Who's On Your Bookshelf?

We've talked about scary movies the last two weeks, but what about books? After all, most of you reading this are writers.

I prefer my horror in short form these days, though it wasn't always that way. My first tastes of horror were in collections of urban myths and middle grade horror stories. I still remember a few of the stories in those first books.

After that, I quickly resorted to sneaking Stephen King and Dean R. Koontz books off my parents' bookshelves. Then I found more and more novels at the library. Ouida Sebestyen's The Girl in the Box has stuck with me since middle school. Given, this is likely considered suspense instead of horror, but as a pre-teen girl reading about a teenage girl being kidnapped and left in a dark hole with only a bottle of water and a typewriter, it was certainly frightening.

As a teenager, I returned to short stories, discovering the "Best of" collections. Ellen Datlow's name became synonymous with awesome horror short stories, followed closely by Stephen Jones. And roundabout I went. Novels to shorts to novels to shorts.

In reading through Nightmare Magazine's Best Horror list, I've come to discover that a lot of horror authors have a hard time keeping the suspense going enough to also keep the reader tense and on edge. With some of them, I've made it through three-quarters of the book before anything horror-related has happened. That's too long to set the scene before reaching the horror. Yet from this list, a book that isn't actually horror captured my attention and kept me riveted to the end, terrified at how it might end. The Handmaid's Tale appears to be listed as Literary (and Science Fiction, interestingly enough). But it's my #1 read on the Top 100 list, so far, and it has maintained that position for several months now. Given, I'm not counting the books from the list I'd already read, but I may reread those once I finish the ones I've never read before, and then we'll see where I rank them.

With short stories, the writer can pack a punch. There's just enough time to set the scene then wallop the reader with the horror. And it's possible to draw tension out without the in betweens getting dull.

Stephen King is, of course, a favorite author of mine, both in novels and short stories. I'm delighted that he's continued putting out short stories, despite having found success with his novels.

Stephen Graham Jones is a newer author, but one that puts out both novels and short stories. He's an excellent horror author with a very different voice, if you're looking for new authors. Zombie Bake-Off is a fun novel of his, and The Ones That Got Away is a great collection of short stories. Of those short stories, the one that will forever be in my head is "Father, Son, Holy Rabbit." The moment of realization is intense and heartbreaking.

And, of course, if it's short fiction you're looking for, who better than Edgar Allan Poe? It's been a long time since I read him, and I've been thinking about dusting off my big, fat collection of Poe's works. "The Tell-Tale Heart" is one of my favorites, and it's a piece I performed in high school.

Who are your favorite horror authors, both old and new? Your favorite novels? Short stories? Do you prefer short stories or novels when it comes to horror and suspense? Why?

May you find your Muse.

P is for Poe's Disappearance and Please Forgive Me!

Today is "P" day, but it's also Thursday. And what does that mean? I realized that I completely failed to put links in the Wednesday post for open submissions and contests! Ack!

Forgive me? Just in case, I'll put a handful at the bottom of this post instead.

is for Poe's Disappearance.


On October 7, 1849, author Edgar Allan Poe called out "Lord, help my poor soul" before taking his last breath (or so it's claimed). That's there the only non-mystery elements of Poe's death end, and the questions begin.

You see, Edgar Allan Poe left Richmond, Virginia on September 27, arriving in Baltimore the next day. He was supposed to continue on to New York, but he never made it there. Instead, on October 3rd, he was discovered, upset and raving, on the streets of Baltimore. He was wearing clothing that didn't appear to belong to him (it didn't fit and wasn't his style), was entirely unkempt, and his money and trunk weren't with him (the trunk was found back in Richmond). Someone claimed he'd left Richmond with about $1500, though this is reported as unlikely, due to the fact that he was there collecting subscriptions to his $5 magazine, and he'd never collected anywhere near that amount before.

Edgar Allan Poe
By Oscar Halling [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

It was assumed Poe was drunk, and he was taken to a hospital, where they put him in the area reserved for drunks. He went in and out of consciousness for several days, raving mindlessly, not making any sense. One night he called for "Reynolds!" over and over, though no one has ever been able to figure out who this was. It became obvious he was not inebriated when he continued in this way for four days before dying. He was never able to recount what had happened in the days he'd been missing.

The newspapers of the time claimed he died of a brain fever or congestion of the brain, which is said to be a euphemism for death by embarrassing means. It appears no death certificate or official records exist.

One theory as to what happened to him while he was missing is that he was kidnapped, drugged, and forced to vote at multiple ballot boxes in an election. This is called cooping, and was a known issue during that time period. Perhaps the drugs they used to keep him doing their bidding were just too much for his system.

Most other theories have to do with the cause of death, as no one is quite sure what he was doing, and cooping has been the primary suspicion to explain why he was missing and why he was in such a deplorable condition.

Rabies has been put forward more recently as the cause of death, and the confusion that might have caused him to be wandering around, not knowing who he was. His symptoms in the hospital resemble the symptoms of rabies. But how did a man as famous as Poe stay out of sight, as ill as he was, without anyone discovering him? And what happened to his clothing? Was he ill from rabies and someone mugged him, taking the nice, expensive clothes he was known to wear? Even the shoes he was found in were not his own.

