This is Horror, Issue 15: Fyre, Mass Hysteria, and Videodrome

This is Horror, Issue 15 is a sampling of Horror Movies, Art, Fiction, and Gaming, and more. A little bit of everything to make the horror hound in you feel all fuzzy and warm. Or tingle with anticipation. Whatever works for you.

This is Horror’s Weekly Quote:

“There are things so horrible that even the dark is afraid of them. Most people don’t know this and this is just as well because the world could not really operate if everyone stayed in bed with the blankets over their head, which is what would happen if people knew what horrors lay a shadow’s width away.”
― Terry Pratchett, Equal Rites

Horror Movies

Horror Movie Suggestion for the Week:

Videodrome (1983): Well, Videodrome was really the only logical choice for this after I watched it a few nights ago. This sci-fi horror movie starring James Woods is a complete mind screw that will have you constantly goggling at the screen. Extremely well done and holds up even today (though it’s very obviously a bit dated.)

Videodrome Synopsis: When he acquires a different kind of programming for his station, a sleazy cable-TV programmer begins to see his life and the future of media spin out of control in a terrifying new reality.

Starring:  James Woods, Debbie Harry, Sonja Smits

Note: I (Lilyn) watched this after it was brought up on the discussion about our Favorite Horror Movies of All Time.

Horror Movies Opening This Week (July 28th):

In Theaters:

Wish Upon

Coming Soon:

The Dark Tower (August 4th)

The Gunslinger, Roland Deschain, roams an Old West-like landscape where “the world has moved on” in pursuit of the man in black. Also searching for the fabled Dark Tower, in the hopes that reaching it will preserve his dying world.

Annabelle: Creation (August 11th):

Several years after the tragic death of their little girl, a dollmaker and his wife welcome a nun and several girls from a shuttered orphanage into their home, soon becoming the target of the dollmaker’s possessed creation, Annabelle.

Horrorific Trivia

Last week I gave you a list of my favorite Lovecraft readings on YouTube. There are, however, many other public domain readings online that deserve a bit of love. So, here are a few others that I enjoy listening to on occasion*.

The Upper Berth – F. Marion Crawford – Reader Unknown: I’m not sure if the YouTuber’s channel uploader is the readeror not. I have asked but received no response. Either way, it is one of the better readings that I have come across of this creepy, ghostly tale of horror at sea.

The Great God Pan – Arthur Machen – Read by Free Audiobooks for Intellectual Exercise: Sorry I couldn’t give you a name to go by but that is the name of the channel it is on. I don’t think I really need to give many details on Arthur Machen as his name is fairly well-known in the horror world. This is my favorite reading of this story. A few others’ voices just didn’t click with me. I found this oddly soothing to go to sleep to.

The Lame Priest – Susan Carleton – Read by Alan Barr: I have to warn you a bit. The book might not be as politically correct as one could wish but I will say that it is far more so than others of the time it was written. It’s mostly in the “Indian” speak area but, again, is not half as bad as others. Please don’t let it discourage you from listening to this story because it is a great, creepy story and the reader, for their part, does not over-exaggerate the speaking roles. It’s a bit more clumsy than others but it fits the story very well.

Mrs. Amworth – E.F. Benson – Read by Emma Topping: This comes up as Emma Topping Topic so I’m not really sue if the reader is actually named Emma Topping. However, she has a great reading voice. I don’t usually like when men read for women and vice versa because there are few that can do it well. It can also get confusing if the story is told in first person. Her voice is perfect for the more ironic and sardonic writers of nineteenth century horror literature.

The Judge’s House – Bram Stoker – Read by William Coon: Bram Stoker’s shorter stories usually get a bit overlooked. The Judge’s House is my favorite among these and this is a very good reading presented by LibriVox. LibriVox works on a volunteer basis for it’s readers so sometimes the quality can vary a bit.

*I would like to point out that I am in no way affiliated with these particular YouTube Channels. I receive no compensation for listing them here.

