#horror & fantasy mashed with literature

[bigdreamsandwildthings]

Review: A Study In Drowning (Ava Reid)

Rating: ★★★★★/5

"The danger was real. Effy and Angharad had both proven that, with their wits and their mirrors. The danger lived with her; perhaps it had been born with her, if the rest of the stories about changeling children were to be believed. The danger was as ancient as the world. But if fairies and monsters were real, so were the women who defeated them."

I am OB. SESSED. This was so excellent and so much more than I expected.

Effy Sayre has been haunted by visions for her whole life. She sees the Fairy King everywhere; she can't sleep unless she takes a pill, and she just knows that he is out there, waiting for her. She's an architecture student, but only because women aren't allowed to study literature in Caer-Isel. All she truly wants is to study Emrys Myrddin and his famous work, her favourite book, Angharad. When an opportunity arises for Effy to redesign Emrys's home after his death, to go to the place where he lived and wrote, she jumps at the chance. But all is not what it seems at decrepit Hiraeth Manor...

I went into this book expecting some kind of dark academia-esque story. The cover and the blurb certainly give it that air, and I do enjoy that genre, but it's not typically my end-all, be-all. This has some elements of it, for sure, but overall, it's instead this mash-up of DA and fantasy and horror and magical realism and romance, and I just loved how everything fit together in such a unique, interesting way.

I absolutely loved Effy, so, so much. She's been THROUGH IT and she has survived, but she feels it's not enough, and my heart just immediately went to her and stayed with her through her story. Her story is at once original and the story of so many women. She has survived, but she feels it's not enough, that she needs to do more, that she needs to be more, and the feminist message of the book just hit me so hard because it's done so seamlessly and so emotionally.

Equally, Preston stole my affections from the moment we meet him, gruff, snobby guy that he appears to be; he just feels so genuinely sweet, and just so right for Effy, without it ever feeling like Ava was trying too hard.

This quote sums things up for me (and made me clutch the book to my chest and my heart ache):

"Effy laughed again. 'I thought you weren't a romantic.'

'I wasn't,' Preston said, cheeks still pink. 'Until you.'"

💀😭❤️

And the world-building! The lore! I was so taken into this story for the world alone. It's modern-ish, with televisions and phones and cars, but high-fantasy-ish at the same time with some divisive politics at play and a history that I wish we got to explore more. I love how literature is most important here, and though feminism still feels a long ways off, I'd love to find out how Effy contributes to its inevitable rise.

I just. I loved this so much. I can't say enough about it.

[morewyckedthanyou]

I was tagged by @lovelesscherub, thank you soooo much, I love to be tagged 💖 (even if I don't always answer these because I forget or don't feel motivated at the time ).

favourite colour(s): Green (especially emerald green but all shades, really) and also yellow and orange. 💚💛🧡

favourite flavour(s): I have a sweet tooth, so if it's something is sweet... yes please. But also, I like savoury things too, and things that are a bit spicy a well. And garlic in anything usually works great! 😋

favourite genre(s): Whether we're talking about movies, tv or literature, I mostly prefer horror, sci-fi and fantasy. Oh, and mysteries (whether it's crime or something supernatural).

favorite music: I lean towards metal more than anything, but I actually also like a lot of different types of rock (especially if it was made 'in the old days', so in like... 50's to 90's) and pop as well.

favourite movie(s): So damn many tbh! But I will try to list at least some favourites that come to mind immediately. Here we go: Alien, Brokeback Mountain, Pacific Rim, Titanic, Flatliners (1990), Back to the Future-trilogy, Star Wars episodes IV-VII (but especially The Empire Strikes Back and The Force Awakens - the latter had so much potential ok!), Mamma Mia!, The Blair Witch Project, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Jurassic Park, Crimson Peak, IT 1990 (which is technically a miniseries but I think of it as a movie so), The Faculty, Thelma and Louise, Girl Interrupted, Stardust, Pitkä Kuuma Kesä, Spirited Away, Young Guns 1 & 2, Monty Python's Life of Brian, The LotR-trilogy, Hot Fuzz, Sinister, Maurice, The Breakfast Club, Kingsman 1 & 2...

favourite series: I don't watch a lot of tv (other than true crime "docuseries" sometimes) because I can't concentrate on following a plot that goes on and on most of the time but here are some favourites I've enjoyed in the past: Twin Peaks, The X-Files (seasons 1-7), Mash, Black Books, Doctor Who (the new series seasons 1-4), Spaced, Good Omens... Also I guess I should say Cobra Kai, not because I think it's particular good but because I just love the karate dads so much.

last song: GOSSIP by Måneskin

last series: Probably some true crime murder-series, I honestly can't remember, haven't even opened my tv in like a week or so

last movie: Can't remember if I've watched anything else in full since I watched Big Eden (2000) a few weeks ago.

currently reading: I wish I was reading an actual book because that's what I want to do more this year... But nah, I have started some but none could hold my interest more than a couple pages. 😩 I am however rereading a very good Cobra Kai fanfic feat. Daniel/Johnny/Amanda written by my very talented tumblr mutual and once I've finished reading I will leave a loooong comment because it looks like last time I was dumb and didn't comment at all and I am disappointed in myself.

currently working on: Writing letters to my penpals. Also trying to work on having a proper rhythm in my days even now that I'm unemployed and have nowhere to be during days. It's going alright I think. I should also try to work on my anxiety which has been quite bad lately.

I will tag: @catzy88 @disdaidal @icanhasnaow @leyley09 @an-sceal @ashyyboyy @dull-c @valastaja @marley-manson and @vonderbarr But if you have already done this recently or just don't feel like answering then no pressure! ❤️

[lizabethstucker]

Book Review: Classics Mutilated: CTRL-ALT-LIT edited by Jeff Conner

Thirteen stories in which classic tales and authors are combined with horror or fantasy tales and/or tropes.  Or, as the editor calls it, Monster Lit, only with an updated twist or two to keep the new sub-genre alive.  Each story has a black and white drawing that invokes the tale that will follow.  I’m tempted to copy some of them to frame, they are that good.  I’ve never heard of this publisher, IDW out of San Diego until I stumbled across this book at my used book store.  

As with any collection, there are highs and lows.  Sadly I DNF’d two of the stories, one due to animal/animal-human hybrid abuse.  Abuse, especially of animals and children, is a hard line for me, one I do not handle well.  If it is a main part of a story, I’m not reading, no matter who the author is or how talented they might be.  Most of the stories within this collection were good enough, a few were fantastic.  Would I recommend it?  Primarily for horror fans.  The literature side was more prevalent at the beginning compared to later in the story.  A good read overall.  3 out of 5.

“The Fairest of Them All” by Sean Taylor.  The dwarves worry about the human girl that they’ve taken into their lives and home.  Leader, believed to be the oldest, knows that sooner or later the Wicked Queen will find Snow.  Then there will be choices to be made.  When an enchanted mirror is discovered deep in the mine, with a girl trapped inside, they take it to Snow.  Wow, this really twists the two stories (“Snow White & the Seven Dwarves” and “Alice in Wonderland”) off-kilter, yet there is also a certain logic to this mashup.  As they say, “Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely”.  4 out of 5

“Anne-Droid of Green Gables” by Lezli Robyn.  Matthew Cuthbert needed help on the farm so, using his savings, he purchased a refurbished prototype android that was never put into mass production.  Only he didn’t get the expected androgynous adult droid.  Instead he receives a female child overflowing with curiosity about the world and longing for both a bosom friend and a forever home.  Let’s start with that illustration, an adorable mix of android and big-eyed rag doll.  It makes you want to hug her and keep her safe.  As to the story, there are a few changes, other than the obvious.  For instance, Matthew and Marilla are a married couple rather than siblings.  I absolutely enjoyed this sweet story!  4.5 out of 5

“Little Women in Black” by Louisa May Alcott & Rick Hautala.  The March girls are knitting socks for the Union soldiers while lamenting being poor.  Their father is serving as a chaplain in Mr. Lincoln’s Army.  Beth appears to be a ghost, unable to interact with her family despite her best efforts, yet still present.  Jo is still tomboyish, although there are hints that she might actually be trans, or would’ve been in modern times.  She makes it clear that she would much prefer to be male and fights the attempts to make her into a proper woman.  Jo still meets Laurie, but here we’re given strong hints that he is from another planet.  I was fascinated by this story, but I felt it deserved expansion.  4 out of 5

“Death Stopped for Miss Dickinson” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.  Poet Emily Dickinson, very much an introvert, meets a mysterious man in the graveyard outside her window.  She becomes terrified that he could become immortal if her sister doesn’t destroy all her work after dying.  The tale is jumpy, told from different viewpoints, but never settling long enough to connect.  Perhaps a more fluid method of storytelling would’ve increased my enjoyment as there were some jewels of pure beauty in the story, but the nonlinear method just constantly jolted my enjoyment.  And, by the way, was Thomas Higgonson really needed?  I think not.  My first disappointing story.  3 out of 5.