Poe's original grave (his body is no longer there)
By KRichter (probably own picture (see original filename)) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Various other illnesses have been suggested, such as cholera, syphilis, hypoglycemia, meningitis, a brain tumor, epilepsy, and plenty of others. Or did he overdose on something like laudanum? It had happened to him in 1848. Was he actually drunk? Despite people thinking he was acting drunk, there was no mention of the smell of alcohol, and at least one person made the point of saying he never smelled any liquor on him. It's been theorized that he committed suicide or was the victim of some slow murder, but that would involve some sort of poison, most likely, and nothing was found.

So what happened to Poe while he was missing? Where was he? How did he die? Where did his money go? His clothing? Was it an illness, or was he a victim?

A couple links to make up for my mistake...

Accepting Submissions:

Idyllic Books has a call out for submissions for their BladeMage Magazine. Seems to be primarily fantasy they're looking for. Paying market. Also seeking illustrations for pay.

Phantom Drift is seeking fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and art. Paying market.

New Horizon Press is seeking non-fiction. They have specific requests, so be sure to check those out.

Contest:

Clean Teen Publishing is hosting a Kick Off Contest, with categories in illustration, drabble, short story, novelette, and novella. Prizes are $25 to $100. Deadline is April 30.

Other:

The National Storytelling Network is offering their Brimstone Award for Applied Storytelling, a grant of up to $5000. The preliminary application deadline is April 30.

Anything to share?

May you find your Muse.

Letter P courtesy of Mohamed Ibrahim, clker.com.

Real Life Author Mysteries

Authors create stories, worlds, characters...mysteries. They give us entertainment, draw us into another time or place, another reality. But sometimes authors are drawn into mysteries of their own.

Probably the most famous mystery surrounding an author was that of Agatha Christie, best-selling mystery novelist.

In 1926, Agatha Christie's husband, Archie, told her he was in love with another woman, one Nancy Neele. She had just lost her mother that year, and his betrayal hit her hard. One night, when Archie was staying with friends (or his mistress, depending upon who's telling the story), Agatha disappeared.

As far as the country knew, Agatha's car was discovered, abandoned, a short distance from a lake called Silent Pool, which she had used for inspiration in one of her stories. There was clothing in her car, her identification. She had left her secretary a note that she was going to Yorkshire. People started pointing the finger at Archie, accusing him of having killed her. Others thought perhaps she'd killed herself, as she was known to suffer from depression.

In reality, she had ditched her car and her things, and walked to the train station, heading to Harrogate circa London. She even bought herself a lovely new coat in London. She then checked herself into a spa.

During the eleven days she was missing, police searched the countryside. She was in the news. People at the spa she was staying at even asked if she was that famous missing writer, but she told them she wasn't. She'd checked in under the name Theresa Neele (notice the last name is the same as Archie's mistress's).  She sent a letter to Archie's brother telling him she was going to Yorkshire for a rest, and she took out an ad in a paper saying she, Theresa Neele, was looking for her family, and that they could contact her at the spa.

Finally, police were notified and Archie showed up at the spa in Harrogate to collect Agatha. Doctors examined her and stated she had been in a fugue state. Archie announced to the press that she was suffering amnesia, and hadn't known who she really was.

Agatha Christie died in 1976, never having given the real story. Was she in a fugue state? Did she set it up so her husband would be accused of a murder he hadn't committed? Or did she simply need to get away?

Close behind Agatha Christie is Edgar Allan Poe, another mystery writer. The circumstances surrounding his death on October 7, 1849 are a mystery. He was found, delirious, on October 3 outside a bar, wearing someone else's clothing. This was after having last been seen September 28. His whereabouts during that time period have never been discovered.

It is claimed that he said the name "Reynolds" over and over throughout his delirium. During his stay in the hospital he swung back and forth between brief lucid moments and delirium and hallucinations, even slipping into a brief coma. He was never able to tell anyone where he had been or what had happened, and the true cause of death is unknown. He was listed as having died of congestion of the brain.

Many feel he died from alcohol withdrawal or alcohol poisoning. Experts say his symptoms don't fit this theory. Also, he had been alcohol-free for six months. The University of Maryland Medical Center released a report in 1996 claiming they felt he had died of rabies, and that his symptoms fit with this theory (University of Maryland Report). Another theory says he was a victim of cooping, where a victim is plied with liquor and forced to go to all the polling places to vote for a candidate who has paid for this treatment. However, there were no reports of an issue like a drunken man having issues at any polling place.

It would seem those missing days and the cause of his death will forever remain a mystery. Was it rabies? Cooping? Alcoholism? Or something more dire? And who was Reynolds?

What do you think happened to Poe? How about Agatha Christie? Know of any other real life author mysteries?

Come back tomorrow for an interview with author, j.a. kazimer! Thursday, author Stephen Tremp will be guest posting!

May you find your Muse.