The Monster Show

For those interested in cultural studies of horror  (a subject I am utterly fascinated by), David Skal's The Monster Show: A Cultural History of Horror is a great starting point. 

Horror movies and other related media have often mirrored the political and social times we live in, and Skal's book takes an in-depth look at the issues that shaped America as they were reflected in our horror films. 

AIDS, birth control, Pearl Harbor, Nazis, mind control and more are tied into Frankenstein, Rosemary's Baby, American Psycho and scores of other horror notables.  Just the link between AIDS and vampire-related horror films is fascinating in its own right. 

Far too many people dismiss horror films as nothing more than juvenile entertainment meant to desensitize impressionable youth to the affects of violence.  Anyone reading this book would be hard pressed to make that argument with a straight face.

At just around 400 pages (and there are photos), this is a little more than a light read, but it is not written like your average text book (though I could see a college class using it as such).  It's a bit more informal, which is where some of my complaint lies.  I would love to have seen the author go into an even deeper examination of things, as I think the book could have easily been four times its size.

As it is, it is still a fine read that I've gone back to reference over the years.  Good stuff for horror junkies and sociology majors whose taste runs to the dark stuff.

Anti-Semitism Examined and Debunked

I recently finished The Politics of Anti-Semitism which is edited by the always reliable duo of Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St. Clair. The title is bit vague. One casual acquaintance, upon seeing me carry it, asked, "You're reading about how politicians hate the Jews?"

Not really.

A series of incredible essays by people like Cockburn, Bruce Jackson, Michael Neumann, George Sunderland, Linda Belanger, Robert Fisk and Edward Said (among others) takes the media, politicians and Jewish groups to task for their blanket anti-Semitic labels to anyone who, chiefly, dares to criticize Israel's actions against the Palestinians. Each essay is a powerhouse of knowledge, firsthand experience and examination, and if this seems even slightly interesting to you, I highly recommend it.

(As an aside, a director friend of mine who is Jewish, once thoroughly criticized me for my defense of Palestinian acts of self-defense. While he didn't flatly call me out as anti-Semitic, had the conversation gone on much longer I'm sure I would have been painted with that brush.)

AK Press and CounterPunch worked together to put this book out. (I got it through the Friends of AK Press program, which I encourage you to look into.) Quite honestly, every book these two publishers do together is fascinating, and this is no exception.

Ironically enough, I was reading this when Obama administration decided to criticize Israel's plan to build 1,600 homes in a disputed region of East Jerusalem. The administration took a lot of heat for its relatively tame words. It was interesting to see the main thesis of the essays in the book in action right in front of me on CNN ... and this was written in 2003.

I can't imagine what the critics of the Obama administration's admonishment would think if they read this book ...

The Coming Apocalypse

Apocalypse Culture and Apocalypse Culture II are two highly prized books in my library. With a variety of writers (who are of varying skill levels), these two volumes cover secret societies, conspiracies, cannibalism, sex crimes, necrophilia, child pornography in the media, cloning Jesus through his foreskin, and so on. Outrageous theories are presented and defended. Mores investigated and dissected. Ideas postulated. And it is all very fascinating.

Like a lot of books I enjoy, these two books have a limited audience. The easily offended and distracted will do themselves a favor by staying away from them. Even the most open minded reader will probably find some of the pieces challenging on a moralistic level. That's what makes the books so intriguing. They are unlike almost anything you've ever read before.

Adam Parfrey, the editor of these books, is no stranger to devotees of obscure subject matter. . Nor is publisher Feral House an unknown entity in the realms of the unusual. It's a good combination, and anyone who gets that has probably already read these books. If you haven't, well, you know the drill.

If, on the other hand, the idea of having your ideals and beliefs taken into question fills you with a sense of unease, you need to stick with reading something more your speed. Perhaps Bill O'Reilly's book, or those teen vampire novels.

The Reich of the Black Sun

Should be sleeping, but my back is aching, so I read a bit instead and then thought I'd write. I'm reading Reich of the Black Sun: Nazi Secret Weapons and the Cold War Allied Legend, which is a mouthful. It is published by Adventures Unlimited Press, and if you have ever read anything from that publisher you know that while editing is not the strongest, the information will be fascinating. And that is the case here.

Prior to this I read Rise of the Fourth Reich, which was also about Nazis. This book also mentioned something at the crux of the Joseph Farrell's Adventures Unlimited tome: the Germans had the bomb.

