All month I’ve noticed a lack of inspiration and a decline in the quality of my writing. I’m still fulfilling my promise to myself to write a short story each week, but I’ve been unimpressed with the results. At first, I thought that it was me, that I was failure as a writer, that I … Continue reading Writing Update – July 2021
horror
Writing Update – June 2021
It’s Horror Month! A holiday I invented to encourage myself to consume more of the genre. It's been a blast! I’ve only read horror novels and stories, only watched horror films, and dedicated my writing to the spooky and the macabre (including an essay I wrote about Why I Love Horror). Short Stories Since last … Continue reading Writing Update – June 2021
Why I Love Horror
Many of the horror writers I know have been fans of the genre for as long as they can remember. They were transfixed by old horror movies as children, found pleasure in the Goosebumps books of R.L. Stine (depending on their generation), and loved Halloween more than any other holiday. I, however, was not this … Continue reading Why I Love Horror
My Favorite Bizarre Books – Summer 2020
This will be my final post of weekly content on this blog. After this, I’m taking the next two weeks off to prepare for the Babou 691 launch on September 14th! I’ll continue to post monthly writing/life updates here as well as any news about my writing. However, my focus will be on Babou. It’s … Continue reading My Favorite Bizarre Books – Summer 2020
Author Interview: Madeleine Swann
For my final Featured Author, I could not have made a better choice than Madeleine Swann. If you follow this blog, you’ve heard my repeated praise of her collection Fortune Box. It was actually the second review I ever posted on this blog, before “Featured Authors” was a thing. As one of the bizarros across … Continue reading Author Interview: Madeleine Swann
Book Review: The Vine That Ate the Starlet
The Vine That Ate the Starlet by Madeleine Swann Rating: 8/10 “Dolly examined her ankles for stray seeds and man-eating plants.” – Opening line New York City in the 1920s—one of the most exciting times and places to be. Alcohol flows freely at the many speakeasies, the unrestrained bacchanalia snubbing its nose at Prohibition. Nightlife … Continue reading Book Review: The Vine That Ate the Starlet
Author Interview: Gina Ranalli
Gina Ranalli has been in bizarro fiction since the beginning. She even helped come up with the name after once describing her work as “mondo bizarro.” Like many of the Featured Authors, I discovered her work through the Bizarro Starter Kits. Her novella Suicide Girls in the Afterlife made me an instant fan. Since then … Continue reading Author Interview: Gina Ranalli
My 7 Favorite Bizarre Books – Spring 2020
Summer’s here! Or almost here. Being trapped inside during this quarantine has allowed me to read oodles of great bizarro and bizarro-adjacent fiction. I had trouble limiting the list to only five books, so here are the top seven. NOTE: These are books I’ve read in spring of 2020, not necessarily ones that were released … Continue reading My 7 Favorite Bizarre Books – Spring 2020
Author Interview: Douglas Hackle
Amy M. Vaughn, bizarro author and friend of the blog, describes Douglas Hackle as "the best bizarro absurdist in the business." He is the author of two short novels and two collections and was nominated for the Wonderland Award. I discovered Hackle’s work in the Red volume of The Bizarro Starter Kit and soon encountered … Continue reading Author Interview: Douglas Hackle
Book Review: Terror Mannequin
Terror Mannequin by Douglas Hackle Rating: 8.5/10 Terror Mannequin by Douglas Hackle is the reason why I read bizarro fiction, a blend of humor and the preposterous assembled in the perfect ratio. It’s one of those stories that makes you ask: “How did he ever come up with that?” When I began reading, I thought … Continue reading Book Review: Terror Mannequin
