The Blog Has Moved...Join the Party!

You are reading the final post to The Goreletter at this location.

This weblog has now been consolidated with Michael Arnzen's homepage at http://www.gorelets.com/blog/.

Read All About The Goreletter to learn more about the new blog. New posts have already been posted to the new blog, so please come join us!

I hope you will also take this moment to add it to your favorites/bookmarks, change any weblinks on your own sites... and if you use RSS, resubscribe to the fancy, improved new feed, as well. If you'd like to embed a graphic button into your website, I've got those, too, like so:

Just point your links to http://www.gorelets.com/blog/ and you'll be set! Thanks for your patience during this upheaval.

Yours,
Michael A. Arnzen

What A Limited Edition Looks Like

The book collector's website, Awful Books, has posted photographs of my limited edition novella, The Bitchfight, in the Bad Moon Books section of their gallery of collectable books.

Here you can see what a great job the publisher did with this exclusive collector's edition, signed, leatherbound in a deep crimson cover, with bonus art and an exclusive CD. The CD is called "Live and Vile," featuring an individualized "backmasked" message unique for each disc, the recording of a live performance (at Zombiefest 2007), and a cluster of remixes, rare demo versions and outtakes from my spoken word CD from Raw Dog Screaming Press (Audiovile). Only 26 copies of these books+cds were made, as it is a lettered edition. [Awful Books acquired the letter "V" which is even more unique because only the V, I, L, & E -lettered CDs were done in blue ink rather than red!] Like the "Grim Grimoire" edition of my novel, Play Dead, I think this is a neat production!

This book has been getting very positive reviews. The lettered edition sold out on publication, but signed trade paperbacks are still available at the Horror Mall.

Proverbs For Monsters Wins Stoker Award!

I’m still stunned, so I’ll keep this relatively short...

The HWA’s Bram Stoker Awards were announced last night in Salt Lake City at the 2008 World Horror Convention. My book, PROVERBS FOR MONSTERS, tied for the win (along with Peter Straub for his wonderful book, 5 Stories) in the "Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection" category.

This is my fourth Stoker award for my horror writing and since this particular award is going to a book that collects stories from across my career, I’m obviously overjoyed.

I’ve posted a copy of my acceptance speech (read by Weston Ochse at the banquet) on gorelets.com, but here I just want to share the good news and to shout out a huge THANKS to the HWA and to anyone who has picked up my book and enjoyed it.

Here’s the full list of winners...and all of these books are just GREAT, so if you like horror fiction, this is the stuff you should be reading, folks!:

Bram Stoker Award Winners 2008

Superior Achievement in a Novel
THE MISSING by Sarah Langan (Harper)

Superior Achievement in a First Novel
HEART-SHAPED BOX by Joe Hill (William Morrow)

Superior Achievement in Long Fiction
AFTERWARD, THERE WILL BE A HALLWAY by Gary Braunbeck (Five Strokes to Midnight)

Superior Achievement in Short Fiction
THE GENTLE BRUSH OF WINGS by David Niall Wilson (Defining Moments)

Superior Achievement in an Anthology
FIVE STROKES TO MIDNIGHT edited by Gary Braunbeck and Hank Schwaeble (Haunted Pelican Press)

Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection (tie)
PROVERBS FOR MONSTERS by Michael A. Arnzen (Dark Regions Press)
5 STORIES by Peter Straub (Borderlands)

Superior Achievement in Nonfiction
THE CRYPTOPEDIA by Jonathan Maberry & David F. Kramer (Citadel Press / Kensington)

Superior Achievement in Poetry (tie)
BEING FULL OF LIGHT, INSUBSTANTIAL by Linda Addison (Space and Time)
VECTORS: A WEEK IN THE DEATH OF A PLANET by Charlee Jacob & Marge Simon (Dark Regions Press)

HWA Lifetime Achievement Award: John Carpenter & Robert Weinberg

***

For more information about the Bram Stoker award, visit the Horror Writers Association.

For more information about Proverbs for Monsters, see my website, Gorelets.com or pick up a copy at the Horror Mall.

Back to celebrating... Cheers! -- Mike Arnzen

The 2007 Bram Stoker Award Final Ballot

Here is the just-announced shortlist of finalists for the 2007 Bram Stoker Award:

Superior Achievement in a Novel
THE GUARDENER'S TALE by Bruce Boston (Sam’s DotPublishing)
HEART-SHAPED BOX by Joe Hill (William Morrow)
THE MISSING by Sarah Langan (Harper)
THE TERROR by Dan Simmons (Little, Brown)

Superior Achievement in a First Novel
HEART-SHAPED BOX by Joe Hill (William Morrow)
I WILL RISE by Michael Calvillo (Lachesis Publishing)
THE MEMORY TREE by John R. Little (Nocturne Press)
THE WITCH'S TRINITY by Erika Mailman (Crown)
THE HOLLOWER by Mary SanGiovanni (Leisure Books)

Superior Achievement in Long Fiction
AFTERWARD, THERE WILL BE A HALLWAY by Gary Braunbeck (Five Strokes to Midnight)
ALMOST THE LAST STORY BY ALMOST THE LAST MAN by Scott Edelman (Postscripts)
GENERAL SLOCUM'S GOLD by Nicholas Kaufmann (Burning Effigy Press)
THE TENTH MUSE by William Browning Spencer
AN APIARY OF WHITE BEES by Lee Thomas (Inferno)

Superior Achievement in Short Fiction
THE DEATH WAGON ROLLS ON BY by C. Dean Andersson (Cemetery Dance #57)
LETTING GO by John Everson (Needles and Sins)
THE TEACHER by Paul G. Tremblay (Chizine)
THERE'S NO LIGHT BETWEEN FLOORS by Paul G. Tremblay (Clarkesworld)
CLOSET DREAMS by Lisa Tuttle (Postscripts #10)
THE GENTLE BRUSH OF WINGS by David Niall Wilson (Defining Moments)

Superior Achievement in an Anthology
FIVE STROKES TO MIDNIGHT edited by Gary Braunbeck and Hank Schwaeble (Haunted Pelican Press)
INFERNO edited by Ellen Datlow (Tor)
DARK DELICACIES 2: FEAR edited by Del Howison & Jeff Gelb (Carroll & Graf/Avalon)
MIDNIGHT PREMIERE edited by Tom Piccirilli (Cemetery Dance Publications)
AT EASE WITH THE DEAD edited by Barbara & Christopher Roden (Ash-Tree Press)

Superior Achievement in a Collection
PROVERBS FOR MONSTERS by Michael A. Arnzen (Dark Regions Press)
THE IMAGO SEQUENCE by Laird Barron (Night Shade Books)
OLD DEVIL MOON by Christopher Fowler (Serpent’s Tail)
5 STORIES by Peter Straub (Borderlands)
DEFINING MOMENTS by David Niall Wilson (Sarob Press)

Superior Achievement in Nonfiction
ENCYCLOPEDIA HORRIFICA by Joshua Gee (Scholastic)
THE PORTABLE OBITUARY: HOW THE FAMOUS, RICH, AND POWERFUL REALLY DIED by Michael Largo (Harper)
THE CRYPTOPEDIA: A Dictionary of the Weird, Strange & Downright Bizarre by Jonathan Maberry & David F. Kramer (Citadel Press / Kensington)
STORYTELLERS UNPLUGGED by Joe Nassise and David Niall Wilson (Storytellers Unplugged)

Superior Achievement in Poetry
BEING FULL OF LIGHT, INSUBSTANTIAL by Linda Addison (Space and Time)
HERESY by Charlee Jacob (Bedlam Press [Necro Publications])
VECTORS: A WEEK IN THE DEATH OF A PLANET by Charlee Jacob & Marge Simon (Dark Regions Press)
PHANTASMAPEDIA by Mark McLaughlin (Dead Letter Press)
OSSUARY by JoSelle Vanderhooft (Sam’s Dot Publishing)

***
I'm proud to be in such good company. I've got my favorites, but they're all very good books by outstanding writers. Congratulations to all the nominees! Voting will take place in the weeks ahead; the award winners will be announced at the Horror Writers Association banquet at World Horror Convention in Salt Lake City, at the end of March.

Enter the FearZone

Fearzone.com is running several features on my writing this week:

• a meaty FICTION EXCERPT from my new novelette from Bad Moon Books, called The Bitchfight;
• a celebratory REVIEW of that book (which calls it "an enormously entertaining modern tale of terror perhaps destined to become a future classic.";
• and finally, a fun INTERVIEW with me conducted by the inimitable horror humorist, Jeff Strand

Horror Writing Courses & Academics in 2008

This morning I saw that Boing Boing posted news about the Alpha SF Workshop for Teens -- and it occurred to me that I've been remiss about announcing that I'll be teaching at this writer's workshop for young genre fans this year, alongside Tamora Pierce, Timothy Zahn, and the very cool Chris McKitterick. Application deadline is March 1st.

I will also be leading a Flash Fiction writing workshop at Context SF Convention in September. It was exceptionally cool to be the Horror Guest of Honor at Context last year; this year's guest horror writer is Brian Keene, and other horror luminaries in attendance will include Tim Waggonner, Gary Braunbeck, and critic Paula Guran. Should be fun!

On a semi-related note: keep your eyes on the Odyssey SF/F Workshop and their podcast page...they will be podcasting an excerpt from my guest lecture in 2007 on Humor in Genre Writing. I highly recommend Odyssey for science fiction, fantasy or horror writers who want to take their work up a professional notch.

I'm also presently teaching a Horror Writing course as part of my undergraduate load at Seton Hill University and it's going to be a lot of fun. The books I'm using, for those who want to give themselves a crash course in this stuff, include On Writing Horror, The Dark Descent, Night Shift, and Imaginative Writing. I'm sure I'll post about it from time to time on my apologetically dry and academic weblog for teachers, Pedablogue.

By the way, if you already have a college degree and want to learn how to write a horror novel, be sure to consider Seton Hill University's Master of the Arts program in Writing Popular Fiction. I'm on the faculty.

Whew, that's a lot of horror learnin'! I love it, though. In fact, I'll even be presenting a paper about the importance of teaching horror at the International Conference for the Fantastic in the Arts held in Orlando this coming March. Hope to see some of you there..

Preliminary Stoker Ballot Released

The Preliminary Ballot for the 2007 Bram Stoker Award is now public. My latest book, Proverbs for Monsters, is a contender in the "fiction collection" category, and I'm very pleased. There are a LOT of great books up for the award this year, and the ballot reads like a good "recommended reading" list for 2007, so check it out.

The Stoker is the top accolade for writers of horror fiction, chosen by peer professional authors in the Horror Writers Association, and the competition is always stiff. It really is an honor to be nominated (which technically means making the final ballot, not this early one...but I'm still honored anyway!)

To learn more about the Stokers, visit the HWA home page. A final ballot will be announced this Spring; after pro writers vote on that, the winners will be announced at the end of March, in a banquet at World Horror Convention 2008. Although I haven't registered yet, I am likely to attend that convention...it's always fun.

Horror Mall is Now Open

The Horror Mall (the "Dark Oddities Emporium") is a fantastic new online store for lovers of all things horror and bizarror. Check out my author page there for some good deals on my books, especially hard-to-find editions:

Update: Horror Mall now features Audiovile as a downloadable audiobook. Drop by!

The Fight is On

Bad Moon Books is now taking pre-orders for the my novelette, The Bitchfight.

THE FIGHT IS ON! Here's the twisted story description from the back cover:

Somewhere deep in the Black Mountains outside of Vegas, men of all kinds secretly gather to wager on a very special sport. A crowd of them surrounds a pit in the ground, cheering as money changes hands and spotlights beam down from the tops of tractor trailers, illuminating the dusty arena in a sickening glow. Cages are carried to opposite sides of the ring, like Egyptian queens. The crowd goes nuts. Somewhere in the din, a dog howls...and a child mewls. The Bitchfight -- the mob's most bizarre underground dogfighting operation -- is about to begin. And as the mob's newly acquired "ringside doctor" is about to find out, it will take much more than a degree in veterinary medicine to help save these animals -- and himself -- from their terrible fate. A horn blares. The cages open. The animals charge in a flurry of leather and spikes and sharpened teeth. Welcome to the ring.

"The Bitchfight is like a nesting doll of depravity--every time you think Arnzen has maxed-out the possible weirdness level, he pops open another doll and there's something even more messed up inside. But, hey, it's a Mike Arnzen story, which by definition means that it is a) utterly demented, and b) utterly brilliant. Another twisted classic from one of my all-time favorite authors." --Jeff Strand, author of Pressure

Introduction by Brian Hodge. Art by Caroline O'Neal. 75 pages. $15 limited trade edition. Preorder it before the bell rings.

Winter 2008 Updates

I've been busy over the holidays, catching up with promises and deadlines... Lots of new things are in the works for the year ahead, but some I can't really announce until their time is at hand.

My book, Proverbs for Monsters (released from Dark Regions Press in November) has gotten some awesome reviews. Head over to Dread Central, for example, to see what author Scott Johnson had to say about this "guided tour of insanity and the macabre, with a few moments of touching grace combined with repulsive terror." Full coverage of the book, including a TOC and sample illos, is available on the creations page on my website, gorelets.com

One of the projects I've been working hard on over the break is a rather discomforting novelette called The Bitchfight -- which author Jeff Strand, in an advanced review, has rightly called "A nesting doll of depravity." I like the ring of that. This seventy-five page book will feature an introduction by the great writer, Brian Hodge. Be sure to visit specialty publisher Bad Moon Books, who will soon be announcing full details.

Last week I received my contributors copies for a book called You Have Time For This (a collection of great flash fiction, including stories by Bruce Holland Rogers, Marge Simon, Aimee Bender, Bruce Boston and more...). Check it out -- you DO have time for it, with each story no longer than a page long!

I also just received copies of the special holiday issue of Doorways magazine, which horror fans should consider subscribing to. My weird poem, "The Truth About Mistletoe," appears therein. (And you can't handle the truth.)

Lots more news to come in the year ahead...I'm very excited! Keep reading. I invite readers of this blog -- whether regular RSS subscribers or passers-by in the dark of night -- to subscribe to the e-mail edition, which features extras and surprises and rewards you won't get here. It is a very low traffic list, delivered roughly every three months. The next issue is currently in progress for release in the weeks ahead.

Belated HAPPY NEW YEAR! -- Michael Arnzen

p.s. Mac users: visit Mac Heist II for an awesome bundle of software, cheap...with proceeds going to great charities...this cool offer expires on Jan 23rd!
,

Proverbs for Monsters: New Book Now For Sale!

My NEW short story collection, Proverbs for Monsters -- a meaty omnibus of thirty of my best stories and over thirty of my creepiest poems -- has become available for sale online at Horror Mall, Camelot Books, The Genre Mall, Realms of Fantasy Books, and directly from the publisher, Dark Regions Press.

Visit the Proverbs page on my website, gorelets.com for more information about this new book. The trade paperback is 300 chunky pages for only about $20; a limited run of hardcovers will be available soon, too, for $40.

It would be wholly inappropriate for you to give this book -- or my CD Audiovile -- to anyone for the holidays. -- Mike Arnzen

Film Encore/Reading | Seton Hill U. - Nov 30th

I'll be giving an encore presentation of the film based on my poetry and flash fiction, Exquisite Corpse, at Seton Hill University (Greensburg, PA) on November 30th, 2007, at 4pm in room 308 in the Administration Building. This event will also include readings of new work and a listening sample from Audiovile.

Open and free to the public. Information is available here.

11/24 Postscript: Congratulations to producer Jim Minton for winning another award for Exquisite Corpse: the "Best Visual Effects" award at the 2007 Sansevieria Film Festival! [Exquisite Corpse is now available on DVD. To purchase in the US send $15 + $2 shipping/handling via paypal to jiminton@swbell.net or mail a check/money order payable to Jim Minton to: Jim Minton Design Studio, 3339 Merrell Road, Dallas, TX, 75229]

11/26 Postscript: THE ROOM # FOR THIS EVENT IS ADMIN 308 (not 204 as reported earlier)

Dread Central Digs Audiovile

Author Scott A. Johnson has written a marvelous review of my cd, Audiovile, for Dread Central:

For anyone who has ever heard it said that horror is not an art form, Arnzen fires back with the proverbial "up yours," making himself out to be a twisted Ginsberg for the horror fan, Kerouac for the demented, and a Dylan Thomas for those of us with a dark sense of humor. And no, I'm not exaggerating....what you have is something that listeners will be playing for their friends, prefaced by lines like "You have to hear this!" and "This is the weirdest thing I've ever heard!"

If you haven't heard it yet, you can sample Audiovile on myspace, or even download snippets on iTunes.

Oh, The Horror: It's Good for You

I spoke with acclaimed writer and cultural historian Michael Sims for the latest issue of REZOOM magazine, in feature story called "Oh, The Horror: It's Good For You":

Arnzen credits Mad magazine and the self-referential world of horror film with helping inspire his own ironic worldview. "Everything's a parody to me — especially other texts. Sometimes I'll recast the characters by putting pop celebrities in the roles. What if Britney Spears were Rebecca in this novel?" He narrates his short-short fiction and poetry with a dry, ironic tone, leaving the reader to decide whether to laugh at the horrific (but often farcical) events occurring on the page.

