tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-147613142024-03-08T05:34:31.743-06:00Sid is AliveOnline diary of writer Sidney Williams, author of thrillers, mysteries, comics and more.Sidneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16284680909152676159noreply@blogger.comBlogger1015125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14761314.post-62240978076074534492024-01-21T08:57:00.004-06:002024-01-21T09:05:55.536-06:00Gone So Long and Gone and Going OnI started this as a post for social medial, but it didn't quite seem right for that. Maybe it's a prose poem. Maybe it's just a few thoughts at the end of a week, an OK week except for contemplations. <div><br /></div><div>But then those matter don't they? They affect well being. </div><div><br /></div><div>Talking about them is supposed to do some good. </div><div><br /></div><div> I’ve been gone from where I used to live a long time, almost a quarter of a century.
A moment in a book I was reading reminded me the other day I ought to try again to find out what happened to this one girl I used to know. We knew each other as kids and in high school, rubbed each other the wrong way frequently, but co-existed well all in all. </div><div><br /></div><div>Funny the little things that trigger memory. The book had an incident about a swimming pool, and she and I were in the same circles that when swimming when we were 10 or so.</div><div><br /></div><div>I had learned when her mother died that she had preceded her in death sometime before the internet documented obituaries as well as they do now, except maybe behind paywalls. </div><div><br /></div><div>I thought a fresh Google might let find out what happened to her.
I didn't get an answer. But that led to the discovery of another person who passed, then another and another. </div><div><br /></div><div>That on the heels of learning a while back of a friend 30 years gone I just hadn’t heard about.</div><div><br /></div><div>I need to stop looking and counting. </div><div><br /></div><div>One girl, I couldn't tell you the last time I saw or talked to her, but her passing made me sad and made me keep reading legacy. </div><div><br /></div><div>One in the mix was a guy I hadn’t thought of in years and years and years, but when I saw his obit I remembered this one time a friend and I went with him and flew this plane he built—long, long before drones.</div><div><br /></div><div>A piece fell off while his remote-controlled plane was in the air. He managed to land it without destroying it in spite of the fact that it was an aileron he lost, a piece pretty important to control. </div><div><br /></div><div>We joked about insurance.
As he loaded the damaged plane into the back of his car, he said: “Yeah, I need `a piece of the rock' for my plane, too.” It was a spin on a slogan for Prudential many might not recall. </div><div><br /></div><div>As I read of his passing, I learned he turned that passion for building into a successful small business and made that how he spent his time until… </div><div><br /></div><div>Made me look more at one of the others. She was a parallel friend, someone from the schoolyard you'd say hey to or chat with if you crossed paths back then.
You can look at some timelines now and get reminded in small ways they did the same thing you did back when with a different set of friends. </div><div><br /></div><div>And she went on to a career and other things until circumstances, and possibly some bad decisions, kicked in. </div><div><br /></div><div>Trying to find out more, I learned of another friend who preceded his mother in death. That's all her obit said.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's made me think of fond moments with each of those seven gone that I've learned of in the last few years.</div><div><br /></div><div>Apparently origins and specifics of the quote are disputed, but I'll go with the variation attributed to German poet Ludwig Jacobowski that I found. It seems to fit best:</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;">“Do not cry because they are past! Smile, because they once were!”</span> </div><div><br /></div><div> Maybe so. I'll remember that and go on trying to create new moments. </div><div><br /></div><div> Zevon nailed it. "Enjoy every sandwich." </div><div><br /></div><div>And a paraphrase from that first quote above is sometimes mixed with a passage from Dr. Seuss, I'll keep in mind too. </div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"> “We’re off to great places, so let’s be on our way.”</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS Feed</div>Sidneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16284680909152676159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14761314.post-25486522306341526332023-11-14T06:02:00.004-06:002023-11-14T06:02:59.913-06:00A Bit of Memoir - C. Dean Andersson, John Steakley and Self-Promotion<p>I've mentioned not loving self-promotion, but I'm also aware repetition is necessary on a project so I share where I can. It's in marketing textbooks, but I got got a personalized lesson once upon a time.</p><p>I guess that makes this a story with foreshadowing and everything. </p><p>The late great and wonderful C. Dean Andersson (the 𝘏𝘦𝘭 trilogy, 𝘐 𝘈𝘮 𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢 and much more) and his wife Nina Romberg aka author Jane Archer, once told me of doing a mall signing with the late John Steakley of 𝘈𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘳 and 𝘝𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦$--the one made into a movie by John Carpenter--fame. </p><p>Steakley's father was a car salesman, so when someone was dismissive of the work on the signing table, he rose and followed the guy all the way down the mall loudly hawking the work with a continuing spiel about the virtues.</p><p>So flash forward a while later, Steakley was master of ceremonies or toastmaster at a con I was attending, okay it was a Coast Con in Biloxi, Miss. Early '90s or so. There were these big gatherings of con attendees and guests on opening night in those days. </p><p>A comic I wrote, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬, was the new thing I had out in the moment so when Steakley introduced me, I mentioned that. </p><p>"What was that title again?" he asked, tipping a microphone to his lips then pointing it back at me.</p><p> "Er, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬." </p><p>"𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬 you say. Interesting. So everyone should know about 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬?" </p><p>"Sure, it'd be nice." </p><p>"Excellent, so what was that title again?" </p><p>I said it a little louder and with more assurance: "𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬." </p><p>"𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬. Well great. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬!" </p><p>He kept the riff going a while, proving everything Dean had described, repeating 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬
often and loudly until he finally clapped me on the shoulder: "That's what you have to do. Keep saying it, my friend." </p><p>I smiled and sat back down.</p><p>Wish he and Dean were still with us.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS Feed</div>Sidneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16284680909152676159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14761314.post-77251905842469677202023-11-10T05:52:00.003-06:002023-11-10T05:53:33.710-06:00GNELFS are back and a Secret Revealed<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJTzp-3IZZu-VlqRl0u2S1YFYPSAJrOEUz5EhnR5538xTbShNTtdBduIWiw-Bza2iwXcKVp7fl5ntFKPcmL2k7qbdCmkC8cfVfAyhs4wvIB_ynZNzCmbfv60vMgcjBgbh5AOkkJzokZWb4gRfpHPXv2rIuT9aH_ppmx79ka3y6u18MKrgoytI/s2250/Gnelfs_cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="GNELFS Vintage Paperback Cover Art" border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="1500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJTzp-3IZZu-VlqRl0u2S1YFYPSAJrOEUz5EhnR5538xTbShNTtdBduIWiw-Bza2iwXcKVp7fl5ntFKPcmL2k7qbdCmkC8cfVfAyhs4wvIB_ynZNzCmbfv60vMgcjBgbh5AOkkJzokZWb4gRfpHPXv2rIuT9aH_ppmx79ka3y6u18MKrgoytI/w267-h400/Gnelfs_cover.jpg" title="Click for a Larger View!" width="267" /></a></div><br />The team at Crossroad Press actually broached the notion of bringing some of my backlist out in new print editions for the first time at Scares That Care Authorcon in the spring of this year (2023). They've had ebook and audiobook editions out for some time but had plans to do more with their print catalog.<p></p><p>I said sure, and in the fall, they touched base about getting the original over art for a trade paper edition of <i>GNELFS</i>. </p><p>Since there was no art credit on the original mass market edition, I had to reach out to the last editor I had at Kensington Books. He reached out to the art department, but he wasn't optimistic.</p><p>They turned up a name, <a href="https://www.richardnewtonillustrator.com/gallery.html?gallery=Mystery+%26+Horror&folio=Book%20Covers#/0" target="_blank">Richard Newton</a>, and Crossroad reached out to him and worked out some sort of deal for the cover, partly as a flag to the fact they published broad backlist of vintage horror titles.</p><p>I was kind of amazed to see the crispness of the digital art they obtained. The size of the original mass market had resulted in the original painting being cropped, and other losses in reproduction had affected the color mix and more.</p><p>Happily on the new mass market, much is restored. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLYLxTQEkVh2URuNzzphgebrnId2ru9AYCFyAguoeip8waXzT0PL3xdXzg88CqHfTVVHpLgBBsoDDecKF-zgq7bA3X1hAfPVi7aiDBbsDgUDjnNM6TFlrU__NLbjWIsUT8TLMlJ_4ZDrBmP8R8NRWj4fPotBXETXBPN0KsmSUYRiDHsWhWxA/s2965/GNELFS_Covers_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="GNELFS vintage paperback and trade paperback Sidney Williams and Richard Newton" border="0" data-original-height="2767" data-original-width="2965" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLYLxTQEkVh2URuNzzphgebrnId2ru9AYCFyAguoeip8waXzT0PL3xdXzg88CqHfTVVHpLgBBsoDDecKF-zgq7bA3X1hAfPVi7aiDBbsDgUDjnNM6TFlrU__NLbjWIsUT8TLMlJ_4ZDrBmP8R8NRWj4fPotBXETXBPN0KsmSUYRiDHsWhWxA/w320-h299/GNELFS_Covers_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The re-release prompted me to search for GNELFS online a little more, and I discovered more love for the book than I'd ever realized. Some of it's cropped up in the past few years in a wave of interest in vintage horror titles following the release of <i>Paperbacks From Hell</i> even though the art didn't appear in the volume. None of my titles did.