While I'm no expert on Nazis, I have heard this before from other sources. Most of the times I read about it, the writer would say it was all either misinformation, conspiracy thinking or just plain wrong, but there is enough compelling information out there to make the idea of the Germans having the atom bomb at least feasible. (And I'll seem like a moron if this just came out as common knowledge. I have not read it about it on CNN or MSNBC.)

I'll reserve judgment until I finish this book.

The last interesting book I read that had to do with Nazis was Dreamer of the Day, a massive book on Francis Parker Yockey. That book blew my mind.

Nazis were vicious, cruel people. They also brought us many advances in science and medicine. They engaged in genocide and occultism (just a fancy way of saying a belief system other than Christianity). They understood propaganda and symbolism. They were environmentalists. They were (and still are) the world's villains (with a great fashion sense), and they almost succeeded. That's what makes books about them so fascinating. My brother saw my wish list on Amazon and was mildly disturbed by it. (I think he feared that I had become part of the National Socialist Movement, but let's face it, the NSM does not exactly grant anarchists an open-arm welcome.) It's history, sociology and the most fabulous of fictional non-fictions all rolled into one neat package.

Now I'm really off to bed.

Happy Anniversay, AK Press!

This year is the 20th anniversary of AK Press, the premier anarchist book publisher. 20 years is a long time for any publisher these days. For a publisher of leftist, radical literature it is almost unheard of.

Here's to another 20, AK. Keep up with the good work.

The Crying

I'm trying my hand at writing some fast, dark, twisted pieces for Associated Content. Here is the first out of the bunch.


The Crying

Fiction Up

I've decided to start putting some of my old fiction up on Associated Content. You can find an odd one I wrote called "Comedy Night at the Fine and Dandy" (link below) there until someone complains.

I may post more. The more people who read it, the more money I make, so it seems like a good deal. We shall see.

Comedy Night at the Fine and Dandy

The Cannibal Manuscript

No word yet on the manuscript I sent out. I can't tell if that is good or bad. Based on timelines given, I should be hearing from the publisher any day now. I continue to fear that the manuscript's length will be a problem.

I don't expect the publisher to take it. I never do. When you write, rejection is the status quo. However, I would be thrilled if I was wrong for once. Perhaps rejection would be best, too, as I would wind up shopping it around to other publishers who may give me better opportunities.

Horror is not a hard sell, but good horror is. Right now it seems like publishers all want teen vampire love stories or women who cavort with werewolves. This is not horror. This is soap opera with horror elements. Backwoods cannibals who terrorize a family is not sexy. It won't attract the teen crowd to read it or see a movie made of it. It is bloody and brutal, and there isn't a good ending that leaves the reader filled with hope. There are no funny or romantic moments.

That's where I think most of my problems will come from.

I know it is written well. I'm sure there are places it needs editing beyond me. I am fine with that. I just don't want rejection (again) because it is too depressing or dark. That will put me over the edge with this thing, and I may just beat up the first Twilight fan I come across.

Alice in Wonderland, Meet the Living Dead

I'm sure people are looking forward to the Living Dead Dolls in Wonderland book coming out soon. You can read a piece I did for Associated Content on this here:
The Living Dead Invade Wonderland

Mixing creepy dolls with a timeless story is a good way to move product, but this book is more than just another unit. It's made as a collectible, and I think it will do well. Book collectors will want it due to its rarity. Living Dead Doll fans will want it. Alice fans will want it, too. Lots of crossover appeal here. Will I buy it? No. It's too much money for too few pages, and I'm not a huge fan of the properties, though the dolls are cool, and I have a few.

The story of Alice and Wonderland is a classic, and it's enjoyed by all sorts of different people. In fact, I think it's the one story loved by literature fiends and LSD addicts. I can't think of another story that has the same type of appeal. The upcoming Tim Burton film will only help things in this regard.

If creepy dolls in classic stories are your thing, I imagine you'll grab this book quicker than you can say, "Depp rules!" You're gonna have to be quick, though. There's less than 2,000 first editions being printed. If you don't care about what edition you get, though, you may get lucky and Mezco, the company putting it out, will do a second printing. If not, well, enjoy the high prices on eBay

Required Reading

Anyone who is a political junkie of the progressive variety has heard the name Noam Chomsky. The famous linguist, anarchist, speaker is one of the most quoted people on the planet (just not in America), and he has a virtual library of reading by and about him. He changed the way I watched and read the news, and if any one of his books don't have you heading for a dictionary you aren't reading closely enough.



