Death and the afterlife are two of the most commonly encountered themes in horror fiction. Apparitions and reanimated corpses are nothing new to fans of the genre; in fact, these images have been exploited so often that they’ve lost their impact. Then there are authors like Poppy Z. Brite, who manipulate familiar images in a way that transcends their meaning. This is put on display brilliantly and horrifically in his first compilation of short stories, Wormwood.
The collection’s original title, Swamp Foetus, is deliciously descriptive of the horrors concealed within. Brite’s writing is deeply steeped in its location: the dark swamps of the American South. Narrators creep through reeking, stinking bayous, full of dark mud that submerges and mist that shadows. What they find there destroys the reader’s idea of the body and the meaning of decay.
Most of the stories revolve around people on the fringes—queer musicians,...
The collection’s original title, Swamp Foetus, is deliciously descriptive of the horrors concealed within. Brite’s writing is deeply steeped in its location: the dark swamps of the American South. Narrators creep through reeking, stinking bayous, full of dark mud that submerges and mist that shadows. What they find there destroys the reader’s idea of the body and the meaning of decay.
Most of the stories revolve around people on the fringes—queer musicians,...
- 7/7/2017
- by Ben Larned
- DailyDead
Cemetery Dance just announced Detours, featuring some of the biggest names ever collected in one book (like King, Koontz, Barker, Blatty, and Straub), so of course it's selling fast. Don't be disappointed; read on for ordering info and to see some of the amazing art it contains.
Every now and then your favorite author takes a detour while writing a new novel: a chapter gets chopped, a connected short story is dreamed up, an essay about the book's origins is composed, or an oddity is created on a day off.
Collected here together for the first time are such Detours. Join these bestselling authors as they share the other works they wrote while they were writing the books you already know and love.
Detours is edited by Brian James Freeman with cover artwork by Tomislav Tikulin. Visit Cemetery Dance's online store to pre-order your copy. At this time the publication date hasn't been revealed,...
Every now and then your favorite author takes a detour while writing a new novel: a chapter gets chopped, a connected short story is dreamed up, an essay about the book's origins is composed, or an oddity is created on a day off.
Collected here together for the first time are such Detours. Join these bestselling authors as they share the other works they wrote while they were writing the books you already know and love.
Detours is edited by Brian James Freeman with cover artwork by Tomislav Tikulin. Visit Cemetery Dance's online store to pre-order your copy. At this time the publication date hasn't been revealed,...
- 7/5/2014
- by Debi Moore
- DreadCentral.com
Tuesdays are when new books are typically released, and horror fans usually don’t have too much trouble finding something to read. There is Amazon of course and publishers like Samhain and Cemetery Dance…
We also boast authors ranging from "The King" himself to Dan Simmons, Robert McCammon, the late Thomas Tryon, Tim Curran, Aussies Stephen Irwin, Brett McBean, and Aaron Dries as well as Brits such as David Moody, anthologist Stephen Jones, and Mark Morris, to name just a very few.
But what if you long for the paperback originals which seemed to flood bookstores back in the 80s or want to read even earlier horror that is long out of print? What to do? Well, you turn to Valancourt Books to assuage those yearnings. And we recently spoke with Ryan Cagle, one half of the publishing team that brings those long unavailable titles to life for readers to enjoy again,...
We also boast authors ranging from "The King" himself to Dan Simmons, Robert McCammon, the late Thomas Tryon, Tim Curran, Aussies Stephen Irwin, Brett McBean, and Aaron Dries as well as Brits such as David Moody, anthologist Stephen Jones, and Mark Morris, to name just a very few.
But what if you long for the paperback originals which seemed to flood bookstores back in the 80s or want to read even earlier horror that is long out of print? What to do? Well, you turn to Valancourt Books to assuage those yearnings. And we recently spoke with Ryan Cagle, one half of the publishing team that brings those long unavailable titles to life for readers to enjoy again,...
- 4/22/2014
- by thebellefromhell
- DreadCentral.com
The tight-knit horror fiction community was left reeling last week by the loss of three gentlemen over a ten-day period; three men who’d served as inspiration, as mentors, as legends, as examples of the best the genre has to offer. They were men who, in their own individual ways, pushed against the boundaries of horror to challenge what it could do and what could be said within its confines.
