An Abundance of Bourbon, or, "Whiskey River Take Me Home"

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 7, 2016Brian Keene's End of the RoadBrian Keene, Columns, End of the Road, Featured2 Comments

EndofRoad-web

An Abundance of Bourbon, or, “Whiskey River Take Me Home”

On Wednesday morning, I woke up in Los Angeles, forgetting that I was still on East Coast time. I stumbled outside in search of coffee and couldn’t understand why it was still dark. Then I fumbled for my phone and glanced at the time and saw that it was only four in the morning. The only people awake were the homeless—and they weren’t nocturnal by choice. They were just out to beat the heat.

Los Angeles is a city that runs on automobiles. Seriously. You can’t get anywhere in Los Angeles without a car, and in truth, because of gridlock, you can’t get anywhere with a car, either. I’m told that the city offers public transit, but much like Bigfoot, Chupacabra, and Dean Koontz novels that don’t feature a dog, I have never seen it. Continue Reading

Stephen King: News from the Dead Zone #192

Bev VincentJuly 6, 2016Stephen King News from the Dead ZoneBev Vincent, Cell, Columns, Cookie Jar, Drunken Fireworks, end of watch, Featured, Gerald's Game, Hearts in Suspension, In Sunlight or Shadow, It, News from the Dead Zone, Six Scary Stories, Sleeping Beauties, Stephen King, The Dark Tower, The Mist, The ShiningLeave a comment

We’ve been spoiled in recent years by getting two novels from Stephen King. 2016 will see the end of that streak. The recently published End of Watch is the only book from King we’ll see this year. Later this fall, though, we’ll get Hearts in Suspension, edited by Jim Bishop, a collection of essays by King and others about his time as a student at the University of Maine. The publisher says that King’s essay is quite long (the longest of the set of about ten essays by various authors), and that the essay is “funny, truthful, and an involved work about Steve’s experiences during the 60’s, 70’s and the anti-war work of the Vietnam era, and so much more.”Continue Reading

Norman Prentiss on “Odd Adventures with Your Other Father”

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 5, 2016InterviewsBlu Gilliand, Featured, Interviews, Kindle Scout, Norman Prentiss, Odd Adventures with Your Other FatherLeave a comment

Norman Prentiss on Odd Adventures with Your Other Father

Author Norman Prentiss has taken his decidedly unconventional road trip/horror novel, Odd Adventures with Your Other Father, and brought it to audiences via a new, non-traditional publishing route: the Kindle Scout program. A little over a month after its official publication on May 31, it looks like the book—and Prentiss’s chosen method of publication—can be called a success: early readers responded favorably to the book, and now it’s opening up new audiences for the talented author. Recently, Prentiss took a few moments to speak to Cemetery Dance Online about his recent Odd Adventures.

(Interview conducted by Blu Gilliand)Continue Reading

Norman Prentiss on "Odd Adventures with Your Other Father"

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 5, 2016InterviewsBlu Gilliand, Featured, Interviews, Kindle Scout, Norman Prentiss, Odd Adventures with Your Other FatherLeave a comment

Norman Prentiss on Odd Adventures with Your Other Father

(Interview conducted by Blu Gilliand)Continue Reading

Review: ‘Just Desserts: The Making of Creepshow’

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 1, 2016ReviewsBlu-Ray, Featured, George Romero, Just Desserts: The Making of Creepshow, Movies, Reviews, Stephen King, Synapse Films, Tom SaviniLeave a comment

Just Desserts: The Making of Creepshow
Synapse Films (July 12, 2016)
Reviewed by Blu Gilliand

In 1982, director George Romero and author Stephen King—horror royalty then and now—unleashed Creepshow, an anthology film born out of their mutual appreciation of 1950s horror comics. Realizing that capturing the unique look of those comics was going to be crucial to the movie’s success, they brought special effects superstar Tom Savini on board to help realize their vision. The result was a modest hit that has seen its stature grow among horror fans over time—enough so that its making-of documentary, Just Desserts, has become one of the most anticipated horror Blu-Ray releases of the summer.Continue Reading

Review: 'Just Desserts: The Making of Creepshow'

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 1, 2016ReviewsBlu-Ray, Featured, George Romero, Just Desserts: The Making of Creepshow, Movies, Reviews, Stephen King, Synapse Films, Tom SaviniLeave a comment

Just Desserts: The Making of Creepshow
Synapse Films (July 12, 2016)
Reviewed by Blu Gilliand

SIX SCARY STORIES Selected and Introduced by Stephen King!

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 1, 2016September 26, 2016Breaking NewsLeave a comment

SIX SCARY STORIES
Selected and Introduced by Stephen King!
A Cemetery Dance Publications (US) and
Hodder & Stoughton (UK) Exclusive Publication!

Hi Folks!

We have some HUGE news today for readers and collectors of Stephen King!

