“I’m a Republican because of social issues.”

The bars had just closed. She was a young attractive woman wearing a dress that accentuated her assets. She was probably a student at the local university with a bright future ahead of her. She was accompanied by a young man, also good looking and sharply dressed. They were having a discussion. As they sat [...]

Review: The Man on the Ceiling by Steve Rasnic Tem & Melanie Tem

Review: The Man on the Ceiling by Steve Rasnic Tem & Melanie Tem Posted on Jan 7th, 2009 by Marmalade I don’t enjoy most popular horror and I don’t normally buy horror to read, but this book attracted me.  It has nice cover art (you can judge a book by its cover), and I had noticed it at the bookstore [...]

Cronenberg, Burroughs, and Dick

Cronenberg, Burroughs, and Dick Posted on Jan 1st, 2009 by Marmalade David Cronenberg is a director whose movies I often enjoy.  A favorite weird movie of mine is Cronenberg’s Naked Lunch which is loosely based on the novel by William S. Burroughs.  He definitely brought his own touch to that story and there are some common themes with [...]

William S. Burroughs as a Character

William S. Burroughs as a Character Posted on Dec 30th, 2008 by Marmalade Burroughs is different from Philip K. Dick.  Whereas PKD was the first to use himself as a character, Burroughs had been made a character before he even was published himself.  That would be a tough act to follow.  He had the shadow of someone [...]

Philip K. Dick as a Character

Philip K. Dick as a Character Posted on Dec 27th, 2008 by Marmalade Besides PKD making himself a character in his own work (ie VALIS as Horselover Fat), I wanted to list all of the books that have used him as a fictional character.  I decided to create this list because I haven’t seen a [...]

Authors Connected?

Authors Connected? Posted on Dec 26th, 2008 by Marmalade I’ve been repeatedly mentioning several authors in my recent blogs.  While I’m at it, I want to bring in two other authors that I haven’t mentioned in a while. The two other authors are George P. Hansen and Patrick Harpur.  I wrote about them when I [...]

Quotes: the Gothic, the Gnostic, and the Rational

Quotes: the Gothic, the Gnostic, and the Rational Posted on Dec 24th, 2008 by Marmalade The Secret Life of Puppets by Victoria Nelson pp. 18-19: At the same time, however, this demonology is the only avenue open to the transcendental.  “You can raise issues in the horror genre that you can’t raise so easily in [...]

Religious Scholars and Horror Writers

Religious Scholars and Horror Writers Posted on Dec 23rd, 2008 by Marmalade This relates to the connection between Gnosticism and the Gothic.  Many Horror writers study religion and spirituality.  Some even practice it or are members of churches.  Some horror writers go so far as giving up their horror for religion… such as Anne Rice’s [...]

Flash Fiction & Vignettes

Flash Fiction & Vignettes Posted on Dec 22nd, 2008 by Marmalade Thomas Wiloch Dissection Decide which one you are, I said, motioning to the objects on the table. He looked them over and pointed to a glass bell. This one? I asked. He nodded. I picked up the glass bell and rang it gently. The [...]

Milk by Barry Yourgrau

Milk by Barry Yourgrau Posted on Dec 14th, 2008 by Marmalade Milk by Barry Yourgrau On a bet a man climbs inside a cow. Once there he decides to stay. The cow’s interior is warm and soft, although very dark. But the man’s eyes get by with the driblets of light that do manage to [...]