David B. Silva died around March 12.
James Herbert died on March 20.
Rick Hautala died on March 21.
Each of them was in his 60s, and each was still working – in fact, each of them had published books within the last few months. Based on the outpouring of remembrances that have flooded the Internet over the last several days, each of them had a profound impact on their fellow horror writers.
Of the three, the casual reader is most likely to have...
David B. Silva died around March 12.
James Herbert died on March 20.
Rick Hautala died on March 21.
Each of them was in his 60s, and each was still working – in fact, each of them had published books within the last few months. Based on the outpouring of remembrances that have flooded the Internet over the last several days, each of them had a profound impact on their fellow horror writers.
Of the three, the casual reader is most likely to have...
- 3/26/2013
- by Blu Gilliand
- FEARnet
The highly anticipated "Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" opens next week (Nov. 18) and the plot -- which involves a pregnant Bella (Kristen Stewart) -- has us wondering: Are vampire babies even possible?
Since we were raised on a steady diet of "Interview with the Vampire," "Bram Stoker's Dracula," "True Blood," "The Vampire Diaries" and "Twilight," we mostly assumed vampires could only be born, so to speak, when a living human is bitten by a vampire who then allows that human to drink his or her immortality-giving blood. Pop culture lore would also have us believe that when one is transformed into a vampire, she remains forever the age she was at transformation. Hence Kirsten Dunst's little girl vampire in "Interview."
There is some precedence in film ("Grave of the Vampire") and fiction, according to The Daily Rot. Aside from "Breaking Dawn," in Poppy Z. Brite's 1992 novel "Lost Souls,...
Since we were raised on a steady diet of "Interview with the Vampire," "Bram Stoker's Dracula," "True Blood," "The Vampire Diaries" and "Twilight," we mostly assumed vampires could only be born, so to speak, when a living human is bitten by a vampire who then allows that human to drink his or her immortality-giving blood. Pop culture lore would also have us believe that when one is transformed into a vampire, she remains forever the age she was at transformation. Hence Kirsten Dunst's little girl vampire in "Interview."
There is some precedence in film ("Grave of the Vampire") and fiction, according to The Daily Rot. Aside from "Breaking Dawn," in Poppy Z. Brite's 1992 novel "Lost Souls,...
- 11/12/2011
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
I spent several hours with Gene this morning. He wasn’t under the influence of any pain killers so he was lucid and jovial, but grew short of breath several times—and every now and again he’d grimace in pain. The attending nurse finally had no choice but to put him back on the morphine and that was it—Gene was fast asleep.
Despite his legendary optimism, Gene’s situation is tenuous. His family hopes he can undergo a procedure early this week that may alleviate his pain. Regardless, it’s unlikely that my pal will be drawing for anyone anytime soon.To continue generating what might become much-needed funds, we are selling off the last of Gene’s artwork, as well as some books and comics. Gene hopes to continue signing comics for the Cgc Signature Series. If you have comics that you would like to put through this process,...
Despite his legendary optimism, Gene’s situation is tenuous. His family hopes he can undergo a procedure early this week that may alleviate his pain. Regardless, it’s unlikely that my pal will be drawing for anyone anytime soon.To continue generating what might become much-needed funds, we are selling off the last of Gene’s artwork, as well as some books and comics. Gene hopes to continue signing comics for the Cgc Signature Series. If you have comics that you would like to put through this process,...
- 4/25/2011
- by Clifford Meth
- Comicmix.com
Let’s face it ... Technology is changing the landscape of how film, music, and literature are being presented to the marketplace. Netflix is doing the bulk of its business via streaming (either through its website or on various other consoles such as the Xbox 360 and the PS3). Services like Rhapsody and iTunes are making downloading music quick, easy, and affordable.
Recently Amazon reported that eBooks for the Kindle, Nook, or eReader outsold printed books for the first time in history. Without question, all of these new modes of distribution are the wave of the future. One company, Crossroad Press, has positioned itself at the forefront of the eBook and audiobook market in a big way by gathering together an impressive list of titles by such respected authors as Skipp & Spector, Tom Piccirilli, Chet Williamson, Al Sarrantonio, Melanie Tem, Elizabeth Massie, Brian Hodge, David Whitman & Weston Ochse, and Crossroad Press owner,...
