Seven Badass Authors And Their Potentially Deadly Research Methods

Column by Kimberly Turner October 5, 2012 12 comments
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Seven Badass Authors And Their Potentially Deadly Research Methods

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So you think the research for your novel is tough, huh? Searching through library stacks, poring over LexisNexis results, conducting interviews with willing participants... Boo-frickin'-hoo. You don't know tough until you've faced lynching, been held hostage in a piss-covered stairwell by a gang, had yourself committed to a madhouse, or eaten a guy or two in a Peruvian jungle. These badass authors and their dangerous immersive research techniques put the rest of us to shame...

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Sherlock Holmes (On CBS) Vs. Sherlock Holmes (On BBC)

Column by Rob Hart October 5, 2012 22 comments
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Sherlock Holmes (On CBS) Vs. Sherlock Holmes (On BBC)

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There was no shortage of grumbling when CBS announced they'd be producing Elementary, a modern-day take on Sherlock Holmes set in New York City. After all, the BBC is prepping for the third season of Sherlock, a modern-day take on Sherlock Holmes set in London. The BBC series, created by Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat, is critically-acclaimed and a geek darling.

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Storyville: Story Dissection - Maker of Flight

Column by Richard Thomas October 4, 2012 9 comments
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Storyville: Story Dissection - Maker of Flight

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I thought I would take the time to dissect another of my stories. The last one I covered, “Twenty Reasons to Stay and One to Leave” was a unique format, so with this column we’re going to look at a more traditional structure. We’re going to dissect my story “Maker of Flight”, which was a contest winner at ChiZine, on their Chiaroscuro webzine.

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The Blagger's Guide to David Foster Wallace

Column by Cath Murphy October 4, 2012 5 comments
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The Blagger's Guide to David Foster Wallace

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To blag (v): to sound like you know what you’re talking about when you don’t

The Blagger’s Guide to Literature (n): an invaluable resource for those who wish to blag about books without actually reading them.

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10 Words You Literally Didn’t Know You Were Getting Wrong

Column by Taylor Houston October 3, 2012 61 comments
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10 Questions With Michael Lowenthal

Interview by Ed Sikov October 3, 2012 3 comments
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10 Questions With Michael Lowenthal

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Michael Lowenthal’s fourth novel, The Paternity Test, has just been published by Terrace Books/University of Wisconsin Press. It's the story of two men trying to hold their fraying relationship together by moving to Cape Cod and having a baby with a surrogate mother, and their odd friendship with her, her husband, and the married couple's young daughter.

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New This Month: October Reads

Column by John Jarzemsky October 2, 2012 3 comments
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New This Month: October Reads

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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 October. 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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LitRecapper: The One Year Anniversary

Column by Joshua Chaplinsky October 1, 2012 23 comments
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LitRecapper: The One Year Anniversary

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Prelude

Joshua Chaplinsky peels his forehead off his desk, his jaundiced skin illuminated by the pale glow of the LitReactor homepage. He glances bleary-eyed at a page-a-day calendar displaying a shirtless picture of James Van Der Beek. The date: October 1st, 2012. He mumbles to himself...

The years like great black oxen tread the world,
And God the herdsman goads them on behind,
And I am broken by their passing feet.

His vision blurs. Fade to black...

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