TC Publisher Interview: Neil Baker launches April Moon Books with anthology THE DARK RITES OF CTHULHU, edited by Brian Sammons, featuring 'The Half Made Thing,' now available for order

 

I'm pleased to announce the publication of my tale "The Half Made Thing" in the anthology The Dark Rites of Cthulhu, overseen by red-hot editorial force Brian M. Sammons, which is notable as the launch project of April Moon Books, a new speculative fiction indie press founded by writer and freshly minted publisher Neil Baker, whom I interviewed below.

In addition to the honor of joining the launch of April Moon, this is a special occasion for me personally, as not only will this be my first time working with Neil, who has been so lovely throughout and is sure to have a long career in this business, but "The Half Made Thing" also marks my first bit of published poetry as a fully functioning, semi-clearheaded adult (I don't count the snarky twaddle I published in Omaha's own groundbreaking indie mag Sound New & Arts back in college).  The story actually began as a poem/chanty, with the prose growing out of the verse.  As such, upon completion of the tale, I submitted both, as they tie together, and Brian was kind enough to accept them as a package, which now serves as the closing chapter in The Dark Rites of Cthulhu, finishing off an anthology of Lovecraftian tales dealing with themes of magic, sorcery, and dark conjuring, written by some of the premiere names working in Mythos fiction today.

So, give the interview below a read, pick up The Dark Rites of Cthulhu via either Amazon (Kindle edition going for only $2.99) or straight from the April Moon source, and hunker down with a bit of necromancy this spring.  As the days get longer, the nights become more meaningful, as all the best things happen under the cloak of darkness, or even just under the cloak.
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Neil Baker, Galactic Overlord of April Moon Books

TC:  Give us a little bit of background on yourself, and on April Moon Books.  As a Writer, Editor, and now Publisher, what moved you to found your own small press?

NB:  Here’s the thing. I've always been a writer, but I've never allowed myself to write. As a modern-day Renaissance Man (i.e. work-shy fop), I've flitted from job to job; among other things I've been a prop maker, a dinosaur builder, a graphic designer, a teacher, a filmmaker and animator. I've chased a thousand mad dreams, and caught one or two, and at the core of all of my career choices has been the story. A few years ago, when I was coming down from a frenetic 4-yr production (a stop-motion short that is still on the festival circuit), I found some old stories that I had written many years ago. They were crude, but fun, and they prompted me to explore possible outlets. By chance, I saw an open call on Facebook for ‘steampunk infused Mythos fiction’, and so I wrote a tale which was influenced by Mark Gatiss’ Lucifer Box series of novels.

The Devil’s Mudpack was a romp and a half, but it didn’t make the cut. However, the editors, a couple of ne’er-do-wells named Sammons and Barrass, liked it enough to invite me to write for ‘Atomic Age Cthulhu’ – and Little Curly was accepted. In fact, one of them remarked that my story had moved him to tears. This was the kind of thing my dwindling ego needed to hear, and so I threw myself into story-writing with gusto. I got another couple of short horrors into two more books and then shortly after that my next story, The Turtle, was accepted into World War Cthulhu, and I realized that I could hold my own with the big kids. At the same time, I knew that selling a short story here or there wasn't going to keep my own kids in diapers, and so I decided to take the plunge, to invest some time and money into starting my own publishing house in order to create the kinds of books that I would love to read, while possibly making a bit of dough on the side.

How hard could it be?

I’m sure you've recently found the answer to that question.  In this vein, what are some the challenges you have faced in building your own publishing company?  Did anything surprise you?

The biggest hurdle I am facing while building my empire is me. This is a one-man show, with the occasional bit of reading done for me by good friends and a supportive wife, all of whom know a thing or two about story. Unfortunately I’m having to assume all the roles normally delegated in any given company, and you can bet your bottom dollar that ‘creative’ Neil trumps ‘business’ Neil Every Single Time.

I am never happier than when I am editing a great story, designing a book cover or sculpting a promotional gift. However, there is a sadly neglected XL spreadsheet that is crying to be updated, forms to fill in, Important Things to do, that force me to grit my teeth and get them done. This will get better as time goes on, but I still feel I have yet to hit my stride.

How did you hook up with editor Brian Sammons for The Dark Rites of Cthulhu?  Did he approach you with the project, or was it the other way around?

Ever since working with him on ‘Atomic Age’ and ‘World War’, I have enjoyed a great rapport with Brian as we gelled over movies and other shared passions. One day, I happened to remark in passing that I was thinking of starting up a publishing company. My words were like catnip to the feline Sammons, who pounced on my message board, lighting it up with an idea he had been bouncing around in his head. As the concept tumbled out via emails I made the decision to go for it, knowing full well this was a huge risk. To launch my company with a high profile anthology like this threw up many pros and cons. I knew I wanted to do this book, to create something that could sit on the shelf next to a Chaosium title or DRP novel, and I also knew that Brian had the connections to the talent required to make it happen. I knew the stories were going to be the best I could possibly hope for if I wanted to make an impact, but I was also acutely aware that I wasn't going to get all this for free. I had to make a commitment and so, after discussing it with my long-suffering better half, said yes.

What can readers expect when they crack open The Dark Rites of Cthulhu?

Firstly, I think it’s going to come as a bit of a shock to anyone unfamiliar with the authors just how exceptionally good the stories are. The contributors are all writers at the top of their game, well respected, award-winning, and best-selling. I have nothing but respect for small presses and anyone who self-publishes, but it is no secret that the quality of fiction is quite alarmingly varied. The decision to go with the sixteen authors in my book has meant that the reader will be dipping into top notch writing. It’s a benchmark I hope to maintain.