“Twilight of the Gods” by Chris Ryall.  Loki is exiled to Jotunheim, his presence unwanted by the people of Asgard.  Fine with him as Asgard was no longer working for him.  He’s dropped into a new environment that helps Loki find himself.  That’s pretty much as far as I got.  I could blame Marvel and Tom Hiddleston giving us such a marvelous and witty version of Loki or perhaps the fact that this is a mashup with 90210, a series that I abhorred (along with all the other CW/UPN series in this vapid style), but the reality is that Ryall’s writing voice alternately bored and annoyed me.  DNF

“Pokky Man” by Marc Laidlaw.  When Hemlock Pyne was found “asleep” at a Pokkypet Reserve, his films were turned over to filmmaker Vernor Hertzwig.  Hertzwig interviews Pyne’s friends and acquaintances as well.  Huh, a skewed look at Pokeman and Werner Hertzog in this deep dive of what happened to Pyne.  Or perhaps it should be why it happened is more accurate.  After the disappointments of the last two stories, I was happy to find myself engrossed once again.  Strange and intriguing.  3.5 out of 5  

“Vicious” by Mark Morris.  Sid Vicious is sick, turning on his friends and bandmates, dealing with what is probably crabs, and not giving a shit about pretty much anything when a beautiful black woman appears in the broom closet where Sid had fucked the American fangirl.  He’s at a crossroads and must make a decision that will direct his life.  This one was hard to rate, but the writing is hardcore and, based on what I remember of Vicious, dead on characterwise.  3.5 out of 5

“From Hell’s Heart” by Nancy Collins.  Three men, all new to the trapping trade, decide to pool their resources and partner up.  It is successful until the night they trap a strange creature who manages to bite one of them in the hand.  As the hand becomes horribly infected, the unnamed narrator goes to the trading post for laudanum, meeting a man named Ahab, a former sea captain, who asks to accompany him back to the cabin where his two partners await.  Once there, they discover one man dead and the other no longer recognizable as human.  Ahab relates an extraordinary tale before following the creature into the night.  I delayed reading this for a bit as I was not a fan of either Moby Dick nor Coleridge’s Ancient Mariner, the inspirations for this story.  Yet I found it surprisingly intriguing, although with a most disturbing ending.  3 out of 5.

“Frankenbilly” by John Shirley.  While working as a soundman on the set of “Billy the Kid Versus Dracula”, our unnamed narrator meets a mysterious cowboy who claims to be the real Billy the Kid, although he prefers to be called Henry now.  He relates a strange tale of how he met the doctor who inspired Mary Shelley’s Dr. Frankenstein before changing his mind about letting that story out.  The mixture of fact (the film, the location, the actors involved, some of the history of Billy and Pat) and fiction makes for an interesting horror tale.  3.5 out of 5.

“The Green Menace” by Thomas Tessier.  Fleeing Washington after his Senate censure, Senator Joe McCarthy checks into a fishing lodge in the middle of Wisconsin to reconsider his future plans, brood, and do some heavy drinking.  Instead he finds himself at war with frogs unlike any he has seen before.  I’m honestly not certain why this story appealed to me considering my absolute abhorrence of McCarthy, but it did pull me into its universe.  I was pleased to see that the narrator, young Kurt, comes to see McCarthy for what he really was as he grew up and did some research.  3.5 out of 5.

“Quoth the Rock Star” by Rio Youers.  When a raven appears at a Doors concert, Jim Morrison is drawn to follow the creature despite believing that it might be a hallucination due to LSD.  Walking through the streets of Baltimore, Jim comes to believe that it might be the soul of a broken person.  He didn’t expect to meet the long dead Edgar Allan Poe.  There begins a partial meeting of two men with much in common, merging into a fight for control, for life, for another chance to create.  Two troubled geniuses, both burning themself out through depression, in desperate search for love and a different life.  Youers’ voice is so compelling.  Knowledge of both men’s lives and works will definitely add to a reader’s enjoyment.  4 out of 5.

“The Happiest Hell on Earth” by John Skipp & Cody Goodfellow.  After 37 years in solitary confinement, the elephant man breaks loose, committing suicide, and leaving behind a manuscript that describes how the Animal Wars came to be.  I was nervous enough to read this story based on the art that preceded it, but once I started reading, I knew it was more than I could stomach.  The animal and animal/hybrid abuse is throughout the entire story, the callousness too much for me.  Before I quit, I saw references to Dr. Moreau, another story I find difficult to read, and some barely disguised swipes at Disney.  DNF

“Dread Island” by Joe R. Lansdale.  Huck Finn and Jim are convinced by Becky Thatcher to go after Tom Sawyer and Joe Hardy when they decide to go to Dread Island.  The island, set in the middle of the Mississippi River, can only be seen on the first night of a full moon.  Its reputation is that of deadly danger, but Huck cannot abandon his friend and disappoint Becky.  Jim reluctantly goes with him.  I’ve never read anything from Lansdale before although I’m aware that he has a strong fan base in SFF.  If his books are as imaginative and engrossing as this story, I can understand why.  First I love that the relationship between Jim and Huck is very father and son as well as friends.  Plus Jim is so much more knowledgeable about things and Huck is willing to listen, even if he still insists on going after Tom.  Lansdale has mixed Twain’s Huck with Uncle Remus’ Brer animals and Cthulhu into a horrifying adventure.  There are even a few recognizable guest appearances from both literature and history, giving a hint as to how this island operates.  Brilliant!  4 out of 5.

[carriagelamp]

CarriageLamps Favourite Books From 2021

This is an incredibly late end-of-the-year book round up, but December ended up being Way Too Busy for me to get it finished and posted. And I figured I should probably get it done before, like... I started on my January book list, rip

This feels like an odd list, but lbr it was an odd year and my reading habits apparently reflected on it quite a bit. These books helped make it a little bit easier to get through.

I wrote more detailed descriptions about all of these through out the year, depending on which month I read them in, but here’s also some quick blurbs:

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

I read the whole Murderbot series this year and loved with with my entire heart and soul. A scifi story about a SecUnit who hacks its own governor module not so it can go on a murderous rampage and destroy humanity, but so it can do its job in the most mediocre way possible, watch space soap operas, and try to ignore the intense inbuilt anxiety.

Bear by Marian Engel

Horny Canadian literature that does, indeed, involve fucking a bear because when Marian Engel is given a challenge she doesn’t fucking pussy out. I started it as a joke, but hey guys? It actually won the Governor General’s Award for a reason. It’s actually a really solid piece of literature that gives you a lot of things to think about, I genuinely enjoyed it.

FRNCK by Olivier Bocquet and Brice Cossu

A phenomenal bande desinée series about an teenage boy who runs away from the orphanage he lives at, and ends up getting swept off to the prehistoric era where he has to contend with cavemen, hostile floral and fauna, cannibals, and a tragic lack of vowels. Beautifully drawn, hilariously funny, and frankly a crime that you can’t buy them in English. Book 4 was an amazing climax to the current arc and I’m happily reading the second arc now.

From the Holocaust to Hogan’s Heroes, the Autobiography of Robert Clary

I got deeply back into the show Hogan’s Heroes to help cope with pandemic stress and decided to buy a copy of Robert Clary’s autobiography that recounts his childhood, to his time in concentration camps during the Holocaust, to his career as an actor afterwards. Fantastic read, and I would totally recommend it to anyone who’s a fan of either Robert Clary specifically or WWII history in general.

The Game by Linsey Miller

I will devotedly read Linsey Miller’s books, even if I am very slow at getting to them and have been struggling to read over this pandemic. This novella was a change from her previous stories, and a fun one. Instead of fantasy and magic, The Game is about an annual grad game that the local grade twelve students participate in. It starts out as normal, before taking a shocking and deadly turn. Now the main character seems to be mysteriously wrapped up in it all and there’s no answers to what’s happening in sight.

MASH by Richard Hooker

Along with Hogan’s Heroes I got back into MASH as well, and decided I should read the novel for the first time. Can’t say the same for the sequel, but this book at least was hilariously funny and I can see how it spawned such a good show, even if they’re quite different in characters and tone. For those unfamiliar, MASH is about a doctor named Hawkeye Pierce who was conscripted against his will into a M*A*S*H unit during the Korean war, and all the crazy things he and his fellow conscripts do to stay sane amid the horror of war. It’s crude, but ultimately too fun not to enjoy.

Minecraft: The Island by Max Brooks

I started this as a joke but somehow it was actually really good. And I say this as someone with an almost negative interest in Minecraft. It’s about a character who wakes up on a deserted island, with no memory of who they are or how they got there, and has to learn from the ground up what to do to survive. And since it’s written by Max Brooks, an author who writes legit zombie survival novels, it takes the entire premise way more seriously than most would. Imagine how horrific it would be to wake up with no idea how your new body works, what the physics or limitations of this world are, or what these things trying to kill you are. It’s basically a Minecraft isekai but taken serious. Shockingly good, would recommend honestly.

Sweep: The Story of a Girl and her Monster by Jonathan Auxier

A magical realism book set in Victorian England, about a chimney sweeper who is just trying to survive until she finds herself caught in a chimney fire… and is saved by the strangest of creatures.

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

The author really describes it best:

“Because vampires are the original serial killers, stripped of everything that makes us human — they have no friends, no family, no roots, no children. All they have is hunger. They eat and eat but they’re never full. With this book, I wanted to pit a man freed from all responsibilities but his appetites against women whose lives are shaped by their endless responsibilities. I wanted to pit Dracula against my mom. “As you’ll see, it’s not a fair fight.” 

A very interesting novel, with lots of delicious tension.

Hunger Pangs: True Love Bites by Joy Demorra

A book that has a little bit of everything. A disabled werewolf, a very political vampire with serious anxiety, and a mysterious woman investigating the death of ancient, magical trees. I’m not sure I can describe it in a way that does it justice -- it’s fast-paced, full of sincerity and heart, and bounces between a hilarious queer romance and a relentless, amusing social satire. One of my absolute favourite novels from this year and I can’t wait for the sequel.

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey

After reading River of Teeth I desperately wanted more Weird Western Vibes, and to my delight discovered that Sarah Gailey herself has written more Weird Western Novels. This novella is about a dystopian regressive future with a wild west flavour. It follows one young woman who, horrified by her “morally wrong” and illegal love for women, decides to run away and join the travelling librarians, a group of people who are supposed to be some of the most morally upright women you can find. Who else could help her but them? It involves a lot of queer characters, gun slinging, and humour.

wishtree by Katherine Applegate

The story of a much beloved neighbourhood tree who is the home to all sorts of animals. He loves all his animal friends and watches over the neighbourhood — until one day a slur is graffitied over him and now there’s talk of simply cutting him down… it’s an incredibly touching that looks at how one life can touch so many others, and what it means to be a community.

[gaylortruther]

-ˏˋ writeblr intro ˎˊ-

hi! i’ve had this blog for over a year lol but i need a post to pin. so here we are! i’m xander and i write, to put it simply.

