How would you feel if you suddenly started receiving letters from someone you didn’t know? Personal letters, from someone who seemed to know more about you than you ever wanted to admit to yourself? The End of the Sentence (2014) delivers–it’s not only difficult to put down, (or stop listening to, if you opt to experience it as an audiobook) but it is also easily digestible and instantly gives the reader that desirable feeling of unease and fear.
With every turn of the page, we find ourselves more and more deeply immersed in the life of Malcolm Mays, a man whose life is falling apart as he moves into a foreclosed home in Ione, Oregon–what he doesn’t realize is that the original owner never left and doesn’t intend to. The end of his 117-year sentence is almost over…
Interview with Kat Howard
We found out that you’re not just a horror writer, but you have also explored the science fiction and fantasy genres, so what initially drew you to horror fiction?
I’ve always loved horror. Some of the first “grown up” books I read were by Stephen King, but even before that I loved stories that scared me. I like to write horror because sometimes that’s the genre that works best for what I have to say. Plus, it’s fun writing stories that might give people the shivers.
Can you tell me about how you and Maria Dahvana Headley decided to come together to co-write The End of the Sentence?
Maria’s a dear friend. We were guests at an annual convention (ConFusion) and made a comment about wanting to write something together in front of Bill Schafer, the head of Subterranean Press. He said he’d buy it, and we wrote a contract on his arm. (There was a much more official contract later.) It was honestly a joy of a project to write with her.
How did you come up with the idea of The End of the Sentence?
Maria had recently moved, and had been getting mistaken letters delivered to her address. Things kind of went from there.
Kat, we understand that this was your debut novella, how did it feel being named one of NPR’s Best Books of 2014?
I literally fell out of my chair when I found out. I’m really proud of the work we did on this novella. It remains one of my favorite things that I’ve written, and so I’m always extremely happy to see it find readers. Seeing it recognized like that meant so much.
A Cathedral of Myth and Bone
Is there anything new that you’ve published or are working on that you’d like to talk to us about?
As this is a horror venue, I have to say I was extremely pleased when my recent collection, A Cathedral of Myth and Bone, was long-listed for the [Bram Stoker Award]. It didn’t make the final ballot, but just to see it recognized was a delight. I’m currently working on A Sleight of Shadows, the sequel to my novel An Unkindness of Magicians.
A lot of our fans are actually aspiring writers and artists, do you have any advice for them?
I always feel a little weird about giving advice, because I feel like I’m still figuring things out myself. But I think that one of the great (and yes, sometimes terrifying!) things about writing or art is that there are so many ways to come into the field. Don’t cut yourself off because you think you’re too old, or you should have gone to a different school, or that people have already done what you’re interested in. No one else can make what you will.
Georgia-based author and artist, Mary has been a horror aficionado since the mid-2000s. Originally a hobby artist and writer, she found her niche in the horror industry in late 2019 and hasn’t looked back since. Mary’s evolution into a horror expert allowed her to express herself truly for the first time in her life. Now, she prides herself on indulging in the stuff of nightmares.
Mary also moonlights as a content creator across multiple social media platforms—breaking down horror tropes on YouTube, as well as playing horror games and broadcasting live digital art sessions on Twitch.
Tell me a bit about your background. I understand you were Pastor at one point in time?
Yes, I was in the ministry full-time for around twenty years. I served in churches across the South in just about every position imaginable. I have three religion/theology degrees because my passion has always been teaching and the intellectual side of things. My favorite areas of study are supernatural and psychic phenomena, as well as the compatibility between the Christian faith and evolution. I also enjoy philosophy. In fact, it was my faith which lead me into horror writing. Both the Bible and horror deal with the supernatural, fear, survival, overcoming terrible situations, and human depravity. The death and resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate display of these themes. For me, writing horror was a natural cross over.
My decision to write horror caused big waves in my circles. Few were supportive while most didn’t understand. The issue many have is the content of my writing. They balk at the violence and profanity at times. I have explained over and over again that in the Bible, we see the same thing. These issues are a part of human existence and God knows this. He meets us where we are, and the Bible does not shy away from presenting the harsh realities of what it means to be human. Therefore, if I as a still ordained ministers and committed to my faith, want to be faithful to the pattern of what I understand as inspired Scripture, why should I edit my content? This is the big issue I have with Christian fiction and why I would never write it. It’s fake and doesn’t face the grittiness of reality like the Bible does. It sacrifices the depths and complexity of life for some made up, stringent moral code.
