Brilliant Things I’ve Been Worshipping Lately

 1.) EDGAR OLIVER

So every once in a while I come across a book or author that stuns me into a stupor, that makes me realize just how small I am in the universe and just how insignificant of a writer I am. The last person to do this was Thomas Ligotti (in particular, TEATRO GROTTESCO). Recently it was a book called THE MAN WHO LOVED PLANTS by Edgar Oliver.

Edgar Oliver is mostly known as a Brooklyn-based playwright and poet but this book shows he has immense talent for prose. It is a brilliant and disturbing look at abandonment, lust, love, isolation, obsession, and alienation. In some ways it reminds me of Lautreamont’s MALDOROR. I plan on buying another copy because there are so many sentences (and whole paragraphs) that are so beautiful, I just have to highlight it for further contemplation. It’s that good.

This is a book that I recommend whole-heartedly. It’s available from the publisher, a very small press where all the money you spend goes right back into publishing really interesting books. Cool place. So please visit and perhaps pick up a copy of  THE MAN WHO LOVED PLANTS. Tell them I sent you. That probably won’t mean anything but I’ve always wanted to say that. http://www.goodie.org/pantherbooks/oliver.html

I ordered a few things from them and got the items very quickly. Very reliable place.

You can also get Edgar Oliver shirts and other stuff from Oil Can Press, another really cool independent publisher of zines, shirts, chapbooks, and music. Check it out:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/oilcanpress  Again, tell them I sent you, haha!

2.) CURRENT 93

I’ve been a fan of Current 93 since the last 90s but they’ve been around since 1982. It’s rare that a band that’s been around this long is not only this good but this fresh. I think David Tibet and company have really hit ahigh point with their last few albums. 2009’s ALEPH AT HALLUCINATORY MOUNTAIN is one of the best of their discography both musically and thematically. (the fact that they released a version recorded in mono just adds to their awesomeness)

The next year brought BAALSTORM, SING OMEGA and in 2011, they released HONEYSUCKLE AEONS. Those three, though they aren’t an official trilogy of any sort, make up the bulk of their material I’ve been listening to lately. Because I am very much interested in early esoteric Christianity (including Gnosticism, etc) as well as eschatology, perhaps I may have a bias towards these albums. Still, there are certain parts in the songs that are so heart wrenchingly personal; it makes you feel that Tibet is bearing his soul. Yes, even through the cryptic lyrics,  there is still heart and emotion buried in the Coptic blur. David Tibet also published a small hardcover book of the lyrics to ALEPH and I must say it is a beautiful collection of poetry. It’s quite expensive for such a small book (about $70 US) but well worth it.

As far as past C93 albums that I’ve been loving recently: HYPNAGOGUE: A DREAM PROLOGUE (heart-breaking!), SOFT BLACK STARS, BIRTH CANAL BLUES (a recent E.P. and a very scary one), and CHRIST AND THE PALE QUEENS MIGHTY IN SORROW.

3.) GNOSTIC GNOSTRILS

Okay, so this may be shameless but… Recently I started doing handwritten books. I fill up a blank 16-page hardcover book with writing commissioned on an individual basis for anyone interested. Basically you can give me up to 5 things to include (names, objects, themes, etc) and I include them in the stories, fragments, poems, and drawings I do in the book. Now, this has been a real fun and cathartic experience for me. I am able to do a personal book for people and handwriting it makes me feel that much closer to the material and to the person. Also, the material I write will NEVER be reprinted! That means the stories I send you will be the only copy. I will take pictures of each book for my own archives but again: I will never reprint the stories, poems, or drawings I send you! Each book is $23 (includes shipping in theUS) and $30 if you want me to read it to you on a YouTube video. Paypal address is gorshinary (at) juno (dot) (com)

You can check out the official GNOSTIC GNOSTRILS site at http://gnosticgnostrils.wordpress.com

I will also be making hand-bound books soon courtesy of the GNOSTIC GNOSTRILS imprint ASTRAL HOSPITAL.

Thanks!