♡ fun facts ♡

- my old url was halohidings

- nineteen, trans man (he him his), very queer and very passionate

- i’m chronically disabled and very open about my experience with my chronic illness. always would love more spoonie friends🥄

- i track the tag #userxan and you are always welcome to tag me in any of your original posts!

- my literature sideblog is @blueperseus

♡ wips♡

here i bleed honey-  poetry and prose for souls adrift. #xanderrabbit

where the cellar meets the sky- a NA dystopian series with themes of found family, betrayal, redemption, and freedom over force. featuring an all queer cast, predominantly people of color. #wtcmts

illunius- a NA high fantasy standalone with themes of betrayal, corruption, redemption and what it means to be human. featuring an angel/demon MLM romance, a polyam wlw romance and a dark academia MLM romance. #illunius

webs and white roses- a NA supernatural/horror historical fantasy retelling of alice in wonderland, inspired by the winchester mystery house. themes of sanity vs insanity, chaos and order, loss of identity, and death and life. this is my least queer story unfortunately lmao. #webs

to wither is to bloom- a WTCMTS prequel. NA low fantasy/magical realism. featuring themes of self discovery, romanticism, loss and letting go. featuring a lesbian protag. #twtb

gravewalkers- a NA supernatural/horror standalone. MC is a trans boy who sees ghosts and runs away to an island with a girl he has met once. themes of ???? i just started this one. #gravewalkers

boundless as the sea- a NA high fantasy duology retelling of the hans christian anderson little mermaid mashed up with romeo and juliet. MCs are a trans man and a bi man. #boundless

remains of the day (working title)- a NA corpse bride inspired supernatural/horror standalone. wlw MCs with a mlm side romance. #rtd

feel free to like or reblog if you are a writeblr, i’m always looking for new mutuals and my dms are always open♡

~xander ツ

[spaceradars]

tag game: get to know my interests

i was tagged by @meloncrimes (thank youuuuu <3)

tagging: i'm sorry i never know who to tag in these! so if you wish to do it, you say i tagged you and that's it <3

MUSIC

fav genre?: idk really. i mostly enjoy any kind of rock, especially dad rock (lol) and alternative stuff, but i'd listen to (almost) anything, really.

fav band?: muse is the one i always name, but really there's a few more (bruce springsteen and the e street band, mcr, bon jovi, pearl jam, florence + the machine, the doors...)

fav solo artist?: billy joel, amy winehouse

last song you listened to?: cosmic love, by florence + the machine

fav decade for music?: either the 70s or the 90s (bc of gruge only)

top 3 most listened songs recently? anything by florence + the machine to be honest (i hadn't listened to them in a while and now im back on track lmao)

albums or playlists | bands or solo artists | slow or fast songs | lyrics or melody | rock or pop

LITERATURE

fav genre?: fantasy

fav book?: right now, i don't know. it used to be either the song of achilles but also the perks of being a wallflower when i was a teenager, but now i really don't knw. it's been a while since i read anything that wasn't university-related lmao

fav writer?: i don't know, really (im the worst writer ever i don’t read !!!! im sorry!!!!)

comfort book?: the outsiders, since i was 12

fav biography?: i've never read a biography, like ever. i do wanna read springsteen's one, tho

hardcover or paperback | standalone novels or book series | reading at home or in nature | listening to music while reading or reading in silence | realism or fantasy

TV AND MOVIES

fav tv show/movie genre?: my ultimate fav genre is the one that mixtures drama and comedy. i looooove dramas a lot and im very selective with comedy, but if you get the perfect mixture of them both im gonna love it, always. i also love fantasy stuff like the princess bride or lotr (and i used to love got but.... it wishes it was still good after s4)

fav movie?: dead poets society, the princess bride, paper moon, butch cassidy and the sundance kid, little women, a woman under the influence, mikey and nicky..... i could go on

comfort movie?: little miss sunshine, treasure planet

favorite decade for movies?: 70s

fav tv show?: black sails, always <3 (but we could also add mash, parks and rec, fleabag, due south, trust...)

comfort tv show?: due south <3

5 favorite characters?: note how they will change next month, but right now they're: jo march (little women), anne bonny (black sails), theon greyjoy (got), ray kowalski (due south), james flint (black sails (literally my fave character in the history of tv so this one won't change))

tv shows or movies | one episode a week or binging | one part or saga | horror movie or musical movie

[theparanormalperiodical]

The Real Story Behind Suspiria (2018) And The 5 Other Paranormal Places You Need To Know About

It’s the classic Hollywood story:

Girl moves to a different country to pursue her dreams of stardom.

Girl auditions for dance academy.

Girl is selected as the new host for the head witch of a coven.

Oh and there’s some Nazis in there as well!

Okay, so maybe it doesn’t fit in the Netflix Rom-Com section…

But regardless - it is all based on a series of true stories. 

It was only last year that a remake of the 1977 art classic - Suspiria (2018) - hit Amazon Prime and a handful of theatres. And joined at its hip was a flurry of top-rated reviews that swooned over its artistic rehashing of the horror genre.

Well, I say top-rated...

For a horror movie it faced a standing ovation, but it was still on the receiving end of many a ‘meh’. 

Nevertheless, fit with an intricate plot and fleshed out with garish gore, this is undoubtedly one of the best horror films of this decade. 

(It it here that I realise that we are about to enter a new decade and I feel like lying face down on the floor and having an existential crisis.)

And it turns out that it’s twisted plot is actually set against a very real backdrop.

Yet despite the intricate set of stories providing the foundation to this tale, Suspiria rarely wears the ‘based on a true story’ label.

Sure, one of the writer’s own stories is often discussed when it comes to this film, but the reality actually goes much deeper and much further than this.

For the last week I’ve been attempting to keep us with the winding story, but it is little discussed, well, anywhere. 

Nevertheless, I’ve brought together everything I could uncover, and present to you this complete guide to the real story behind Suspiria!

Today’s post will cover the essay that served as the main inspiration, the tale it is directly based on, and the paranormal phenomena of magic triangles that support it, too.

Let’s get spooky.

First, Let’s Recap The Plot Of Suspiria

It’s the 1970s. We are in Germany, near the tripoint-border of Switzerland and France.

The main chick from 50 Shades of Grey rocks up to, like, the hottest dance academy to try her hand at being America’s next drag superstar the next big thing. 

Problem is, the academy is run by 3 matrons who worship the Three Mothers - a group of witches determined to bring tears, sighs and darkness to the world!

(mwahahaha)

When someone does call them out for being witches, they get tortured and killed.

Oh, and it all happens through the medium of dance!

No, seriously. 

All the big moments of the plot coincide with dance numbers.

It’s like the prom scene in films about high schools, or maybe the big game!

Anyway - this new kid gets voted as the host for the freshly elected head witch of the coven. And accurately, the other witch who wanted to be elected isn’t happy.

When one of the dancers gets kidnapped, a fellow student investigates, and finds clues in her journal which leads her to the witches’ inner sanctum.

This is where the witchy stuff goes down.

They #roadtrip it to the inner sanctum, and find the kidnapped student who is being used in a ritual.

And this all happens at the same time as the prom big dance! 

The ritual ends up being done incorrectly, and the new kid is possessed by the Jeremy Hunt of the witches.

The possessed new kid then avenges anyone who didn't vote for them. 

This witchy-posessy-death-fest ensues and features as a part of the big dance. 

Witchy control of the dance academy ensues. 

TL;DR - just watch an episode of Dance Moms.

Suspiria Is Originally Based Off The Essay Suspiria De Profundis

The film might be traced back to many paranormal phenomena, but the basis for the film starts here in 1845.

Thomas De Quincey, the author behind Suspiria De Profundis, wrote a collection of short essays which centre on psychological fantasy. 

It is even believed that he wrote these essays based on his own visual experience of Opium; this clearly births the artsy-fartsy nature of the film.

However, it was a screenwriter’s use of these essays to create the original 1970s Suspiria which tied all the strings this post will talk about together.

The inspiration from the essay centres on the three witches known as The Three Mothers. 

And even though this seems a small literature-based link to the film, Argento expands the focus on the Three Mothers to other paranormal phenomena that mirror this.

And this paranormal phenomena includes The Magical Triangle - a region in Europe where occult communities come together and paranormal events are amplified.

However, it turns out that there is not just one magic triangle.

There are five. 

But before we take a roadtrip round all these triangles, we have to discuss the story that directly influenced the film.

Nicologidi’s True Story That Inspired Suspiria

So, we know that Argento’s knowledge of paranormal phenomena directly influenced the film...

But it’s the other screenwriter - Nicolodi - which has a story which directly mirrors the events of the film.

Well, to an extent, that is. 

Nicolodi’s Grandmother went to a Piano school in the area Argento is so obsessed with, and the Grandmother claimed that at this school they practiced black magic.

Clearly this is a simple tale not dissimilar to the other films toting ‘based on a true story’.

However, it’s how Argento expanded this to include other paranormal phenomenon that rightly bestows upon it this classic - and often misused - tagline. 

Argento’s Magical Triangle

“There’s very little to joke about. It’s something that exists…”

Argento clearly based Suspiria on real paranormal phenomenon. 

And it starts here, with The Magical Triangle

It is claimed that the area where France, Germany and Switzerland meet has a history closely linked to the occult.

Whether it’s cursed cathedrals or the collection of occult communities, this triangle was one of the core pieces of inspiration for the flick.

And one of the factors contributing to the occult-focus of this triangle is the teachings of Rudolph Steiner.

(note - this is not steiner in this gif)

Steiner - a social reformer and occultist - created a anthrosophic community in this area. This includes the Waldorf School which was rumoured to have practiced both paganism and satanism, mirroring Nicolodi’s story and the film itself.

Unfortunately, I can find very little information on this triangle itself.

But the other magic triangles I have discovered have received their own fair share of attention.

The 4 Other Magical Triangles You Need To Know About

There are 2 other magic triangles in Europe, alone.

And both actually come together and meet in Turin - a city which is considered a hub of supernatural activity.

