Unspeakable Horror!

"The Caretaker" by Sarah Langan

Dark Scribe Press is pleased to announce the inclusion of “The Caretaker,” an original work of short fiction by Sarah Langan, in the Unspeakable Horror: From the Shadows of the Closet anthology.

Sarah Langan grew up on Long Island and went to college in Waterville, Maine, where she published her first story, "Sick People". She received her MFA in creative writing from Columbia University, where she studied with Michael Cunningham, Nicholas Christopher, Helen Schulman, and Maureen Howard, among others. She is currently a master's candidate in Environmental Health Science/Toxicology at NYU and lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Her debut novel – 2006’s The Keeper – was a New York Time's Editor's Choice and Bram Stoker first novel nominee. Her second novel, The Missing, received an American Library Association Award, Dark Scribe Magazine's Black Quill Award for Best Dark Genre Novel, and the prestigious Bram Stoker Award for Outstanding novel of 2007.

She is currently at work on a third novel, Audrey's Door, and a collection of short stories.

Author Website

"A Letter from Phoenix" by Kealan Patrick Burke

Dark Scribe Press is pleased to announce the inclusion of “A Letter from Phoenix,” an original short work of fiction by Kealan Patrick Burke, in the Unspeakable Horror: From the Shadows of the Closet anthology.

Born and raised in Dungarvan, Ireland, Kealan Patrick Burke is an award-winning author described as "a newcomer worth watching" (Publishers Weekly) and "one of the most original authors in contemporary horror" (Booklist).

Some of his works include the novels Currency of Souls and The Hides (Bram Stoker Award Nominee, 2005), the novellas The Turtle Boy (Bram Stoker Award Winner, 2004), Vessels and Midlisters, and the collections Ravenous Ghosts and The Number 121 to Pennsylvania & Others.

Kealan also edited the anthologies: Taverns of the Dead (starred review, Publishers Weekly), Brimstone Turnpike, Quietly Now (International Horror Guild Award Nominee, 2004), the charity anthology Tales from the Gorezone and Night Visions 12 (starred review, Publishers Weekly, British Fantasy Award & International Horror Guild Award nominee).

A movie based on his short story "Peekers", directed by Mark Steensland (DEAD @ 17), and scripted by veteran novelist Rick Hautala (Bedbugs, The Mountain King), is currently scheduled for screening at a variety of international film festivals.

Author Website

"The Next Big Thing" by Christopher Fox

Dark Scribe Press is pleased to announce the inclusion of “The Next Big Thing,” an original work of short fiction by Christopher Fox, in the Unspeakable Horror: From the Shadows of the Closet anthology.

Hailing from Las Vegas, Nevada, Christopher Fox professes to be related to President Bush and claims that he was once sexually harassed at an Arby’s. After graduating from high school in 1986, the same year he saw his favorite rock band - the Thompson Twins - live in concert, he studied theatre at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. That was followed by graduate level work at the National Shakespeare Conservatory in New York City. After years as a struggling actor, he got his first big Hollywood break as one of the panicked people running down the street and screaming in Godzilla. He was neither an Academy Award nominee that year, nor did Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker invite him over for lunch. Sick of hearing that no one needed a twenty-something character actor, he relocated to the scenic mountains of Western North Carolina where he is a schoolteacher.

“The Next Big Thing” marks his professional writing debut.

"Bluff" by L.A. Fields

Dark Scribe Press is pleased to announce the inclusion of “Bluff,” an original work of short fiction by L.A. Fields, in the Unspeakable Horror: From the Shadows of the Closet anthology.

L.A. Fields is currently pursuing a degree in English Literature in her home state of Florida. Afterwards she plans to scout out some cardboard real estate and devote herself to writing.

“Bluff” marks her professional writing debut.