As for the content, I believe that Brian’s original concept, that of the intimate meddling of humans in the dark arts of the Mythos (as opposed to full-scale battles between mortals and Old Ones), sheds new light on Lovecraft’s creations. The acts depicted in this book are born from obsession, a dangerous thirst for knowledge and the craving of power, and it is no surprise that the people who immerse themselves in this insidious sorcery soon come undone, both mentally and physically. Not only that, but one of the stipulations for the story submissions was that the authors should steep their ideas in the lurid stylings of old Hammer films, something they have all embraced.

You just returned from the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival in Portland, and by all reports, sold out your complete stock of The Dark Rites of Cthulhu.  How was attending your first festival/con as a publisher, and what was the reaction like to the anthology?

It was a tremendous experience, and I am grateful that I finally decided to go. When it was suggested to me (by DRoC author Tom Lynch) I’ll admit I balked at the potential cost of travelling to Portland from Toronto. What with the flight, accommodation and other expenses, I would tip my original marketing budget well over the edge. However, a brief email correspondence with Gwen Callahan, one of the festival organizers, convinced me that this was too good an opportunity to miss, and so I made all the necessary arrangements and hoped I hadn't dug myself a deep hole.

As it turned out, my fears were unfounded, as I sold enough books on the first day to pay for my flight, and was actually able to pack up early on the final day having sold every copy, plus promotional sculptures and t-shirts I had made. The very public launch of The Dark Rites had been a huge success and, through chatting with customers, I learned that there was indeed a thirst for Lovecraftian tales steeped in magic and sorcery. I went all out on the promotional materials, ensuring that every visitor went home with at least a postcard or magnet whether they bought a book or not. I also printed new promotional posters every morning to keep my table fresh and informative, not least being the extraordinary testimonials from Cody Goodfellow, Wilum H. Pugmire and David Conyers, all procured by Brian. Then he produced the coup-de-grace, a new testimonial from Laird Barron, which I hastily printed up and which was responsible for a clutch of sales by folks who muttered, “Well, if Laird likes it…”.

On the last day of the festival, I was delighted to announce that sales of the physical book had hit 100, likewise for the Kindle edition, all in the first week of sales. This is a fantastic start for my company and, although I am acutely aware that I have a long way to go, I am cautiously optimistic about April Moon’s chances.

As a Publisher, what advice can you give to writers seeking to place their work in anthologies such as yours, or in selling their longer works (novellas, novels)?  What is April Moon Books specifically looking for from writers/artists?

As I have previously mentioned, I want to publish books that I would enjoy. By that reasoning, it is safe to assume that my influences growing up shape my desires, and so it would be a good idea to take a good hard look at the following entities, for these are the ingredients that I like to play with: Hammer films, Dr. Who (old stuff), Star Wars and other space operas, Amicus films, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Quatermass, Fredric Brown, Pan books, 2000 AD, monsters (of any shape or size), crimson blood and heaving bosoms.

What’s next for April Moon Books?  What are the long-term plans for your company?

The promotion for The Dark Rites of Cthulhu will continue throughout the month of April, with several major stages in the works including magazine campaigns, review campaigns and paid social media advertising. Then, at the end of the month, I will resume editing duties on my second book; a new anthology under my ‘Short Sharp Shocks’ banner, AMOK! This book will be a pulpy heap of psychotic, mostly contemporary horror dealing with persons or things that go on mental and physical rampages. Such is the nature of the beast that I have a pair of ‘office worker’ stories bookending the anthology, with a few (original) zombie tales in the mix, vampires, serial killers, giant alligators and monstrous pigs. It will be shocking, amusing and, ultimately, a lot of fun. A typical April Moon book. If that title does well, then I am looking further ahead to Short Sharp Shocks Volume 2: Stomping Grounds. You can guess the theme for that one.

Then I also have a children’s book in the works that I have written, and I have just secured the talents of an illustrator who I greatly admire and who will be working remotely with me from her home in Japan. I’m very excited for this book, not least because I've forced my children into it in a fit of self-serving madness. It’s based on At the Earth’s Core, and I have a follow-up planned that is based on At the Mountains of Madness…

Lastly, I have an author in mind that I hope to tempt into writing for my company. She writes adult fantasy fiction, and I’m intrigued to see what she can conjure up for me. That will be in the form of novellas, with an option to put out a collection.

So, horror anthologies, childrens’ books and eroticism. I think I've covered the bases.

Any closing thoughts?  Sartorial advice?  Folksy homilies from the Old Country?  

I think I've waffled on enough. If anyone has had the gumption to stick with my responses, then I thank you wholeheartedly for your support and interest. No matter what the outcome, this has been a glorious adventure so far, and I am delighted to have seen my social circle evolve in the past few years. If anyone reading this hasn't written before, or for a while, I urge you to go ahead and do it. If it turns out to be rubbish, that’s fine, do it again. At the end of the day you are creating – and that’s what’s important.

Publishing News: 'White Feather' Accepted for Publication in WORLD WAR CTHULHU, Edited by Brian M. Sammons & Glynn Owen Barrass for Dark Regions Press - Indiegogo 60% Funded

Cover Art by Vincent Chong

I am very excited to announce that my story "White Feather" was accepted for publication in the anthology World War Cthulhu: A Collection of Lovecraftian War Stories, edited by Brian M. Sammons & Glynn Owen Barrass for noted publisher Dark Regions Press.

