As I mentioned when I announced my Top Books of the Year on the latest Pod of Horror, there were many books I didn’t have time to get to in 2015. I’m trying to correct that now. in the lineup for the next few weeks are Dead Ringers by Christopher Golden, Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Trembaly, The Silence by Tim Lebbon and Answers of Silence by Geoff Cooper.
What am I looking forward to in 2016? In no particular order:
A Long December by Richard Chizmar. Probably best known as a publisher, Chizmar deserves to be better recognized for his moody, evocative writing.
End of Watch by Stephen King. I loved the first two entries in the Bill Hodges series. It looks like the third one is taking a turn into more traditional supernatural King territory.
The Fireman by Joe Hill. Hill’s NOS4A2 rocked, and I'm looking forward to this novel of a plague that causes its victims to spontaneously burst into flames.
Freedom of the Mask by Robert McCammon. Another entry in McCammon’s spectacular Matthew Corbett historical detective series.
And, I’m sure, many, many more to come.
What are you poanning to read this year?
Showing posts with label Stephen King. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stephen King. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 05, 2016
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Pod of Horror #76
PoH #76 is live now, featuring my interview with writer, editor and Cemetery Dance publisher Richard Chizmar. We talk about his career and his excellent blog, Stephen King Revisited. The interview starts around the 39-minute mark. Listen here.
As always, your feedback is encouraged. The links are at the top of the PoH page.
Sunday, January 04, 2015
Top Horror Novels of 2014
#3
Castle of Sorrows by Jonathan Janz
Janz is the literary love child of
Richard Laymon and Jack Ketchum (with a little Joe Lansdale DNA in
the mix), with all the terror that implies. His novels just get
better and scarier, and Castle of Sorrows is his best yet. If you
love to lose yourself in horror yarn, Janz has become to go-to
writer. Try him out. You won't be disappointed.
#2
Snowblind by Christopher Golden
Golden is a solid storyteller who
doesn't write enough horror. But if we get something as good as
Snowblind, Golden can take all the time he wants between scary
novels. The greatest compliment I can give this book is to say I felt
like I had opened a classic Stephen King novel from the 80s. That
isn't to say Golden mimics King, but that he has a large and complex
cast, expertly delineated, and a menace that uses isolation as its
tool. This is a horror masterpiece and it would have been number one
on my list if not for...
#1
Revival by Stephen King
King has been an important writer in my
life since I first read The Stand and Salem's Lot 30+ years ago. It
wasn't the horror that first attracted me to him—although that was
a big draw-but it was his characterizations, the way he dug deep into
the heads of his cast and showed me that he understood how I thought
that turned King into a favorite. That's why I read him. He also
tells a crackling good story. Those two elements more than make up
for his occasional shortcomings. In the case of Revival, I loved
everything about the novel a lot more than I liked the ending. I
could have easily read about the two main characters for another 200
pages. As with a lot of King, I will read this one again and probably
come to like that ending a little more.
Tuesday, June 03, 2014
Saturday, March 29, 2014
11 Essential Stephen King Books
Every list is subjective, but I can't find much to quibble with on this one.
I would also put The Stand at the top. I would've placed 'Salem's Lot much higher and skipped the short story collection--it's in novel length fiction that King is at his best.
Overall, though, an excellent list for someone wanting to sample King's greatest hits. I also concur that Needful Things belongs here, though many readers and most critics disagree.
Friday, June 07, 2013
New Columns
And my weekly newspaper column tackles reader mail. It's on page 2.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Current and Future Reading
For those who are interested in this sort of thing.
Reading Now
Reading Next
Friday, August 24, 2012
Writing, Etc.
I haven’t provided a writing update for a while. That’s because August is basically my busiest month at work, and my time at the keyboard has been limited.
Work continues on the new novel. Right now I’m working on a scene in a diner in which two of my characters toss witty one-liners at each other. Yes, it’s my writing kryptonite. Like a hamster on a wheel, I could keep this scene going for 100 pages. But this weekend I have to find my way out of the diner and to the creepy house where all the remaining action takes place.
I also abandoned the idea of posting regular word counts here and on Facebook. When I reached or surpassed my goal, I felt like I was bragging. When I missed the goal, I got depressed. Blame my blue-collar upbringing.
