It's Wednesday! Time for another post exploring all things inspired by that classic tale, Frankenstein! We've gone over the first time Frankenstein took to the screen, now let's explore something a wee bit more recent, the 1994 film starring Robert De Niro (as the creature) and Helena Bonham Carter as Elizabeth. A few parts of this one had me hugging my pillow. Helena Bonham Carter. I mean... what can I say? Interesting bit of trivia on this one: the word monster was banned from the set. The credits billed Robert De Niro as "The Sharp-Featured Man" ([...]
Tag
horror
1 The Scream by Edvard Munch I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to write YA horror. I suppose a lot of fiction that I like is horror but maybe not in the typical ways. I love Gothics of all kinds and am reading a book by Carol Goodman right now. In some places, it’s pretty horrific. People die. There’s constant tension over a really nasty villain. Even some of the good people are willing to kill over their beliefs. But I don’t think many readers consider The Blythewood series horror, but it’s very dark, dark in all the right places. So, I did so[...]
I love having friends who know that I'm simultaneously into horror and design. When they find interesting things online, they sometimes send them in my direction. Today was no exception. The "Best of 2014" lists have begun circulating, and the following was passed on to me today in one such collection. The result? An awesome infographic on Gothic Horror from The Guardian. Gothic Horror is a subset of the horror genre that is characterized by a few very special elements, and combines elements of romance and horror. It's thought that the first gothic horror novel w[...]
I remember when I was young and my mother used to say to me at Christmas time, “If you aren’t good, you’ll be getting a bag of switches and ashes instead of candy.” Of course, I was always good. As time passed and I became older I realized that our Americanized Santa Claus had his roots in a much older St. Nicholas. What I didn’t know at the time was that St. Nicholas had a counterpart, a monstrous creature called Krampus who gave new meaning to the words in a common Christmas song, Santa Claus is coming to Town. Some of the lyrics are: [...]
I've been seeing a few of these "Holiday Buying Guides" floating around, but I have yet to come across something dedicated to horror fans. With twelve days left before Christmas hits, and Hanukkah starting up next week, I figured we Midnighters might very well need a list of our own. I'd like to disclaim this by saying that the number one item on anyone's list ought to be "books" but since you know and I know that you're already asking for "books", I'll spare you the recommendation and jump straight into the cute stuff. For your shopping pleasure, a few holiday[...]
It all began with a book. It. One read and I was hooked. Stephen King taught me what it was like to be a reader. After being forced to read classic stories in both middle and high school, I wasn't someone who picked up a book to read for fun. In fact, I bought Cliff Notes just to get a passing grade on anything related to the books my teachers thought I should be reading as a teen. I can't remember who it was that put It in my hand, but I know what happened after that. I was a reader. Once that light went on, I kept reading. And I read every book Stephen King wro[...]
We have a special guest today on the Midnight Society! Author Kim Culpepper, who writes horror and urban fantasy stopped by to celebrate her newest release and to talk a little bit more about writing. The Blood Talisman by Kim Culpepper Book Genre: Urban Fantasy Book release date: 05/21/2014 The Blood Talisman book blurb: Alex Jacobs gets bitten by a werewolf, and that’s only the beginning of his problems. When his wife is kidnapped and turned into someone he doesn’t recognize anymore, he not only struggles with letting her go but, also with s[...]
Last week I discussed why we should all write like Scrooge, and as I was writing that post I realized how far society has taken A Christmas Carol from its roots. I first read the story this year when I purchased a collection of Dickens' ghost stories. A ghost story, as you all know, is a sub-genre of supernatural fiction, often horror stories. Of course, not everything with a ghost is horror (another common genre is comedy, or in the case of Ghost, mystery and romance). Since then, it's been adapted and performed on stages worldwide, turned into animations for chi[...]
As acquiring editor for SHINE, the new YA/NA line from Leap Books, I’m always in the market for great reads and what better way to seek them out than to share news about our upcoming releases and provide our submission guidelines? Leap Books, LLC has been around since 2009, but we’re just venturing into the world of ebook novellas for both young adult and new adult markets. Early in 2015 we’ll see the launch of two young adult SHINE titles and I can’t wait for these babies to go live. Tina Ferraro, a two-time RITA Young Adult finalist and the author of T[...]
Before I introduce you to two fantastic horror writers, how about a CONTEST to win a hardcover copy of THE REPLACEMENT!? What do you have to do to win? Nothing fancy...just comment on this post and share your biggest fear. We'll let our ghouls choose from the entries. And don't worry, we won't let them touch the book with their grubby hands. Guys, I absolutely adore the next authors I interviewed. They are both actively involved in Brenda Drake's contests--if you don't know her, please click on the link to check out the amazing sauce that is Brenda. I[...]