Recently Amazon reported that eBooks for the Kindle, Nook, or eReader outsold printed books for the first time in history. Without question, all of these new modes of distribution are the wave of the future. One company, Crossroad Press, has positioned itself at the forefront of the eBook and audiobook market in a big way by gathering together an impressive list of titles by such respected authors as Skipp & Spector, Tom Piccirilli, Chet Williamson, Al Sarrantonio, Melanie Tem, Elizabeth Massie, Brian Hodge, David Whitman & Weston Ochse, and Crossroad Press owner,...
- 12/7/2010
- by Carnell
- DreadCentral.com
Back in the mid-80s, horror fiction had become more than a little complacent. In most people’s minds, what passed for cutting edge genre fiction was the work of word generators such as Stephen King, Dean Koontz, or Anne Rice. It was all spooky kids, rabid pets, daddy issues, and whiny, homo-erotic vampires.
By and large that was fine, but it is important to remember that the punk music scene had landed with both feet on the next of the public zeitgeist and stories of such archetypical monsters and mayhem didn't resonate with readers like they once did. The public had a new attitude and wanted a new breed of monsters to go with it...ones that better fit in line with their new nihilistic outlook.
Then, seemingly out of nowhere and to everybody’s surprise, came a group of young iconoclasts like Clive Barker, Poppy Z. Brite, Jack Ketchum,...
By and large that was fine, but it is important to remember that the punk music scene had landed with both feet on the next of the public zeitgeist and stories of such archetypical monsters and mayhem didn't resonate with readers like they once did. The public had a new attitude and wanted a new breed of monsters to go with it...ones that better fit in line with their new nihilistic outlook.
Then, seemingly out of nowhere and to everybody’s surprise, came a group of young iconoclasts like Clive Barker, Poppy Z. Brite, Jack Ketchum,...
- 11/17/2010
- by Carnell
- DreadCentral.com
Finally, after a summer from hell (for most of the Us anyway), there is a chill in the air, the leaves are changing colors and Halloween, our favorite holiday, is almost here. So, in the spirit of the season, here are some new Halloween titles (as well as a couple of classics) you might want to pick up at your local bookstore.
How to Be a Zombie: The Essential Guide for Anyone Who Craves Brains by Serena Valentino. From the author of the Nightmares & Dreamscapes series of graphic novels, including 1140 Rue Royale, comes this hilarious and colorful book on how to become a zombie. With chapters ranging from "What Is Your Zombie Archetype?" and "Living with Humans" to "Zombie Fashion" and "Essential Zombie Films", this little (144 pages) book would make an excellent prize at your Halloween party. Or an unexpected stocking stuffer at Christmas.
4 out of 5
Horror! 333 Films to Scare...
How to Be a Zombie: The Essential Guide for Anyone Who Craves Brains by Serena Valentino. From the author of the Nightmares & Dreamscapes series of graphic novels, including 1140 Rue Royale, comes this hilarious and colorful book on how to become a zombie. With chapters ranging from "What Is Your Zombie Archetype?" and "Living with Humans" to "Zombie Fashion" and "Essential Zombie Films", this little (144 pages) book would make an excellent prize at your Halloween party. Or an unexpected stocking stuffer at Christmas.
4 out of 5
Horror! 333 Films to Scare...
- 10/9/2010
- by thebellefromhell
- DreadCentral.com
Austin's independent filmmaking scene means that most people here know someone who let a movie or TV production shoot in their home or neighborhood. I know someone whose condo was used in an episode of Friday Night Lights. The photo on the right is from Slackerwood reporter Debbie Cerda's living room ... but she doesn't keep her home looking like this. It's a dressed set for the movie Red White & Blue, which premiered at SXSW earlier this month. Debbie had a lot of fun while 20 cast and crew members took over her Austin house for a couple of days, and has no regrets about loaning out her home.
Other people are not so happy to have location shooting occur in their neighborhood. I've been reading the LiveJournal for author Poppy Z. Brite, who lives in the Central City neighborhood in New Orleans, where HBO has been shooting David Simon's TV series Treme.
