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Fiction Tips Weekly: SimulAcrum: A new collection by Jason V. Brock

In a very rudimentary sense
simulacrum, derived from Latin, means likeness or similarity, a representation
or image. One thinks of the mirror image of one’s self it is true in form
however reversed but lacks the actual substance of the original that casts the
reflection, i.e. the human form standing before the mirror. What is dark
fiction, horror, but visceral writings of the gut that inevitably represent the
deeper truth of what and who we are and what our nature is truly about. These
genres reveal through a vial all that human kind represses, true to form, but
lacking enough to be a story, and dream, or a nightmare.

Jason V Brock (without the
period) is a visceral writer. As we can see from this delightful anthology of
his works, he can rip to the gut and have you attempting
desperately to stuff your entrails back inside before it’s too late.

In the forward written by the
legendary William F. Nolan, the writer remarks “He (Jason) is a deep thinking
individual, even a provocateur, and his work is sometimes extreme, dark and
gruesome…he uses it to expose some flaw or weakness in a character.”

My own experience with Jason
and his writing tells me that there will always be those that exclaim the man
is too controversial. The problem with those views is that it is all too
revealing of the gainsayers that are most likely thick with denial. People,
critical examiners really, that just don’t want to hear the truth. The fact is,
if they don’t want to hear about their own unlovely nature, then they really
need to get out of the horror industry all together because they are doing no
justice there. If there is one thing that Jason’s stories tell us about, it’s
about our lives, our nature, our truth, our self. And through a representation
of that visceral truth, we can see clear to original that lies beyond in the
land of reality.

The collection kicks off with
“What the Dead Eyes Behold.” An image of
that very moment when you look into your significant other’s eyes and are
overwhelmed with the very deepest feelings of love so much that you want to
preserve the moment forever, and ever… and ever!

Next up “The Central Coast,” a
story previously published in Dark Discoveries magazine, starts us off in the
middle trauma and shock. Social gatherings can be horrific enough, without even
coming close to this event. Brock displays the same expertise in setting up the
reader in this story as any Stephen King has written. He enthralls the reader
with terribly vivid scene irresistible to our curious nature only to bring that
shocking and terrible discovery you’d wished you’d never come upon. One thing
is for sure, if you are a wine connoisseur, you might think twice about that
rare estate reserve you’ve had eyes on. It may be more expensive than you
think.

It’s impossible to describe in
a review the depth experienced in reading anything Brock has penned.
Descriptions are as the title suggests only a representation of the actual
experience of reading his work. There are many stories in this collection,
fifteen plus his new novella “Milton’s Children,” but I find it irresistible
not to spoil some delight in each of them. Therefore I’ll leave the rest for
your own experience, an experience that comes highly regarded and suggested.

— Review by Cyrus Wraith Walker

19 Jul 2013

DVD Review: LIFE AFTER DEATH PROJECT (2013)

Paul Davids, the director of the documentary The Sci-Fi Boys spurred this exploration of the afterlife after an odd encounter in a hotel room. While staying at a hote he printed a piece of paper, he then left the room for a few moments and when he returned he found what he believes was proof that his friend, the departed Forrest J Ackerman of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, had reached out him from beyond the grave. Actually, what he found was an unexplained ink smudge on a piece of paper, but this documentary would have you believe it’s proof of the existence of the conscious mind from beyond.

Personally I do believe in something in the hereafter. What exactly that is I won’t speculate on but I do hope there’s something beyond what we know, I wanna believe there’s more than just rotting in the dirt. When my younger tragically brother passed on at a young age I found myself speaking to him while I was alone in the dark, I was full of regret and mourning his death, there were so many things I wished I’d said, and I would find myself speaking these things to him as if he were there. Do I think he was present at the time, was his spirit with me, does anyone really know?

Paul Davids and a small group of true believers, scientists and friends of the departed Forrest J Ackerman would have you believe yes, there’s something out there. we have entries from respected science fiction authors Richard Matheson, Whitley Strieber, Dannion Brinkley and Michael Shermer, whom all chime in. There are also testimonies and research from scientist including Gary Schwartz, the Director of the Laboratory for Advances in Consciousness and Health, here in Tucson, AZ at The University of Arizona, where I work. Schwartz in his lab attempts to communicate with the deceased through a series of yes/no questions and awaits a metered response, which proves absolutely nothing in my opinion. Seriously, until I see an apparition myself it’s gonna be difficult for me to believe, not that I do not want to, I just need a little proof.

