Horrifically Elis B. Aaron @horrificallyelisbaaron - Tumblr Blog

Read ASAP, but wait till the sun’s up first …

A revenge tale reminiscent of THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS and I WAS DORA SUAREZ, white supremacy is the villain and recompense comes from the gods of the indigenous peoples. A terrible crime was committed on an old plantation where Mexicans picked for white men who treated them like trash—so literally that a Mexican girl is killed by a white man, selfish and frustrated he could not have his way. But death does not bring peace to the dead and the spirit of the dead girl —and her new, dark mother— haunt the plantation and the people there (and haunting is the gentlest of encounters. Filled with truly terrifying writing, scenes that leave you gasping for air, and characters that radiate their pain as much as they feel it, THE QUEEN OF THE CICADAS is a top-ten read of 2021.

BOOK REVIEW: the break by marian keyes

4.5 / 5 (rounded up)

This was my first dalliance with romance, “chick lit,” “women’s fiction,” or whatever you’d like to call it. I’d bought it on a lark at my favorite indie store, knowing that after reading so many thrillers, horror stories, and crime non-fiction (not true crime, but MANUALS), I knew I’d need something light at some point.

Finally, I ran into a discussion on Twitter about how romances require a “happily ever after” or at least a “happy for now.” At first I argued for more complexity than that, but soon I saw that if the endings of an entire genre of fiction had to end one way, these authors are masters of suspense. If readers go in knowing —REQUIRING— there be a happy ending, where is the thrill in reading?

I’m writing a crime thriller/slasher from the point of view of the killer. I need to learn more about creating suspense. So I decided to pick up THE BREAK.

"I learned since then, and paid a price to learn, it that them as laid claim to great wisdom most often got nothing in their store but bare scrapings. And by the same token, them as think they're ignorant think it because they can see the edges of what they know, which you can only see when what you know is tall enough to stand on, and take a look around."

If there were a passage that were to encapsulate The Book of Koli, this would be it.

All of Koli's life has been spent in a tiny village, built to suppress the outside world as much as it can. Because, in this time, trees can move and crush you to better fertilize their soil with your body. Rats are as big as dogs. Spiders as big as your head live in the forests. The outside world is not your friend.

But when Koli reaches maturity, he makes a discovery that turns the world upside-down — not just for him, but for the entire society in which he lives. And then, he's forced to reconcile with the fact that nothing he knows is quite as it seems.

This SFF book is perfect for teen, young adult, and adult readers. It's a wonderful page-turner that was over before I could believe it (I'm currently working my way through the sequel and imagine I will be done with that just as quickly). I was impressed with the LGBTQIA+ inclusion; it was well-imagined, measured, and seemed to be added for the purpose of realism — that there would be gay and trans characters in any society. That was refreshing and would be a good example for other writers trying to be more inclusive in their storytelling.

As it stands, The Book of Koli tells a familiar story through a truly unique lens, but there are still moments where I thought 'I've seen this before.' Those moments took me (briefly) out of the singular magic of the story, which was truly a shame. I also felt that some moments seemed a bit too shallowly described for their weight, but for a book that seems comfortable in the hands of teenagers as well as adults, perhaps that's a strength I don't quite care for.

Regardless, I was drawn in from the first page and couldn't stop reading until I had finished the book. It took me less than a day (I finished slightly past midnight). If that's too difficult to digest, I'll say it plain — Read this book. It's a good bit of escapism told well that will leave you craving the sequels. Well done, M.R. Carey.

If you're into reading and watching horror and want to spend next weekend...

...hanging out at virtual bars with other horrific folks;

...going to readings and panels featuring:

- Joe R. Lansdale (The Bottoms)

- Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Mexican Gothic)

- Andy Davison (The Boatman's Daughter)

- Alma Katsu (The Hunger)

- Grady Hendrix (The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires)

- Catriona Ward (The Last House on Needless Street)

- Lisa Kröger (Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction)

- and many, MANY more;

...attending presentations on real vampires, disability, Jewish exorcisms, shower scenes, mammy tropes, intergenerational trauma, funny fear, etc;

...getting the inside scoop on beta reading, working with editors, going viral, writing a newsletter, and choosing a publishing model for that creepy book of yours;

...exploring the history, present, and future of horror;

...brushing up on how the Horror Writers Association can improve your writing pair you with a mentor;

...watching the Final Frame competition entries;

...and more?

Jump on board! This is an international event, registration is $75 for all four days, and still open! Run, don’t walk (or check out that mysterious noise!).

https://hopin.com/events/stokercon?fbclid=IwAR3GezUMJJjUHh6o-gYT6k243cUk_rau3TQ-4x-8VPY_2VCgQLmcNcm-rNc

I’ve read the pages, but the book itself will linger forever. Simultaneously sharp and commodious, it’s a feverish, magnificent examination of beauty and cruelty. Read at first opportunity. You’ll devour it as it devours you.

#the turnout #megan abbott #book reviewer #book blog #book rec #book review #booklr #read the book #read this #five stars #netgalley

Podcast Recs: The White Vault and Beyond

Anyone listened to The White Vault podcast? I’m on the last season and it’s beginning to feel formulaic. I still find it funny that ever episode begins with “travel is not advised” and want to solve the mystery, but I hope it’s not a repeat of the past seasons.

Also: has anyone listened to other podcasts on that network (Fool and Scholar Productions), like The Liberty Podcast

VAST Horizon

or Dark Dice?

Are any of these good follow-ups to The White Vault?

And if not, what would you recommend listening to next? Podcasts in my library include:

Somewhere in the Skies

Haunted Places

The Horror Virgin

Psychoanalysis: A Horror Therapy Podcast

Astonishing Legends

Parkdale Haunt

Ghost Tape

From Now

Tower 4

Creepy: A Horror Podcast

TANIS

RABBITS

The Black Tapes

Blackout

Dark Air

Strange and Unexplained

Red Collar

Full Body Chills

Tales

Soft Voice

Right now, I’m very interested in:

The psychology of sociopathy and serial killers and why they don’t always overlap

How non-cis-men who kill do so in far different ways than cis-men do

How detectives approach crimes nowadays (I’ve been reading a lot of John Douglas and want to see how his methods of profiling and capturing a criminal have evolved)

Gothic fiction at any time period in any place (think Catherine House to Mexican Gothic to The Masque of the Red Death” to Interview with the Vampire to Hell House to Salem’s Lot and so on

Stories where someone’s trauma is solved by going through a horror story

Something with “Cocaine and Rhinestone” vibes

The craft of writing horror

Also, if anything on this list (I haven’t listened to them yet) isn’t that great, I’d love to know that too!

Not interested in:

True Crime Podcasts, especially MFM (tried it, tried to like it, it isn’t for me 🤷) or Serial or anything that blows up to a point where there’s no relationship between the podcasters and the listeners. I prefer more independent artists.

0% McElroy

Podcasts that value personality over facts/storytelling. I have my chatty, witty podcasts already. I want a new collection of podcasts that teach me, inspire me, and scare me.

“Horror alone makes peace of mind.”

"To live fully is to live with an awareness of the rumble of terror that underlies everything."

Ernest Becker, the dude below, just vibing

Back in January, I had an idea to write about how watching horror movies, reading horror novels, or creating horror art could be therapeutic, especially for people with anxiety, trauma, or mood disorders.

The results are in the second picture.

It turns out that facing fear in a controlled environment, especially at home where you can control the lighting, when to pause if you need a break, if you watch with others or by yourself, if you use certain scents or comfort foods to set a calm mood, etc. purges a bit of your fear and anxiety and makes it easier to deal with the rest — the stuff that’s too hard to tackle at the moment.

Also: if you search for trigger or content warnings (DoesTheDogDie.com is an excellent resource), you can watch horror that won’t send you into a panic attack. You can put on a scary movie knowing you’ll be scared, but won’t have to face a panic attack.

Reading horror is harder in my opinion. Book reviewers are less than happy to give away spoilers or content warnings “so as not to spoil the story.” But NetGalley and Goodreads will often have spoiler alerts or content warnings, making it easier to dive into a book with suddenly coming upon one of your personal triggers.

I mean, my mom is ... not a nice lady, so I haven’t watched Hereditary. Would love to. Loved Midsommar. Excited to see Disappointment Boulevard. But I’m not ready to relive my mommy issues even though I totally want to. Same reason I haven’t read Carrie yet even though I’m a big King fan — three of my five tattoos are based on his books.

My first baby cat reaching for the symbol from IT.

“SOWISA” from LISEY’S STORY. It stands for “Strap On Whenever It Seems Appropriate,” which is an excellent bi-lesbian pun, but actually means “Gear up for a fight when you see one coming.”

My take on the MUST/CAN’T tattoos from THE OUTSIDER. I got this to celebrate 1.5 years of sobriety (now I have 4+).

ANYWAY

Furthermore, I spoke to people who wrote horror, from beginners to up-and-comers to real life professional authors who (bless them) talk to me like I’m a real person.

They said that creating horror is a way of exorcising your own demons, facing down what haunts you personally. And it helps! If watching something scary is useful, writing your way through what scares you is the ultimate way to heal — at least somewhat.

Basically, horror is healing and doctors should start giving out prescriptions.

#horror #horror movies #horror films #horror novels #horror novel #horror writer #horror writers #trauma #anxiety #mood disorder #PTSD #exposure therapy #my writing #writeblr #writing #horrorfan #horror quotes #horrorart

American Psycho, American Psycho 2, and Psychological Accuracy in Serial Killer Movies

watched American Psycho for the second time the other day as some fun research for my serial killer book. It’s fun to pair with Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker.

Using Douglass’s methods, I tried to construct my own profile and it was so different from Bateman that I don’t think he’d ever have been caught unless he had another break with reality or decided to take credit for his crimes. This is of course assuming that the women actually died and that Jean never said anything about his planner.

Anyone else think he’d ever be suspected?

I also had no idea American Psycho 2 (starring Mila Kunis? And William Shatner?) existed, but now I really want to see it — regardless of its ratings.

I wonder if Kunis’s character will act more like a stereotypical male serial killer or whether she’ll veer toward the women described in:

Women Who Kill by Ann Jones

Savage Appetites: Four True Stories of Women, Crime, and Obsession by Rachel Monroe

...or Lethal Intent by Sue Russell, “the book to read about Aileen Wuornos” according to True Crime Book Reviewers

I’ll see soon enough, but has anyone seen American Psycho 2? What are your thoughts?

(I don’t know. This GIF just felt right.)

REVIEW: Houses of Stone by Elizabeth Peters writing as Barbara Michaels

A wonderful modern-day Gothic that cheerfully employs every trope of the genre, but in ways that utterly refuse to submit to accusations of being ‘tiresome’ or ‘following a well-tread path.’ The feminist perspective does quite a bit to change the lens, as well as the focus on academia, which is indeed red with blood.

The characters in Houses of Stone are pursuing an old, Gothic manuscript, beginning and ending unknown, but written by a woman the main character knows well from discovering her poetry. The plot of HoS closely mirrors the plot of the unnamed manuscript to the point where the reader cannot help but wonder how much they overlap.

I was captivated all along and, upon finishing it, picked up 10 other books by the same author—nine by Barbara Michaels (a nom de plume) and one by Elizabeth Peters.

I would encourage anyone interested in Gothic horror, potboilers, or a book you can’t afford to put down to read Houses of Stone.

#book reviewer #book review #book rec #booklr #horror books #book blog #horror review #houses of stone #Barbara Michaels #elizabeth peters #horror writing #horror novels #horrornovels #horror #four stars

My Recovery: Danny Torrence & Doctor Sleep

Powerless over alcohol. Life is unmanageable.

Only something greater than me can restore sanity.

Turned over my will and my life to something bigger than me.

Fearlessly searched my past to uproot wrongdoing.

Admitted my faults.

Wanted to remove them and asked for help from something larger than me.

Made amends for all I’d done wrong.

Promptly admitted new wrongs as they popped up.

Continued to improve contact with what’s bigger than me.

Carried the message to others.

#doctor sleep #stephen king #mike flanagan #danny torrance #dan torrance #overlook hotel #rose the hat #jack torrance #wendy torrance #alcoholic #alcoholism #recovery #hit me right in the feels

Horror Against Gender Dysphoria

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR HORROR, TURN AROUND.

IF YOU’RE EXPECTING A BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN SEMI-APOCALYPTIC SCI-FI BOOK THAT GRAPPLES WITH HUMAN NATURE, STAY.

The crux of this story focuses on Trish Edgewater. Her sister, Dori, was among the first to die of an insomnia epidemic sweeping the US, and now she works at SleepCorps, an organization that gets non-insomniacs to donate their sleep to people in need. Trish is a great recruiter. She tells people about how horrifically Dori died and they sign up. They even sign up their children.

Enter Baby A. Her parents agreed for their months old daughter to donate sleep, only to find out she’s a universal donor. Turns out sleep is like blood-type, not everyone matches. But Baby A’s sleep can match with everyone. And that’s valuable. Because soon, a nightmare starts contaminating sleep donations. And it’s so vicious that people would rather stay awake and die than have it again.

It sounds like a story that ought to be rife with horror. What if you couldn’t sleep and were tortured to death with wakefulness? What if what you experienced in dreams was so awful, you’d elect to die of this torture?

But the book doesn’t go there. Not really. It’s more concerned with the dilemmas of the healthy, with what we can do to help others versus what we should do. While that’s a compelling piece of philosophy, it’s hard to believe this was the best choice for the story, especially when it was marketing by Stephen King as a book that gave HIM nightmares.

If this book had presented itself as sci-fi or speculative fiction or even literary fiction, I’d have rated it higher. But I believe in Ebert’s method of reviewing: What did this set out to do? Did it succeed?

This book was marketed as horror and blurbed by a horror author. It’s almost impossible not to see it as a work of horror fiction from the get-go. You wonder when the scares will start only to find out they never do.

For that, I say it’s a 2/5. Not because the book isn’t good, but because I wanted something it seemed to promise me, and never delivered.

(I bumped it up to 3/5 because I’m obsessed with the illustrations from ale + ale. Yes, they do deserve their own star.)