I think when people found out I was writing horror, they thought it would be like Little House on the Prairie meets Casper. They were disappointed.
You have been writing about the paranormal and horror for a while now. What is your favorite bit of paranormal lore from your area?
I grew up in the small town of Central, just outside of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Anyone who keeps up with the paranormal and haunted places knows Louisiana is a hotbed of activity. In Central, there’s a haunted road. It goes by the name Frenchtown and was known for its ferocious curves. Toward the end of the wooded road, it opened up a little, and ahead of you would appear a bridge. This bridge was a once functional railroad trestle. The foreboding, rusty structure would glare down at you, covered in satanic graffiti. Near this bridge was where most of the paranormal activity had been reported. But it’s not just about the bridge. Rumors of a Satanic cult in the woods near the bridge, along with a witch who lived in the last house on the left (yes, Wes Craven would be proud) are the prominent legends which once swirled around this trestle. It was said that if you crossed under the bridge, the cult members would kidnap you and drag you back to their lair. In the forest behind the bridge was where the rituals took place. Some have even reported seeing dead cats hanging from underneath the trestle. There are also many other phenomena reported about this site, too many to list here. I am working on an article about it and going into detail about all the paranormal activity associated with the place.
This has been so influential on me I have based an entire series of stories around it and am developing them into novels. The collections of shorts are called The Tetromet Chronicles and are forthcoming through Stitched Smile Publications. I have had several of these stories published already through other horror publishers
Have you ever experienced anything paranormal yourself?
Yes. I don’t talk about it much because one thing I have found to be true—the person who shouts about all of their paranormal experiences all the time and say they have them every day? They are full of crap. With that said, let me relay some of my experiences with brevity. One experience I will never forget is casting a demon out of a woman. It wasn’t anything like The Exorcist, but her husband had to try and hold her down. I bound the demon in Jesus’ name and the strength left. I was able to then cast the demons out. There were only two. I can’t even imagine how bad it would have been if there were more.
Me and my buddy were also shot at by a Satanic cult when we stumbled upon their meeting place late one night. This was in Louisiana and we had heard about the site and went to do a cleansing. We didn’t think anyone would be there since it was 2 a.m. on a weeknight. Boy, were we wrong.
I have also had an intense encounter with a ghost. She is the subject of one of my other forthcoming novels called Theodosia.
I’ve had psychic experiences of remote viewing, clairvoyance, and telekinesis.
Johnny Walker Ranger has some pretty interesting combinations within the name. Tell me a bit about this character and what inspired you to create him?
Ah, Johnny. My first fiction novel and the character I love so much. With all the serious stuff I just laid on everyone, there is something else you need to know about me. I love sarcasm and socially awkward humor. I am a HUGE Bruce Campbell fan and have been for decades. I was the guy in high school telling people they needed to watch Bruce Campbell movies. Their response? “Who is that?”
Yeah, you horror fans feel my pain.
Johnny is a Bruce Campbell tribute. It is taking us back to the days of VHS tapes and when we could joke about things and not get so butt-hurt and offended. But yeah, it is a nod to Bruce, but it is its own story and Johnny is his own character.
I came up with the story at a very low point in my life. Things with ministry went bad fast because of jealous colleagues and pissed off people who wanted me to be a puppet pastor. I was in a transitional period of my life and I needed something to make me laugh. So, I came up with Johnny.
And the name?
I just came up with something I thought sounded like a drunk and pissed off redneck. Johnny will always and forever be my favorite character I have come up with because he helped me through such a dark time in my life. Even now, when things get bad, I go back to writing Johnny. I am almost finished with Vol.2 and I have already started an anthology of stories written by Johnny.
As a horror writer what have been some of the biggest challenges in releasing this story?
Johnny is not for everyone. We had an editor bail because she kept getting triggered by the story. We also had to fire a cover artist because he couldn’t come through and give us a finished product. He got mad and went to social media and slandered me and Stitched Smile Publications. He really focused on me because I was a pastor and am an outspoken Christian. He went on and on for weeks and it finally died down. But still, he won’t let it go. He bought a copy of the book and gave it a one star review on Amazon…but at least he bought the book!
What was your favorite scene in the book to write and what did you enjoy most about it?
Without a doubt, the Bootcamp chapter. It is towards the end of the book and Johnny is training people in his church on how to kill demons. Here are some of the highlights.