"White Feather" is a period piece set primarily in New London, Connecticut during the American Revolutionary War, and centers on the desperate measures a Privateer captain takes to regain his good name and honor after finding himself the lone survivor of his entire crew, which was brutally slaughtered during the return trip from a raiding party along the coast of Nova Scotia.  As a history buff, I had a ball researching the era and the area, and then dumping in a healthy dose of Cosmic Horror.

The story joins an impressive line-up of fellow contributors, which will be detailed below via the magic of cutting and pasting boosted text from the DRP website.  Before we go into that, it is incumbent upon you, gentle reader, to prance your silly ass over to the World War Cthulhu Indiegogo campaign currently chugging along at full steam, eating up much coal and sweat as the funding goal has now risen to over 62% complete with less than 40 days to go.  Don't be left out, facing the slings and arrows and plasma bombs alone.  And certainly don't let these fantastic stretch goals and pledge perks go unrealized, several of which include me - yours goddamn truly - tuckerizing you into "White Feather" itself (only six more spots left), killing you in an upcoming story or book (only four spots left), or even writing an original Lovecrafitan story with you as protagonist - or the antagonist, if you prefer (eight spots left).   Put my ass to work.  Force me to shame you, kill you, make you dance, or place you in battle either for or against the cold cosmic forces at work in our multiverse.  Become a part of the Mythos, by my pen or those of my esteemed colleagues.  Opportunities like this are fun, and not readily available every day.  Seize the day, fear the night, and lay down your lucre.

War is coming, from within, and from without.  But it is coming, and once it does, nothing will ever be the same again.

Check these illustrations by the great M. Wayne Miller which have already been unlocked by backers so far (getting to $13,000 - a very real possibility - gets the book eight more):

World War Cthulhu: A Collection of Lovecraftian War Stories contains 19 stories of war and horror from the mythos of H.P. Lovecraft written by many of the top names in Lovecraftian fiction:

Introduction

"Loyalty" by John Shirley - In Loyalty, John Shirley tells a tale of a stranger in a strange land, a man out of time that awakens to a future where horrors unexpected battle mankind. A deal with a tentacled devil is required to save humanity, but will we really be saved?

"The Game Changers" by Stephen Mark Rainey - The Vietnam War, a journey through a jungle of madness and death. What are brave men to do when their very own superiors have given their loyalty to things that should not breathe the same as us?

"White Feather" by T.E. Grau - This is a tale of a heroism without reward, of a life ground down by the horror of seeing too much, knowing too much. During the War of Independence, a Privateer captain fights for his jaded soul’s redemption, or perhaps, destruction.

"To Hold Ye White Husk" by W.H. Pugmire - A dreamlike scene of men stranded at sea, the terror of war replaced by the horrors of slow death and starvation. Yet there is a beauty in horror, and a mysterious amulet leads these sea battle survivors to face the unimaginable.

"Sea Nymph’s Son" by Robert M. Price - A tale describing the Legend of Achilles, epic, bloody battles and the story of monstrous titans and a hero that needs to remain masked for the sanity of all. The fate of Troy is unimaginable, unexpected, but somehow apt.

"The Boonieman" by Edward M. Erdelac - A return to the rank jungles of Vietnam, where soldiers allied with local villagers discover ancient secrets far worse than the losing war they have been waging. The Boonieman Cometh, and the jungle quakes.

"The Turtle" by Neil Baker - Another return, to America during the War of Independence. In a war at sea, a man pilots an ingenious device against the British Navy. Other things lurk under the water however, things for the sake of sanity he would rather remain there.

"The Bullet and the Flesh" by David Conyers & David Kernot - A modern day tale of horrors perpetrated by man against man. The use of child soldiers in Zimbabwe are not the worst things to be encountered as lives are given less worth than shiny baubles from the earth. Evil men mess with things unpredictable, and brave men such as Major Harrison Peel (from Cthulhu Unbound 3) are forced to fight for justice and balance.

"Broadsword" by William Meikle - Two soldiers mountaineer across mountain ranges during WWII, in an attempt to deal with a threat against the allies and the hated German’s. The threat is otherworldly, the solution bringing difficult choices to those that would prefer peace to annihilation.

"The Ithiliad" by Christine Morgan - We return to Troy, where humans and things part-human worship decadent horrors. Epic battles are forged spilling blood and ichor. We are as playthings to the gods in this tale, and again, Troy is to meet an unimaginable fate.

"The Sinking City" by Konstantine Paradias - Warring factions use an unwitting man as their puppet in this tale, detailing a sinister journey to R’lyeh. The inner war, the fight of a man to retain his identity and his sanity, proves just as important as the one beyond his violated body.

"Shape of a Snake" by Cody Goodfellow - The Spanish-American War is the setting here, Lt. Col. Roosevelt and his men encountering a strange group of people at a hotel. They have faced the horrors of war, but what about the ancient secrets they’re about to encounter here?

"Mysterious Ways" by C.J. Henderson - A Roman Centurion makes a choice about his immediate future, a choice made by making a deal with a many-faced god. The choice has repercussions for the centurion, and Humanity, for millennia to come.

"Magna Mater" by Edward Morris - World War One, France, a collection of arcane books and a place of mysteries. A man called William Hope Hodgson experiences these mysteries in a personal apocalypse of discovery.

"Dark Cell" by Brian M. Sammons & Glynn Owen Barrass - A contemporary tale where two unlikely heroes, an American CIA Agent and a criminal Army Intelligence Officer, work together to discover what the IRA wants with a sinister tome and what reading that book will mean to the people of London.