Author Website

the Scissor Swarm swirls--stainless steel vortex--
each pair an exact spectral replica
of the murder weapon--like a witch's hex
to curse the killer's twisted erotica--
the Scissor Swarm attacks by id-like reflex--
all envisioned by the psychic Jessica
& recorded by Gordon--on the trail
to learn Bartholomew's mysterious tale

I am a vampire housewife; purity failed
after refusing so many bloodsuckers
invitation; coffin lid closed; bat-flight curtailed;
those nasty caped counts, virginity pluckers;
my bare neck, spread legs, vulnerable closed mind.
Now I clean house & walk your armadillo
in daytime; in darkness you come from behind.
I remove the crucifix beneath the pillow
& mouthwash out the garlic to please you;
so many stains of hunger to bleach from the sheets,
& now I find my queer thirst appeased too
as I vanquish my fear of undead queer feats
& relish the love of the projecting vein;
I am a vampire housewife, happy--& plain.

Hello horror fans!

Come and visit Unspeakable Horror over at myspace.  I just added some cool new stuff to the profile page:

myspace.com/queerhorror 

Be my friend!  Check out the new stuff! 

spectral phantasm from a strange dimension--
nesting inside your human-host mind--
odd ghost-octopus offers undead suspension
of mortality eternally--then you find
your brain-cage opens with acute comprehension
of the shadow zone--reality behind the blind
of the sunshine surface mirage-world external
that mirrors your slumbering nightmares internal

Tonight I discovered an awesome independent comic called Ghost Zero at Wowio, which means you can download it for free!

It's a really cool horror superhero.  I love the concept.  Here is the description from Wowio:

Eddie Quick is just a typical teenage boy living in a typical small town in post-war 1947 America. His typical life, however, gets changed forever when he finds a mysterious ring haunted by the ghost of a gun-slinging vigilante named Charles Pallentine, who wants Eddie’s help to continue his crusade for justice beyond the grave! When Eddie’s physical body and Charles’ ghostly powers combine, they become GHOST ZERO, avenger of the helpless dead!

GHOST ZERO is a supernatural thrill ride with pulp-noir style and two-gun action!

In this issue: “Ghosts with Guns!” collects two stories; “Sea of the Dead” and “The Fleshless Legion”, along with a sketchbook section from the creator, and pin-ups from other great artists. 

Gordon inspects the crime scene evidence--
prurient internet watcher now slumped--
death by the scissors unnatural recompense--
the boy's dead body in the forest was dumped--
past dead he still kills in the present tense--
digital vouyer by the Scissor Swarm bumped
off--those who view Bartholomew's pictures
soon encounter his steely-tipped strictures

"Vourdalak" by Michael Hacker

Dark Scribe Press is pleased to announce the inclusion of “Vourdalak,” an original work of short fiction by Michael Hacker, in the Unspeakable Horror: From the Shadows of the Closet anthology.

Michael Hacker was born in the American Midwest. He has worked in a cheese factory, as an actor, a teacher, a meat cutter, and in a series of dismal office jobs. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Iowa in 1985, which makes him older than he looks. "Vourdalak" marks his professional writing debut.

He currently lives in Seattle where he is delighted to be employed as a writer/editor for a local game company. 

Author Website

"Memory Box" by Reesa Brown

Dark Scribe Press is pleased to announce the inclusion of “Memory Box,” an original work of short fiction by Reesa Brown, in the Unspeakable Horror: From the Shadows of the Closet anthology. 

Reesa Brown owns a tattoo and piercing shop as her night job, which gives her more time to write stories during the day. She is a member of the Society of Voluptuaries and lives in central Texas with her two partners, extended family for neighbors, and a network of friends and lovers located locally and internationally. While her home might be nicely said to be "filled with laughter, words, and music," more frequently it is found to be "infested with lap vermin, feathery know-it-alls, and a convenient dog or two to blame everything on".

"Memory Box" marks her professional writing debut.

Author Website

"Cask" by Jude Wright

Dark Scribe Press is pleased to announce the inclusion of “Cask,” an original work of short fiction by Jude Wright, in the Unspeakable Horror: From the Shadows of the Closet anthology.

Jude Wright writes horror, dark fantasy, and magical realism. He is currently making the transition from Boston to Elsewhere, along with his wife and cat. He holds a Master's degree in literature from Boston College and is scheduled to begin his Ph.D at an undisclosed university in the fall of 2008.