The first triangle of these triangles is the Black Magic Triangle:

This includes San Francisco, London, and Turin, and its history dates back to the Roman Era.

Said magic is believed to come from the energetic currents that flow through the cities, with Turin staking its claim as the most magical - and this is because Turin is supposedly suspended between good and evil.

The white magic triangle involves Turin, Lyon and Prague - and all I can find on it is this:

It is claimed that ‘those who know’ go to this area to pay homage to the ‘grand old man’ - make of that what you will..

This magical and mysterious area is further inferred by Turin’s position on the 45th parallel.

“Turin is the place where my nightmares are best.” - Argento.

Yes - that quote is from Argento, confirming the influence of multiple magical triangles in the creation of Suspiria!

And why wouldn’t his nightmares be best here?

This Italian city has witnessed its own history of paranormal events and phenomena, and is even believed to house the hidden gate to hell.

Take the Piazzo Statuto:

Not only has it seen a bloody battle back in the 18th century, it’s angel statue represents the dichotomy between the good and evil Turin allegedly contains.

The angel can also look like the devil, and even bears the mark of a 5 pointed star.

Turin also is claimed to have once housed alchemical labs underground with rumours of metal being converted to gold, a myth relating to the legend of the Philosopher’s stone which has its own paranormal associations.

Ghosts have also been said to roam the streets, such as that of Christine Marie who pushed past lovers into the river to drown.

#brutal

The final paranormal phenomena of Turin I want to discuss is that of Palazzo Trucchi di Levaldigi.

Fit with a hell-inspired door-knocker, this is yet another reminder on the mish mash of magic triangles spread across the world.

Indeed this building is the city’s tarot manufacturer. And the building number? It’s 15.

The tarot card with the no. 15 is the card of the Devil.

The 40,000 satanists rumoured to be lurking the streets of Turin and performing rituals in basements confirms its mysterious existence further.

Our next magical triangle is probably the most famous mystery in existence:

The Bermuda Triangle.

This triangle deserves it’s own post given the sheer volume of evidence, debunking and discussion given to its name. Nevertheless, it further reinforces the reality behind Suspiria.

Also known as the Devil’s Triangle, this is an area from which travellers who sail or fly through often go missing.

The recorded occurrences began in 1950 with the loss of Flight 19.

Whether it’s the claims of UFOs, or the lost city of Atlantis’ technology, this triangle be a spooky one. 

Our final triangle is a little less international, and resides in the state of Massachusetts in the US of A:

It’s the Bridgewater Triangle.

Named by paranormal investigator Loren Coleman, this 200 square mile triangle has been a home to many a creature in its time.

From a huge black dog back in 1976, to tall, winged creatures, and even Bigfoot, this is a hub for paranormal sightings.

Weirder occurrences such as mutilated cattle have also been discovered, confirming that Suspiria’s story goes much deeper - and further - than we would like…

The True Story Behind The Three Witches

The last piece of paranormal phenomena we have to discuss is that of the Three Witches. And no, Suspiria isn’t the first piece of pop culture to make note of witches coming in threes.

Sure, Shakespeare beat Thomas to the chase with the Weird Sisters in Macbeth, but three is actually a very spiritual number. 

Clearly the most obvious claim to this is the Holy Trinity: God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost. 

But mirroring this is the stages of the moon; the concept of Mind, Body and Spirit; and Mother, Maiden, and Crone.

The last trinity points to pagan beliefs regarding the seasons, but also relies closely on their perspective of witches, particularly in British folk religions. Witches were often believed to come in threes, and contained a mother, a maiden, and a crone.

And thus, as triangles have 3 corners and 3 sides, we see how a link is forged between the 3 witches in Suspiria, and the magical triangles already explained in this post.

This is especially true given the importance of a triangle as a symbol in paganism.

Whether its derived from paranormal theory, or sought from the tales of terror lurking around the world, Suspiria isn’t just based on 19th century literature. 

Indeed, it has pointed us to a paranormal phenomenon - that of magic triangles - little discussed among us mere mortals.

So - what’s your verdict?

Do you think Turin is haunted by the clash between good and evil?

And who else wants to roadtrip round the triangles with me?

[thefatalmarksman]

𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙴𝚁𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆.

( repost, don’t reblog )

BASICS

NAME:  Xigbar---used to be Braig, used to be Luxu, plus a bunch of other names in the past. NICKNAME:  The Freeshooter, terrible awful feral man, cowboy, etc. AGE:  Uuuuuh.......... he’s up there. :| SPECIES:  Canonically a Nobody, varies in other verses / AUs.

PERSONAL

MORALITY:  LAWFUL / NEUTRAL / CHAOTIC / GOOD / GREY / EVIL RELIGION:  N/A SINS:  greed  /  gluttony  /  sloth  /  lust  /  pride  /  envy  /   wrath VIRTUES:  chastity  /  charity  /  diligence  /  humility  /  kindness  / patience  /  justice PRIMARY GOALS IN LIFE:  Carrying out the will of the Master of Masters, though he’s secretly out to obtain his freedom from Fate’s grasp... somehow. KNOWN  LANGUAGES:  Whatever is common in the KH universe, and in other verses / AUs, a bunch of different languages that I’m too lazy to list.

PHYSICAL

BUILD:  scrawny  / bony  /  slender  /  fit  /  athletic  /  curvy  /  herculean  /  pudgy  /  average. HEIGHT:  6′0″ WEIGHT:  170-ish lbs. SCARS  /  BIRTHMARKS:  The scar on his face, most obviously, and one on his chest from the wound he suffered from losing his heart. There are also a bunch of other scars of various depths and sizes he’s incurred from various sources and battles.  ABILITIES  /  POWERS:  Incredible aim and skills with firearms, as well as a control over gravity and space. This allows him instantly transport himself to any point within his field of vision, float in midair, and to navigate as though air was a solid surface he can walk on at any angle. In addition, he’s incredibly intelligent, quite linguistically advanced (though the way he sprinkles so much slang in his speech, one might be deceived otherwise), and is a genius at mathematics. RESTRICTIONS:  His own emotional bullshit. Like, really, sometimes he gets so in his brain it’s detrimental to his functioning. :| Also being forced to jump vessel to vessel for countless lifetimes in order to comply with your ancient master’s orders also restricts some of the cool shit you could be doing. :/

FAVORITES

FOOD:  Bitter and spicy foods, mainly, but honestly??? He’s a complete garbage disposal and will eat anything. DRINK:  Booze. Just... booze. PIZZA  TOPPING:  Everything. ..........Even pineapple. COLOR:  Dark violet-blue / Black / Silver MUSIC  GENRE:  Old-fashioned swing, blues and jazz, dubstep, outlaw country, and mash-ups of everything previously mentioned. BOOK GENRE:  He will read almost anything, but he loves sci-fi / fantasy, horror, and historical literature. MOVIE  GENRE:  B movies... terrible, horrible B movies. SEASON:  Winter. CURSE  WORD:   All of them. :| ...Okay, but seriously, in his default KH setting he really doesn’t curse at all, but in other big boy verses / AUs, he enjoys being creative. SCENTS:  Fresh rosemary and herbal scents, leather, iron... occasionally blood. :)

FUN STUFF

BOTTOM  OR  TOP:  Top-leaning, but he has no problems bottoming for those who have earned it. B) SINGS  IN  THE  SHOWER:  He actually prefers humming to himself, and he actually has an amazing voice. But, in a shocking turn of events, he doesn’t share that fact with a lot of folks.

STOLEN FROM:  @nixniivalis​ <3 TAGGING: @hollowedtune / @vilifyme (troy boi) , @abelunwilling (seph) , @lichteeth (wufus) , @blackasteriia​ ,  @criimsoncloud​ , @calamitysshatteredson​ , @soldierunderfire , @starcrcwns​ (aurelia) , @synthiser-crypton , @turk-ishdelight​ , and whomstever else would like to do it and pls tag me :)

[lostitjohannahairas]

Frankenstein Adaptions

1823: Richard Brinsley Peake's adaptation, Presumption; or, the Fate of Frankenstein, was seen by Mary Shelley and her father William Godwin at the English Opera House.

1826: Henry M. Milner's adaptation, The Man and The Monster; or The Fate of Frankenstein opened on 3 July at the Royal Coburg Theatre, London.

1887: Frankenstein, or The Vampire's Victim was a musical burlesque written by Richard Henry (a pseudonym of Richard Butler and Henry Chance Newton).

1910: Edison Studios produced the first Frankenstein film, directed by J. Searle Dawley.

1915: Life Without Soul, the second film adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel, was released. No known print of the film has survived.

1920: The Monster of Frankenstein, directed by Eugenio Testa, starring Luciano Albertini and Umberto Guarracino.

1931: Universal Studios' Frankenstein, directed by James Whale, starring Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles, Edward Van Sloan, Dwight Frye, and Boris Karloff as the monster.

1935: James Whale directed the sequel to the 1931 film, Bride of Frankenstein, starring Colin Clive as Frankenstein, and Boris Karloff as the monster once more. This incorporated the novel's plot motif of Frankenstein creating a bride for the monster omitted from Whale's earlier film. There were two more sequels, prior to the Universal "monster rally" films combining multiple monsters from various movie series or film franchises.

1939: Son of Frankenstein was another Universal monster movie with Boris Karloff as the Creature. Also in the film were Basil Rathbone as the title character and Bela Lugosi as the sinister assistant Ygor. Karloff ended playing the Frankenstein monster with this film.

1942: The Ghost of Frankenstein featured brain transplanting and a new monster, played by Lon Chaney Jr. The film also starred Evelyn Ankers and Bela Lugosi.

1942–1948: Universal did "monster rally" films featuring Frankenstein's Monster, Dracula and the Wolf Man. Included would be Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. The last three films introduced Glenn Strange as Frankenstein's monster.

1957–1974: Hammer Films in England did a string of Frankenstein films starring Peter Cushing, including The Curse of Frankenstein, The Revenge of Frankenstein and Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed. Co-starring in these films were Christopher Lee, Hazel Court, Veronica Carlson and Simon Ward. Another Hammer film, The Horror of Frankenstein, starred Ralph Bates as the main character, Victor Frankenstein.