</p><p>I actually became aware of some of that love because British author <a href="https://www.markmorrisfiction.com/" target="_blank">Mark Morris</a> revealed on socials he desired a copy of <i>GNELFS.</i> He pointed me to a YouTube channel where his novel <i>Stitch</i> and <i>GNELFS</i> were reviewed.</p><p>So, it's exciting to have the book back in new paper editions with new people discovering it. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>It's also fun to find people like Danube, the peripheral protagonist who joins Gabriella Harris in her struggle against dark magic.<p></p><p>I originally thought I might do more with Danube, gradually revealing more of his history. Clues are in place for his identity, but they are not overtly stated. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmM55bJiqyudOUBY1Umm-Prolz4E9gJfQjagOvrKhp9Rd4d1nH6K1qTG37AiLam4VPUGIl-DgKL3_wmO5mqdiRujliya9XMA_llfkEIh-EKQfZBTa-akhd3cASVp0y98JEnhxgVXjLyv3q7zD9xgVigMM5GZxJoDI1z8OzR-DeSxVw_-DBBaY/s800/Mantuscover.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mantus battles monsters" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="516" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmM55bJiqyudOUBY1Umm-Prolz4E9gJfQjagOvrKhp9Rd4d1nH6K1qTG37AiLam4VPUGIl-DgKL3_wmO5mqdiRujliya9XMA_llfkEIh-EKQfZBTa-akhd3cASVp0y98JEnhxgVXjLyv3q7zD9xgVigMM5GZxJoDI1z8OzR-DeSxVw_-DBBaY/w258-h400/Mantuscover.jpeg" width="258" /></a></div><br />That was not to be, but I considered using Danube when I was invited to do something for Malibu Graphics back in the day. <p></p><p>He seemed like a natural for some comics adventures, but I was worried about tangling up the rights to a character I might use again in print. <br /></p><p>I developed Peter Mantus from there. Mantus, like Danube, was essentially a psychic investigator. </p><p>He also had a complicated history with his father, a dark sorcerer. Mantus, not Mantis as some people mistake it at times, took his surname--and pseudonym since he wrote books about his investigations--from a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manth" target="_blank">demon or god depending on who you talk to</a>, sort of as a reminder of his father's bad acts and what he was standing against.</p><p>I've probably mentioned that before in interviews or somewhere, but it's nice to get it all in one place here. </p><p>It's been kind of fun to learn in some cases <i>GNELFS</i> was a favorite book for many readers when they were younger, even though it wasn't written as a YA. </p><p>The concept and art are iconic, so <i>GNELFS</i> stands out, I guess. As Stephen King said not long ago, long after he's gone, "that fucking clown" will be remembered.</p><p>Probably so too for me and these little minions. So it goes.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh01xh1A8AHALab2FbBAk-XQcbUZISQbKIXSrH-dxMoeMg48vKzO0gqudl-n2P9MXR1IxF3fjOIPOjS-3WgvngLCnvBDV6ClZZl_naKZST7eA-XBWo-qYPWFF26EWa0-nk9_8RXY5uDeZbsuuEZemH3GoM2DvrDo8eEP0BBxo9d_byke1IOHSA/s3088/IMG_3598.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh01xh1A8AHALab2FbBAk-XQcbUZISQbKIXSrH-dxMoeMg48vKzO0gqudl-n2P9MXR1IxF3fjOIPOjS-3WgvngLCnvBDV6ClZZl_naKZST7eA-XBWo-qYPWFF26EWa0-nk9_8RXY5uDeZbsuuEZemH3GoM2DvrDo8eEP0BBxo9d_byke1IOHSA/s320/IMG_3598.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS Feed</div>Sidneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16284680909152676159noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14761314.post-73173339947225156712023-09-26T08:28:00.003-05:002023-09-26T08:28:47.443-05:00Long Waltz Bookmail<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_fx4KfCEAWkJthFFfrnq5lvwIliskPd6ex87MYfK7Bfyx3-Ut399NPRoCtFcuNdpx0gkGUCVW-wK6oJod_aR6UTbLVYVA9MmZhmAUqvSpXyBfieJIVInL8kxIQHObCbQK5OmXyq475LKbheGSLiG0u0J3jiCoMhoO5SejxmU-1caOVpsOi0k/s3088/IMG_3669.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sidney Williams author Long Waltz trade paper" border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_fx4KfCEAWkJthFFfrnq5lvwIliskPd6ex87MYfK7Bfyx3-Ut399NPRoCtFcuNdpx0gkGUCVW-wK6oJod_aR6UTbLVYVA9MmZhmAUqvSpXyBfieJIVInL8kxIQHObCbQK5OmXyq475LKbheGSLiG0u0J3jiCoMhoO5SejxmU-1caOVpsOi0k/w300-h400/IMG_3669.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /> Here's a picture of the <i>Long Waltz </i>trade paper edition. There's been a flurry of activity so I'm a little late in posting here. <p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS Feed</div>Sidneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16284680909152676159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14761314.post-69054129241712550192023-04-12T08:03:00.007-05:002023-04-12T08:04:26.955-05:00Long Waltz Cover Reveal Coming Soon - Get An Early Peak<p> The sequel to <i>Fool's Run</i> is called <i>Long Waltz</i>, and it's coming soon. Final touches are being put on the cover, so the full reveal will be in the near future.</p><p>Meanwhile, here's a bit of a look. This book's going to find Si Reardon in Florida and wrangling with a fresh group of powerful men. This time they're from Hollywood. While stars and producers are busy shooting a sequel to a film lensed in Florida years ago, Si is called on to find out what he can about a girl who disappeared after working briefly on the first movie.</p><p>Of course he'll find himself plunged into a maelstrom of drama and corruption that will call on all his wits and resourcefulness. Friends Jael and the McCluskey brothers will be on hand too.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdrDxBj8IPqhJRjEjk-4P3mvYWh2qGkCqXTg2jDUrpG2-wHrpH2AGauXVn99hHNO0wcvV_oG0F-4Fw23CXifpFf6Fv8nTI-YEmUrmd-1kAv1nKri-1EjXr0GHpKhAGEdJhfy_bEi4m7djFxfJADGi53HQtzJg5HMhPvNJ6ubMqSeMBi6w/s2250/LongWaltzTeaser3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Long Waltz Cover Teaser - Si Reardon Novel 2" border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="1500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdrDxBj8IPqhJRjEjk-4P3mvYWh2qGkCqXTg2jDUrpG2-wHrpH2AGauXVn99hHNO0wcvV_oG0F-4Fw23CXifpFf6Fv8nTI-YEmUrmd-1kAv1nKri-1EjXr0GHpKhAGEdJhfy_bEi4m7djFxfJADGi53HQtzJg5HMhPvNJ6ubMqSeMBi6w/w266-h400/LongWaltzTeaser3.png" width="266" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS Feed</div>Sidneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16284680909152676159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14761314.post-79037057359688822152022-12-07T05:56:00.003-06:002022-12-07T05:56:19.568-06:00Folk Horror Tok - Halloween and Harvest Season Six-Word Stories<p>Just like a TikTok video, Halloween got over too soon.<br /><br />It's fun experimenting with the TikTok platform. It's challenging to work in a form that can fit in a very short time frame. I did a series of six-word horror stories leading up to Halloween 2022.</p><p>Each was designed to stand alone but also to contribute to a progressing narrative, culminating on the day Halloween. I was happy with how things came together. A folk horror tale emerged, drawing in many Harvest time trappings. </p><p>The spoken-word versions are aligned here in appropriate order now. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>
<blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@willysid/video/7150672233587871018" class="tiktok-embed" data-video-id="7150672233587871018" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@willysid?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="@willysid">@willysid</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/halloween?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="halloween">#Halloween</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/october?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="october">#October</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/microfiction?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="microfiction">#microfiction</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/horror?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="horror">#horror</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/horrorstory?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="horrorstory">#horrorstory</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/writing?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="writing">#writing</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/writingcommunity?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="writingcommunity">#writingcommunity</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/shortstory?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="shortstory">#shortstory</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/flashfiction?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="flashfiction">#flashfiction</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Eerie-243941602690379776?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="♬ Eerie - Music Beyond">♬ Eerie - Music Beyond</a> </section> </blockquote> <script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>
