Whew, I better up my posts here and get with the program. There are eighteen days left in Halloween, *cough* October. And after this review, eighteen stories.

Convenient.

I have always worked better under pressure...so here's my thoughts on Simon Stranzas' It Runs Beneath the Surface.

Urban. Dark. Surreal?

It's short; slightly less than eight pages long. I like this in a story, particularly when it's unambiguous and well-written. It does what I want it to in creating a need in this writer to become more succinct; become clear and create a tale with fewer words that still has enough momentum to keep you from clicking the bed lamp off too soon.

It's a tale you can read more than once and still take something from. Stranzas paints a city with very minimal strokes, yet the reader gets the details needed. You have an older, disheartened shrink, and a young one who seems to want to change the world, a mysterious patient and the subway.

By the end of this tale the reader will look at shadows, dirt, and oil with a small, new found fear. While this tale may not be as concrete as the first, now have a tentative happy ending. I am satisfied. I am more frightened and generally creeped out than with the first.

Next is: Lynda E. Rucker's These Things We Have Always Known.

Front Page McGuffin

I often wonder how the editors of anthologies choose the order they place the fiction between the covers. Do they select for length, content, or simply whoever bought their last drink?

Peter Crowther's Front Page McGuffin and the Greatest Story Never Told is what editor Stephen Jones placed first in Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 20. And it's a solid numero uno, both intriguing and making you wish to read just one more.

My only quibble with this tale is with the title and not the work itself. FPMGSNT-is even long as an acronym. It feels like they couldn't choose between two titles.

Pick one.

Frankly, Front Page McGuffin is good and makes you wonder what it's about. Greatest Story Never Told seems for another work, especially since I don't know what it refers to even after reading the story.

Twice.

Crowther grabs you with his intro: "It's not always as easy as you'd think to tell dead folks from those that are still alive, and certainly not by where you happen to find them."

I love it because I want to know where this is heading. Crowther's conversational style is exercised with skill and I love the ebb and flow of it. Here is a story of life and death, love, brotherhood and friendship. There are some supernatural and creep-out elements in it but nothing over the top. Ultimately it's a people story.

The author's characterization is so deep that I credit it for not understanding which story isn't being told, as each person we truly meet seems to have ALOT going on we don't know about.

The world you step into in twenty-four pages is rich and full of life. You'll want to sit down and have a drink with these guys. You'll see and smell them. You'll want to know more about their family.

This is my introduction to Crowther's work and I feel strongly these characters are part of a much larger piece.

This world reminds me of Simon R. Green', and I adore it.

All in all, this is a story worthy of the wordy editor, and I feel promises that were made in those pages (here are the best of the horror field) have been kept thus far.

Next up: Simon Stranzas It Runs Beneath the Surface.

Project Halloween:)

So I think to myself...Self, how should we kick-off the month of Halloween? I mean October? I find a gap in my reading line-up and start cruising through my book shelves. When I spot The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 20, edited by Stephen Jones, a light bulb ignites.
There are 22 stories, all by the scariest authors in the field. And as I have just finished watching Julie and Julia while pondering what similar exercise might work for an aspiring spook spiner to try on their blog; here goes.

The exercise: Read and review each part of this 'Mammoth' book during October, and post a review for each on this blog.

The goal: Tons of fuel for my imagination and a look at what the best in my desired field are doing.

Here Goes-
I Do a little research and see there are five, that's right, five-reviews on Amazon for it. Well... there really isn't any reason I can't read all five. Just a moment...

Here I find the first review to read much like the introduction of the book itself. A kind of... we know what we're talking about when it comes to Horror, and the publication of any type, from male authors to female alike. From big publishing houses (wait, come to think of it- there aren't any with a horror imprint, we're told) to the books, anthologies, and magazines from Indie presses.
Basically, what I get and already got from the intro of the book; this is an anthology from the people that are 'all-up-in' the horror world.

I respect that.

But ONLY because I want to be part of that world. That said, both the first review and the editor's introduction automatically exclude those who just want to be entertained. It can be very dry, reading like a 'must-do/read,' horror itinerary.

This is coming from someone who took notes while reading the intro.

Point is: If you want to be an author of Horror, you should by all means read this book.

Or maybe just the intro...the rest is still to be seen.

Amazon reviewers give it an average of 3.5 stars. The reviews range in enthusiasm from sounding like Stephen Jones, himself, to the guy/gal who's mad because of poor sales and shipping services. Seemed to love the book,though. But gave it a one star anyway.

Boo on this person- rate the book, not how you received it!

Anyhow, the introduction is 77, that's right-77, pages long. At times hard to get through, it functions both on an inspiration and information level to this budding novelist. I like knowing what the authors between these pages have won. I like hearing about horror films and publishing houses.
And when you find that it's one of the longest running series out there, it's even easier to understand all the horn blowing in the intro.

All in all, the introduction succeeds at both making me want to read more and making me want to write more. Bonus- I also want to do more research.

Thank you, Mr. Jones!

Now on to the stories. First up: Peter Crowther's Front-Page McGuffin and the Greatest Story Never Told.

Tips on writing...

I found myself thinking that a little non-fiction might round out these posts nicely when I opened my journal and saw these short but sweet lines:

1.
Stop before you are done and start where you left off.
Repeat often.


2.
After your first twenty minutes of writing you'll want to sit back
and go for coffee; get a little 'reward' for those words. DON'T!
This is when you'll be at your best. Use it.

3.
If you need a tool to break through Writer's Block try this sledge hammer: list 10 verbs, then add 'ing.' Then add 'not' in front, ie. not running. Choose and go with it.

One and Three have helped me out more than I care to admit. Number Two I should use more often.

Is that some coffee I hear brewing...

Eye of the Tiger

Eye of the Tiger

The tiger inside me bursts
forth through my belly
strings of intestines like
confetti shower forth
It opens its mouth to cry
and vomits trails of
lemmings
one after another
crowding past teeth and saliva

She's a witness...

I sit on my death-bed asking my parrot,Shrine, if she's willing to attest to bearing witness to my life. Our 'conversation' is as follows:

Me: Every artist needs just one true fan. What say you to this?
Shrine: Everyone likes a story where they know ALL the characters.
Me: If you are locked down on all sides you must spring out somewhere.
Shrine: Sometimes I get so bored I pull my own hair just to feel something.
Me: It's undesirable to be the last sibling alive, just as parents don't want to outlive their child.
Shrine: See fit to survive enough to pull your own weight in this heavy world.
Me: But if you're a good person you'll pull your own weight plus that of another.
Shrine: You pulled no weight; but felt ALL weighed you down.
I must advise Shrine that bearing witness will not bring her good health and longevity.

Toppings...

Hamsters strolling out of purses
bound by corsets
diving
through sundaes and over banana splits
all lace and garters
are gobbled up in spoonfuls
by hungry priests.