Some of these testimonies are compelling stories, witnesses recount weird happenings that they assign to the afterlife, but c’mon now, papers falling off a chair… one time! If it weren’t for the trappings of Forry Ackerman here I don’t think I would have even given this documentary a shot, I hate shows like Ghost Hunters. I do appreciate the fond remembrances of the the world’s ultimate science-fiction nerd but as a science-based exploration of life after death the film is utterly lacking, simply stating that science cannot rule out communication from the afterlife does not prove squat.

There are 40 minutes of bonus features including audio excerpts from a 2009 tribute to Ackerman with touching tributes from Rick Baker and Ray Bradbury. There’s also a second disc featuring The Life After Death Project 2 – Personal Encounters (101 Mins) with further testimony about personal accounts of supposed life after death. I would much rather watch a documentary about Forrest J. Ackerman’s life and what he meant to legions of fans, what happened after his death is of far less interest. 2 Outta 5

31 Jul 2013

Recensione Di The Devil’s Coattails More Dispatches From The Dark Fron…

The Devil’s Coattails

William F. Nolan and Jason V. Brock

Cycatrix Press

2011

288 pagine

$39.95

Consiglio questa raccolta di racconti a coloro che sono in grado di leggere in inglese (purtroppo, come tutte le produzioni originali e interessanti, non è ancora uscita in italiano).
The Devil”s Coattails, curata da William F. Nolan e Jason Brock, ha un’introduzione firmata da S.T. Joshi, autore di molti studi critici e letterari, come The Weird Tale (1990). Al suo interno troviamo delle perle come un racconto di Ramsey Campbell, The Moons, una simbolica e terribile metafora dell’infanzia vista come periodo dell’esplorazione.
In Object Lesson, Jason Brock affronta il difficile tema dell’eutanasia con struggente delicatezza.
È presente un breve racconto di Dan O’Bannon, Invocation, sul tema dell’invocazione diabolica, puro orrore condensato in poche righe.
In Gunboat Whores, John Shirley immagina un episodio della vita del celebre pistolero Wyatt Earp.
William F. Nolan, in Dread Voyage, rielabora il tema epico classico.
Melanie Tema, in Best friends, è un racconto melanconico e amaro sul tema della perdita.
Il racconto breve Night Food, di Jerry E. Airth, parla di donne zanzare che seducono e uccidono uomini, ma alcuni hanno imparato a difendersi da esse, mentre in Too Good to be Human di J. Brundage, troviamo al bizzarra storia di Athena, una donna con tre braccia che lavora in un ufficio e viene vessata dai colleghi.
Il racconto di James Robert Smith, On the First Day, affronta anch’esso la tematica diabolica, dando un’interpretazione da brividi e insolita sul concetto di Dio.
Barrels Ready di Norman Corwin è invece un breve saggio su un personaggio del passato conosciuto dall’autore, intriso da una forte nostalgia, mentre Cattiwampus Steve Rasnic Tem si basa su un racconto popolare degli Appalachi, rielaborandolo in modo originale.
Troviamo inoltre uno scritto di Richard Christian Matheson (memorabile autore da poco scomparso), Interrogation, denso di significati nella sua brevità.
The Woods Colt di Earl Hamner Jr. è la storia di una casa infestata e di segreti di famiglia che riemergono.
Dying to Forget è un racconto di Sunni K. Brock che affronta i temi della morte e della rinascita, mentre Invisible di Nancy Kilpatrick è una ghost-story che parla di una macchina fotografica in grado di mostrare la presenza di spettri.
Can You Imagine di Paul Salamoff è un poema che immagina una società libera dalla tecologia, mentre A New Anthology Series – Knife Through the Veil di Marc Scott Zicree è una sceneggiatura che l’autore ha presentato alla CBS come episodio per Twilight Zone TV Show, ma che fu rifiutata perché ritenuta troppo violenta.
The Hidden Realm è un racconto di W.H. Pugmire e Maryanna K. Snyder in cui s’immagina che Oscar Wilde sia terrorizzato da una strega che incontra per la strada, e il suo amico pittore Frank Miles abbia visioni demoniache.
If You Love Me di Paul G. Bens Jr racconta la storia di un omosessuale che chiama il 911 a causa della morte del suo compagno.
Ritengo si tratti di un’antologia interessante, con racconti insoliti e con un buon livello generale.
Da consigliare vivamente a chi ama il genere fantastico, le atmosfere perturbanti, ma sempre con una certa raffinatezza e cura formale.

17 Jul 2013

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Discounts! Pre-Orders! Time to shop!

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