Books I Read in December 2023

Four books and some extra short stories this month. 

The Haunted Looking Glass edited by Edward Gorey (New York Review of Books, 2001)

This anthology collects twelve Victorian ghost stories selected by artist Edward Gorey. Each story is accompanied by one of his illustrations. I’ve been a fan of his artwork ever since I encountered it on television in the opening animated sequences used on the PBS Mystery! anthology series. 

Lots of great stories with “Man-Size in Marble” by E. Nesbit being my favorite. After a couple move into a country cottage, the husband hears about a legend of marble statues in an old cathedral that come to life on All Hallow’s Eve. This story had me from start to finish. 

Also included is another one of my favorites, “The Signalman” by Charles Dickens. A railway signalman tells a man he meets about a strange apparition that is haunting him. It was adapted into an excellent episode of the BBC’s A Ghost Story for Christmas in 1976, which I rewatched this month. 

The only story I didn’t care for was “August Heat” by W.F. Harvey. The ending was too ambiguous for me, and the story doesn’t actually include any ghosts. 

The Murders in the Rue Morgue and Other Tales by Edgar Allan Poe (Penguin Classic, 2012)

The Penguin English Library edition of The Murders in the Rue Morgue and Other Tales consists of nineteen tales of horror and the macabre and an afterword by D.H. Lawrence. 

Poe’s use of long sentences and esoteric vocabulary was a little challenging to read in some stories but was more straightforward in others where the words just flowed. Something that helped with that was reading the next book at the same time. 

The Annotated and Illustrated Edgar Allan Poe edited by M. Grant Kellermeyer (Oldstyle Tales Press, 2016)

The Annotated and Illustrated Edgar Allen Poe (Oldstyle Tales Press) edited by M. Grant Kellermeyer consists of twenty stories and fourteen poems with annotations. Also included are short essays before and after each story as well as chiaroscuro illustrations by the editor. This collection is a mix of stories from the previous collection plus a number of others. I found the detailed annotations extremely helpful for vocabulary definitions, story analysis, and for helping to decipher the meaning of many of the poems. You can find my full review here:

We Learn by Writing: The Annotated and Illustrated Edgar Allan Poe

Now that I’ve read these collections, I plan on watching the Roger Corman film adaptations and Mike Flanagan’s mini-series, The Fall of the House of Usher. 

Christmas at Thompson Hall and Other Christmas Stories by Anthony Trollope (Penguin Classics, 2014)

Okay, I cheated here as I don’t actually have this book. But I do have Anthony Trollope The Complete Shorter Fiction, which has all forty-two of his short stories, including the five Christmas stories which have been collected together.

I became interested in Trollope after reading his novel The Warden. I haven't gotten around to his other novels so I figured that I would read his Christmas stories this month. These five stories all deal with family and or romantic relationships during the Christmas season. I enjoyed some more than others with the title story being my favorite. One of the funniest stories I've read in a long time.

A Few More Short Stories 

“The Premature Burial” by Edgar Allan Poe from The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe (Barnes and Noble, 2015)

This story isn’t included in the two collections above, but I wanted to read it as it's one of the stories adapted by Roger Corman. Suitably creepy. 

“Lot No. 249” by Arthur Conan Doyle from Classic Horror Stories (Barnes and Noble, 2015)

I read this before watching this year’s BBC A Ghost Story for Christmas special. Instead of adapting another M. R. James story this year, they adapted this story by Conan Doyle. The story was great until the end which I thought was pretty lackluster. The BBC version on the other hand was even better. With a small addition it gives the story an M. R. James spin which I loved. 

“The Blue Carbuncle” by Arthur Conan Doyle from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Book of the Month Club)

I read this story as it takes place during Christmas. Holmes winds up with an old hat, a goose, and eventually a blue jewel and investigates how they all fit together. A fun adventure to finish up my December reading. 