AK Press,which is an essential publisher of political material, has plenty by Chomsky. (And if you're a Friend of AK Press you'd get all his AK Press books delivered to your door by a uniformed government agent as they are hot off the presses.) AK Press isn't the only publisher of his work, either, but it should be noted that due to what he writes, mainstream publishers are hesitant to publish him.

Chomsky doesn't write to tell you "how it is." He writes to tell you that you should look these things up for yourself to see if you agree that this is how the world works. American dominance, capitalistic greed, war, control -- these are all issues he covers. His thoughts are not just random bits, either. He backs up what he writes about with copious footnotes (hundreds a book usually) so that you can go to the source material and see for yourself. Try getting Rush Limbaugh to do that.



Someday Chomsky will no longer be with us. I'm sure many of his publishers will keep his work in circulation as long as possible. My main concern, though, is that no one will step up to the plate to carry on where he has left off. There are other writers attempting it, but none seem to put it together as well as Chomsky does. His knowledge is broad and amazing. His informational resources are vast. He makes the connections that should be obvious, but aren't. Once you see them, however, you can't turn away.

Chomsky is, quite simply, required reading for anyone into politics. Left or right. Agree with or not. You can't make any argument you want, but you can't say he doesn't get you to think, which may be the most important job of all.

Dark Gloves, Bleeding Hearts

Art of Darkness: The Cinema of Dario Argento is one of those books you have to have if you are an Argento fan. I have the oversized softcover, which is overflowing with beautiful color pictures and examinations of the man and his movies. I reviewed it on Amazon a couple of years ago, and I stick by that review. It's not light reading, and it's not meant for the casual Argento fan.

Film books are a bit hit and miss with me. I have a section of my library devoted to them, but I'm fairly picky about what I keep. I'll read just about any one, but if I don't think I'll reference it or read it again, I put it on eBay. I've never put a FAB Press book up for auction, and don't think I ever will. Art of Darkness is why.

When you read this book (and most of the FAB books are much the same in this regard), you don't just read about the films being covered. You relive them. You see them in a brand new light. You learn things, and those newly discovered tidbits make you want to go out and see the movies all over again. And this time you will view them with new, but educated eyes. Few film books can do that. FAB books almost always do.

I can't recommend these tomes enough to fans of cinema. The price and depth of the books means you have to enjoy the director or films being covered, but if you do you will get your money's worth and then some. More importantly, you'll get an education on par with a college course.

Manuscript is Out

I sent out my manuscript last week. A hope and a prayer, right? The word count is less than what the publisher is looking for, but if the story wows it, the word count can be worked around. If it's an "on the fence issue," then the word count will mean rejection.

I could add a few scenes, but it would change the story and the flow. I crafted it carefully. It moves like I want it to. It is short, but sweet, and at this point any additional scenes will probably do a disservice to the overall experience.

We shall see.

I finished Selfish, Little. It was far from pleasant. Gave me two nightmares. Got to hand it to the author, Peter Sotos, for that. His work is not easy to read, but he does have some valid points on the media and how it handles child sex crimes. I've written about it before here and on the Cancerous Zeitgeist blog, so I won't delve into it again. Needless to say I'm onto more pleasant books now. I'm reading about the rise of the Fourth Reich in Jim Marrs book of the same name. From child murderers to Nazis. 'Tis the season, right?

A friend asked me what I would like to come of the manuscript. First and foremost is the book. I want it published. In the past I thought I would never let my books be optioned for movies unless I had some say over them. (Hey, I can dream.) I have since changed my stance on that and have gone the James Ellroy route. Just give me a check. I don't give a fuck what you do with it. The book exists and no movie can change that. Books a book. A movie's a movie. Pretty simple. Ideally, I'd love to get enough to quit my job and write full-time. That would be the dream. Of course, it's been years and that hasn't happened, and I don't expect it to, but I'm trying to think positive. Writing is what makes me happy. It is therapeutic. It can inspire. That's all good stuff. That has meaning. That gives me a legacy to leave my daughter.

