Well, it's that time of year once again. 2009 was unquestionably one of the busiest years writing-wise that I've had in some time: one novelette, one full-length collection (thirteen stories plus an Afterword), six uncollected stories, thirteen brand new handwritten vignettes for the Deluxe edition of The Darkly Splendid Realm, the first ten-thousand words on a novella and about another nine or ten-thousand on a novel.
Add to this six or seven book-signings, several live readings, a trip to Readercon, the annual Festival of Fear, and three or four pieces for Rue Morgue, not to mention film screenings, dinners with writerly folk, correspondence, message boards and (occasionally) blogging. Ye gods...I'm tired just looking at that. But it's a good tired. I'm not one for sitting idly by. Everything listed above was equal parts pleasure and work.
And speaking of pleasure...
I want to take a moment to list some of the stellar fiction I read this year. Once again I wish to stress that this is *not* a "Best Of" list. I know that sounds like hair-splitting, but the following titles are ones that affected me and made me want to be a better writer:
FICTION:
"Do Sunflowers Have a Fragrance?" by Del James
"That of Which We Speak When We Speak of the Unspeakable" by Nick Mamatas
"The Wide, Carnivorous Sky" by John Langan
"How the Day Runs Down" by John Langan
"A Donkey at the Mysteries" by Reggie Oliver
"The Man from the Peak" by Adam Golaski
Temporary Monsters by Ian Rogers
"Catch Hell" by Laird Barron
"Through the Cracks" by Gary McMahon
"The Hawler" by D.F. Lewis
"The Graveyard Guardian" by Jean Ray
"The Horrifying Presence" by Jean Ray
"If Damon Comes" by Charles L. Grant
"Harry and the Monkey" by Euan Harvey
"The Jar" by Paul G. Tremblay
The Nightwalker by Thomas Tessier
"Marya Nox" by Gemma Files
"Cold to the Touch" by Simon Strantzas
"Fading Light" by Simon Strantzas
"Poor Stephanie" by Simon Strantzas
"The Woods" by Michael Kelly
Isis by Douglas Clegg
"The Cabinet Child" by Steve Rasnic Tem
"The Great White Bed" by Don Webb
"Sight Unseen" by Joel Lane
"One Paris Night" by Karl Edward Wagner
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
NON-FICTION
Dances with Werewolves by Niki Flynn
Sacred Monsters by Doug Bradley
Ramsey Campbell, Probably by Ramsey Campbell, edited by S.T. Joshi
The Communion Letters edited by Whitley & Anne Streiber
POETRY:
On Tenterhooks by Liisa Ladouceur
One regret about '09 seems to be an ongoing one with me: I didn't read enough. I'm hoping to remedy that in 2010, but time seems to become more precious a commodity with each passing year. Ah, well.
Some films that I enjoyed:
Martyrs (dir. Pascal Laugier) - Simply put, this is one of the most unrelenting and harrowing movies I've seen in years. Not perfect (but really, what is?) but truly nasty and uncompromising.
Global Metal (dir. Scot McFadyen & Sam Dunn) - Most people know metal music from North America and Britain. Some are familiar with the bands from Scandinavia. But with this film the directors wished to explore how metal evolved and gained relevance in nations such as India, Japan, Brazil, and Iran. Up the Irons!!!
Fritt vilt (Cold Prey) (dir. Roar Uthaug) - If you think the stalk-and-slash subgenre is only capable of affecting teenage dimwits, watch this film, if only to see what can be done when a filmmaker deliberately plays with the formula, adds genuine characters, and sets the story in an environment that is pitch-perfect for creating a sense of hopeless isolation. The most enjoyable example of its kind since Alexandre Aja's Haute Tension.
Curious Stories, Crooked Symbols (dir. Rodrigo Gudino) - This DVD collects the first three short subjects by my friend and Rue Morgue founder Rodrigo Gudino. All three films are great, but The Facts in the Case of Mister Hollow is positively brilliant. Buy it here
Trick 'r Treat (dir. Michael Dougherty)
Drag Me to Hell (dir. Sam Raimi)
These final two films reminded me that, when done well, horror movies can be tremendously and unapologetically fun. Yes, the genre can do more and often should, but think of these as well-made desserts. They're slices of cake. Their keen wit and style made both winners in my eyes.
And there you have it. Whatever you celebrate in December (if anything), I hope it is enjoyable. I look forward to seeing what '10 has in store. Don't forget to swing by The Central on December 27th for my last outing of the year: A Ghost Story for Christmas!
