A.C. Wise

Shoggoths in Bloom by Elizabeth Bear

Jubilee by Tim Pratt

Nine Sundays in a Row by Kris Dikeman

…where stories never die, where the ghosts are words, whispering themselves anew to each passerby.

Okay, I never claimed to be a poet. How about this, then? He imagined a future in which he could read everything, in which all stories could be opened and discovered. — Neil Gaiman, The Graveyard Book.

It’s just a brief line, but it’s one of my favorites. I smiled when I heard it read aloud, and I smiled again as I read it to myself. I imagine I’ll smile everytime I think of it, because it’s such a perfect love-note to the concept of stories. At the same time, by its context, it expresses the idea of graveyards as respositories of tales. They are, just as surely as any library or bound volume.

(more…)

Horror Library Volume 3 is now available! Okay, not right now, but on Thursday, which isn’t that far away. Editor Boyd Harris will be hosting a launch party at Book People in Austin, on October 30 at 7 p.m. Amy, wanna go for me? I’m told there will be ice cream…

An audio version of Gary Braunbeck and Matthew Warner’s story, Under the Bridge Downtown, from the anthology is available here.

Fair warning, if you’re planning to pick up the anthology be careful, it has Teeth - I should know…

My short story, Revisionist History, will be appearing in an upcoming issue of Fantasy Magazine. I don’t know when exactly, but I’m presuming sometime in mid-late 2009. More details to follow when I have them, but for now, woot!

ETA: According to Cat Rambo’s journal, it should appear sometime in the first half of 2009, but the schedule is still a work in progress.

No, not the 1963 Roger Corman movie - though that was pretty awesome, too - but the 2007 novel by Dan Simmons. I finally got around to reading it recently, something I had been meaning to do for a while. At nearly 800 pages, this book is a commitment, but to its credit, it rarely lags. It’s a historical novel based on the lost Franklin Expedition, as well as a horror novel, a character study, and a novel about mythology, among other things.

About halfway through reading it, I realized that The Terror is structured very similarly to Lost - not the frustrating parts of the show, but its good points. The narrative shifts back and forth between the expedition in the present and the various characters’ pasts/musings/private journals/inner lives/etc. This structure allows you to get to know the characters, invests you in their lives (even if you don’t like them) and thus gives meaning to the action and events of the plot (you know, that thing well-written works are supposed to do). It’s also somewhat similar to Lost in the sharp turns the narrative takes, so that where you end up is not necessarily where you thought you were going.

This is not to say that the novel is in anyway derivative. It’s its own beast, and a marvel to behold in its own right. It has weight (literally and figuratively), it has scope, and it’s rich with detail. It also strikes me as the kind of novel that would appeal to fans of multiple genres. I highly recommend picking it up, but you might want to do yourself a favor and consider the paperback version.

My autographed Anansi Boys preview brochure arrived in the mail today. This is primarily interesting (beyond the obvious) in that it appears to be signed in blood. In reality, of course, I’m sure that this is an illusion created by some rich and deeply colored ink that just happens to have dried to an ominous reddish brown. Surely a man whose waking life contains wonders beyond most mortals’ dreams wouldn’t be so careless as to sign away his soul where it could fall into just anyone’s hands. However, should it turn out that this is more than a mere trick of the light and I have in fact come into possession of Mr. Gaiman’s soul, I promise to treat it with the utmost respect. Such a rare artifact will be reserved strictly for parties, special occasions, or those times when I find myself in dire need of my very own lap-panda. And should its rightful owner ever ask for said soul back, I promise to even have it carefully cleaned before its return.

Happy Thanksgiving, eh?

Spoken or unspoken, it’s the desperately mumbled mantra of every writer who drops an (unsolicited) sub in the mail, or hits send - please let this story stand out from the crowd, let it make it into the deciding editor’s hands, and let their decision be ‘yes, I need to publish this!’

Other than the basic ‘read and follow the guidelines’, there are very few universals in terms of what editors want. ‘Well written’ is somewhat nebulous, and preferences in subject matter and style vary widely. There is no single, magical thing a writer can do to guarantee publication, but there are some things that will make an editor sit up and take notice.

Fer instance - John Joseph Adams, Assistant Editor at The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, and Editor of several wonderful anthologies, recently posted a useful interview with editors from three of the top genre magazines. Shelia Williams of Asimov’s Science Fiction, Gordon Van Gelder of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and Susan Marie Groppi of Strange Horizons each offer their own take on what catches their eye when they’re looking to buy.

Another fer instance - last year, Douglas Cohen, Assistant Editor of Realms of Fantasy offered his own advice on surviving the slush. As part of his article, he posted the opening paragraph or so of each story (to date at the time) that he had pulled from the slush and sucessfully passed along for publication. He also provided a bit of brief analysis, giving an example of what made him keep reading and eventually pass the story on.

Both articles are worth a read, and they certainly give a sense of what the editors of those particular magazines are looking for. Again, their are no guarantees or sure-fire methods, but there are definitely things an author can do to give their story a helping hand. And even though you didn’t ask, here’s my own piece of totally non-expert advice - be persistent. Practice doesn’t make perfect, it makes practice, but it’s much more likely to eventually get you published than flat-out giving up.

To accompany my last post, I thought I would offer a couple of “must-watch” movies to suit the season. First off, the classics: Nosferatu, Dracula, Freaks and The Phantom of the Opera.

The more recent classics: The Excorcist - but please, do yourself a favor and watch the un-cut released version and not the crappy, chopped up version they show on tv around this time every year, and The Shining. These two combined probably make for some of the scariest moments ever committed to film.

The animated classics: Disney’s Halloween Treat, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Corpse Bride.

The less serious classics, Little Shop of Horrors, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and The Raven. Actually, just about anything featuring Vincent Price is essential viewing at this time of year.

And some bonus recommendations: Two darned fine tv shows that embody the season and were killed before their time: American Gothic and Carnivale.

And a bonus, bonus recommendation: The Excorcist in 30 Seconds with Bunnies.

What do you consider essential October viewing?

October is upon us. The leaves are starting to turn. There is a distinct chill in the air. It’s the time of year when all around the world young men and women’s minds turn to horror. And if, like me, you find yourself craving something dark, here are some suggestions to help you celebrate the holidays.

Certain books and stories feel like certain seasons. Arguably, all of Ray Bradbury’s works have a hint of October about them - some with a bittersweet touch of summer - but those with the strongest affinity for this liminal time of year are The October Country (duh), From the Dust Returned and The Halloween Tree.

For some not-strictly-traditional short horror, try Outsiders: 22 All-New Stories From the Edge edited by Nancy Holder and Nancy Kilpatrick.

For something old and something new, how about The Best of H.P. Lovecraft by H.P. Lovecraft and The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman?

Or if you prefer to keep it all in the family, there’s always It by Stephen King and Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill.

And of course, I can’t resist giving yet another shout out to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Trilogy collected by Alvin Schwartz.

Obviously this list is by no means exhaustive, they’re just a few titles off the top of my head. What about you? What do you like? Recommend something for October - a ghost story, a quiet tale of terror, a psychological thriller, some humorous horror, a creeping yarn that crawls under the skin, or a flat out blood-soaked piece of splatterpunk. I’m not picky - bring it on!