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 inWeblog Exclusive

Outlaws At the Treffpunkt: the 5-2 Crime Poetry Weekly

In co-celebration of National Poetry Month with my friends at The 5-2: Crime Poetry Weekly, I'd like to take a moment to put the spotlight on a writer I am becoming fond of lately. His name is Angel Zapata. He doesn't know I'm doing this. And I don't know Angel at all. I only know him from a few pieces of writing I've seen online. And I think he's doing really interesting work. Angel Zapata strikes me as one of those guys who is writing for the love it. From my review of his website, I can tell that he…
April 4, 2013Posted inWeblog Exclusive1 Comment
Posted inArnzen News

Many Genres, Many Awards…and One Great Year for Our Writing Guide!

As the writer's guide I co-edited with Heidi Ruby Miller -- Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction -- comes to its first year anniversary, I was happy to learn this morning that it just won another book award. Here are the accolades I know about so far: Winner, "Business: Writing and Publishing" category, 2012 International Book Awards. Winner, "Education/Academic" category, 2012 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Winner, General Non-Fiction Award. 2011 London Books Festival Award. Listed 5th in "This Year's Ten Most Terrific Writing Books" by The Writer magazine (Dec 2011). Finalist, "Business: Writing and Publishing" category.…
May 23, 2012Posted inArnzen News
Posted inNot Dead Yet: Print Reviews

Philosophies of Horror: Matt Cardin and Thomas Ligotti

The horror genre seems to attract two dominant personality types: those who love the emotional thrill of fear and shock for its own sake, and deep thinkers who enjoy musing over the alternative possibilities promised by the Unknown. On the latter score, some authors approach the ideas of life, death, and the great beyond with impressive sophistication and scholarly research that often supersedes their fictional imaginings. Stephen King's non-fiction titles (Danse Macabre, On Writing) are seminal works of criticism. Anne Rice's musings on the church are followed by many. Dean Koontz wrote the book on Writing Popular Fiction. China Mieville…
October 20, 2010Posted inNot Dead Yet: Print Reviews4 Comments
Posted inArnzen News

Talk About Writing

A few bits of "writer"-related news to note: I'll be returning as a guest lecturer at the Odyssey Fantasy Writing Workshop next Summer (applications for early admission due Jan 30th!). The kind folks at Odyssey just interviewed me for their blog, too, where I talk about how I persisted in the early years of my career, and where I share some advice for writers of genre fiction. [I'll also be returning to teach at the Alpha Workshops for Young SF/F/H Writers next summer, as well!] A shorter interview is attached to a brief 5-Star Review of my short story "Spring…
December 14, 2009Posted inArnzen News3 Comments