"Cold War, Yellow Fever" by Pete Rawlik - During the Cuban Missile Crisis, a covert group led by a Terrible Old Man sets off to investigate bizarre events and a strange signal. The city they encounter once resembled an earthly city, its inhabitants too.

"Stragglers from Carrhae" by Darryl Schweitzer - Two Roman Soldiers, last survivors of a bloody battle, set off on a journey across Asia minor to renew their lives. The companions they find on their way are impossible in a sane world, and madness seems the only explanation and the best refuge.

"The Procyon Project" by Tim Curran - A war veteran haunted by the dreams of his past, guards something for the government, something that begins to haunt his waking hours. Some things are best left alone and undiscovered, things that are not meant to be guarded by fragile humans.

"Wunderwaffe" by Jeffrey Thomas - On an alien world, in a sprawling city called Paxton, or Punktown, to its residents, war, magic and religion are brought together in a hellish way. Colonial Forces are summoned there to fight something, something they are completely unprepared for.

An Indiegogo campaign has been launched to to fund this project, and hopefully expand it by adding on more stories/authors, as well as an array of other perks.

TC Editor Interview: Brian M. Sammons and Glynn Owen Barrass Discuss Release of Lovecraftian Cyberpunk Anthology 'Eldritch Chrome,' Now Available from Chaosium, Inc.

Cover art by Daniele Serra

I'd like to share a recent interview I conducted with authors/editors Brian M. Sammons and Glynn Owen Barrass, on the occasion of the release of Eldritch Chrome, an anthology bristling with 18 tales of Lovecraftian Cyberpunk penned by some of the finest names working in Speculative Fiction today.

If you like your punk cybernetic, your future dystopian, and you tentacles biomechanical, this is the book for you.  Pull up tight your vinyl sheets, strap on your kinked out breathing apparatus, and settle in for an unsettling read.

Please enjoy my chat with Brian and Glynn, and thanks to the lads for sitting down with The Cosmicomicon.
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First of all, let’s set the table and give a little background on each of you.  


Glynn: I took up writing rather late I suppose, in my late 30s, but have always been a fan of the written word. Since I first read Lovecraft, at the age of 13, I always wanted to be a writer, and when I graduated university, again late in life, I took pen to paper and began in earnest. Lovecraft, Ramsay Campbell, Raymond Chandler and the Cyberpunk genre are heavy influences in my work. I’ve written over a 100 short stories, most of which have been published in America, England, and Japan.

Brian: I've always been a story teller and that’s why I started running role playing games as a youngster. It allowed me to make up and tell tales to my friends. So as a RPG nerd and a lover of all things horror, I started writing for the Call of Cthulhu RPG in the late 1990s. I then took a long hiatus (not by choice) and when I returned to my keyboard, I started focusing on fiction. While my mainstay has always been horror, I have dabbled in many subgenres such as Lovecraftian, weird, splatter, and I have dabbled in sci-fi, action, and fantasy. I still do game work today and I am currently working with a film company on the screenplay for one of my stories they have optioned to turn into a movie and that’s a real kick.

You both write as well as edit.  Do you value/enjoy one over the other?  

Glynn: Both have their thrills, and I enjoy editing greatly as it gives me a chance to read awesome fiction! Creating fiction is excellent too, the process that goes into bringing a story to life, so this is a tough question. Right now – I enjoy creating a little bit more than editing, but that may change depending on what I’m working on.

Brian: I also prefer to write, because I have that insatiable need to create and tell stories. That said, I do really enjoy editing anthologies and I seem to keep adding more editing projects to the ‘to do’ pile every day. I think I like doing them so much because then I can make the books that I would want to read that no one else seems to be doing. It is a lot of work, and it’s never fun when you have limited space in a book and twice that in great stories to choose from. Rejecting good authors is easily the thing I hate most about being an editor. But to build a book from the ground up, from the initial concept, to selecting all of its contents, to doing all the finishing touches, well that’s what makes all the hard work worth it.

How did you two come together to work on Eldritch Chrome, and from whence did the project arise?  Did the anthology originate from inside Chaosium, or did you take it to the publisher and sell them on it?

Glynn: At the time I was writing a lot of crossed genre Cthulhu Mythos/Cyberpunk stories, and I was chatting to Brian about it one day and just asked him: ‘Wouldn’t it be great to do a book as a collection?’ Brian loved the idea, we put the pitch together, and he was straight on to Chaosium with it, on the condition: ‘Sure man, but I have this great Cthulhu/Steampunk idea that we have to do next.’ Chaosium snapped both ideas up, and a few more besides.

Brian: Glynn and I met on the internet and soon discovered that we had a lot in common. One day while kicking around thoughts about books and stories, he came up with the idea for a Lovecraftian horror meets cyberpunk anthology. I had a long relationship with Chaosium thanks to my Call of Cthulhu writing, and I knew they were looking to jumpstart their slumbering fiction line. They were very interested in the book and so we were off and running.

The cover features artwork by Daniele Serra, a favorite of mine and a name well-known in Weird Fiction circles.  How did you hook up with Dani as the cover artist?

Glynn: We have admired Dani’s work for a while, and when it came to choosing an artist he was our first choice. It was as simple as sending him an email, as Dani loves painting as much as people love admiring his work.

Brian: This was the first time we worked with Dani, but it would not be the last. He also did the cover for this book’s unofficial companion anthology, Steampunk Cthulhu (another collaboration between Glynn and I), and I tapped him again for an amazing cover for an upcoming horror western book called Edge of Sundown. Dani is amazingly talented and just a great guy to work with, so I am sure we will be working with him again and again.