(On a related note, John Lithgow was on television last night. I pointed him out and said, "See that guy? He wrote a short story at the same time I did. Amazon published both. Mine outsold his." She told me that was pretty cool that a "normal" guy outsold a "famous actor guy." Damn straight.)

It's a good dream. A positive one. If it happens -- great. If not -- I'll keep trying. I know the story has merit. I would not have wrote it otherwise. I know there is an audience for it, and I know it would make a great movie (I would put Rob Zombie in place as director).

I'll keep you all posted.

Selfish, Little: The Annotated Nightmares

Transgressive author Peter Sotos' Selfish, Little: The Annotated Lesley Ann Downey is what I would describe as not being for the faint of heart. I actually blame it for a horrible nightmare I had ... and I can't stop reading.

It would be easy to dismiss Sotos as a racist pedophile (descriptions that are, I believe, accurate), but you can't dismiss the fact that Sotos has a keen eye to how the media eroticizes missing and abused children. He's candid about his desires, actions and thoughts. The media is not. For him to call the media on this is not only brilliant, it is also a fascinating insight into the mindset of Sotos.

This book was given to me as a birthday present from Mirror. She has wondered if it was the right thing to do. It was. It was actually on my Amazon Wish List, so no complaints. Can I recommend it to anyone? No, not really. After all, this is not I Stand Alone, which at least has artistic merit. That's not to say Sotos' work isn't artistic. It is ... but for a very select few.

Chris Hansen from To Catch A Predator (a show I think is very guilty of the exact things Sotos describes) needs to interview Sotos. I'd love to see the two of them go at it.

Consider yourself warned.

Is This the Future?

I'm currently reading Art to Choke Hearts and Pissing in the Gene Pool by your friend and mine, Henry Rollins. My friend Blue noticed I was reading it and asked why. I explained that I had read Rollins a lot in my teen years and early twenties and was now just reading it to read again. It's always good to revisit the books you like. She knows some of the stress I'm under, some of the problems I'm having, so she asked if maybe I wasn't reverting back to those years. I stated I wasn't and couldn't; I'm a different person now.

At the same time, Celebrity Watchdog George Anthony Watson commented on a comment I left on Mirror's blog (all these names -- sounds like The Usual Suspects). He said my comment sounded like a bad chapter out of one of Rollins' books and then added that they were all bad chapters.

I haven't read much of Rollins' later stuff. I imagine it is in the same place as before. Isolation. Hatred. Rage. Introspection. Questioning society. I don't think those are bad things to write about, as they are constants in society. Yeah, it may show little progression, but should we really progress beyond these things?

I read Rollins now not because I have to in order to stay centered, but to remind myself of where that center is. I don't feel all that he feels. I don't relate to all of it or even most of it, but I relate to it enough and always have to know that reading Rollins can put the world back into the right light for me. It's not about reversion. It's about navigation.

I believe that in 200 years from now, Rollins' books will still be in print and still be relevant. There may be college classes focused around them. It seems insane to say that now, but I do believe it. I believe that his writing touches on something in a set group of people (larger than anyone can imagine) that isn't being written about today -- and definitely isn't being written about in that way. One of the closest things I can think of that came close to capturing some (not all) of that spirit on a mass level was the film Fight Club. Too bad most of the people who saw it misunderstood it, but that doesn't dilute the message.

And that is why I'm rereading him. The message got diluted. This clears it up.

A Newer Kind of Pulp

There are people who think I only read serious nonfiction. Of course that isn't true. I have my guilty pleasures. One of those is are the books about Mack Bolan, The Executioner. These books, that are firmly in the men's adventure genre, are really the Conan novels of the modern era. Bolan is a warrior. He kills those who deserve it, beds gorgeous women and is a bit of a loner. For those who don't know, he's also the inspiration behind the Punisher character from Marvel Comics.

I first got one author Don Pendleton's books back when I was a young boy. Bought it at Laneco. It was Stony Man Doctrine. I ate that up and then bought as many as I could, with culminated in finding about 100 of the novels a few years ago in a thrift store. Two tubs of them. Ten bucks. A steal.

Yeah, that is a guilty pleasure. I've always had a thing for pulp fiction, and this is current pulp at its finest. Yeah, there may not be demons or supernatural villains or even witches, but there is tons of violence, stereotypes and bare breasts. I think that fits the definition.