The next few moments were beautiful. There’s nothing more melodic than the sound of someone huffing when they get kicked in the nuts. As I perused the rows, I came across a kid who looked to be about fifteen. Real nerdy looking fella; coke bottle glasses, button up shirt, and skinny jeans. Blood gushed from his mouth, and he was crying. I got in his face and went all-out Gunnery Sergeant Hartman on him. “What in the fuck is this? Are those tears, private?” He sniffed. “N-n-n-no, sir.” “It’s not? Well shit on me and call me Commodious. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a freak of nature here who can make it rain from his eyes. Is that rain coming from your eyes, private?” “N-n-n-no, sir.” “Well then what the hell is it? It damn sure can’t be tears, ‘cause you just told me it wasn’t. And I know for damn sure you aren’t fucking stupid enough to lie to me. So what are they, private?” He dried up real quick, but I kept at him. “Listen here, el nerdo. If you are crying here, do you know what’s gonna happen to you when you’re in war? Well, I’ll tell ya. You’re gonna piss yourself like a neutered dog and run home to your Xbox and action figures. Now, if I catch you crying again, I will body slam you to the ground and pee on you! Understood?” “Y-y-y-yes, s-s-sir, D-d-demon S-slayer s-s-sir.” He sniffled a few more times then got back into ready position. “Good. Carry on, private.”
A few rows over, a fat dude who looked like Newman from Seinfeld raised his hand and called for me. “What do you want, Newman clone?” “You can’t be serious? You really want us to electrocute each other?” I marched double time and got in his face. “Serious? Serious?! Do you wanna know what serious is, Newman? Serious is rescuing your pure virgin bride-to-be from becoming a sacrifice to Satan. Serious is picking Toby brains out her hair before you make out with her. Serious is fighting an angel cause he done pissed you off. Serious? You damn better believe I’m serious. Ask me if I’m fucking serious again. Go ahead, Newman, I double damn dog dare you. You ever ask me that again, I’ll shove that stun gun so far up your ass, when I turn it on, it’ll shave your face, got it?” Newman started to mutter. “I can’t understand you, lard ass. Get your tongue outta the jar of Crisco and talk to me.” “Sir, yes, sir, Demon Slayer sir.” “Ya damn right! Now get to shocking, you pew-sitting, casserole-eating, toe-tapping shittards!”
You must be a pretty big horror fan yourself, can you give us some movie and book recommendations?
I am. I am going avoid suggesting the big names in horror because most of us have seen the movie or read the book. Before I give my suggestions, I will say The Exorcist and Legion by William Peter Blatty are my favorite horror novels.
For reading I recommend the following:
Mine, by Robert McCammon. Best opening chapter of any book I have ever read. Out Are The Lights, by Richard Laymon Mark Of The Werewolf, by Jeffery Sackett The Hunger Moon, by Ramsey Campbell Night Warriors, by Graham Masterton Hobgoblin, by John Coyne Light Source, by Bari Wood The Revelation, by Bentley Little
Again with movies, I will give some that are not mainstream
The Abomination, 1986 Galaxy of Terror, 1981The Nest, 1988 The Kindred, 1987 The Boogens, 1981 Witchboard, 1986 House II: The Second Story, 1987 The Beast Within, 1982 The Brain, 1988
Where can we find and stalk.. I mean follow you online?
Tritone’s love of horror and mystery began at a young age. Growing up in the 80’s he got to see some of the greatest horror movies play out in the best of venues, the drive-in theater. That’s when his obsession with the genre really began—but it wasn’t just the movies, it was the games, the books, the comics, and the lore behind it all that really ignited his obsession. Tritone is a published author and continues to write and write about horror whenever possible.
Recently, Puzzle Box Horror had the privilege of speaking with horror author Laird Barron about his life, his work, and his influences. Laird, an expat Alaskan, is the author of several books, including The Imago Sequence and Other Stories;Swift to Chase; and Blood Standard. Currently, Barron lives in the Rondout Valley of New York State and is at work on tales about the evil that men do.
Tell us a bit about yourself and what got you started in horror writing?
Photo Credit: Ardi Alspach
I started writing as a kid. I was into science fiction and fantasy–Star Trek, Star Wars, the Lord of the Rings. The typical pop culture stuff in the 1970s. When my family relocated from the suburbs to the wilderness, things took a darker turn. I enjoyed telling stories to my younger brothers. We spent many a winter night alone with snow and wind pressing against the cabin and our parents off to town. My siblings were particularly riveted by the spookier tales. Eventually, that translated to my writing horror. I experimented with high fantasy and various kinds of science fiction. Ultimately, it became clear that my affinity for the macabre outstripped everything else.
