Thinking about writers...

Have been gorging myself on Shadow Show, the now sadly posthumous tribute to Ray Bradbury.  Featuring some absolutely lovely stories from some of the heaviest of heavy-weights.  Here's a pretty astute blog review that Mort Castle forwarded along.  More articulate than I -- I posted my first Amazon review and just simply gushed.

I won't take issue with Jef with one F's statement that Joe Hill is becoming one of our most important writers ever.  A little hyperbolic, but then again, I could easily TALK OR WRITE IN ALL CAPS when enthusing about his comic series "Locke and Key".

And however much his own man he becomes, one will never forget that Joe Hill has a award-laden father named Stephen King.  Here are a couple of (again, more articulate than I) competing posts showing how polarizing the fellow still is.  Me, I'm trying to overcome my ambivalence -- Mrs. Morlock and I are currently reading "IT" to the little one (I know, questionable parenting).  His shit is soooo long and meandering, his voice isn't at all splashy or clever, but why the hell does it stick in my head so?

And speaking of writers:  just received word that the submission window for DEATHSCRIBE 2012 has officially been extended to August 15th.  So breathe a sigh of relief, y'all.  You have time for an extra summer shandy.  But get to work!  Those ten-minute terrors won't write themselves.

And I should say, yours truly is on the first-round read-thru team this year and I'm already extremely jazzed by a couple of the submissions.  Last year's Alabama Mermaid will be a tough act to follow, but I guarantee this year's show will be amazing.

X Minus 1

In memory of Ray Bradbury, someone has shared with me a link of archived audio files of the old radio program X Minus 1.  Within their broadcasts exist a good handful of Bradbury stories, so take your time and browse around here.  I'm going to fire one up while I'm doing housework today...

Ray Bradbury passes

Sadness.  I was surprised to hear he was only 91.  felt like he'd been around for centuries.  his writing WILL be around for centuries.

when we do finally land on Mars,  whatever wonders we find there will pale in comparison to the dreamscapes of the Chronicles.

"Martian Chronicles is not science fiction, it's fantasy. It couldn't happen, you see? That's the reason it's going to be around a long time -- because it's a Greek myth, and myths have staying power."  -Bradbury, 1999

so now Shadow Show will be a post-humous tribute.  sadly fitting.  one can see the editor (and DeathScribe 2008 celebrity judge) Mort Castle at the Printers Row Lit Fest, Sunday the 10th.  At the Horror Writers Association booth.

Photo: Jane Castle

Coming July 2012 ... SHADOW SHOW: ALL-NEW STORIES IN CELEBRATION OF RAY BRADBURY. Contributors include Margaret Atwood, Dave Eggers, Harlan Ellison, Neil Gaiman, Joe Hill, David Morrell, Kelly Link, Bonnie Jo Campbell, Robert McCammon, Jacquelyn Mitchard, Alice Hoffman, Ramsey Campbell, Audrey Niffenegger -- and more! With an introduction by Ray Bradbury.. Edited by Sam Weller and Mort Castle