Ten Year Anniversary of the start of "Mauve Movies"

Today is something of an anniversary for me: specifically, the ten year anniversary of the day that I began writing, on August 25 2008, in a black Gallery leather journal, in the break room of a Barnes & Noble, the first draft of "Mauve Movies," which I consider my first canon horror/Weird Fiction story. Little did I know at that time that this story, begun on a whim, would lead to the creation of an entire collection (Grimoire, which was published by Rebel Satori Press in 2012)... or to two further story collections, plus a novel.

I re-read the story today, for the first time since its initial publication in 2012, and I was pleased to see that (in my humble opinion) it still holds up: while there were things in it I'd probably do differently if I were writing it now, for the most part I think it still works, and I even found reading it tremendously moving... as a first stab at the genre I don't think it's too shabby, and while I don't believe I'll ever see a "best of Champagne" collection in my lifetime, certainly "Mauve Movies" would deserve to be included in such a hypothetical volume, perhaps being honored with the first story slot. 

2018 Reading List Monthly Update: July

Books read in July of 2018:
-
"What is Anything? Memoirs of a Life in Lovecraft" (S.T. Joshi) 7-4-18
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" (Douglas Adams) 7-5-18
"To Charles Fort, With Love" (Caitlín R. Kiernan) 7-13-18
"Prophecies and Dooms" (Mark Samuels) 7-18-18
"The Undiscovered Self" (C.G. Jung) 7-19-18
"Already Dead" (Denis Johnson) 7-23-18
"Knapsacks" (J.-K. Huysmans) 7-24-18
"Catwings" (Ursula K. Le Guin) 7-25-18 *
"Studies of Death" (Count Stanislaus Eric Stenbock) 7-25-18
"Pleasant Tales II" (Justin Isis) 7-27-18-
2018 Reading List Total:
-
1. "Tomie" (Junji Ito) 1-2-18
2. "Call Me by Your Name" (André Aciman) 1-4-18 
3. "The Prozess Manifestations" (Mark Samuels) 1-11-18
4. "The Red Book: Liber Novus: A Reader's Edition" (C.G. Jung) 1-12-18
5. "The Soft Machine: The Restored Text" (William S. Burroughs) 1-16-18 +
6. "Injection: Volume 3" (Warren Ellis) 1-18-18
7. "The Largesse of the Sea Maiden" (Denis Johnson) 1-20-18
8. "Ornaments in Jade" (Arthur Machen) 1-21-18
9. "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Tales of Terror" (Robert Louis Stevenson) 1-28-18
10. "The Overnight" (Ramsey Campbell) 1-30-18
11. "Dragon's Crown Volume 1" (Yuztan) 2-3-18
12. "You Shall Never Know Security" (J.R. Hamantaschen) 2-5-18
13. "The Lord Came At Twilight" (Daniel Mills) 2-6-18
14. "The Night Ocean" (Robert H. Barlow/H.P. Lovecraft) 2-8-18
15. "Stupid Baby" (New Juche) 2-9-18
16. "Daughters of Apostasy" (Damian Murphy) 2-14-18
17. "Drowning in Beauty: the Neo-Decadent Anthology" (Various: edited by Justin Isis/Daniel Corrick) 2-18-18
18. "Mountainhead" (New Juche) 2-28-18
19. "Drifting" (J.-K. Huysmans) 3-5-18 +
20. "The Egg: Stories" (Michael Gira) 3-7-18
21. "The Runes of the Earth" (Stephen R. Donaldson) 3-9-18
22. "When People Die/Instagram Haikus" (Thomas Moore) 3-11-18
23. "Super Sons Vol. 2: Planet of the Capes" (Peter J. Tomasi) 3-14-18
24. "Speak No Evil" (Uzodinma Iweala) 3-15-18
25. "The Ammonite Violin & Others" (Caitlín R. Kiernan) 3-19-18
26. "Nova Express: The Restored Text" (William S. Burroughs) 3-21-18 +
27. "Less Than Zero" (Bret Easton Ellis) 3-24-18 *
28. "The Rules of Attraction" (Bret Easton Ellis) 4-4-18 *
29. "The Divine Comedy" (Dante Alighieri- Lawrence Grant White translation) 4-6-18
30. "Scum" (Alex Binnie) 4-7-18
31. "The Cursed Soldier" (Tom Champagne) 4-7-18
32. "Down From" (Ursula Pflug) 4-12-18
33. "American Psycho" (Bret Easton Ellis) 4-19-18
34. "N" (Arthur Machen) 4-21-18 +
35. "The Constructionists" (Joanna Tova Price) 4-26-18
36. "The Informers" (Bret Easton Ellis) 5-1-18 *
37. "The Seekers" (Gea Philes) 5-5-18
38. "Glamorama" (Bret Easton Ellis) 5-17-18 *
39. "The House With a Clock in Its Walls" (John Bellairs) 5-19-18
40. "Imperial Bedrooms" (Bret Easton Ellis) 5-21-18 *
41. "The Heel" (Brendan Connell) 5-26-18
42. "Zac's Coral Reef" (Dennis Cooper) 5-29-18
43. "Decadence and Symbolism: A Showcase Anthology" (Various; translated by Brian Stableford) 6-4-18
44. "The Ticket That Exploded: The Restored Text" (William S. Burroughs) 6-13-18 +
45. "Aiaigasa" (Quentin S. Crisp) 6-14-18
46. "The Treasure of Alpheus Winterborn" (John Bellairs) 6-17-18 *
47. "Civil War" (Simon Morris) 6-20-18
48. "Personal Ads" (No Authors Identified) 6-21-18
49. "The Mansion in the Mist" (John Bellairs) 6-28-18
50. "What is Anything? Memoirs of a Life in Lovecraft" (S.T. Joshi) 7-4-18
51. "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" (Douglas Adams) 7-5-18
52. "To Charles Fort, With Love" (Caitlín R. Kiernan) 7-13-18
53. "Prophecies and Dooms" (Mark Samuels) 7-18-18
54. "The Undiscovered Self" (C.G. Jung) 7-19-18
55. "Already Dead" (Denis Johnson) 7-23-18
56. "Knapsacks" (J.-K. Huysmans) 7-24-18
57. "Catwings" (Ursula K. Le Guin) 7-25-18 *
58. "Studies of Death" (Count Stanislaus Eric Stenbock) 7-25-18
59. "Pleasant Tales II" (Justin Isis) 7-27-18
-

