Less Than Pulp, Issue 42
Scares That Care AuthorCon, Saint Sadist review, and Reading Updates
I'm heading to Scares That Care AuthorCon II this week. In addition to clothes and such, I've got two boxes of books that will be for sale at my vendor table. Carver Pike will be posted up next to me all weekend. Speaking of Carver, he sent Diablo Snuff vs Gods of the Dark Web back to me, so it's my turn to bring the carnage. It's gonna be a fun read. So far, even though it crosses over with his series, the story feels canonical to the world of Gods, perhaps even more so than Digital Darkness, a book that sometimes feels like a bad dream.
Anyway, back to AuthorCon. Lots of awesome panels and a ton of readings scheduled. You can check out the programming here. As you can see, I'll be sharing a reading block with John Wayne Comunale and Wesley Southard on Friday night, and on Saturday afternoon, I'll be sitting on a panel all about marketing. I hope to see some of you at both.
This past week was mostly good, but I had an ugly period of self-doubt that lasted from Wednesday afternoon to Friday morning. No need to go into it too much, but let's just say that sometimes the business side of this writing stuff can be downright grueling.
As if the universe knew I needed it, Saint Sadist got this incredibly thoughtful review by Dead End Follies. It amazes me that four years later, this book continues to make an impression on people. Thematically and stylistically, it probably is my best. It's weird admitting this because I've written so much since; though I stand by all of those works, Saint Sadist packs so much in its 23,000 words that it’s really no contest. There's an urgency to its prose that only could have come from my mental state at the time.
A quote from the review really struck me: “Lucas Mangum is your favorite horror writer's favorite horror writer.” That resonates with me because I care about this shit; I care about the genre (past, present, and future), and I care about the craft. The greatest compliment I ever got was from another reader of Saint Sadist who said the book made them want to write more fearlessly. You can’t hope for much better than that.
The newest episode of Make Your Own Damn Podcast is all about Stuart Gordon’s Castle Freak. You can check it out wherever you get your podcasts or by clicking the video below.
I also want to remind everyone I’ve got that essay on liminal space in horror movies up on the show’s Patreon. It looks at some obvious examples like The Shining, but it also points out some movies you wouldn’t immediately expect.
On the reading side of things, I had the pleasure of reading an advance copy of Judith Sonnet’s newest work Hell. Here’s what I had to say about it:
"When it comes to horror, Judith Sonnet fucking gets it. Hell reads like a doctoral dissertation on surreal splatter, but a lot more playful. Illogical and icky, this is one novel this year you don't want to miss."
That’s going on the back cover. So, needless to say, I dug it! If you enjoyed my books Pandemonium or The Final Gate, you will too, so keep an eye out.
Also, I’m almost finished with Bryan Smith’s Dead End House, and I finished up the audiobook of Ed Lee’s Creekers. The Smith book is probably the closest I’m apt to get to a Rob Zombie movie in book form, so of course I’m enjoying it. The Lee novel is a favorite of his readers, and I totally see why. It’s certainly vile, but there’s a humanity in it and an undeniable craftsmanship.
Perhaps you've noticed me talking less about movies and TV in this newsletter. That’s because I'm trying to relegate that mostly to the podcast, while keeping this newsletter focused on bookish matters.
I'll be back next week with an AuthorCon recap. Thanks to everyone who continues to read these each week. Please don't forget to complete the Like-Share-Subscribe ritual to help me become an ascended being. Take care, friends.