The Annotated and Illustrated Edgar Allan Poe

The Annotated and Illustrated Edgar Allan Poe (Oldstyle Tales Press) edited by M. Grant Kellermeyer consists of twenty stories and fourteen poems with annotations. Also included are short essays before and after each story as well as chiaroscuro illustrations by the editor. 

The stories are arranged in order of original publication. Kellermeyer explains in his introduction:

“By beginning and ending in the order in which these tales are printed, you will have the ability to follow the themes that recur and develop throughout Poe’s literary career. The notes will assist in tying together shared themes by referring you to other stories (by Poe and others) which either influenced or were influenced by the story at hand. Additionally, it should be noted that we have cataloged the tales into four sub-categories to engender comparative analysis.”

The four sub-categories of focus: 

The Tale of Gender and Metaphysics - “...the binary relationship between a man and a woman is used to render a psycho-philosophical commentary on the balance between mind and matter, essence and form…”

The Tale of Existential Adventure - “...a situation of physical horror and natural sublimity is digested through the use of logic and ratiocination - leading to conclusions about the vulnerability of humanity in the face of a hostile cosmos…”

The Revenge Fantasy - “...a malefactor is punished with impunity by a self-justified murderer…”

The Tale of Psychological Duplicity - “...a character is faced with a symbolic or literal episode of psychosis, whereby their psychology is broken into two elements, and they are plagued by their doppelgänger - usually an extension of conscience.” 

Poe’s use of long sentences and esoteric vocabulary was a little challenging to read in some stories but was more straightforward in others where the words just flowed. I found the detailed annotations extremely helpful for vocabulary definitions, story analysis, and for helping to decipher the meaning of many of the poems.

My one criticism is that the annotations were sometimes too detailed. I encountered spoilers two times revealing the endings of stories as I was reading them. In any case, most of the stories were amazing, and I learned quite a lot from the essays and annotations.

Spoilers in this collection aside, I highly recommend the books published by Oldstyle Tales Press. I also have their collection of M.R. James ghost stories (I don’t remember any spoilers in that collection) and absolutely loved it. 

My copy is a third edition with a painting (pictured above) titled The Premature Burial by Antoine Weirtz as the cover, which is not showing up on Goodreads as of this writing.

My story ratings: 

Metzengersten (3/5)

MS. Found in a Bottle (4/5)

The Assignation (4/5)

Berenice (5/5)

Morella (5/5)

Shadow - A Parable (4/5)

Silence - A Fable (4/5)

Ligea (4/5)

The Fall of the House of Usher (5/5)

William Wilson (4/5)

The Man of the Crowd (3/5)

A Descent into the Maelstrom (3/5)

The Oval Portrait (4/5)

The Masque of Red Death (4/5)

The Pit and the Pendulum (5/5)

The Tell-Tale Heart (5/5)

The Black Cat (5/5)

The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar (5/5)

The Cask of Amontillado (5/5)

Hop-Frog (4/5)

My First Short Story

Whetstone Issue 8, which includes my first published short story “Burning of the Bones,” is now available as a PDF on the magazine’s website. It also includes ten stories by other authors, poetry, and artwork. It’s free to download or read online. Hope you like it. Here’s the link:

Whetstone: Amateur Magazine of Pulp Sword and Sorcery: Issue 8 of Whetstone Now Available! (whetstonemag.blogspot.com)

Ghost Stories for Christmas 2023

A few years ago, I became fascinated with the tradition of telling ghost stories during the darkest time of the year. What started out as an oral tradition became a popular trend in Victorian England with the development of printing presses. 

I devoured the ghost stories of M. R. James, which he wrote and read to his friends every year at Christmas. Then I watched the BBC’s A Ghost Story for Christmas anthology series, many of which adapted James’ stories. I really enjoyed the stories and their adaptations. Last year I read Christmas Gothic Short Stories from Flame Tree Press. It’s a collection of classic and new tales. I loved it as well. This year I’m jumping between a few different collections. 