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<blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@willysid/video/7160660254601071918" class="tiktok-embed" data-video-id="7160660254601071918" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@willysid?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="@willysid">@willysid</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/sixwordstory?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="sixwordstory">#sixwordstory</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/sixwordhorrorstory?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="sixwordhorrorstory">#sixwordhorrorstory</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/writing?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="writing">#writing</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/microfiction?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="microfiction">#microfiction</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/shortstories?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="shortstories">#shortstories</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/flash?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="flash">#flash</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/flashfiction?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="flashfiction">#flashfiction</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/amwriting?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="amwriting">#amwriting</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/halloween?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="halloween">#halloween</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/october?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="october">#october</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/horrortok?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="horrortok">#horrortok</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/horrortiktok?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="horrortiktok">#horrortiktok</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/sixwordstories?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="sixwordstories">#sixwordstories</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/horror?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="horror">#horror</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/halloween?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="halloween">#Halloween</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/october?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="october">#october</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/tiktokhorror?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="tiktokhorror">#tiktokhorror</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/flashfiction?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="flashfiction">#flashfiction</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Eerie-Music-6716045630029957121?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="♬ Eerie Music - Sound Collective">♬ Eerie Music - Sound Collective</a> </section> </blockquote> <script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS Feed</div>Sidneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16284680909152676159noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14761314.post-39086878914261656092022-12-06T14:53:00.006-06:002022-12-07T05:56:51.662-06:00A Bit of Christmas Microfiction<blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@willysid/video/7174051020610211115" data-video-id="7174051020610211115" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;" > <section> <a target="_blank" title="@willysid" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@willysid?refer=embed">@willysid</a> <a title="microfiction" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/microfiction?refer=embed">#microfiction</a> <a title="horrortiktok" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/horrortiktok?refer=embed">#horrortiktok</a> <a title="horrortok" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/horrortok?refer=embed">#horrortok</a> <a title="christmas" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/christmas?refer=embed">#Christmas</a> <a title="christmasghoststory" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/christmasghoststory?refer=embed">#christmasghoststory</a> <a title="christmasghost" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/christmasghost?refer=embed">#christmasghost</a> <a title="ghost" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/ghost?refer=embed">#ghost</a> <a title="scary" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/scary?refer=embed">#scary</a> <a title="spooky" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/spooky?refer=embed">#spooky</a> <a title="flash" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/flash?refer=embed">#flash</a> <a title="yalit" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/yalit?refer=embed">#YALit</a> <a title="youngadult" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/youngadult?refer=embed">#youngadult</a> <a title="youngadultliterature" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/youngadultliterature?refer=embed">#youngadultliterature</a> <a title="ya" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/ya?refer=embed">#YA</a> <a title="horror" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/horror?refer=embed">#horror</a> <a title="flash" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/flash?refer=embed">#flash</a> <a title="flashfiction" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/flashfiction?refer=embed">#flashfiction</a> <a title="merrychristmas" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/merrychristmas?refer=embed">#merrychristmas</a> <a title="holidays" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/holidays?refer=embed">#holidays</a> <a title="yaliterature" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/yaliterature?refer=embed">#yaliterature</a> <a target="_blank" title="♬ Instrumental Christmas Music - Christmas Music" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Instrumental-Christmas-Music-6759471543681550338?refer=embed">♬ Instrumental Christmas Music - Christmas Music</a> </section> </blockquote> <script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS Feed</div>Sidneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16284680909152676159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14761314.post-12659240384076311882022-11-29T05:51:00.000-06:002022-11-29T05:51:08.629-06:00Dark Angel Christmas - An All New Christmas Holiday Single from Sidney Williams Writing as Michael August<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Angel-Christmas-Pembrook-Story-ebook/dp/B0BN6GSBYS" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Dark Angel Christmas by Sidney Williams" border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGghpucMQhaCOIEmO0m8CJUX9j-jY293x6JCbkqWxFdmXeN710uUQMHTmVbzLk2EpSHucB677Pm29_Y6r7E_auhCXJLQx8O3yG6mR2G-93KHO_gi58vEk18hoLNUlSClEejN8x6FJmXQ1ohJXE4kEX_0XrCtHNw0AkKaXYJ5359BnVDgML/w200-h320/DACThumb.png" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Okay, long story shortened - I was in a writer's group and a workshop challenge was posed, compose a Christmas horror story.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Years ago, as I sat at an intersection stop light, a car with three young ladies in Santa hats passed in front of me. I recalled that and started wondering what might happen if one of them had been left behind and had to walk. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As I started writing, I realized I was working in the voice of Michael August, my pseudonym for young adult novels, and that the tale was going to go a little longer than the 4,000-word cap for the group. </div><br />So, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Angel-Christmas-Pembrook-Story-ebook/dp/B0BN6GSBYS" target="_blank">Dark Angel Christmas</a> was born, a slightly darker Michael August tale. <br /><p></p><b>Official Synopsis<br /></b><br />It’s a 10-minute walk to the town square for a Christmas concert, until a mysterious white truck turns up.<div><br /></div><div>In seconds, following a detour to shake her stalker, Amity Nichols is in a test of endurance and a game of survival that are one and the same.
Does the mysterious driver know about the dark secret she’s harboring? Or does he want something worse for her than silence?</div><div><br /></div><div>As darkness falls, Amity will have to face a challenge of stealth and patience until decisions on life or death can’t wait any longer. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Warning: Contains mature themes and intense situations.
Dark Angel Christmas is Sidney Williams, author of The Gift and New Year's Evil, writing in a slightly darker vein as Michael August.</b></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS Feed</div>Sidneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16284680909152676159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14761314.post-31302205879220632202022-10-26T05:55:00.007-05:002022-10-31T05:11:56.843-05:00Halloween Harvest Six Word Horror Stories<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyegt_2VpfKgoPq-wGz44SCRAoDKOfGWN2gi9_yL9pac0JL6PIGyyG0dbNutnShUsQFUo0B5i1PQUn7WoCDTDt2pYTkXAygRUTGHzbkbYuHqenbdXTx4OtDNHe2E0GdGf9b3DXCU1p2KjK_0jBMlfmWTe2w6aX371N_NrzluPLipBRKZ3M/s4096/Pumpkins.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pumpkins in an autumn field - Halloween" border="0" data-original-height="2925" data-original-width="4096" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyegt_2VpfKgoPq-wGz44SCRAoDKOfGWN2gi9_yL9pac0JL6PIGyyG0dbNutnShUsQFUo0B5i1PQUn7WoCDTDt2pYTkXAygRUTGHzbkbYuHqenbdXTx4OtDNHe2E0GdGf9b3DXCU1p2KjK_0jBMlfmWTe2w6aX371N_NrzluPLipBRKZ3M/w506-h362/Pumpkins.png" width="506" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: right;"><b> Photo Credit: Kelsie Cabeceiras - Pexels</b></span></div><br /><p></p><p>Six word horror stories are fun and strive for a quick, single effect. I thought it would be interesting for spooky season aka Halloween aka harvest season, to do six-word horror stories that stand alone but also can be assembled into a bit of a linked narrative with the concluding installment to appear on Halloween, 2022.<br /><br /><a href="https://sidneywilliams.blogspot.com/2008/10/horrortober-2.html"><b>SEE ALSO: Horrortober 2 - Halloween Horror Fiction</b></a></p><p>Segments area appearing on various social media outlets, and the complete string of micro stories will be assembled here in original order with new six word stories added as they appear on <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@willysid" target="_blank">TikTok</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Sidney_Williams" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and other platforms. The final entry will appear on October 31. <br /><b><br /></b><a href="https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-an-unforgettable-six-word-story"><b>FURTHER READING: How to Write an Unforgettable Six-Word Story</b><br /></a><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><b>The Harvest Horror Six-Word Stories<br /><br /></b></h2><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"></h4><h2 style="text-align: left;">1. The silent Jack-o'-lanterns know what's coming.<br /><br /></h2><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">2. Did you see? The scarecrow moved! <br /><br /></h2><h2 style="text-align: left;">3. Wind parts corn plants. Shadows awake. <br /><br /></h2><h2 style="text-align: left;">4. Before writhing shapes, an ancient altar. </h2><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAlT52ZHXTssylcR0IYFeW0cUOIFZGYEN2vcLIppOWdUcjduWCy6m8mg7JYf3fTpCpE67SdYC5TJvWu_SgwSfwsV0hDDgnvFDfRuBukVepyhDLUONnR9VDWI9OOqCvNvUUDP8a29flCh5Ha1s9Lxe_dX4hJZ2Ijcl1vW-Ef0d8C-hrwxQ/s3008/pexels-joonas-ka%CC%88a%CC%88ria%CC%88inen-239107.