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Post by Swampirella on Dec 2, 2016 11:46:53 GMT
That one certainly lived up to the title of where it first appeared. A very good start to this year's calendar. Well put!
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vaultadventcalendar
Black Crow King
Horror chav at the controls/ weird cheerleader #arts&culture
Posts: 143
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Post by vaultadventcalendar on Dec 2, 2016 13:50:54 GMT
Ah, thank you so much Dem - "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....." Mark Bless you Mark, but truly, any thanks should be directed toward our contributors who have been generous to a fault as always. But; Annual shamblesIll-prepared as ever, we've still loads of vacancies to fill. Also, artwork likely to be notable by its relative absence as Bride of Dem currently snowed under and prospect of 24 stories "illustrated" by Marion Bondage is worse than that of no graphics whatsoever. Any help in that department would be hugely appreciated. Don't look at your emailsOperation Plague of grovelling/ aggressive begging emails will commence by close of weekend and even the most ardent masochist wouldn't want to find one of them in their in-box.
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Post by Shrink Proof on Dec 2, 2016 16:23:34 GMT
Annual shamblesIll-prepared as ever, we've still loads of vacancies to fill. Also, artwork likely to be notable by its relative absence as Bride of Dem currently snowed under and prospect of 24 stories "illustrated" by Marion Bondage is worse than that of no graphics whatsoever. Any help in that department would be hugely appreciated. Sorry, can't help - gearing up to move house in a fortnight or so, and not just down the street either. Hopefully next year...
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Post by ohthehorror on Dec 2, 2016 19:09:30 GMT
Another great read today, thanks Dem. Can I ask what the situation is with these stories? Why do we(Royal 'we', not me ) type them up at all? I quite frequently load an entire issue of Weird Tales onto my tablet, or even my phone and find the double columns work very well. Is that the reason? The double columns I mean? Why not just use SFFaudio's PDF page(used here purely as an example) and simply read the stories as they would originally have been published? Sorry if I'm being thick now, but I've been wondering about this for a while now. Once again, thanks to all involved in these annual Advent Calendars. I really look forward to them.
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Post by dem bones on Dec 2, 2016 21:09:41 GMT
Another great read today, thanks Dem. Can I ask what the situation is with these stories? Why do we(Royal 'we', not me ) type them up at all? I quite frequently load an entire issue of Weird Tales onto my tablet, or even my phone and find the double columns work very well. Is that the reason? The double columns I mean? Why not just use SFFaudio's PDF page(used here purely as an example) and simply read the stories as they would originally have been published? Sorry if I'm being thick now, but I've been wondering about this for a while now. Once again, thanks to all involved in these annual Advent Calendars. I really look forward to them. You're not "being thick" at all. Simple answer is, very basic software. In the cases of The Purple Cincture, The Woman With The Velvet Collar and oldies to follow, I've transcribed them direct from their book, as opposed to magazine, appearances (don't have the issues in question). I could just scan the pages and string them together, but that would make for huge files , and we don't have an infinite capacity for attachment storage (usual cheapskate dem operation). Also, the contemporary stories are submitted in either word or RTF format, so, if nothing else, the calendars are uniform. With the vintage material, we try to provide stories that are not already freely available on-line. Inevitably, some will be - had set aside Guy Preston's The Inn for this years offering until Miss Scarlett found it on a kids' site! If the majority want me to double column the stories, I'll happily give it a go. Should we have a poll?