1965: Toho Studios created the film Frankenstein Conquers the World or Frankenstein vs. Baragon, followed by The War of the Gargantuas.

1972: A comedic stage adaptation, Frankenstein's Monster, was written by Sally Netzel and produced by the Dallas Theater Center.

1973: The TV film Frankenstein: The True Story appeared on NBC. The movie starred Leonard Whiting, Michael Sarrazin, James Mason, and Jane Seymour.

1981: A Broadway adaptation by Victor Gialanella played for one performance (after 29 previews) and was considered the most expensive flop ever produced to that date.

1984: The flop Broadway production yielded a TV film starring Robert Powell, Carrie Fisher, David Warner, and John Gielgud.

1992: Frankenstein became a Turner Network Television film directed by David Wickes, starring Patrick Bergin and Randy Quaid. John Mills played the blind man.

1994: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein appeared in theatres, directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh, with Robert De Niro and Helena Bonham Carter. Its all-star cast also included John Cleese, Ian Holm, and Tom Hulce.

2004: Frankenstein, a two-episode mini-series starring Alec Newman, with Luke Goss and Donald Sutherland.

2006: Frankenstein, A New Musical, composed by Mark Baron, book by Jeffrey Jackson, and based on an adaptation by Gary P. Cohen.

2007: Frankenstein, an award-winning musical adaptation by Jonathan Christenson with set, lighting, and costume design by Bretta Gerecke for Catalyst Theatre in Edmonton, Alberta.

2011: In March, BBC3 broadcast Colin Teague's live production from Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds, billed as Frankenstein's Wedding, Live in Leeds. About the same time, the National Theatre, London presented a stage version of Frankenstein, which ran until 2 May 2011. The play was written by Nick Dear and directed by Danny Boyle. Jonny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch alternated the roles of Frankenstein and the Creature. The National Theatre broadcast live performances of the play worldwide on 17 March.

2012: An interactive ebook app created by Inkle and Profile Books that retells the story with added interactive elements.

2014: Penny Dreadful is a horror TV series that airs on Showtime, that features Victor Frankenstein as well as his creature.

2015: Frankenstein, a modern-day adaptation written and directed by Bernard Rose.

2015: Victor Frankenstein is an American film directed by Paul McGuigan.

2016: Frankenstein, a full length ballet production by Liam Scarlett. Some performances were also live simulcasts worldwide.

Loose adaptations: 

1967: I'm Sorry the Bridge Is Out, You'll Have to Spend the Night and its sequel, Frankenstein Unbound (Another Monster Musical), are a pair of musical comedies written by Bobby Pickett and Sheldon Allman. The casts of both feature several classic horror characters including Dr. Frankenstein and his monster.

1971: Lady Frankenstein is an Italian horror film directed by Mel Welles and written by Edward di Lorenzo. The strory begins when Dr. Frankenstein is killed by the monster he created, his daughter and his lab assistant Marshall continue with his experiments.

1973: The Rocky Horror Show, is a British horror comedy stage musical written by Richard O'Brian in which Dr. Frank N. Furter has created a creature (Rocky), to satisfy his (pro)creative drives. Elements are similar to I'm Sorry the Bridge Is Out, You'll Have to Spend the Night.

1973: Andy Warhol's Frankenstein. Usually, Frankenstein is a man whose dedication to science takes him too far, but here his interest is to rule the world by creating a new species that will obey him and do his bidding.

1974: Young Frankenstein. Directed by Mel Brooks, this sequel-spoof has been listed as one of the best movie comedies of any comedy genre ever made, even prompting an American film preservation program to include it on its listings. It reuses many props from James Whale's 1931 Frankenstein and is shot in black-and-white with 1930s-style credits. Gene Wilder portrayed the descendant of Dr. Frankenstein (who insists on pronouncing it "Fronkonsteen"), with Peter Boyle as the Monster.

1975: The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the 1975 film adaptation of the British rock musical stageplay, The Rocky Horror Show (1973), written by Richard O'Brien.

1984: Frankenweenie is a parody short film directed by Tim Burton, starring Barrett Oliver, Shelley Duvall and Daniel Stern.

1985: The Bride starring Sting as Baron Charles Frankenstein and Jennifer Beals as Eva, a woman he creates in the same fashion as his infamous monster.

1986: Gothic, directed by Ken Russell, is the story of the night that Mary Shelley gave birth to Frankenstein. Starring Gabriel Byrne, Julian Sands, Natasha Richardson.

1988: Frankenstein (フランケンシュタイン) is a manga adaptation of Shelley's novel by Junji Ito.

1989: Frankenstein the Panto. A pantomime script by David Swan, combining elements of Frankenstein, Dracula, and traditional British panto.

1990: Frankenstein Unbound.Combines a time-travel story with the story of Shelley's novel. Scientist Joe Buchanan accidentally creates a time-rift which takes him back to the events of the novel. Filmed as a low-budget independent film by Roger Corman in 1990, based on a novel published in 1973 by Brian Aldiss. This novel bears no relation to the 1967 stage musical with the same name listed above.

1991: Khatra (film) is a Hindi movie of Bollywood made by director H. N. Singh loosely based on the story, Frankenstein.

1995: Monster Mash is a film adaptation of I'm Sorry the Bridge Is Out, You'll Have to Spend the Night starring Bobby Pickett as Dr. Frankenstein. The film also features Candace Cameron Bure, Anthony Crivello and Mink Stole.

1998: Billy Frankenstein is a very loose adaptation about a boy who moves into a mansion with his family and brings the Frankenstein monster to life. The film was directed by Fred Olen Ray.

2004: Frankensteinmade-for-TV film based on Dean Koontz's Frankenstein.

2005: Frankenstein vs. the Creature from Blood Cove, a 90-minute feature film homage of classic monsters and Atomic Age creature features, shot in black and white, and directed by William Winckler. The Frankenstein Monster design and make-up was based on the character descriptions in Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's novel.

2009: The Diary of Anne Frankenstein, a short film from Chillerrama.

2011: Frankenstein: Day of the Beast is an independent horror film based loosely on the original book.

2011: Victor Frankenstein appears in the ABC show Once Upon a Time, a fantasy series on ABC that features multiple characters from fairy tales and classic literature trapped in the real world.

2012: Frankenweenie, Tim Burton's feature film remake of his 1984 short film of the same name.

2012: In the Adventure Time episode "Princess Monster Wife", the Ice King removes body parts from all the princesses that rejected him and creates a jigsaw wife to love him.

2012: A Nightmare on Lime Street, Fred Lawless's comedy play starring David Gest staged at the Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool.

2014: I, Frankenstein is a 2014 fantasy action film. The film stars Aaron Eckhart as Adam Frankenstein and Bill Nighy. The film is based on the graphic novel.

2014: Frankenstein, MD, A web show by Pemberly Digital starring Victoria, a female adaptation of Victor.

2015: The Supernatural season 10 episodes Book of the Damned, Dark Dynasty and The Prisonerfeature the Styne Family which member Eldon Styne identifies as the descendants of the house of Frankenstein. According to Eldon, Mary Shelley had learned their secrets while on a visit to Castle Frankenstein and wrote a book based on her experiences, forcing the Frankensteins underground as the Stynes. The Stynes, through bioengineering and surgical enhancements, feature many of the superhuman features of Frankenstein's monster.

2015: The Frankenstein Chronicles is a British television drama series, starring Sean Bean as John Marlott and Anna Maxwell Martin as Mary Shelley.

2016: Second Chance, a TV series known at one point as Frankenstein, was inspired by the classic.

[paulisweeabootrash]

Book Review: Princess Holy Aura

An earlier version of this post was published on Facebook on April 30, 2018.

PAUL IS WEEABOO TRASH; or, Paul Reviews... A Book?!

Q: A book?  So, like, you're reviewing based on the first volume of a manga series or something?

A: No, a novel.

Q: A novel.

A: Yeah.

Q: Why not manga?  You have a problem with it?  Are you being snobby about what kinds of books are better than others?

A: No, not at all.  Manga is just another kind of literature.  I just felt like doing this novel because it's relevant to--

Q: How?  Oh!  Is it a novel that an anime is based on?  One of those outrageously-long light novel serieses?

A: No.

Q: A visual novel?  That seems like something you'd review.

A: No, it's a Western print novel, and there's no anime based on it.  But I swear it's relevant.

Q: Relevant...?  Hm.

A: Because it's--

Q: Is it something mentioned in an anime or something else you'd review?  Oh!  Is it "Hyperion"?

A: No.

Q: ..."Portrait of Markov"?

A: That's not a real book.

Q: Well what then?

A: It's a novel about a magical girl.

Q: Oh.  Huh.  Weird.  Proceed. -----

EPISODE 8: Princess Holy Aura (2017)

Princess Holy Aura by Ryk E. Spoor is a magical girl story for people who are familiar with the genre and find its absurdities at least as endearing as they are frustrating.  It's a sort of affectionate parody.  We follow the normal progression of certain famous magical girl anime — the mascot (a magic rat named Silvertail) giving our heroine her powers, the escalating danger of fights with an otherworldly enemy (an assortment of creatures derived from Japanese and American pop culture and folklore), meeting and bonding with a whole team of magical girls (the Apocalypse Maidens) — with some added twists and an awareness of the rules of the genre that allows the main character to succeed because of his ability to deconstruct what's going on.

The deconstruction is justified--

Q: Wait, did you say "his"?

A: Yes.  I'm getting to that.  And the pronouns are going to get confusing.

See, the reason Holy Aura is genre-savvy is that her secret identity is Stephen Russ, an impoverished thirtysomething otaku and Air Force veteran.  Chosen for his intense willingness to help others and his experience with the stresses of adult life, his knowledge of magical girl shows also turns out to gives him the preparation he needs to understand and anticipate his enemies.  Why?  Because, as I was going to say before, the deconstruction is justified by magic-users' beliefs about magic affecting how magic works — so it's susceptible to the magic-related memes of whatever culture(s) the current crop of Apocalypse Maidens are from.  This means Holy Aura and the other Apocalypse Maidens apply knowledge of various media conventions to figure out, and sometimes anticipate, their enemies.