I highly recommend Michael Sims' writing. I'm currently reading his book, Apollo's Fire, which would thrill any science fiction fan; his book Adam's Navel is a wonderfully playful and informative and discussion of body parts, which I know horror lovers everywhere will enjoy.

Little Things Mean a Lot: Arnzen in Post-Gazette

Kate Luce Angell's wonderful profile on my work, "Little Things Mean a Lot in Writing Horror" was just published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It includes a good photo from my reading at Zombiefest and some great elements of our interview.

Excerpt:

"I'm interested in potent nuggets of narrative, and horror has always been a shorter genre," he said. "Look at Edgar Allen Poe's stories and poems."

The little things also loom large in the subjects of his work, in which he finds the frightening in minutely observed, everyday details, like a janitor's glove (or IS it a glove?) and a pair of too-real bunny slippers.

"I'd like to think I'm doing the same thing comedians are, exploring our hypocrisies through observational humor," he said, adding that horror is often funny as well as fear-inducing. "I crack myself up all the time when I'm writing."

A Look Back at Zombiefest 2007

Raw Dog Screaming Press has posted some great photos and coverage of last weekend's fun at Zombiefest 2007.

Happy Halloween!

Halloween Fever

Halloween Comes Early:

[This just in: See the Post-Gazette article on this event.]

I'll be attending Zombiefest in Pittsburgh this weekend (10/27-8) to kick off the Halloween-week frenzy early. I'll be presenting a reading on a panel with Greg Lamberson and Scott Johnson on Saturday at 2pm. Other guest writers include Gary Braunbeck, Max Brooks, Kim Paffenroth, Edward A. Holsclaw II, and the guys from Bloodtype Online. Zombiefest culminates in an attempt to break the world record in a zombie walk through the Monroeville Mall (setting for the original Dawn of the Dead) for charity.

A Halloween Bargain:
I was alerted by Fictionwise -- the premiere e-book distributor for popular fiction and short stories -- that all horror and dark fantasy e-books are 25%-30% off this month in celebration of Halloween...there's still time left to get as many as you can, including several of my short stories and collections in e-book format, cheap. [There is also a weekly discount page for Goreletter subscribers which features a number of titles from Raw Dog Screaming Press.]

A Halloween Costume Contest:
Usually I only post contests within the pages of the e-mail edition of The Goreletter, but this time I'm opening it up to everyone. Here's your chance to win $75 in free Arnzen books!

This ought to be easy and your chances of winning are good! Send me a photo (whether at a party, on your doorstep, or whatever) of yourself in costume. It doesn't HAVE to be a Halloween photo, but I imagine that would be the easiest time to take a picture. (I will post your photos under my profile at myspace.com, so entering this contest grants me one-time online publishing rights to your photograph).

Deadline: November 5th
Preferred format: .jpg file (may be re-sized for space)
Size limit: 1.4 megabytes
SEND TO: arnzen@gmail.com

Horror imagery preferred. Points for creativity, craft, and use of scenario/scenery. Bonus points for incorporating any Arnzen-related paraphernalia in your shot (holding a book, dressing up like a character, whatever). Try to keep the imagery below an R rating please, since little kiddies read my stuff sometimes and I don't want my site to get censored/banned/etc. by the powers that be. (I will not publish nudity, drug references, or other images that I'm not comfortable sharing with the public.) New photos preferred.

Submit by e-mail only to arnzen@gmail.com. Do not send weblinks to download from. Your name will be included in the photo caption. Anyone who submits will be automatically subscribed to the e-mail edition of The Goreletter, if they do not already subscribe. Your e-address will not be used in any other way.

ONE GRAND PRIZE TO MY FAVORITE PHOTO: A free signed limited hardcover copy of PROVERBS FOR MONSTERS upon release ($50 value!) & one DVD of EXQUISITE CORPSE ($17 value!) with bonus autographed Arnzen ephemera inserted in the clamshell case ($???).

Fear Zone on Audiovile

I really enjoyed reading Greg Lamberson's meaty review of my audiobook, Audiovile, which was published last night at the great new horror site, Fear Zone:

"16 tracks of brain damaging terror. Stories like "Psycho Hunter," "Stabbing for Dummies," and "Six Short Films About Chauncey the Serial Killer" will have you alternately cackling and gasping. The brilliance of these tales -- amplified by Arnzen's pitch perfect delivery -- is that within the space of a couple of minutes, each one sets a grin on your face, then slaps it off, then kicks you in the groin and leaves you gasping (but still laughing), "That isn't right! That's just plain WRONG!" -- Greg Lamberson, Fearzone.com

If you're anywhere near Pittsburgh's Zombiefest this coming weekend (10/27-28), you too can get your brain damaged by coming to my reading, or visiting my publisher's table at the convention.

Readings this Weekend (Oct 19 & 20, 2007)

I'll be reading at two events in Western Pennsylvania this coming weekend, in celebration of Halloween:

On Friday, Oct 19th, at 7:30pm, you can catch me live at the Bottle Works Ethnic Arts Center (411 Third Ave.) in Johnstown, PA. I'll be reading alongside Gerry LaFemina. Free and open to the public. Visit http://www.bottleworks.org/ for details.

On Saturday, Oct 20th, from 8-10pm, I'll be chugging coffee and getting weird at the "Get Lit" event (see poster above) at DV8 Espresso Bar and Gallery (208 S. Pennsylvania Ave.) in Greensburg, PA. Free to all coffee lovers and horror fans. Visit http://www.myspace.com/dv8espressobarandgallery for more information.

I will have copies of my new book (Proverbs for Monsters), cd (Audiovile), and even DVD (Exquisite Corpse) available for sale, first come first severed...I mean "served."

If you can't make it, then I hope I'll see you at ZOMBIEFEST the following weekend (Oct 27th)! Happy Halloween, hellions.

How to Grow a Man-Eating Plant

Pseudopod: The Sound of Horror has just podcast my short story, "How to Grow a Man-Eating Plant" (read by Sheila Unwin).

Happy Halloween!

If you are unable to listen to podcasts, and you haven't already read it in 100 Jolts, then you might be able to find the story in print online in its original publication somewhere on my online bibliography.

Dr. Dread

Here's a new brief interview Katie Mavrich did with me about horror fiction, for the harvest time issue of At Home with Jennifer magazine: "Dr. Dread: Seton Hill University Has its Own Professor of Horror".

Speaking of SHU, here's a breaking news press release they just sent to the media about my audiobook, Audiovile -- it includes a list of public events in October and November where you can pick up a copy of the CD or hear me perform live.

"The Scab" wins Best Animated Horror Short "Witchy" Award

Jim Minton's film adaptation of my poem, "The Scab," just won the 2007 Tabloid Witch Award for Best Animated Short Film. CONGRATULATIONS, Jim!

"The Scab" is Minton's stunning vision of the poem originally published in the book, Freakcidents, which appeared in the anthology film that Minton also produced, Exquisite Corpse.

Exquisite Corpse recently screened at Context SF Convention in Ohio and the Antimatter Underground Arts Festival in Canada, among other film fests worldwide.

Upcoming Events & Appearances

Sept 28-30th | Context 20 | Columbus, OH

I'm honored to be this year's "Horror Guest of Honor" at this literary convention held annually in Ohio! In addition to the usual reading performance, panel discussions, and books signings, I'll also leading a poetry writing workshop. (There are still a few seats left, but you have to register early to get one).

Oct 19th 7:30pm | BottleWorks | Johnstown, PA

Poetry reading along with Gerry LaFemina at the Bottle Works Ethnic Arts Center (3rd Avenue & Chestnut in Cambria City), sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. Open to the public.

Oct 20th 8pm | DV8 Espresso Bar & Gallery | Greensburg, PA

Featured reading in the "Get Lit" series at DV8 Gallery (208 S. Pennsylvania Ave., Downtown Greensburg, PA). Open to the public.

Oct 27-28th | Zombiefest | Monroeville Mall, PA

I'll be reading and signing books at the Raw Dog Screaming Press table at Zombiefest -- a brand new Convention of the Undead, which culminates with an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest "zombie walk" through the Monroeville Mall -- the actual location for the original Romero film, Dawn of the Dead! Day pass/tickets required

Nov 10th, 2-5pm | PARSEC Meeting | Pittsburgh, PA

Discussion of the adaptation of Arnzen’s fiction/poetry in Exquisite Corpse (film) and Audiovile (music). Open to PARSEC science fiction enthusiast group members only (membership at door is $15).

Guest Blogging

I'm guest blogging about semi-random literary-related topics this week over at abunchofwordz.com. I'm trying to post at least one entry per day, from 9/6-9/13. Please join the party and leave a comment if you like.

Post-script: [This has officially ended now, but you can review my posts on this handy-dandy index page. Thanks for reading, folks!]

Arnzen on iTunes

Audiovile is now available through iTunes! Just $9.99 for 16 very strange stories read by a very strange writer, enhanced by some very strange sounds.

Or buy the cd and get these very same very strange tracks burned on some very strange plastic, along with some very strange writing and art in the very cool case booklet.

"...a performance-art piece of manic Beatnik horror. For the majority of the CD's sixteen tracks, Arnzen assumes a frenzied persona that blends elements of Alan Ginsberg, Henry Rollins, and Patrick Bateman to deliver simultaneously horrifying and humorous short stories. His performances are supported by strange and atmospheric music that ranges across styles, evoking early punk for one track only to move into '80s Euro-horror soundtrack for the next and so on." -- Jack Haringa, Dead Reckonings

"This collection of recordings will disturb and entertain you for more reasons than the obvious; remember the first time you heard The Doors' 'The End' and Jim Morrison's long, chilling soliloquy in the middle? Or the An American Prayer album -- an audio suicide note set to music? The pieces on Audiovile often put me in mind of these moments, because they disturbed me on the same, visceral level -- but because these pieces are based on the works of Mike Arnzen, there's also a lot of simple, weird fun to be had, as well, and the musicianship displayed throughout is flawless. A genuine one-of-kind recording." -- Gary A. Braunbeck, Bram stoker and International Horror Guild Award-winning author of Destinations Unknown, Prodigal Blues, and Mr. Hands

"Mr. Arnzen, you had me at 'He’s a madman in plaid flannel', the opening line to the first track of AudioVile. Damn you.

[Among] my personal favorites is "Stabbing for Dummies": Pure genius. A parody of those Dummy books that are everywhere nowadays, complete with Tips!, Shortcuts, Warnings and Remember prompts. The scary part is the amount of thought Mike had to put into some of these tips, which sound right on target. This track is a must listen. [The CD contains] more than enough laugh out loud, make you cringe moments for me to recommend AudioVile, which caters to those among us who are just a bit twisted. Personally I really dug this album and already placed an order for 100 Jolts based on this sampling." -- Mike Myers, Horror World

"Not exactly sung, not quite read, Arnzen narrates each piece with an enthusiastic growl in which you can hear how amused he is, trying on this new mantle. The Morrison of the Macabre...an unexpected pleasure. Put this in your iPod and smoke it!" -- ChiZine

CD NOW AVAILABLE from:

Raw Dog Screaming Press
Shocklines Bookstore (signed!)
Camelot Books
CD Baby

DOWNLOAD VERSION AVAILABLE NOW from:

Apple iTunes

Arnzen on CD Baby

No, that title isn't a Telly Savalas voiceover. It's big news:

Raw Dog Screaming Press has arranged it so you can now order Audiovile on disc from cdbaby.com! They have discounts on bulk orders. Or if you want a signed copy, get your pre-order in at Shocklines.com or Camelot Books right away.

Audiovile will also be available soon on iTunes for mp3 download. I'll post news. You'll be sick of hearing about it, but I'll post it anyway.

Let me know what you think! Comments are coming in on the Arnzen myspace page or at the bottom of the page on cdbaby

In plaid flannel,
-- Mike Arnzen

Pod(casts) of Horror!

Taking a quick break from a spree of novel writing to update you....

Audiovile is featured in the next episode of POD OF HORROR, the premiere horror podcast published every few weeks by Mark Justice and the great folks at Horror World.  A meaty and fun audio interview with me and two tracks from the CD (including the track not available on myspace, "Why Zombies Lumber") appear, alongside an interview with Tim Lebbon and the Pod's usual fun contests, news, and humor sketches.  Subscribe now through iTunes, or look for the file to be posted this weekend at the Pod of Horror home page.

Also in podcast news, my short story, "How to Grow a Man Eating Plant," will be appearing in Pseudopod Horror Audio sometime soon.  (This is not a track from Audiovile, nor is it a recording of my voice/music...just an adaptation of the story, which originally appears in 100 Jolts).  Subscribe easily on itunes or look forward to listening to it through the Pseudopod website.   (I recommend checking out David Barr Kirtley's cool weird story that's posted there right now!)

***

In non-podcast news, Audiovile should be here any day now.  I know for sure that cds will be available at the Horrorfind convention in Baltimore next week so if you're there, you'll have a chance to get it earlier than anyone at the Raw Dog Screaming Press release party (...alas, I won't be attending in person  ). 

Also coming soon:  Proverbs for Monsters!  I just autographed the signing pages for the limited editions coming from Dark Regions Press, so expect more news about it in the month ahead.  The trade paperback will be $19.95, if you want to order a copy directly from the publisher -- see their website for an order form.

DON'T FORGET THE AUDIOVILE CONTEST!  It ends August 18th.  See  the latest issue of The Goreletter at gorelets.com for more information.

Cheers, Mike Arnzen

[This entry is cross-posted from the Arnzen myspace page].

Interviews Recently Posted

"The Amityville Horror (Writer)" -- Stephen M. Wilson's interview with me as featured poet from last season's premiere issue of Doorways magazine -- has just been republished online, on Wilson's weblog.

I also just wrapped up a meaty interview with Raw Dog Screaming Press about the production of Audiovile to appear in their reader newsletter. To catch it, you'll need to fill out the subscription form here pretty soon: RDSP Mailing List. (They sometimes have special offers for subscribers, so it's a good one to join -- the mailings are very infrequent).

More interviews with me can be found at the bottom of my bio page at gorelets.com

How to Grow a...Pseduopod

If you've got an iPod -- or any way to stream or download audio -- then you should subscribe to the free horror story podcasts at pseudopod.org!

Pseudopod is currently producing an audio adaptation of my story, "How to Grow a Man-Eating Plant" that should be out in the month's ahead. Your iTunes library has been warned. But if you don't do mp3 players, then you can still listen to it online at their site. Check out what they've already got for now -- it's high quality, on every level. I'll post a reminder here when my story appears.

Fall 2007 Appearances

July 28-29th | Confluence 2007 | Pittsburgh, PA

I will be signing books, reading fiction, and sitting on two panels at Confluence, Pittsburgh's annual con for fans of science-fiction and fantasy literature. A highlight this year will be the screening and discussion of the film based on my work, Exquisite Corpse, alongside the film adaptation of Lawrence C. Connolly's classic short-short, Echoes.

Aug 11th | Horrorfind Weekend | Hunt Valley, MD

Raw Dog Screaming Press is hosting a CD release party for Audiovile at Horrorfind. I am not yet certain if I'll be in attendance at this year's convention, but if you're there, join the party!

Sept 28-30th | Context 20 | Columbus, OH

I'm honored to be this year's "Horror Guest of Honor" at this literary convention held annually in Ohio! In addition to the usual reading performance, panel discussions, and books signings, I'll also leading a poetry writing workshop. There are still a few seats left, but you have to register early to get one (convention registration fees rise after Aug 11th, too).

Oct 19th 7:30pm | BottleWorks | Johnstown, PA

Poetry reading along with Gerry LaFemina at the Bottle Works Ethnic Arts Center (3rd Avenue & Chestnut in Cambria City), sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown.

Oct 27-28th | Zombiefest | Monroeville Mall, PA

I'll be reading and signing books at the Raw Dog Screaming Press table at Zombiefest -- a brand new Convention of the Undead, which culminates with an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest "zombie walk" through the Monroeville Mall -- the actual location for the original Romero film, Dawn of the Dead!

Brain Candy: The Music Video

Raw Dog Screaming Press has produced a funny cartoon based on my story, "Brain Candy," from my forthcoming audio cd, Audiovile....

That's just the tip of a very sick iceberg. To hear more tracks from Audiovile and learn how to preorder the CD, visit me on myspace.com.

You also might like William Gagliani's review of Audiovile in the new issue of ChiZine, too.

Listen to Audiovile

Alert: I've launched a new page on myspace.com where you can listen to three sample tracks from my forthcoming CD, Audiovile!

PRE-ORDER AUDIOVILE & 100 JOLTS TODAY!

TWO new Arnzen titles from Raw Dog Screaming Press are now available for preorder at Shocklines Bookstore...buy them together and save money on top of free shipping! (Plus : all preorders will arrive autographed!)

