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Demons

Posted by Bloody Disgusting Staff on January 01, 2999 @ 12:00am
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In the book, Nightmarish demons terrorize the world in this sharp-edged tale of horror and humanity from award-winner John Shirley. A young artist from San Francisco witnesses the demons’ arrival and the world’s response–panic, denial, and even cooperation in the slaughter. He joins a group of people who believe that human action brought the demons into the world and that the power of human consciousness–awareness of one’s true self–is the only defense against them. Then nine years later, in the face of a new threat, the group must overcome conspiracy and the world’s disbelief to battle demons once again.

Themes of wakefulness and sleep–the struggle for self-awareness against the deliberate denial of what’s happening around us–form the counterpoint for the terrifying and often brutal events of the story. This is a fast-paced, finely told horror tale combined with a pointed examination of the ways in which people so often conspire in their own destruction.

In Darkness Waiting

Posted by Bloody Disgusting Staff on January 01, 2999 @ 12:00am
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Considering a read of In Darkness Waiting is like considering a trip through the Amazon with no weapons and no vaccinations and no shoes. It’s like contemplating a journey in the Arctic clad only in your underwear. Or maybe it’s more like dropping into one of those spelunker’s challenges, those chilling pitch-black shafts into the Earth’s crust-and when you get down there your light burns out and you remember the chitinous fauna of the cavern…

Unlike undertaking those endeavors, you can get through the harrowing pages of In Darkness Waiting alive (although we are not promising you’ll remain unscathed.) Towards the end you’ll discover one of the most extreme yet literate passages ever written. It may well be the most outr� scene ever created.

But John Shirley wasn’t after shock alone. Shock is never enough for him.

No writer combines the “delight in dread” with social consciousness and metaphysical meaning the way John Shirley does. Although In Darkness Waiting begins in much the same vein as many horror novels (mysterious deaths; a small town invaded by evil; plucky, attractive young lovers; the logical level-headed doctor; some salt-of-the-earth townsfolk…) by its end you will have discovered it is not “just another horror novel.” With its exploration of the “insect” inside us all, In Darkness Waiting proves more relevant today than ever.

Edgar Allan Poe’s Ligeia

Posted by Bloody Disgusting Staff on January 01, 2999 @ 12:00am
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Successful writer and scholar Jonathan Merrick falls under the spell of the irresistible, bewitchingly beautiful Ligeia. She’s fighting a fatal illness and she will stop at nothing to defeat death, her one true enemy. She steals other people’s souls and on her quest to immortality she tricks Jonathan into supporting her work, breaking him apart from his fiancé Rowena and pulling him into her dark, mysterious world. They settle down in an old manor by the Black Sea where Ligeia’s everlasting presence slowly drives Jonathan to madness…

Exclusive

[Exclusive] Interview: John Shirley Talks ‘Zombies Vs. Robots’ And IDW Limited

Comics
Posted by Lonmonster on October 10, 2012 @ 1:39pm
Category: Comics / Exclusives

IDW Limited just announced that their second batch of special edition books is two illustrated prose novels set in the popular Zombies Vs. Robots universe. Signed, limited editions of “Zombies Vs. Robots: Z-BOYS IN THE ROBOT GRAVEYARD” and “Zombies Vs. Robots: THIS MEANS WAR!” are now available at IDWLimited.com.

“Zombies Vs. Robots: Z-BOYS IN THE ROBOT GRAVEYARD” is comprised of two novellas written by Bram Stoker Award Winner and co-writer of The Crow film, John Shirley. There are only 500 of these limited edition printings, all signed by Shirley and artist Dan Bradford. We’ve got an exclusive interview from the publisher with John Shirley about his work on “Zombies Vs. Robots”, writing genre fiction, and the limited edition printings. Check it out after the break. READ MORE

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[Book Review] ‘Resident Evil: Retribution – The Official Movie Novelization’

Movies
Posted by Lonmonster on October 10, 2012 @ 7:58am
Category: Movies / Reviews

Film novelizations were once a big part of horror film culture. They provide a chance to expand upon a character by revealing their thoughts and inner workings, which is often difficult to communicate on screen. Unfortunately, novelization seems to be a dying art form. In conjunction with the release of the Resident Evil: Retribution film, Titan Books released the official novelization, written by John Shirley. Shirley has an impressive writing resume under his belt, having penned the screenplay for The Crow, as well as various novel tie-ins such as “Bioshock” and “Constantine”. Let’s get this straight; this is an adaptation of a screenplay for a mediocre action horror film that is very loosely adapted from a series of video games. The chances of it being a solid piece of fiction were slim to begin with. Shirley’s writing offers moments of excitement but for the most part it is uninspired and filled with lackluster imagery. My major concern is that the novel does not seem to have had an editor. The book is riddled with editorial errors from start to finish, thus removing the reader from what should be climactic moments. READ MORE