anyone, really, but sometimes I wonder how many people realize how unbelievably prevalent it truly is, and how much it actually affects people’s lives. Avid horror fans can’t brush it off like the casual or occasional consumer, and creators, like myself, deal with it damn near daily in one form or another. It doesn’t just annoy me or hurt my feelings; it genuinely interferes with my career.

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The 11 Best And Worst Comic Book Things I Did This Year

November 11th, 2016

In 2016, I wanted to fall in love with comics again. I'd always loved comics, and I still do, but you know how it is. Old love is comfortable love. Love that doesn't need to be revisited and re-upped quite as often. Until it does, anyway. Until someone involved in the love is asking why there's less romance and more Netflix now (this applies to both comics AND romantic love, conveniently).  I decided to try some things to rejuvenate my love for comics, and more to the point, to try relating to comics in some new ways.  Did it work?

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Library Love: Little Free Libraries

November 11th, 2016

Image via littlefreelibrary.org Have you ever found yourself walking down the street, searching for sustenance and caffeine, and happened upon a Little Free Library? What is this anomaly? It's kitschy and cute and — hey! The most recent book in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series is in there! This is the best day ever! And so begins your relationship with a tiny phenomenon that is sweeping the globe.

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What Works & What Doesn't: 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off'

November 11th, 2016

Welcome once again to What Works & What Doesn't, whereby we examine the basic mechanics of a good screenplay by weighing a given film's pros and cons. This month we'll be looking at the 1986 John Hughes comedy Ferris Bueller's Day Off.  Let's get it out of the way right now: Bueller? Bueller? Good? Okay.

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5 Reasons To Keep A Record Of What You Read

November 10th, 2016

If you’re like me, you’re always reading something. Sometimes you’re reading multiple books at once. Other times, you’re so fixated on a single book that you actually feel a deep sadness when you reach the last page. Regardless of your level of reading obsession, I believe it’s a great idea to keep a record of what you read.

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Happy Birthday, Anne Sexton

November 10th, 2016

Anne Gray Harvey Sexton was born Nov. 9, 1928 in Newton, Massachusetts to a woolen manufacturer. Her life was fraught with unhappy relationships and a downhill battle with depression, but to read her writing is to glimpse the mind of a remarkable woman whose work demonstrated the convalescent powers of the written word. Her writing began as a form of therapy and it has endured long past her suicide at the age of 46. 

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5 Reasons To Hire A Freelance Editor, and What To Do When You Can't

November 9th, 2016

Freelance editors often get a bum rap from authors in the literary world. They are seen as predators. Critical snobs. The scum of the earth. Hello, I'm a freelance editor. 

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40 Years Ago, Howard The Duck Ran For President

November 9th, 2016

I've got a piece of election history for you, and I'm betting it's one you didn't hear about yesterday, no matter how much news you watched. Let me take you back 40 years. Yes, 1976. America was tooling around in automobiles powered by 59-cent/gallon gas. NASA released the famous Face on Mars photo. A baby named Joseph Lawrence Mignogna, Jr. was born, and little did we know that a scant few years later, he'd be "Whoa"-ing his way into our hearts.

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