First up is The Turn of the Screw and Other Ghost Stories by Henry James from Penguin Classics. I’m a big fan of Mike Flanagon’s films and mini-series, especially Midnight Mass and The Haunting of Hill House. I decided to finally read Henry James because Flanagan's The Haunting of Bly Manor is based on some stories by James. Not all the stories he adapts are in this collection, so I’ll also be reading a collection I have on Kindle that has everything. 

Next is The Haunted Looking Glass - Ghost Stories Chosen by Edward Gorey from New York Review of Books. This includes stories by Charles Dickens, Algernon Blackwood, Robert Louis Stevenson, Bram Stoker and more. Each story includes an illustration by Gorey. My favorite so far is “The Signalman” by Dickens. 

Finally, I have The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton from Wordsworth Editions. I chose this edition over Ghost Stories from New York Review of Books as the Wordsworth edition has four more stories. This is my first time reading anything by Edith Wharton. The prose is beautiful and the themes are deep. I’m four stories in and now I want to read everything she’s ever written.

I hope to finish all three books by the end of the month, but we’ll see. 

My Writing Process

 “A good story cannot be devised; it has to be distilled.” — Raymond Chandler 

I participated in National Novel Writing Month again this year, so I’ve been thinking about my current writing process and how I came about it after studying how other authors write.

Outlining

Some authors are “planners” and like to outline and plot everything out in advance, while some authors are “pantsers” or "discovery writers” and just see where the story takes them as they put the words down. Crime writer Jeffrey Deaver is a planner. 

“For every book and story I write, I spend over half the time outlining — before I write a single word of prose.” 

“I advocate outlining for a number of reasons. Among them: It helps you achieve the necessary story structure if you write, as I do, fast paced, plot driven fiction. Outlining first is also a far more efficient way to write. By wrestling the plot into shape using Post-It notes, or bullet points on your computer, you will see what works and what doesn’t, before diving into the prose. You won’t need to go back and revise dozens, perhaps hundreds, of pages when you come up with a new plot idea later in your work.” — from "Jeffrey Deaver: On the Benefits of Outlining," Writer’s Digest 

Discovery Writing

Recently retired thriller writer Lee Child of Jack Reacher fame has the opposite take. When asked if he dedicated a lot of time to planning his plot before writing, he had this so say:

“No, I never plan anything. I want the same excitement I would get as a reader. I don’t want to know what happens. If I plotted it all out and planned it, I would have told myself the whole story already and be ready to move on. There would be much less excitement for me in the writing process and the plot would come out as flat and wooden to the reader.” — Lee Child from "Q&A With Top Thriller Writer Lee Child" on NewWriting.net. 

I think of Ray Bradbury as the ultimate discovery writer.

“...in my early twenties I floundered into a word-association process in which I simply got out of bed each morning, walked to my desk, and put down any word or series of words that happened along in my head. I would then take arms against the word, or for it, and bring on an assortment of characters to weigh the word and show me its meaning in my own life. An hour or two hours later, to my amazement, a new story would be finished and done. The surprise was total and lovely. I soon found that I would have to work this way for the rest of my life.” — Ray Bradbury from Zen in the Art of Writing (1990)

Visualizing Away from the Keyboard

For the story I worked on this month I did some prep before I started writing. I made a list of characters and their motivations, made worldbuilding notes, and wrote down the scene ideas I had. The scene ideas became a loose outline. As I started writing the story I thought of new scenes and added them to the list. This allowed me to stay on track while at the same time stay motivated. The outline was loose enough to where I was discovering new plot points and things about my characters as I was writing. 

But there was something else I was also doing: For some scenes and characters I spent a lot of time thinking of what was going to happen before actually writing anything down. It turns out that this is exactly how author J. Michael Straczynski of Babylon 5 fame works. He recently explained his process on Twitter. 

“To swing back around to my process...I can't think of much that's worse than staring at a screen trying to figure out what to write next. Total performance anxiety. And then once you *do* write the scene, it's kind of concretized in that moment, and there's the inertial tendency to leave it as is rather than just rewrite a wounded scene end-to-end.  