My latest newspaper column in called “Freakin’ Personal Assistant” and can be read online right here.
I recently finished James Lee Burke’s Creole Belle. I liked it quite a bit, which does not come as a surprise. If I can get the time I’ll review it here. On the other hand, I do plenty of reviews on a regular basis for my podcast, so I may skip it.
I also enjoyed “A Face in the Crowd”, the new baseball horror story from Stephen King and Stewart O’Nan. Your enjoyment may depend upon whether you think two bucks is too much to pay for a short story.
Work continues on the new novel. Right now I’m working on a scene in a diner in which two of my characters toss witty one-liners at each other. Yes, it’s my writing kryptonite. Like a hamster on a wheel, I could keep this scene going for 100 pages. But this weekend I have to find my way out of the diner and to the creepy house where all the remaining action takes place.
I also abandoned the idea of posting regular word counts here and on Facebook. When I reached or surpassed my goal, I felt like I was bragging. When I missed the goal, I got depressed. Blame my blue-collar upbringing.
***
My latest newspaper column in called “Freakin’ Personal Assistant” and can be read online right here.
***
I recently finished James Lee Burke’s Creole Belle. I liked it quite a bit, which does not come as a surprise. If I can get the time I’ll review it here. On the other hand, I do plenty of reviews on a regular basis for my podcast, so I may skip it.
I also enjoyed “A Face in the Crowd”, the new baseball horror story from Stephen King and Stewart O’Nan. Your enjoyment may depend upon whether you think two bucks is too much to pay for a short story.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Writing and Revising
I’ve always been interested in the craft of writing. In every interview I conduct with a writer, I try to ask about their method of writing. As you might imagine, there are as many answers as there are writers. You have to find what works for you. But it basically breaks down into two camps: the writers who slowly craft their story, revising as they go, and those who don’t look back until they finish the story.
After years of trial and error, I find that I fall into the latter group.
Writing, for me, is a head game. I have to convince myself that the story is worth telling and I am the only guy who can do it. Then, once the writing begins, I have to trust myself to tell the story. It is so easy to get distracted or discouraged by doubting yourself as you go along. Perhaps it’s part of my nature to look for reasons not to write, but in the past I’ve scapped countless projects because of a lack of confidence in what I had written, projects that – had I stuck with them – would likely be publishable.
So experience has taught me to just sit down and write, damn it, until I reach the end. For me, writing is most gratifying when I get caught up in the heat of the story, letting it pour out. The results always feel more honest and powerful, whereas a story that I’ve carefully plotted in advance and revised constantly during the actual writing can feel cold and contrived.
When I finish I can revise and, if necessary, fix story problems. And I find a lot of things to fix, believe me. You’re talking to the king of typos. On the other hand, I usually discover that those parts of the story that were originally doubt-inducing read just fine in the finished product.
A few days ago I was rereading The Gunslinger by Stephen King and found inspiration in his foreword to the revised edition:
“My approach to revision hasn’t changed much over the years. I know there are writers who do it as they go along, but my method of attack has always been to plunge in and go as fast as I can, keeping the edge of my narrative blade as sharp as possible by constant use, and trying to outrun the novelist’s most insidious enemy, which is doubt. Looking back prompts too many questions: How believable are my characters? How interesting is my story? How good is this, really? Will anyone care? Do I care myself?”
As usual, King says it better than anybody.
So how do you write?
After years of trial and error, I find that I fall into the latter group.
Writing, for me, is a head game. I have to convince myself that the story is worth telling and I am the only guy who can do it. Then, once the writing begins, I have to trust myself to tell the story. It is so easy to get distracted or discouraged by doubting yourself as you go along. Perhaps it’s part of my nature to look for reasons not to write, but in the past I’ve scapped countless projects because of a lack of confidence in what I had written, projects that – had I stuck with them – would likely be publishable.
So experience has taught me to just sit down and write, damn it, until I reach the end. For me, writing is most gratifying when I get caught up in the heat of the story, letting it pour out. The results always feel more honest and powerful, whereas a story that I’ve carefully plotted in advance and revised constantly during the actual writing can feel cold and contrived.