I'm still missing quite a few of the books, so it's a quest I'm constantly on. The earliest one I'm missing is number five in the series. I think I will snag it some day at a fair price. Until then, however, I have quite a few to read yet before I'm out of stories.

Sometimes the guiltiest pleasures are the finest.

Manuscript Problems

I've been, as chronicled before, doing a new edit of the "cannibal manuscript" and the formatting is driving me nuts. I'm using Open Office and nothing seems to stick or work right. To say I'm pissed is an understatement. I rarely have time to write, and when I do I'm stuck reformatting and reformatting again ... and again.

It's enough to drive a crazy man crazier.

I've cut and paste. I've used my template that I have for manuscripts. Nothing is working. I may have to do it all manually, which will really drive me up a wall.

Just had to vent.

Day Dreamer

Dreamer of the Day, Kevin Coogan's book on Francis Parkery Yockey, is an eye-opener, especially if you love Reagan. Gotta love crazy Nazi sympathizers who commit suicide, black magic, and fascistic homosexuality. Coogan obviously packs a lot in, and it is a fascinating read for anyone interested in such things ... and it's nonfiction.

A lot of people get some strange looks on their faces when they see what I'm reading. They usually ask a lot of questions of nonfiction works, which is fine by me. I believe in being fairly well-rounded when it comes to things, but I can understand their surprise when they see the guy who had been reading about Japanese gardening is now reading a book on fascists. It throws them for a loop.

I have been gathering books on the unusual for close to twenty-five years now, so I've amassed quite a collection of esoterica. I have sections on my bookself for cannibalism, media, paranormal, UFOs, true crime, art, anarchism, film and more. People who love books seem to take some pleasure (tinged with a little fear sometimes) in viewing my shelves. It's a pleasure for me to talk about the books, which ones I like, which ones moved me and so on. Usually this invokes a good conversation.

Someday I will have an entire floor of a house devoted to books. My own mini-library if you will. That's my "day dream," as if that isn't corny enough. Rest assured, though, like Yockey, I'll be engaging in plenty of dubious activities and kinky sex when I'm not reading, however.

Sometimes you just got to balance things out.

The Joys of Not Getting Published

I've finished my latest draft of what I always call "the cannibal manuscript." I sent it out before and the publisher I sent it to rejected it because the ending was too downbeat. I would argue that it's realistic, but I don't think any publisher wants to hear that line of reasoning.

After getting that feedback I did something I never did before -- I let people read it. Friends from all different backgrounds with all different tastes. I wanted different opinions. I wanted honesty and brutal comments. Most of what I got back, though, was positive and fit with what I was trying to do with it.

So another rewrite was in order, and I did it. Added some stuff. Took out a tiny bit. Polished it. Now I wonder what will happen when I send it out again. Rejection is a given, but what will the reason be? Will I find a publisher? Will I self-publish? Should I?

I've wanted to be a writer since I read The Shining. I'm proud of my achievements. Not many people can say they outsold John Lithgow, caused a web site to get more hate mail then it had ever previously received, or have their daughter walk through a bookstore and say, "There's my dad's book." I've caused a major moral majority group to forgo a planned speech and instead attack an editorial I wrote. That attack lasted an hour. I've caused people to leave the room during a public reading of my fiction. I've done less than some writers, more than others. This manuscript, however, is one I want out there.

I feel good about this (but I always do). I feel like it could change things. All it needs is a chance. All it needs is a publisher to believe in it. All it needs is one person to give the nod, and I think I will be set. I won't be rich, but it's not about that. It's about being able to make a living off something only I can do. I'm the only one who can write my stories, tell my tales. Me. That's it.

When people say I should relax and take it easy, not work so much, it's obvious they don't get it. If I don't write these things, they don't get done. There is nobody there to pick up my slack. Hell, there can be no slack.

I want this one to get published. I want it to bother people. I want movie options. I want interviews in magazines and newspapers (it was cool to get interviewed by my old hometown paper during my lunch hour when my poker book came out).

I want it.

I will get it.

Or die trying.

On the Border

Borders. Not the best book store going, but not the most evil, either. Every time I need to ask a clerk for something, though, it becomes a nightmare of retail proportions. This day was no different. All I wanted was a copy of Apocalypse Culture for a friend's birthday. She likes studying the dark side of humanity, so I thought she would enjoy it.