How many submissions did you receive?  Was the volume and quality of the subs about the same as past projects?  What was the most surprising part of the process (if anything)?

Glynn: This was a closed project, so we received about 25 stories. Also this was our first editorial project together but being familiar with the authors already, we knew we would receive quality work.

Brian: Yes, for our first effort together, we decided to go with the authors we were familiar with. Those that we were already fans of. The book that followed it, Steampunk Cthulhu, would be an open call and for that one we read over one million words in submissions! But that’s another story. As for the quality of submissions on Eldritch Chrome, they were all excellent, and perhaps the most surprising part of the process was the number of great stories we got for the book. Of course that meant that many good stories had to be rejected just for lack of space. The one upside to that is that the only best of the best will be found between the covers of Eldritch Chrome, and that makes me very happy.

What can readers expect to find in Eldritch Chrome?  To whom would this anthology appeal?

Glynn: Readers can expect to find unique takes on Cyberpunk and the Cthulhu Mythos genres – the writers here really have excelled in their craft. Really, this anthology will appeal to a lot, we’re not just saying that! Fans of Cyberpunk and Cthulhu, of course, Horror fans, and fans of the individual authors are in for a treat.

Brian: The criteria for making it into this book were twofold. The stories had to be great Lovecraftian/Cthulhu Mythos tales, and they had to be excellent examples of the cyberpunk genre. The authors had to have a strong grasp on both types of tales and those that got the thumbs up from us had that in spades. So if you enjoy reading about the creepy, cosmic horrors that H.P. Lovecraft gave to the world, this book will be for you. If you’re a fan of the dark, dystopian future of cyberpunk, then you’ll also dig Eldritch Chrome. If you are a fan of both, as Glynn and I are, then you’ll love the book.

As editors with a (rapidly growing) track record, what advice can you give to writers seeking to place their work in anthologies such as yours?

Glynn: Heh, well... First of all, read the guidelines well as we are very particular about what we’re looking for. Whatever you do, don’t take an old story and just tack on something to make it match the theme we’re looking for – that stands out terribly and we reject stories like that. Also, proof and edit the hell out of your work before sending it to us. Stories with typos every paragraph rapidly get rejected, but thankfully, the authors we go to are so good at their craft we get stories near hand perfect, which makes an editor’s job far easier.

Brian: Read everything Glynn just said again. And then once more. Got that? Good. The only other thing I could think of to add would be for you to know the genre(s) and the type of stories we’re looking for intimately. If we would do an anthology of Robert E. Howard-like, two-fisted adventure tales set in the world of Alice in Wonderland, then you had better know both R.E.H. stories and the fantastic world that Lewis Carroll crated like the back of your hand. Not having a good understanding of the genre(s) we’re looking for is the surest way to get rejected.

What sort of books would you like to see more of in genre fiction, as writers, editors, and readers?

Glynn: That’s a difficult one. Hmm, more books by us for a start (Laugh, Out, Loud). But seriously, there are some great authors out there that deserve a lot more recognition than they have so far, people that work hard, produce consistently quality work, that we hope we are helping to introduce to a wider audience.

Brian: Glynn beat me to the punch, as he often does, with the answer to what books we would like to see published as writers and editors: books by us, of course. As for what books I’d like to see as a reader, well I have a few more ideas for anthologies that I would love to read. That’s how I usually come up with ideas for the books I edit, so I think I’ll keep those idea to myself for right now. In addition to that, anything by my favorite authors or perhaps more of a return to form from some of my old favorites. Stephen King jumps readily to mind in that regard, although I must confess, I still have yet to read his Doctor Sleep.

What’s next for both of you lads, both individually and as an editing team?

David Lee Ingersoll

Glynn: As a team, there are three more anthologies coming out in the near future: Steampunk Cthulhu and Atomic Age Cthulhu (both from Chaosium) and another project that is sort of a secret that you, Ted, are appearing in with a truly brilliant piece of work. Brian has also written some Call of Cthulhu RPG campaigns that I am proud to have contributed to. Solo-wise, I have a novel being released early 2015, based on the King in Yellow Mythos, and also various Call of Cthulhu and anthology appearances. Brian and I are also soon to be pitching a new Cthulhu Mythos anthology to publishers.

Brian: Since Glynn nailed our team-up projects, I’ll just list some of my other efforts. I am currently working on a novel with an author I admire the hell out of, Jeffrey Thomas. I am editing another Lovecraftian anthology called The Dark Rites of Cthulhu for the brand new publishing house, April Moon Books. I will be co-editing another anthology called The Legacy of the Re-Animator (three guesses as to what that’s about) with the very talented writer, Pete Rawlik. I will be overseeing and editing a collection/shared world anthology for my good friend, C.J. Henderson. I have two ‘straight horror’ (read as: non Cthulhu Mythos) anthologies that I will be starting up soon. I am working on a screenplay for a film adaptation of one of my stories. I continue to write short fiction and scenarios/books for the Call of Cthulhu RPG game. And somewhere amidst all that I try to have a life.

Any closing thoughts?  Prescient insights?  Favorite casserole recipes?

Glynn: Well first of all, thank you kindly for this interview Ted – it has been a pleasure answering your questions. I was thinking of saying something controversial as a closing thought (‘Reptoid Freemasons run the country!’ ‘Recycle your pets!’), but instead I’ll leave you with this: “My brother, knows Karl Marx, He met him eating mushrooms in the people’s park, He said 'What do you think about my manifesto?' I said 'I like a manifesto, put it to the test-o.” (Thank you, Sultans of Ping, F.C.)