Horror Books

New Horror Releases (July 14th – July 28th)

Fyre – Sean Schubert – July 18th, 2017

Civilization has been scorched to cinders in a torrent of flame that washed over the earth, destroying everything in its path. Many of the world’s inhabitants have been driven to the brink of extinction. The ancient, evil sisters responsible for the destruction are bound and determined to end humanity for good. They hunt the earth for the last remnants of life, eager to finish the job.

The last hope for mankind lies with a group of teenaged survivors living in the vast wasteland of Alaska. Against great powers beyond their understanding, they must learn to trust a blind boy and a mysterious mute stranger to guide them in the final battle that will determine the fate of all humanity.

Kind Nepenthe – Matthew V. Brockmeyer – July 27th, 2017

Rebecca thought she’d find a hippie paradise when she moved to the desolate back hills of Humboldt County. A place to commune with nature and teach her five-year-old daughter how to live off the land. Instead she discovered a nightmare.

Coyote is a washed-up pot grower. Strung out on pills and dealing with dropping prices and looming legalization, he wonders if it’s even worth it anymore.

Diesel Dan abandoned his son for a life of methamphetamine and prison. Now he wants to make amends. He’s going to be a grandfather. But his son is on the same dark road of drugs and violence that once consumed him.

These characters will come together in an explosive ending that will leave you stunned and breathless. But more than just a gripping horror novel, Kind Nepenthe is a deep examination into the nature of love and greed, lost ideals, and the essence of evil in one of the last frontiers of the American West.

Behold!: Oddities, Curiosities, & Undefinable Wonders – Edited by Doug Murano – July 28th, 2017

Want to see something weird? Embrace the odd. Satisfy your curiosity. Surrender to wonder.

From Crystal Lake Publishing and the Bram Stoker Award-nominated co-editor of the smash hit Gutted: Beautiful Horror Stories comes Behold! Oddities, Curiosities and Undefinable Wonders.

Sixteen stories and two poems take you into the spaces between the ordinary—and the imaginations of some of today’s masters of dark and thrilling fiction.

A travel writer learns the terrible secrets at a hotel that’s not at all as it seems. A disfigured woman and her daughter explore methods of weaponizing beauty. An amateur beekeeper acquires an object that shows her the true 
danger of the hive-mind. Drifters ride the rails seeking something wondrous that could change their fates forever. A strange creature that holds our very existence in its hands shapes the lives of two lovers to touching and devastating effect. A young man helps his grandfather—and something much more monstrous—atone for bargains made during wartime. And much, much more…

Featuring Clive Barker, Neil Gaiman, Ramsey Campbell, Lisa Morton, Brian Kirk, Hal Bodner, Stephanie M. Wytovich, John Langan, Erinn L. Kemper, John F.D. Taff, Patrick Freivald, Lucy A. Snyder, Brian Hodge, Kristi DeMeester, Christopher Coake, Sarah Read and Richard Thomas. Foreword by Josh Malerman. Illustrations by Luke Spooner. Cover art by John Coulthart. Brought to you by Bram Stoker Award-nominated editor Doug Murano and Crystal Lake Publishing. Tales from the Darkest Depths.

Horror Giveaways:

Horror Poll

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Horror Around the Web

• Want to hear any other readings from the LibriVox Library or have an urge to volunteer your own reading services? Check out their website here.
• Freddy in the upcoming movie Ready Player One? Read about it at Bloody Disgusting. Unless it’s Robert Englund my interest is a bit limited, I’m afraid.
• We’ve lost yet another horror icon this month. JoBlo.com has a very lovely tribute to the King of the Zombies.
• Needing an American Horror Story fix? A new poster with new clues are up at ComingSoon.net
• Joe Hill thinks the upcoming ‘IT’ will be on par with classics like ‘The Thing’ and ‘Jaws’. I think I’d like an unbiased opinion, please. Check out the interview on Collider.com