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Full Moon in Night Sky" border="0" data-original-height="2008" data-original-width="3008" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAlT52ZHXTssylcR0IYFeW0cUOIFZGYEN2vcLIppOWdUcjduWCy6m8mg7JYf3fTpCpE67SdYC5TJvWu_SgwSfwsV0hDDgnvFDfRuBukVepyhDLUONnR9VDWI9OOqCvNvUUDP8a29flCh5Ha1s9Lxe_dX4hJZ2Ijcl1vW-Ef0d8C-hrwxQ/w400-h268/pexels-joonas-ka%CC%88a%CC%88ria%CC%88inen-239107.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></h2><h2>5. Seven crows cry, serenading dancing silhouettes. <br /><br /></h2><div><h2>6. Black-robed penitents invite materializing figures. <br /><br /></h2><h2>7. Shimmering shadows detach from darkness, walk.<br /><br /></h2></div><div><h2>8. Of course, Harvest Gods are plants!<br /><br /><br /></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZA57ZwTKkqPDgV2amFQWtfsc-jd5INDk5EB40ekjHbo_Br8oCsQcLgh2fcOQAvwoWclYnJBazE-eYM2z9Sniiv6gO1V-8nVP0z4-KMZwrPk0DIPjx0mZ_vK8AsCM34cXZL-c3Ga2IGYoS72tKlA9fbyck1NluFWiZHlvRPNgt9YLhtXS2/s1792/PlantGods.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1792" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZA57ZwTKkqPDgV2amFQWtfsc-jd5INDk5EB40ekjHbo_Br8oCsQcLgh2fcOQAvwoWclYnJBazE-eYM2z9Sniiv6gO1V-8nVP0z4-KMZwrPk0DIPjx0mZ_vK8AsCM34cXZL-c3Ga2IGYoS72tKlA9fbyck1NluFWiZHlvRPNgt9YLhtXS2/w400-h229/PlantGods.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div><h2>9. Roots, massive tentacles, reach FOR YOU!</h2></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS Feed</div>Sidneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16284680909152676159noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14761314.post-72631914786249823452022-10-19T09:50:00.000-05:002022-10-19T09:50:05.876-05:00Reviewing the Great Ray Bradbury's Home to Stay! - Tales from EC Comics<p>The cool folks at <a href="https://www.fantagraphics.com/">Fantagraphics</a> Books are dropping a collection of Ray Bradbury's stories adapted for EC Comics publications such as <i>Tales from the Crypt</i> and <i>The Witch's Cauldron. </i>It's called <i><a href="https://www.fantagraphics.com/products/home-to-stay-the-complete-ray-bradbury-ec-stories">Home to Stay!: The Complete Ray Bradbury EC Stories</a>. </i></p><p>It's a nicely complete volume with a rich assortment of extras surrounding Bradbury's affiliation with the shunned and banned and later celebrated EC line.</p><p>I did a review of the volume for <a href="https://wickedhorror.com/horror-news/ray-bradbury-ec-comics-adaptations-are-home-to-stay-review/" target="_blank">Wicked Horror</a>. </p><p>Stories are reproduced mostly in black and white, though they original tales were in color. Some pieces are reminiscent of the later Warren Magazine like <i>Creepy </i>inspired by EC.</p><p>The book's dropping now. Here's a sample page from the adaptation of "The Lake."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtnKxlVlXZpItq7uIwoNoeEt2gmN7uSZ86nmJUXmSgF4d0vRni_ufDh86VEUmeHhCCPs7dAZyAfBYL8xwU-xYjQzXgAnloIDzFUR7_lj1efo9TyFSy_qT4MB3rI8lB3eewkkjGxhibYWzd6P_3UDznNcbPDshhrxbxJWvZCD6ZvSbUCZEI/s3975/Home%20To%20Stay_Ray%20Bradbury%20p%201%20(The%20Lake).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ray Bradbury EC Comics The Lake - Home to Stay!" border="0" data-original-height="3975" data-original-width="2925" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtnKxlVlXZpItq7uIwoNoeEt2gmN7uSZ86nmJUXmSgF4d0vRni_ufDh86VEUmeHhCCPs7dAZyAfBYL8xwU-xYjQzXgAnloIDzFUR7_lj1efo9TyFSy_qT4MB3rI8lB3eewkkjGxhibYWzd6P_3UDznNcbPDshhrxbxJWvZCD6ZvSbUCZEI/w294-h400/Home%20To%20Stay_Ray%20Bradbury%20p%201%20(The%20Lake).jpg" width="294" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It really is a great volume for any Bradbury fan's library. </div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS Feed</div>Sidneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16284680909152676159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14761314.post-51850476186259092542022-10-07T06:05:00.002-05:002022-10-07T06:05:40.579-05:00What's on the Keyboard? - A Christmas Story<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWnkf1ZW18aEE8JNuwjGJVnq_tFMBxP84DKKUtduUm812AEI-fST31H22uT5_mljtanNF0HUAUwB4z-sZfxgHFr6bDU2NPQrLrMyRTFF2SWmHZpR8Jb0qzOub8ldTQ5XMGsAf_KJL0LfOpHoowTqPLKjh-qPPNMlW_ubgwTmnq0LWGTiTg/s4032/pexels-%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B3%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B8%CC%86-%D1%88%D1%83%D1%85%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%BD-10783931.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWnkf1ZW18aEE8JNuwjGJVnq_tFMBxP84DKKUtduUm812AEI-fST31H22uT5_mljtanNF0HUAUwB4z-sZfxgHFr6bDU2NPQrLrMyRTFF2SWmHZpR8Jb0qzOub8ldTQ5XMGsAf_KJL0LfOpHoowTqPLKjh-qPPNMlW_ubgwTmnq0LWGTiTg/s320/pexels-%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B3%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B8%CC%86-%D1%88%D1%83%D1%85%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%BD-10783931.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>A workshopping group recently suggested we all try Christmas stories so we have a holiday tale in the quiver should an open call or invite arise.<br /><p></p><p>Sometimes a notion grabs you, so in the middle of Spooky Season, while I wait on edits for a novel and move around a couple of other irons in the fire, I find myself immersed in a holiday tale.</p><p>I'm not sure the workshopping plan will actually unfold, but I recalled a moment from years ago as I stared at the blank page. Around 5 p.m., I was driving home from my corporate marketing gig. </p><p>As I sat at a stop light that early-December day, I saw a car with three teen girls pass through the intersection. All of them wore Santa hats, and I thought they must be heading for some holiday activity.</p><p>What if one didn't catch her ride and had to walk. And what if it wasn't a Santa hat but one of those long stocking caps, an elf-hat of red and green?</p><p>And what if a white truck showed up as she walked alone? And what if a cemetery was on the way, and what if...?</p><p>It's taken off, so I'll be at this until it's finished. We'll see where things go from there.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS Feed</div>Sidneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16284680909152676159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14761314.post-57107671606199945932022-09-13T07:42:00.003-05:002022-10-07T05:44:43.007-05:00Story Acceptance - Unknown Superheroes vs. the Forces of DarknessI received a short story acceptance the other day, on my birthday in fact. It's for an anthology to be called <i>Unknown Superheroes vs. the Forces of Darkness </i>edited by Steve Dillon and Will Jacques<i>. </i>Will is also <a href="https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid023qGMkJhqiH9ynfkBRXra8JnG6uqaABEE26XnAVAFhpuZNSSB9vVea2AtMcP8Jwwwl&id=100025979331196&eav=AfZyaSlBYP9Gp33C6wZJ-L8js9PbbmCz-e5lMQntpsZsOGqFiayNh3SdM9W4zrsvWS4&m_entstream_source=timeline&paipv=0" target="_blank">illustrating</a>.<i> </i>Another image <a href="https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid036yePZYDJf3BD9pbFjCzpv5BRWGMroF3Lxqwe1FNMrZXYpVoMYEa6HU4TrE3wzoRKl&id=1356831285&eav=Afbk0_485WpPyJ8jFCeHW1UUbzdWX4hkD3pilmF0wbJG7zgb7I9h6iAegPEDNF6dSEM&m_entstream_source=timeline&paipv=0" target="_blank">here</a>. <i> </i><div><br /></div><div>It will be headlined by Jonathan Maberry with a story called "The Collector." The guidelines were pretty generous on the parameters of the heroes, so I wound up writing a tale called "Side-Saddle" about a heroine in Georgian England. </div><div><br /></div><div>Themed anthologies are fun because they kind of lead you to pull new things up from the well of your imagination. I don't know that I would have settled at the keyboard and said: "I think I'm going to write a monster story set in roughly Georgian England" otherwise. <br /><div><br /></div><div>Word on the forces of darkness my hero encounters will just have to wait until the antho's release, but I thought I'd use the old blogspot here to capture a few thoughts before they slip from my mind. I used to be able to remember everything in chronological detail, but I've reached that point where some of the colors fade and some things run together when you look back. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPRigl_cP4-yoR9vN9R4tNRWic6y9jM8LRP9Uh7oSsz4xP5OalYZMUfEPYcUwf9zRSBwxKqT5M-duxBdUa2F8t8n78WpzTm4KMTbkG477CdomL9zpysFdvSgZ-8CgtiOUp2RKhCbiUFprTXcGHitauRhoCclcfWrzp9ERDg12oC3epSsou/s4032/IMG_1281.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Colonial Meal on display at Colonial Williamsburg" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPRigl_cP4-yoR9vN9R4tNRWic6y9jM8LRP9Uh7oSsz4xP5OalYZMUfEPYcUwf9zRSBwxKqT5M-duxBdUa2F8t8n78WpzTm4KMTbkG477CdomL9zpysFdvSgZ-8CgtiOUp2RKhCbiUFprTXcGHitauRhoCclcfWrzp9ERDg12oC3epSsou/w240-h320/IMG_1281.jpg" width="240" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>When I received the invite, my first thought went to a heroine I created earlier this year for a story called "Grand Tour." That was written on invite for an anthology calling for a story with a Hammer Films tone. I'm not sure of the status of that anthology, but if it doesn't see light I'll find another place for that story. </div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>Research such as the fact that young men went on grand tours for educational purposes in the 1700s or so coupled with an interest I've had for a while in the actual vampire legends of central Europe in the pre-John Polidori "The Vampyre" era. That all seemed to fit a Hammer mode.</div><div><br /></div><div>Much of early vampire, and to some extent contemporary zombie traits, are seated in Serbia and adjacent regions, and I started thinking about the relative of someone like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Paole" target="_blank">Arnold Paole</a>, believed to be one of the first vampires in the European scares. </div><div><br /></div><div>What if the relative of an early, revenant-style vampire, maybe someone with ties to the Ottoman empire, felt responsible and compelled to track down a vampiric relative and any vampires he created?