*= book I have read at least once in the past
+= book I have read before, but not this reprint/edition/translation

Currently Reading:

Edgar Allan Poe's "Tales of Mystery & Imagination" 
Renée Vivien's "Lilith's Legacy: Prose Poems and Short Stories" 

2018 Reading List Monthly Update: June

Books read in June of 2018:
-
"Decadence and Symbolism: A Showcase Anthology" (Various; translated by Brian Stableford) 6-4-18
"The Ticket That Exploded: The Restored Text" (William S. Burroughs) 6-13-18 +
"Aiaigasa" (Quentin S. Crisp) 6-14-18
"The Treasure of Alpheus Winterborn" (John Bellairs) 6-17-18 *
"Civil War" (Simon Morris) 6-20-18
"Personal Ads" (No Authors Identified) 6-21-18
"The Mansion in the Mist" (John Bellairs) 6-28-18
-
2018 Reading List Total:
-
1. "Tomie" (Junji Ito) 1-2-18
2. "Call Me by Your Name" (André Aciman) 1-4-18 
3. "The Prozess Manifestations" (Mark Samuels) 1-11-18
4. "The Red Book: Liber Novus: A Reader's Edition" (C.G. Jung) 1-12-18
5. "The Soft Machine: The Restored Text" (William S. Burroughs) 1-16-18 +
6. "Injection: Volume 3" (Warren Ellis) 1-18-18
7. "The Largesse of the Sea Maiden" (Denis Johnson) 1-20-18
8. "Ornaments in Jade" (Arthur Machen) 1-21-18
9. "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Tales of Terror" (Robert Louis Stevenson) 1-28-18
10. "The Overnight" (Ramsey Campbell) 1-30-18
11. "Dragon's Crown Volume 1" (Yuztan) 2-3-18
12. "You Shall Never Know Security" (J.R. Hamantaschen) 2-5-18
13. "The Lord Came At Twilight" (Daniel Mills) 2-6-18
14. "The Night Ocean" (Robert H. Barlow/H.P. Lovecraft) 2-8-18
15. "Stupid Baby" (New Juche) 2-9-18
16. "Daughters of Apostasy" (Damian Murphy) 2-14-18
17. "Drowning in Beauty: the Neo-Decadent Anthology" (Various: edited by Justin Isis/Daniel Corrick) 2-18-18
18. "Mountainhead" (New Juche) 2-28-18
19. "Drifting" (J.-K. Huysmans) 3-5-18 +
20. "The Egg: Stories" (Michael Gira) 3-7-18
21. "The Runes of the Earth" (Stephen R. Donaldson) 3-9-18
22. "When People Die/Instagram Haikus" (Thomas Moore) 3-11-18
23. "Super Sons Vol. 2: Planet of the Capes" (Peter J. Tomasi) 3-14-18
24. "Speak No Evil" (Uzodinma Iweala) 3-15-18
25. "The Ammonite Violin & Others" (Caitlín R. Kiernan) 3-19-18
26. "Nova Express: The Restored Text" (William S. Burroughs) 3-21-18 +
27. "Less Than Zero" (Bret Easton Ellis) 3-24-18 *
28. "The Rules of Attraction" (Bret Easton Ellis) 4-4-18 *
29. "The Divine Comedy" (Dante Alighieri- Lawrence Grant White translation) 4-6-18
30. "Scum" (Alex Binnie) 4-7-18
31. "The Cursed Soldier" (Tom Champagne) 4-7-18
32. "Down From" (Ursula Pflug) 4-12-18
33. "American Psycho" (Bret Easton Ellis) 4-19-18
34. "N" (Arthur Machen) 4-21-18 +
35. "The Constructionists" (Joanna Tova Price) 4-26-18
36. "The Informers" (Bret Easton Ellis) 5-1-18 *
37. "The Seekers" (Gea Philes) 5-5-18
38. "Glamorama" (Bret Easton Ellis) 5-17-18 *
39. "The House With a Clock in Its Walls" (John Bellairs) 5-19-18
40. "Imperial Bedrooms" (Bret Easton Ellis) 5-21-18 *
41. "The Heel" (Brendan Connell) 5-26-18
42. "Zac's Coral Reef" (Dennis Cooper) 5-29-18
43. "Decadence and Symbolism: A Showcase Anthology" (Various; translated by Brian Stableford) 6-4-18
44. "The Ticket That Exploded: The Restored Text" (William S. Burroughs) 6-13-18 +
45. "Aiaigasa" (Quentin S. Crisp) 6-14-18
46. "The Treasure of Alpheus Winterborn" (John Bellairs) 6-17-18 *
47. "Civil War" (Simon Morris) 6-20-18
48. "Personal Ads" (No Authors Identified) 6-21-18
49. "The Mansion in the Mist" (John Bellairs) 6-28-18
-

*= book I have read at least once in the past
+= book I have read before, but not this reprint/edition/translation

Currently Reading:

2018 Reading List Monthly Update: May

Books read in May of 2018:
-
"The Informers" (Bret Easton Ellis) 5-1-18 *
"The Seekers" (Gea Philes) 5-5-18
"Glamorama" (Bret Easton Ellis) 5-17-18 *
"The House With a Clock in Its Walls" (John Bellairs) 5-19-18
"Imperial Bedrooms" (Bret Easton Ellis) 5-21-18 *
"The Heel" (Brendan Connell) 5-26-18
"Zac's Coral Reef" (Dennis Cooper) 5-29-18
-
2018 Reading List Total:
-
1. "Tomie" (Junji Ito) 1-2-18
2. "Call Me by Your Name" (André Aciman) 1-4-18 
3. "The Prozess Manifestations" (Mark Samuels) 1-11-18
4. "The Red Book: Liber Novus: A Reader's Edition" (C.G. Jung) 1-12-18
5. "The Soft Machine: The Restored Text" (William S. Burroughs) 1-16-18 +
6. "Injection: Volume 3" (Warren Ellis) 1-18-18
7. "The Largesse of the Sea Maiden" (Denis Johnson) 1-20-18
8. "Ornaments in Jade" (Arthur Machen) 1-21-18
9. "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Tales of Terror" (Robert Louis Stevenson) 1-28-18
10. "The Overnight" (Ramsey Campbell) 1-30-18
11. "Dragon's Crown Volume 1" (Yuztan) 2-3-18
12. "You Shall Never Know Security" (J.R. Hamantaschen) 2-5-18
13. "The Lord Came At Twilight" (Daniel Mills) 2-6-18
14. "The Night Ocean" (Robert H. Barlow/H.P. Lovecraft) 2-8-18
15. "Stupid Baby" (New Juche) 2-9-18
16. "Daughters of Apostasy" (Damian Murphy) 2-14-18
17. "Drowning in Beauty: the Neo-Decadent Anthology" (Various: edited by Justin Isis/Daniel Corrick) 2-18-18
18. "Mountainhead" (New Juche) 2-28-18
19. "Drifting" (J.-K. Huysmans) 3-5-18 +
20. "The Egg: Stories" (Michael Gira) 3-7-18
21. "The Runes of the Earth" (Stephen R. Donaldson) 3-9-18
22. "When People Die/Instagram Haikus" (Thomas Moore) 3-11-18
23. "Super Sons Vol. 2: Planet of the Capes" (Peter J. Tomasi) 3-14-18
24. "Speak No Evil" (Uzodinma Iweala) 3-15-18
25. "The Ammonite Violin & Others" (Caitlín R. Kiernan) 3-19-18
26. "Nova Express: The Restored Text" (William S. Burroughs) 3-21-18 +
27. "Less Than Zero" (Bret Easton Ellis) 3-24-18 *
28. "The Rules of Attraction" (Bret Easton Ellis) 4-4-18 *
29. "The Divine Comedy" (Dante Alighieri- Lawrence Grant White translation) 4-6-18
30. "Scum" (Alex Binnie) 4-7-18
31. "The Cursed Soldier" (Tom Champagne) 4-7-18
32. "Down From" (Ursula Pflug) 4-12-18
33. "American Psycho" (Bret Easton Ellis) 4-19-18
34. "N" (Arthur Machen) 4-21-18 +
35. "The Constructionists" (Joanna Tova Price) 4-26-18
36. "The Informers" (Bret Easton Ellis) 5-1-18 *
37. "The Seekers" (Gea Philes) 5-5-18
38. "Glamorama" (Bret Easton Ellis) 5-17-18 *
39. "The House With a Clock in Its Walls" (John Bellairs) 5-19-18
40. "Imperial Bedrooms" (Bret Easton Ellis) 5-21-18 *
41. "The Heel" (Brendan Connell) 5-26-18
42. "Zac's Coral Reef" (Dennis Cooper) 5-29-18
-

*= book I have read at least once in the past
+= book I have read before, but not this reprint/edition/translation

Currently Reading:

"Decadence and Symbolism: A Showcase Anthology" (Various; translated by Brian Stableford) 