Brian: Oh dear, it seems Glynn has gone off his meds again. Well before I give him a hand with that, I will also echo his thanks regarding you and this interview, Ted. You’re one of the good ones, I don’t care what everyone else says. But seriously, I hope people out there enjoy Eldritch Chrome and all the other books Glynn and I busted out butts on to bring out. I hope they also stick around to see what we do next, as it’s going to be pretty damn cool.
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From the Chaosium, Inc., website:

Unquiet Tales of a Mythos-Haunted Future

DURING THE DECADES since H.P. Lovecraft first wrote of the Cthulhu Mythos, many authors have crossed his themes into other genres, enhancing his original vision with stories taking place in the distant past, in the far-flung future, and in myriad places in-between.

Cyberpunk tales are written in dark, gritty, film-noir styles. Their protagonists live and die at the bottom echelon of an electronic society gone awry. They may be seedier, poorer, and less inclined to make moral judgements than stoic Lovecraftian New Englanders, but in Cyberpunk-Cthulhu tales they encounter the same horrors as their more-genteel predecessors.

Confronting monstrous entities and fiends from beyond space and time, the Cyberpunk-Cthulhu hero may wield high-tech weapons and have other advances at his or her disposal. To beings where time has no meaning and whose technologically is so advanced that their actions seem supernatural or powered by magic, no human finds an advantage.

This is the Cyberpunk-Cthulhu world—mythos horrors lurk at the edge of society, mythos-altered technology infects human beings, dark gods lurk in cyberspace, and huge corporations rule society while bowing to entities inimical to humankind.

Selected and edited by Brian M. Sammons & Glynn Owen Barrass. Cover art by Daniele Serra. 272 pages. Trade Paperback.

ISBN-10: 1568823894
ISBN-13: 9781568823898

The Tales Included:

"Obsolete, Absolute" by Robert M. Price
"The Place that Cannot Be" by D.L. Snell
"The Battle of Arkham" by Peter Rawlik
"The Wurms In the Grid" by Nickolas Cook
"SymbiOS" by William Meikle
"Playgrounds of Angolaland" by David Conyers
"Sonar City" by Sam Stone
"The Blowfly Manifesto" by Tim Curran
"Flesh & Scales" by Ran Cartwright
"Inlibration" by Michael Tice
"Hope Abandoned" by Tom Lynch
"Immune" by Terrie Leigh Relf
"Real Gone" by David Dunwoody
"CL3ANS3" by Carrie Cuinn
"Dreams of Death" by Lois Gresh
"The Gauntlet" by Glynn Owen Barrass and Brian M. Sammons
"Indifference" by CJ Henderson
"Open Minded" by Jeffrey Thomas

Book Review: Dead But Dreaming 2, by Alex Lugo

As most of you not living under a piece of rusted sheet metal or inside a Rapture shelter now know, Dead But Dreaming 2 thundered out onto the streets last Friday, and Alex Lugo, living in such close proximity to the home office of Miskatonic River Press, was one of the first individuals on the planet to receive his copy.

Fittingly, and just days later, Alex - being the voracious consumer of all manner of weird, speculative, and Lovecraftian fiction that he is - had not just read the anthology from cover to cover, but had also written up a review for publication here at The Cosmicomicon.

Big thanks to Alex (who had previously reviewed Jeffrey Thomas' novel Thought Forms in early May) for his review, and just know that although it might not seem that way, I IN NO WAY bribed him with filthy lucre, bauble, or trinket to write such lovely things about my story "Transmission."  Either he's totally cracked, or possessed of exceptionally refined literary taste.  I'm not certain which is true, and dare not contemplate...  Instead, I'll just be grateful and humbled.

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Review of Dead but Dreaming 2

By Alex Lugo

     

     Dead but Dreaming 2 is the second installment in a series of wonderful, Lovecraftian anthologies published by Miskatonic River Press. The first Dead but Dreaming was a cult hit, considered by many to be the finest collection of Lovecraftian and Cthulhu Mythos tales ever published. Knowing that, you can probably assume that Dead but Dreaming 2 has quite a lot of expectation to live up to, and it does.  But, I'm very happy to report that it delivers on every single promise, and then some. Within the pages of this eldritch tome are 22 tales written by the modern masters of horror. Each story is a take on Lovecraftian themes, and each one is executed with impressive craftmanship. Honestly, there wasn't one piece in this collection that I disliked. Every single story evoked the power and the horror of Lovecraft’s mind bending realms, while also shining with originality.

     If you're new to Lovecraftian and Cthulhu Mythos fiction, you may think it is impossible for a Lovecraftian tale to be original. Is it not just mere pastiche? Not at all! If one simply copies Lovecraft’s prose and clichés, the story will fail miserably.  Conversely, a good writer of Lovecraftian or Cthulhu Mythos fiction must be extremely original so that his or her own ideas and style can shine through the master's shadow - ergo the reader sees more of the author’s voice than Lovecraft’s, but can still feel the vibe of the gentleman from Providence. Because of this delicate balancing act of tribute and discovery, I believe that the great modern writers of Lovecraftian fiction are actually more original than most of their fiction writing peers because they have to achieve a goal that is somehow familiar but not just another pastiche. It is because of this that Dead but Dreaming 2 is so great, because each tale is an exceptional, unique take on Lovecraftiana, and as such, the book overflows with impressive originality. Although I enjoyed every single story, three really tickled my fancy.