Each book will be a collection of related fiction, prose poetry, and drawings. Each will be unique… meaning that YOU will have the only copy in existence. None of it will ever be republished. Also, each copy will be guaranteed to have been created after an intense bout of extreme isolation and/or meditation. Your book is guaranteed to be a crazed gospel of absurdity and weirdness. You will, in essence, get a snapshot of my dreams. You’ve been warned. Each copy will also come with a photograph of….something. And remember.. the entire thing will be HANDWRITTEN by me… with mistakes included! You can see how my mind works! See all of the Freudian slips!

You may suggest up to 5 things you’d like me to incorporate in the book. This could consist of names, items, or themes.

Price with shipping is $23 within the US and $30 outside the US. Please make a Paypal payment to gorshinary (at) juno (dot) (com)

Please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery.

Thanks!

First up is a brand new novelette PRELUDE TO SPACE RAPE!  which is a prequel to the upcoming epic SPACE RAPE! It’s only $.99 here. What’s it about? Well, it’s about Outer Space being a rapist! It’s about a guy named Paul Minisink who is on the trail of a reclusive SF author.

Next up is what seems to be the bestselling of the bunch SQUID PULP BLUES. People seem to really love this bizarro crime fiction collection of three novellas. It’s sort of like Quentin Tarantino meets Elmore Leonard meets David Lynch. This book has been praised by authors Edward Lee and Tom Piccirilli. Get it here for $.99. And soon look for a related book called SQUID KILLS! which will be a short collection of stories in a similar vein.

Okay, PIECEMEAL JUNE that gross love story everyone loves to vomit over is also $.99. Get it here.

My bizarro spaghetti western/giallo novel FISTFUL OF FEET is for all you grindhouse fans. It’s only $.99. Get it here.

KING SCRATCH, my obscure little novella about central New Jersey and what a messed-up place it is… Crab moonshine, golden showers, backstabbing, squid, matchstick fetishes, murder, murder, murder. A twisted bizarro noir here for $.99.

Last but not least…BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE APOCALYPSE DONKEYS is out on Kindle. It’s $2.99 but you get the entire novella plus three short fiction pieces related to the book. They are UNAVAILABLE anywhere else (not even in the hardcover edition!). Keep in mind that this kindle version does NOT include the preface, introduction, foreword or afterword. Those are only in the paperback and hardcovers. Get the book for $2.99 here.

In the next week, I’ll probably also have BLOW UP THE OUTSIDE WORLD available for $.99 as well. That’s the crazed splatter SF grindhouse story I wrote with Ash Lomen. It was released as a limited chapbook by Bucket O’ Guts Press. The Kindle version will include exclusive short stories.

Also, I’ll have a short collection out for Kindle called UNFRUITFUL WORKS AND OTHER PERSONAL HORRORS.

To make it easier, here’s the link to everything on Amazon.

THANKS!

This shirt and others are only $15 ppd in the US! They also have shirts for Matthew Revert’s A MILLION VERSIONS OF RIGHT and Garrett Cook’s JIMMY PLUSH, TEDDY BEAR DETECTIVE and more….Not only that… they also have patches!!

Gets yours here.

Edward Lee has been published by Cemetery Dance, Leisure Books, Necro Publications, Bloodletting Press, and Deadite Press. He has also written a few SF novels (Operator B, The Stickmen) and a nonfiction book (The Deaths of the Cold War Kings: The Assassinations of Diem & JFK)

But let’s be honest: his work isn’t for everyone. People who can’t stand explicit gross-out horror will throw down Lee’s books in disgust and leave ignorant Amazon reviews. But for those open-minded folks who are able to enjoy the depravity AND intelligence of Edward Lee, well, it’s heaven on earth.

JK: I hear you’re going to this year’s Killer Con inLas Vegas. If I remember correctly, this is the first convention you’ve been to in a while. Is there anything special about this one?