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Post by ohthehorror on Dec 2, 2016 21:18:29 GMT
Another great read today, thanks Dem. Can I ask what the situation is with these stories? Why do we(Royal 'we', not me ) type them up at all? I quite frequently load an entire issue of Weird Tales onto my tablet, or even my phone and find the double columns work very well. Is that the reason? The double columns I mean? Why not just use SFFaudio's PDF page(used here purely as an example) and simply read the stories as they would originally have been published? Sorry if I'm being thick now, but I've been wondering about this for a while now. Once again, thanks to all involved in these annual Advent Calendars. I really look forward to them. You're not "being thick" at all. Simple answer is, very basic software. In the cases of The Purple Cincture, The Woman With The Velvet Collar and oldies to follow, I've transcribed them direct from their book, as opposed to magazine, appearances (don't have the issues in question). I could just scan the pages and string them together, but that would make for huge files , and we don't have an infinite capacity for attachment storage (usual cheapskate dem operation). Also, the contemporary stories are submitted in either word or RTF format, so, if nothing else, the calendars are uniform. With the vintage material, we try to provide stories that are not already freely available on-line. Inevitably, some will be - had set aside Guy Preston's The Inn for this years offering until Miss Scarlett found it on a kids' site! If the majority want me to double column the stories, I'll happily give it a go. Should we have a poll? Oh, I see. That makes a lot of sense actually. As far as the double column thing goes, it actually doesn't bother me since my Kindle can handle normal single pages quite adequately anyway and I'm quite sure it's only likely to even register as a 'thing' to those that read on eBook devices anyway, which I'm pretty sure is the minority. To be honest, I was more curious than anything. It hadn't occurred to me that most of the advent calendar stories weren't readily available online. That's what was confusing me. So in answer to your question, as far as I'm concerned, I don't think we need a poll. I think it's just dandy as it is. Thanks for the explanation. It all makes a lot more sense now.
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Post by ripper on Dec 3, 2016 9:27:08 GMT
I'd been planning to get back into long walks in the hills again but now I'm not so sure.... I should avoid theme parties, too, Dr. Proof. "She was no longer gay and laughing, but pale and stiff-necked. Angeluccia Girgenti, the lady with the velvet collar, had been guillotined." Day two. The Mayor is celebrated for his balles magnifique and tonight he's outdone himself. Centre-piece of the event, a dramatic reconstruction of Marie Antoinette's execution, starring Angeluccia, his flirtatious young wife, as the doomed Queen. What could possibly go right? In the blood-soaked hands of Gaston Leroux, absolutely nothing, which is why this disgusting glob of Grand Guignol awaits our delectation. "The Mayor is celebrated for his balles magnifique" I just have a vision of a haughty Kenneth Williams character uttering this in Round the Horne and can imagine Kenneth Horne's response. Seriously, that really went down well. There's nothing like a bit of Grand Guignol to put you in the Christmas mood. Gaston Le Roux is another author that I have sadly neglected over the years. A really good choice, Dem.
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vaultadventcalendar
Black Crow King
Horror chav at the controls/ weird cheerleader #arts&culture
Posts: 143
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Post by vaultadventcalendar on Dec 3, 2016 9:29:24 GMT
Thanks for the explanation. It all makes a lot more sense now. Well we can't be having that! Day three. Contrary to previous post, a fasimile copy of today's terror treat is, or at least, was, available on-line courtesy of Retrospace. Don't ask me why, but in an evil hour something possessed me to rip the text from it to see if the story worked better without the distraction of stills. Have no idea who Carl R. Green & William R. Sanford are/ were, but, during the 'eighties, they collaberated on the 'Monster Movie series' for Cresswood House. Titles published include The House Of Seven Gables, The Werewolf Of London, The Revenge Of The Creature, Black Friday, Bride Of Frankenstein, Dracula's Daughter, The Mole People and The Raven. The above have eluded me to date, but I so hope they are all like this. Attachments:Tarantula.pdf (85.88 KB)
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vaultadventcalendar
Black Crow King
Horror chav at the controls/ weird cheerleader #arts&culture
Posts: 143
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Post by vaultadventcalendar on Dec 3, 2016 9:35:14 GMT
"The Mayor is celebrated for his balles magnifique" I just have a vision of a haughty Kenneth Williams character uttering this in Round the Horne and can imagine Kenneth Horne's response. Seriously, that really went down well. There's nothing like a bit of Grand Guignol to put you in the Christmas mood. Gaston Le Roux is another author that I have sadly neglected over the years. A really good choice, Dem. So pleased you enjoyed it, Rip. I love that story. Leroux's horror shorts are all cut from the same cloth. They start slow, but when they go, they really go. The Bedside Companion is a treasure.
