Columns

Guess The Plot, Episode III: Jacked And Pumped

June 7th, 2012

It's time for another installment of the Internet's favorite speculative, vintage book cover-based game: Guess The Plot! Over the past two months, LiReactor has come through with some of the most creative and hilarious theories on where, exactly, these crazy books' narratives might go. They are so good, in fact, that I thought it might be fun to begin highlighting one of the most memorable comments from the previous installment.

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It's More Than Just Meth Labs and Single Wides: A Rural Noir Primer

June 6th, 2012

I think what catches most people off guard about these rural areas is the viciousness of the poverty and how it’s staring right at you…I think for a lot of readers that seems a little exotic. --Daniel Woodrell With most Americans, rural life has become exactly how Woodrell describes it: Exotic.

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Storyville: Writing Horror Stories

June 6th, 2012

In my opinion, two of the hardest genres to write are horror and comedy. Why? Because both are so subjective. What might make one person laugh will leave another unaffected, and what will scare the hell out of one person will leave another bored. So know that you are taking on a difficult task when writing horror. But as there are millions of books sold every year by the masters of the genre, there is obviously an audience for dark fiction.

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A Slap on the Wrist: Excusing the Bad Behavior of Authors

June 5th, 2012

A few weeks ago, I wrote a news post that I would hardly call news. I considered it more of an update on what had been public knowledge for some time: that Orson Scott Card, brilliant science fiction author and rampant homophobe, was at it again. Card wrote a rather inflammatory column for his hometown newspaper that can be viewed in its entirety HERE. The comments on my article were a mixed bag.

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Summer Reads: Why Cthulhu Is Not The Best Travel Companion

June 5th, 2012

I am crap at a lot of things. Figure skating, remembering birthdays, anything to do with machinery, reading maps, and failing to make eye contact with drunks are just a few items on the long list of activities at which I spectacularly fail. But if I had to single out one thing at which I am especially crap, it would be choosing which book to take on holiday.

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New Release Roundup: Recommendations for June 2012

June 4th, 2012

Every month I'll be toiling in the dank, dark mines of literary obscurity, scouring the catalogues of every major publisher to bring the LitReactor faithful a few choice titles hitting the shelves. The following is a brief look at what's worth checking out in June. Full disclosure: unless otherwise noted, none of the below books have been reviewed by myself or other LitReactor staff. These are just a few recommendations based on publisher's notes and my own opinions. Without further ado:

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LURID: Grimmly Fiendish - The Horror in Fairy Tales

June 1st, 2012

LURID: vivid in shocking detail; sensational, horrible in savagery or violence, or, a twice-monthly guide to the merits of the kind of Bad Books you never want your co-workers to know you're reading.

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Top 10 YA Books That Should Be Adapted for Film

May 31st, 2012

There seems to be a flaw in the human brain when it comes to film adaptations of books. I say this because movies rarely, if ever, turn out to be better than their literary source material. And yet, every time I finish an amazing novel, I immediately start praying that it will be made into a film. Seriously, brain, what's up with that?

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UPDATED WITH WINNER: LitReactor's Flash Fiction Smackdown: May Edition

May 31st, 2012

Flash fiction: A style of fictional literature marked by extreme brevity. Welcome to the first installment of LitReactor's Flash Fiction Smackdown. This shall be a monthly bout of writing prowess, in which you'll be challenged to thrill us in 250 words or less. And to the victor go the spoils!

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Six Tough Truths About Self-Publishing (That The Advocates Never Seem To Talk About)

May 31st, 2012

Self-publishing advocates would have you believe that even considering a publishing deal is idiotic, when you can just put the work out yourself and become the master of your own literary destiny.

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