EL: Yeah, it’s in Vegas.  When I attended the first Killer Con, I was flabbergasted by what I can only think of as the “creative terrascape” of the town.  I don’t gamble, I barely drink anymore, I HATE shows, but there was some nebulous energy about Vegas that absolutely enthralled me.  It has something to do with the atmosphere of the place, the incredible variety of people, the weather, and–sounds crazy–but the sounds of the casinos.  It imparted to me some accelerated creative impetus.  Don’t know how to describe it and make sense.  There’s just something about Vegas that puts me at creative ease and pours tons of ideas into my head.  Plus, I really dig the buffets!

JK: What’s your favorite thing about conventions? Least favorite?

EL: There are many favorite things, of course.  Foremost, I suppose it’s becoming reunited with friends in the field.  The community of horror writers (as well as fans, dealers, etc.) can be likened to an exploded family.  You don’t see ‘em very often, but when you do it’s a big deal.  My least favorite thing?  Having to go back home!

JK: Last time we talked about your love of H.P. Lovecraft. One thing that’s quite noticeable when discussing HPL is the lack of really good adaptations to film. Are there any you think capture the essence of HPL? In my opinion, Dagon comes pretty close.

EL: Yes, Dagon was a GREAT adaptation of, not so much the actual story, but Shadow Over Innsmouth.  And in spite of inaccuracies, Corman’s Haunted Palace is a wonderful utility of Charles Dexter Ward; same with Die, Monster, Die for Colour Out of Space.  There was also a cool flick called Resurrected, starring Chris Sarandon of Fright Night fame, which provided a notable rendition of Ward.  (I met Chris Sarandon at the College Park Horrorfind several years ago.  Very cool guy.)  Yet another flick called The Shunned House (made in Italy in the early 2000s, I think) was a very interesting incorporation of not only the Shunned House, but also Eric Zann and Dreams in the Witch-House.  And we can’t forget Stuart Gordon’s Master of Horror version of Witch-House; a pulp masterpiece.  Ah, but the very best HPL adaptation in my opinion is The Call of Cthulhu.  Can’t think of the production company off hand (it might have something to do with the HPL Historical Society) but this movie is the most perfect and honest adaptation yet, and better yet, it’s in black and white, silent with word panels, and was made to look just like a movie filmed in the 1920s.  It you haven’t seen it, do.

JK: If you could see any Lovecraft story on the silver screen in a big budget film, what would it be? And can you think of any directors who could handle the material and capture the “cosmic horror” of it all?

EL: I keep hearing about del Toro doing Mountains of Madness but, honestly, as much as I like that director, I don’t think that’s the best choice for a big budget HPL flick.  It would look too much like The Thing.  There’s no “gothic” element, otherwise a necessity for a Lovecraft flick, in my opinion.  Personally, I’d love to see a high-production, big-budget version of Colour Out of Space, but of course, it would be best if I wrote the script!  And who wouldn’t love to see a quality version of Rats in the Walls?  One more?  HPL’s unsung short piece He would make a GREAT flick.  It would have to be contemporized, of course, and, again, it would behoove the producers to hire ME to write the screenplay.

JK: In your “Infernal” series of books, you have created an intricate netherworld. How do you keep track of all the details? Do you have a notebook with all your creations? Personally I think it would be great if someone published a “Guide to..” your Infernal series.

EL: Well, actually there was something along those lines already published by Necro: Infernally Yours, which is an anthology of stories by other authors based on my “Infernal” mythos.  There’s some superb contributions in it, and the whole thing was very flattering to me.  The deluxe version came with a “field guide” to much of my Mephistopolean population.  GAK was the artist; he did a fantastic job.

JK: What’s your weakness? What distracts you from writing? TV? Sports? Women?

EL: None of the above (through I do write better when the Yankees win.)  Personally, I have a weakness for exorbitant food, especially sushi.  I smoke but I really want to quit.  For a year I cut down to 5 cigarettes a day by using an electronic cigarette; suddenly every aspect of my life was improved and I felt 20 years younger.  But then some family crises arose, then the stress built up and bushwhacked me, so I went back to smoking a lot.  But I’m gearing up to return to my electronic.  These machines really are remarkable for chain-smokers.  The one I use is called a Titan Mega 510.  It kicks ass.  I’ve never been much subject to writer’s block, but sometimes I DO let myself be distracted.  Today, for instance, instead of writing I spent two hours on buses to get carry-out Chinese buffet.  This place has the BEST spicy octopus salad.

