Columns

Wild Speculation Regarding The New 'Hunger Games' Book

November 6th, 2019

When I heard about a new Hunger Games book, I think I felt like most people: depressed. What? Aren’t most of us depressed? Have you BEEN online lately? And do you think a new Hunger Games book coming out in May is going to yank me out of my wallow? Because if you think that, you need to pay more attention to me and my wallows. I put on a clinic, daily. You could learn something.

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Writing Dystopian Fiction When the World Is Going Mad

November 5th, 2019

It’s hard to write dystopian fiction these days. Not because it’s hard to imagine crazy, whacked-out scenarios for the End Times (and everything after). The problem is, given the length of time it takes to write a book, reality can catch up to your vision—and force you to make some hard decisions. Do you re-write what you’ve done, trying to make things even crazier? Or do you leave things how they are, and embrace how closely your fictional narrative is bending to the real life happening outside your window?

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Anime Directors Whose Work Influenced "Cherry Blossom Eyes"

November 4th, 2019

Cherry Blossom Eyes is my new novella from Eraserhead Press. As much as it draws influence from the work of Bizarro fiction authors such as Carlton Mellick III and Cameron Pierce, it also draws influence from some of my favourie anime directors. Here are four anime directors with a brief explanation of what they bring to the table, and how their work influenced my novella.

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7 Great Books to Read for National Nonfiction Day

November 1st, 2019

British bookworms celebrate National Non-Fiction Day on the first Thursday of every November. Originally the brainchild of two organizations dedicated to children’s books, it’s a great opportunity to surprise the young readers in your life with some top-notch, age-appropriate books that will educate as they entertain. But there’s no reason grownups can’t get in on the fun as well!

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20 Scary Stories For Halloween That You Can Read Online For Free

October 31st, 2019

Photo by Joy Marino As our way of saying happy Halloween to you, dear reader, we’re gifting you with twenty stories to read or listen to this Halloween, all of which are available for free online. The majority of these stories have a connection to Halloween (some tenuous), though a few are just damn good stories to get you in the Halloween spirit. Let's get to it.

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Essential Slashers: The Foundations, Peaks, and Valleys of Modern Horror's Most Iconic Subgenre

October 31st, 2019

Ready to become a slasher scientist? Read the first part of my column about the craft of the slasher film, and then dive deep into this list with all the fervor of Jason Vorhees swinging his favorite machete. FOUNDATIONS Explore the foundations of the subgenre with some of these legendary films you’ve almost assuredly seen multiple times, and some overlooked influencers that birthed the slasher boon.

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Giving ARCs Instead of Candy and Other Halloween Hacks for Writers

October 30th, 2019

Photo by Matheus Bertelli Halloween is my favorite time of the year. In fact, I think we should cancel Christmas and keep going with Halloween until January 1, 2020. In any case, Halloween is the perfect time to be a writer. I've already written about some of my favorite reads for the season and about the best costumes for writers. Now I'm going to give you some hacks to help you maximize the season's potential.

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10 Horror Books In Desperate Need of a Reprint

October 30th, 2019

I'm a latecomer to the wonders and cheap thrills of a certain brand of horror novels. But now that I'm in, I'm ALL in.  Did I start a book club to get people to read The Nest, the first book in Grady Hendrix's Paperbacks From Hell imprint? Yes, yes I did.  Did my own sister attend? Yes. Did she read only to the point in the book where a young girl was eaten vagina-first by a mutated cockroach? Also yes. 

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A Brief History Of Halloween In Fiction

October 28th, 2019

cover for Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge, art by Jon Foster We all know about films set around October 31st: Halloween (1978) and its numerous sequels, all involving Michael Myers slaying teens on All Hallows Eve; Trick or Treat (1986), about a Satanic rock star planning his unholy comeback; Hocus Pocus (1993), the beloved family spooky movie starring Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker; and Trick 'r Treat (2007), an anthology film connected by the spirit of the season, a little rascal named Sam, just to na

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All Hail the Slasher: The Rise and Legacy of an Iconic Subgenre of Horror

October 25th, 2019

Freddy. Jason. Michael. This unholy trinity of horror icons represents a grimy, exploitative subgenre that exploded in the late 1970’s and dominated the 1980’s—the slasher. In celebration of Halloween, let’s take a deep dive into the slasher film—what it is, why we love it, and how the classic slasher is a purely cinematic experience that leverages the full power of the film medium.

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