Posted inArnzen News

Exploring Dark Short Fiction Series 2018: Kaaron Warren #2 & Nisi Shawl #3

Following up on the success of the first study of contemporary writer Steve Rasnic Tem, 2018 saw the publication of two new entries into the Exploring Dark Short Fiction Series published by Dark Moon Books: Primers to Australian author Kaaron Warren (#2) and -- just released this December -- Afrofuturist Nisi Shawl (#3). Smartly edited by Eric J. Guignard and gorgeously illustrated by Michelle Prebich, these books are an excellent way to get to know (or if you know them, to better understand) the pre-eminent writers of SHORT STORIES in the horror genre, because they feature five-to-six selected stories that…
December 23, 2018Posted inArnzen News1 Comment
Posted inNot Dead Yet: Print Reviews

Monstrosity by Tim Curran – an Overlooked Gem

Monstrosity by Tim Curran My rating: 4 of 5 stars Review posted originally to goodreads.com I recently taught Tim Curran's MONSTROSITY in a college-level introductory lit course -- literally titled "Monstrosities." The book exhibits Curran's wildly playful imagination when set free and allowed to take inventive extremes. I don't want to spoil any surprises, because this is a book where you begin to turn the pages dying to see what crazy creature will be unleashed next, and whether or not the author will be able to top the one you just read about, with your jaw on the floor. There…
December 7, 2017Posted inNot Dead Yet: Print Reviews
Posted inArnzen News

Exploring Dark Short Fiction Series #1: Steve Rasnic Tem

Dark Moon Books, newly acquired and resurrected by Eric J. Guignard, has just released the first in a series of primers and tributes to significant horror writers working in the short fiction genre, called Exploring Dark Short Fiction. I am the current academic consultant, contributing analytical commentaries on every story and a longer essay on the significance of the writer's work. The first book is devoted to the great Steve Rasnic Tem, collecting six of his shorts (one new): "Hungry," "The Last Moments Before Bed," "In These Final Days of Sales," "Rat Catcher," "The Giveaway" and a creepy new original…
July 21, 2017Posted inArnzen News
Posted inArnzen News

The Year’s Best Hardcore Horror II

There sure are a lot of horror fiction anthologies out there, and often it's too overwhelming to know which ones will deliver the goods. That's one of the reasons why a "Year's Best" antho is always a safe bet. One to look for this year is the Year's Best Hardcore Horror Vol. 2, recently published by Comet Press. It's getting very good reviews, including a fantastic one from Publisher's Weekly, and it's doing well on the bestseller charts. A reprint of my series, "55 Ways I'd Prefer Not to Die," leads off the book, and there are a number of extreme,…
July 3, 2017Posted inArnzen News
Posted inAmbulations

Snapshots of StokerCon 2017

Although there are about 30 Bram Stoker Award banquets in the history books, this season's StokerCon 2017 was only the second time the Horror Writers Association has run a full-fledged convention, highlighting the genre with panel discussions, author readings, writing workshops, booksignings and varied presentations… culminating in the Award banquet, awarding the genre’s top practitioners with what I think remains the coolest trophy in the world: a creepy "house of usher" statuette.  And this year's conference, held aboard the famous ship moored in the docks of Long Beach, CA -- the Queen Mary -- was majestic and creepy as all…
May 1, 2017Posted inAmbulations2 Comments