JK: How do you feel about Cthulhu being so ingrained in horror pop culture? There are so many people who eat up the Cthulhu merchandise yet have never read any HPL. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

EL: It’s not ideal, of course, but it’s still a good thing.  Any perpetuation of The Master is a good thing.  Most writers of my generation almost universally admit to the influence HPL had on them as writers.  All roads truly do lead back to Lovecraft.  I always get a chuckle when newer writers scoff that they’re not influenced at all by Lovecraft because they’ve never read him.  Little do they know, the authors who DID influence them were, in turn, influenced by Lovecraft.  The idea of a horror writer honestly not being in some way influenced by Lovecraft is as likely as a violinist saying he’s not influenced by Isaac Stern or a sculpture saying he’s not influenced by Michelangelo.  It’s impossible NOT to be influenced by the closest encroachments to perfection in your field.

JK: Your upcoming book WITCH-WATER is influenced by the works of M.R. James. What about his work attracts you?

EL: I regard James as second only to Lovecraft as the genre’s most important writer.  Even though the stories and styles of these two men were quite different, one thing they both did almost identically was CELEBRATE the English Language in their fiction and then subsequently invite the reader to join in on that celebration.  I actually re-read James more than I re-read HPL.  One time I read The Ash-Tree 12 nights in a row.  I’ll bet I’ve read The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral, Count Magnus, Mr Humphreys and His Inheritance, and The Haunted Dolls’ House  50 times.  Like with the best of Lovecraft, the best James is not only as good as the first time you read it, the story gets better each time.  Though I like Lovecraft’s work more, I’d have to say that James’ work is more entertaining than any fiction I’ve ever read.

JK: In our previous interview I asked if there were any scenes or stories that were so graphic you couldn’t publish. You told us there are two stories you wanted to write but never will…. But you refused to tell us the reason! (Gasp!) Have you changed your mind?

EL: In the presupposition that all things are relative at least with regard to abstraction and the very fiber of the human aesthete, I must say first that I with a great volume of zeal will point out my appreciation of your concerns in this matter; and can say with formidable authority that the answer to your thoughtful inquiry may be arrived at very pithily indeed–lo, that answer would be an indubitable no.

JK: You also mentioned a story idea you had that was influenced by your disappointment with the movie Paranormal Activity. Have you cemented any plans to go through with that? If so, any details you care to share?

EL: Yes, the book–a novel or novella–is part of a 7-book hardcover contract I have with Bloodletting Press, so this isn’t by any means just an idea I’m thinking about.  It’s exhaustively outlined and WILL be published.  I’m just not sure when.  (Oh, by the way, it will be called The Guest House.)  I’m tellin’ ya, this book will be so full of gore, sexual indulgence, and sheer incontrovertable diabolism that you’ll be able to hear cacodemoniacal chuckles fluttering up from the deepest trenches of the abyss.  This book will make the devil blow chunks, and it will probably make militant feminists put a contract out on me.

JK: What projects do you have coming up? Any surprises? Anything that will shock your fans?

EL: I certainly hope so!  My next release is a sequel to Lovecraft’s masterpiece The Dunwich Horror.  It’s called The Dunwich Romance, and it details the last week of Wilbur Whateley’s life.  I hope I can say with some accuracy that it’s full-tilt balls to the wall.  (And Wilbur DOES have sex, LOTS of sex, and I hope that readers will be amused by his para-dimensional genitals and otherworldly semen.) The book after this I’m working on now: Header 3.  It’s a hoot.  There’s still more good milage to be got out of the idea of getting it on with heads.  Not sure which project will follow this; perhaps a hardcore novelization of my short story Haunted House (it’ll be called White House Gothic), a smut-drenched James pastiche which will sequelize, in a sense, his wonderful Haunted Dolls’ House, or maybe The Guest House.  I have at least ten projects outlined and ready to go; it’s funny how the older I get (I’m 54 now) the more I fear burning out and going dead on new ideas, but then I get these lightning-bolt like brainstorms of creativity that lead to an overflow of more, if not my best, concepts.  I can honestly say–and with great gratitude to God or Yogsothoth–that in almost thirty years of professional writing, I’ve never had more new ideas than I do now, nor have I ever felt this much creative enthusiasm.  Now, I’d love to talk more but I’ve got this pile of octopus salad waiting for me.