So what I do is to visualize the scene *away* from the keyboard, down to the smallest detail, end to end, over and over until it's solid. There isn't the intimidation factor of the waiting screen, or the sense that I have to stay with what I wrote just because I already wrote it.  

While it's just in my head, it's infinitely malleable, I can turn it upside down, inside out, reverse the structure, it's like a kid playing with letter-blocks. I will do this five, ten, twenty times, however many is required until it finally feels real and authentic.  

It's only then, when I can see and put to memory every single line in my head that I finally go to the keyboard and at that point I'm not actually writing, I'm just typing what I've already seen happen. This minimizes stress, maximizes play, and then I can write as fast as I can type.” — J. Michael Staczynski on Twitter (now rebranded as X), November 3, 2023

I got excited when I read this and thought, "Hey! I’ve been doing some of that!” 

My Frankenstein Process

All the authors make good points. When I first tried writing stories, I didn’t plan anything out. But while it was fun, I usually got lost the further I got into a story. So, I started outlining. It kept me from getting lost and overwhelmed, but after finishing a detailed outline I lost the motivation to keep writing the story, just as Lee Child describes above.

Now I plan a little on paper, but not too much. I also spend time thinking over things quite a lot before I begin writing certain scenes. I think of myself as a “plantser," somewhere in between a planner and a pantser. Through trial and error, I've cobbled together a process that works for me so far, and it all reminds me of the Raymond Chandler quote above.

The RKO Films of Val Lewton

 “We tossed away the horror formula right from the beginning.” — Val Lewton 

When RKO hired writer and producer Val Lewton to head up their horror unit, he was given three rules:

• Keep each film’s budget under $150,000.

• Keep each film’s run time under 75 minutes.

• Make each film based on a title given to him by RKO.

Lewton made eleven films with RKO, nine of them horror/thriller films. He worked closely with directors Jacques Tourneur, Robert Wise, and Mark Robson to create horror films where the menace is often unseen and lurking in the shadows. He also worked with Boris Karloff in three films giving him roles where he could shine. I recently watched them and while I enjoyed some more than others, I enjoyed them all quite a bit. 

In his book Danse Macabre, Stephen King says he thinks they don’t hold up because it’s obvious they were all filmed on sets. A lot of people probably feel the same way today but not me. The combination of story, direction, and acting, drew me in each time. They’re not typical horror films. They each feature complicated characters in complicated relationships and Lewton slips in a variety of themes such as loneliness, alienation, abuse of authority, and science vs. superstition. 

Here are the nine films and my thoughts on them. 

Cat People (1942)

Directed by Jacques Tourneur 

A young man falls in love with a woman who turns out to be obsessed with the idea that she is descended from a group of people who transform into black panthers when aroused. I remember really liking this when I first watched it years and years ago, but I forgot how good it was. Mysterious, moving, and beautifully shot. Themes of alienation, repressed desire, and fears of intimacy. It’s amazing what this film accomplishes with its limited budget and short run time.

I Walked with a Zombie (1943)

Directed by Jacques Tourneur 

Val Newton was given the title I Walked with a Zombie and made a moody, gothic love story with noir lighting that touches upon colonialism and slavery. A haunting story with haunting visuals. 

The Leopard Man (1943)

Directed by Jacques Tourneur 

After a leopard escapes from a nightclub in a small town in New Mexico, things go from bad to worse. There’s one scene that keeps upping the suspense until it just explodes. It’s so devastating. A plot point towards the middle is a little silly but then we get back to the tension and suspense. Excellent use of sounds and shadows. 

Based on the book Black Alabi by Cornell Woolrich.

The Seventh Victim (1943)

Directed by Mark Robson 

A woman searching for her missing sister discovers a cult of satan worshippers in Greenwich Village, New York. There’s a creepy scene that brought Psycho to mind and the scenes with the cult members have real Rosemary’s Baby vibes.