It’s been a while since we could announce a brand new project by Stephen King that has never been published anywhere in the world before, but we’re thrilled to report that Cemetery Dance Publications and Hodder & Stoughton, Stephen King’s publisher in the UK, have teamed up to publish a surprise new book: SIX SCARY STORIES selected and introduced by Stephen King!

About the Book:
Number 1 bestselling writer Stephen King introduces and presents six gripping and chilling stories in this captivating anthology!

Stephen King discovered these stories when he judged a competition run by Hodder & Stoughton and the Guardian to celebrate publication of his own collection The Bazaar of Bad Dreams. He was so impressed with the entries that he recommended they be published together in one book, which Cemetery Dance Publications and Hodder & Stoughton are pleased to report has become a reality. The six stories are:

WILD SWIMMING by Elodie Harper
EAU-DE-ERIC by Manuela Saragosa
THE SPOTS by Paul Bassett Davies
THE UNPICKING by Michael Button
LA MORT DE L’AMANT by Stuart Johnstone
THE BEAR TRAP by Neil Hudson

Reader beware: the stories will make you think twice before cuddling up to your old soft toy, dipping your toe into the water, or counting the spots on a leopard…

'Night Shift' and the Nature of Fear

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 29, 2016What I Learned from Stephen KingColumns, Featured, Jason Sechrest, Night Shift, Stephen King, What I Learned from Stephen King8 Comments

JSechrest-webbanner5

Night Shift and the Nature of Fear

Let’s talk about fear. We won’t raise our voices and we won’t scream; we’ll talk rationally, you and I. We’ll talk about the way the good fabric of things sometimes has a way of unraveling with shocking suddenness. – Stephen King, Introduction to Night Shift

I finished reading Stephen King’s first collection of short stories, 1978’s Night Shift, a few months back, but have avoided writing down any thoughts on it.

No one wants to expound on a subject of which they feel they have little to contribute, and for me everything that needs to be said about Night Shift was said perfectly by Stephen King in his introduction to the book. In fact, it may be one of the most perfect pieces King has written, if not certainly the most perfect he had written in 1978.

King’s opening act serves as an essay on the nature of fear: why he writes horror, and why people read it. I found myself not only more mesmerized, but more haunted by this than any of the tales in King’s gruesome set list. Continue Reading

Review: 'United States of Japan' by Peter Tieryas

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 28, 2016Reviews- Frank Michaels Errington, Featured, Peter Tieryas, Reviews, United States of JapanLeave a comment

United States of Japan by Peter Tieryas
Angry Robot Books (March, 2016)
400 pages; $10.77 paperback; $6.99 e-book
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington

United States of Japan is Peter Tieryas’s third book. It began as “a story revolving around the tragic events on the Asian side of WWII.” The book is inspired by Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle, as well as the author’s time at Electronic Arts and his experiences traveling in Asia.

For the most part, I’ve never been much of a fan of alternate history stories, but John Liberto’s cover art caught my attention and I did enjoy the Amazon Prime series The Man in the High Castle, so I decided to take a chance.Continue Reading

Review: 'Dark Matter' by Blake Crouch

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 27, 2016ReviewsBlack Crouch, Crown, Dark Matter, Dave Simms, David Simms, Featured, ReviewsLeave a comment

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
Crown (July 26, 2016)
352 pages; $17.32 hardcover; $12.99 e-book
Reviewed by David Simms

Jason Dessen, Daniela, Charlie—“Are you happy with your life?” It’s a question humans lie about all the time. Some truly are content, but how many torment themselves with enough “what ifs” until anxiety rears its ugly head? When a choice is finally presented in this intense, mind-bending novel, readers might just forget about those roads not taken.

Blake Crouch has written several fine thrillers in the past decade, but it wasn’t until the breakout success of the Wayward Pines trilogy last year that the world was alerted to this talented author (and original drummer of the kick-ass Killer Thriller band). M. Night Shyamalan’s television series gave the writer the spotlight he has long deserved. Yet, it’s always, “what’s next?” for the author, and can you top this?Continue Reading

Into the Breach

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 24, 2016Brian Keene's End of the RoadBrian Keene, Columns, End of the Road, Featured1 Comment

EndofRoad-web

Into the Breach

The day before I left for California, my eight-year-old son and I spent the afternoon in the woods. After hours of swimming in the creek, avoiding snakes, catching turtles and frogs and then letting them go, and pretending we were in a “real-life” game of Minecraft, we sat down on a big rock. Both of us got quiet for a moment.

Then I asked, “So, do you want to talk about me leaving tomorrow? I haven’t done a tour like this since you were born. Is there anything you are wondering about? Are you worried or scared or feeling sad?”