2018 Reading List Monthly Update: April

Books read in April of 2018:
-
"The Rules of Attraction" (Bret Easton Ellis) 4-4-18 *
"The Divine Comedy" (Dante Alighieri- Lawrence Grant White translation) 4-6-18
"Scum" (Alex Binnie) 4-7-18
"The Cursed Soldier" (Tom Champagne) 4-7-18
"Down From" (Ursula Pflug) 4-12-18
"American Psycho" (Bret Easton Ellis) 4-19-18
"N" (Arthur Machen) 4-21-18 +
"The Constructionists" (Joanna Tova Price) 4-26-18 
-
2018 Reading List Total:
-
1. "Tomie" (Junji Ito) 1-2-18
2. "Call Me by Your Name" (André Aciman) 1-4-18 
3. "The Prozess Manifestations" (Mark Samuels) 1-11-18
4. "The Red Book: Liber Novus: A Reader's Edition" (C.G. Jung) 1-12-18
5. "The Soft Machine: The Restored Text" (William S. Burroughs) 1-16-18 +
6. "Injection: Volume 3" (Warren Ellis) 1-18-18
7. "The Largesse of the Sea Maiden" (Denis Johnson) 1-20-18
8. "Ornaments in Jade" (Arthur Machen) 1-21-18
9. "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Tales of Terror" (Robert Louis Stevenson) 1-28-18
10. "The Overnight" (Ramsey Campbell) 1-30-18
11. "Dragon's Crown Volume 1" (Yuztan) 2-3-18
12. "You Shall Never Know Security" (J.R. Hamantaschen) 2-5-18
13. "The Lord Came At Twilight" (Daniel Mills) 2-6-18
14. "The Night Ocean" (Robert H. Barlow/H.P. Lovecraft) 2-8-18
15. "Stupid Baby" (New Juche) 2-9-18
16. "Daughters of Apostasy" (Damian Murphy) 2-14-18
17. "Drowning in Beauty: the Neo-Decadent Anthology" (Various: edited by Justin Isis/Daniel Corrick) 2-18-18
18. "Mountainhead" (New Juche) 2-28-18
19. "Drifting" (J.-K. Huysmans) 3-5-18 +
20. "The Egg: Stories" (Michael Gira) 3-7-18
21. "The Runes of the Earth" (Stephen R. Donaldson) 3-9-18
22. "When People Die/Instagram Haikus" (Thomas Moore) 3-11-18
23. "Super Sons Vol. 2: Planet of the Capes" (Peter J. Tomasi) 3-14-18
24. "Speak No Evil" (Uzodinma Iweala) 3-15-18
25. "The Ammonite Violin & Others" (Caitlín R. Kiernan) 3-19-18
26. "Nova Express: The Restored Text" (William S. Burroughs) 3-21-18 +
27. "Less Than Zero" (Bret Easton Ellis) 3-24-18 *
28. "The Rules of Attraction" (Bret Easton Ellis) 4-4-18 *
29. "The Divine Comedy" (Dante Alighieri- Lawrence Grant White translation) 4-6-18
30. "Scum" (Alex Binnie) 4-7-18
31. "The Cursed Soldier" (Tom Champagne) 4-7-18
32. "Down From" (Ursula Pflug) 4-12-18
33. "American Psycho" (Bret Easton Ellis) 4-19-18
34. "N" (Arthur Machen) 4-21-18 +
35. "The Constructionists" (Joanna Tova Price) 4-26-18
-

*= book I have read at least once in the past
+= book I have read before, but not this reprint/edition/translation

Currently Reading:

"The Informers" (Bret Easton Ellis) *  

Drowning in Beauty: The Neo-Decadent Anthology

