I just learned this morning that Jess (Jesús) Franco has passed away. I’m going to try to put together a few thoughts about the man and his films in the days ahead. In the meantime, I’m making available a PDF of a piece I did on his film Vampyros Lesbos. This originally appeared in the Horror issue of Paradoxa (no. 17, 2002), edited by Steffen Hantke. My thanks to publisher David Willingham for granting the permission so quickly. Read the article here: Guerilla Vamping.
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Jess Franco, RIP
Posted: April 2, 2013 in UncategorizedTags: Deleuze, Guattari, horror, Jess Franco, vampire
Checking the Pulse of the Wide-Release Horror Film
Posted: March 26, 2013 in UncategorizedTags: Fangoria, horror, Insidious, The Grey, Woman in Black
The current issue of Fangoria has its ballot for the 2013 Chainsaw Awards, and the nominees for “Best Wide-Release Film” got me thinking about the current state of the horror film. Here are the nominees:
– The Cabin in the Woods
– The Grey
– ParaNorman
– Sinister
– The Woman in Black (more…)
Landscapes with Dragons
Posted: February 26, 2013 in UncategorizedTags: 40k universe, Black Dragons, space marines, warhammer 40
This has been the most incredible couple of months for me, what with three books being released one after the other. I’ve never experienced the like, and I am fully conscious of just how lucky I am. I truly wish that the struggling writer of my past, who couldn’t seem to get himself arrested, could have known that this day was coming. And so now, after the two novellas, my first novel with the Black Library, The Death of Antagonis, hits the shelves. A few days ago, over at the Black Library blog, I talked about why I love the Space Marines Chapter of the Black Dragons (check that out here), so over here I wanted to write just a few words about some of what I was hoping to achieve conceptually. (more…)
A few words from me today about Mephiston: Lord of Death over at the Black Library. Read the post here: http://www.blacklibrary.com/Blog/an-interview-with-the-lord-of-death.html
… I make my first public appearance as a Black Library author. This afternoon, I’ll be signing Yarrick: Chains of Golgotha at the local Games Workshop, and I thank in advance everyone who shows up in the -19 C temps and blowing snow (but at least we don’t hit -30 until Monday!). I’m going to be a pretty excited little doggy over the next little while, as several of my efforts hit the streets. Golgotha was released yesterday, and Mephiston: Lord of Death begins its week-long sale on the 25th. And then, in February, The Death of Antagonis, but more on that in due course.
Horror, Hybrids and Contagion: Why the Messiness of Genres Is a Good Thing
Posted: November 15, 2012 in UncategorizedTags: Alien, fantasy, Gethsemane Hall, horror, Kornukopia, science fiction, Seven, SF Signal
Today, I have another guest blog. I’m over at SF Signal, talking about horror as a literary virus: http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2012/11/guest-post-david-annandale-on-why-the-messiness-of-genres-is-a-good-thing/
The Depths of Names
Posted: November 12, 2012 in UncategorizedTags: Gethsemane Hall, horror, Horus, Jen Blaylock, Mephiston, names, Warhammer 40k, world-building
Yes, I’ve written a new post. But you don’t get to read it here. Abhinav Jain has kindly invited me to contribute to his “Names: A New Perspective” series, and you can read my two-bits on names and world-building at his site, over here: http://sonsofcorax.wordpress.com/2012/11/12/nanp-the-depths-of-names/
Mini-Update
Posted: October 31, 2012 in UncategorizedTags: favourite novel, Gothic, horror, Urban Fantasy, writer's block
Oh, I’ve been a bad blogger, letting weeks go by and the prose go stale here. I have, however, been doing some guest posts, so here’s a round-up of recent contributions.
On Civilian Reader’s blog, I took part in his series on “My Favourite Novel”: http://civilian-reader.blogspot.ca/2012/10/guest-post-my-favourite-novel-by-david.html
Bookworm Blues has had another series, this one on avoiding writer’s block, and here’s my bit: http://www.bookwormblues.net/2012/10/04/thoughts-on-writers-block-david-annandale/
And just today, for Halloween, I’m part of the Mind Meld at SF Signal on the relationship between the Gothic and Urban Fantasy: http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2012/10/mind-meld-the-intersection-between-gothic-horror-and-urban-fantasy/
And now I have to get back to work on this here novel thing.
The Next Big Thing Week 14
Posted: September 27, 2012 in UncategorizedTags: Black Dragons, Space Marine Battles, The Death of Antagonis, Warhammer 40k
Thanks to Chadwick Ginther, for tagging me in the Next Big Thing. The idea behind the Next Big Thing is to present chain of weekly blog posts where the tagged authors talk about one of their current works in progress.
What is the working title of your book?
The Death of Antagonis. It will be released this coming February.
Where did the idea come from for the book?
I think the Black Dragons are a fascinating Chapter of Space Marines in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. They are unquestionably loyal, but are regarded by some with deep suspicion. One of my goals was to explore how the character of the Black Dragons and they way they wage war are inseparable. (more…)
On Seeing My First Horror Novel in Print
Posted: August 13, 2012 in UncategorizedTags: books, Gethsemane Hall, haunted house, horror, writing
I have always loved horror.
This statement is both true and false. When I was very young, I didn’t necessarily like frightening entertainment. I think I was about four when I first encountered skeletons in a funhouse. They were just glow-in-the-dark, orange drawings on a wall, but that was enough to have me squeezing my eyes shut in mortal fear, and clutching my father’s hand for dear life until we were free of that horrible place. I did NOT like that AT ALL. (But now I treasure the memory.) I wasn’t much older when I found one of my mother’s old fairy-tale books in the basement. It had illustrations by Arthur Rackham. I slammed the book shut at the first decapitated giant. I did NOT like that AT ALL. (But now I wish I knew where that book was.) (more…)
David Annandale 