He thought about it for a moment and then said, “Well, Dad, I’m worried you’ll get lost.”Continue Reading

The Hype's Not Wrong. You're Wrong: A Horror Fan's Guide to Staying Positive

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 22, 2016Paper CutsAdam Cesare, Columns, Featured, Paper Cuts2 Comments

PaperCuts-web

Paper (n): material manufactured in thin sheets from the pulp of wood or other fibrous substances, used for writing, drawing, or printing on

Cut (v): make (a movie) into a coherent whole by removing parts or placing them in a different order.

The Hype’s Not Wrong. You’re Wrong: A Horror Fan’s Guide to Staying Positive

I’m not delivering breaking news when I say that civility and nuance are the first things to go once people plop their butts in front of their computers. But that doesn’t mean it’s not true.

And look, I get it, I’ve been guilty of logging in after a long day and treading down the warpath, looking to get the venom out. And sometimes I end up standing by that venom (especially if it was a good zinger on Twitter, no regrets there), but most times I wish I hadn’t.

But as a reader, movie guy, and—most importantly—a horror fan who values the opinions of those I’m friendly with, there’s a certain brand (flavor? variety?) of venom that I feel like I see way too often. What is this scourge on the horror community?Continue Reading

Review: 'Panacea' by F. Paul Wilson

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 21, 2016ReviewsDave Simms, F. Paul Wilson, Featured, Panacea, ReviewsLeave a comment

Panacea by F. Paul Wilson
Tor Books (July 5, 2016)
384 pages; $19.79 hardcover; $12.99 e-book
Reviewed by Dave Simms

What would the world do with a panacea, a drug which cured all, no matter how severe the illness? Would it bring peace and prosperity to all, or send humanity into chaos and war?

Also, would the drug be able to cure the longing readers have felt since F. Paul Wilson wrapped up the final tale in the Repairman Jack series, Fear City? Such withdrawal has been painful for the countless fans of one of the most iconic series in thriller history. Panacea might just be more than the new novel from Dr. Wilson; it might satiate his audiences with the tease of a brand new series that entices the reader with wonder, awe, and annoyance that another year or so might have to pass before the next installment materializes.Continue Reading

Review: 'Disappearance at Devil's Rock' by Paul Tremblay

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 20, 2016ReviewsBlu Gilliand, Disappearance at Devil's Rock, Featured, Paul Tremblay, ReviewsLeave a comment

Disappearance at Devil’s Rock by Paul Tremblay
William Morrow (June 21, 2016)
336 pages; $17.76 hardcover; $12.99 e-book
Reviewed by Blu Gilliand

Quiet horror is the hardest kind to get right; but when it is done right, it’s a showcase of the best the genre has to offer. Stripped of gimmicks and gore, quiet horror takes people you’ve come to care about and makes you watch as something terrible slowly creeps in from the edges.

The “something terrible” happens early in Disappearance at Devil’s Rock, Paul Tremblay’s highly anticipated follow-up to his 2015 breakout, A Head Full of Ghosts. Elizabeth, a single mom raising two kids, gets the phone call every parent dreads when her son, Tommy, goes missing while fooling around with his friends in some nearby woods. But it’s the mystery surrounding Tommy’s disappearance—lost? abducted? running away? sacrificed?—that is the true “something terrible” here, as Tremblay lays out a number of possibilities, each more troubling than the last.Continue Reading

Scenes from a Mall and a Parking Lot

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 17, 2016Brian Keene's End of the RoadBrian Keene, Columns, End of the Road, Featured, Quaker Steak and Lube4 Comments

EndofRoad-web

Scenes from a Mall and a Parking Lot

The authors with the staff of Bradley's Book Outlet. (Copyright 2016 Vicki Haid) — The authors with the staff of Bradley’s Book Outlet. (Copyright 2016 Vicki Haid)

In the song “Hello” (off Ice Cube’s album War and Peace Vol. 2) Dr. Dre raps, “We came a long way from not giving a fuck, selling tapes out of a trunk to moving this far up.”

The first book signing tour I ever did was for 4X4—a book I co-wrote with authors Geoff Cooper, Mike Oliveri, and Michael T. Huyck. It was published in hardcover and paperback, is long out of print, and goes for quite a bit of money on the secondary market these days. The 4X4 tour consisted of two bookstore appearances—Dark Delicacies in Burbank and Borderlands Books in San Francisco—as well as a local cable television appearance. The four of us flew to San Francisco, were joined by artist Gak and author Gene O’Neill, and then drove to the other signing in Los Angeles.

At a rest stop along the way, I managed to sell passerby copies of the book out of the back of our rental car.

That was in 2001. Continue Reading

An Abundance of Bourbon, or, “Whiskey River Take Me Home”

Norman Prentiss on Odd Adventures with Your Other Father

Norman Prentiss on Odd Adventures with Your Other Father

Night Shift and the Nature of Fear

Into the Breach

The Hype’s Not Wrong. You’re Wrong: A Horror Fan’s Guide to Staying Positive

Scenes from a Mall and a Parking Lot

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