When I finish I can revise and, if necessary, fix story problems. And I find a lot of things to fix, believe me. You’re talking to the king of typos. On the other hand, I usually discover that those parts of the story that were originally doubt-inducing read just fine in the finished product.
A few days ago I was rereading The Gunslinger by Stephen King and found inspiration in his foreword to the revised edition:
“My approach to revision hasn’t changed much over the years. I know there are writers who do it as they go along, but my method of attack has always been to plunge in and go as fast as I can, keeping the edge of my narrative blade as sharp as possible by constant use, and trying to outrun the novelist’s most insidious enemy, which is doubt. Looking back prompts too many questions: How believable are my characters? How interesting is my story? How good is this, really? Will anyone care? Do I care myself?”
As usual, King says it better than anybody.
So how do you write?
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Randomness
It’s been a while between updates.
My day job involves a lot of writing. A. Lot. Of. Writing. Some days I get home and discover there’s no gas left in the ol’ creative tank.
I know, I know. A “real” writer will crank out the words no matter the obstacle in his/her path. It’s nothing I haven’t told myself when I count my regrets in the middle of the night. Still, there it is.
Having said that, I’m starting to make a little progress on the word count front.
I also just submitted a longish story to a new market. The previous editor hadn’t responded to numerous inquiries over the past several months, and I’m quite proud of this piece.
Work and life have also gotten in the way of Pod of Horror, but there should be a new episode coming your way in a week or so. I’m looking forward to The Call of Kalanta. It’s been a long time since I heard foul language. Heh.
By the way, if you go to the reviews page at Nanci’s Horror World site, you can scroll down to my brief review of Steve Shrewsbury’s Hawg. Shrews’ writing can sometimes make you feel like you’re sliding down a banister made of razor blades. And that’s a good thing.
I’ve watched a handful of new movies lately, including:
The X-Files: I Want to Believe. Not as much suckage as I’d been told. I actually thought the Mulder/Scully character arcs were very good. Alas, there were no aliens, and I think that pissed off a lot of movie-goers.
Wanted. Pretty movie, but monstrously stupid. I will suspend disbelief to a remarkable degree, but “The Loom of Fate”? Really? Someone needs their ass kicked for that one.
Mama Mia. My wife’s new favorite movie. We saw it on the flight to Mexico, where I had the surreal experience of removing my headphones and witnessing half the passengers singing and dancing in their seats. At the risk of losing all of my testosterone street cred, I had fun watching it.
In the last few weeks, I’ve read Stephen King’s Just After Sunset (uneven, with flashes of brilliance. “N” is a masterpiece), Your Heart belongs to Me by Dean Koontz (it hooked me, despite some annoying Koontisms), and my favorite book of the year, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. If you love stories well-told, then this will be a volume you will read many times.
Finally, here’s a picture of my niece Scarlett at three months old. She’s a beautiful baby, despite being related to me.
My day job involves a lot of writing. A. Lot. Of. Writing. Some days I get home and discover there’s no gas left in the ol’ creative tank.
I know, I know. A “real” writer will crank out the words no matter the obstacle in his/her path. It’s nothing I haven’t told myself when I count my regrets in the middle of the night. Still, there it is.
Having said that, I’m starting to make a little progress on the word count front.
I also just submitted a longish story to a new market. The previous editor hadn’t responded to numerous inquiries over the past several months, and I’m quite proud of this piece.
Work and life have also gotten in the way of Pod of Horror, but there should be a new episode coming your way in a week or so. I’m looking forward to The Call of Kalanta. It’s been a long time since I heard foul language. Heh.
By the way, if you go to the reviews page at Nanci’s Horror World site, you can scroll down to my brief review of Steve Shrewsbury’s Hawg. Shrews’ writing can sometimes make you feel like you’re sliding down a banister made of razor blades. And that’s a good thing.
I’ve watched a handful of new movies lately, including:
The X-Files: I Want to Believe. Not as much suckage as I’d been told. I actually thought the Mulder/Scully character arcs were very good. Alas, there were no aliens, and I think that pissed off a lot of movie-goers.
Wanted. Pretty movie, but monstrously stupid. I will suspend disbelief to a remarkable degree, but “The Loom of Fate”? Really? Someone needs their ass kicked for that one.