Has growing up in Alaska influenced your writing at all?
She left a mark. With rare exceptions, I didn’t write about Alaska until more recently. I’d gained distance but needed time. The geography and climate have always strongly influenced my work. Alaska was all about rough edges and extremes. The weather, the people, the swing between months of light and darkness…
I haven’t been back since ’96, but I dream of it often. It’s a lot of psychic pressure heaving against the bulwark of a dam. Past few years, I’ve vented more of it into my stories. Still haven’t decided how I feel about that turn of events except to acknowledge what’s done is done.
You’ve written a wealth of short stories. Do you have any favorites?
Over time, a writer’s career reveals a sort of fossil record of their obsessions. Twenty years on, I’ve published enough stories to see them as delineating several different modes. The crime/noir mode; the contemporary weird mode; the science fiction/fantasy mode. First person posthumous… Most of it horror-inflected. Which is a roundabout way of saying, it’s tough to objectively determine a favorite or most “successful” piece of work because there’s a real apples and oranges element. But…
Personal favorite: “Andy Kaufman Creeping through the Trees.”
Best: “Parallax.”
Creepiest: (and for me, creepy is paramount) A forthcoming story I sold to Ellen Datlow called “Tiptoe” for her Shirley Jackson tribute anthology—When Things Get Dark.
Are there any anthologies or magazines that you are particularly excited to have been published in?
I’m grateful to every last editor who has made a place for me in their magazines and anthologies.
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction set the tone for my career. It was, and might still be, the Holy Grail for writers tilling the science fiction/fantasy/horror fields. The heavyweights were featured there since 1949. King’s Dark Tower was serialized in those pages. Zelazny and Bradbury wrote stories for the mag. I’ve only become more aware of the importance of selling my first handful of pro stories to Gordon Van Gelder—two of which were cover novellas. There are world-renowned bestselling novelists who moan and groan to this day because they were never able to crack the ToC. So, yeah, a big, big deal.
Penning introductions and afterwords for collectors’ editions of Ray Russell’s The Case Against Satan; Jim Thompson’s Pop 1280; Peter Straub’s KOKO; and Michael Shea’s The Autopsy & Other Tales.
I’m also proud to have work reprinted in Ellen Datlow’s anthologies. You’re doing all right when Ellen takes an interest in your writing.
What scares you the most?
The declining state of the world should be enough to scare anyone.
What/who are some of your major influences?
Now, there’s a topic. My blood type is labeled “the ecstasy of influence.” I break down this incomplete list into three stages of life.
Adolescent: DM’s Guide, especially Appendix N; Edgar Rice Burroughs; Robert E. Howard; Roger Zelazny; Stephen King; Clive Barker; Edgar Allan Poe; Robert Service; Louis L’Amour; etc, etc.
Adult: Shirley Jackson; Jack Vance; Karl Edward Wagner; Robert Parker; John D MacDonald; Anne Sexton; Peter Straub; Michael Shea; Charles Simic; Mark Strand; etc, etc.
Old Man Winter: Livia Llewellyn; Stephen Graham Jones; John Langan; Paul Tremblay; S.P. Miskowski; Kelly Link; Aimee Bender; etc, etc.
We talk to a fair amount of new writers. What tips would you give yourself if you could go back to when you started based on what you know now?
Like plenty of other people, I’ve my share of regrets. Career missteps aren’t among them, happily. By the time I started publishing, I’d spent twenty-odd years preparing for the day. I’d done my research and had a clear vision of the writer I wanted to be. That and some career advice from Gordon Van Gelder put me in a decent position.
A sentiment I carry from childhood? If you want to make art, make art. If your family and friends are supportive, wonderful. If not, fuck ‘em. The world pays lip service to pursuing your dreams, but the cold reality is that lots of people will act as living roadblocks to your dreams. The worst of the worst will profess to hold your best interests at heart. Don’t let them steal your fire.
Can you tell us anything about what you’re currently working on?
I’m working on a dark fantasy/horror novel and a handful of stories for upcoming anthologies. If all goes well, I’ll also hand my agent the next horror collection late this year, or early 2022.
