September is on the way out the door and October is rocking on the front porch, waiting for his moment to begin. Soon I’ll be bringing you a teaser calendar for some of the fun R.I.P.ing events set to occur in October. For now, on this last Monday in September, I encourage you to sit down to a fine fish tea, swear liberally, and remember:
Someday is today.
The Dangerous Alphabet ~Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Gris Grimly
–published 2008
–32 pages, HarperCollins
–5/5 stars
“A piratical ghost story in thirteen ingenious but potentially disturbing rhyming couplets, originally conceived as a confection both to amuse and to entertain by Mr. Neil Gaiman, scrivener, and then doodled, elaborated upon, illustrated, and beaten soundly by Mr. Gris Grimly, etcher and illuminator, featuring two brave children, their diminutive but no less courageous gazelle, and a large number of extremely dangerous trolls, monsters, bugbears, creatures, and other such nastinesses, many of which have perfectly disgusting eating habits and ought not, under any circumstances, to be encouraged.” (from the introduction)
Continue reading The Dangerous Alphabet ~Neil Gaiman, Gris Grimly
Welcome to the week everyone! Despite the implications of the title this post is not full of course language or violent imagery…sorry to disappoint. Instead it is about a couple of worthwhile graphic novels I enjoyed over the weekend, a few sincere ‘thank-you’s’, and a hint at the prize packs for the Tiny Stories contest.
Read on.
I toyed with the idea of foregoing the Tiny Stories Contest for this year’s challenge, but having gotten two entries already for a contest I hadn’t yet announced I have decided to include it again as part of this year’s R.I.P. challenge. And in thinking about it, it seems a shame to part with a tradition started by and inspired by Lisa Snellings, one of the major influences in this blog’s creation.
So, pluck a raven’s feather, grab a bottle of blood…er, ink…and summon up the ghost of your favorite deceased author and get to writing!
Subterranean: Tales of Dark Fantasy ~William Schafer, ed.
–published 2008
–225 pages, Subterranean Press
–3.75/5 stars
Fantasy comes in all shades, from gentle tales of elves and fairies, to the blackest of horrors. Subterranean: Tales of Dark Fantasy tends toward the darker edges, where the fantastic mixes with the horrific. With all original tales…we’ve aimed to illuminate these shadowed corners, to bring into the light the creatures that venture forth from the sea, those that alter our reality to suit their sinister needs, and others who head into territory so bleak it’s best left undescribed.