		AUDIOVILE is an exciting spoken word CD that captures Arnzen's oral performance of his stories from 100 Jolts and more. It is not so much an audio book as it is an album of flash fiction -- a listening experience complete with wild music, sound effects, and more. Horror World calls it "pure genius...with more than enough laugh-out-loud, make you cringe moments to recommend it." PREORDER TODAY FOR $12.95 and your early copy will arrive signed.
100 JOLTS: SHOCKINGLY SHORT STORIES -- SPECIAL EDITION is a new hardcover reissue of this collection of one hundred disturbing and darkly hilarious stories -- most of them no longer than a page. It features "Aftershocks" (a battery of bonus stories) as well as extra writing prompts and a new article about writing in the flash fiction genre. Horror Library claims "…this collection will be a treasured favorite for any collector of horror literature and indispensable reference material for any writer, horror genre or not." PREORDER TODAY FOR $29.95 and your early copy will arrive signed.

Heidi's 'Pick Six' and an Audiovile update

Author Heidi Ruby Miller has been running an awesome series of interviews with writers of horror, science fiction, and fantasy on her weblog, called Heidi's Pick Six. Her interview with me -- one of the more irreverant ones -- just went online this week.

***
Don't forget the "Green Hills of Earth: Poetry of the Fantastic" event at the Three Rivers Arts festival this weekend (June 2nd, 7:30pm) in Pittsburgh, PA. I'll be reading a selection of dark and funny pieces alongside Timons Esaias, Catherynne M. Valente, and other local fantasy writers, including Heidi Ruby Miller. Host Timons Esaias gives further info about the event on his website.

***
My publisher tells me that AUDIOVILE and the hardcover expanded edition of 100 Jolts will be out in time for Horrorfind Convention this August (8/10-12), where a fun Audiovile Release Party will take place. More news to follow as details are ironed out. It is uncertain whether I will be able to attend this year, but if you're a horror fan capable of making it to the Baltimore area, I highly recommend Horrorfind. It's quite a party.

Play Dead wild card...

Shocklines Bookstore has recently acquired two copies of the very-hard-to-find Play Dead Grim Grimoire and are offering them for $30 off as part of their great Spring Cleaning Sale. I've seen this book offered for sale for a lot more money than that. And even the standard hardcover edition of Play Dead is getting more and more difficult to find lately, so don't say I didn't warn you.

Proverbs for Monsters

If all works out, a "best of Arnzen" retrospective collection of fiction and poetry, called Proverbs for Monsters will be out this June or July. More news to come. For now, here's a sneak peek at the cover by one of my favorite artists, Matt Schuster:

Get Ready for AUDIOVILE

AUDIOVILE -- an "album of flash fiction" that's read aloud and set to freaky music -- should be available on CD soon from Raw Dog Screaming Press. I'll be posting links to samples and more info shortly, but if you want to be one of the first to get your hands on this disc, keep your eyes on the Audiovile page on my website, where I'll be posting preordering information and links as soon as it comes in.

Horror World just posted the first review, calling it "pure genius...with more than enough laugh-out-loud, make you cringe moments to recommend it." And here's what award-winning horror author Gary Braunbeck had to say:

"This collection of recordings will disturb and entertain you for more reasons than the obvious; remember the first time you heard The Doors' 'The End' and Jim Morrison's long, chilling soliloquy in the middle? Or the An American Prayer album -- an audio suicide note set to music? The pieces on Audiovile often put me in mind of these moments, because they disturbed me on the same, visceral level -- but because these pieces are based on the works of Mike Arnzen, there's also a lot of simple, weird fun to be had, as well, and the musicianship displayed throughout is flawless. A genuine one-of-kind recording."

Look for Audiovile -- and the expanded hardcover edition of 100 Jolts: Shockingly Short Stories -- to come out from Raw Dog Screaming Press early this summer.

Three Rivers Arts Festival 2007

I'll be reading poetry at the annual Three Rivers Arts Festival in Pittsburgh on June 2nd. The event -- held at 121 7th St. at 7:30pm on 6/2/07 -- is called "The Green Hills of Earth: Poetry of the Fantastic" with featured performances by me, Timons Esaias, and Tiptree-award winner Catherynne Valente, along with open readings by Heidi Ruby Miller, and other local poets in attendance. Visit the 121 7th St. page for more information.

***
If you can't make it, perhaps you'll come to Confluence -- Pittsburgh's annual science fiction convention -- a little later this summer (the weekend of July 27th). I'll be a part of the program, and have plans to screen Exquisite Corpse.

Also: Slots are still open for the poetry workshop held at Context convention this September. Get in while you can!

March Update & Convention News

This certainly is a busy time of the year, and I'm dropping by here between points of departure. Here's some quick updates:

+ I'll be attending World Horror Convention in Toronto this weekend (3/29-4/1). If you're also there, here's where you can catch me:

Thurs, 11pm: PANEL: "What Exactly is Horror?" (Simcoe Room)
Fri, 11 am: Book Signing at HWA table
Fri, 8pm: Book Signing at Mass Autograph Session
Sat, 11:30am: READING (Simcoe Room)
Sat, 3pm: SCREENING: EXQUISITE CORPSE (King Room)
Sat, 8pm: Bram Stoker Award Banquet
Sun, 11am: PANEL: New Writers to Look Out For (Ballroom C)

+ As the Horror Guest of Honor at the Context literary convention this coming September in Columbus, Ohio, I'll be running a special genre poetry writing workshop. Here's a description of what's planned:

Michael A. Arnzen: Writing SF/F/H Poetry
(Friday, September 28th, 7-10 pm)
Join award-winning poet and writing professor Mike Arnzen as he leads a 3-hour workshop on crafting poetry for science fiction, fantasy, and horror markets (which, unlike literary journals, actually do pay and don't charge annoying reading fees!). SF/F/H poetry, in Arnzen's view, is not simply a playful exercise in rhyme or an expression of emotion, but a "thought experiment" in the genre. "Free verse" (or open form) poetry will be emphasized in this workshop, but writers of all forms and all levels of experience -- from novice to published -- are warmly welcome to participate, as we explore the elements of good poetry through discussion of provided examples and fun, creative, in-class exercises.

However, you have an (easy!) assignment: bring a ROUGH draft of a short poem (any style, fifteen lines or less) to the workshop, inspired by the following phrase, which must be the title of your poem: "Blood is not Red on the Moon".

Participants are encouraged to share their work at the open poetry reading, which will be held Saturday night of the convention. $15

I'm posting about this now because you must sign up early to reserve a seat. For more details visit the Context workshop page.

If fiction is your bag instead of poetry, then don't forget about the Odyssey Fiction Workshops; the deadline for applications is in about two weeks.

***
In other news:

+ The ICFA last weekend was a wonderful experience, and the panel discussion on Exquisite Corpse was a true highlight. (You can read Gina Wisker's sharp essay on my short-shorts, called "Domestic Dissection" online). Next year's conference will be on "the sublime" in fantasy/horror and I'm tentatively hopeful I'll attend.

+ This site was given a Blog of the Day award while I was away last week. Neat.

+ I've turned in the bonus materials for the upcoming re-release of 100 Jolts: Shockingly Short Stories in hardcover later this Spring. The book will include "Aftershocks" (a batch of new stories), a new afterword that looks at short-shorts and their relationship to "snack media culture", and a bundle of creative writing prompts based on the stories in the collection, in the vein of The Goreletter's Instigation.

+ Progress is being made on my upcoming new collection, Proverbs for Monsters, to be published by Dark Regions Press this Summer. Proverbs is a career-long retrospective, featuring the short stories, flash fiction, humor, and poetry that readers have said are their favorites, along with a few new items. This book should be available in limited hardcover and trade paperback editions. Keep your eyes on the new Gorelets bibliography for news.

Must-Have Horror Anthologies!

My annotated list of Must-Have Horror Anthologies just went live on the Reading Room at Horror Fiction News Network. Do browse around their neat site. Other writers, editors and readers who have posted their chatty and informative recommended horror reading lists include Christopher Golden, Sarah Langan, and Kealan Patrick Burke.

A Dead Wheelbarrow

Richard Ristow just completed a spectacular literary analysis of a recent "Gorelets" poem, "The Fall Down the Stairs of the House of Usher," on his excellent weblog, Damned Critic. In it, he compares my style in that unpleasant poem to the imagism of writer William Carlos Williams, to show how much WCW has made an impact on free verse poetry. In the process, I think he uncovers some of the secrets behind what makes a "gorelet" poem tick. Amazing!

"Arnzen vs. William Carlos Williams" by Richard Ristow
In two parts: Part 1 and Part 2

So much depends
on a head in-
jury

Galumping down
the stair
well.

FUTURE APPEARANCES

March 14-18th 2007 | ICFA-28 | Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Reading with Peter Straub and Ellen Kleges; Exquisite Corpse screening & panel discussion; presentaton: "The Humor and Horror of Stephen King's Maximum Overdrive and 'Trucks'"; group poetry reading;

March 29-April 1 | World Horror Convention | Toronto, Canada
Exquisite Corpse film screening; Panels: "What Exactly is Horror?" and "Young Blood: New Writers to Look Out For"; mass autograph session; HWA signing; Doorways magazine gathering; fiction reading

July 5-6 | Odyssey Fantasy Workshop | Mt. Vernon, NH
Guest Lecturer

Sept 28-30 | Context SF Convention | Columbus, OH
Horror Guest of Honor; programming tba

LibraryThing

No, a "Library Thing" is not a dismembered hand that sorts and reshelves stray books after the library has closed.

It's a neat website where readers (and extreme booklovers) share and discuss their personal libraries. It's a way to organize your collection, or a way to find and interact with fans of the same books. It was recently covered in a great article in the NY Times.

I'm now officially a Library Thing Author and welcome you to drop by and see what weird sort of things I've been reading. I invite you, too, to join in the fun.

The Popular Uncanny

Guide Dog Books has announced that they've accepted my non-fiction book, The Popular Uncanny, for publication in 2008-9. The Popular Uncanny studies the mass marketing of nostalgia and terror in postmodern media culture, and features chapters on: the doppelganger in advertising, films featuring dismembered hands, Stephen King's fiction, and uncanny multimedia online. An early version of this title served as my doctoral dissertation at the University of Oregon; I'll be updating it over the year ahead.

Visit Guide Dog Books for news about this book and other exciting academic publications upcoming from D. Harlan Wilson and JoSelle Vanderhooft.

AUDIOVILE is coming...

Audiovile is more than just storytelling. It will be an entertaining compact disc featuring 16 audio performances of horror stories from 100 Jolts and elsewhere. I'm narrating all the tracks, setting them to my own music (with a little help here and there), and mixing in all sorts of bizarre sound elements to generate a disquieting mood. While a few of the pieces will involve straightforward storytelling, most of the tracks on Audiovile are arranged in ways that revise the original texts into unique song-like structures. Heavy metal bass lines, hip-hop drum beats, Spanish guitar rhythms, funky vocal echoes...the range of musical styles, just like the stories, is eclectic. My motive has been to try to create an audio book that's genuinely worth listening to more than once, and I think it's turning out extremely well.

In fact, it sounds like no other audiobook I've ever heard. And I'm having a blast creating it.

You can now catch a sneak preview of Audiovile -- a short story (called "Take Out") -- appearing in episode #28 of my favorite horror podcast, The Pod of Horror! Also included on the disc is the poem, "Why Zombies Lumber" (from my book, Rigormarole) which -- for now -- is still available as a downloadable .mp3 file at sfpoetry.com.

Preorder pricing for this CD is currently in development...keep watching this site for more news as Audiovile approaches its release date late Spring.

Doorways Magazine

I'll be the featured poet in Doorways magazine #1 next month, with a few original poems and a fun interview appearing in this new magazine of horror and the paranormal. Other writers scheduled to appear include Jack Ketchum, Graham Masterson, and Steve Saville.

[Note: their poetry contest for this issue is now officially closed.]

I learned that Doorways is also planning to host a party at World Horror Convention this Spring; I'll be attending the con, and will try to drop by.

Dissecting Arnzen

Those with an academic inclination might be interested in DISSECTIONS: The Journal of Contemporary Horror. This brand new journal from the UK seeks, according to editor Gina Wisker, "to encourage and develop ongoing dialogues about horror, its origins, formats and effects, in a way which celebrates an age-old, newly metamorphosing scariness, and the way it homes in on our cultural, social, psychological and personal fears, disturbing what is familiar."

The debut issue includes my essay, "Scary New Media," which explores the way the internet is used as both an artistic and commercial medium to supplement horror stories and films. Dissections also includes a handful of critical essays that "dissect" my horror poetry in Gorelets and my short-short fiction in 100 Jolts by Lawrence C. Connolly, Gina Wisker and David Sandner.

In other news, I just learned that my novelette, Licker, was one of the top ten bestselling softcovers of 2006 at Shocklines Bookstore.

On Writing Horror

The book, On Writing Horror, is among the best "how-to" books for writers working in the genre of fear, and a newly revised edition has just been published. Any writer who hopes to terrify their readers should pick up a copy of this newly updated edition of the classic textbook in writing and marketing horror fiction. Written by members of the Horror Writer's Association (contributors include Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, David Morrell, Harlan Ellison, Jack Ketchum, Tom Piccirilli and many more!), the book covers a surprisngly wide range of issues with insight -- from how to craft monster stories that creep into the reader's nightmares to how to generate innovative works that redefine the genre itself. It also includes a savvy section on the horror market, education, and other resources for the aspiring writer.

I contributed a new article about horror in academia, called "Degrees of Dread," that talks about how to combine an interest in horror with college studies and going after your MFA. It's based on my experiences teaching the genre in the graduate program in Writing Popular Fiction at Seton Hill University.

You can order On Writing Horror now from amazon.com or from virtually any other book store, including the Writer's Digest Book Club. Or get a copy signed by editor Mort Castle from my favorite horror bookstore, shocklines.com,

For an excerpt, see editor Mort Castle's essay, "A Waking Nightmare."

ON WRITING HORROR (2nd Edition) by the Horror Writers Association (Edited by Mort Castle) ISBN: 978-1-58297-420-0 Trade Paperback, 256 pages, $16.99 list price Writer's Digest Books, November 2006 TABLE OF CONTENTS HERE REVIEW from Dread Central: "On Writing Horror is the best how-to book of the lot for anyone even thinking about becoming a horror writer, or even a writer in general. Five out of Five."

Licker is #1

I was thrilled to see that my just-published, icky-funny-freaky-leaky novelette LICKER, is the #1 bestseller this week at Shocklines Bookstore!

"Beyond over the top . . . LICKER violates every possible notion of good taste, gleefully, and the result is an optimistic graveyard fandango." -- Peter Straub, author of In The Night Room

"Mike Arnzen is the craftiest horror writer in the Biz, and LICKER is among the best in his library. Devilish, bizarre and irreverent!"
-- D. Harlan Wilson, author of Dr. Identity

LICKER is a VERY limited edition, just $10 for now, available only from independent bookstores like Shocklines or Bad Moon Books, or directly from the publisher.

Exquisite Corpse Screening: 11/9

EXQUISITE CORPSE -- a short horror "anthology" film based on excerpts from my books 100 Jolts and Gorelets: Unpleasant Poems -- will be screened on the Seton Hill University campus in an event open to the public. I'll be on hand to host a discussion following the screening and also sign books after the event. Here are the details:

What: EXQUISITE CORPSE. 17 minutes. Producer: Poeticollage/Jim Minton Design Group, 2006.
Preview the trailer online here: http://www.exquisitecorpsemovie.com

When: Thursday, November 9th, 8:30pm

Where: ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, ROOM 206
SETON HILL UNIVERSITY, Greensburg, PA

Who: Free and open to the public. (Parental Guidence suggested: PG-13)

*****
Read the Seton Hill University Press Release for details about the film.

Licker Launch Party

The "Licker Launch Party" chat online, hosted on 10/19 by The Lost and The Damned community, was a lot of fun. People asked nutty questions, I gave nutty answers, and people won free copies of my books. Licker from what I hear, is selling quite briskly in preorders. You can get your copy signed if you order from Shocklines Bookstore now! It should arrive well before Halloween.

There's a Reason Why Zombies Drag Their Feet

Wanna hear something pretty cool? Head on over to the Halloween Poetry Readings by the Science Fiction Poetry Association. You can hear me perform "Why Zombies Lumber" (from my book, Rigormarole) with creepy musical accompaniment. Other poets you can listen to include David Lee Summers, Karen A. Romanko, David C. Kopaska-Merkel, and C. A. Gardner.

Happy Halloween!

Licker Launch Party

To be published in a limited edition of 150 paperback copies by Novello Publishers, LICKER is a new comedic horror novelette about a boy with a hallucinogenic tongue...and the strange people who want a taste of the action.

In an early review, Horror World's Nate Kenyon calls it an "over-the-top, gross-out laugh riot....Arnzen clearly had a lot of fun in trying to outdo himself, from the very first paragraph all the way to the last." Peter Straub says it's "beyond over the top...Licker violates every possible notion of good taste, gleefully, and the result is an optimistic graveyard fandango." And D. Harlan Wilson writes, "Mike Arnzen is the chicest, craftiest horror writer in the Biz, and Licker is among the best in his library. Devilish, bizarre and irreverent, this book has everything: an insatiable plot, fingerlicking prose, and characters who will eat your heart out with a wooden spoon! Arnzen has imagination pouring out of every orifice."