More of a nihilistic noir than horror, possibly one of the bleakest films I’ve ever seen. It has its moments, but it was a bit convoluted. I felt like something was missing. Sure enough I learned that four key scenes were cut from the film after it was changed from an A picture that allowed for a longer run time to a B picture. I appreciate what it was trying to do but things didn’t quite come together. 

The Ghost Ship (1943)

Directed by Mark Robson

A young officer on his first voyage begins to suspect that his captain has an unhealthy obsession with authority and is mentally unbalanced. Making good use of shadows and the claustrophobic locations of a ship, this is a psychological thriller that slowly builds tension leading to a violent climax. A sign briefly seen in the captain’s cabin early on turns out to be well placed foreshadowing. 

Who does not heed the rudder

Shall meet the rock

Some reviews complain about the lack of ghosts. Again, given the title Ghost Ship, Lewton does something unexpected and creative with it. Besides, the ghosts are right there in the dialogue.

“You’re just like the captain, Tom. Lonely, austere, bitter, without family or friends. Condemning yourself to a bloodless ghost-like existence. And in the end, it’ll be only a ghost ship you’ll command.”

The Curse of the Cat People (1943)

Directed by Gunther von Fritsch and Robert Wise 

This is a very unusual sequel that follows two characters from Cat People who are now married with a daughter named Amy. I wasn’t sure what to make of this at first but Amy with her active imagination and her difficulties with trying to make friends drew me in. There’s a scene that really spoke to me as it brought back a sad memory, where Amy feels helpless because an adult doesn’t believe her.

Once I realized that this was a dark fairy tale about childhood, loneliness, and imagination, I was all in. I believe that one of the strengths of this movie is that Lewton incorporated autobiographical details from his younger days. Not what I was expecting from the sequel to Cat People, but I loved it. I really admire Val Lewton for doing his own thing after the studio demanded a sequel.

The Body Snatcher (1945)

Directed by Robert Wise 

An entertaining adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson short story. I read the story before watching and while I thought it was okay, I think the film improves upon it. The elements added to fill out the story may be a little corny, but I thought they worked rather well. It was great seeing Boris Karloff working with Bela Lugosi, despite Lugosi having a minor role. Excellent performance from Karloff. 

Isle of the Dead (1945)

Directed by Mark Robson 

A psychological thriller about a group quarantined on an island graveyard after someone falls ill. Is it the plague? Or a vorvolaka, an undead creature from Greek folklore? It covers a lot of ground for such a short feature: war, disease, burial, and science vs. superstition. Another great performance from Boris Karloff. The beginning has a leisurely pace, but it all leads up to a gripping finale. 

Based on the painting by Arnold Bocklin titled Isle of the Dead. 

Bedlam (1946)

Directed by Mark Robson

In 1761 London a young woman named Nell has a falling out with her benefactor Lord Mortimer. Afterwards he conspires to have her committed to an asylum. Boris Karloff gives a suitably creepy performance as the asylum overseer. As with most Val Lewton films, it covers a lot of ground. Besides the mistreatment of those in the asylum, it speaks on class, politics, hypocrisy, and tyrants.

“You have no idea, Nell, what a great responsibility it is to be rich.”

Based on a series of paintings by William Hogarth titled A Rake’s Progress.

In Conclusion

Unfortunately, Val Lewton's career was cut short. He passed away in 1951 at the age of 46 after having two heart attacks. But he left us with some films that while low budget tried something creative and different each time. In my opinion he succeeded. I highly recommend them.

Writing Update

I received word that a short story of mine has been accepted for publication. My first one! The story will appear in issue 8 of Whetstone. The issue will be published digitally on Friday, December 15th, 2023. 

Here’s a link to the magazine’s website:

Whetstone: Amateur Magazine of Pulp Sword and Sorcery (whetstonemag.blogspot.com)

Whetstone is an amateur magazine, but they publish great fiction and poetry and there's a lot of competition. This is a really big step for me. I have to say, it’s a good feeling.