</div><div><br /></div><div>I was pleased with how that story turned out, so when the <i>Unknown Superheroes </i>invite came along, I was still in an historical mood. </div><div><br /></div><div>I thought at first Andela of "Grand Tour" would be the star of another adventure. I envisioned her riding up to a British estate in a carriage, about the discover some new challenge while she visited. </div><div><br /></div><div>Then in research, I ran across Celia Fiennes, a real young woman who rode across England on horseback in the late 1600s and early 1700s and kept a journal of her travels. </div><div><br /></div><div>Suddenly I thought Andela might ride up to an estate on horseback instead of in a carriage. <br /><br />But the more I read about Celia the real traveler, the more another character took shape, Cilla Frane, driven to travel and destined to encounter dark forces. </div><div><br /></div><div>I put a lot into shaping her story, and happily the tale came together, aided by a lot of research and even casual visits to spots like <a href="https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/">Colonial Williamsburg</a>, though my tale unfolds on the other side of the pond. <br /><br />I don't live far from Colonial Williamsburg's living museum these days, so dropping in to see tables spread with Colonial Era meals and visiting Colonial Era-style gardens melded with my visits to London and Scotland in years past. Everything helped to shape Cilla's world. <br /><br />It was a lot of fun to spend time in her world. Deets here when the story comes out, and if all goes well Andela and Cilla will ride again into adventures of their own. Or maybe they'll meet one day. </div><div><br /></div><div> </div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS Feed</div>Sidneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16284680909152676159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14761314.post-23903676425084595262022-02-10T09:00:00.001-06:002022-02-10T09:00:49.447-06:00From the Sid Archives - Interview with Joanna Going of the Dark Shadows Revival Series<p>Here's another article from my file cabinet. I loved the original <i>Dark Shadows</i> as a kid, so I was happy when the chance came along to interview actors from the revival series in 1991. It was polished and atmospheric, drawing heavily on the film <i>House of Dark Shadows, </i>and sadly didn't last long on NBC.</p><p>Joanna Going was one of several cast members I interviewed as the show was cranking up. A couple of moves let the press kit for the series slip away, but it was cool when it arrived at the newspaper building. </p><p>The great shot of Going and Ben Cross as Barnabas Collins was just one of the color pics or slides that were included. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhe42HSp6t1m3zXntm0u8RJTsQyB7mLokg_NvBIsYzGR-ALmAq8CEP4MsSWIylmIOifIpZnIuRMEmnHdyYQu2-BcSqFlLbr6egGzZIbSTN5eaFi6FhSrgwob9w3X0HL3v7CRuAPt9C3rbl93h4BJ2htt8xPtIeQXaXwdzAh-4gsJ-vOz6-U=s1489" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ben Cross and Joanna Going - Dark Shadows" border="0" data-original-height="1489" data-original-width="1035" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhe42HSp6t1m3zXntm0u8RJTsQyB7mLokg_NvBIsYzGR-ALmAq8CEP4MsSWIylmIOifIpZnIuRMEmnHdyYQu2-BcSqFlLbr6egGzZIbSTN5eaFi6FhSrgwob9w3X0HL3v7CRuAPt9C3rbl93h4BJ2htt8xPtIeQXaXwdzAh-4gsJ-vOz6-U=w278-h400" width="278" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgS12vfzDfy2o1CY1xDO43kLpL4alIbvgmHcjwvGyO8xc63ycbq0Y6_oDjROEmlXHY1nLMNJqb5aUWDUPiEoZhU5m58K9lZr5lq1v-V-tH6BJal18fdu2yknY8LAxKJ4c-FIlD8gar-WTNoooiEx-U1L6DIwjQCFnjnM89Ws5uiGY_Deo5J=s1658" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="1658" height="73" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgS12vfzDfy2o1CY1xDO43kLpL4alIbvgmHcjwvGyO8xc63ycbq0Y6_oDjROEmlXHY1nLMNJqb5aUWDUPiEoZhU5m58K9lZr5lq1v-V-tH6BJal18fdu2yknY8LAxKJ4c-FIlD8gar-WTNoooiEx-U1L6DIwjQCFnjnM89Ws5uiGY_Deo5J=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS Feed</div>Sidneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16284680909152676159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14761314.post-66187772003061244452022-02-03T07:33:00.001-06:002022-02-03T07:33:45.582-06:00Wicked Horror Article - Thoughts on some Marvel Monsters Who'd Make Great Film Creatures<p> Got a chance to do a listicle for Wicked Horror about some of my Marvel horror favorites.</p><p><a href="https://wickedhorror.com/horror-news/five-marvel-monsters-that-deserve-horror-films-after-morbius/" target="_blank">Check out: Five Marvel Monsters That Deserve Films After Morbius</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfXqq_Nlt8IcMvcXtw7KHA3R0i4Syd9N5DC6JczmsV5-hASnBSttlvSbQ70c57ZKTZC730GSqiP9fGmFEHe7f54p9loP1fDtD4dvNITe_7PEm3_qAQ3nE_RSyR8mfnIehDb9lQhdnXKvflF5cv7KjGDX-_QgHos1EF80VvLGBN1vP1yLzs=s1600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tales of the Zombie No. 1 Marvel Simon Garth" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1247" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfXqq_Nlt8IcMvcXtw7KHA3R0i4Syd9N5DC6JczmsV5-hASnBSttlvSbQ70c57ZKTZC730GSqiP9fGmFEHe7f54p9loP1fDtD4dvNITe_7PEm3_qAQ3nE_RSyR8mfnIehDb9lQhdnXKvflF5cv7KjGDX-_QgHos1EF80VvLGBN1vP1yLzs=w249-h320" width="249" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS Feed</div>Sidneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16284680909152676159noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14761314.post-40262093721794261932022-02-02T10:32:00.005-06:002022-02-10T09:05:02.762-06:00From the Sid Archives - Interview With Gates McFadden of Star Trek: The Next Generation<p>I've been going through some files in anticipation of a move to a new place, and I ran across some fun things from my newspaper days.</p><p>Here's an interview I did with Gates McFadden in the middle of the Star Trek: The Next Generation run.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTCRSEjMmOQFNnqaWI0PTV8UsbV1xvPxmFcp-ZHiV-Cpd6G4Ob3n5PkSbuowsvnnuh_nUmuO4ukFH1ujobCtoUv7i4CWt8pWloeciSbMTqLHN2vh-ZXaUh5oalBAGwErr-YBejQe8icCsCbOc2SGJRmgtI5i-Xs-OEm2OYagL8r_kA4T6w=s4344" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3178" data-original-width="4344" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTCRSEjMmOQFNnqaWI0PTV8UsbV1xvPxmFcp-ZHiV-Cpd6G4Ob3n5PkSbuowsvnnuh_nUmuO4ukFH1ujobCtoUv7i4CWt8pWloeciSbMTqLHN2vh-ZXaUh5oalBAGwErr-YBejQe8icCsCbOc2SGJRmgtI5i-Xs-OEm2OYagL8r_kA4T6w=w320-h234" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BdZ2XkBKmwupzvmhwWLCUw4JdF70o4pU/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Full article .pdf here</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS Feed</div>Sidneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16284680909152676159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14761314.post-70925465509883455662021-12-12T05:36:00.003-06:002021-12-12T05:36:19.548-06:00Wednesday Reads Fool's Run YouTube Review<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/rTlSsC5As0M" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rTlSsC5As0M/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Should have shared this a while back. It's a nice review of <i>Fool's Run</i> by E.G. Stone at <a href="http://QuillandPen.com">QuillandPen.com</a>.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS Feed</div>Sidneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16284680909152676159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14761314.post-26002618469901206372021-10-05T09:34:00.005-05:002021-10-05T09:38:35.477-05:00Revisiting The Midnight Hour<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvTTaAPqzoeYYi-8EHGYQaRoG9J5deL5rg6L3nBCliu9G9L0zji-1fUjdFR9IJtJ3a5Vega2FBLSlwyh_xj7i9EYbPToTWlDPjQnKQ7R-kC8JqlU1Lo9PZt-B8yd3q6G74jRb/s400/MidnightHour.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvTTaAPqzoeYYi-8EHGYQaRoG9J5deL5rg6L3nBCliu9G9L0zji-1fUjdFR9IJtJ3a5Vega2FBLSlwyh_xj7i9EYbPToTWlDPjQnKQ7R-kC8JqlU1Lo9PZt-B8yd3q6G74jRb/w320-h240/MidnightHour.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I'm pretty sure I watched <i>The Midnight Hour </i>when it first aired in 1985. I don't remember much about that first viewing except an okay-fine reaction. I wouldn't have been watching for deep analysis then, and everything other than a vague notion of its plot pretty much got tucked away in my memory.<p></p><p>I decided to revisit it via YouTube. Because: October. And because the Pure Cinema podcast spoke highly of it fairly recently in an assessment of solid TV movies.</p><p>So, what a pleasant surprise a re-watch proved to be. </p><p>In retrospect, it's heavily influenced by the <i>Thriller </i>video, coming down the pike just a couple of years after that event. It even has some of the same creative team involved in makeup and costumes.</p><p>But it's otherwise quite a bit of fun with a touch of camp and a sweet love story woven through its undead storyline with interspersed musical numbers and a comic performance by <i>Fridays' </i>Mark Blankfield as a zombie out to grab what he can of past life pleasures.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizB_qnpQrqfoL6aBaHqEW26AlYc_3S_vYjgC16YXRc8SxIDYwcUBailxLBZz_Ua0BVP4oZX6MrxhDSxyR47eQx1GOXR3qlZPXaxrsxCwmUFQaI86SwiO1WXGPZAofWsj6mGW-7/s1024/JoannaLee.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizB_qnpQrqfoL6aBaHqEW26AlYc_3S_vYjgC16YXRc8SxIDYwcUBailxLBZz_Ua0BVP4oZX6MrxhDSxyR47eQx1GOXR3qlZPXaxrsxCwmUFQaI86SwiO1WXGPZAofWsj6mGW-7/w400-h225/JoannaLee.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>It also features LeVar Burton, Shari Belafonte, Lee Montgomery of <i>Ben </i>with Jonna Lee as a fifties teen returned to get one more chance at things she missed. Oh, and Kevin McCarthy of <i>Invasion of the Body Snatchers</i> on the flip side. </p><p>There's one great musical number fronted by Shari Belafonte and one great horror set piece with a vintage '50s auto overrun by the undead. A few other flourishes including Jonelle Allen as a colonial vampire shore it all up. </p><p>Wikipedia reports it received mostly negative reviews in the day. They're wrong or at least not taking everything it is now into full account.