“Cask” marks his professional writing debut.

a shallow grave can't contain Bartholomew--
he rises--moray eel from corral reef--
his scissors silver eel-teeth--his survivors few--
vengeance swells methodical--onslaught only brief--
he slithers from the id-crevice--only to eschew
plain mortal mercy as insertion brings belief--
Bartholomew from beneath emerges
as puppet-blades of the swarm converges
 

As an English Major in college, my favorite part of literary theory was the Freudian stuff.  Over the years, I've come to the conclusion that all great horror stories have a strong foundation in psychology; at least, Freudian psychology can help interpret horror stories.  For me, the Freud stuff has always influenced my writing, and Bartholomew of the Scissors is no exception. 

In creating the spectral phantasms, I basically created creatures that reside in the land of the subconscious mind.  In the story, I say they come from another dimension, but that dimension is like the "twilight zone" of the human mind--the subconscious.  Basically, these ghost-like creatures are harbingers from the land of dreams and myth, and that is why they give their hosts fantastical abilities.  The phantasms live in the human brain, but they specifically reside in the subconscious mind, so they can't consciously communicate with their host.  In a sense, they literally live inside of a dream reality that spills out into the normal world.  Ultimately, I hope this gives the story a "nightmarish" feel to it.

In creating Bartholomew, I wanted to make his character a creature of the id.  He is completely wild--he satisfies his rampant desire for revenge without any compunction.  This is why he is dangerous, but this is also why he isn't evil; he's just without a conscience.   In a sense, Bartholomew occupies a place in-between normal reality and the land of dreams.  He can move in and out of portals, choosing to enter and leave our reality at will.  And the Scissor Swarm is the ultimate embodiment of the id, acting out Bartholomew's desire for revenge and mayhem.  He takes great pleasure in creating chaos.

Gordon WattGordon Watt--paranormal investigator

exposes film with spectral phantasm traces
follows Bartholomew--undead instigator
of vengeful murder--Gordon Watt chases
the minions of the blob--white assimilator
that alien lurks behind human faces--
Gordon solves mysteries of the unseen
and finds the secret folded in-between

the White Blob arises from the void-like abyss--
this bleached ameboid--invading alien--
milky deep-sea mass with secret orifice--
swallowing-sphincter to bring the chosen in--
oozing white mastermind's fatal blob kiss
and human consumed becomes brood-minion
like Melville's White Whale the surface it breaches--
run for your life when the shoreline it reaches

"Prayers of the Living" by Erin MacKay

Dark Scribe Press is pleased to announce the inclusion of “Prayers of the Living,” an original work of short fiction by Erin MacKay, in the Unspeakable Horror: From the Shadows of the Closet anthology.

Erin MacKay was born in Mobile, Alabama and raised all over the Southeastern United States. As a child, Erin was a voracious reader of fantasy and science fiction, much to the detriment of her schoolwork and social life. She began writing her own stories at an early age, most of which have mercifully disappeared.

Her short fiction has appeared in several anthologies, including “Letters Home” from Bound for Evil: Curious Tales of Good Books Gone Bad (Dead Letter Press), “Crossing the Distance” from Tangle XY (Blind Eye Books), and “Windows” from Corpse Blossoms (Creeping Hemlock Press).

After many years in Atlanta, Erin recently moved to North Carolina with her husband and two dogs. Her interests include history, travel, football and gourmet beer.

Author Website

"The Boys of Bald Cave" by C. Michael Cook

Dark Scribe Press is pleased to announce the inclusion of “The Boys of Bald Cave,” an original work of short fiction by C. Michael Cook, in the Unspeakable Horror: From the Shadows of the Closet anthology.

C. Michael Cook hails from Knoxville, Iowa and grew up loving books, television and movies. Especially the scary stuff. In high school, he was a drama nerd, and later attended the University of Iowa, graduating with a B.A. in Broadcasting and Film. After college, he moved to Chicago to work in advertising. In addition to copywriting positions at some of the city's top agencies, he wrote numerous magazine articles, and was the lead content producer at Oprah.com from 1995-2000.

His debut story, "Unto the Sons, the Daughters," was published by The Baybury Review and subsequently nominated for the enduring Pushcart Prize. Following an absence from writing - during which he became a usability professional, bought a house and did other grown-up things - he returned to writing fiction. "The Boys of Bald Cave" marks that return.