 

     First off is "Your Ivory Hollow" by ye queen of eldritch horror, W.H. Pugmire. The tale is a semi-sequel to Robert Bloch’s "The Skull of the Marquis de Sade", and in the span of six pages, you become one of the pivotal characters in the story. Like the style of Lovecraft’s "Pickman’s Model", the speaker addresses you like you are an integral part of the unfolding story. This makes the tale more engrossing, and ultimately scarier. In only a half dozen pages, you will read of strange magick, infernal gems, suicide-inducing poetry, and utmost - insanity. Pugmire’s work never fails to amaze and enthrall me. His writing is like a paradox, as his tales both mystify and horrify the reader.

      My second favorite story, although not in order of best to least best, is "Father’s Day" by Brian M. Sammons. This was my first time reading a tale from Mr. Sammons, and I am confident it shall not be my last. The story introduces the reader to a strange, nameless boy brought up by his mother, who one day decides to venture to Innsmouth, Massachusetts (the setting for Lovecraft’s epic tale "The Shadow over Innsmouth") to find his father.  I will not spoil anything, but if you are familiar with Innsmouth’s abhorrent secret, you should get the gist of the boy’s situation. The tale is a sad mini-epic, and you will find yourself sympathetic towards a very strange boy who is far more than just "weird".

 

     Last, but not in any way least, is "Transmission" by T.E. Grau, proprietor of the unholy Cosmicomicon! This is T.E. Grau’s first tale published in print, and I can assure that there is much more to come! The story begins with a man wandering west to California. He does not look for fortune or fame, but simply a greater meaning to his shiftless, vagabond life. While driving in the deserts of Nevada, the main character picks up a radio transmission of what seems to be just another stupid religious fanatic crowding the AM dial. Yes, he is a religious fanatic, but quite the opposite of stupid. He is a messenger of the Meaning, something for which the main character has desperately sought, but the meaning of the Message, transmitted out into the desert night, is too horrifying and cosmic to even describe. The tale starts off with a rough and tumble prose style, which then becomes more mysterious, and, towards the conclusion, morphs into a tale of extremely well crafted atmospherics that is both mesmerizing and terrifying. The story ends with a twist that nobody will see coming. I can rightfully say that T.E. Grau is a strong force in weird fiction, and he has only just begun. Hear me and listen: T.E. Grau is THE one to watch!

      Dead but Dreaming 2 is an extraordinary anthology of fantastic, original Lovecraftian fiction. Within these pages you will find masterpieces of the weird tale from writers such as the incredible Donn Webb, and the remarkable Joseph S. Pulver Sr.

     If you have any level of interest in Lovecraft and weird fiction, this is the book for you. ____________________________________________________________________________

Guest Blogger: Brian M. Sammons Toasts Friday The 13th Like Only He Can

Today being what it is and about what it's about, this week's guest blogger is none other than noted author, critic and reviewer of all things dark, violent and strange - Brian M. Sammons, who was kind enough to share with us his passion (okay, OBSESSION) with the blood-soaked cinematic genre of the Slasher Film.  In what other style of film can both the bully AND the slut get terrorized by a faceless killer before being impaled by a creative use of garden tools?  No other style, that's what.  Which is why we love the Slasher Film.  Well, that and because it's super fun to be scared shitless.  DON'T OPEN THAT DOOR, DUMMY!

Special thanks to Brian for taking time out of his busy scribbling schedule to send forth this tasty hunk of meat, on this meatiest of tasty days.  Absolutely ZERO thanks to Blogger for squarely kicking in the nuts my plan to post this at midnight last night (and for eating my post from Wednesday).  Stay golden, Google.

Now, I hand over the page to Brian, the master of the mask, sharpened metal, and chainsaw grease...
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In honor of the upcoming Friday the 13^th (or the just past Friday the 13^th, depending upon when you read this) I thought I would discuss a topic near and dear to me; slasher films from the 1980s. But first, as this is my inaugural appearance on my buddy Ted’s way wicked website, here’s a brief into of just who I am.

Hello, my name is Brian Sammons, and I am a slasherholic. My addiction began at the tender (and appropriate) age of 13 with an old VHS copy of FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 4: THE FINAL CHAPTER. To say that movie changed my life would not just be empty hyperbole. Before seeing the big man in the hockey mask doing horrible things to young people for the first time, my idea of horror movies were old 50s sci-fi giant bug flicks or heavily edited Hammer films on the Saturday afternoon Creature Feature on TV.  Afterward, well that movie was a gateway drug to all things spooky in film, literature, and even music. Yep the first rock musician I really got into was Alice Cooper. Why? Because he was spooky.  So while I’m under no delusions that these movies are great cinema, I do love them so and they will always have a place in my cold, twisted heart.

And if any of the movies I’m about to discuss don’t sound familiar to you, good, that’s the point. Jason, Michael, Freddy, Leatherface, and even cute, cuddly Chucky have all had enough press and if you don’t already know all about them, I’ve just got to ask, were you living in a cave for the last thirty years? Anyway, in an effort to shine a sputtery flashlight on a few masked maniacs that might otherwise go unnoticed, I present to you three slasher flicks that deserve a little bit of love too.

Let’s kick things off with the only slasher film set and filmed in my home state of Michigan. Ok, SCREAM 4 was also shot in Michigan (yay, I guess) but 1989’s INTRUDER was the first. Coming in at the end of the golden age of slashers, this movie was directed by Scott Spiegel who was a longtime friend and associate of Sam Raimi and the trademark “Raimi style” is all over this movie. Thankfully it’s more EVIL DEAD and far less SPIDER-MAN. The unconventional camera angles and trick shots are all over this movie and make it really fun just to watch, regardless of what’s actually happening on the screen. Luckily for us there’s a lot of good stuff going on here.