The new Snuggly Books anthology DROWNING IN BEAUTY is now available to order (from the Snuggly website and all the usual sources). I have a story in it, that'll probably be in my 3rd collection, but if you want to read it ahead of time, now's your chance. Anyway, with the help of a number of the contributors I put together an introduction to the book and its writers that is being hosted on Dennis Cooper's blog this weekend, so... knock yourself out.

https://denniscooperblog.com/the-neo-decadents-present-drowning-in-beauty-a-neo-decadence-day/

2018 Reading List Monthly Update: March

Books read in March of 2018:
-
"Drifting" (J.-K. Huysmans) 3-5-18 +
"The Egg: Stories" (Michael Gira) 3-7-18
"The Runes of the Earth" (Stephen R. Donaldson) 3-9-18
"When People Die/Instagram Haikus" (Thomas Moore) 3-11-18
"Super Sons Vol. 2: Planet of the Capes" (Peter J. Tomasi) 3-14-18
"Speak No Evil" (Uzodinma Iweala) 3-15-18
"The Ammonite Violin & Others" (Caitlín R. Kiernan) 3-19-18
"Nova Express: The Restored Text" (William S. Burroughs) 3-21-18 +
"Less Than Zero" (Bret Easton Ellis) 3-24-18 *
-
2018 Reading List Total:
-
1. "Tomie" (Junji Ito) 1-2-18
2. "Call Me by Your Name" (André Aciman) 1-4-18 
3. "The Prozess Manifestations" (Mark Samuels) 1-11-18
4. "The Red Book: Liber Novus: A Reader's Edition" (C.G. Jung) 1-12-18
5. "The Soft Machine: The Restored Text" (William S. Burroughs) 1-16-18 +
6. "Injection: Volume 3" (Warren Ellis) 1-18-18
7. "The Largesse of the Sea Maiden" (Denis Johnson) 1-20-18
8. "Ornaments in Jade" (Arthur Machen) 1-21-18
9. "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Tales of Terror" (Robert Louis Stevenson) 1-28-18
10. "The Overnight" (Ramsey Campbell) 1-30-18
11. "Dragon's Crown Volume 1" (Yuztan) 2-3-18
12. "You Shall Never Know Security" (J.R. Hamantaschen) 2-5-18
13. "The Lord Came At Twilight" (Daniel Mills) 2-6-18
14. "The Night Ocean" (Robert H. Barlow/H.P. Lovecraft) 2-8-18
15. "Stupid Baby" (New Juche) 2-9-18
16. "Daughters of Apostasy" (Damian Murphy) 2-14-18
17. "Drowning in Beauty: the Neo-Decadent Anthology" (Various: edited by Justin Isis/Daniel Corrick) 2-18-18
18. "Mountainhead" (New Juche) 2-28-18
19. "Drifting" (J.-K. Huysmans) 3-5-18 +
20. "The Egg: Stories" (Michael Gira) 3-7-18
21. "The Runes of the Earth" (Stephen R. Donaldson) 3-9-18
22. "When People Die/Instagram Haikus" (Thomas Moore) 3-11-18
23. "Super Sons Vol. 2: Planet of the Capes" (Peter J. Tomasi) 3-14-18
24. "Speak No Evil" (Uzodinma Iweala) 3-15-18
25. "The Ammonite Violin & Others" (Caitlín R. Kiernan) 3-19-18
26. "Nova Express: The Restored Text" (William S. Burroughs) 3-21-18 +
27. "Less Than Zero" (Bret Easton Ellis) 3-24-18 *
-