The clerk, a bespectacled young man who looked like he enjoyed the musical stylings of Hootie and the Blowfish, walked over to a computer and typed the title in. Of course, he spelled it wrong ... a few times. "I don't think we have it," he told me.

"You might want to spell it differently."

"It's not spelled the normal way?" he asked.

"No. It is."

He shrugged and tried it another way. It was wrong, but close enough to get the title to come up on the screen. Bingo.

"We don't have it in stock," he said. "We can order it."

I wanted to tell him I could order it, too. Possibly even find it new and cheaper on eBay. I just thanked him, however, and told him I would look around instead. He answered with a shrug.

Getting competent help at Borders has been a problem for me for far too long. I'll usually ask for a title of either a book or DVD and will be told to look in some section that has nothing to do with the title, or have it typed into the computer (usually misspelled), or be told no such thing exists (that's my favorite). I don't know what it is with the staff, but that is usually how it goes.

I'm not a fan of big book stores, and this is one of the reasons why. I'll still shop there when I need something right away and nobody else has it, but if I can avoid it I will. Like all book junkies, however, I can't stay out of there. There's something about a book store ... the smell ... the way they look on the shelf ... the possibilities ... the comfort in knowing I will never run out of things to read.

The staff still sucks, though.

A Cautionary Tale

The Anarchist Cookbook is suspect at best. There are a lot of things in there I wouldn't try. The politics are spotty, and some have said this book is a front, kind of a dangerous bit of disinformation. The controversy behind it, though, made me want it, and many, many years ago I obtained it ... but not without some problems.

I first tried to order this book from Waldenbooks. I asked the clerk to special order it for me. She looked it up in her system and said that their distributor blacklisted the book and would not sell it to any of the bookstores it supplied. Fair enough. A distributor doesn't have to carry anything.

I then took my business to a different, smaller bookstore -- one with balls. When I told the clerk there of my problem with Waldenbooks he said, "That's bullshit. We have the same distributor, and I can order that for you." And he did. Within days I had my book. Disappointment followed.

I never found out why Waldenbooks, which I never had much of a problem with previous to this, didn't want to order the book. I can only imagine there was some kind of corporate liability scare and instead of owning up to it, employees were instructed to put the blame on the distributor. It was a coward's act, and I lost all respect for the book chain after that.

Again, the book itself is nothing special and not worth the controversy associated with it. Every few years it shows up in the news when some criminal some place is found to have it in his possession. Yawn. Any book that has that kind of a reputation, however, needs to be checked out if only to see if the hoopla has any teeth to it. In this case, it really doesn't. And as for it being disinformation, I kind of think there is some truth to that, and that alone makes it well worth having as a piece of history.

Like Pulling Teeth

Halloween 2 by Jack Martin. I bought the book at the mall. I had the first book. Was fucking thrilled to get this one. Yes, I was still a kid, but my parents didn't have any hesitation when it came to the books I read. I could read anything I wanted, and I wanted this. The cover alone was worth any price I had to pay.

So I sat on the couch and dived into it, and it was tense. Very tense. I started playing with my tooth out of nervousness. I had just started to come loose. By the time I was done with the book my tooth would be gone and my mouth would be bleeding horribly. Yes, I tore my own tooth out while reading this because I was so into the story that tore out my own tooth and didn't feel a damn thing. I remember not only pulling on it, but twisting it. Back and forth. Forwards and back. I was doing my best to tear the thing from its housing in my gums, and I didn't taste a drop of blood.

It's amazing that a book can so thoroughly transfer to some world where you don't even feel pain. Looking back now, I doubt the story was all that great, but to my young mind it was the exact thing I wanted to read. I loved the movie, but the book took me into Haddonfield far more deeply than the film ever could.

My copy of the book is back East somewhere. I doubt I'll ever see it again. I'll never forget, though, looking down at the tooth in my blood-slick fingers (I was careful not to get any of the red love on the pages) and thinking, "Wow. How did I do this?"

Maybe I should go find a used copy somewhere ...

Electric Frankenstein

I finished Electric Frankenstein! High Energy Punk Rock & Roll Poster Art and have to say I came away impressed. Besides being an art and punk fan, I'm also a fan of Electric Frankenstein, so buying the book was a given. Getting such great art inside by the likes of Coop, Dirty Donny and others was icing on the cake. Bookending that art was an introduction on how artwork fits into the music scene and a history of the band. Again -- a must buy book.