This is, bar none, the WEIRDEST thing I've ever written, and I blush to admit I laughed out loud even when I proofread the thing. The cover art alone will disturb you. Definitely not for the squeamish. Definitely freaky.

The book includes a bonus flash fiction story, an introduction by Jeff Strand, and more. Want a lick? Licker will be shipping on Halloween. But it is now available for preorder from Shocklines.com -- the only place selling signed copies -- for just $10. (In fact, I'm happy to report the book was a Shocklines bestseller when it was first announced!)

To wet your whistle, the Lost and Damned messageboards is hosting the LICKER LAUNCH PARTY in an online chat with me on Thursday, OCTOBER 19th at 10PM eastern time. We'll talk about anything. A few various books will be given away free in a random draw to those who are in the chatroom, so come drop by and say hello!

Creepy Hollow

Halloween is coming up soon and Horror-Web is doing a great thing to get you in the mood early: they're generously publishing a Halloween story by a popular horror author every day of the month, for their special new "Creepy Hollow" dark holiday page.

Update: My short story, "The Boblin," was posted on 10/19! And they've got lots and lots of Halloween tricks and treats in store for you all over their site. Check it out.

Thou Shalt Not Overlook This Book!

Dark Cloud Press has just published Thou Shalt Not..., a very generous anthology of short horror and crime stories involving "The Ten Commandments" from the Old Testament. Contributors include Lawrence C. Connolly, Bev Vincent, M. Stephen Lukac and many more. My contribution, "Blasphemebus," invokes the biblical commandment against "misusing God's name" (a.k.a. "taking God's name in vain") and details the dark fate of a prankster who likes to playfully change the platitudes on those roadside church signs when no one is watching. You can order this unique new anthology now at Shocklines Bookstore or directly from Lee Howard, editor and publisher, at Dark Cloud Press.

Exquisite Corpse: Website Active!

UPDATE, 8/22: The trailer for the film is now running on the film's website!

UPDATE, 8/27: We're developing a myspace page for the film with updates on screenings, stills from the film and more...and it wants to be your friend!

More on Exquisite Corpse, from previous posts: see the movie poster and still from "The Scab".

Help Yourself to a Cemetery Dance

Cemetery Dance magazine issue #55 has just been published and will soon be delivered to subscribers and a magazine rack near you. It features a story I co-wrote with Mark McLaughlin, called "Help Yourself" -- a surreal and humorous tale about a very strange 'self-help' bookstore that preys on its visitor's self-esteem. Artist Keith Minnion's great illustration for the story is viewable on his website. You can order a copy of the magazine from the Cemetery Dance website; check out the book, Poe's Lighthouse, while you're there!

Desecrating the Storybook Forest

I had a great time in Morgantown, WV, last weekend for a fiction reading alongside Alyssa Sturgill (author of the FANTASTICALLY sick and surreal book of short-shorts, Spider Pie). We commandeered the stage in the children's book section of their Barnes and Noble bookstore, to read our dark fiction to a good-natured audience. Fantasy writer Andy Duncan was in attendance and gives a full and funny report in the article on his weblog, "Horror in the 100-Aker Wood", with more photos. So do Jason & Heidi Ruby Miller, authors of the great guidebook, Pennsylvania Camping, and the publishers who sponsored this event, Raw Dog Screaming Press.

[Snapshot above is courtesy of photographer Bruce Siskawicz.]

LICKER

My next book, LICKER, is now available for preorder from Shocklines.com for just $10. To be published in a limited edition of 150 paperback copies by Novello Publishers, LICKER is a comedic horror novelette about a boy who is having some difficulties controlling his tongue...and the growths that are forming on it...and the weird people at the carnival who are compelled to want a piece of it. In an early review, Horror World calls it an "over-the-top, gross-out laugh riot....Arnzen clearly had a lot of fun in trying to outdo himself, from the very first paragraph all the way to the last." Here's what others have to say... "Beyond over the top...LICKER violates every possible notion of good taste, gleefully, and the result is an optimistic graveyard fandango." -- Peter Straub, author of IN THE NIGHT ROOM “Deaf mute cheerleaders, mutant tongues, cotton candy and sideshows! In LICKER, Michael A. Arnzen takes us on a lip-smacking rollercoaster ride with no brakes into the very ‘underside’ of the carnival world and leaves us gagging for more. A grotesque classic!” – L. L. Soares, author of RIGHT HOUSE ON THE LEFT "Mike Arnzen is the chicest, craftiest horror writer in the Biz, and LICKER is among the best in his library. Devilish, bizarre and irreverent, this book has everything: an insatiable plot, fingerlicking prose, and characters who will eat your heart out with a wooden spoon! Arnzen has imagination pouring out of every orifice." -- D. Harlan Wilson, author of PSEUDO CITY "Mike Arnzen's LICKER is a good old-fashioned, toad-licking, carnival freak-out that reads like an acid-flashback Tilt-a-Whirl...Read this book and I guarantee you will never look at a carnie the same way you used to." -- Steve Vernon, CEMETERY DANCE review "LICKER is a truly intoxicating, hallucinogenic whirlwind of brainbreaking freakshow fun. Arnzen's sure-footed, fast-paced storytelling, and his willingness to fly far beyond the bounds of good taste, make LICKER the one bizarre carnival ride that you must buy a ticket for." -- Jeremy Robert Johnson, author of EXTINCTION JOURNALS This is the weirdest thing I've ever written. Want a taste? Preorder it today at shocklines bookstore.

Summer Appearances

Sat. July 8th, 11 am
Barnes & Noble Booksellers | Morgantown, WV
Raw Dog Screaming Press Book Event
Reading/Signing with Michael Arnzen and Alyssa Sturgill
University Town Center, Morgantown, WV 26501 | 304-599-1294

Freakcidents Wins Bram Stoker Award!

I'm happy to report that my book of mutant character studies-in-verse, FREAKCIDENTS, has just won the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection! This is my third Stoker, and I'm jumping with manic joy. Thanks to all who have sent me kudos, and many thanks to the Horror Writers Association -- this is probably the highest honor for horror literature, and I honestly am humbled to receive it. You can read a transcript of my acceptance speech on gorelets.com if you are looking for something to help you go to sleep this evening. I don't have any photos, but I'll add links to that speech page as I find them online. A lot of good books won the award this year. I tied in the Poetry category with Charlee Jacob, for her poetry book, Sineater. Jacob also won for Best Novel with Dread in the Beast (which also tied with David Morrell's great novel, Creepers). Other Stoker winners this year included Gary Braunbeck, Joe Hill, Stephen Jones, Peter Straub, Weston Ochse and more. To learn more about the Bram Stoker Awards, visit the Horror Writers Association. To learn more about Freakcidents, visit publisher Shocklines Press. They're still running a great discount special with a bonus free poetry chapbook to anyone who buys it...an unbelievable deal!

LICKER announcement

Novello Publishers has posted the following news...

Michael A. Arnzen's LICKER: A sneak peek!
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October, 2006 will see the release of Novello Publisher's next project: LICKER by Michael A. Arnzen, a novelette of rib-tickling terror quite unlike any you've read before. We're still working on the promo-page on our site, but we're thrilled over the first 2 advanced reviews that have come in. This should be up for pre-order sometime in July. -- Nick Cato, Novello Publishers

Advanced praise for Michael Arnzen's LICKER:

"Beyond over the top . . . if you've ever thought about being locked in a cell with a chuckling madman bent on sexual gratification, this is the book for you. LICKER violates every possible notion of good taste, gleefully, and the result is an optimistic graveyard fandango." -- Peter Straub, author of In The Night Room

"Mike Arnzen's LICKER is a good old-fashioned, toad-licking, carnival freak-out that reads like an acid-flashback Tilt-a-Whirl. Dramamine and Malox are highly recommended. Cotton candy just ain't going to taste the same, and those candy buttons have all come undone. Read this book and I guarantee you will never look at a carnie the same way you used to." -- Cemetery Dance magazine

This limited edition novelette features:

• an introduction by Jeff Strand
  
• LICKER by Michael A. Arnzen
  
• an afterword by the publisher
  
• Bonus Short Story by Michael Arnzen
  
• Original cover art by Jennifer Galasso
  

Exquisite Corpse: Movie Poster

May Updates

Lots of little news bytes to pass along.

• WHC: I'm heading to World Horror Convention in San Francisco on May 11-15th. Details on the no good business I'll be up to are here.
  
• News: I'll be sending out the next e-mail edition of The Goreletter shortly after I return. New contests await! Sign up now if you want to win something.
  
• Vanderworld: Look for the fun interview, "Michael Arnzen Walks the Plank," scheduled to appear on fantasist Jeff Vandermeer's weblog in the weeks to come. (And if you're looking for a great summer read, I really recommend his books!)
  
• Not Dead Yet: A neat review of my funky "household tips for serial killers" chapbook, Michael Arnzen Dying, just went up at Bookloons.
  
• Pod: The Goreletter is proudly sponsoring Pod of Horror for the month. If you haven't listened to this wacky horrorshow, check them out at HorrorReader.com
  
• Film: The production of Exquisite Corpse -- a compilation of short films by different artists responding to my poetry -- is coming along swiftly. The website isn't up yet, but it is likely to appear at www.exquisitecorpsemovie.com. I've seen an advanced look at the DVD cover sleeve...this is going to be VERY COOL!
  
• Web: Raw Dog Screaming -- publisher of my books, Play Dead and 100 Jolts -- has overhauled their website. It looks fantastic and they've got some great new titles recently announced. Check 'em out.
  
• Blog: My NEW weblog at amazon.com is now up and running. The dismembered hand is taking questions.
  

San Francisco: World Horror Con Agenda

Here's where you can find me at World Horror Convention, May 11th-14th, in San Francisco. I especially welcome people to come to my fiction reading Saturday night, when I plan to read my short story "Exorcystland" if time permits. If you aren't attending the convention, but are in the SF area, then come to the public event sponsored Thursday night by Borderlands Bookstore.

Thursday, May 11th

8pm: SIGNING at Borderlands Bookstore, Downtown San Francisco

Friday, May 12th
WORLD HORROR CONVENTION
at Golden Gateway Holiday Inn, San Francisco

2pm: PANEL, "Writing the Other," with Rita Oakes, Jacob Strunk, Lucien Soulban, Michael A. Arnzen, Thomas M. Sipos/

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4pm: PANEL, "Is the Web the Future of Horror Publishing?" with Michael A. Arnzen (m), Nickolas Cook, David Wellington, Lawrence Santoro, Steven Shrewsbury.
8pm: SIGNING, Mass Autograph Session in Hotel Main Hall

Saturday, May 13th
WORLD HORROR CONVENTION
at Golden Gateway Holiday Inn, San Francisco

8:30pm: READING of "Exorcystland" (or other work tba)

Delirium Squared

If you are interested at all in science fiction, fantasy, or horror poetry, you might find the latest issue of Mythic Delirium to your liking. It just came out and it has a knock-out lineup, with writers like Mikal Trimm, Ian Watson, and Suzette Haden Elgin between the covers.

I love that title, "Mythic Delirium." I'm happy to have a dark poem, called "muscle boy," in this issue. And I just realized that this makes two publications I've been in this year with the word "Delirium" in the title. (The other one was an anthology, called In Delirium, published by -- who else? -- Delirium Books). I wonder what that means? A delirious year, perhaps. No, I'm sure of it...I feel like the guy on the cover...

Freakcidents Happen

I'm happy to announce that FREAKCIDENTS is officially a finalist for the 2005 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection! FREAKCIDENTS (think "freak+accidents") is a series of character studies of wild mutants and crazy sideshow attractions. This title has always been one of my personal favorites. You can still read some excellent reviews and sharp literary criticism about the book online in Sidereality, Strange Horizons, FeoAmante.com, and Chiaroscuro. Shocklines Press still has copies of this limited edition book available in an affordable trade paperback and a short run of very special signed/lettered hardcovers. UPDATE, 4/14: Shocklines is offering 30% off the softcover for a limited time! Congratulations to all the Bram Stoker Award Nominees, especially my fellow poet nominees: Gary Crawford, Dan Shields, and Charlee Jacob.

Licks, Flicks, and Amazons

Random updates... I've started to post messages to a new weblog I'll intermittently keep on Amazon.com. New entries will pop up on my book pages, or you can find me on their Author's Directory. Or you can just leap right to it by reading my first entry. Novello Publishers have announced that they'll be publishing my novella, Licker, later this Fall, in a limited edition chapbook. Licker will be a humorous horror story about a boy who is having some very bizarre problems with his tongue. I think this is likely to be the funniest, weirdest, sickest thing I've ever written. I'll share news as it develops. I'm also working on a new story for a book called Monster Noir, a story collection coming soon from Nyx Books. All the tales in Monster Noir will take place in a city called Nyxon, which is where the cinematic monsters of our collective memory reside. My piece is about an amusement park on the outskirts of town, called "Exorcystland." Not to be confused with the "real" Exorcistland in Iraq. I'll tell you more about it as the book approaches publication, but editor Steve Savile tells me that it's okay to give you a sneak peek at one of the tentative cover sketches for the book (On your left...pretty cool, no? They've got a lot more planned...just you wait!)

Bits of Insistent Terror

Some bits and bites of news...

The new dark poetry webzine, Spiderwords, has posted a fantastic review of my Fairwood Press chapbook, Gorelets: Unpleasant Poems. Reviewer Geoffrey Goodwin writes:

In eleven lines or less, no line greater than eight words, Arnzen has created bite-sized bits of insistent terror...these poems are definitive and powerful – as sexy as surgery. Bound by the little rules that shaped his dark vision, like Picasso embracing the constraints of the Blue Period or Cubism, these poems are stronger for their little glimpses into Arnzen’s febrile imagination.

Spiderwords is also running a fun contest for an essay about poetry. With all the wonderful poets and features, it's really developing into a great magazine.

In other news, I just learned that two of my books from 2005 are officially on the Preliminary Ballot for the Bram Stoker Award: my novel, Play Dead, and my poetry collection, Freakcidents. It's wonderful to be recommended for this award again. The final ballot will be announced sometime in April.

I took some time last weekend to update the Guestbook and the Refrigerator of the Damned on my site, gorelets.com. Please take a look-see, take 'em for a test drive, and leave me a note if you've got a moment.

I'll be traveling to the International Conference for the Fantastic in the Arts next week (March 15-19, 2006 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL). The panel, "New Directions in Horror" will feature an academic discussion of my work in new media horror by Lawrence Connolly, Gina Wisker, and David Sandner. I'll be respondent, along with delivering a paper that examines the way new media technology is represented in recent fiction and film (predominantly in Stephen King's Cell, a story by David Schow from anthology Outsiders, as well as the films Cry Wolf, The Card Player, and Fear Dot Com). Should be fun. I've also got a fiction reading and a poetry reading scheduled. Come on by, if you're in sunny Florida!

Abomin-nominations

Just learned that my poem, "Those Who Landed, Surprised to Discover that Zombies Had Taken Over the Planet," is a nominee for a Rhysling Award in Short Poetry. The Rhyslings are one of the few genre poetry awards out there; it's given each year by the Science Fiction Poetry Association. "Those Who Landed..." first appeared in Dreams and Nightmares magazine this past Fall, and subsequently reappeared in my chapbook, Rigormarole: Zombie Poems. As a member of the SFPA since 1987, I'm very jazzed to be a part of this.

Since I'm tooting my own horn with these abomi-nominations, I guess I can play another note. I'm overjoyed that my novel, Play Dead, and my poetry collection, Freakcidents, are both receiving recommendations for the 2005 Bram Stoker Award. It's still too early to know if they'll make it to any official ballots, but it truly is an honor to be recognized this way by the Horror Writers Association.

I've also been nominated by my wife as the 2005 "Man Most Likely to Take Out the Garbage," so I better go give my acceptance speech to the rats....

The Glimmer of Poe's Lighthouse

Here's the just-released cover graphic for Poe's Lighthouse -- a collection of "collaborations" between modern day writers and Edgar Allan Poe! This book should be released within the next month; it's a limited edition, so it's likely to sell out. If you find that you can't get it directly from CD Books, try Shocklines.com. My contribution, "The Dead Lantern," expands on Poe's unfinished fragment, "The Lighthouse." And there are too many other great writers inside the book to mention here. Read more on The Goreletter, or head right over to Cemetery Dance Books. For more on the cover artist, visit my old friend, Alan M. Clark.

Spokes & Poe Little Thing

A handful of new poems appear in the latest issue of the UK litzine, SPOKES. Of note are the great illustrations throughout the magazine by Deena Warner. I also just heard that the next issue (#4) of the dark poetry journal, POE LITTLE THING, is almost ready to be delivered to subscribers. I've got a poem in there called "The Goth Birthday Clown." If you buy a copy of my zombie chapbook, RIGORMAROLE, direct from the publisher (for $9.95 + s/h) you can still nab a free subscription to PLT as a bonus. Order it at the NSP bookstore.

