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What is Grotesque Noir?

February 4, 2012

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 white detective films as representative of noir, and while those films may represent some of the overlay's qualities, in truth film noir can generally be more accurately (more specifically) categorized as detective noir or mystery noir. So what exactly is this mysterious noir overlay? There are a few fantastic attempts at definition out there. A couple of the most important, I think, are: From Noir Fiction Is About Losers, Not Private Eyes by Otto Penzler: Noir is about losers. The characters in these existential, nihilistic tales are doomed. They may…

Free print copy of As a Machine and Parts. You wants?

February 3, 2012

Goodreads Book Giveaway As a Machine and Parts by Caleb J. Ross Giveaway ends February 15, 2012. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win

Booked Podcast. Noir at the Bar. The Velvet Podcast.

January 28, 2012

I’ve been non-stop busy the past few weeks. I feel as though I’ve done nothing, as my to-do list never shrinks. But somehow, as I look back, all that I felt never happened, is done. Here’s a few things: The wonderful Robb Olson and Livius Nedin at Booked Podcast did a full episode about my work, splitting time with my two newest books, I Didn’t Mean to be Kevin and As a Machine and Parts. The things these guys say, it makes me blush colors of red never before blushed by humans. Listen to the full episode now, and be sure to stay to the end to hear Mlaz Corbier say awesome things about my awesome socks. Pablo D’Stair and I recorded another episode of The Velvet Podcast. We talked about one my recent tweets: [blackbirdpie url="https://twitter.com/calebjross/status/158648828218707968"] I hope to have the episode edited and posted within a week. As…

Family Guy’s Brian runs over Dean Koontz

January 23, 2012

(part of my ongoing Unexpected Literary References series) Though the episode is quite old, I caught this reference to Stephen King and Dean Koontz in the episode called "Brian in Love" from season 2 of Family Guy. On the surface, the gag speaks simply to the poor man's Stephen King perception of Dean Koontz. But, when you consider the real life car accident that Stephen King suffered in 1999 the gag gets way gaggier.

What is Domestic Grotesque Fiction and Why Do I Write It?

January 21, 2012

I’ve called myself a writer of grotesque family fiction, but what does that term really mean? I give a brief definition of grotesque domestic fiction, or grotesque family fiction, by way of example, in an earlier blog post: Take a family situation—usually some sort of broken family dynamic—mix in something grotesque—possibly morbid but not necessarily—and you’ve probably got domestic grotesque. But I don’t know if that fully captures it. Up front, I have to say that I’ve always been the type to back away from definitions that try too hard to avoid definition. You know the type; those writers who say, “No, I don’t write horror fiction, I write transgressive commentaries on modernist life where social norms are exposed as metaphorical fangs in the collective neck…” But in the world of marketing, it is important to simultaneously embrace and reject established genres. You know, ride coattails while sewing your own.…

Am I Jaded? Are Unexpected Literary References Everywhere?

January 19, 2012

I love cartoons. I love books. I love when these two vices come together. Since June 2010, when I noticed a Shirley Jackson nod in an episode of South Park, I’ve become sensitive to other literary references in pop-culture, specifically cartoons. These past few months have been strong for my Unexpected Literary References series. South Park, American Dad, Looney Tunes, Conan O'Brien, and The Simpsons all delivered. But what makes this blog post worthy is a comment on a recent-ish blog post (about Neil Gaiman’s appearance on The Simpsons): “why are they ‘unexpected’? Especially in the programs you tend to feature (especially in the Looney Toons!–not to mention Hannah and Barbara stuff, not that you’ve mention that, yet) it is actually quite expected and part of the draw of the programs.” What do you think? Am I jaded? Are references to literature in pop culture more common than I give…

I Didn’t Mean to be Kevin is here!!!

January 17, 2012

How the hell did I not post about this already? Things have been busy around here, in all good ways, I assure you. But that's no excuse. You should have known much earlier than now that I Didn't Mean to be Kevin is officially here! For now, it's available in the Kindle store and will be going live in other stores, both electronic and print, in the coming days. Get it now.