</p><p>It's not a fully satisfying feature experience for horror fans, but it's still worth a look for the intriguing package that it is. </p><p>Check it out on YouTube <a href="https://youtu.be/ZCU_vEuZH3g" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 27px;"> </span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS Feed</div>Sidneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16284680909152676159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14761314.post-66377392886843072702021-10-01T05:41:00.001-05:002021-10-01T05:41:48.718-05:00A Big Hand for the Little Lady and an Old Household Movie Viewing Mystery Solved <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtmT9IZp-RrZei-2ipfKYzIOjex0EYN8Ichl0S_em02GOnE4RQdx3OrYl4jQPe_rSiogK_Tj9jik5LK8neZ532sUIGHpK7N1bKpkdEI7kZ9L6CWzDMgnJLbg5u3eJA29IiT80h/s2680/MV5BMGJiOWI3YmEtNDc4NS00YjEyLWFkOTAtNjFiZjRiNjE1NDNlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTMxMTQ0NTE%2540._V1_.jpg" style="clear: left; display: block; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2680" data-original-width="1173" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtmT9IZp-RrZei-2ipfKYzIOjex0EYN8Ichl0S_em02GOnE4RQdx3OrYl4jQPe_rSiogK_Tj9jik5LK8neZ532sUIGHpK7N1bKpkdEI7kZ9L6CWzDMgnJLbg5u3eJA29IiT80h/w175-h400/MV5BMGJiOWI3YmEtNDc4NS00YjEyLWFkOTAtNjFiZjRiNjE1NDNlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTMxMTQ0NTE%2540._V1_.jpg" width="175" /></a>My wife, Christine, loves <i>The</i> <i>Odd Couple </i>original<i> </i>film, something about the combo of Neil Simon's humor and Jack Lemmon's performance as Felix. Anyway, it was streaming on Pluto the other day. I pointed it out, and she settled in to watch the what was left.<br /><br />And Walter Matthau on screen suddenly reminded me of a conversation with my dad years and years ago. The, I guess, mostly forgotten comedy western <i>A Big Hand for the Little Lady with </i>Henry Fonda, Joanne Woodward as the the "little lady" and Jason Robards came on TV, probably on NBC. This would have been the very early '70s. <br /><br />As the show neared its conclusion, my dad said he'd seen it before. "But it wasn't with Henry Fonda." <br /><br />An ad for the upcoming broadcast of <i>Cactus Flower</i> popped on the screen about that moment with a tight shot of Walter Matthau's face. "It was that fellow there," he said. <br /><br />Seemed weird, but we chalked it up to an odd coincidence or something like that and moved on.<br /><br />But Walter Matthau--busy with a different set of poker buddies--was on my screen again all these years later via the Internet, which we didn't have in 1971. I thought, why not check it out? Maybe my dad had a point. <br /><br />The IMDB entry simply credits Sidney Carroll as the screenwriter, though there are mentions in the trivia of it originally being written for TV along with allusions to an alternate title or two. <i>Big Deal in Laredo</i> et al.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr1jXyWH7MXW1GLK7i4wnrentT58jjkeycobXrcHlgoDqD8CN2BMHJSf7YvDGxHVUmocZfE5VETwanfNVeh17Ag6jhkUhkDUCviHE38Nu7a1U3bB2f0_a6Z92Wx1-ISGY9dl-Z/s330/Big_Deal_in_Laredo.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="302" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr1jXyWH7MXW1GLK7i4wnrentT58jjkeycobXrcHlgoDqD8CN2BMHJSf7YvDGxHVUmocZfE5VETwanfNVeh17Ag6jhkUhkDUCviHE38Nu7a1U3bB2f0_a6Z92Wx1-ISGY9dl-Z/s320/Big_Deal_in_Laredo.jpg" width="293" /></a></div> <br /><br /><b>Let's Go the the Wiki</b><br />I moved on to Wikipedia, and gained clarity. In 1962, <i>Big Deal in Laredo </i>was produced for television as an installment of an anthology called <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_DuPont_Show_of_the_Week" target="_blank">The Dupont Show of the Week</a>. </i>It earned Emmy nominations including one for Matthau. There's even a <a href="https://outlet.historicimages.com/products/cvp41082" target="_blank">press photo of him in character </a>out there for purchase. <br /><br />Son of a bitch, my old man was right.<i> </i>It's a little thing, but that brought me a bit of joy. The TV show would have aired a month after I was born. <br /><br />My old man was a route salesman for a wholesale grocery company. When he came home from work after driving all day from mom-and-pop grocery to mom-and-pop grocery in rural Louisiana, he still had an hour or two of making changes to his price book, a heavy, leather bound thing with semi-circle holes punched for easy removal and replacement.<br /><br />He would have been working on those changes or pricing order tickets from his customers as we watched anything. That was probably how he watched <i>The Dupont Show</i> years earlier and with a newborn in the house, more focused on the storyline than the brand umbrella. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It's nice to have little things mined out of the memory, reconnecting with little moments from life flowing along. You never know what's going to matter. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Some triggers on a quiet Sunday afternoon are good ones. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS Feed</div>Sidneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16284680909152676159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14761314.post-42014490756966756442021-08-09T08:35:00.003-05:002021-08-09T08:35:29.155-05:00The Strong Women in Science Fiction Event<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy06gboJzocY5flBItwfe7gCB2gZfgKM2aL6cHHKaIjuERyGttB2viOgzXk10G14nY73Jo4GWa_npfT3rusufuIrybf0Pxy9ysqmOF7TZ_Gy9ak5htmjLQxp59KwEa7Az7DYKm/s800/231865284_345792153767528_5177007388002027267_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Strong Women in Science Fiction Event!" border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy06gboJzocY5flBItwfe7gCB2gZfgKM2aL6cHHKaIjuERyGttB2viOgzXk10G14nY73Jo4GWa_npfT3rusufuIrybf0Pxy9ysqmOF7TZ_Gy9ak5htmjLQxp59KwEa7Az7DYKm/w400-h266/231865284_345792153767528_5177007388002027267_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><i>Cat Ladies of the Apocalypse</i>, which includes my story "The Witch of Washington Pari," is part of the Strong Women in Science Fiction Event for August 2021.</p><p><a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/strongwomeninscifi/xhs29avlr3?fbclid=IwAR2koMPUPnmYxk_fuys9j8Sjwn4f7c32wi7CNM_yPZtF27keE9-pXJwhA7U" target="_blank">Check out all there is to see. </a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS Feed</div>Sidneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16284680909152676159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14761314.post-84808017981043818112021-06-23T08:27:00.009-05:002021-06-24T05:08:57.664-05:00Short Film Based on My Flash Fiction Decoherence<p> A few years back, a request came in to the writers Meet Up group <a href="https://www.owlgoingback.com/" target="_blank">Owl Goingback</a> was running in the Orlando area. </p><p>A student up in Gainesville needed a short mystery piece to shoot for a film class. I'd spent a bit of time teaching creative writing by then, gradually emerging from a creative coma induced by 12 years in a marketing job plus one damaging semester in an MFA program with a writing professor who'd go on to break the internet with a column on his harsh outlook on students. (I graduated with an MFA, but I still refer to that semester as The Lost Semester.)</p><p>A short time before, I'd written a bit of flash that landed at a webzine called <i><a href="https://dmdujour.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">DM du Jour</a>.</i></p><p>To help out a student, I though sure, I can adapt that into a quick script, and I did. </p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5TyxKV8e5a8" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><div><p>It was fun to do, but, as happens in the collaborative process, some adaptation of my script transpired for shooting. One character became two, and, partly for logistics I suspect, a moment in the story was reinterpreted. </p><p>It didn't quite do what I'd envisioned in musing about timelines and mysterious visitors. </p><p>I didn't say much about the product, which was mainly for a class anyway. The student got an A for her effort. I didn't think much about it. </p><p>But literally as I was walking this morning, in my current timeline, I thought, maybe the reinterpretation played even more with timelines and many-worlds interpretation. </p><p>So, look above. The short student film from my tale <a href="https://dmdujour.wordpress.com/2015/04/29/sidney-williams-decoherence/" target="_blank">Decoherence </a>can be viewed, and the <a href="https://dmdujour.wordpress.com/2015/04/29/sidney-williams-decoherence/" target="_blank">short-short tale can still be read online as well</a>. </p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS Feed</div>Sidneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16284680909152676159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14761314.post-22128551108824906042021-05-27T09:05:00.001-05:002021-05-27T09:05:00.219-05:00Mothman and Something for the Dark Illustrations<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As noted as an addendum on a recent post on <a href="http://sidneywilliams.blogspot.com/2021/05/favorite-short-stories-something-for.html" target="_blank">Edward D. Hoch's story "Something for the Dark,"</a> the tale originally appeared in the June 1968 issue of <i>Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The original illustrations, in the style that appeared in AHMM for the better part of 20 years or more, further evoke the mothman allusions. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9gzdwIluod6AB8Yk36bwcvwZ0B4sOoBKc_q0K1saIOSJ68Nc1MTQmZWpdHZBB3OkNCQgFH9nce007seLAsSvCnt8EyRpgFoXFKeavKSeDePBd-tJhrWetURfRBqTDHQDAxV6z/s532/SomethingfortheDarkIllo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mothman-style Illustration - Story By Edward D. Hoch" border="0" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="532" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9gzdwIluod6AB8Yk36bwcvwZ0B4sOoBKc_q0K1saIOSJ68Nc1MTQmZWpdHZBB3OkNCQgFH9nce007seLAsSvCnt8EyRpgFoXFKeavKSeDePBd-tJhrWetURfRBqTDHQDAxV6z/w400-h276/SomethingfortheDarkIllo.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-jvgejwjiht8UVm71LHh0rXS4VvB8EbNV92J_z_9pfidopAPqgIk69yV3pzuT8fOjaXR0FlYRwXqWasYXZgcaQQdPOiqw19Jr3Es90mzYbripowJUw0gLaI-ySpYW2IAfIGI/s611/SomethingfortheDarkilloinside_Edward_D._Hoch.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="AHMM - Mothman Illustration" border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="533" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-jvgejwjiht8UVm71LHh0rXS4VvB8EbNV92J_z_9pfidopAPqgIk69yV3pzuT8fOjaXR0FlYRwXqWasYXZgcaQQdPOiqw19Jr3Es90mzYbripowJUw0gLaI-ySpYW2IAfIGI/w349-h400/SomethingfortheDarkilloinside_Edward_D._Hoch.png" width="349" /></a></div><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS Feed</div>Sidneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16284680909152676159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14761314.post-91954393272929691822021-05-24T06:56:00.040-05:002021-05-28T07:55:34.992-05:00Favorite Short Stories: Something for the Dark By Edward D. Hoch<span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0GleySoYoSVHBeGhG6MChSFg-lL7c-mz25xW2fyEaGLedm1D04JfXsM8d8vZOWlzjsiWirbhSkw6kLp2BJcKOSLunxKnQ0FQXaFdy0xGLipEkmOMTb7-vFd9VlBpKa4wCV8U/s444/87609.