"Exquisite Corpse" in Film Production

I'm happy to announce that Jim Minton Design Studio is coordinating "Exquisite Corpse" -- a collaborative compilation of short-short films and animations based on my poetry and flash fiction. International contributors lined up for the project so far include the directors Jim Minton (USA), Jeff Pomeroy (USA), and Lucas Tripodi (Chile) -- other talents from Italy and Israel may also contribute. The film is in the early stages of production, but the project looks very exciting. Above you can see a sample production sketch for Minton's adaptation of my poem, "The Scab" (this poem first appeared in my book, Freakcidents).

[Check out Lucas Tripodi's hilarious commercial for La Tabla Skateboarding (Streaming Quick Time Movie)!]

An Immodest Call for Papers

[I will be in attendance as respondent to this panel, so I thought I'd help Dr. Sandner get the word out by posting his Call for Papers here...]

Call for Papers:
Paper Session: “Michael Arnzen: New Directions in Horror”
The 27th International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, March 15-19, 2006.

Responding to the conference’s focus on “the fantastic in other media,” “Michael Arnzen: New Directions in Horror” attempts to define the impact of new media on popular literature by exploring multiple award-winning author Dr. Arnzen’s literary experiments producing horror for such media as palm pilots, email, electronic texts and his Stoker award winning website, The Goreletter (as well as traditional print forms). Dr. Arnzen has already agreed to act as a respondent.

Deadline: Nov 15 for paper abstracts to dsandner@fullerton.edu. ICFA deadline: Nov 30. Presenters must be members of IAFA at the time of the conference.

On Dr. David Sandner:
My paper, “Meat Shots, Gorelets, Severed Hands and the Uncanny in your Inbox: Michael Arnzen’s New Directions in Horror,” will interrogate the intersection of theory, new media and the traditions of the horror field in Dr. Arnzen’s texts. I am a Assistant Professor of English at California State University, Fullerton. I recently edited Fantastic Literature: A Critical Reader, currently available from Praeger. I also wrote The Fantastic Sublime and co-edited The Treasury of the Fantastic. My fantastic fiction and poetry appear in Realms of Fantasy, Asimov's, the collections Mammoth Book of Sorcerers and Baseball Fantastic, Weird Tales, and elsewhere.

On Dr. Michael Arnzen:
The Bram Stoker Award is the horror field’s highest honor: Dr. Arnzen has won for Best First Novel (Grave Markings, 1994) and Best Alternative Forms (2003) for his website; he has been nominated four other times for Fiction Collection (100 Jolts, 2004), Poetry Collection (Paratabloids, 2001 and Gorelets: Unpleasant Poems, 2003) and Alternative Forms (The Goreletter, 2004). As an Associate Professor of English at Seton Hill University, Dr. Arnzen has also brought to his work an extraordinary theoretical grounding for his experiments in form.

Going Dark

Today's Pittsburgh Tribune-Review includes a great short piece on my writing, called "Horror Writer Goes Dark For His Stories".

"It's not just coffee grinds..." Muhahaha!

Upcoming Appearances

Want a book signed? Want to attend a fiction reading or take a horror writing workshop? Here are some of my future appearances.

November 3rd-6th
World Fantasy Convention 2005 | Madison, WI
Panelist: "The Dead Shall Rise: Zombies in Folklore, Science, & Popular Culture" (Sat 10 am); Book Signing (Fri 8pm)

March 15-19, 2006
International Conference for the Fantastic in the Arts 27 | Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Fiction Reading, Panel Discussion

Scaring Up Laughs

I'm the cover story in the Fall issue of the Laurel Mountain Post, a great regional newspaper (their online edition should be online shortly). Take a look at this hilarious Halloween-themed cover!

In Delirium

The anthology -- IN DELIRIUM -- which includes my previously unpublished story about a mad dentist who creates his own toothy monster called "Mr. Mouth" -- just went up for sale at Delirium Books and rumor has it that it's already almost sold out! It's a cool limited edition, due out this Christmas, and aside from being full of extreme horror tales, the collection is unified by one principle: the stories were all free gifts donated to the publisher, Shane Ryan Staley, by people he's published in the past -- simply as a gift for being one of the best publishers of horror around. The quality of Delirium hardcovers is among the best in the business, and with a line-up that includes hot writers Brian Keene, Kurt Newton, Mark McLaughlin, Tom Piccirilli, Weston Ochse and more, I can see why this rare collectable is almost sold out already. Get it while you still can at Delirium Books.

Ransom Notes & Reviews

A really great review of Play Dead has just been published in RANSOM NOTES, the mystery reader newsletter published by Barnes and Noble: "If Play Dead were a poker hand, it would undoubtedly be a royal flush." Positive reviews have been coming in this month all over the place. Booklist (the journal of the American Library Association) is highly recommending the book, writing: "Established contemporary horror author Arnzen serves up a chilling brew of gritty dialogue and hard-boiled, James -Ellroy-style action that, by means of unexpected plot twists, never fails to keep readers alert and guessing." Kind readers are also already posting great reviews of the book on sites like Amazon.com, where you get the book at a good price. This book is a somewhat experimental horror novel, so I'm very excited that readers and reviewers alike are enjoying it! If you've already read it, please consider posting a short review someplace to help spread the word and share your thoughts.

If you live in the Pittsburgh region, come on by one of my readings (listed below) and pick up a copy! Otherwise, signed copies are available at online bookstores like shocklines.com.

Poe's Lighthouse

Edgar Allan Poe has risen from the grave.

Poe once began an intriguingly weird short story called "The Lighthouse" but never finished it. Now today's science-fiction, fantasy, and horror authors have taken the fragment and "collaborated" with Poe in a very unique anthology called Poe's Lighthouse, edited by Chris Conlon, forthcoming in Fall 2005 from Cemetery Dance Books. My personal collaboration with Poe, "The Dead Lantern," will appear alongside other writers like Gary Braunbeck, Elizabeth Engstrom, Tim Lebbon, Rudy Rucker, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Nick Mamatas, and more. And, of course, Poe!

I'm honored to have worked with Poe's material...and in the tradition of his "Pit and the Pendulum" or "Cask of Amontillado", I took things in a very sadistic direction. This is going to be one helluva book! It's limited to only 1000 copies, but you can get your pre-order in now to make sure you don't miss the lighthouse, and end up adrift in the dark, dark sea.

Ready to Play...Dead?

My second novel, PLAY DEAD, is back from the printers and now available in hardcover! This is the trade edition; a wild, special limited run (see the pictures!) will be coming soon, but there is presently no paperback or e-book edition in the works. You won't be disappointed -- it's a great product -- a beautiful work of offset printing, with a slick dustjacket, cream cloth cover, red foil stamping and tight binding. Worth the $27 cover price! Most major internet booksellers are now taking orders online:
Shocklines Bookstore (signed) | ProjectPulp.com | Amazon.com | Barnes and Noble | Powell's Books | Buy.com | Books a Million | Bloodletting Books (signed) | Clarkesworld Books (signed)

Or if you want to ask your local retailer to stock it, here are the publishing details:

PLAY DEAD by Michael A. Arnzen. Raw Dog Screaming Press. ISBN 1-933293-04-7, trade hardcover, 280 pages, $27.00, August 2005.

"PLAY DEAD reads like white lightning. The wonderfully grungy characters and staccato-fast chapters grab you by the face, haul you in, and won't let go, while the richly metaphoric style begs for savoring on every page. Arnzen wears a wry gaming grin even as he reminds us the universe is little more than a horrorshow comprised of pure plain chance. This terrific (in all senses of the word) novel hits the ground running and just won't stop." -- Lance Olsen, author of 10:01

"...a fast-paced, brutal, gritty, and unflinching novel." -- Cemetery Dance

"Play Dead is a fun story full of power, life and death, intricacies of relationships, mysticism and survival. Arnzen weaves a gripping tale with just the right blend of intrigue, horror, and morality. Very entertaining." -- Horror-Web

"Las Vegas is as diseased a city as there is, and Mike Arnzen knows this as well as anyone. In Play Dead, he distills its essence down to a uniquely brutal game and brings together as fascinatingly repellent a bunch of losers ever to make a grab for the corroded brass ring. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas? Jesus, let’s hope so." -- Brian Hodge, author of DEATHGRIP

Read the first chapter at the Horror Fiction News Network!

Rigormarole Details

Just a quick note to say that my wacky zombie poetry collection Rigormarole is now up for advanced orders on the publisher's website and at my favorite online bookstore, Shocklines.com, for $9.95. It'll be a signed/numbered limited edition of 250 copies, currently on track for a July release.

Update: Horror-Web just posted an excellent review of the book: "An eclectic and often inspired collection...Arnzen provides for both those who love zombies and those who are sick of them, because you cannot help but laugh at some of these while being amazed at the zen-like depth of others."

You can also now preorder the book (expected to ship on July 10th) from Project Pulp.

Coming Soon: Rigormarole!

Naked Snake Press is publishing Rigormarole later this summer! Here's the description from the back cover:

Why do zombies lumber?
What is the Resurrectal Cortex?
What lurks in the Home Depot of the Dead?

RIGORMAROLE is a score of poems for the walking dead by Michael Arnzen, the award-winning author of Grave Markings and Play Dead. Featuring original sketches by John Skipp, splatterpunk godfather and editor of Book of the Dead.

"Reanimated flesh, cannibalism, brain succotash...the stuff that great poetry is made of! Mike Arnzen fuses humor and gore with a poetic sensibility to create his own fun subgenre! Come in and take a bite! -- Tom Piccirilli, author of November Mourns

Play Dead Update

My second novel, Play Dead, is at the printers and pre-orders are currently being taken for the hardcover edition. I'm told the book will have an off-white jacket cloth and metallic red foil stamp to emulate the look of a playing card. I continue to be impressed by the attention to detail that my publisher, Raw Dog Screaming Press, is putting into this book! The novel is due out in August.

New pre-release acclaim has come in...

"...a fast-paced, brutal, gritty, and unflinching novel." -- Cemetery Dance "Play Dead is a fun story full of power, life and death, intricacies of relationships, mysticism and survival. Arnzen weaves a gripping tale with just the right blend of intrigue, horror, and morality. Very entertaining." -- Horror-Web "Arnzen deftly deals." -- Flesh & Blood

"Las Vegas is as diseased a city as there is, and Mike Arnzen knows this as well as anyone. In Play Dead, he distills its essence down to a uniquely brutal game and brings together as fascinatingly repellent a bunch of losers ever to make a grab for the corroded brass ring. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas? Jesus, let’s hope so." -- Brian Hodge, author of DEATHGRIP and WILD HORSES

[Postscript: I noticed that the ordering page for Play Dead just went online at Barnes and Noble, at a healthy discount.]

Freakcidents!

Freakcidents (think "Freak+Accidents") is a collection of very twisted poetry featuring freaks, mutants, morons and sideshow splattractions. Come one, come all -- see the amazing "Needle Baby" or the frightening "Spiderboy"; feast your eyes on the incredible "Human Scab" or the man who can swallow himself whole! The book is richly illustrated by the artist, GAK, and I think it's my favorite of all the poetry books I've done.

Shocklines Press literally saved this book, after it was originally contracted by another publisher who waited a year before dropping out of sight from the world. And the result is fantastic -- the book looks really sharp, thanks in no small part to designer David G. Barnett. I'm very happy to have worked with these fine artists and publishers on this special 200 copy run of trade editions and 26 lettered copies in hardcover (which also arrived and look sweet!).

Orders are being taken at shocklines.com. The trade edition is $9.95; the very limited hardcover is $50. Shipping is FREE!

"Michael A. Arnzen, award winning poet and fiction writer, can always be counted on to approach the grotesque and the visceral with wit and, often, compassion….but be prepared: Arnzen doesn’t hold back, and his imagery is both visceral and explicit. Freakcidents is smart, nasty, and very well-written – horror poetry doesn’t get much better than this!” – Tim Pratt, Star*Line

Horror-Web Opens Arnzen Q&A

Horror-Web has started an open "Q&A with Michael Arnzen" on their discussion board for this week. I'll be popping in from time to time answering questions. Feel free to drop by.

Poker Faced at World Horror Con 2005

Last weekend, I attended World Horror Convention 2005 in NYC, where I sat on a panel, performed readings, did a few interviews, and generally had a lot of fun. I can't possibly write a "con report" because it would go on forever, but I met a lot of friends old and new, talked to numerous readers and editors, and enjoyed every waking moment.

One highlight for me, though, was getting the chance to see the "model" for the sculpture-bound, special edition (a.k.a. "Grim Grimoire") edition of my novel, Play Dead, pictured above. The resemblance is uncanny...hah! The book, if you can't see it well, is shaped like an evil Ace of Spades, with ruby red eyes that follow you everywhere, and a realistic maw with real teeth in its little snapping mouth. 54 copies of this book will be manufactured for the collector's market by my publisher, Raw Dog Screaming Press this Fall.

RDSP also sponsored the very fun "Play Dead Texas Hold 'Em Charity Event" which pitted author against author in a showdown of cards, moderated by Matt Schwartz at shocklines.com, complete with professional dealers, tables, and chips. I played in the game for the literacy charity, in2books, and though I didn't win, I held my own, and over $1575 was raised for various charitable organizations. F. Paul Olsen, Valerie Thorpe, Jeremy Robert Johnson and Tom Monteleone were top four players in the game. Afterwards, every author signed dozens of decks of playing cards to create a unique collectable artifact which will be given to sponsors and players.

Play Dead is now available for preorder in hardback; the "Grim Grimoire" has yet to be priced, but is expected to sell out upon announcement. An excerpt from Play Dead was recently posted at the Horror Fiction News Network. Review copies are circulating, and I'll link to reviews here as they appear.

The Bram Stoker Award

I'm excited to announce that my book 100 Jolts: Shockingly Short Stories is a finalist for the 2004 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection. Also worth celebrating: the very document you're reading now -- The Goreletter -- is a finalist for the Stoker in the Alternative Forms category.

I'm also very happy to see the weekly e-journal, Hellnotes, on the shortlist for the award in Non-Fiction -- my column in that newsletter, "Instigation," is a spin-off of the same Instigation prompts I publish here.

Needless to say, I'm extremely honored -- and humbled -- by this wonderful event. The Stokers are arguably the highest accolade in the horror writing community, awarded annually by my colleagues in the Horror Writers Association. Other writers up for this year's awards include Stephen King, Peter Straub, Chuck Palahniuk, Douglas Clegg, Christopher Fowler, Tom Monteleone, Gary Braunbeck, Mark McLaughlin, Andy Duncan, Tim Lebbon and...well, far too many other great writers to type, but let me just say I admire them all and the competition is so fierce that I'll be very LUCKY if I happen to win anything. But it isn't really a competition. Being shortlisted for the award is an award in itself, and I'm very proud. Thanks, HWA!

Pre-Order Play Dead!

Are you ready to play...dead? I'm pleased to announce that you can now preorder my next novel, PLAY DEAD, at Shocklines.com ($27, signed) and ProjectPulp.com ($25.59) and get the book delivered to you piping hot off the press when it's published this August. Note: pre-orders from these online bookstores are for the trade hardcover edition, not the special limited "Grimoire" collector's edition (which likely be priced over $100 and probably sell out fast to collectors after its announcement). PLAY DEAD will also be available on publication through amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, booksamillion.com and directly from the publisher. If you want to place an order at your local bookstore, here are the publishing details: PLAY DEAD by Michael A. Arnzen. Raw Dog Screaming Press. ISBN 1-933293-04-7, trade hardcover, 280 pages, $27.00, August 2005. For more information about PLAY DEAD, visit the publisher's website. Why preorder? You'll be first to get the book. And you'll send a message to booksellers and distributors about reader demand, which will persuade them to order copies and keep it in stock. Thanks for your support! -- Mike A.

"With PLAY DEAD, Arnzen has created a masterpiece of eloquent depravity. It features all of the sins of Vegas, slathering on heaping portions of insane greed, savage sex, irredeemable blasphemy, and skull-crunching violence. You'll get sucked in on the first page, and won't put the book down until you reach the breathless finale. Arnzen writes like someone has a shotgun to his head, and Mike might be the one pulling the trigger..." -- JA Konrath, author of BLOODY MARY "PLAY DEAD reads like white lightning. The wonderfully grungy characters and staccato-fast chapters grab you by the face, haul you in, and won't let go, while the richly metaphoric style begs for savoring on every page. Arnzen wears a wry gaming grin even as he reminds us the universe is little more than a horrorshow comprised of pure plain chance. This terrific (in all senses of the word) novel hits the ground running and just won't stop." -- Lance Olsen, author of 10:01

Playing Dead Cards

My next novel, PLAY DEAD, is being published in a collector's edition that will not only have a "sculpted" cover but also include an actual pack of playing cards -- all with original artist renderings in the spirit of the book. My publisher (Raw Dog Screaming Press) provided this sneak preview of a few of them (yes, the digits are on the wrong side...this is just a draft to give you an idea of what they'll look like). Cool, no? If all goes well, this deck might even be available in time for World Horror Convention in NYC this April, where my publisher is sponsoring a Charity Poker Tournament (I'm playing for the charity, in2books.org).

