Yeah, I know. But we only get three of these this year. Another in April and July and who cares about Friday the 13th in July unless you’re camping.
Random thoughts/notes: You’d be one of the few, but if you’re not watching Masterpiece Theatre’s Downton Abbey, do. Julian Fellowes is crafting some truly special dialogue (and when did Thomas become such a likeable character? I’m going to miss booing him from the sidelines).
On fiction and why it’s good for you: Friend and bestselling thriller writer Boyd Morrison tweeted some interesting stuff on the benefits of reading fiction yesterday, from the Harvard Business Review: The Business Case for Reading Novels by Anne Kreamer.
And lastly, some true Friday the 13th material: A new poster for the 20th Century Fox/Tim Burton produced film, Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter. How long before someone spins off Downton Abbey full of zombies instead of wounded soldiers?
I heart researching apocalypse. While working on the current manuscript, I keep delving into books about “how to survive when DISASTER STRIKES.” Some books are truly super, well thought-out. Things one needs to know. Earthquake, natural disaster stuff. Kind of like a Bear Grylls episode (Bear’s thing about using a cell phone to start a campfire was awful goodness. I’ll throw the vid in below, just in case you ever get lost in the wilderness, your plane goes down in the forest, some stranger dumps you in the woods, etc.):
Others survival books are more, well, let’s say they predict certain doomsday. Disaster books with pictures? Oh, they’re special. Good examples — The Mormon Four: Four foods that are nutritious and store well. Whole wheat, honey, powdered milk and salt. Great, cute cartoons. The Physiological Fear Factory? I get that, too. But charred rat on a stick — in photos? Oh yeah. How to compost your you-know-what, cartoon style? Welcome to my day.
Ok, that’s my post for the week. Off to go dialate some pupils and increase some heart rates.
Since I’m finally a member of the Horror Writers Association, I thought I’d push the biz. That said, the 2012 World Horror Convention will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, March 29-April 1, 2012. From the convention’s official site:
The World Horror Convention is an annual gathering of professionals in the horror industry; publishers, authors, artists, musicians, filmmakers, dealers and, of course, horror fans. WHC serves as both an industry insider’s networking event and a chance for fans of the genre to get together, meet some of the creative talents in the field, and generally spend a weekend celebrating All Things Scary.
More reason to attend? According to the HWA, the association will celebrate its 25th anniversary with founding members Joe R Lansdale, Karen Lansdale, and Robert McCammon in the house. More reason to attend? The Stoker Awards will be announced on the evening of March 31, 2012.
Okay, I know I’m behind on this one, but last week’s news that AMC renewed it’s zombie show The Walking Dead is worth repeating. Getting a third year is wonderful news for what I think is a great show, only two weeks into season two.
According to HuffingtonPost, last week’s episode drew an audience of 6.7 million for the first airing and another 2.1 million viewers for the later repeat. Season one averaged 5.2 million viewers a week. If you haven’t, the graphic novels written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics are worth a look. If you haven’t set the DVR yet (and you should), here’s the trailer.
According to horror-movies.ca, FOX International launched the show globally last weekend on cable networks in Europe, Asia, Latin American, Africa and the Middle East. What? You thought the zombie apocolypse was confined to Atlanta?
Finally getting around to housecleaning (I know, like finally?). First, on twitter, you’ll find me at @WriterEthanReid. Second, a big (like super BIG) thanks to the awesome Barbara Poelle at IGLA for bringing me on board. Oh, did I almost forget Halloween? The Walking Dead and American Horror Story. If you haven’t set the DVR, do. The last AHS actually gave me nightmares.
Been too long, true believers. Been a busy writing fool. I also recently had a great time at the Pacific Northwest Writers Association conference. If you haven’t, do. But I digress. I simply wanted to post a quick blurb for you to stop whatever you are doing, and go read The Passage. Now. From the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and a professor at Rice University, author Justin Cronin has crafted a vampiric masterpiece. 766 pages of pure adrenaline, sweet prose, and superb hooks. I may even dare say this horror epic rivals King’s The Stand…
So what’s the hubbub? A truly wonderful narrative thread. Superb characterization. Unique, while staying true to vampire lore. Don’t believe me? From Ron Charles at the Washington Post:
In the same way that “Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell” gave us a mature alternative to “Harry Potter,” “The Passage” is for adults who’ve been bitten but can’t swallow the teenybopper misogyny of Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” series.
“The Passage,” is a 766-page doorstop, a dystopian epic that’s the first installment in a projected vampire trilogy. Ballantine Books bought the lot for over $3 million, and the film rights to the novel sold before the book was completed.
A vampire fiction epic sold before the manuscript was even done. Movie rights? Well, Ridley Scott gobbled those up way back on 2007. Think: The Next Harry Potter movie franchise. The author’s website is here. Pick up the hardcover at Barnes and Noble or Amazon.com. Sony eReader, Kindle, whatever.
Has Penguin launched the first salvo for an iBook? Someone will come up with a name for publishing house Penguin’s version of books for the new iPad. Certainly a step forward from an e-Book.
I have to admit, it’s pretty intriguing.
Good luck doing that with your Kindle. Can’t wait to see the first porn app. Eew.
Okay, been like 4ever since I posted. Been too busy writing manuscript numero tres. Coming along, coming along…
Anywho, thought I’d jump back in and toss out a random quote out there from a writer. It’s from a horror novel, published in 1885. French.
What do the sentient beings in those distant universes know, more than we do? What more are they capable of doing than we? What do they see that we have not the least knowledge of? Some day or other, won’t one of them, crossing space, appear on our earth to conquer it, just as long ago the Normans crossed the seas to subjugate people who were weaker?
We are so infirm, so helpless, so ignorant, so small, we others, on this spinning grain of mud mixed with a drop of water.
Winner gets a copy of the book. Not signed. Writer is dead, dead, dead.
