Fiction for the Cosmically Disturbed

Issue 66

I took some time off from the Substack. Things have been a bit of a whirlwind on the home front (in a good way). It was Jean’s birthday the other week. I got her a new watercolor set and had our son sign a card for her. I tried to get our daughter to do the same, but in classic two-year-old mode, she strongly objected because it wasn’t what she wanted to do at that very moment. She’s willful and we wouldn’t have it any other way. It will serve her well when she’s older, even if it’s sometimes a pain right now.

Things have been good on the writing front. After doing an edit on Barn Door to Hell, I sent it to Shane McKenzie and Judith Sonnet for feedback. I trust them for two reasons. First, they know my work well. Second, they’re not afraid to call out anything that doesn’t work for them. Once I get notes from them, I’ll make any necessary changes and start opening up preorders. I’m aiming for a January release, but expect a cover reveal a lot sooner.

While waiting for Shane and Judith’s feedback, I finished up the first chapter of the book I plan to write next. The tentative title is Master of the Murderverse, and you can expect it will be as batshit crazy as that title promises. I’ll be going back to using video games as a plot point in this one, as those types of stories are just fun to write and come naturally to me despite not being a huge gamer.

You may have also noticed the name of my Substack has changed. Less Than Pulp is a name that meant a lot to me, but it’s also an odd one to unpack or understand if you’re … not me … so I figured a change was needed. What do you think? Do you like Fiction for the Cosmically Disturbed? I think it perfectly captures many of the themes present in my books. However, it probably means I should start posting more fiction here instead of just the usual updates.

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Currently reading: Bullet Tooth by Grant Wamack, A Choir of Ill Children by Tom Piccirilli, Pus Junkies by Shane McKenzie

Currently watching: Elfen Lied, Candyman (2021), Jury Duty

I finished reading Bullet Tooth the other week, and here’s what I had to say about it:

"With Bullet Tooth, Grant Wamack has created a horror icon for our time. Unlike Freddy and Jason who commit their violent acts with their own two hands, the titular antagonist gorges himself on the violence he encourages in people just like us. The classical sensibilities that made those previous texts work are fully intact here too, but Grant brilliantly reinterprets them for our new dark age in a voice uniquely his. If you like cursed media, iconic horror villains, or urban legends, this book is an absolute must-read." - Lucas Mangum, author of Gods of the Dark Web and Bladejob 

Candyman (2021) is even better the second time around. It’s faithful both to the original and Clive Barker’s story, while reinterpreting the concept for modern times. Nia DaCosta’s got style, especially in the scenes of violence, and I’m excited for whatever she does next.

I also want to plug the Patreon of my buddy Ryan C. Bradley. You may remember his guest post on this Substack where he talked about how wrestling lessons made him a better writer. On his Patreon, he’s doing audio recordings of his short stories, accompanied by his music (he’s also a guitarist). You can check that out here.

In the most recent episode of Make Your Own Damn Podcast, Jeff is mad at me for making him watch Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers. We had some connectivity issues this time around, but we got through it. You can listen right here.