Read the press release about the game.

about-dot-horror

Staci Wilson's neat interview -- "The Same 10 Questions I Always Ask -- with Michael Arnzen" just went live on about.com's horror page. They've also got a "Book Look at 100 Jolts" worth checking out.

100 Electronic Jolts

100 Jolts: Shockingly Short Stories is now available in digital form from the good folks at Fictionwise.com for under 5 bucks. Pick one up before Monday (3/7) and you'll get a 15% discount. E-books are perfect for reading on a PDA or the computer screen. Fictionwise is a great e-book distributor for science-fiction, fantasy and horror titles; you can even buy some of my short stories there for as little as 49 cents.

More information on 100 Jolts from the publisher.

Play Dead Cover

This is the mock-up for the cover for my next novel, Play Dead, coming out in August 2005 from Raw Dog Screaming Press (in hardcover and novelty "sculpture"-bound editions). It's still being developed, but I love the design...which looks just like it was taken out of the story. Play Dead's publisher is celebrating the book by sponsoring the "Play Dead Charity Poker Showdown" at World Horror Convention this coming April. 20 celebrity authors will battle each other at Texas Hold 'Em for the charity of their choice. Read 'em and weep! It's really early in production, and you can't order the book yet. But the novel got this great endorsement from Lance Olsen (author of Girl, Imagined by Chance): "PLAY DEAD reads like white lightning. The wonderfully grungy characters and staccato-fast chapters grab you by the face, haul you in, and won't let go, while the richly metaphoric style begs for savoring on every page. Arnzen wears a wry gaming grin even as he reminds us the universe is little more than a horrorshow comprised of pure plain chance. This terrific (in all senses of the word) novel hits the ground running and just won't stop." Stay tuned for more news as it arrives!

Forward Interview

Forward, the slick alumni magazine at Seton Hill University (where I teach) ran this excellent feature story on me this Fall, after I won the Bram Stoker Award. [Warning: clicking that link loads a 500kb .jpg image file converted from a .pdf document, so it might take a minute to appear].

I'm very lucky to work at a college that supports my horror writing so wonderfully. If you're a genre writer with a BA, you might consider our low-residency Master's program in Writing Popular Fiction. Horror/fantasy/sf writers who teach in our program include James Morrow, Gary Braunbeck, Tom Monteleone, and others!

Coming in 2005

2004 was a killer year for me. I won my second Stoker Award, saw the 10th Anniversary re-publication of Grave Markings, published 100 Jolts, and generally got my groove on. And since this is the end of Volume #2 of The Goreletter, I thought I'd write a little summary of where we're headed in the year to come. I don't like to talk about projects in the works very often because I don't want to let any cats out the bag (or to make any promises I can't keep), but I'm revving up my novel writing engine this year. (I'd say it's packin' a "Hemi"...but it's really more like a "phlegmy"). After I get a few writing commitments out of the way, I'll be focusing exclusively on my next book, a twisted kidnapping thriller roughly in the vein of John Fowles' The Collector or Stephen King's Misery. It's tentatively titled "The Hoarder." I've been working on this book for awhile already -- but recently decided start all over from scratch because I discovered that my main character had somehow become a bubble-headed bore. I'm also working up a potential suspense book that you might call an "suburban survival narrative" but it's too early to tell whether or not it's sustainable. In the mean time, I'll keep cranking out The Goreletters and juicing up gorelets.com, of course. But you might not see as much short fiction or poetry announced in this newsletter as usual for a while.

Having said that, there are plenty of good things coming down the pike in 2005. Two major books, Freakcidents and Play Dead, should be out in the first half of the year and I think that if you like The Goreletter, you'll really love these titles. Look for my short story, "Mr. Mouth," in the upcoming anthology, In Delirium -- a collection of former Delirium authors edited by Brian Keene and put out by, you guessed it, Delirium Books, sometime in 2005. This is sure to be a collectable, since every Delirium title is a gift to the genre! I also think it's okay to announce that I'll also have a tale in an upcoming hardcover Cemetery Dance anthology, Poe's Lighthouse, edited by Chris Conlon. The premise of this one is fantastic: every story is a "collaboration" with Edgar Allan Poe, which responds to or completes Poe's unfinished story fragment, "The Lighthouse." The editor informs me that my contribution, "The Dead Lantern," is among the darkest in the book (go figure), which will feature many other sci-fi and horror writers you'll recognize. I've got some other non-fiction articles in progress and a few more promised anthology/magazine pieces in the works, but I'll save news for later.

By the end of 2004, The Goreletter was reaching over 900 subscribers. Call me greedy, but I want to at least double that number by this time next year. Anything you can do to help spread the word is appreciated. If there's anything special you'd really like to see in The Goreletter, now would be a good time to let me know about it, since I'm reflecting and considering new fun things for the Volume #3. Indeed, send me your feedback whenever you like -- I love to get messages from all of you. Last year I was very proud to win the Bram Stoker Award for Alternative Forms with this missive, and it looks like The Goreletter very well might be considered for the award again at this year's awards (it's currently receiving lots of recommendations, but the final ballot has yet to be determined). I want to try to live up to this acclaim by retaining the zest for the strange that this thing has, while maybe adding a few new features to the mix to keep things, um, interesting.

And, as promised last time, I'll be adding an audio download or two to gorelets.com shortly, as a sort of "virtual reading." If you want to hear me spout my twisted ideas live, you can either enroll in my college, or -- far cheaper -- attend a good convention or two in the year to come. I'll be at World Horror Convention 2005 in NYC for certain. I may also attend the HWA Weekend/Stoker Banquet, as well as Horrorfind Baltimore, the Ligonier Valley Writer's Workshop in October, and -- if time and money permit -- World Fantasy Convention on Halloween. I'm sure there will be plenty of other surprises, so keep reading your e-mail or the weblog for breaking news.

Paura

Paura (Spanish for "fear") is a new anthology series of contemporary terror, just released from Bibliopolis Fantastica in Spain. It includes a Spanish translation (my first!) of my short story "Spring Ahead, Fall Back." Also representing the US in this volume is Melanie Tem, with a translation of her story, "The Dancing Doll."

New Horror-Web Chat

Horror-Web has invited me back for an online chat (open to the public...come on by!) on Wednesday, 12/22, 5pm central time.

Here's the details from their website:

The Ghosts of Christmas, er Horror-Web Past... Chat ! That's right... we've had too much egg nog already and think this would be fun [or insane, either works!]. Did you miss a chat guest this year? Wanna escape the holidays and just have total chaotic fun for an hour or two? Then come to chat with us!! Confirmed guests: Camden Toy, Tim Lebbon, Michael Arnzen, John Lawson, James Moore... more guests and details to come!

Log on to the chat here.

Upcoming Appearances

Latest travel and online chat plans:

Oct 30th, 3:30-5pm, Phoenix, AZ

Signing/Reading (with John Edward Lawson), Horrorfind Weekend West

Oct 28-31, Phoenix, AZ

Panel/Reading TBA, World Fantasy Convention 2004

Freakcidents News

Just received the new cover graphic for my forthcoming poetry book, Freakcidents, now scheduled for a December 2004 release from Shocklines Press in a limited hardcover and softcover trade edition:

This book has received nothing but praises in reviews from places like Strange Horizons, ChiZine, Sidereality, and FeoAmante. I'm really looking forward to this collection -- it's probably my strongest poetry book to date. Advanced orders are being taken for the lettered hardcover ($50) and the numbered softcover ($9.95) now at shocklines.com.

Horror-Web loves Jolts

A nice review of 100 Jolts has just been posted to Horror-Web. I was a guest for their online chat about The New Wave of Horror last weekend; keep your eyes on their interview page for a complete transcript, where they'll be posting it.

Halloween Ebook Sale

Today I noticed that Fictionwise.com is offering 30% off all horror ebooks until Halloween. They stock a number of Arnzen titles, including Fluid Mosaic, which just went out of print in paperback, and the extended version of Gorelets: Unpleasant Poems.

Transcript of "Writing Flash Fiction" Chat

If you missed my online interview with the Long Ridge Writers Group, you can now read a transcript on their site. If you like that one, you might want to read the archive of my conversation with them about horror and poetry from last April.

See below for other upcoming opportunities to chat or get a book signed this October.

Stabbing for Dummies

One of the funniest original stories from 100 Jolts -- "Stabbing for Dummies" -- has just been reprinted at Horrorfind Fiction. This story ended up being a collaboration with the behind-the-scenes editor of 100 Jolts, author Vincent Sakowski, who had so many ideas after he read the first draft that we worked together on developing the piece into this present version. It gets a lot of laughs when I perform it at fiction readings.

If you like surrealist writing, then definitely check out Sakowski's book, Some Things are Better Left Unplugged. And you can always get a good deal on horror titles like 100 Jolts at shocklines.com

chauncy

"six short films about chauncy the serial killer" -- one of my favorite short poems -- was just published online at The Dream People for their "Bizarre Horror" issue. This poem will also appear in print in Bare Bone magazine later this month.

SFReader digs 100 Jolts

From the new review of 100 Jolts at SFReader.com:

"While writing this review I re-read a number of these stories and was amazed all over again by their sheer inventiveness, their razor sharp prose, and the perfectly streamlined delivery of so many of them. All of the one hundred stories presented here are entertaining. A number of them are classics. Michael Arnzen should be proud of what he has accomplished. 100 JOLTS is the creation of a very talented writer at the top of his game."-- Ray Wallace

100 Jolts is available for a little over $10 at amazon.com

In the Creature Corner

A great review of my flash fiction collection, 100 Jolts: Shockingly Short Stories, just went up at the multimedia horror review site, Creature Corner. Here's a quip from reviewer Randy Schaub:

Arnzen’s collection is an impressive offering. As short as the stories are, they will haunt you for days (I’m still shaking off the effects of Stress Toy)....100 Jolts would make a great Halloween stocking stuffer (at the risk of giving Mr. Arnzen a backhanded compliment, his stories would find an audience with even the most attention bereft audience), and jaded horror veterans would certainly welcome this book as a refreshing change of pace from mass market factory schlock.

Read the full review.

Early Blurb for Play Dead

Early praise (a book cover "blurb") has come in for my forthcoming novel, Play Dead, from writer Lance Olsen:

"PLAY DEAD reads like white lightning. The wonderfully grungy characters and staccato-fast chapters grab you by the face, haul you in, and won't let go, while the richly metaphoric style begs for savoring on every page. Arnzen wears a wry gaming grin even as he reminds us the universe is little more than a horrorshow comprised of pure plain chance. This terrific (in all senses of the word) novel hits the ground running and just won't stop."—Lance Olsen, author of Hideous Beauties and Girl Imagined by Chance

I admire Olsen's writing quite a bit. His website is worth browsing, and if you're a fan of The Goreletter, you'll probably enjoy this multimedia version of the opening chapter from his novel, Burnt.

Reader's Guide to 100 Jolts

Because my flash fiction collection, 100 Jolts: Shockingly Short Stories, was getting some attention from creative writing teachers -- and because I know some folks were teaching selected excerpts to various classes -- my publisher and I thought it might be worthwhile to produce a free teacher's guide/reader's guide to accompany it.

I finished writing the guide this summer and you can now download it free as an

.rtf file (MS Word ~500k)
or
.pdf file (Adobe ~100k)

If you're a teacher or someone who's running a lecture on the craft of horror fiction, you might find it useful, whether you'd like to teach the whole book, a few selected stories, or just borrow from the literary discussion questions and creative writing prompts. In fact, even if you're just a curious writer, you could probably use the prompts to "instigate" some ideas for a new story, novel, or poem. Enjoy.

To the Book Graveyard

My books, Sportuary and Fluid Mosaic are going out of print on October 1st. Sportuary -- a collection of twisted poems about sports -- is exclusively available in e-book form only. Order direct from CyberPulp Digital for $3.00. Fluid Mosaic is a collection of my best short stories from the 90s. I've got a few spare copies I can sell from my private stock, signed, for $16.50 each (postage paid). If you're interested, use the button below to order.

Play Dead to be Published in Special Hardcover

I have VERY exciting news!

Raw Dog Screaming Press has formally announced that they will be publishing my next novel, Play Dead, in a very special sculpted resin hardcover edition, the second in their "Grim Grimoire Bloodline" of highly collectable horror novel artifacts. (be sure to click that link for an example!) It will also be published in regular hardcover form in mid-2005.

Here's the full press release from their site...I'll let it speak for itself. :

Press Release
Raw Dog Screaming Press has reached an agreement with award-winning author Michael A. Arnzen to release Play Dead, his first horror novel in a decade. This gritty gambling tale set in Las Vegas is also a carefully constructed "novel-of-cards" with 52 chapters, one for each card in a deck, plus a joker chapter. The fast-paced story involves a group of homeless gamblers who are playing a deadly game of poker...with photographs of their murder victims. Originally conceived as Arnzen's Master's thesis at the University of Idaho, Play Dead will be released exclusively in hardcover in the spring of 2005.

RDSP plans to sponsor a series of poker tournaments to promote the book at cities and conferences around the country, including the World Horror Convention and the Horror Writer's Association Convention.

The Special Edition
In addition to a hardcover run, Play Dead will also be released in a limited special edition as the second title in RDSP's highly collectable and unusual "Grim Grimoire Bloodline" series. These special editions feature handmade three dimensional covers sculpted from resin by horror prop artisans Z Malice & Co. The first book in the series, Jeffrey Thomas' novel Everybody Scream!, created a huge stir in the book collecting community when it was announced in June '04, selling out on pre-order in about 36 hours. The Play Dead special edition will not be numbered or lettered. Instead each book will be matched with a custom-designed playing card signed by the author. The special edition will be limited to two decks, each including a joker, for a total of 106 copies. It will also come with a pack of custom illustrated poker cards and a stand for displaying this very unique book.

From the Back of the Book
Johnny had been to the top. Young and slick, he knew how to play the high roller, dress the part, and make his opponents sweat. He'd ridden into Vegas on a winning streak a mile wide. But Vegas took everything, even his lucky gold tooth.

You'd think he couldn't fall any lower than a homeless shelter full of the downtrodden. And he couldn't possibly have anything left to lose. But you'd be wrong.

Johnny soon discovers there's a game going on at the shelter. A game where before you play the cards you have to make them. A game where the payout is survival and folding means death. A game where the question becomes: are you playing the cards or are they playing you?

Using 52 chapters Arnzen's novel-of-cards is stacked with mischief and thrills. Like the most accomplished blackjack dealer Arnzen will keep you guessing at his hand. Are you ready to play?

Little Things Here & There

+ SMALL BITES TO BENEFIT CHARLES L. GRANT
Another new flash horror fiction anthology, Small Bites, is a charity book being put together in order to benefit the masterful dark fantasy writer Charles L. Grant, who is suffering from chronic pulmonary disease. All the stories in Small Bites are not only under 500 words -- they also all involve teeth or eating or mouths in some weird way. My contribution, "Screwy Louis," will appear in the book alongside writers like Matthew Costello, F. Paul Wilson, Mark McLaughlin, Jeff Strand and about 100 more!
Small Bites homepage
Fresh Air Fund for Charlie Grant

+ FLASHSHOT ANTHOLOGY
If you love flash fiction as much as I do, then you probably already subscribe to the free FlashShot Daily service, which delivers a new short-short of science fiction, fantasy, or horror every day to your inbox. If not, I highly recommend it for your daily dose of the strange. Ten of my contributions to FlashShot appear in the new FlashShot Anthology, which collects the first year of the digest in one volume. It's available NOW as an e-book from Fictionwise and a print edition will soon be available at Shocklines Bookstore, if not directly from CyberPulp Publishing's media providing service at Lulu.com.
Fictionwise E-book
CyberPulp Books at Shocklines
CyberPulp at LuluFree Subscribe to FlashShot

+ I'M HONORED
You should all pick up the just published collection, The Year's Best Fantasy & Horror XVII, edited by Ellen Datlow, Gavin Grant, and Kelly Link. And not just because my poem (from Bare Bone #4) received Honorable Mention in the back. It continues to be one of the best collections of horror fiction published every year, and it's thicker than a log, so you get a lot of contemporary classics for the price of admission.
http://www.lcrw.net/yearsbest/

+ GRAVE MARKINGS SELLS OUT
My publisher, Delirium Books, reports that my Stoker Award-winning first novel, Grave Markings: The Tenth Anniversary Edition has now SOLD OUT in all editions. I still have a handful of signed/limited hardcovers available that I'm willing to part with. If interested, PayPal $75 to gorelets@gorelets.com (or inquire about other payment methods) and I'll personalize your book with an Arnzen "freestyle tattoo" drawing on the page facing the signing page. Orders also include a FREE signed copy of my trade paperback short story collection, Fluid Mosaic AND a BONUS signed cover flat of the Dell/Abyss paperback original from 1994! Postage included.
GMX
Fluid Mosaic
PayPal

BBC Live Radio Spot on Horror

There's a strong likelihood you'll catch me on BBC Radio tonight (8/04), as part of a conversation with Dark Side editor Allan Bryce about what makes horror movies succeed. (This in response to a somewhat outrageous article that cites a study that claims to have found a mathematical formula about what makes horror tick!).