Other people are not so happy to have location shooting occur in their neighborhood. I've been reading the LiveJournal for author Poppy Z. Brite, who lives in the Central City neighborhood in New Orleans, where HBO has been shooting David Simon's TV series Treme.
- 3/26/2010
- by Jette Kernion
- Cinematical
Upon hearing that there was a new film titled, Exquisite Corpse, I was excited to think that someone was bringing Poppy Z. Brite’s novel of the same name to the big screen. When watching the trailer I was met with something entirely different. Scott David Russell’s film starring Steve Sandvoss, Nicole Vicius, Guillermo Diaz, Tessa Thompson, and Larry Cedar, will be playing later this month at the Efm (European Film Market) and has nothing to do with a homosexual serial killer, cannibal, necrophiliac (not quite). Dammit. Nicholas is a young neuroscientist who is obsessed with two things. He discovered a serum [...]
Post from: Screamstress...
Post from: Screamstress...
- 2/11/2010
- by Alison
- Screamstress.com
I don't remember when it started, but somewhere around the age of 16 I discovered Bauhaus, heavy eyeliner, and Neil Gaiman's Sandman. (Guess who my favorite character was?). I acquired a leather jacket, big boots, and a collection of Anne Rice and Poppy Z. Brite books. Bram Stoker's Dracula and The Crow were the height of romance.
That's right. I'm a former goth. (My friends are snickering right now. Former! Former, damn you all.)
What I find very interesting is that what Twilight, from an admittedly cursory glance at its fanbase, is, well, not goth. They're screamy teens with Hot Topic tees or grown women and the occasional dude. But werewolves and vampires and smoldering glances and longing are all super goth! And there are some goths who do enjoy a bit of glitter (or a Lot of glitter), but not on our vampires. I mean, their vampires. I asked one friend,...
That's right. I'm a former goth. (My friends are snickering right now. Former! Former, damn you all.)
What I find very interesting is that what Twilight, from an admittedly cursory glance at its fanbase, is, well, not goth. They're screamy teens with Hot Topic tees or grown women and the occasional dude. But werewolves and vampires and smoldering glances and longing are all super goth! And there are some goths who do enjoy a bit of glitter (or a Lot of glitter), but not on our vampires. I mean, their vampires. I asked one friend,...
- 12/2/2009
- by Jenni Miller
- Cinematical
With our favorite time of year just around the corner, Fango’s got news of a trio of literary terrors to keep you occupied throughout the fall. And if you’re partial to anthologies and short-story collections, get ready to rejoice.
First up, Running Press has just put out the third volume in its Dark Delicacies series, subtitled Haunted, and it looks to be their biggest yet. Edited by Del Howison and Jeff Gelb, Dark Delicacies III features 20 new works by the likes of genre legend Clive Barker, Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk, Masters Of Horror creator Mick Garris, Jeepers Creepers director Victor Salva, 100 Feet’s Eric Red, veteran horror scribe Richard Christian Matheson, Fango contributor Axelle Carolyn, First Blood author David Morrell and many more, with a foreword by The Shining actor Steven Weber.
Also arriving this month is Twilight Zone: 19 Original Stories On The 50th Anniversary, a...
First up, Running Press has just put out the third volume in its Dark Delicacies series, subtitled Haunted, and it looks to be their biggest yet. Edited by Del Howison and Jeff Gelb, Dark Delicacies III features 20 new works by the likes of genre legend Clive Barker, Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk, Masters Of Horror creator Mick Garris, Jeepers Creepers director Victor Salva, 100 Feet’s Eric Red, veteran horror scribe Richard Christian Matheson, Fango contributor Axelle Carolyn, First Blood author David Morrell and many more, with a foreword by The Shining actor Steven Weber.
Also arriving this month is Twilight Zone: 19 Original Stories On The 50th Anniversary, a...
