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Post by Craig Herbertson on Sept 7, 2010 11:05:47 GMT
a 7 foot simpleton-cum-drunken sex maniac servant?  As your sometime editor, I think you should think about what you've written there, Lord P...  I just read this story a few weeks back, Charles and I can affirm that intentional or not Lord P has nailed it on the head with that phrase. It's amazing how many stories work on the premise that naked brute sexuality - in the form of beasts or simpletons or the like - is per se a bad thing. I'm speaking here from the vantage point of not being a fragile female alone in a cage with Mr Keen though. There's a Pan horror one on the same theme - prison cell, large lusting chap with little brain... |
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Post by Johnlprobert on Sept 7, 2010 12:01:46 GMT
a 7 foot simpleton-cum-drunken sex maniac servant? As your sometime editor, I think you should think about what you've written there, Lord P... I actually only realised yesterday that in my rush to write that sentence it came out with a ludicrously grotesque double-meaning. But I figured no-one on this board would have such a lurid imagination as to interpret it in "that way"  |
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Post by David A. Riley on Sept 7, 2010 12:09:18 GMT
As your sometime editor, I think you should think about what you've written there, Lord P... I actually only realised yesterday that in my rush to write that sentence it came out with a ludicrously grotesque double-meaning. But I figured no-one on this board would have such a lurid imagination as to interpret it in "that way" Where did you think you were posting it? |
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Post by Johnlprobert on Sept 7, 2010 12:49:03 GMT
I actually only realised yesterday that in my rush to write that sentence it came out with a ludicrously grotesque double-meaning. But I figured no-one on this board would have such a lurid imagination as to interpret it in "that way" Where did you think you were posting it? I could say I thought I would give my Vault colleagues the benefit of the doubt, but that's so obviously untrue . The minute I saw it I debated making the sentence clearer but figured it would be much funnier if I left it. |
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Post by Jojo Lapin X on Sept 20, 2010 15:44:06 GMT
What happened with Midnight House's project of collecting all of Birkin in five volumes? Is that still on?
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Post by David A. Riley on Sept 20, 2010 15:49:55 GMT
It's over a year since the last Midnight House book was published and there's no sign of whatever they're going to produce next, so I wouldn't be optimistic of seeing any of these in the near future.
If at all.
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Post by marksamuels on Sept 20, 2010 22:37:09 GMT
Ay, sorry to hear that David. Your work was ideal for one of the Midnight House volumes and would have gone proudly alongside my Birkins on the shelf.
Must admit to having a soft spot for John Pelan. He gave me my very first break in the mass-market professional arena; payment in full (eventually!) and for putting my tales into three volumes of the magnificent ROC/Penguin Darkside series of anthologies.
I'll always be grateful to him for that.
Mark S.
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Post by David A. Riley on Sept 21, 2010 8:16:28 GMT
I haven't given up on Midnight House yet, though I must admit I have a feeling that John Pelan's problems are far from over, which is why I am sceptical about some - or any - of the projects MH has on hand of ever seeing the light of day.
I hope I'm wrong, but quite some time has passed since MH was able to produce books as it used to do, and its last production, The Feaster From Afar, fine, even outstanding collection though it was, was over a year ago.
Whether my collection will ever appear I am not sure. Time is passing and, unfortunately, John is not exactly good at responding to queries. Silence is always worrying.
Anyway, I intend emailing him again shortly, after which we'll see.
Fingers crossed.
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Post by Jojo Lapin X on Sept 21, 2010 19:40:20 GMT
Anyway, I acquired the Midnight House THE HARLEM HORROR (at great expense, and no thanks to the publisher itself, I might add), and A HAUNTING BEAUTY should also be on its way---this thread and others on this board having whetted my appetite for Birkin, whom I never read before, to the point of drooling. I am happy to report that he does not disappoint. No-nonsense, pointless cruelty delivered elegantly and economically! My only problem is that having read the capsule reviews here, not to mention the Wikipedia entry, I already know everything about all his stories.
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Post by dem on Sept 21, 2010 20:12:10 GMT
Ah, well now you've learned the golden rule. Never, EVER read anything on Vault.
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Post by Jojo Lapin X on Sept 22, 2010 12:10:27 GMT
From now on I shall read only my own posts.
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Post by andydecker on Sept 23, 2010 11:21:04 GMT
I haven't given up on Midnight House yet, though I must admit I have a feeling that John Pelan's problems are far from over. I browsed through Midnight House website, as I was especially interested in the Birkin stuff. But I am not that interested to pay that much money plus postage form America. Mind you, I am not complaining, this is the Small Press and I am sure he didn´t even make a profit. On the other hand, MH seems to have a very narrow offering which can´t make things easier. I only know Pelan from the time I read the alt.cthulhu group. Didn´t he had this cyber-stalker-guy who was always harassing him? |
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Post by Jojo Lapin X on Sept 23, 2010 17:15:29 GMT
The Beautiful People - A bit of a mis-step here with a LONG and unremarkable crime story featuring poor little richkid Ray who contrives to organise his own kidnapping so his mum will pay the ransom. There's a moment towards the end that's almost 'Coconut' worthy, but it's all too little, too late. On the contrary, I found "The Beautiful People" an unexpected special treat. It is a very elegant noir crime story, somewhat like something by James Hadley Chase in his later years, and I feel it could serve as the basis for a fine film. It is obviously not horror, of course, but reading these collections straight through I was happy to have this little diversion. |
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Post by Jojo Lapin X on Sept 23, 2010 17:17:26 GMT
I browsed through Midnight House website, as I was especially interested in the Birkin stuff. But I am not that interested to pay that much money plus postage form America. Not to worry---it is not possible anyway, as they seem not to be taking orders. |
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Post by Jojo Lapin X on Sept 23, 2010 19:29:39 GMT
"T-I-M" is not a horror story either, it seems to me. I am not quite sure what it is. Its message seems to be that five-year-old boys are stupid.
"'Dance Little Lady'" has me mystified. The female protagonist appears traumatized at the end, but not by any event that has been cast in an overtly horrific light by the author. What am I missing?
But something like "The Godsend" is, to me, just perfect. I cannot help but admire the kind of mind that would conceive of such a story and bother to put it down on paper. Most people, I think, would mistakenly dismiss the idea as too primitive by far.
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