The other four magical girls, for magical plot contrivance reasons, are actual teenage girls, so Stephen must go undercover as "Holly Owen", Holy Aura's eyeroll-inducing normal human girl form, to find and recruit them.  Stephen/Holly deals with the strangeness of abandoning his old life and adjusting to his role — not just physically, but because of how his status as small, young and female now drastically change how others interact with him.  This leads to one of my favorite things about the story: how it describes Stephen/Holly's adjustment.  Each Apocalypse Maiden is partially herself, but also a cumulative reincarnation of every previous version of the Maiden they are.  So Holly not only has Stephen's memories, but those of every previous person to become Princess Holy Aura, all of whom up to this point have apparently been actual teenage girls.  As Stephen adjusts to the radically different physical form of Holly, and the differences in treatment that come with it, he also finds himself feeling more and more "right", as if Holly is the "original" and Stephen the assumed persona.  This is true not only of acting like a high school girl but also true of her physical body.  Stephen's crisis of identity as he realizes he is becoming Holly to the point that his own male body becomes just plain disorienting to walk around in feels genuine and understandable.

The gradual shift from Stephen to Holly eventually leads to (sigh) an inevitable romantic subplot between Holly and another student, because the genre demands it.  But I actually like how uncomfortable this is for both Stephen and the reader.  At this point in the story, Stephen is in a truly alien and frightening situation.  Since Holly is not just a persona adopted by Stephen but has traces of the personalities and feelings of all people who have ever been Princess Holy Aura in the past, Stephen is more and more a passenger in Holly's body rather than the "driver".  Stephen is becoming subsumed into Holly, a brand new person born out of the combined experiences of many.  So of course Holly has feelings Stephen feels alarmed by and does things Stephen doesn't fully control, and the reader should be creeped out by contemplating what that would be like.

As the book goes on, however, its flaws also become more apparent.  Expository conversations (both between heroes and between villains) are an expected part of this genre, and given that there have been many iterations of the Apocalypse Maidens vs. Lovecraftian Aliens battle in the past to learn from there is at least an in-universe justification for them, but there are so. many. of. them.  Silvertail's advice in particular gets increasingly tiresome, sometimes feeling as if we're reading "Silvertail's Walkthrough Guide to Magical Girl-ing" instead of a novel, and he has far too many conveniently-helpful magical abilities despite his alleged weakness.  The premise also leaves itself vulnerable to an obvious in-universe problem, which it tries to address, but not convincingly.  For reasons to do with how magic works, the Apocalypse Maidens reveal themselves to their parents, and this includes them learning that Holly was previously Stephen.  As you might expect, this does not go over well.  Stephen is genuinely a nice guy, not a "Nice Guy", and attempts to get that message across, but the most convincing argument he can muster is basically "your daughters are safe around me because they could kill me easily if I tried to molest them even if I was in full Holy Aura mode", and worse, parents accepting the situation is explained mainly as a mixture of that reassurance and magic itself keeping the Maidens together.  There is, apparently, nothing Stephen can possibly say or do to reassure them he's not a sexual predator.  Maybe that's the point of those scenes?  It's unclear.

That takes us most of the way (and slightly out of order) through a broad overview of the plot, and I don't want to give any spoilers for the resolution (go read it yourself!).  Suffice it to say that it continues along a pretty much "first season of Sailor Moon" trajectory.  And of course, the whole book ends in a way that leaves it open to a second season-- er, I mean, sequel, but still definitely ends this particular story arc.  Exactly as you'd expect.  Exactly as it must, according to the memes controlling magic.

-----

[Classic] W/A/S Scores: 4(+extra) / 1 / 4

Weeb: This is very much a book by a geek for fellow geeks.  Although I previously said the Magical Girl genre does not have a high a barrier to entry in terms of general cultural knowledge, and although Princess Holy Aura also incorporates tropes and characters from, and makes references to, a great deal of American media, knowledge of both Japanese and American horror and fantasy tropes is really helpful to "get" what anyone is talking about.  Not only is it taken for granted that characters recognize the source material for what's going on, they also sometimes make leaps of logic that I have trouble following, and I don't know if that's a problem with the story or with my own background knowledge so that if I'd seen the right show(s) I would've caught on immediately.  Plenty of things are explicitly spelled out, especially in early conversations between Stephen and Silvertail, but familiarity with several magical girl shows or manga would probably be helpful if only to know more specifically what Stephen is talking about.  I'd rate this a 4 on the Weeb scale, but also at least a 4 on a scale of American Geek Media — knowledge of H.P. Lovecraft and recent internet lore, and to a lesser extent general knowledge of RPGs and major works of sci-fi and fantasy, are probably essential to not staring blankly going "what is this?"  Like certain interminable live-action shows I could name, it mashes together monsters from a variety of source materials with mixed results.

Ass: As if directly responding to common complaints about men writing women in inappropriately-sexualized and deeply-implausible ways, descriptions are actually descriptive rather than gratuitous, and Stephen-as-Holly really only talks about his/her own body in the context of getting used to it, and does so in less-sexualized terms than I've heard women I'm friends with use in moderately-polite company.  In fact, although Holly is understandably portrayed as having sexual feelings, Spoor rather aggressively avoids sexualizing her to the audience, which is an important distinction.

Shit: The whole "trust me, I'm not a pervert" interactions with the parents, some way-too-convenient things about the way magic works, and OH DEAR GOD THE EXPOSITION just end up making me go "is that really the best way you could think of to resolve that?".  Also, the Cthulhu mythos seems shoehorned and incongruous.  It's not great, but it is entertaining and coherent, unlike some things I've reviewed so far, so I'll give it a middling score.  I still recommend it if you're in the target audience of "gigantic fucking geek", which, face it, you probably are if you read my reviews.

-----

Stray observations:

- The action scenes are described well enough that I can pretty much imagine how they'd go shot-by-shot in an anime.  Or maybe I've just seen enough anime to know what common shots Spoor is talking about.

- SLENDER MAN IS NYARLATHOTEP.  (This is barely a spoiler.  It takes about one page for the characters to make the connection.)

- If "Silvertail's Walkthrough Guide to Magical Girl-ing" were a real book, I would totally read it.  It would go on my shelf right next to Hate You Forever: How to Channel Your Rage Into Effective Supervillainy, which is also not that good but quite entertaining if you're the right flavor of geek (which, again, you probably are if you read my reviews).

[filmliteratureadaptation1]

Little Red Riding Hood and the Company of Wolves: Gothic Horror Story and the Dark Origins of the Tale

Little Red Riding Hood is arguably known as one of the best fairy tales told around the globe. The tale has been adapted into many story versions and films. In today's time, Little Red Riding Hood drew into romance, horror, and gothic tradition, but that is not how it got their traditions. Just like any other fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood has a dark history of where it originated. Little Red Riding Hood can be traced back to 3,000 years ago when the story was first told in different versions throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia. The earliest version is a Greek fable by Aesop that was told around the 6th century BC, and another early version is Hero of Temesa by Pausanias in the 2nd century CE. Around that time, the story, Motikatika and the Ogre were told across Africa. In the 10th century, The Wolf and the Kids were popular among the Middle East(Southwest Asia) and Europe. In France, it was told by French peasants and was recorded by Egbert of Liège, and the Shenel Quermezi (Red-Caped) was told in Persia. In India, The Sparrow and the Crow is a similar story to The Wolf and the Kids. During the fourteenth century in Italy, Little Red Riding Hood was told by peasants in numerous versions, including La Finta Nonna (The False Grandmother), and another name of it was The Story of Grandmother.

During the seventeenth century, The Tiger Grandmother(Grand Tigress) is a Southeastern Asian tale that was written and told during the Qing Dynasty. In 1697, Little Red Riding Hood was published as Le Petit Chaperon Rouge by Charles Perrault, and in 1812 was published by The Brothers Grimm. The Brothers Grimm published the first half into the story's main version and the second into a sequel. The final and revised story was published in 1857. Little Red Riding Hood has been told the same but in different formats in cultural traditions. The African versions tales the victim of a human girl who is attacked in her own home instead of a relative's, and Asian versions are a group of siblings, but in some cases getting attacked after being left at home by their mother or encountering a villain en route to their grandmother's home. Little Red Riding Hood has been adapted as an arguable fairytale because it originated from Asia and Africa, with its roots coming from Greek Literature.

Little Red Riding Hood has been adapted into the screen numerous times. The centrality of it is to refer back to the main function of stories, and a film that was looked at is The Company of Wolves. The Company of Wolves is the gothic version of Little Red Riding Hood, which is written by Angela Carter in her short story collection, The Bloody Chamber. According to Lorna Jowett, author of Between the Paws of the Tender Wolf: Authorship, Adaptation and Audience, she wrote, "Carter's story challenges male authorship of horror, the predominance of male protagonists and the assumption of male audiences." The Company of Wolves mixed and mash-up tale of horror and the original fairy tale was to focus on the subconscious fears and desires. The plot of the story was to involve how the reader of views the film as usage of violence, sexuality, and horror. Jowett talks about Gina Wisker, and how she argues that Carter's horror fiction does 'reveal the ways into writing women into either bloodthirsty creatures or quaking violets.' In this way, she means that it was assumed that the authorship readapts into making its modes of horror and fantasy. The Company of Wolves is expressed in a moral form, but it does not have clear presentations of the male body.

[ancientphantom]

In all the madness, I forgot to do the April roundup!  Which is a tragedy, because, as you can see, we have a whole smorgasbord of new things!  (Actually, new things and a LOT of rereleases, but they all say new and improved and we do like things that are new and improved.)