- 9/9/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (Samuel Zimmerman)
- Fangoria
I was a 10-year-old girl when I first stumbled across a book about a vampire rock star, but from that moment on, I have always had a thing for the plasma-challenged. I've gone on to read everything from Penny Dreadfuls to Poppy Z. Brite, and to this day I will always watch a vampire movie, no matter how bad -- and there are no shortage of those. But there are some good ones, too, and one of my favorites is Kathryn Bigelow's Near Dark. I have plenty of reasons for respecting Bigelow's work (whose new -- and excellent -- film The Hurt Locker opens on June 26th), because let's face it -- there aren't very many female directors, especially female 'action' directors -- and thanks to her vampire-Western hybrid, I'm willing to give her a bit of slack for her lesser flicks. So to anyone out there who thinks...
- 6/19/2009
- by Jessica Barnes
- Cinematical
From Rachel Bevilacqua, who's raising money for a child custody court case:
I'm overjoyed to report that a saintly anonymous donor has donated the framed and matted Miran Kim painting of the original cover artwork for the classic Poppy Z. Brite novel "Lost Souls", and an Advance Reading Copy of the novel.
These items are now up on eBay, and the book will be signed by Poppy Z. Brite specially for the auction winner! This is a unique set of horror genre collectibles that I'm so grateful to be able to auction.
Please also send massive Slack Waves to this donor who wishes to remain anonymous, but who deserves an unstoppable juggernaut of Slack. This person is a really unique individual who deserves every kind of happiness, and it can't hurt to have a whole bunch of people beaming Slack their way!
Thank you so much for taking an interest...
I'm overjoyed to report that a saintly anonymous donor has donated the framed and matted Miran Kim painting of the original cover artwork for the classic Poppy Z. Brite novel "Lost Souls", and an Advance Reading Copy of the novel.
These items are now up on eBay, and the book will be signed by Poppy Z. Brite specially for the auction winner! This is a unique set of horror genre collectibles that I'm so grateful to be able to auction.
Please also send massive Slack Waves to this donor who wishes to remain anonymous, but who deserves an unstoppable juggernaut of Slack. This person is a really unique individual who deserves every kind of happiness, and it can't hurt to have a whole bunch of people beaming Slack their way!
Thank you so much for taking an interest...
- 5/11/2009
- by Glenn Hauman
- Comicmix.com
Today's installment of comic-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest...
* Fantasy author Poppy Z. Brite was arrested last week at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in New Orleans as part of a peaceable demonstration in which churches in the Uptown area of the city were occupied to protest their closings. She's been writing it up on her LiveJournal.
* Not quite related to the story above, but there's not going to be a The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror anthology for 2008, according to editors Gavin J. Grant & Kelly Link. Not that there isn't material, of course, but the economy's a bear...
* My boyfriend and I went to see "The Spirit" because we are stupid ...
* The Lost Ten Commandments of Comics .
Anything else? Consider this an open thread.
* Fantasy author Poppy Z. Brite was arrested last week at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in New Orleans as part of a peaceable demonstration in which churches in the Uptown area of the city were occupied to protest their closings. She's been writing it up on her LiveJournal.
* Not quite related to the story above, but there's not going to be a The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror anthology for 2008, according to editors Gavin J. Grant & Kelly Link. Not that there isn't material, of course, but the economy's a bear...
* My boyfriend and I went to see "The Spirit" because we are stupid ...
* The Lost Ten Commandments of Comics .
Anything else? Consider this an open thread.
- 1/13/2009
- by Glenn Hauman
- Comicmix.com
Hot Dog! Editor John Joseph Adams is finally back with his new literary zombie anthology called "The Living Dead." Some of you may remember that we were big fans of his last book, Wastelands : Stories of the Apocalypse and when I interviewed him, Adams confessed that his next literary comp would indeed be about zombies (though at that time the book in question was to be called "No More Room in Hell"). Well, it looks like, true to his word, Adams has compiled a doozy of a book which includes stories from the likes of heavyweights; Stephen King, Harlan Ellison, Robert Silverberg, George R. R. Martin, Clive Barker, Poppy Z. Brite, Neil Gaiman, Joe Hill, Laurell K. Hamilton, and Joe R. Lansdale. This looks like a must have for zombie fans. The book will be available from Nightshade Books in September but you can pre-order it from Amazon after the break.
- 8/20/2008
- QuietEarth.us
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