The fabulous Katya de Becerra and I did an interview for The Nerd Daily about This Fresh Hell, the experience of co-editing, and other weird jobs we've had. Check it out!
Our dreampunk saga flies onward! "Guardian" (Glitch 14) defensively hovers over the increasingly intertwined lives of a ragtag bunch of denizens in cyberpunk hellhole NYC.
Glitch 14 is part of our Patron-exclusive bonus series of weekly bonus tales. It pairs with 14. "Bee". (The #'s always match).
SEASON 2 is coming out on October 23rd people. If you have HBO & haven't watched this crazy ass show, make it a priority. If you like horror with a dollop of deranged glee, you need to check it out.
It started strong & there were things I really liked about it- especially aspects of the creature design. But it couldn't decide how/when to end, or what kind of movie it wanted to be. Still, definitely fun & worth a watch... Once.
I'll be curious as to what others think about this film.
HAPPY FRIDAY! Today I have a Drs appt and then I'm rewarding myself with a trip to Michael's!! More cheap Halloween decor that I don't need will be forthcoming!
@bookstodon My full review of BLACK RIVER ORCHARD, by Chuck Wendig. I've tried not to be too spoilery, but if you like to go into your horror having no idea what to expect, then probably don't read this review, or the jacket copy.
Buckle up, horror fans. This one is a crazy ride!
I've been a fan of Chuck Wendig's work for a while, especially 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝑨𝒄𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 and 𝑾𝒂𝒚𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅. In those novels, it was mostly the story that grabbed me. In Black River Orchard, it's both the story and the fantastic writing. The descriptions just pop with sharp definitive lines.
The book opens with two different prologues from two distinctly different times. Both introductions project a sinister mood, though the atmosphere and events in the second prologue are much more disturbing. In each we gather hints of what probably gives those black-red apples their unusual hue.
After Chapter One, I reflected to myself: 𝙄𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚? 𝙄𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙨, 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙪𝙨 𝙙𝙤 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙗𝙞𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜?
By Chapter Two, I realized that if the title is 𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝑹𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑶𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅, there must be a river. Oh God, don't let the river become sentient in my mind as well. Yet, it does appear that the river wants things. But, that's silly, right? We chalk it up to anthropomorphism, any excuse like that, when we start ascribing intent and desire to things that cannot think or feel (we hope). The only thing we can be sure of, as one corner of the map of this story unfolds, is that there's something each character isn't telling us.
Most of the characters are very intriguing. Even the ones you can't stand are okay, because you're supposed to find them exasperating. I thought I was going to grind down a molar for my distaste for Meg, controlling power lesbian, until her wife Emily finally stood up to her own fears, which led to standing up for herself occasionally, and I could finally relax my jaw. Plus, meeting Joanie and Graham made getting through Meg and her awful mother Noreeen totally worth it.
Along the way, if you were keeping count, the author does a jam-up job of tackling racism, sexism, classism, transphobia, homophobia, gun culture, weaponized prudishness, book bans, factory farms, online harassment, colonialism, conspicuous consumerism, and secret societies, all within just the first 20% of the book. Wendig also ensures than non-binary, trans, and gay characters aren't simply caricatures. You know you've achieved parity when you get to be a whole person.
This early mark is also the point at which the author subtly reminds the reader to keep track of who, so far, does not eat the special apples. After carefully recalling who does not eat the fruit, we turn our attention to who does, and what stranger things begin happening when they do.
About a third of the way in, Wendig provides another tantalizing clue to the mystery of why these apples are so different, and why they might be affecting people the way they do. I dig the way he lays down these cards carefully, one at a time.
By the way, if you don't care for asides in parentheses, you may be a little irritated with their ubiquity in this novel. Personally, I am a pro-parentheses person, much preferring the aside over footnotes or endnotes. It feels like a series of miniature wrapped gifts from the author to the reader, a little candy trail of clues.
At some point, the story begins to seem a little "Invasion of the Body Snatchery" but that's fine. Honestly, I expected to make that comparison. Frankly, the deeper I went into the story, the more I was hooked. Ironic? Possibly.
The reader may wonder if the author is making a point about cult-like organizations. I think that's abundantly clear. Belonging can make a person feel more powerful, and more important, while they are under the influence of the cult, but the influence turns out to be a kind of poison, both for the cult members and for their friends and family. The thing about cults is they change us, the structure of how we think, how we function, how we move in the world, and how we react to and make decisions, and these effects can easily affect those who are not even in the cult. Any interference may well be met with verbal abuse, and threats of outright violence. Through this story, we discover that revenge is not really sweet, though it is often cold.
In the story, there is a frightening reversal of the Eucharist, in the way in which evil has been voluntarily consumed, and which in turn, consumes the body and blood of its adherents in order to proliferate. Though it goes against their self-interest, even self-preservation, the cult members will sacrifice themselves for their dear leader, who only uses them for his wicked purposes.
Lest we place all the blame squarely on the slippery leader, we should remember that the followers tended to have an open vulnerability or even affinity to the kind of evil they embraced. It was not forced upon them; it settled where it found the right shape of spaces to fit into: gaps in empathy, understanding, and goodwill. This, my friends, is the heart of the story.
I want to thank NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and Del Rey Books for providing an early copy of this novel for review. #Horror#books#BooksWorthReading
From: My Girlfriend Almost Got Me Killed, So We Had Wild Sex (Serialized Novel)
From Chapter 10: When You Fall You Fly
I asked, “Did it bother you? My giving you orders?”
“No, I liked it. It’s like belonging somewhere. Maybe that makes no sense, but that’s what it feels like to me. If I belong to you, I have a place; a safe place. I meant it when I said I would do anything for you.”
The next thing I knew, she had let go of me and was kneeling at my feet. “Mistress Shiro, will you accept me as your submissive? I know I’m all messed up and weird, but I would be honored if you thought me worthy to serve you.”
@bookstodon#Horror Fans: If you are wondering if the new Chuck Wendig novel (that drops on Tuesday) is good: It definitely is. Solid horror. Much much darker and creepier than THE BOOK OF ACCIDENTS (which I also loved), so buckle up, Buttercup! 😈💀👺👻
Ooh, this premiers Hall🎃ween Eve (Devil's Night!) on #Shudder... I still have to see the last one but the first one is GREAT and the second was surprisingly good, too!
Also, they say this is a standalone movie so you don't have to see the others! "This is not a part 4 or a prequel," says director Stephen Cognetti.
This village will do anything for prosperity, but what happens when a pact with not only their grounds but the Morrigan herself begins to take shape? Will these humble village people lose all of their humanity?
I'm late posting this, but my retro gamer friend and I had a game night the other night. He had the perfect thing to help celebrate the Halloween season: Nightmare Creatures on N64! It's pretty jank, but we had a great time kicking werewolves 😄