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Post by ohthehorror on Dec 3, 2016 10:44:00 GMT
I quite often have the most vivid nightmares involving spiders. I think I may have mentioned it here before. One sticks in my mind even now, and had me being shaken awake by my wife because I was screaming in my sleep. A spider was on top of a tall bookshelf that used to be at my Dad's house. It was a relatively small spider. It stared directly at me for a good long while before jumping backwards off the bookshelf. As it stalked towards me it grew bigger and bigger until it leaped on my arm which is when I started screaming. I remember thinking to myself in the dream, 'If I scream, Tracy(my wife) will hear me', but she just completely ignored me and carried on reading her book in the armchair beside me. I was actually really angry with her for a good portion of the day because of that. I tried really hard not to be, but damn if she didn't just sit there... Of course, it being my nightmare, she probably wasn't aware that she was ignoring me. Anyway, that's my life story. Not that you asked . Suffice to say, these stories with big-arse spiders in them tend to have more of an affect on me than most other horror stories I read, since I'm a 'bit-of-a-girl' about spiders. With hindsight, I should probably have just skipped this one. Oh well, too late now. At least that's tonight's vivid nightmare sorted out then . Good stuff Dem. I'll look forward to tomorrow. Edit: Oh, and that 'Retrospace' site looks amazing. Thanks for the heads up.
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Post by Swampirella on Dec 3, 2016 15:44:16 GMT
Another great read today, thanks Dem. Can I ask what the situation is with these stories? Why do we(Royal 'we', not me ) type them up at all? I quite frequently load an entire issue of Weird Tales onto my tablet, or even my phone and find the double columns work very well. Is that the reason? The double columns I mean? Why not just use SFFaudio's PDF page(used here purely as an example) and simply read the stories as they would originally have been published? Sorry if I'm being thick now, but I've been wondering about this for a while now. Once again, thanks to all involved in these annual Advent Calendars. I really look forward to them. You're not "being thick" at all. Simple answer is, very basic software. In the cases of The Purple Cincture, The Woman With The Velvet Collar and oldies to follow, I've transcribed them direct from their book, as opposed to magazine, appearances (don't have the issues in question). I could just scan the pages and string them together, but that would make for huge files , and we don't have an infinite capacity for attachment storage (usual cheapskate dem operation). Also, the contemporary stories are submitted in either word or RTF format, so, if nothing else, the calendars are uniform. With the vintage material, we try to provide stories that are not already freely available on-line. Inevitably, some will be - had set aside Guy Preston's The Inn for this years offering until Miss Scarlett found it on a kids' site! If the majority want me to double column the stories, I'll happily give it a go. Should we have a poll? Sorry to have made your life harder by finding "The Inn" online already! :0 Thanks for the daily treats so far....
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Dec 3, 2016 21:37:25 GMT
I quite often have the most vivid nightmares involving spiders. I think I may have mentioned it here before. One sticks in my mind even now, and had me being shaken awake by my wife because I was screaming in my sleep. A spider was on top of a tall bookshelf that used to be at my Dad's house. It was a relatively small spider. It stared directly at me for a good long while before jumping backwards off the bookshelf. As it stalked towards me it grew bigger and bigger until it leaped on my arm which is when I started screaming. I remember thinking to myself in the dream, 'If I scream, Tracy(my wife) will hear me', but she just completely ignored me and carried on reading her book in the armchair beside me. I was actually really angry with her for a good portion of the day because of that. I tried really hard not to be, but damn if she didn't just sit there... Of course, it being my nightmare, she probably wasn't aware that she was ignoring me. Anyway, that's my life story. Not that you asked . Suffice to say, these stories with big-arse spiders in them tend to have more of an affect on me than most other horror stories I read, since I'm a 'bit-of-a-girl' about spiders. With hindsight, I should probably have just skipped this one. Oh well, too late now. At least that's tonight's vivid nightmare sorted out then . Good stuff Dem. I'll look forward to tomorrow. Edit: Oh, and that 'Retrospace' site looks amazing. Thanks for the heads up. Liked the spider story especially as the author telegraphed the end on a number of levels but it was still an unusual concept. My son isn't keen on them and once he came downstairs and told me to throw one out of the window. This rather big spider had crawled at an angle on the bedside lamp while he was happily reading in bed and cast an immense shadow on his wall. I was quite proud that he didn't scream because I am pretty sure I would have.
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Dec 3, 2016 21:49:57 GMT
Velvet collar. Excellent stuff!