Mama Mia. My wife’s new favorite movie. We saw it on the flight to Mexico, where I had the surreal experience of removing my headphones and witnessing half the passengers singing and dancing in their seats. At the risk of losing all of my testosterone street cred, I had fun watching it.
In the last few weeks, I’ve read Stephen King’s Just After Sunset (uneven, with flashes of brilliance. “N” is a masterpiece), Your Heart belongs to Me by Dean Koontz (it hooked me, despite some annoying Koontisms), and my favorite book of the year, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. If you love stories well-told, then this will be a volume you will read many times.
Finally, here’s a picture of my niece Scarlett at three months old. She’s a beautiful baby, despite being related to me.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Coming Up For Air
I’m still around, just covered up with work related to my day job. All the writing I’ve done over the last few weeks has been for radio. So if I owe you a story, please know I’m sorry. If it doesn’t have a punch line, then I haven’t had a chance to work on it.
I did g
et my contributor copy of The Book of Lists: Horror today, edited by Amy Wallace, Del Howison and my pal Scott Bradley. It’s gorgeous book, and I vastly underestimated how cool it would be to share a book with Stephen King and Ray Bradbury.
By the way, Scott will return to Pod of Horror this weekend with an interview about the book.
I’m only a couple of chapters into The Given Day by Dennis LeHane, a sprawling novel revolving around the 1919 Boston police strike.
I know that LeHane has pissed off a lot of mystery writers and readers with his recent
comments dismissive of his earlier work. But, damn, can he write. The opening of The Given Day stars Babe Ruth, and it’s friggin’ magic.
***
I did g
et my contributor copy of The Book of Lists: Horror today, edited by Amy Wallace, Del Howison and my pal Scott Bradley. It’s gorgeous book, and I vastly underestimated how cool it would be to share a book with Stephen King and Ray Bradbury.By the way, Scott will return to Pod of Horror this weekend with an interview about the book.
***
I’m only a couple of chapters into The Given Day by Dennis LeHane, a sprawling novel revolving around the 1919 Boston police strike.
I know that LeHane has pissed off a lot of mystery writers and readers with his recent
comments dismissive of his earlier work. But, damn, can he write. The opening of The Given Day stars Babe Ruth, and it’s friggin’ magic.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Stephen King Sums It Up
When people ask why I'm leaning toward one particular candidate in the upcoming presidential election, I try to explain.
But leave it to Stephen King to say it more simply and clearly in an interview he conducted with himself on his new website:
Steve: So you do want to talk about politics?
SK: Really, I don’t. I’ve got an Obama sticker on my car, and I guess that says what needs saying. Call me a tiresome liberal if you want, but I just think it would be nice to have a smart guy running things for a change. We tried dumb and it hasn’t worked out too well.
But leave it to Stephen King to say it more simply and clearly in an interview he conducted with himself on his new website:
Steve: So you do want to talk about politics?
SK: Really, I don’t. I’ve got an Obama sticker on my car, and I guess that says what needs saying. Call me a tiresome liberal if you want, but I just think it would be nice to have a smart guy running things for a change. We tried dumb and it hasn’t worked out too well.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Steve King and Me--The Book of Lists: Horror
The Book of List: Horror goes on sale September 16th. It has lists from an eclectic lineup that includes Stephen King, Johnny Ramone, Ray Bradbury, Edward Lee, Eli Roth...and Mark Justice???
How the hell did he get in there?
Anyway, it's a huge collection of horror-related lists from writers, film makers, musicians and such.
My list involves my favorite horror stories from the bloody pulps.
You can pre-order this bad boy here.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
THE TALISMAN Demo
For years, various filmmakers/producers have tried to film The Talisman, based on the novel by Stephen King and Peter Straub. So far the book has defied adaptation. Now a fan of the novel has produced his own demo scene from The Talisman. The odds are hugely against this guy getting a shot at actually making the film (or mini-series) but it's always good to see what one person with a true passion for a project can accomplish.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Mitt Romney Out, Stephen King In
Mitt Romney, the political mannequin, quit the presidential race today. This affects me not at all, since voting for him was never in my playbook.
