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Blogs by Robert Dunbar
Okay, so I lied ...
1/11/2007 10:28:45 AM
Happy New Year!
Remember last year when I posted that newsletter thing and swore I would never do this again?
What can I tell you?
Interesting developments continue to … well, develop. For one thing, reception of the new Delirium Books edition of THE PINES still just blows me away. In the past months, overwhelmingly positive reviews have appeared in publications like The Horror Fiction Review and Dark Wisdom, resulting in an impressive amount of critical appreciation overall. Here are brief excerpts from some of the most gratifying critiques.
REVIEWS
“Dark, foreboding, menacing, eerie ...”
~ Dick Pothier/The Philadelphia Inquirer
“The way great horror should be written.”
~ Nickolas Cook/Hell Notes Reviews
“A masterpiece.”
~Eric Stumpf/Delaware Valley Magazine
“A classic of modern horror.”
~ John Paschetto/Weird New Jersey Magazine
“A surreal vision ... complex and rewarding.”
~ Owen Stephens/Asylum
“A book that really deserves all the attention it’s been getting.”
~ Richard Chizmar/Cemetery Dance
Cool, huh? It feels like I’m turning into Mr. Burns from The Simpson, lacing my spiderish fingers together and muttering “excellent.” Onward with my plans for world domination. (Wait. I may have said too much.)
INTERVIEWS
All the critical attention this year led to a number of profiles in various newspapers and magazines. (Okay, so we’re not talking Newsweek, more like Philly Edge and The Trend, but still …) There’ve also been several interviews, notably the one at The Chancery House – still my favorite –
http://thechanceryhouse.com/Dunbar_Interview_by_LM.htm
– as well as this one at Phillyist
http://www.phillyist.com/archives/2006/04/25/phillyist_inter_4.php
Then there’s that online chat I did with Message Board of the Damned – great fun. Find the transcript at
http://lostdamned.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=346
And check out this World Talk Radio program from Halloween 2006 –
http://www.worldtalkradio.com/archive.asp?aid=8253
Plus people keep telling me they’ve seen me on reruns of ABC’s SCARIEST PLACES ON EARTH or The History Channel’s WEIRD US. DVDs of the WEIRD US episode – Creepy Curses – are currently available at
http://store.aetv.com/html/product/index.jhtml?id=74549&browseCategoryId=&location=&parentcatid=&subcatid=.
Before I forget – in case you missed anybody on your holiday list – I hear rumors that copies of the hardbound collector’s edition of THE PINES are still available at Clarkesworld Books
http://www.clarkesworldbooks.com/book_DUNBPINES.html
and Bad Moon Books
http://www.badmoonbooks.com/product.php?productid=577&cat=0&page=1
Hint hint.
NEW NOVEL
Even more exciting – for me anyway – THE SHORE is about to emerge from the depths of Delirium Books. I was lucky enough to have Mike Bohatch do the cover for this sequel to THE PINES, and it’s brilliantly evocative.
Sneak a look at
http://www.eyesofchaos.com/gallery/472.htm
While you’re at it, check out the amazing Mr. Bohatch’s other works:
http://www.eyesofchaos.com.
NEW ANTHOLOGY
A couple of other cool things are happening too. One of my short stories will be in the new IN DELIRIUM II anthology, edited by John Everson. The Delirium Books stable of talent is truly awesome, and my work will appear with tales by some of the top writers in the field: Brian Keene, Rick Hautala, David Niall Wilson, Kealan Patrick Burke and Harry Shannon are just the tip of the iceberg. Read more about it at:
http://www.deliriumbooks.com/insider/?p=157
While we’re on this subject, my short stories can also be found in a variety of magazines currently in print: Apex Digest #5
http://apexdigest.myshopify.com/products/apex-digest-issue-5
Bare Bone #8
http://shocklines.stores.yahoo.net/babo8edbyked.html
City Slab issues #4 & #7
http://www.cityslab.com/index_files/page0005.htm
and Night to Dawn #10
http://www.bloodredshadows.com/night2dawn.html#Night%20To%20Dawn%20Reviews
And other examples of my work will appear in forthcoming issues of Dark Wisdom
http://www.darkwisdom.com/
Inhuman
http://www.allenk.com/main.html
and Surreal Magazine
http://www.surrealmag.com/
NEW COLLECTION
Speaking of stories, I just got incredible news the other day. Next fall, Delirium Books will release my first volume of short fiction, a book called MARTYRS & MONSTERS. Thematically linked (and orchestrated), my stories range from horror and dark fantasy to science fiction and suspense. Beware: there’s even a shocking dose of plain old literary fiction. I’m very excited about this project … especially since Greg F. Gifune, an author I admire boundlessly, has written the introduction.
Excerpt from the Introduction to MARTYRS & MONSTERS:
“Certainly such classic pieces of literature as Stoker’s Dracula and Shelley’s Frankenstein, both of which still lurk as progenitors of the modern horror novel, continue to have an enormous impact and influence on writers, filmmakers and artists. But as Somerset Maugham once said, “Tradition is a guide and not a jailer.” If there’s a living writer who demonstrates a better understanding of this concept than Robert Dunbar, I have yet to encounter him.”
~ Greg F. Gifune
Praise from the master indeed.
Keep watching the Delirium website for more information – www.DeliriumBooks.com.
EVENTS
Early in the spring, I hope to see all my horrible friends at the World Horror Conference in Toronto. For information visit
http://www.whc2007.org/
And a few months later, I’ll be judging the Mystery Writing contest for the Philadelphia Writers Conference. For information see
http://www.pwcwriters.org/
In the meantime, please visit my personal site at
www.DunbarAuthor.com
I’m constantly making improvements and updating the content and love to get feedback. (An entirely new site will materialize very soon.) So that’s about it for now. Still with me? Okay, this time I SWEAR I’ll never do this again.
What’s wrong? Don’t you trust me?
Now that’s harsh.
~ Rob Dunbar
Winter, Haunted Mill
(Ignore the clanking and groaning. It’s just P. D. Cacek, putting ornaments away in the attic. At least, I hope that’s all she’s doing. One never knows.)
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More Blogs by Robert Dunbar
• THE PINES (in paperback) - Monday, July 14, 2008
• Finally got it up ... - Sunday, March 25, 2007
• Okay, so I lied ... - Thursday, January 11, 2007
• De-Motivational Quotes for Writers - Monday, October 23, 2006
• Aural Death - Monday, October 23, 2006
• Oh God, not another book blog! - Friday, September 08, 2006
• My Favorite Topic - Saturday, March 18, 2006
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