The Man in the Shadows by Elizabeth Acord is a mash-up of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and the Phantom story, and seems to involve one of the two of them moving into the other’s castle as his new manager/financial advisor and then having to discover that, you know, the murderous undead and secret trap doors and so forth.  (I would assume Dracula is the castle-owner and Erik is his accountant, but then again, who knows.)

Wandering Soul by Cassandra Chandler is a rerelease - some of you may remember seeing it a couple years ago with a more recognizable mask on the cover.  It’s one of those romance time-travel epics - a heroine who discovers the “real” Phantom of the Opera due to time travel shenanigans and transports him to the modern day.

Light Fantastique by Cecilia Dominic has a lot going on - a steampunk setting, a main character who literally gives up part of her soul when she performs (lo, tonight I have given you my soul and I am dead indeed), the Prussian siege of Paris, and of course romance and deadly secrets backstage.  It’s the second in a series in this setting, although it looks like the first one doesn’t have much relation to the Phantom story.

London Undead by Raven Heisenberg is another mash-up, this time with Dracula as the main character, a zombie plague threatening all of Europe, and the Phantom and Christine (along with other favorite literature monsters such as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) trying to investigate and survive the effects.  Anti-Romani racism warning: looks like this book uses the old “stereotypical magical Romani curse” explanation for why there’s a horrifying plague murdering humanity, because why not perpetuate those parts of classic lit in our adaptations, and also uses the g-slur.

Eternal Darkness by L. Ann Price is another in her prolific collection of Phantom-related works, but while I could tell you many things about it, including that it’s one of those ones where the Phantom has to raise an orphaned child and there’s lots of tension over whether Christine is really gone, the most important detail about this is that the Phantom and the Persian co-own and co-run a nightclub in Luxembourg and really, I don’t know how any of us are going to resist that.

Phantom: Opera Erotica by Samantha is a second edition of a gigantic erotica novel that came out years ago, with a new photoshopped sexbomb on the cover and assurances from the author that this version has been rewritten and contains new material, and is vastly superior to the first one.  (Do I need to now own this book twice?  Damn it.)

Phantom of the Library by Brandon Terrell is a childrens’ mystery revolving around a library in which the collection of famous horror writer Gordon Price (a shout-out to famous horror actor Vincent Price) is being plagued by a phantom who steals things and disorders the place.  It’s the thinnest connection to the Phantom story on here, but I figured with the focus on classic horror, it’s worth taking a look!

Masks and Roses: A Phantom of the Opera Novel by Hannah R. Young is a medieval/old-timey-times fantasy in which the Phantom is a British Prince suffering from social stigma due to his deformity, and Christine is the French Princess he has been betrothed to from birth and who has just arrived.  Heavily romance-flavored and definitely one for those who like AUs!

[frozendoorgaming]

Morning Mist #86

Announcements, Releases, Trailers

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX Coming in March

Watch the dramatic opening for Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV

Save the cutest cat in the universe in pastel brawler Super Crush KO, out next week

The Sims 4 aims for millenial realism with Tiny Living Stuff Pack

Super Comfy Town Builder Dwarrows Release Date Announced

Doki Doki Literature Club to receive cute new content in 2020

Magic Legends shows off 10 minutes of the fiery Geomancer

The White Door is a new, more 'personal' Rusty Lake game about memories and color

Microsoft vows that Xbox One will run Xbox Series X games like Halo Infinite

Online WW2 shooter Days of War leaves Early Access at the end of the month

Dota Underlords tunnels out of early access in February

Warner Bros. is teasing the new Batman video game again

Biomass is a 2D, sci-fi Soulslike with a hefty free demo

Talk the Talk in Speaking Simulator, Arriving January 2020

Don't Miss: An in-depth breakdown of Dead Cells' mobile port

Acclaimed text-adventure-inspired horror anothology Stories Untold heading to Switch

Space Invaders Invincible Collection Trailer Released

Final Fantasy 7 Remake PC Version Likely, Data Miners Say

Milestones, Industry

Here's some of the best moments so far from Awesome Games Done Quick 2020

Sea of Thieves has turned 10 million people into pirates

10 Million Super Mario Maker 2 Courses Have Been Uploaded

PS4 hits 106 million lifetime sales as Sony starts to turn attention to PS5

GTAO, Apex Legends, Warframe, and H1Z1 are among PlayStation’s most-downloaded games of 2019

Blizzard announces ESL Pro Tours for StarCraft II and Warcraft III Reforged, expanded Hearthstone Masters Tours

Crowfall preps beta, raises another $12M from investors to bring total funding to $35M

DICE Will 'Probably' Rebrand Says Incoming Studio Head Vince Zampella

Fantasy Flight Interactive are closing their doors just two years after opening

GAME intends to close 40 stores in the UK

Nintendo president tries to explain why they haven't supported the Smash Ultimate esports scene

Platinum Games Tencent Partnership Announced

American trade union launches campaign for games industry unionization

Deals, Freeware

Bungie is raising funds for Australian firefighters with a limited-edition Destiny 2 T-shirt

Lovecraft-inspired Metroidvania Sundered is currently free on the Epic Games Store

GOG New Year's Resolutions Sale 2020 Has Darn Good DRM-Free Deals

Headsnatchers, the party game about ripping skulls off of bodies, is free on Humble

Two Point Hospital, Shadow of War and Dirt Rally 2.0 all feature in the January Humble Choice bundle

Toss a few coins at Humble's The Witcher sale and save up to 85%

Nintendo's massive 900-game Switch sale actually includes some first-party stuff

At 8TB, this is the largest portable SSD we've seen

AMD releases GPU driver optimized for Monster Hunter World: Iceborne

Nintendo Switch NES controllers are going back to full price soon

Elgato’s new external capture card records 4K gaming at 60fps, costs $400

Information

Sony brought the PlayStation 5 logo to CES 2020

League of Legends Season 2020 Starts

Next week's Sea of Thieves update is all about celebrating legendary players

Bethesda want you to test Fallout 76's Wastelanders update

Pokemon Sword and Shield kicks off a new Wild Area event

Pokémon Direct: Pokémon Home Service Launches Next Month

Monster Hunter World PC players reporting deleted saves, performance issues following Iceborne's arrival

Final Fantasy XI adjusts Beastmasters and Ambuscade for January

DC Universe Online turns nine years old tomorrow as anniversary festivities roll on

Apex Legends’ Grand Soiree Arcade Event features two weeks of changing game modes

Anime multiplayer brawler KurtzPel announces an update that adds a new weapon and sweeping PvP changes

Etc

The next Pokémon film looks like a mash-up of Tarzan

Ni No Kuni film hits Netflix later this month

Hatsune Miku to perform live at Coachella 2020

Keanu Reeves Cyberpunk 2077 figure coming from McFarlane Toys

VVVVVV creator Terry Cavanagh releases source code

Microsoft shares new technique for detecting online grooming of children in video game chat

British Royal Mail commemorates classic British games like Elite with collectible stamps

China is cracking down on online games and streaming even more with ‘Healthy China 2030’

More older adults play games than ever before, according to AARP study of people over 50

[magicalworldweb]

Welcome to another Interview with the Author!

This week I’d like introduce K. Williams.  She’s one of the first authors I clicked with on Facebook, and she’s dear to my heart.  I love her fiery soul, and how she will step in and defend those being mistreated.  I’ve read the first book in her The Trailokya Trilogy: The Shadow Soul, and I have the second, Burning Down waiting in my kindle.  Her writing is brilliant, and I love the depth and passion of her books and the honesty of her characters.  I didn’t really know much about her other two books, which is exactly why I’m so glad that I got the chance to get to know her and her books more!

“Williams’ World War II spy thriller [OP-DEC: Operation Deceit] brings to life a shadowy world of espionage, Nazis and secret agents, vividly evoking the pre-war and wartime eras, depicting days of chaos, confusion and uncertainty. The narrative crackles with intensity. She excels at historic details and characterization.” – Kirkus Indie Review

Introduce yourself.  Name. K. Williams Nickname. Don’t have one.

If your Wi-Fi name was a reflection of you, what would it be? Magnus Castle, the headquarters of the illuminati General who keeps watch of the Earth, protecting it from incursion by demons.

What personality trait has gotten you into the most trouble?  My sense of justice (right and wrong). I’m a political firebrand, always fighting for fairness.

What genre (of collection) do you write in and why? I write in historical fiction and paranormal horror, both utilize thriller/suspense traits. I write in these because history has always fascinated me and so has the paranormal. Some might not think the two are all that related, but if you recall that ghosts are made by history, and that the supernatural has a lot of historical lore attached, you start to get the connection. As for thrillers, history and the paranormal are rife with suspense!

Who is important to you? My family. They have always been the most important thing in my life.

Where do you call home? Upstate New York, Saratoga Springs.

What books are/have you written? I am the author of Blue Honor, OP-DEC: Operation Deceit, and The Trailokya Trilogy: The Shadow Soul, Burning Down, and The Lucent Rise. I am working on the sequel to OP-DEC, called OP-GHO: Operation Ghost. The Trailokya series are clearly the paranormal horror (Dark Fantasy) books, the others are historical. Blue is written in the vane of literature/drama. OP-DEC and its sequel are spy thrillers taking place in the era of World War II.

If you are having a rotten day, what do you do to conquer that? Get home and reconnect via time with my daughter and my dog.

If you were invisible for a day, what would you do? I’d be very anxious, likely panicked. This isn’t something I would enjoy at all. Most likely, I’d stay home, and hide out.

Your life is made into a musical.  What is the title of at least one of the songs? “Holy crap, how do you put up with all this, all the time…”   “where do you find the time?”  “gimme all the dogs”

What are your sleeping habits? I love being up late, but I also love my sleep. Prior to my baby, I would go to bed well after midnight, and not worry about the lack of sleep during the week, catching up on the weekend. Now that I have my little one, I tend to stay up just a few hours after her bed time, catching up on writer things, and getting prepared for the next day. Now, I find, that I need a lot more sleep. She’s a great sleeper though. I am blessed, thus far with that. And, the older she gets the later I am finding myself up, again.