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Alfred Hitchcock Presents Stories that Go Bump in the Night" border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="306" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0GleySoYoSVHBeGhG6MChSFg-lL7c-mz25xW2fyEaGLedm1D04JfXsM8d8vZOWlzjsiWirbhSkw6kLp2BJcKOSLunxKnQ0FQXaFdy0xGLipEkmOMTb7-vFd9VlBpKa4wCV8U/w221-h320/87609.jpg" width="221" /></a></div><div center="" text-align:=""></div>To identify one sub-category of Edward D. Hoch's fiction is to spoil a bit, I suppose. Hoch excelled at<br /> all varieties of mystery from the locked room to the procedural to the cozy and more. His cadre of sleuths included a cowboy, a spy, a country doctor and the representative of a bureau devoted to apprehensions of fugitives. </span><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;">The collection </span><i style="text-align: left;">Ellery Queen's Grand Slam</i><span style="text-align: left;"> (Popular Library 1970) includes a Hoch trifecta divided by mystery technique, whodunit, howdunit, whydunit. <br /></span><br />But there's also a significant portion of Hoch's work that falls in the realm of the f<a href="https://owlcation.com/humanities/An-Overview-of-Tzvetan-Todorovs-Theory-of-the-Fantastic" target="_blank">antastic uncanny</a> alongside <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i> or the the more recent <i>Scooby Doo</i>. The supernatural is seemingly present in the mystery, but the solution is rational with clues neatly placed along the way to look like phenomena. <br /><br />Clearly Hoch read widely in probably scientific and technical journals, mining for tidbits to serve his ongoing, incredible output. Thumbprint scanners in their infancy might provide a reason for one of thief Nick Velvet's unique pilfers, for example, and all manner of devices or small details might serve Simon Ark tales and many others.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ark, alleged to be a coptic priest thousands of years old, tended to be called in when high strangeness seemed at hand. Even with a bit of mysticism sometimes mixed in, Ark's cases always proved to have a logical explanation.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://sidneywilliams.blogspot.com/2021/04/favorite-short-stories-judges-of-hades.html" target="_blank">SEE ALSO: Favorite Short Stories - The Judges of Hades by Edward D. Hoch</a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That same style is on display in what's maybe a bit of an obscure Hoch tale, "Something for the Dark." From what I can tell it appeared only in the <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i> collection <i>Stories that Go Bump in the Night (</i>Random House<i>, </i>1977)<i>, </i>though its roots seem to be the 1960s. That hints it may have been in a magazine earlier. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The collection's one of a long series of anthologies spawned by the <a href="https://the.hitchcock.zone/wiki/Alfred_Hitchcock_Presents" target="_blank"><i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents </i>TV series</a>, offering tales in a similar vein. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcOBWlrcqxrrIEGIKOPGNRVVJR9e-Qwi7VPquVpsTtG1Nrc72jbxFlXzFPOYaIgmp3G8o_1bo7w0D0AhZCTcoAcfJP3-5kBUi673oKG0M8WrVQM3cqTTenStG9LvqLtNwANQdg/s403/Double-ActionDetective.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Double-Action Detective Magazine" border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="293" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcOBWlrcqxrrIEGIKOPGNRVVJR9e-Qwi7VPquVpsTtG1Nrc72jbxFlXzFPOYaIgmp3G8o_1bo7w0D0AhZCTcoAcfJP3-5kBUi673oKG0M8WrVQM3cqTTenStG9LvqLtNwANQdg/w233-h320/Double-ActionDetective.png" width="233" /></a></div>The hero's not Ark nor one of Hoch's many series characters but magazine writer Steve Foley, though he works for <i>Neptune Magazine</i>, which bears the same name as the publishing house for which Ark's unnamed friend and case-narrator works. <br /><br />Maybe it started out as an Ark tale. (Occasional signs of Hoch's experimentation turn up in mining his cannon. The September, 1959 <i>Double-Action Detective </i>features a more traditional hardboiled private eye named Simon Ark narrating and solving "The Case of the Naked Niece.")<br /><br />In "Dark," the human-interest angle on reports of a man's encounter with what might be called a strange cryptid piques Foley's interest. While on a camping trip with his wife, the man spied a winged creature sounding a lot like Mothman though described as similar to Lewis Carroll's Jabberwock.<br /><br />Circulation's lagging at <i>Neptune, </i>and an October issue is coming up, so his editor dispatches Foley to Pennsylvania for details from Walter Wangard and his wife Lynn. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sounds maybe a little like <a href="https://themothman.fandom.com/wiki/The_Woodrow_Derenberger_Interview" target="_blank">Woodrow Derenberger</a>, noted for encounters with alleged alien Indrid Cold in proximity to Mothman sights.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Turns out the creature may have winged away with the couple's dog.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://sidneywilliams.blogspot.com/2007/01/birds-and-mice-and-frozen-goldfish.html" target="_blank">SEE ALSO: Birds, Mice and Frozen Goldfish Bowls</a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Foley's skeptical, but a trip back to the woods and the spot of the initial sighting gets spooky, and Walt's overcome by something unseen not far from where their dog's found buried. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />For a magazine feature writer, Foley's as attuned to detail as any classic sleuth. As events seem to overwhelm Walt Wangard, Foley pieces together a different interpretation of events, drawing on a bit of science and an inconsistency or two that Sherlock himself might have noted.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's not a terrifying tale, but it has a creepy factor and a satisfying solution. It shouldn't be overlooked by Hoch fans nor those who enjoy a tale with a few clever twists. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>ADDENDUM</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Poking around a bit, I see that "Something for the Dark" appeared in the June, 1968 issue of <i>Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. </i>Mothman sightings and related incidents occurred in 1966 and 1967. See <a href="http://sidneywilliams.blogspot.com/2021/05/mothman-and-something-for-dark.html" target="_blank">illustrations from that publication here</a>. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sidneywilliams.blogspot.com/search?q=emissary" target="_blank"><b>SEE ALSO: Favorite Short Stories: The Emissary by Ray Bradbury</b></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS Feed</div>Sidneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16284680909152676159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14761314.post-37647237964219465582021-05-15T07:29:00.003-05:002021-05-15T07:29:26.585-05:00Original Publication Sites: Scars and Blue Murder <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK16fOQO6HXM4FMOrchL5TI63v0D15w6MUSgybOR6eNe1OdSo1ND00tUFyjZHz0w_F6vzOylMh6XNXcjDJsIahSiPWuRTXKFAPxQ9BrOwvmsG6X8Ek2Kih0uxqRul9LSjzfO6F/s678/Screen+Shot+2021-05-15+at+7.12.06+AM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="678" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK16fOQO6HXM4FMOrchL5TI63v0D15w6MUSgybOR6eNe1OdSo1ND00tUFyjZHz0w_F6vzOylMh6XNXcjDJsIahSiPWuRTXKFAPxQ9BrOwvmsG6X8Ek2Kih0uxqRul9LSjzfO6F/s320/Screen+Shot+2021-05-15+at+7.12.06+AM.png" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK16fOQO6HXM4FMOrchL5TI63v0D15w6MUSgybOR6eNe1OdSo1ND00tUFyjZHz0w_F6vzOylMh6XNXcjDJsIahSiPWuRTXKFAPxQ9BrOwvmsG6X8Ek2Kih0uxqRul9LSjzfO6F/s678/Screen+Shot+2021-05-15+at+7.12.06+AM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></a></div>I get periodic reminders my memory is not what it used to be. <div><br /></div><div>My story "Scars" originally appeared in the online magazine <i>Blue Murder. </i>It's in the ebook collection <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Scars-Candy-Tales-Terror-Mystery-ebook/dp/B004EHZREY" target="_blank">Scars and Candy</a></i> from Crossroad Press. I read a few flash stories from that collection the other day at the Fantasy/Sci-Fi Focus Facebook group and was reminded. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not sure the issue number any longer, and shifts from one computer to the other over the years have lost any contributor's e-copy I had.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's a good lesson on the need to keep good records, I guess. </div><div><br /></div><div>The story was first submitted to the <i>Hot Blood</i> series, and it resulted in a freak-out rejection from Michael Garrett, I believe, and not Jeff Gelb, over something implied but not implicitly stated in the story. </div><div><br /></div><div>It went to some other mag of the time where it chilled one editor but not the second reader it seemed, who took it in better stride than the HB editors at least.</div><div><br /></div><div>I don't recall <i>Blue Murder</i> batting an eye. Shows what a crapshoot the whole submission process is, I guess.</div><div><br /></div><div>Wish I still had a copy of the original. I found a few others around on Planet PDF and discovered several friends in the contents pages, but haven't run across myself.