In this episode I examine two examples of book design: the die-cut cover and the photo finish (or ImageWrap) while touching on the the embossed hardcover. Examples include Denis Johnson's Nobody Move, Chuck Palahniuk's Rant, Donna Tartt's The Little Friend, Tim Etchells' The Broken World, Brian Evenson's Baby Leg, and Will Christopher Baer's Hell's Half Acre.
Easter Eggs, you know, those hidden references in movies, books, websites, and more that aren't necessary but are damn fun in a treasure hunt sort of way. I planted a few (13 to be exact) in my newest novel, I Didn't Mean to be Kevin. In this, part 2, I reveal references to T.C. Boyle, Steve Aylett, Craig Clevenger, Brian…
Logically, grotesque noir can be defined by a mashup of the traits that define grotesque and noir separately, so perhaps we can best define the combined term by investigating the individual components. What is noir fiction? Noir fiction is not so much a genre as it is an overlay to existing genres. Most people probably think of early black and…
Author bio photos often seem to me as stuffy, strangely manicured posturing that is supposed to be a way to connect the reader to the author (and drive sales), but do they work? I'm not sure. However, they are good for displaying humorous captions. Check some out today at Chris Deal's blog. Click here to read the guest post. Also, don’t forget that…
Over the years I've started and been a part of many podcasts and recorded live readings. See below for the archive. Tales of the Lesser Medium Join Caleb J. Ross (@calebjross) and Travis Terry (@travplaysgames) on a journey through some of gaming's wildest narratives. It's a storytelling podcast where the stories are already written but rarely told. It's comedy at…
I would normally hold off on announcing a publication until the publication in question has been, well, published. But Warmed and Bound is different. Warmed and Bound is a story collection many, many years in the making. Honestly, since the start of The Velvet forums, the idea of a collected story collection has been tossed around. And finally, with talent…
Read on to see how I can give a bad name to your blog! In late 2009 I embarked on the Blog Orgy Tour in support of Charactered Pieces: stories which took me all the way from my living room to the Javanaut coffeehouse on 39th street and everywhere in between with wireless internet access. The groupies were plentiful and…