JK: Thanks for the interview!

To buy Edward Lee’s books on Amazon, go here.

Other sources for Lee:

Necro Publications

Deadite Press

Preorder DUNWICH ROMANCE

To buy Jordan Krall’s books on Amazon go here.

First come first serve. I have the following:

-2 copies of my debut novella PIECEMEAL JUNE, a gross but romantic bizarro dark fantasy.

-3 copies of SQUID PULP BLUES, a novella collection that’s like Quentin Tarantino meets David Lynch with lots of squid, drugs, violence, and more squid.

-1 copy of FISTFUL OF FEET, my first full-length novel that’s a tribute to Spaghetti Westerns and giallo flicks. This will please fans of Italian cult cinema, grindhouse movies, and Taratino. And fetishes and squid, blah blah blah.

-1 copy of BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE APOCALYPSE DONKEYS, my newest book which is a paranoid mystery involving a rare film, a nudist colony, and a woman in a donkey mask. Includes extensive afterword by Matthew Revert.

Each book is $10 (includes postage) for people inside the United States. If paying in Canadian dollars, you have to tack on another $1.00 per book because of the exchange rate. Paypal has screwed me before on that. If you want to order two books, it’ll be only $19 (includes postage) and if you want to try 3, it’ll only be $26. If you are brave and want 4 of them, it’ll be $32.

These books will be signed and I’ll probably write some sort of vile personal message as well.

PAYPAL ONLY.

If interested, email me at filmynoir AT live DOT com or you can leave a comment and I’ll give you the appropriate Paypal information.

Thanks!

What’s the book about? A nudist colony. A rare film. A donkey-headed woman. A murder. The hummingbird. Explore identity, marriage, madness, and obsession in a phantasmagoric orgy of violence and voyeurism.

If you’d like, you can get a copy at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

However, if you’d like a SIGNED copy, you can Paypal $14 to gorshinary (at) juno (dot) com

I’ll also be at this year’s HORRORFIND convention in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania along with authors William Pauley III, Andersen Prunty, Jeff Burk, Nick Cato, Greg Hall, and Eric Mays. We’ll be doing a 2-hour bizarro reading/panel and causing a lot of mayhem. Check us out if you can.

Thanks!

It’s being published by COPELAND VALLEY PRESS, a new outfit that has a lot of cool projects in the works. The book will be available in both paperback and hardcover… though the limited edition signed hardcover (25 copies) is sold out. There might be a standard hardcover version available in the future.

What makes this book even cooler is the extras.

In addition to the novella, the PAPERBACK version will include:

• Preface by Jason Wuchenich
• Foreword by Garrett Cook
• Introduction by Gordan K. Smith
• Afterword by Matthew Revert.

In addition to the novella, the HARDCOVER version will include:

• Preface by Jason Wuchenich
• Foreword by Garrett Cook
• Introduction by Gordan K. Smith
• Afterword by Matthew Revert.
• An Afterword to the Afterword by Jordan Krall
• Notes on the Novella by Jordan Krall
• Publisher’s Note by Chuck Copeland

The special PREDORDERED HARDCOVER edition will be SIGNED and NUMBERED by the author and will include all of the above as well as:

• Exclusive postcard signed by the author
• “Photographs of the Hummingbird”
• Personalized SECRET bonus
• and more…..