As for the story, it’s pretty standard Slasher 101 fare. A bunch of people are working late in a grocery store (ok, I guess the location is pretty unique) when they are given the bad news that the store is being sold and they will all soon be out of work. To make matters worse, some unknown madman starts hacking everyone up in a variety of creative ways. And… well that’s about it. Yeah the story is not very deep, but there are many highlights to this slasher flick. The brothers Raimi (both Sam and Ted) ham it up as some of the assembled knife fodder, and you know that wherever Sam goes, Bruce Campbell isn’t far behind. But ah, don’t believe the hype on the DVD box that gives Bruce top billing as he only pops up in a cameo at the very end. However, hands down what sets this movie on the “Must Watch” list of any splatter fan are all the wonderful kills and gore gags. While this movie was for a long time only available in a heavily edited version, Wizard Entertainment brought out a DVD of INTRUDER a few years back with all the cool red stuff intact. So for gorgeous gore, the Raimi bros, a little slice of Campbell, a hint of Michigan (hey, that’s important too), and plenty of visual style to spare, INTRUDER is not a movie to be missed.

Next we have an international effort from 1982, the outlandishly weird PIECES with the great tagline of: “You Don't Have To Go To Texas For A Chainsaw Massacre!” Written by Americans, directed by Juan Piquer Simón from Spain, and staring a mix of Spanish and American actors, including Christopher George who was born in Michigan (sorry, can’t help myself), PIECES is a mix of styles and sensibilities and the end result is something truly crazy and memorable. 

The story begins with a little boy assembling a nudie jigsaw puzzle. His mom objects and smacks him one. The boy objects and smacks mommy with an axe a couple of times. Years later and the boy is all grown up and he still wants to assemble a naked lady out of bits and pieces. So he does the only logical thing: he grabs a chainsaw and starts cutting up college coeds while dressed as The Shadow from the 1930s. Yep, makes perfect sense to me.

Now I know what you’re thinking, “sure that sounds strange, but I’ve seen weirder.” Well add to that general outline a girl roller skating through a mirror for some unknown reason, the killer sneaking onto an elevator with a victim (again, dressed like a 30s pulp hero, but she doesn’t seem to notice) with his chainsaw held behind his back, and Lynda Day George’s awesome reading of the line, “That bastard…bastard…BASTARD!”. Then there is the piece de resistance of the odd where a Bruce Lee impersonator jumps out of the bushes at the lead actress, does two minutes of a karate routine in front of her by punching and kicking at the air, then says, “oh, excuse me” and just walks away, leaving the woman, and we the audience, asking WTF? So if you’re looking for a slasher flick with plenty of “boy, I’ve never seen that before” moments, then PIECES is that flick. Oh and if you factor in that Grindhouse Releasing has a pretty cool double DVD set of this movie with a bunch of extras and all the previously cut gore poured back into the film, and you have another must for slasher fanatics.

Well I’m not going to be able to out crazy PIECES, so I’m not going to even try. Instead I figure I’ll tell you about the most recent old school slasher to come out on disc. The movie is another form 1982 called THE DORM THAT DRIPPED BLOOD, also known as PRANKS, also known as DEATH DORM. So between those three titles, you might have seen this film, but even if you have, I bet you never saw it uncut or in High-Def. Well now thanks to Synapse Films and their brand new Blu-ray release of this movie, uncensored for the first time ever, you can. But would you want to? Well I think so, but keep reading and let’s see if I can convince you.

In DORM a group of college kids volunteer to help close up an old dorm building before it’s scheduled to be demolished but unfortunately for them a mysterious psycho is bumping them off one by one. And well, that’s it for the story. Ok, there’s a little bit more, but not all that much. There’s a decent group of kids for the slaughter playing up the usual slasher stereotypes of good girl, wise-cracking clown, tough guy, etc. What sets this movie apart, just like any good slasher flick, is the kills, how creative and gory they are. Luckily DORM delivers the goods now that the blood and guts has been restored. The infamous power drill scene is a clear standout but a baseball bat with nails pounded through it and a very large pressure cooker are all used to good effect.

Then there’s Daphne Zuniga playing one of the coeds. If you had a thing for her during the 80s like I did, then you’ll enjoy her here, slumming it in a horror movie to pay her dues. Yeah she’s not in the movie for long (oops I guess I should have given a spoiler warning or something, but just watching the movie you can figure that out pretty quickly) but what little she does, she does well.

And hell, I’ve had so much fun tripping down memory lane that here’s an extra honorable mention for free: GIRLS NITE OUT from 1984. Yeah it’s not all that original, bloody, scary, or even good, but it does have a killer in a bear suite. No really, the movie is set at a college during an all-night scavenger hunt and instead of wearing a hockey, gas, dead skin, or white Shatner mask, the murderer bumps off the school’s mascot, takes his goofy bear costume, makes himself a steak-knife-bear-claw a la Freddy Kruger, and starts slashing the titular girls because they are all “dirty sluts”. It’s not as crazy as PIECES, as gory as INTRUDER, or old school fun as DORM THAT DRIPPED BLOOD, but it does have a few moments going for it. The appropriately named Guilty Pleasures released this movie on DVD a few years back and if you want to see a teddy bear clad killer you can find copies of it cheap on eBay. I got my copy there for two bucks.