*= book I have read at least once in the past
+= book I have read before, but not this reprint/edition/translation

Currently Reading:

"The Rules of Attraction" (Bret Easton Ellis) re-read
"The Dive Comedy" (Dante Alighieri)  

2018 Monthly Reading List: February

Books read in February of 2018:
-
"Dragon's Crown Volume 1" (Yuztan) 2-3-18
"You Shall Never Know Security" (J.R. Hamantaschen) 2-5-18
"The Lord Came At Twilight" (Daniel Mills) 2-6-18
"The Night Ocean" (Robert H. Barlow/H.P. Lovecraft) 2-8-18
"Stupid Baby" (New Juche) 2-9-18
"Daughters of Apostasy" (Damian Murphy) 2-14-18
"Drowning in Beauty: the Neo-Decadent Anthology" (Various: edited by Justin Isis/Daniel Corrick) 2-18-18
"Mountainhead" (New Juche) 2-28-18
-
2018 Reading List Total:
-
1. "Tomie" (Junji Ito) 1-2-18
2. "Call Me by Your Name" (André Aciman) 1-4-18 
3. "The Prozess Manifestations" (Mark Samuels) 1-11-18
4. "The Red Book: Liber Novus: A Reader's Edition" (C.G. Jung) 1-12-18
5. "The Soft Machine: The Restored Text" (William S. Burroughs) 1-16-18 +
6. "Injection: Volume 3" (Warren Ellis) 1-18-18
7. "The Largesse of the Sea Maiden" (Denis Johnson) 1-20-18
8. "Ornaments in Jade" (Arthur Machen) 1-21-18
9. "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Tales of Terror" (Robert Louis Stevenson) 1-28-18
10. "The Overnight" (Ramsey Campbell) 1-30-18
11. "Dragon's Crown Volume 1" (Yuztan) 2-3-18
12. "You Shall Never Know Security" (J.R. Hamantaschen) 2-5-18
13. "The Lord Came At Twilight" (Daniel Mills) 2-6-18
14. "The Night Ocean" (Robert H. Barlow/H.P. Lovecraft) 2-8-18
15. "Stupid Baby" (New Juche) 2-9-18
16. "Daughters of Apostasy" (Damian Murphy) 2-14-18
17. "Drowning in Beauty: the Neo-Decadent Anthology" (Various: edited by Justin Isis/Daniel Corrick) 2-18-18
18. "Mountainhead" (New Juche) 2-28-18
-

*= book I have read at least once in the past
+= book I have read before, but not this reprint/edition/translation

Currently Reading:

"The Runes of the Earth" (Stephen R. Donaldson) 

Writing Project Updates: Harlem Smoke & Last Dark Ride

First off, a bit of old news (taken from my Facebook page from January 14th of this year): 

"Well, seeing as they've mentioned it on both Facebook and their website, it looks like my novel Harlem Smoke will be published by Snuggly Books at some point in the future. Obviously I'm very excited about this because, as I've said before, Snuggly is certainly one of my favorite modern publishers: I like how they not only put out books by current writers but also reprint a lot of older, more obscure books (such as their Jean Lorrain reprints). More news on this as it becomes available."

