"Father of Lies" by Brian Evenson
"At the urging of his wife, Provost Fochs reluctantly agrees
to see a therapist, Dr. Feshtig. Through the therapist's detailed notes,
correspondence from the church, and the provost himself, the provost's sickness
emerges and the reader is drawn into the disturbing inner workings of a violent
pedophile. The provost relays his crimes in excruciating detail. 'God told me
that where evil made its mark, good must follow, burning evil out and purifying
the body.' Fochs describes a dream in which he sodomizes two boys from the
parish in an effort to exorcise their sins. Soon thereafter, two boys come
forward accusing Fochs of that very deed. In another dream he strangles and
dismembers a young girl in the woods near his house, where a child from his
parish is later found."
"Altmann's Tongue" by Brian Evenson
"The spirit of Edgar Allan Poe inhabits this collection of
violent and mysterious stories that recall not only that master of the perverse
but also the seamier side of the nightly news. Death seems to arrive
inevitably, often quickly, in these tales; in the title story, a man
contemplates the justice of the two murders he has just committed, and, in the
concluding novella, a detective relentlessly pursues a trail of bodies that
leads ever closer to himself. Despite the horror present in each story, Evenson's
blend of wit and shock, which plunges readers into the minds of his often
demented protagonists, serves to create acceptance even as it generates
repulsion; in "Stung," for example, a boy seemingly kills his
stepfather for no apparent reason but then is seduced, languidly and
ineluctably, by his mother. Many of these tales, particularly the short-shorts,
remain enigmatic, resistant to any explication; yet even they are told in such
a compelling fashion that one reads not to understand but merely to witness."
"A Compendium of Collective Nouns" by Jason Sacher
"This illustrated guide compiles over 2,000 collective nouns
and brings them to life in stunningly colorful, graphic artwork from the design
dynamos at Woop Studios. Chock-full of treasures of the English language, the
diversity of terms collected here covers topics from plants and animals (a
parade of elephants, an embarrassment of pandas) to people and things (a
pomposity of professors, an exultation of fireworks) and range from the
familiar (a pride of lions) to the downright obscure (an ooze of amoebas).
Pronunciations, definitions, etymologies, and historical anecdotes make this
beautiful book an entertaining read, a standout reference, and a visual treat.
Language lovers and art appreciators alike will be captivated by this gem, rich
in word and image."
"In Heaven Everything is Fine: Fiction Inspired by David Lynch"
"Featuring Thomas Ligotti, John Skipp, David J (of Bauhaus),
Ben Loory, Nick Mamatas, Amelia Gray, Kevin Sampsell, Blake Butler, Matthew Revert,
J. David Osborne, Cody Goodfellow, Violet LeVoit, Sam Pink, Jeffrey
Thomas, Garrett Cook, Jeff Burk, Andrew Wayne Adams, Edward Morris, Zack Wentz,
Laura Lee Bahr, Gabriel Blackwell, Michael J. Seidlinger, Suzanne Burns, Jarret
Middleton, Matty Byloos, Chris Kelso, Joseph S. Pulver, Sr., M.P. Johnson,
Kirsten Alene, Jeremy C. Shipp, Jody Sollazzo, Liam Davies, Jeremy Robert
Johnson, Kris Saknussemm, Mike Kleine, and Nick Antosca."
"The Serialist" by David Gordon
"Harry Bloch is a struggling writer who pumps out pulpy
serial novels—from vampire books to detective stories—under various pseudonyms.
But his life begins to imitate his fiction when he agrees to ghostwrite the
memoir of Darian Clay, New York City’s infamous Photo Killer. Soon, three young
women turn up dead, each one murdered in the Photo Killer’s gruesome signature
style, and Harry must play detective in a real-life murder plot as he struggles
to avoid becoming the killer’s next victim.
Witty, irreverent, and original, The Serialist is a love letter to books—from poetry to
pornography—and proof that truth really can be stranger than fiction."
"Special Topics in Calamity Physics" by Marisha Pessl
"Structured around a syllabus for a Great Works of Literature
class, this mesmerizing debut, uncannily uniting the trials of a postmodern
upbringing with a murder mystery, heralds the arrival of a vibrant new voice in
literary fiction."
"Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting" by Syd Field
"A generation of screenwriters has used Syd Field’s
bestselling books to ignite successful careers in film. Now the celebrated
producer, lecturer, teacher, and bestselling author has updated his classic
guide for a new generation of filmmakers, offering a fresh insider’s
perspective on the film industry today. From concept to character, from opening
scene to finished script, here are easily understood guidelines to help
aspiring screenwriters—from novices to practiced writers—hone their craft.
Filled with updated material—including all-new personal anecdotes and insights,
guidelines on marketing and collaboration, plus analyses of recent films, from
American Beauty to Lord of the Rings—Screenplay presents a step-by-step, comprehensive technique for
writing the screenplay that will succeed in Hollywood."
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