This will also stream live over the internet. The program is BBC Radio Five Live and they'll be calling me tonight at 7:40pm eastern for, I believe, the Anita Anand show.

Bella Online

"Horror is actually comforting...."

-- from my interview on Bella Online

Really Scary

"What Corrupted Me" -- a memoir that muses on the pathology of my derangement -- has just been posted at the Really Scary website. Check it out, voyeurs!

Bram Stoker Winner

I'm happy to report that The Goreletter has just received the Bram Stoker Award for "Alternative Forms." I'm blogging this on the road, and I'm still traveling in New York, but I wanted to post news of the event here and to say thanks to everyone who is sending e-mails and congratulations. I'm thrilled. I'll get back to you all with updates, and news and photos of the event shortly! -- Mike Arnzen Update #1: Some initial festive photos have gone up at Raw Dog Screaming Press. Update #2: You can read a transcript of my acceptance speech for the Alternative Forms category. I also wanted to note that I accepted the award for poetry on behalf of Bruce Boston, whose book Pitchblende really deserved it. I was honored to have edited that collection. At the banquet, I read his poem, 'The Nightmare Collector,' along with a few remarks that Boston e-mailed me, to much applause. You can still catch some sample poems from the book online, if curious. Update #3: Photos and con reports are coming in here and there. Artist Deena Warner has a ton of shots online now. And writer Nick Kaufmann has posted some great photos with witty captions. You can watch Gary Braunbeck's well-deserved award acceptance as an online movie. I hope to get a few of my own photos up today or tomorrow. Update #4: My photo log is online. You can also read my college's press release.

Another Review? I'll try to be brief...

"Michael Arnzen is good, he's amazing, a writer deserving a place on any 'best fiction' list; even when he's at his worst, he's not dull, and always, at least, brief." -- Rambles Review of 100 Jolts

Bella Online also went so far as to call the stories in 100 Jolts "masterpieces of minimalist horror."

And check out all these great customer reviews on Amazon.com!

Grave Markings Sells Out

My publisher, Delirium Books, reports that my Stoker Award-winning first novel, Grave Markings: The Tenth Anniversary Edition has now SOLD OUT in all editions. I have a handful of signed/limited hardcovers available that I'm willing to part with. If interested, PayPal $75 to gorelets@gorelets.com(or inquire about other payment methods) and I'll personalize your book with an Arnzen "freestyle tattoo" drawing on the page facing the signing page. Orders also include a FREE signed copy of my trade paperback short story collection, Fluid Mosaic AND a BONUS signed cover flat of the Dell/Abyss paperback original from 1994! Postage included.

Sportuary on Fictionwise

My collection of twisted sports poems, Sportuary, is now available on Fictionwise.com for a meager $1.50. This one is available only in e-book form. Get it this week and receive 15% off. Play ball.

Electric Jolts

The e-book edition of 100 Jolts has been released on amazon.com ... a way to save a buck or two, if you don't mind reading on screen. It will likely be available at other e-book outlets, like palmdigitalmedia and fictionwise.com shortly, as well. Right on.

Speaking of e-books, the electronic edition of Gorelets: Unpleasant Poems is a featured horror selection at Palm Digital Media this month. Fans might also enjoy my funny chapbook, Sportuary, available only in ebook from Cyberpulp Digital Media.

Update, 5/26:
Fictionwise.com is offering a 25% discount on their entire inventory this week! That means you can get one of my short stories for .37 cents or download Fluid Mosaic or Paratabloids for under $5.

LRWG Chat Transcript

Read my online conversation with the Long Ridge Writer's Group.

George Awards

Dark Animus has announced the winners in their first annual "George" awards for the best horror fiction/poetry/art pieces in their magazine. My poem, "The Chandelier" -- about an ornate dead body hanging from the ceiling -- took 2nd place. The awesome statue for this award is a horrifying puppet skeleton custom sculpted by George Higham. Congrats to its first owners: Tim Curran, Flament Herve, Alec Kowalczyk, and Heesco Khosnaran.

Clear!

Arnzen manages to entertain in dazzling fashion...This collection will take you to places you never saw coming. Will tantalize you with its sudden, sharp brevity....[100 Jolts is] a defibrillator sending its shock straight to the brain. CLEAR!

-- Jimmy Z. Johnson reviews 100 Jolts for feoamante.com

Also: this just in from Hellnotes newsletter...

DARK DELICACIES BESTSELLER LIST (week of 5/3/04)
PAPERBACK FICTION

1. 100 Jolts - Michael A. Arnzen (Raw Dog Screaming)
2. A Killing Frost - Michael A. Black (Thomson Gale)
3. Heartlight - Marion Zimmer Bradley (Tor)
4. The Best of Ray Bradbury - Ray Bradbury (IBooks)
5. Science Fiction Worlds of Forrest J. Ackerman - Forrest J. Ackerman,
editor (Sense of Wonder Press)
6. Floater - Lucius Shepard (PS Publishing)
7. Psycho - Robert Bloch (IBooks)
8. Dante's Inferno - Dante (Chronicle Books)
9. The Lurker at the Threshold - H. P. Lovecraft (Carroll & Graf)
10. Spookhouse - Scott Hampton (IDW)

Dark Delicacies is a horror-focused bookstore and "one stop fright shop" in Los Angeles/Burbank, CA, run by Del & Sue Howison. They host a lot of good signings, and carry all sorts of quirky cool things, so when you're in LA, be sure to check it out.

It speaks for itself...

----------> ! |

"Arnzen could probably find a way to scare us with punctuation."
-- Mark Justice, Horror World (review of 100 Jolts)

Grave Markings X & 100 Jolts NOW SHIPPING!

Delirium Books reports that the hardcover edition of Grave Markings has shipped today, so if you ordered a copy, it's on the way! The sold-out leatherbound edition will ship in about a month. I'm told there are only twelve hardcovers remaining, so if you had any inkling of getting your hands on this Stoker-award winning collectable directly from the publisher, act now! It may be difficult to get from distributors after this week. Hint: the online bookseller Shocklines, by the way, offers a slight discount on this title if you subscribe to The Goreletter. Sign up and you'll get the discount coupon.

In other news: 100 Jolts is now shipping from the publisher and various booksellers. It hit #3 on the shocklines bookstore bestseller list today!

WHC 2004

I had a wonderful time at World Horror Convention 2004 in Phoenix last weekend. Above, is a photo taken during my fiction reading the first day of the con (see RDSP website for a few others), where I read a poem I wrote on the plane -- "You Can Leave Her Head On" (a parody of a famous Joe Cocker song you might remember from The Full Monty) in addition to several shorts from 100 Jolts and Gorelets. If you look beside the corny plastic skull on the side table, you might even be able to spot the little canister of beef jerky that -- as luck would have it -- my old buddy Cary Heater of Borderlands Bookstore "threw onto the stage" during my reading of the latest "Blather" column from The Goreletter.

I sat on two panels during the conference. "Common Mistakes in Writing Horror" featured me, Ramsey Campbell, Stephen Jones, and Alan Beatts. On that panel, Beatts audaciously asked us to confess our very worst mistakes ever, and I had to report that I once wrote a vampire story where a vampire narcissistically sized himself up in a mirror before going off to hunt in the night. Ramsey talked about a telegram a narrator was writing while all along being attacked by Cthulhu...what a riot. And Jones discussed the many ways new writers shoot themselves in the foot when approaching established editors. On the panel "Short Dark Fiction" I discussed the marketplace and pros and cons of the short story genre along with Adam Golanski, Melinda Thielbar, Gene O'Niell and Nancy Kilpatrick. The highlight of this one was the talk about approaching anthology markets, which is difficult when you're breaking in. Aside from a few bits of advice, I didn't have too much to contribute to this panel, but I made heavy breathing noises over the microphone and cracked a couple of silly jokes (one writer in the audience talked about how an editor bought HIM a drink in order to talk about what he wanted to see in the submission pile...my reply: "How many ounces per word did ya charge him?").

The conference was mostly spent catching up with WAY too many friends to list here, and doing too many things I can't report here. Launching my book 100 Jolts through a debut signing and a conference suite party. The con even published an excerpt from Jolts in the program booklet. Since the stories in that book are so short, it was neat to get feedback from people who had read it just a few minutes after buying it. All in all, I returned home renewed and enthusiastic about the genre. My next one will likely be the HWA Weekend/Bram Stoker Award Banquet in early June. And definitely the Horrorfind Weekend in mid-August.

WORLD HORROR CONVENTION

If you're attending World Horror Convention in Phoenix this week (4/8-11), be sure to drop by my reading on Thursday at 3:30pm or the debut/signing of my short story collection, 100 Jolts: Shockingly Short Stories, outside the dealer's room on Saturday at Noon. I'll also be on two panels -- "Common Mistakes in Writing Horror" and "Dark Short Fiction" (unrelated topics, I assure you) -- and in the Mass Autograph gathering. Come on by.

Shortlisted for the Stoker

Great news this morning.

I just learned that this newsletter, The Goreletter, is now a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Alternate Forms. My poetry collection -- Gorelets: Unpleasant Poems -- is also on the final ballot for the Stoker Award in poetry.

I'm speechless right now, but very honored that my fellow pro horror writers deemed these titles worthy. Thanks, HWA! And thanks to all of you reading this for your support over the years. Keep reading.

[Collectors take note: There may be a few signed/lettered editions of Gorelets left in the Fairwood Press coffers or at shocklines.com...better act quickly]

An Ounce of Brains

My short-short, "An Ounce of Brains" -- which is about exactly that -- is the cover story at The Dream People webzine, as part of their special "all flash fiction" issue.

Arnzen, Updated

GRAVES, MARKED
The leatherbound edition of Grave Markings: Tenth Anniversary Edition has completely sold out from the publisher (but a copy may be available through one of their booksellers, if you're lucky). There is probably a handful of signed limited hardcover editions left, however; so if you're interested, you better get your order in to Delirium Books now.

PEOPLE, DREAMED
Keep your eyes on The Dream People. The upcoming April issue will be an all-flash fiction edition, to celebrate the release of my collection of short-shorts, 100 JOLTS. At least one new flash story will be available on their site, too.

BONES, BARED
Also from the publisher of 100 Jolts: Bare Bone magazine, a fine anthology of horror fiction and poetry. I'm lucky enough to have a new poem, "The Ending of The Fly" on the back cover. Looking over the contents -- and the way cool cover art -- I think this is going to be an excellent issue! Recommended. Watch the Raw Dog Screaming Press home page for availability.

DRACO, AWARDED SHORTLY
Soon I'll be finished adjudicating the Draco Awards for Excellence (Horror Category) sponsored by Double Dragon Press. I've been reading three finalist books and it's a tough call. But if you're curious, keep your eyes on DDP's website. (DDP released the bonus e-book edition of Gorelets: Unpleasant Poems last October -- 73 quirky little shockers for only $5.99. This one should be available on Fictionwise, eventually, too).

Jolted Again

Two new reviews of my new book, 100 Jolts, came in today... I'm very excited by the response this book is getting! Please take a look-see:

Boiling Point: 100 Jolts by Trevor Dodge

Terror in Small Doses by Geoff Keston at Flashquake Magazine

Brannon Reviews 100 Jolts

Horror author Jason Brannon just sent me an advanced peek at his review of 100 Jolts, forthcoming in SpecFicMe newsletter. Here's an excerpt: "When reading this newest collection, it becomes readily apparent that Arnzen is a true chameleon when it comes to horror. His ideas cover everything from dark torture like the kind found in 'Degrees of Separation' to the light-hearted but still gruesome 'Stabbing for Dummies.' He knows how to take an intriguing theme, idea, or locale and turn it into something dismal, bleak, and entertaining. Case in point -- 'The Cow Café.' This is an interesting take on the coffee house scene and will certainly make you think twice the next time you go into some trendy bistro for a cup of joe. ... The bottom line: Michael Arnzen’s writing is a tremendous amount of fun to read, and horror enthusiasts everywhere should pick up a copy of 100 Jolts. This book is great if you only have a few minutes to read during the morning commute or if you have an hour to read every story in succession. I’m sure if you’re like me you’ll be groaning in disgust, looking over your shoulder in fear, and smiling with enjoyment all at the same time. Arnzen’s work is simply that good and that effective. Highly recommended." Preorder today from shocklines.com or your favorite online bookstore.

Loose Bits

Here are some loose bits of news that appear in the official e-mail edition of The Goreletter going out later this afternoon:

+++DOUBLY STOKED
Both this strange newsletter (The Goreletter) and my poetry chapbook from Fairwood Press last October (Gorelets: Unpleasant Poems) have received enough recommendations to appear on the "preliminary ballot" for the Bram Stoker Award (in Alternative Forms and Poetry, respectively). Cliche or not, it really is an honor to be recognized. It tells me I'm doing something right. Now it's up to the professional members of the Horror Writers Association to whittle down their favorites through two rounds of voting. The competition is fiercer than a mongoose pit filled with snapping turtles. Wish me luck. And if you're an HWA member, well, now's your chance to say you actually voted for Gore in 2004!

+++A DECADE OF DECADENCE, DWINDLING
The leatherbound and/or hardcover editions of my novel, Grave Markings: The Tenth Anniversary Edition, are probably sold out by now, but there still might be a copy or two left if you write Delirium Books NOW with your inquiry. See http://www.deliriumbooks.com/essentials.htm for details asap.

+++DEAD AGAIN
I've acquired a batch of my chapbook -- Michael Arnzen's Dying -- a quirky little poetic parody of Martha Stewart's Living. Ed Bryant applauded this book in Locus magazine last year, writing: ""Arnzen's a crackerjack poet of the dark fantastic...[his poetry] whipsaws the reader from giggling to guffawing to cringing, often all on the same page." If you'd like to get your hands on a signed copy of this crazy collectable, it would be "a good thing." Or maybe a very bad thing. Or, perhaps just a very, very sick thing. To get yours, signed, postage paid, just send me $8 via PayPal to arnzen@gorelets.com. Limited to my supply on hand. If you want to order without using online services, you must e-mail me first to make arrangements (and to see if I have any copies left!). Don't worry -- I'm not sending any of the proceeds to Martha's attorneys.

+++FREAKCIDENTS
No, it's not a new freakadelic denture adhesive paste in day-glo colors. As I've reported before, Freakcidents: A Surrealist Sideshow is a knock-out poetry book coming from Shocklines Press in March/April in a limited "remarqued" hardcover and standard trade edition. The "remarqued" edition is not only a signed collectable hardcover, but it gets customized by the book's artist, the eponymous GAK -- who is redesigning the cover for the book (that means it will be a little different than the b/w version you may have already seen). In his review at feoamante.com, Mikey Huyck called Freakcidents "one of the most bizarre collections of anything I've ever pawed through." Wanna paw through it yourself? Preorder the mutancy here: http://store.yahoo.com/shocklines/shpr.html

+++UNDERGROUND, ANYONE?
If you've never visited the small press catalogue at Project Pulp, you've missed out on a wonderful resource for fantasy, science-fiction, horror, music and underground publishing. They've got discounted copies of a number of small magazines and anthologies I've appeared in. In fact, my poetry book, Gorelets, is #5 on their "Most Overlooked Titles" charts...not sure what that means, but I like being charted. Anyway, check out Project Pulp...I'm sure you'll find something good to read there, whether for yourself or as a gift to others. Creative searches recommended, but if you can't make up your mind, consider Dark Animus, Sick: An Anthology of Illness, Yellow Bat Review or the latest issue of Talebones magazine, all of which I've contributed to.
http://projectpulp.com/frontpage.asp

+++HEY, BOO-BOO
Be sure to subscribe to the e-mail edition of the newsletter for exclusive coupons on horror-related merchandise from Hellnotes, Shocklines, Fictionwise, Fairwood Press, Dark Animus, and others!

Have Your Brain and Eat It Too

An early review of 100 Jolts: Shockingly Short Stories just came out in the FlashFictionFlash Newsletter and it's really quite positive. Here's a sample (with a hilarious title)....

from "Have Your Brain and Eat it Too: The Delicious Horror of Michael Arnzen" -- review by John Young:

"Arnzen's prose is infectious. His intimacy with horror-even if it's not a genre you normally read-will entice you. He writes most of his introductory flash stories in the second person, reeling readers into encounters you probably never contemplated, but soon find yourself fascinated with. Take for example a sentence from story number nine, "Resonant Eyes: "If you lick your fingertip and run it steadily around the rim of the eye socket, you can produce a tone as deep and hollow as a bassoon." My first impression was, wait a minute! How does he know that! After the first few stories, your curiosity desires to know more. ... Arnzen succeeds in shocking his readers with his 100 Jolts. He is a
master of the short form "

Order today from shocklines.com

Blurb Just in....

