Monday 25 May 2015

New TV Series Based on Romero's Empire of the Dead


If you're a fan of George A. Romero and the cult classic Night of the Living Dead, you'll be pleased to know that a television series based on his Marvel graphic novel series Empire of the Dead is forthcoming. The graphic novel has not only zombies, but vampires. Romero is co-writer and co-executive producer for the new series.

It will be interesting to see how this new series compares to The Walking Dead, of which Romero has been outwardly dismissive.

Stay tuned for more information...

(Source: Horror News Network:  http://www.horrornewsnetwork.net/articles/12930-george-a-romero-s-empire-of-the-dead-getting-tv-series-cannes?Itemid=101)

Monday 18 May 2015

The Latest from Jeffrey Deaver

  It's been quite awhile since I read a Jeffrey Deaver novel, and I was pleased to see that Kathryn Dance is the protagonist in his latest book, Solitude Creek, because I especially like her character. This is the fourth novel in the Kathryn Dance series.

The novel has an interesting premise: create an imaginary threat and watch as people are panicked into contributing to their own deaths. This is how the villain, Antioch March, operates.

The novel begins with a stampede in a roadhouse caused by someone yelling "Fire" and soon "[n]o one attending a play, sitting in a movie theater, dining in a restaurant or stepping into an elevator is safe" as March plans more attacks.

To read an excerpt from Solitude Creek, please click here.


 

Monday 11 May 2015

2014 Bram Stoker Award Winners

In case you missed the announcement this weekend at the 25th World Horror Convention, here are the Bram Stoker Award winners for 2014 as chosen by the Horror Writers Association:


Lifetime Achievement Award
Jack Ketchum and Tanith Lee


Superior Achievement in a Novel
Blood Kin by Steve Rasnic Tem (Solaris Books)


Superior Achievement in a First Novel
Mr. Wicker by Maria Alexander (Raw Dog Screaming Press)


Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel
Phoenix Island by John Dixon (Simon & Schuster/Gallery Books)


Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel
Bad Blood by Jonathan Maberry (Dark Horse Books)


Superior Achievement in Long Fiction
"Fishing for Dinosaurs” by Joe R. Lansdale (Limbus, Inc., Book II, JournalStone)


Superior Achievement in Short Fiction
“The Vaporization Enthalpy of a Peculiar Pakistani Family” by Usman T. Malik (Qualia Nous, Written Backwards) and “Ruminations” by Rena Mason (Qualia Nous, Written Backwards) - This was a tie.


Superior Achievement in a Screenplay
The Babadook by Jennifer Kent (Causeway Films)


Superior Achievement in an Anthology
Fearful Symmetries edited by Ellen Datlow (ChiZine Publications)


Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection
Soft Apocalypses by Lucy A. Snyder (Raw Dog Screaming Press)


Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction
Shooting Yourself in the Head For Fun and Profit: A Writer’s Survival Guide by Lucy A. Snyder (Post Mortem Press)


Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection
Forgiving Judas by Tom Piccirilli (Crossroad Press)


The Specialty Press Award
Brett Savory and Sandra Kasturi of ChiZine Publications



Congratulations to all those honored for their achievements.

Monday 4 May 2015

HWA Mentor Program

If you're new to the horror genre, you might be interested in the Mentor Program offered by the Horror Writers Association. Under this program, HWA matches up new and aspiring writers with experienced and knowledgeable members who are already widely published. The program not only supports the writing process, but also provides advice on how to prepare query letters and submissions.

To join the Mentor Program, you have to be a paid-up member of the HWA. You can then contact the Chairperson and provide details of your membership status, information on your writing/publications, and an explanation of what you are looking for in a mentor. Because of the popularity of the program, you may be placed on a waiting list until a mentor can be identified for you.

For further information, please visit the HWA website at http://horrorwritersassociation.info/ and choose Our Mentoring Program under "for writers" in the right-hand menu.