</div><div><br /></div><div>Maybe it'll turn up. At least the story's preserved in <i>Scars</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS Feed</div>Sidneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16284680909152676159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14761314.post-4132847313254390242021-04-13T10:29:00.006-05:002021-05-25T06:08:09.811-05:00Favorite Short Stories - The Judges of Hades by Edward D. Hoch<div class="separator" style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3f_FQgyVLWk-7Gk36JK6MBH9I4AKH5SOrGLyUcbOp5VhK-tZPRnUgsp6h_E2YShaZldnYLgb-fYhC6UJc133DndAyGT1Hv4wocqEjI3RhgUsO2zDz8R2aaY95EVG2BB3Ie-p/s346/41XDTkxx-8L._SY346_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="227" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3f_FQgyVLWk-7Gk36JK6MBH9I4AKH5SOrGLyUcbOp5VhK-tZPRnUgsp6h_E2YShaZldnYLgb-fYhC6UJc133DndAyGT1Hv4wocqEjI3RhgUsO2zDz8R2aaY95EVG2BB3Ie-p/s320/41XDTkxx-8L._SY346_.jpg" /></a></div>I first turned to </span><i style="text-align: center;">Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine </i><span style="text-align: center;">and </span><i style="text-align: center;">Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine</i><span style="text-align: center;"> in the late '70s. They were in the mix and progression of interesting and eclectic things to which I was drawn once the comic books were taken away by the Eckerd Drugs powers that were of the day. </span></div><p></p><p>I met Micahel Morbius on those magazine racks and Doc Savage on the nearby paperback display, so those old Eckerd bean counters nudged my reading tastes, I suppose.<br /></p><p>I was unaware of Simon Ark's legacy in that moment. I just started to notice the contributions of Edward D. Hoch in every issue of EQMM and frequently in AHMM. I came to like police detective Captain Leopold and thief-of-obscure-and-worthless-objects Nick Velvet among Hoch's wide mix of characters. </p><p>When Ark came to the pages of EQMM and AHMM a while after, I started reading of him as well. An introduction noted Hoch had written of him for some time, but I just picked up with the newly arriving tales. </p><p>I sadly never ran across the 1971 paperback edition in my used book store dives. I would have snatched it up, of course. Paperbacks sold for half their cover price back then, not collector's prices. I would have snatched up a 1973 re-introduced <i>Weird Tales </i>too that included an Ark story too. It never made it to Eckerd's that I noticed. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3hTGX96gVIJYMdhMY9tezThiJw6W9rCYgQhvl3woe50ZiUs-sthoX1FlIBymkYLxvqIRBGPDVrId_IF32dIn-uStT-HW8piC5LajHyidYpMYfVr5Q_3zSv34hyphenhyphenKKZlJepFr7/s992/SArk.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The Judges of Hades cover" border="0" data-original-height="992" data-original-width="588" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3hTGX96gVIJYMdhMY9tezThiJw6W9rCYgQhvl3woe50ZiUs-sthoX1FlIBymkYLxvqIRBGPDVrId_IF32dIn-uStT-HW8piC5LajHyidYpMYfVr5Q_3zSv34hyphenhyphenKKZlJepFr7/w190-h320/SArk.jpg" width="190" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Ark might almost have fit in the original <i>Weird Tales </i>alongside Seabury Quinn's Jules de Grandin<i>, </i>I suppose. As explained by Ark's nameless Watsonesque first-person narrator from the publishing industry, Ark was a Coptic priest, thousands of years old. But his mysteries, while hinting at the bizarre or the mystical, were of the "fantastic uncanny" school. Like <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i> or Scooby Doo, while things might seem ghostly or otherwise supernatural, the explanation was rational.</p><p>I enjoyed the Ark stories. My old man, who'd take a turn toward less fantastic tastes later in life, read them as well along with other Hoch stories. "Anything by Edward Hoch is good," he declared. </p><p><b><a href="http://sidneywilliams.blogspot.com/2013/10/favorite-short-stories-hospice.html"> SEE ALSO: Favorite Short Stories: The Hospice by Robert Aickman</a></b></p><p>He liked the clever twists and turns of Hoch's plots, frequently locked rooms with Dr. Sam Hawthorne and more violent crimes with Leopold. Often, they'd hinge on technology of some sort. I decided Hoch must read a lot about new developments as well as the inner workings of older devices. He was no stranger to minute details in other realms such as myth and folklore either. </p><p>That hint of the arcane in Ark stories probably appealed to me more as my interest in Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft grew. The delight when Hoch revealed how a man trapped in a revolving door all alone could perish at another's hand grabbed both my dad and me, however.</p><p>Things weren't as accessible in those days as they are now. I had to wait for ebooks to bring back early Ark tales including Hoch's first published story, I believe, "Village of the Dead." In that one an entire village plunges lemming-like over a cliff. </p><p><b><a href=" http://sidneywilliams.blogspot.com/2006/07/ray-bradbury-october-game-major.html" target="_blank">SEE ALSO: Ray Bradbury's October Game</a></b></p><p>"The Judges of Hades," probably novelette length, is in the Mysterious Press/Open Road ebook of <i>The Quests of Simon Ark </i>as well. It's nice to backtrack a bit now that so much is at our fingertips.</p><p><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1mCEXtwjOTQMTtkq4qKBw9bnW_F7e7qn4wMochemKjHeUF6CXCJ2KwsmViRk8mhNZAfrgpKCPdzX8uGtMboK_TKnl-LttxWlYVni_VKb3T7pwW2Eu-RgQgk3Uq62-pM55hd5/s300/CrackMystery.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1mCEXtwjOTQMTtkq4qKBw9bnW_F7e7qn4wMochemKjHeUF6CXCJ2KwsmViRk8mhNZAfrgpKCPdzX8uGtMboK_TKnl-LttxWlYVni_VKb3T7pwW2Eu-RgQgk3Uq62-pM55hd5/s0/CrackMystery.jpg" /></a></i>According to this <a href="https://occultdetective.tripod.com/ark.htm" target="_blank">handy list</a>, the story first appeared in the February 1957 <i>Crack Detective and Mystery. </i>It's fun to have a sense at least of a tale's original trappings.<i> </i></p><i><br /></i><p></p><i></i><p></p><p>The story takes Ark's publishing-industry friend plus wife Shelly back to his hometown, Maple Shades, Indiana. Kids are wont to strip Maple S from local welcome signs, but it seems to be one of those quiet picket-fences places, though the narrator's much happier in the canyons of New York. </p><p>The friend's father, Richard, and sister Stella, have died in a head-on collision, each alone in a separate car. </p><p>The narrator's strict father was a strict local judge as well. He and his brother, Uncle Phillip, also a judge, had been dubbed judges of hades by the local press, inspired by vase depicting the mythological Greek guardians of the underworld.</p><p>What made either the Stella or the Richard decide to ram the other? Dad had ruled against the sister's husband, but would that have triggered a dark impulse on her part? </p><p>The narrator persuades Ark to look into the matter and his interest is piqued by the mythological reference. Was supernatural evil to blame? And what's up with the fact that there were three mythological judges of Hades?</p><p>Ark's interest grows as the potentially spookier side of things becomes evident.</p><p>The solution's wrapped up in fifties small town repression and more character texture than usual. All is revealed as the narrator contemplates choices and contrasts between life in Maple Shades with the glitzy life of the city. </p><p>Are there a couple of stretches? Perhaps, but it's all clever enough and anticipates what's ahead for Ark who's a tall and heavy-set man not yet showing some of the signs of age mentioned in later tales. So is he really who he claims to be?</p><p>It should be enjoyable to fans for the likes of Carnacki, though he might have found a ghost or a logical explanation.</p><p>And, if we'd have run across it while he was alive, I'm pretty sure my old man would have liked it and held to his Hoch contention. We had our tiffs, but we got along better than Ark's narrator and his dad Richard. </p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS Feed</div>Sidneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16284680909152676159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14761314.post-62061363353837206672021-04-12T08:45:00.002-05:002021-04-12T08:45:29.131-05:00Biblioholic's Bookshelf - The Green Eyes of Bast by Sax Rohmer - Twenties Horror<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Best known as the creator of <a href="http://www.philsp.com/SaxRohmer/FuFrames.htm" target="_blank">Fu Manchu</a>, Sax Rohmer, real name Arthur Henry Sarsfield Ward, also produced a host of stand-alone novels. He also penned several other series, Gaston Max, Red Kerry, Paul Harly and Sumuru. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sumuru seems to have been an attempt to produce a slightly more enlightened series in the fifties even though his Fu Manchu series, which had generated controversy and charges of racism, continued on paper. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">He also wrote tales of Bazarada based on magician Harry Houdini. <i>The Green Eyes of Bast</i> is more in that vein, a horror thriller from 1920 with a focus on Egyptian magic. It feature psychic investigator Dr. Damar Greefe. This edition is February 1971 from Pyramid.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWFnABUUMTSBx7hzyY1I1ueH4FW93StGtmGT66vydchSx_jnXP6xreLM9yeYjg3GdAZANYPsSs4fTrypALAWgJh0a3J3z1HXitMcf8pTDrLfWJrceKApvuCX6X9W1Eiqv-5MHk/s2048/GreenEyesofBast.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Green Eyes of Bast Sax Romer Creator of Fu Manchu" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1221" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWFnABUUMTSBx7hzyY1I1ueH4FW93StGtmGT66vydchSx_jnXP6xreLM9yeYjg3GdAZANYPsSs4fTrypALAWgJh0a3J3z1HXitMcf8pTDrLfWJrceKApvuCX6X9W1Eiqv-5MHk/w382-h640/GreenEyesofBast.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://sidneywilliams.blogspot.com/2011/09/biblioholics-bookshelf-to-devil.html" target="_blank"><br /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://sidneywilliams.blogspot.com/2011/09/biblioholics-bookshelf-to-devil.html" target="_blank">SEE ALSO: Biblioholic's Bookshelf: To The Devil A Daughter - Fifties Horror
</a><br /><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUVSsq6BtUa6epShByA1c3lYz4pDQny9aNV0Sv7p7UWUNmyjblq3I8z68Wz04kQ9gGVs8QU3l5yIeRpJrnkVifT0sRqatefGRsiN5ag6M9pJDLJSvcooFm99_d1uR_9tE5GLNl/s2048/GreenEyesBackCover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Green Eyes of Bast Back Cover" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1212" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUVSsq6BtUa6epShByA1c3lYz4pDQny9aNV0Sv7p7UWUNmyjblq3I8z68Wz04kQ9gGVs8QU3l5yIeRpJrnkVifT0sRqatefGRsiN5ag6M9pJDLJSvcooFm99_d1uR_9tE5GLNl/w378-h640/GreenEyesBackCover.jpg" width="378" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">RSS Feed</div>Sidneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16284680909152676159noreply@blogger.com0