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Post by ripper on Dec 4, 2016 10:14:25 GMT
I quite often have the most vivid nightmares involving spiders. I think I may have mentioned it here before. One sticks in my mind even now, and had me being shaken awake by my wife because I was screaming in my sleep. A spider was on top of a tall bookshelf that used to be at my Dad's house. It was a relatively small spider. It stared directly at me for a good long while before jumping backwards off the bookshelf. As it stalked towards me it grew bigger and bigger until it leaped on my arm which is when I started screaming. I remember thinking to myself in the dream, 'If I scream, Tracy(my wife) will hear me', but she just completely ignored me and carried on reading her book in the armchair beside me. I was actually really angry with her for a good portion of the day because of that. I tried really hard not to be, but damn if she didn't just sit there... Of course, it being my nightmare, she probably wasn't aware that she was ignoring me. Anyway, that's my life story. Not that you asked . Suffice to say, these stories with big-arse spiders in them tend to have more of an affect on me than most other horror stories I read, since I'm a 'bit-of-a-girl' about spiders. With hindsight, I should probably have just skipped this one. Oh well, too late now. At least that's tonight's vivid nightmare sorted out then . Good stuff Dem. I'll look forward to tomorrow. Edit: Oh, and that 'Retrospace' site looks amazing. Thanks for the heads up. I think there is a widespread dislike for spiders. I am not too keen on them myself, but it is centipedes/millipedes that really get me. My wife and I were in the Philippines many years ago visiting relatives and they told me to always turn my shoes upside-down in the morning and give them a good shake. Well, I did what they said and one morning out dropped a bl00dy great thing with hundreds of legs and probably around 8" long, and I wouldn't have believed how fast it could move. Since then, I have always shaken out my shoes every morning, even here in dear old Blighty, where our multi-legged critters are relatively benign. Tarantula was another good'un, and that is a very interesting site.
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vaultadventcalendar
Black Crow King
Horror chav at the controls/ weird cheerleader #arts&culture
Posts: 143
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Post by vaultadventcalendar on Dec 4, 2016 12:18:15 GMT
Sorry to have made your life harder by finding "The Inn" online already! :0 Thanks for the daily treats so far.... Should imagine most of our regulars will be very familiar with Guy Preston's total classic (his concise novelisation of The Bride Of Frankenstein is equally adorable), if not via Not At Night then almost certainly the first Pan Book Of Horror Stories. It was going to be the opening story for no other reason than I love it. ... Suffice to say, these stories with big-arse spiders in them tend to have more of an affect on me than most other horror stories I read, since I'm a 'bit-of-a-girl' about spiders. With hindsight, I should probably have just skipped this one. Oh well, too late now. At least that's tonight's vivid nightmare sorted out then I bring good cheer, Mr. Horror. Yet more eight-legged lovelies wait in ambush down the line. Oh, that particular story is so disgusting I can hardly bring myself to inflict it upon our dear, innocent readers! In the meantime, this one's no bed of roses .... Chrissie Demant Day four. Another slow-burner, but I'd stick with it if I were you. A young married couple on a ramble through the countryside. Penny won't stay in the village overnight as the yokels give her the creeps. Better to bed down for the night in this spartan but sturdy old out-building. A former conjurer's assistant and cinema organist, multi-talented Oswell Blakeston (1907-1985) was a regular contributor of weird and detective stories to John Gawsworth's 'thirties Thrills anthologies, some written in collaboration with Roger Burford and published under the joint pseudonym, 'Simon.' Oswell was one of only a very few authors to write for both the Not At Night's ( The Crack, in Nightmare By Daylight (1936) and Charles Birkin's Creeps series ( Adventure Without Asking, The Secret Of The Graves, and the especially horrible The Hut). Hugh Lamb, writing in the introduction to Forgotten Tales Of Terror, remarks that "Oswell's interests have gone far beyond his early horror stories. One of the pioneers of abstract cinema in Britain, he was for many years the editor of the film magazine Close Up. An enthusiastic artist, he has held several successful exhibitions of his work." Sadly, Mr. Blakeston's solitary (?) collection of strange tales is the slimline and very rarely found for 50p on market stalls Priests, Peters and Pussens (Fortune Press, 1947).
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