What would you name your boat? ORCA 😉

What’s your biggest kitchen disaster? So, I am a great cook and baker, so this is a good question for me and the readers. No great cook or baker has ever NOT had a disaster, and they happen more frequently than they’d like you to know. I’m a very plainly honest person, and I love to talk about these things, because I feel it puts others’ minds at ease, especially when they are trying to improve their own skills in said area.  My last disaster was when I was using a glass dish on the stove top to prepare scalloped potatoes, and the cold milk I added was enough to shatter the glass. What a mess! In the stove, on the floor…glass shards, milk, water, dried potatoes…I just picked up another small shard of glass from the incident the other day.

Tell me about one of your characters.  Would you get along in real life? I think I would get along pretty well with all the ‘good’ characters in my books, but definitely not the ‘bad.’ That’s easy enough. I’m sure that even those on the ‘good’ side would still be able to annoy me. I don’t know which character to select, to be honest. Let’s select Argus…I think we would get along, and he would be extremely protective over me. Any conversation we would have would be a humorous but interesting foray into ‘lost in translation.’ While he struggles to understand the meaning of my words in the context of my world, I would struggle to understand his nonchalance about life. As a guardian from Zion’s moon order, he would be all I need to get through the day without a scratch, no matter what came at me. And then, he’d make a brilliant friend for Fionn, and I’d have the two of them to watch my back while I sleep. Hopefully he would be visible, and that that would not give me any legal concerns, considering he is an artic wolf.

If you were arrested with no explanation, what would your friends and family assume you had done? I’d say they’d think I had done something with a political protest.

What are your favorite clothes to wear? Jeans and a t-shirt.

If someone asked to be your apprentice and learn all that you know, what would they end up learning? They would learn how to take care of a child, a dog, cook/bake, write, draw, paint, screen-write, make videos, critical thinking and political such and such.

What are your future writing plans? I’m hoping to release the final installment of my trilogy next summer. Following that, in a year or two, the sequel to OP-DEC. I am considering a third in the OP series, and penning a follow up to Blue Honor. I’m also toying with extending Traiokya off world…

What’s one thing you absolutely adore in life? Dogs. They are the most perfect thing, in my mind. I have always loved having dogs at my side.

What is one of your pet peeves? People not following through. A lot of folks have promised me things and never followed through. So, when this manifests even in day to day events, like saying you’ll do something and then not, I get miffed. It does take a cycle of it. It’s not like I get angry with people who accidently forget, but I do with serial forgetters, because it shows that they don’t care, likely had no intention of following through. It’s such a letdown, creates extra effort and stress…

You’re in the middle of a wizarding duel.  What animal do you transfigure into? Mountain Lion…

Would you survive if you were a character in your own books? Absolutely! I’d be the witness (narrator’s source) if not one of the main characters, I’m supposing. If I’m the witness, I must survive to tell the story. If I’m one of the main characters, I’m quite likely to survive, unless I find myself a bad guy! Hopefully I wouldn’t randomly take over the part of Morgentus! I’d be a terrible demon.

You are putting on a dinner party.  What do you serve and who do you invite? I’d start with a small salad. Then, I’d make a roast, either pork or beef. Mash potatoes and gravy with a nice side of steamed broccoli. If pork, I’d make a stuffing and apples, too. If beef, I’d do stuffed mushrooms. Of course, there would be fresh rolls and butter, and appropriate wines. For dessert, I’d make a pecan toffee for the pork dinner or a black forest cake for the beef dinner, with tea and coffee.

Would you rather relive the same day for 365 days or lose a year of your life? If I’m losing a year of my life before having my daughter, that would be fine, so long as it didn’t affect my writing and growth since. I think living one day over and over would result in insanity.

You are transported to one of your favorite books.  Where are you? I’m going to pick my own. That’s pretty much why I wrote it, so I could transport to another place. I’d transport to Trailokya. Or, are we already there?

K. Williams is a Historical Fiction writer, photographer and artist. Learn more at:

Author K. Williams 

Facebook

Blue Honor Blog

Member of International Thriller Writers

I enjoyed getting to know more about K. Williams, and I appreciate her taking the time to interview with me!

Live Bravely, Love Strongly, Read K. Williams AEM

Interview with the Author: K. Williams Welcome to another Interview with the Author! This week I'd like introduce K. Williams.  She's one of the first authors I clicked with on Facebook, and she's dear to my heart.  

[fic-dreamin]

An ensemble of fascinating female characters A historic fantasy featuring an ensemble of fascinating female characters--the "daughters" (in various senses) of various classics horror fiction protagonists. This is the sort of book that often leaps to the top of my to-be-read list. I liked it...but I didn’t love it, which always makes me sad. So first: why did I like it? The premise is full of promise. Mary Jeckyll (daughter of the late doctor) finds information after her mother’s death that results in her taking responsibility for a young woman named Diana Hyde, evidently the daughter of her late father’s assistant who disappeared after being charged with murder (the assistant, not the daughter). They stumble into participating in Sherlock Holmes' investigation of the gruesome murder of a prostitute, and soon clues are turning up to a mysterious “Society of Alchemists” that appears to tie all sorts of threads together, including several other rather unusual women whose fathers were similarly connected to the Society. For anyone familiar with weird literature of the 19th century, picking up on the hints and clues will be a large part of the fun of this story. Go to Amazon

a metafictional monster mash-up Have you ever wondered what would happen if an author tried to create a feminist mix of Sherlock Holmes, Jack the Ripper, Frankenstein, Jeckyll and Hyde, Rappuccini's Daughter, the Island of Doctor Moreau, Dracula, and just a smidgen of Dante and Beatrice? Well, wonder no more! Goss has made a metafictional monster mash-up of chaste YA with mostly older characters who interrupt the narrative to make comments (rather reminiscent of Alisdair Gray's Lanark). Go to Amazon

Great Spin on Classic Characters 'The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter' follows, Mary Jekyll. Mary is Dr. Jekyll's daughter (of Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde). She decides to explore her father's mysterious past. Go to Amazon

Great idea, irritating execution Truly engaging and full of twists to keep you coming back for more. fun read A fun ride! Absolutely charming A unique and engaging story I look forward to the next one! Fun! For lovers of adventure and Gothic horror! Interesting Take on a theme

[imaginariumarts]

Crystal Cacti Original 4"x6" Watercolor Illustration - hippie wanderlust succulent garden plants planting crystal gemstone flower cactuses

A mash-up between healing crystal and plant life, this crystal cactus painting is sure to please the hipsters your life! This cheerful painting is easily framed with its 4"x6" size, and would look super great in a solid black or white frame (though feel free to decorate as you see fit!) Beautifully hand illustrated using black inks and watercolor paints. Perfect for the gardener or succulent obsessed person in your life! The brilliant emerald green crystallized plant forms, and amethyst & royal blue teardrop gemstone blossoms against a southwestern sunset backdrop. Dimensions: 4"x6" approx dimensions Listing is for: one(1) unframed painting on watercolor paper Shipping costs for this painting are included in listing price. No additional fees! Crystals and candle not included in listing. The paint is made of vibrant pigments which are lightfast, however it's recommended that you preserve your paintings under UV protected framing for safekeeping. It is also advisable to not place paintings in direct sunlight to prevent additional damage. Want something custom made just for you? Just ask!! Send me a message or contact me via social media or email! Imaginarium Creative Studios www.imaginariumarts.com Follow me on Social Media: instagram.com/imaginariumcreativestudios twitter.com/imaginariumcs facebook.com/imaginariumcreativestudios ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "couture" "gypsy" "cosplay" "fantasy" "literature" "bookpaper" "book paper" "paper beads" "pirates" "swashbuckler" "pearl accents" "bridal jewelry" "couture jewelry" "imaginarium creative studios" "ellen avigliano" "antique book paper crafts" "crafts with book paper" "holiday gifts" "valentine's day gifts" "birthday gift for mom" "book nerd" "chick lit" "librarian" "literary" "books" "library" "one-of-a-kind" "unique design" "imaginariumsouvenirs on etsy" "imaginarium" "ellen avigliano artist" "product photography" "witchcraft" "american horror story coven" "voodoo" "coven" "pagan" "wiccan" "wicca" "once upon a time" "neil gaiman" "gemstone" "crystal ball" "masks" "ventian mask" "candle" "runes" "maps" "cartography" "edgar allen poe" "ray bradbury" "robert louis stephenson" "treasure island" "tribal jewelry" "tribal art" "natural wood beads" "genuine pearls" "semi-precious gemstones" "crystals" "the magicians" "bibliophile" "gender neutral" "cosplay" "american gods" "book pages" "punk rock" "skull and bones" "crystal drop earrings" "beaded earrings" "fashion design" "custom fashion" "custom artwork" "custom painting" "custom drawing" "custom illustration" "fan art" "black" "natural wood" "organic" "hippie chic" "hippie" "yoga" "gifts for him" "gender neutral fashion" "LGBT" "non binary" "agender" "androgynous" "brakebills" "hogwarts" "fillory" "narnia" "hunger games" "feminist" "female" "women in art" "drawing" "drawings" "magic spell" "witches and witchcraft" "hedge witch" "witch aesthetic" "dark with" "moon and stars" "celestial artwork" "geometric artwork" "geometric moon" "chakra gemstone" "chakra crystals" "crystal ball" "fortune" "tarot" "carnivals" "Pokemon" "pokeball" "japanese" "cartoon" "anime" "television" "movies" "BFF" "Best friend" "Coffee" "bitches" "basic bitch" "basic white girl" "tarot" "painted" "paintings" "watercolors" "handmade illustration" "traditional illustration" "art prints" "garden" "botanical" "flowers" "floral" "seasonal" "swirls" "cactus" "Cacti" "succulent plant" "plant mama" "plant life" "planters" "planting" "apartment decor" "unframed" "framed" "spirals" "dots" "summer" "southwest" "desert" "flowering cactus" "flowering succulent" "succulent artwork" "cactus artwork" "cactus pattern"