In a world of phony double-talkers, Romeny was king. His position on the issues shifted more than the transmission on a ‘70 GTO. If you looked up “plastic” in the dictionary, you’d find Mitt’s picture.
Hey, I’m not the only one who thinks so.
McCain is going to be the Republican nominee, so here’s my question: will Hilary and Obama team up for the sure shot at beating McCain in November? Could they put their egos and grievances aside? Could Hilary settle for Vice-President? Would Oprah allow Barack to take the number two spot?
If you’re a political junkie like me, these are interesting times.
I just finished Duma Key by Stephen King, easily his best novel in years. It’s a spooky meditation on the power of creativity to heal broken people. I’m writing a review for Horror World, and I think I need to ruminate on the book for a bit before I’ll be ready to set my thoughts down.
Meanwhile I’ve started reading Deeper by James A.Moore.
Congratulation to my buddy Matt Cowan on his first short story sale. Read all about it here.
In a world of phony double-talkers, Romeny was king. His position on the issues shifted more than the transmission on a ‘70 GTO. If you looked up “plastic” in the dictionary, you’d find Mitt’s picture.
Hey, I’m not the only one who thinks so.
McCain is going to be the Republican nominee, so here’s my question: will Hilary and Obama team up for the sure shot at beating McCain in November? Could they put their egos and grievances aside? Could Hilary settle for Vice-President? Would Oprah allow Barack to take the number two spot?
If you’re a political junkie like me, these are interesting times.
***
I just finished Duma Key by Stephen King, easily his best novel in years. It’s a spooky meditation on the power of creativity to heal broken people. I’m writing a review for Horror World, and I think I need to ruminate on the book for a bit before I’ll be ready to set my thoughts down.
Meanwhile I’ve started reading Deeper by James A.Moore.
***
Congratulation to my buddy Matt Cowan on his first short story sale. Read all about it here.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
First Sale of 2008: Legends of The Mountain State 2
Editor Michael Knost has accepted my story "Dancing in Time to the Beating Heart of the World" for the second volume of his Legends of the Mountain State series ("The Way Home" was in the first volume). This story concerns the ghost of a nurse who haunts the halls of a hospital in Huntington, WV.
I'm jazzed about being a part of a lineup that includes Gary Braunbeck, Lucy Snyder, Jonathon Maberry, Brian Freeman, Michael Laimo, Rob Darnell, Maurice Broaddus, Steven Shrewsberry, Bob Freeman, Mary Sangiovanni, Nate Kenyon, Nate Southard and Brian J. Hatcher.
The book is scheduled for publication in October.
I also have a list in the upcoming Horror Book of Lists, edited by Amy Wallace, Scott Bradley and Del Howison. I believe it, too, is scheduled for October. There's an array of big name contributers in this one, and then there's me. I have to call my Mom and tell her I'm in a book with Stephen King!
The talented Steve Wedel interviewed me today for the February edition of What's On Board, Horror World's free newsletter. If you want to read it, just sign up here. In the interview I talk about my writing, Pod of Horror, why Stephen King will never be on the show and the kind of underwear Nanci Kalanta wears.
Okay, one of those statements is false, but you'll have to read the interview to find out which one.
I'm jazzed about being a part of a lineup that includes Gary Braunbeck, Lucy Snyder, Jonathon Maberry, Brian Freeman, Michael Laimo, Rob Darnell, Maurice Broaddus, Steven Shrewsberry, Bob Freeman, Mary Sangiovanni, Nate Kenyon, Nate Southard and Brian J. Hatcher.
The book is scheduled for publication in October.
I also have a list in the upcoming Horror Book of Lists, edited by Amy Wallace, Scott Bradley and Del Howison. I believe it, too, is scheduled for October. There's an array of big name contributers in this one, and then there's me. I have to call my Mom and tell her I'm in a book with Stephen King!
***
The talented Steve Wedel interviewed me today for the February edition of What's On Board, Horror World's free newsletter. If you want to read it, just sign up here. In the interview I talk about my writing, Pod of Horror, why Stephen King will never be on the show and the kind of underwear Nanci Kalanta wears.
Okay, one of those statements is false, but you'll have to read the interview to find out which one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)