The final book cover "blurb" just came in for my short story collection, 100 Jolts: Shockingly Short Stories:

"Name your nightmare. Michael Arnzen delivers stories for every possible taste in horror. He can be witty and subtle on one page, then icky and overwhelming on the next. The subjects of these compact stories range from the beloved horror tropes that don't really scare us, such as vampires, to our real fears, such as alienation, to things we hadn't thought to worry about until reading the story, such as skeletal dis-articulation. 100 Jolts is a substantial library of horror fiction in one book." -- Bruce Holland Rogers, author of Wind Over Heaven

Man Eating Plant honored

I just learned that my short-short story, "How to Feed a Man-Eating Plant" somehow made it to the Top 10 in the "Best Horror Stories of 2003" in the Reader's Poll at Preditors and Editors trade magazine online. But the voting hasn't closed yet. You can read my story online at The Eternal Night and then, if you like it enough, CLICK HERE TO VOTE for your favorite story. Note that the deadline approaches fast: poll closes on Jan 21st!

"Man Eating Plant" will appear in my forthcoming collection, 100 Jolts: Shockingly Short Stories

Grave Markings X

Grave Markings: The Tenth Anniversary Edition is gearing up for an April release from Delirium Books as part of their "Dark Essential" series. Pictured above is an advanced peek at the fantastic cover art by Mike Bohatch. Preorders are being taken now at Shocklines.com. These titles are reputed to sell out quite rapidly. Only 15 leatherbound copies and 150 signed hardcovers are being produced, so don't miss out!

Early Blurbs

Advanced Acclaim for 100 Jolts: Shockingly Short Stories by Michael A. Arnzen:

"Simply stated, there's >nothing< like this collection of ultra-short fiction. Arnzen continually impressed me with his punchy narrative style and endless images of grue, gore, and gristle. An evening with this book will leave you feeling like you've been guttted like a dead fish and hung out to dry." -- Tom Monteleone, author of Blood of the Lamb

"100 Jolts delivers far more than is promised by its title; with this magnificent collection of literate and disturbing short-shorts, some which are among the darkly funniest I've ever read, Arnzen can rightfully claim his place as the Donald Barthelme of horror. This book is a remarkable achievement." -- Gary A. Braunbeck, author of In Silent Graves

"Avant-horror is all about trespass (of narrative limits, of readerly expectations, of social decorum) and all about the disruption of what our culture thinks it needs to repress in order to remain whole and functioning. In these 100 wild-eyed fictive concentrates, Michael A. Arnzen, the wizard of outré, asks our culture to think again. And again." -- Lance Olsen, author of Hideous Beauties

100 Jolts: Shockingly Short Stories
by Michael A. Arnzen
http://www.rawdogscreaming.com
A collection of one hundred short-shorts designed
to horrify, disturb and stun by the award-winning author
of Grave Markings and Gorelets.Com. High voltage flash fiction!

Cover Art by Matt Sesow
ISBN 0-9745031-2-6 | 156 pp. trade paperback & ebook
April 2004 | $12.95
Raw Dog Screaming Press 5103 72nd Place Hyattsville, MD 20784 USA

End of Year News Wrap-Up

Delirium Reprints Grave Markings in 2004
I'm very pleased to announce that Delirium Books will be re-releasing my Bram Stoker Award-winning first novel, Grave Markings, in a limited run of collectable leatherbound and hardcover copies in Spring 2004. This is part of their Dark Essential series of "must have" horror books. I'm excited to have this fine publisher releaseing the book on its tenth anniversary. It will include new artwork and a new introduction reflecting on what on earth I was thinking when I wrote this crazy tattoo artist-cum-serial killer fantasy about skinning people alive. These Dark Essential books sell out very quickly upon publication, so keep your eyes glued to Delirium Books home page to learn when it will be offered for sale (pre-order availability will likely be sometime January!)
http://www.deliriumbooks.com/essentials.htm

A Shocklines.com Bestseller
I was happy to learn that two of my titles (three if you count the "Scary Holidays" anthology I'm in) were listed on the Shocklines Bookstore bestseller lists at the beginning of December! So thanks to all of you reading this who have picked up copies of the lettered edition of Gorelets: Unpleasant Poems or who pre-ordered the signed version of my book, 100 Jolts, from Shocklines! Want to see what all the hubub is about? Check out these books:
http://store.yahoo.com/shocklines/100jobymiaar.html
http://store.yahoo.com/shocklines/gounpobymiaa.html
http://store.yahoo.com/shocklines/schotatomayo.html

Gorelets: Special Editions
I believe Fairwood Press still has a few copies of the highly collectable lettered edition of Gorelets: Unpleasant Poems available. There were only 52 copies in the limited run and it's probably a steal at just $9.99. I also made a sneak offer on my website this past month to websurfers who want a signed copy inscribed with a unique haiku written just for the buyer, for $10. This "haiku-inscribed" run will be withdrawn after I sell one more copy, so it's first-come first served! Any order for the haiku edition must use paypal to gorelets@gorelets.com. If you just want to save a few bucks on it, though, you can always order the regular version direct from Fairwood Press using the coupon mentioned elsewhere in this edition of The Goreletter. Or save even more on Double Dragon's e-book edition, which includes some bonus gore!
http://www.gorelets.com
http://www.fairwoodpress.com
http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/DarkFan.html#gorelets

Amazon.com
If you're an amazon.com customer, they now are selling the e-book version of Gorelets: Unpleasant Poems. Naturally, you can get this elsewhere, like direct from Double Dragon Publishing. But I wanted to mention Amazon, because I'd like to encourage those of you who have read my books to post a mini-review of any of them at Amazon. Just a few sentences will do. I noticed that people don't do this unless you reach out and ask them. So I'm asking you now. Pretty please?
http://www.amazon.com

E-books Spreading like E coli
I'm taking a breather from e-book publishing to dedicate myself with a little more energy to print media first. So any e-books that come out in the future will likely be subsidiary rather than initial releases. But I purposefully have published Sportuary in e-book form only, just to be different, so I encourage you to check that title out. You can also now get Arnzen e-books at Palm Digital Media in addition to Fictionwise.com. And speaking of Fictionwise, an anthology about daughterhood I'm in called "Julia, Daughter of...", has returned from the grave at Fictionwise.com and -- what with all the December discounts they're offering for the holidays -- you can get it now for just $1.50! That's less than a beer at most bars! Come now, give a little, will ya?
http://www.palmdigitalmedia.com/search?keywords=Arnzen
http://fictionwise.com/eBooks/eBook19287.htm

Hocus Stoke-us
Did you know that the newsletter you're reading is among the top candidates presently in the running for the Bram Stoker Award in Alternative Forms? I'm very happy and excited about this, given all the energy I put into this newsletter (for free!). If you're a member of the HWA, affiliate or active, you can also nominate texts for this award, so please keep me in mind for this. But I'd really like to call more attention to my recently published book, Gorelets: Unpleasant Poems, published by Fairwood Press early last month. It's only received one recommendation in the Poetry catagory so far and I think it's probably worthy of a few more, if only to alert others to its existence. So if you're an HWA member, write to Patrick at Fairwood Press ( patrick@fairwoodpress.com ) and he'll send you a free electronic review copy of the Gorelets galleys to consider for this award.

The Sportuary Clinic
Sportuary -- my collection of 30 poems re-imagining sports in all sorts of twisted ways -- hit #5 on the CyberPulp Bestseller list this month. The only way to get this collection is in e-book form. Tim Curran recently wrote a fantastic review at The Dark Krypt about this book, so I'll turn it over to him: "Employing haiku and free verse, Arnzen plumbs the depths of his aberrant, wonderful imagination and offers biting, metaphorical commentary on the shadowy side of athletics: swimmers mesmerized by hungry undertows and ping pong played with staring human eyes, referees getting their gruesome reward and badminton as played by lunatics. These poems are good. Not only are they good, they’re great and if you think they’re fun to read, try reading them out loud with a friend."
http://my.lulu.com/content/21770
http://www.darkkrypt.com/tdkz/darkkryptbookrev11.htm

New Appearances next Month

Terror Tales: http://www.terrortales.org/
Yellow Bat Review: http://www.yellowbat.com/
Talebones: http://www.talebones.com/
Sick: An Anthology of Illness: http://www.sickbook.com/

Holiday Book News

I'm very pleased to announce that Delirium Books will be re-releasing my Bram Stoker Award-winning first novel, Grave Markings, in a limited run of collectable leatherbound and hardcover copies in Spring 2004. This is part of their Dark Essential series of "must have" horror books.

I was happy to learn that I have two titles (three if you count an anthology I'm in) listed on the Shocklines Bookstore bestseller lists this week! (My e-book, Sportuary, is also #5 on the Cyberpulp Bestseller List!)

Thanks to all of you reading this who have picked up copies of Gorelets: Unpleasant Poems or who pre-ordered 100 Jolts.

If you're an amazon.com customer, they now offer the e-book version of Gorelets: Unpleasant Poems. You can also now get Arnzen e-books at Palm Digital Media in addition to Fictionwise.com.

100 JOLTS: Shockingly Short Stories

Sportuary: New Scary E-book!

Just when you thought the horrorshow of the world series and early football season was over... now comes SPORTUARY by Michael A. Arnzen. Available exclusively in e-book form, this 42 page electronic chapbook by a Bram Stoker Award-winning author reimagines sporting events in all sorts of twisted ways. You'll get everything from kids playing badminton with dead birdies to "fearleaders" with bony pompoms. Now available for immediate download from CyberPulp Digital Publishing. (Sample poems available at gorelets.com). Priced at just $3, this collection of bizarre imaginings is cheaper than a scary stadium hot dog. GET IT HERE.

"It is easy to see why many of Arnzen's readers consider him a master of the macabre. "Sportuary" is the culmination of what could happen if sport and the win at all costs attitude it breeds were to go unchecked, and the dark side were to take over. Plus, it is one hell of a fun read." -- Gary West, Dream People magazine

Jolted Before You Were Ready For It!

Just found out that my short story collection, 100 JOLTS: Shockingly Short Stories is already available for advanced pre-orders at Shocklines Online Bookstore for just $12.95. And as always, Shocklines is offering a sweet deal! Pre-order from Shocklines to get a SIGNED copy as soon as they arrive!

Also available now from Shocklines: GORELETS: Unpleasant Poems for just $7.99.

Freakcidents Announcement

I hereby declare that my contractual relationship with Dark Vesper Publishing has officially terminated. As of October 19, 2003, DVP has been forbidden to publish or distribute my literary property, particularly the books entitled "Freakcidents" and "Freaks and Psychos." If you preordered either title from Dark Vesper Publishing, contact publisher Randy Speeg directly for a refund at darkvesperpub@aol.com. If you pre-ordered through Shocklines Bookstore, you need do nothing for Shocklines will not charge a customer until a book ships.

There is a good chance the book WILL ship. I have another publisher for Freakcidents waiting in the wings. Please check my website, http://www.gorelets.com for continued information on this long-awaited title that has received rave reviews from Strange Horizons, Flesh and Blood, Sidereality, Star*Line, and many more.

Arnzen News 2.2

+ GORELETS: THE BOOK!
You can now order Gorelets:
Unpleasant Poems (52 short horror
poems in a format all their own) in
collectable print editions or as an e-
book with a bonus chapbook's worth of
"extra unpleasantness"! Only 52 copies
of the signed/lettered edition ($9.99)
will be printed and it's likely to sell out
VERY fast. Don't despair: the standard
edition costs just $7.99. Both are
available now from Fairwood Press or
Shocklines Bookstore. The e-book is a
cheap alternative for just $4.99 directly
from Double Dragon Publishing.

Fairwood Press
Shocklines
Double Dragon

+ COOL BADNESS
Gorelets.com was SciFi.Com's"Cool
Pick of the Web" from Sept 25th-30th!

My parody of Martha Stewart, DYING,
made Shocklines Bookstore's
bestseller list this week! That's
obviously a good thing.

A new interview with Arnzen for The
Dream People magazine's "Extreme
Horror" issue includes sample stories
from the upcoming book, 100 Jolts!

+ SPORTUARY UPDATE
The publisher of my sports-related
horror poetry e-book, CyberPulp, has
encountered unforeseen delays, but
promises me that the title will be
available before Halloween. Keep your
eyes on the preview page for updates.

+ FREAKCIDENTS UPDATE
I know many you have been waiting for
this one. So have I. If Dark Vesper
Publishing does not produce
Freakcidents by October 19th (five days
from the day I write this), then my
contractual obligation to them ceases
and I will turn to another company who
is already waiting in the wings. Want to
order but uncertain? Don't fret! Order
this book through Shocklines.com and
you won't be charged a dime until the
book ships to your door. This collection
of poetry about mutants is one of my
personal favorites, and reviewers who
have read advanced copies have just
loved it. So I still have high hopes for
Freakcidents and I thank those of you
who have been waiting for it for your
patience.

+ OCTOBER RUSHES AT YOU
Dark poetry fans might be in the mood
for a neat new media collection that I'm
in, called October Rush. It includes a
favorite poem of mine, "Death Shroud
Fashion Show"and a collaborative
work with Kurt Newton...and tons of
poems by some talented writers!
Available FREE at:

http://www.specficworld.com

+ THE ARNZEN SEMINARS
What are "The Arnzen Seminars"? Not
as weird as you think. A new series of
occasional columns on writing for Gila
Queen's Guide to Markets. If you're a
writer you should check out this trade
magazine!

+ NOT DEAD YET
Caution: I'll be removing the offer for
signed copies of DYING from the front
of gorelets.com within the month. So if
you want one, now's the time to order.

+ I'M STOKED!
Thanks to every HWA member reading
this who has nominated The Goreletter
for the Bram Stoker Award in "Alternate Forms" so far. This
newsletter currently tops the Stoker
charts with the most recommendations!
But it's early in the game...

Unspeakable Limericks

"There once was a vamp from Nantucket..."
I just received my contributor's copy of Unspeakable Limericks, a charming little anthology of naughty science fiction/fantasy and horror verse from small press Sam's Dot Publishing. Teri Santitoro's COLOR art on the inside was a wonderful addition to this spirited little book. My doggerel, "Crazy Biology," is nothing compared to the twisted contributions from Alice Henderson, P. Andrew Miller, Kevin Hayes, Bruce Boston, and many others. Order for $9US from Erin Donahoe's nice online speculative poetry bookstore PoetryFox.com

Arnzen News 2.1

+ CyberPulp Digital Paperbacks tells
me that my e-chapbook of twisted
poems about sports, SPORTUARY,
will be available by Sept 15th.

In his review for THE DREAM
PEOPLE, writer Gary West summed it
up wonderfully: "Sportuary is the
culmination of what could happen if
sport and the win at all costs attitude it
breeds were to go unchecked, and the
dark side were to take over. Plus, it is
one hell of a fun read...."

Featuring original color paintings by
Marcia Borell, this thirty page e-book
will be just three bucks!

(While you're waiting for Sportuary,
you might want to pick up Bruce
Boston's $3 poetry book at CyberPulp,
called Head Full of Strange. I loved it!)

http://cyberpulp.netfirms.com/

http://www.cyberpulpbooks.com/

http://www.gorelets.com/demos/sportuarysampler.htm

+ I've learned that two of my pieces
from last year were listed as
"Honorable Mention" in the latest
volume (#16) of The Year's Best
Fantasy & Horror (edited by Ellen
Datlow and Terry Windling; a must
read every year!). The pieces
recommended are "Halloween Pie" (a
poem from Rogue Worlds #7) and
"Tugging the Heartstrings" (a short-
short from Flashquake #2.2). The
latter is still archived online if you
missed it:

http://www.flashquake.org/archive/vol2iss2/

+ At Horrorfind convention, two
publishers handed me hot-off-the-
press copies of magazines I appear in,
both debuting new formats. Flesh and
Blood magazine, which features my
ode to mortuary work, "Heartfelt" (issue
13) debuted in all its full-sized, glossy-
covered, bright-colored glory this
month. And Kevin Donihe's magazine,
Bare Bone (issue 4), which has always
been sparse in its "bare" white cover,
has now gone to color illustrated
covers in a perfect-bound format that
not only looks really sharp but is really
substantial in size for the price. If you
haven't read these horror magazines
yet, you're really missing out on some
great stories and poems. Both
magazines are available through the
venerable shocklines.com bookstore,
or you can read about them here:

http://www.horrorseek.com/horror/fleshnblood/issue13.htm
http://users.chartertn.net/mbs/kldwriter/

+ Many people have recently reported
communication problems with Dark
Vespers, the publisher for my
upcoming book, Freakcidents. To be
safe, I recommend you place your pre-
order through shocklines.com because
Shocklines Bookstore will not charge
you until the book is actually shipped. I
am confident that this book will be
available eventually.

http://www.shocklines.com

+ Disappointing news: I'm sorry to
report that Grave Markings Extreme --
the sculpted leather-bound Tenth
Anniversary Edition planned for my
Stoker-winning novel -- has been
canceled by Double Dragon
Publishing. (If another publisher picks it
up you'll be the first to know.) DDP,
however, still plans to release the e-
book version of Gorelets: Unpleasant
Poetry at the same time that the print
version comes out from Fairwood
Press. Either one is really special.
Forthcoming this Halloween!

http://www.fairwoodpress.com
http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com

+ Thanks to every HWA member
reading this who has nominated The
Goreletter for the Bram Stoker Award
in "Alternate Media" so far.

http://www.horror.org/stokers.htm