Very cool. And I agree with you about the corruption of various genres. There's a lot that can be done with the "cannibal zombie" sub-genre (especially considering that the Zombie appears to be the cultural archetype du jour), but with rare exceptions (World War Z, Shawn of the Dead), those possibilities remain unexplored.
On the subject of children and horror, I wish I'd gotten a copy of my story "Clown Balloons" to you last year. Are you still reading non-invitational submissions for your collections? And if not, how could I bring my work to your attention? My newest published story, "Ravenous," appears in the current issue of Weird Tales magazine, but I don't know which venues you're reading these days.
ellen, so glad to see the subject of short stories come up in your interview--as, of course, they invariably would. hopefully your live journal will continue to explore the subject, as you did way back when w/ the Stephen King entry (sept) and w/ the horror awards entry (oct.--tho, that entry unfortunately led to some of the most embarrassing--and essentially unrelated--public bickering I've ever seen in a comments field).
your interview comments cause me to ask why the short story isn't a viable way to earn a living as a writer? This is why, I presume, many authors turn away from short stories. I know that novels are generally easier to write, and yield a bigger paycheck to boot, but why don't short stories pay better? Why don't collection sell very well? why have readers fooled themselves into thinking a short story collection--written by someone who knows how to write a collection (Ligotti, Aickman, A. Carter, etc.)--is less satisfying than a novel? in part, I think its because the short stories that do reach a large audience--those in the New Yorker, for example--are often tepid and forumlaic. There's not enough complex--but fun!--short fiction reaching big audiences. It's a shame, for example, that Shepard's Dagger Key--so very readable yet rich, with fully developed characters and a sense of style--is such an expensive collection, and won't be found on the shelves of your local B&N.
And how can we repeat the flukes--the excellent short story collection that does reach a big audience--The Two Sams, Stranger Things Happen, or Doerr's The Shell Collector? Other than their excellence, why did those books make it through, when Terry Lamsley's brilliant Conference of the Dead can only be bought--at a steep price--in speacialty shops?
And do you think anthologies lead people to collections/new short story authors? Obviously, the value of an Inferno or YBF&H is in part getting the stories of authors like Shepard and Lamsley into the hands of readers who might not otherwise see their fiction. Does that ever translate to getting the collections of such authors into the big shops?
sorry to go on like this... it's a subject that interests me particularly. thanks for addressing it so well in your interview!
Ellen, I found the issue touched upon in the interview about horror and childhood rather interesting. It's something I've mulled over a lot.
I think most horror is entrenched in childhood experiences. At that point we have little control and an incomplete comprehension of how the world works. A great deal of the world is scary - why your parents fight, why the bully down the street picks on you, why Great Aunt Agatha smells that way, the weird conversations adults have that go over your head - you know you are missing something, but it's just out of reach.
This powerlessness combined with an active imagination invents monsters that haunt us - the awful darkness under the bed, the closet door that will not stay shut, the tree by the window that casts weird shadows, etc. The world is mysterious, barely understood, and there is a great deal out there that can hurt us. These experiences are so strong that even when we are adults, and have a better, rational understanding of the world, certain events can throw us back into those childish moments of horror: being alone in a house after watching a horror movie, etc.
I suspect that Horror always circles around the issue of powerlessness, and truly gripping horror explores that issue and discovers a way for the protagonist to regain his/her power.
While this would not be appealing to many authors, I would suggest that showing actors reading books would be helpful.
Humans are social animals and are given to imitative behavior. The visual acceptance of book reading and the resultant conversations would build a readership.
Or even if the books aren't actually read, would lead to additional sales.
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ellen_datlow) wrote2007-12-08 12:55 pm
no subject
On the subject of children and horror, I wish I'd gotten a copy of my story "Clown Balloons" to you last year. Are you still reading non-invitational submissions for your collections? And if not, how could I bring my work to your attention? My newest published story, "Ravenous," appears in the current issue of Weird Tales magazine, but I don't know which venues you're reading these days.
Thanks for posting the interview! :)
(no subject)
short stories
your interview comments cause me to ask why the short story isn't a viable way to earn a living as a writer? This is why, I presume, many authors turn away from short stories. I know that novels are generally easier to write, and yield a bigger paycheck to boot, but why don't short stories pay better? Why don't collection sell very well? why have readers fooled themselves into thinking a short story collection--written by someone who knows how to write a collection (Ligotti, Aickman, A. Carter, etc.)--is less satisfying than a novel? in part, I think its because the short stories that do reach a large audience--those in the New Yorker, for example--are often tepid and forumlaic. There's not enough complex--but fun!--short fiction reaching big audiences. It's a shame, for example, that Shepard's Dagger Key--so very readable yet rich, with fully developed characters and a sense of style--is such an expensive collection, and won't be found on the shelves of your local B&N.
And how can we repeat the flukes--the excellent short story collection that does reach a big audience--The Two Sams, Stranger Things Happen, or Doerr's The Shell Collector? Other than their excellence, why did those books make it through, when Terry Lamsley's brilliant Conference of the Dead can only be bought--at a steep price--in speacialty shops?
And do you think anthologies lead people to collections/new short story authors? Obviously, the value of an Inferno or YBF&H is in part getting the stories of authors like Shepard and Lamsley into the hands of readers who might not otherwise see their fiction. Does that ever translate to getting the collections of such authors into the big shops?
sorry to go on like this... it's a subject that interests me particularly. thanks for addressing it so well in your interview!
Re: short stories
Re: short stories
Re: short stories
no subject
I think most horror is entrenched in childhood experiences. At that point we have little control and an incomplete comprehension of how the world works. A great deal of the world is scary - why your parents fight, why the bully down the street picks on you, why Great Aunt Agatha smells that way, the weird conversations adults have that go over your head - you know you are missing something, but it's just out of reach.
This powerlessness combined with an active imagination invents monsters that haunt us - the awful darkness under the bed, the closet door that will not stay shut, the tree by the window that casts weird shadows, etc. The world is mysterious, barely understood, and there is a great deal out there that can hurt us. These experiences are so strong that even when we are adults, and have a better, rational understanding of the world, certain events can throw us back into those childish moments of horror: being alone in a house after watching a horror movie, etc.
I suspect that Horror always circles around the issue of powerlessness, and truly gripping horror explores that issue and discovers a way for the protagonist to regain his/her power.
Well, it's a theory... ;)
(no subject)
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no subject
Humans are social animals and are given to imitative behavior. The visual acceptance of book reading and the resultant conversations would build a readership.
Or even if the books aren't actually read, would lead to additional sales.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)