Books like this are my decadent reads. Stuff that is there only to enrich me culturally. No heavy thinking or lots of introspection. I use them to get inspired and become exposed to new things. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. When I want the heavy reading, out comes Chomsky. When I want something light, any novel will do really. When I want to indulge, though, I pick up a book like this.

I bought this book when it first came out, but it has sat on my shelf waiting for the right time, which was just a few weeks ago. I cracked it open, sniffed the pages. They were still fresh. I took in the colors, the bands (Electric Frankenstein has had some incredible stage partners like Nashville Pussy and the Misfits) and the story. It was a short read, but highly satisfying.

I do that sort of thing a lot ... leave books on the shelf like trophies to be read when the time is right. I'm sure I'm not the only one, either. Some people, like those rabid Dan Brown fans, get a book and read it right away before the cancer claims them. I can understand that, but to me a book is something to be savored. Just glancing at my shelf now I can see Born Under a Bad Sky. Have had it a few months. Have yet to read it. I'll read it when the mood strikes. I won't rush it. Like wine, it should be sipped slowly.

It seems strange to write about something like this when it comes to a band known for playing fast, short songs. That's the nature of the written word, though. It can be about the most fast-paced subject, but is most enjoyed when you take your time with it.

And in a few more years I'll look at it again. For now, though, I'm wading through Essential Silver Surfer Vol. 1.

Asus to Enter E-Reader Market

Asus is set to introduce an Eee-reader this year to compete with Amazon and Sony's e-readers. For people like myself, who think e-readers are less romantic ways to read a book (changing it from art to mere product, much like MP3s and CDs did to music), this is just another annoyance in the constant stream of publishing woes. To others, this is a significant sign that the e-book is nowhere near dead.

I don't like reading anything but short pieces and news on my computer. I enjoy the feel of a book. The paper pages, the way a new book smells, what it looks like on my shelf. I have a library. Over 900 books. Yes, it takes up space. I don't care. Readers know that the first thing they look at in someone else's home are their bookshelves. A shelf with four lonely paperbacks on it can tell you a lot about someone. So can multiple shelves with books of every ilk resting upon them. The e-reader doesn't exactly do away with such things, but it is one step in that direction. Yes, it's easier to carry one e-reader containing dozens of books if you are going on a trip, but how many people take more than one or two books on a trip? (And if they run out of reading material they often buy another.)

When you can just download things with a push of a button it takes away some of the magic. The thrill of the hunt changes. No longer are you intrigued by a book's cover or spine, but instead by a small picture on a computer screen. It turns what should be an artistic quest into something more like shopping for school supplies.

Asus is not a bad company, and nor is Amazon or Sony. In the end, this will help publishers and authors ... most likely. (I have my doubts that people who don't read books now will pick these products up. Why would they?) Any way to get these two groups more revenue is good in my mind. I just wish the consumer journalists would question the necessity more. I wish they would challenge the veracity of such a thing. I also wish the people covering these stories would stop saying this will change/save publishing. It won't. What will save it is more readers, plain and simple. These products will not produce that.

I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. Holding a piece of plastic is not the same as holding a book. It's not even close. I don't think I'll see a day when books aren't published, but I do think I'll see a day when the big publishers have vastly changed what they are and smaller publishers dominate the shelves. That will actually be nice, but it won't be brought about by these machines. No. It will be brought about by the major publishing houses being unable or unwilling to figure out how to get new readers.

That, my friends, is also our job. Readers and small publishers are essential to this goal. Small publishers offer niche products that appeal to a small but adamant group of people. Current readers can turn non-readers unto these things.

A machine can't do that. Can't even come close.

Book Review Up On My Other Blog

My other blog, Published and Unpublished Works, is where I reprint or link a lot of my (duh) published and unpublished pieces. It's obviously a work in progress.

Today a posted a piss-poor book review I did back in 1995 for Da Qiang Ji. You can read the review here, if so inclined. The book was published by Paladin Press (link in my links section of this blog). Here's an interesting footnote to all this.

I published this review in a 'zine I was doing at the time, Married Punks. Paladin was happy to supply us with books to review (and I welcome any publisher that wants to see its books reviewed here to contact me) until one day they cut us off. The reason? We were too extreme politically. Go figure.