Thanks to anyone who has supported me and my writing in the last 4 years. I really do appreciate it. As creepy as it sounds, I do have a list of people who have been supportive.  And a SPECIAL THANKS to those who have preordered the hardcover edition. I know the economy is pretty bad right now and many are suffering because of it and to spend that much money on a book is something I appreciate A LOT.

Take care, everyone!

Now, contrary to what some self-published authors might think…there ARE “do’s” and “don’ts” of self promotion. There’s a fine line between promoting and spamming. Obviously every writer’s goal is to sell their work and enjoy doing so. But that doesn’t mean leaving a generic post on every blog you can find that’s even remotely similar to your work. Do you know what happens when you do that? You will either get your comment deleted, ignored, or (if you’re lucky) someone will write you a kind email telling you why they are deleting your comment, and perhaps give you some advice.

Many new authors think that saturating the internet with their name or book title will get them the fame they think they deserve. Well, that’s not how it works. There are hundreds, no, maybe thousands of people JUST LIKE YOU and they are all looking for readers. If you just leave links to your books in the “comments” of other blogs… Well, guess who’s reading that? Probably no one. Or probably just someone who is leaving a link to THEIR book right under yours.

If you want to network successfully, you have to first find out people who are doing the similar thing. Horror fiction, SF, fantasy, erotica, bizarro, whatever. But guess what… You’re going to have to READ OTHER AUTHORS’ BOOKS! You can’t just say, “Wow, I write weird shit and I just found out there’s a genre called Bizarro. I haven’t read any Bizarro authors but I think I’ll just say I’m Bizarro and leave links to my books on the blog of every Bizarro author.”

That’s absurd, right? But people do it. If you want to be a successful member of a genre or scene, you have to first be familiar with it. For example, Bizarro…  Eraserhead Press has made it SO FUCKING EASY to become acquanted with the genre. They published THREE (count ‘em, THREE) Bizarro Starter Kits chock full of all kinds of bizarro fiction and info on the authors. A new author can look at those books and decide if the genre is right for him/her.  He or she can get web addresses and then connect with the authors.

That’s right…CONNECT WITH THE AUTHORS. That does NOT mean just commenting on their blog with “Read my books.” Why the hell would an established author want to read your book when you are simply going to their blog to pimp yours? I would never think of going to some random author’s blog to advertise my book. That’s cheap, immature, and unprofessional.

Most authors nowadays are cool with connecting with both readers and new writers. Like I said, I get emails all the time from new authors and I’m very approachable when it comes to that sort of thing. I know this Internet thing has pretty much destroyed common courtesy and etiquette… but guess what? GOOD MANNERS WILL GO FAR. It’s funny how I try to teach my Special Ed students social skills .. and then I come home from work and have to deal with people on the Internet who have very similar problems. Because of that, I’m usually pretty patient. But use common sense, people. If you want to advertise your book, just email the blog’s owner to ask. It doesn’t hurt to ask, right? Hell, you might just make a friend and networking partner.

The Bizarro scene is getting bigger by the month but it’s still small enough that word gets around really fast. If you act like a self-centered spammer, then your name will be associated with that and no one will buy your books. I’ve been associated with the Bizarro genre for about 4 years and I’ve learned that it NEVER, EVER hurts to be NICE.  Being bitter or unprofessional will only cut your writing career short or prevent you from having one at all.

Here’s a link to one of the BIZARRO STARTER KITS…  and ANOTHER …and finally THE LAST ONE

Last but not least, if you’re a grown-up…ACT LIKE ONE.

I need a serious show of hands for people who are interested in the HARDCOVER edition of my upcoming book BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE APOCALYPSE DONKEYS. If this happens, I plan on making this a kick-ass bundle of stuff. Obviously it will cost a bit more than the paperback but… it’ll be worth it. Believe me. So just email me if you are interested so I can put you on the “Fucking Awesome People” list.

Write me at filmynoir (at) live (dot) com

About the book:

A nudist colony. A rare film. A donkey-headed woman. A murder.. The hummingbird.
Explore identity, marriage, madness, and obsession in a phantasmagoric orgy of violence and voyeurism.

(note: the final cover WILL HAVE NIPPLES.)