Now, as for more recent news:

My third short story collection, Last Dark Ride, is mostly complete. Of course there's still some work to be done on it: some minor rewriting, along with the editing and proofreading, but at least the bulk of the hard work (that is, the actual writing) is done. Hopefully it'll be ready to begin shopping it around to publishers this summer. At first I was worried that it was shorter than my second collection, but in fact, at around 92,000 words (which came to around 220 pages), it actually ended up being around 10,000 words longer.

The table of contents (which may end up being shuffled a bit):

1. Home Invasion
2. The Man Who Murdered His Muse
3. Black Noise
4. The Lovers Reversed
5. XYschaton
6. Epistles From The Sunken Track
7. A Gig at Thanatos
8. The Madonna of the Cobwebs
9. Cannons
10. Snapper’s Salvation
11. Chaoskampf
12. The Lemming Syndrome (bonus)

One thing that differentiates this collection from my first two is that there's no gimmick: unlike GRIMOIRE the stories aren't interconnected to form a larger narrative, and unlike AUTOPSY OF AN ELDRITCH CITY they aren't all set in the same location. For better or worse it's just a collection of short stories, but that's the price one pays when one includes stories that have been published elsewhere, I suppose (as a small handful of these have been).

As the title indicates I pretty much plan for this to be my last pure collection of horror/Weird Fiction stories. I've been writing such tales for almost a decade now (this August will mark the ten year anniversary of the writing of "Mauve Movies," my first true Weird Fiction story), and after two prior collections (plus the upcoming novel Harlem Smoke), I feel that I've pretty much tapped that vein for all it was worth, and no longer have anything to prove to myself. This does not mean I will never write such a story again; it merely means that any future collections I do will be more eclectic in terms of genre/subject matter/themes and so on. Or, to quote Clive Barker from the introduction he wrote for the 10th anniversary edition of his BOOKS OF BLOOD (and which I reuse as the final epigraph of this new book): “I saw myself as a man who runs a freak show, pounding on a drum, summoning up an audience to gawp at my collection of mooncalves and bottled fetuses. That side of my nature has become a good deal more subdued of late. I did my yelling and my drumming, I made my catalogue of excesses, and finally, I suppose, grew a little weary of the show.”

2018 Reading List Monthly Update: January

Books read in January of 2018:
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"Tomie" (Junji Ito) 1-2-18
"Call Me by Your Name" (André Aciman) 1-4-18 
"The Prozess Manifestations" (Mark Samuels) 1-11-18
"The Red Book: Liber Novus: A Reader's Edition" (C.G. Jung) 1-12-18
"The Soft Machine: The Restored Text" (William S. Burroughs) 1-16-18 +
"Injection: Volume 3" (Warren Ellis) 1-18-18
"The Largesse of the Sea Maiden" (Denis Johnson) 1-20-18
"Ornaments in Jade" (Arthur Machen) 1-21-18
"The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Tales of Terror" (Robert Louis Stevenson) 1-28-18
"The Overnight" (Ramsey Campbell) 1-30-18
-
2018 Reading List Total:
-
1. "Tomie" (Junji Ito) 1-2-18
2. "Call Me by Your Name" (André Aciman) 1-4-18 
3. "The Prozess Manifestations" (Mark Samuels) 1-11-18
4. "The Red Book: Liber Novus: A Reader's Edition" (C.G. Jung) 1-12-18
5. "The Soft Machine: The Restored Text" (William S. Burroughs) 1-16-18 +
6. "Injection: Volume 3" (Warren Ellis) 1-18-18
7. "The Largesse of the Sea Maiden" (Denis Johnson) 1-20-18
8. "Ornaments in Jade" (Arthur Machen) 1-21-18
9. "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Tales of Terror" (Robert Louis Stevenson) 1-28-18
10. "The Overnight" (Ramsey Campbell) 1-30-18

*= book I have read at least once in the past
+= book I have read before, but not this reprint/edition/translation

Currently Reading:

"You Shall Never Know Security" (J.R. Hamantaschen)
"The Lord Came At Twilight" (Daniel Mills)