He currently lives in Chicago, where he enjoys running along the lakefront, and books, television and movies. Especially the scary stuff.

Author Website

It's a dream come true!  A gay version of Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher."

Check it out: 

Here are some early conceptual drawings of Bartholomew by artist Steve Fox.  In these images, Bartholomew looks like an older teenager.

Bartholomew is an undead fourteen-year-old who comes back from the grave after being murdered by the perverted psychiatrist, Dr. Karen.  

Bartholomew is the host for a dormant spectral phantasm, a ghostly creature from another dimension that lives in the human brain.  When Dr. Karen murders Bartholomew with a pair of sewing shears, the phantasm wakes up and resurrects the boy.  

Before killing the boy, Dr. Karen takes photographs of Bartholomew and distributes them on the internet.   After Bartholomew rises from the grave, he gains an array of supernatural powers, including the psychic knowledge of who looks at Dr. Karen's photographs on the internet.  Bartholomew uses the mysterious power of the Scissor Swarm to act out his revenge on everyone who gazes at the photographs of him.

Bartholomew of the Scissors is coming in October 2008 from Bluewater Comics. 

Bartholomew and Dr. Karen:

Here is a revised version of my poem about the infamous mirror witch! 

Bloody Mary
By Chad Helder
 
I believed the story  
I see her in my mind's eye
gothic portraiture of the subconscious
darkened bathroom mirror lights up
she is there
covered in the blood
catastrophic birth
hanging breasts exposed
the majesty of stained glass
 
She never acts
only resonates with a museum pose
twisted like a peepshow
an evil icon
Virgin Mary Satanic Double
 
Bloody Mary oh
V8 vodka goddess
vengeance compels you
mirror witch
tomato juice Virgin
 
I cower in the hallway
as my older brother and his friends
chant
Bloody Mary 13 times
a climax
in a black bathroom
they know I listen
they scream
and I imagine what they see
 
Madeline of Usher
risen from the vaulted beneath
in the bathroom mirror
played by Sissy Spacek
with a bucketful of ketchup
dripping with intense
adolescent menstruation anxiety
 
and will her illuminated malevolence
deprive me of my reason
rising up from Samara's well
from the bathtub in room 217
the dripping temptress
slumber party icon
of Satanic fury
lipstick-smudge anima
born from the deep id-pool
of the mirror
in the bathroom of pubescent
awakenings
 
it's a bloody world
of prom-gone-wrong
Bloody Mary
your name is a key in Bluebeard's door

A promotional image of the Fire Doppelganger has been added to Bartholomew's Preview Gallery.

Artist Daniel Crosier uses an innovative method of burning comic book illustrations into pine planks.  

Here is more information about the Fire Doppelganger from Bartholomew of the Scissors:

Fire Doppelganger by Artist Daniel CrosierThe Fire Doppelganger:
Like Bartholomew's Scissor Swarm, Jessica’s Fire Doppelganger is a manifestation of spectral energy, called forth from another dimension by the spectral phantasm living inside of Jessica's mind. 

The Fire Doppelganger emerges from fires that Jessica starts with her mind.  In this sense, Jessica is pyrokinetic.  The phantasm in Jessica’s mind can extend a tentacle that ignites a fire on contact.  It is from this fire that the Doppelganger emerges.

If contained, the Doppelganger commands unparalleled psychic vision, and in this sense, the Fire Doppelganger is an invaluable tool to investigating the world of the paranormal.  However, once unleashed, the Fire Doppelganger is extremely volatile and unpredictable as it acts out Jessica's worst impulses and desires; the Fire Doppelganger is an embodiment of her id, or the suppressed desires in her subconscious mind where her phantasm resides.

The Fire Doppelganger, like its name would suggest, resembles Jessica, except this spectral incarnation is composed of fire and takes on a demonic aspect.
 

Check out this excellent issue of Doorways magazine, which includes an essay by Vince Liaguno entitled "My Bloody Valentine: A Classic Slasher with Heart."  Download the magazine for free.  Just click on the cover below: