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To sum it up in one sentence–Jade Sky is a fun novel. It’s action packed from the get go and never really lets up. The first in what appears to be a series, author Patrick Freivald has obviously put a lot of thought into the world he is trying to build. Because of that complexity, the first few chapters are confusing and a couple border on almost too conveniently expositional, but readers are encouraged to stick with it. Once Jade Sky hits its groove, it’s off to the races.

Some may be put off by the violence and the gore, but if so, why are you reading this book in the first place? You know what you are getting, and Jade Sky gives it to you. Frankly, that’s why I gave it five stars. Jade Sky does exactly what it seeks to do, and does it well. Is it as good as Freivald’s Twice Shy? Not quite. That book was, in my view nearly perfect. The plot in Jade Sky, while terrific, isn’t quite as good, and the characterizations pale in comparison. This is, after all, an action novel at heart. But when toe-to-toe to other similar thrillers? Jade Sky shines.

If you love action, if you love thrillers, if you love a little sci-fi magic, don’t let Jade Sky pass you by.

There are few people in the literary community I have more respect for than Dr. Michael Collings. Which is why I was very honored to read this review of The Reborn. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 

While The Reborn might lack the Lovecraftian touches readers of Talley’s other works have so enjoyed, it is nevertheless a more-than-solid work of speculative fiction, new in its approach to contemporary issues and captivating in its forays into a near-future world.

 

Highly recommended.

I’ll be posting a couple reviews in the next few days–Jade Sky by Patrick Freivald and Ludky’s Girl by William Holloway. (if you just can’t wait, they are both up on Goodreads already). Spoiler alert–both books are among the best I’ve read this year. Stoker worthy thrillers. In fact, take out the among. And that includes Neuromancer. Which isn’t saying a whole lot, but still…

You are Providence.

You got a little over a day left to purchase this amazing collection of nine horror novels by some of the best in the business.

And after you pick them up, go ask the authors a question over at Reddit Horror.

On Monday, I’ll be taking part in an Ask Me Anything session on Reddit Horror. So if you’ve ever wondered about all my dark secrets, now is the time to ask!

If you follow this site, you know that I was a huge fan of True Detective, from the first word to the last. I praised it here, I’ve nominated episodes for Bram Stoker Awards, I’ve told everyone I know to watch it. It’s a great, entertaining show that has seeds of weird fiction sown throughout it. Which is why I was particular disturbed recently to see this headline from the Lovecraft eZine–“Did the writer of “True Detective” plagiarize Thomas Ligotti and others?” I was even more disturbed to read the article. (I’d ask you to read the article now, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned form the subsequent uproar, it is that some people refuse to read the underlying material in a debate, no matter what.)

The rather lengthy article describes in fairly detailed fashion how True Detective lifted ideas and even entire pieces of dialogue from the book, The Conspiracy Against the Human Race by Thomas Ligotti. Ligotti is a somewhat obscure fiction writer with a devoted following who also dabbles in philosophy, particularly the antinatalism Rust Cohle is known to wallow in. This woe-is-me, it-were-better-if-I-were-never-born blather is a favorite of depressed high school students and misanthropes the world over.

As should be clear by now, I do not adhere to this “philosophy.” In fact, one of the reasons I liked Rust Cohle’s character so much is that he seemed to me to be a walking, talking, reason to reject antinatalism. He’s a screwed up, tragically compromised character who relies on a non-orthodox–and ironically self-aggrandizing–ethos to even get through the day. Others seemed to miss this entirely and set up Rust as an anti-hero to be adored and followed, which made their tears of disappointment at *SPOILER ALERT* Rust’s final episode conversion so delicious.

An example of how one acts when hat-tipping another artist.

So while I recognized that Ligotti and other antinatalists influenced the writers of True Detective, that’s where I figured it ended. The article linked above makes it clear I was wrong. I won’t rehash it here–once again, you can read it yourself–but the evidence is unsettling. Is it as blatant and endemic as some famous examples of plagiarism (I’m thinking of Kaavya Viswanathan’s How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life)? No. Is it as thoroughgoing in its borrowing of ideas as Dan Brown was accused of being in The Da Vinci Code vis-a-vis The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail?  Probably not. But clearly, something is going on here.

Is it homage or plagiarism? I can’t say. That line is blurry indeed. But just for the heck of it, compare these examples of now-acknowledged plagiarism from Viswanathan’s book and then what happened with Ligotti and True Detective. In both examples, the first is the original, the second, the alleged plagiarism.

Sloppy Firsts: “He was invading my personal space, as I had learned in Psych. class, and I instinctively sunk back into the seat. That just made him move in closer. I was practically one with the leather at this point, and unless I hopped into the backseat, there was nowhere else for me to go.”

Viswanathan: “He was definitely invading my personal space, as I had learned in Human Evolution class last summer, and I instinctively backed up till my legs hit the chair I had been sitting in. That just made him move in closer, until the grommets in the leather embossed the backs of my knees, and he finally tilted the book toward me.”

Ligotti: “We know that nature has veered into the supernatural by fabricating a creature that cannot and should not exist by natural law, and yet does.”

Cohle: “We became too self-aware. Nature created an aspect of nature separate from itself. We are creatures that should not exist by natural law.”

In Viswanathan’s case, multiple works were found to be plagiarized. In the case of True Detective, when the series concluded, many on the Internet immediately noticed that the end was taken, virtually whole cloth, from one of Alan Moore’s comics. See for yourself.

Reactions to the Lovecraft eZine have spanned the gamut from outrage at True Detective to absolute apathy and shoulder shrugging to accusations that the eZine is engaged in yellow journalism and just out for some cheap site clicks.

I’m not sure where I stand, but I can say that the last accusation is unfair and unfounded. In full disclosure, I am a fan of the eZine and a friend of Mike Davis. I know that Mike struggled with whether or not to publish this article. The eZine has 150,000 followers and produces loads of material; he didn’t need the clicks, and he certainly didn’t need the headaches that he knew would come from sharing this information with the world.

But put aside why Mike did it and think about the message we are sending by attacking him for his decision. Frankly, our tendency to attack the messenger simply means that in the future the public will be less likely to learn of instances like this, and less able to draw our own conclusions. I am not sure whether or not the writers of True Detective engaged in plagiarism, but I am glad the Lovecraft eZine brought the matter to light and for debate.

Since the original publication, the eZine has posted this follow-up article.

And for those who are quick to scream, “Fair use!” read this story about Brad Vice, author of the Flannery O’Connor Award winning collection, The Bear Bryant Funeral Train. For acts of plagiarism he thought were fair use and in homage to a work written in 1934, his award was revoked, his contract rescinded, and copies of his book pulped. I may own one of the few that survive.

Note: Obviously, there are many articles taking the opposite view of the eZine, and I’d advise anyone who’s interested in a fulsome view of the issues to read them as well. Here’s one, and here’s another.

Recently sat down with Wag The Fox for an interview on my latest, The Reborn. And with a title like “When Harry Met Talley,” how can you not read it? Check it out here.

So if you’ve been wanting to read my books and can’t afford them, this may be the best news ever. That Which Should Not Be and Limbus, Inc. are both included in the Gallery of Horrors bundle from StoryBundle. This is quite an honor for me, and it’s an amazing opportunity for you. Not only can you get my books–both of them–for as little as three dollars, but you also get SEVEN other horror novels from some of the very best in the business. Below is how the curator describes TWSNB and Limbus, followed by the link to buy the books!

That Which Should Not Be–This book reads like a classic Lovecraftian horror novel, and in many ways is a love letter to that author. The theme, mood, and prose all float above a current of impending doom. I selected this book with fans of classic horror literature in mind

Limbus, Inc.–The writers who came together to make this collection are no strangers to horror. Not only is this collection superbly written, but the stories are expertly told, weaving together, amounting to something reminiscent of old Outer Limits and Twilight Zone episodes.

http://storybundle.com/horror

Awards season is a ways away, but I guess the Kindle Book Awards start early! In any event, found out that Biters and The Reborn have made it to the semifinal round of the 2014 Kindle Book Awards competition in the Horror/Thriller category. I don’t know if there’s a trophy or anything at the end of this, but the top prize is $500 bucks, and I’d rather have that anyway, even if I do have to split it with Harry. I’ll keep you updated, and in the meantime, don’t forget to check out the books. And if you are a member of the HWA, don’t forget to nominate The Reborn in the best novel category!

Lovecraft is all the rage these days, and if you are fan of Lovecraftian fiction, you’ve got about a thousand different choices. At least, if you are looking for short stories. Novels are a different kettle of fish. Maybe it’s because Lovecraft never wrote a novel himself or maybe it’s because it’s hard to sustain that feeling of creeping insanity over two hundred pages, but there aren’t all that many Lovecraftian novels out there (some people even claim that That Which Should Not Be is an anthology, to my eternal displeasure). So to help you in your search, I present to you three full-length novels that you should grab up immediately.

1. The Immortal Body by William Holloway

 The Immortal Body is squarely in the Lovecraftian genre, though Mr. Holloway has created a mythos that is entirely his own–albeit heavily influenced by the great  old one of Providence. The Immortal Body is, in many ways, a mystery novel. It is also a relentless thriller set in the modern world–also a rarity–that grabs on and  never lets go. A real treat.

2. Burning Times by J. G. Faherty

 J. G. Faherty is a prolific writer in many different genres, but this contribution to the mythos may be his best. While The Immortal Body merely hints at the presence  of Lovecraftian deities, The Burning Times embraces them wholeheartedly, speculating on how the coming of a Nyarlathotep-type figure to a small town might  unleash the end of days, while also positing that there are forces that stand ready to fight for humanity.

3. Red Equinox by Douglas Wynne

 I am totally cheating here (even the cover isn’t final). The truth is, Red Equinox isn’t out yet. But when it does come out, it needs to go straight to the top of your to-  read list. Centered in Boston and chronicling the efforts of the Starry Wisdom Cult to unleash Nyarlathotep (he’s a popular guy) so that he can open the  portals between worlds that will allow the Great Old Ones to Return, this novel manages to blend together the modern horro/thriller novel with weird fiction, not easy to do. Many of the classic Lovecraftian deities make an appearance, and the book is simply impossible  to put down. Watch for it, but don’t worry. When it comes out, I’ll let you know.

If none of these books meet your fancy, check out the Lovecraft eZine’s recommendations here. Or you know, you could always pick up That Which Should Not Be and The Void…

As anybody who reads this blog knows, I often comment on the fact that the only negative reviews of That Which Should Not Be are from people who are hard core Lovecraftians. This always surprised me, as my worry had been that the casual horror fan might find the book inaccessible. In reality, that hasn’t been the case at all. Now, I knew that some people might take issue with my spin on the mythos, but I was not prepared for the backlash that came from some corners over the inclusion of Christian mythology and iconography in the book. Which was why I enjoyed this review so much. It’s not all lovey dovey by any stretch–he more accepts my tinkering than embraces it–but still, refreshing. Hope you enjoy, and I hope you buy the book!

That Which Should Not Be by Brett J. Talley is an interesting bit of Post-Lovecraftian fiction. I dislike the term pastiche even if that is the best word for the continuing stories of Cthulhu Mythos by other writers than the original “Lovecraft circle.” In many ways, TWSNB is a throwback to the classic tales of the Cthulhu mythos but it also makes several choices which I think will be controversial with Lovecraft purists.

Read the rest of the review here.

Great review of Limbus, Inc. below. Perfect timing, with Limbus II set to drop this fall.

A Review of Limbus, Inc., Book I by Jonathan Maberry et al.

Limbus II, the sequel to the shared-world anthology created by Anne C. Petty that introduced us all to the shadowy world of Limbus, Inc., is finished and in with the publisher. ARCs should be going out soon, and the book is scheduled for a fall release.

The literary world lost Anne last year. She was not only a brilliant author, but an inspiration and a mentor to young writers such as myself. Her review of That Which Should Not Be was one of the first published, and her kind words gave me hope that maybe I could pull this thing off after all.

I am very proud to have inherited the editorial reins of Limbus from Anne. I hope that I have done her proud. But I gotta tell you, when you are editing stories by giants of the industry like Jonathan Maberry, Joe R. Lansdale, Gary A. Braunbeck, Joe McKinney and Harry Shannon, the work pretty much takes care of itself. So to earn my keep, I wrote the frame story, too.

If you enjoyed Limbus, you are going to love this book. If you’ve never heard of Limbus, then it’s time to check it out so you are ready when the sequel hits the stores. You will not be disappointed.