If you’re interested in learning more about Laird Barron, check out his website at www.lairdbarron.wordpress.com. You can also follow the author on Twitter (@LairdBarron) and Goodreads (@Laird_Barron). Finally, to purchase books check out the author on Amazon.
Ben’s love for horror began at a young age when he devoured books like the Goosebumps series and the various scary stories of Alvin Schwartz. Growing up he spent an unholy amount of time binge watching horror films and staying up till the early hours of the morning playing games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill. Since then his love for the genre has only increased, expanding to include all manner of subgenres and mediums. He firmly believes in the power of horror to create an imaginative space for exploring our connection to each other and the universe, but he also appreciates the pure entertainment of B movies and splatterpunk fiction.
Nowadays you can find Ben hustling his skills as a freelance writer and editor. When he’s not building his portfolio or spending time with his wife and two kids, he’s immersing himself in his reading and writing. Though he loves horror in all forms, he has a particular penchant for indie authors and publishers. He is a proud supporter of the horror community and spends much of his free time reviewing and promoting the books/comics you need to be reading right now!
Born in London, England on August 30, 1797, as Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin–Mary was the daughter of famed feminist Wollstonecraft as well as the philosopher and political writer William Godwin. Her mother Mary Wollstonecraft authored The Vindication of the Rights of Woman in 1792, but she died shortly after Shelley was born, and consequently, they were never able to develop a relationship.
There is some warrant for seeing Mary Shelley as a reflection of her parents, for both mother and father were extraordinary. Her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, published the classic manifesto of sexual equality, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792). Her father, William Godwin, established his preeminence in radical British political thought with his Enquiry Concerning Political Justice (1793) and won a permanent place in literary history with his novel Caleb Williams (1794), often considered the first English detective novel. The toast of radical social circles, the two were bound to meet. When they did, in the summer of 1796, an immediate mutual attraction began, and they were married on 29 March 1797. On 30 August of that year Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin was born. Complications from her birth resulted in her mother’s death 10 September.
Shelley and her older, half-sister Fanny Imlay (a child her mother had through an affair with a soldier), were raised by Shelley’s father William Godwin until he remarried in 1801. Shelley’s stepmother brought two of her own children into the marriage and she and Godwin would later have a son together. Although she provided Shelley with a mother figure, they were never exactly fond of each other–Mary Jane Clairmont would end up sending her own two daughters away to school, but decided that Shelley had no need of a formal education. Despite Mary Shelley’s lack of a true formal education, she educated herself through her father’s own extensive library and she could often be found reading by her mother’s grave.
As a child, I scribbled; and my favourite pastime, during the hours given me for recreation, was to ‘write stories’.
Mary Shelly in The Life and Letters of Mary Wollstonecraft
Her First Publication
The Godwin household was no stranger to many distinguished people of the time, their household visitors included Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth; it’s no surprise that Shelley found a creative outlet in writing, as her escape from her often overtly challenging life at home was being able to delve into her imagination through daydreaming. Her first publication was a poem called, Mounseer Nongtongpaw; or The Discoveries of John Bull in a Trip to Paris which was made official through her father’s publishing company in 1807–stunningly showing her prowess as a writer at the young age of ten.
Mounseer Nongtongpaw; or The Discoveries of John Bull in a Trip to Paris
Illustration for Shelley’s Poem
John Bull, from England’s happy Isle, Too Bold to dread mischance, Resolv’d to leave his friends awhile, And take a peep at France.
He nothing knew of French indeed, And deem’d it jabb’ring stuff, For English he could write and read, And thought it quite enough.
Shrewd John to see, and not to prate, To foreign parts would roam, That he their wonders might relate, When snug again at home.
Arriv’d at Paris with his dog, Which he for safety muzzled, The French flock’d round him, all agog, And much poor John was puzzled.
Just five years after she published her first poem, during the summer of 1812, Mary blossomed into a young woman–one who resembled her late mother far too much for her step-mother to bear. It was for this reason that Mary Jane Godwin, Shelley’s step-mother, forced her to travel to Scotland to stay with an acquaintance of her father–William Baxter and his family. It was during this stay with Baxter’s family, that she found a sort of serenity in the daily domestic lifestyle and she returned the following year to recapture the bliss she had captured the year before. The two years in Scotland may have nurtured Mary’s literary imagination, but it also further isolated her from her much-loved father.
They were my eyry of freedom, and the pleasant region where unheeded I could commune with the creatures of my fancy. I wrote then—but in a most common-place style. It was beneath the trees belonging to our house, or on the bleak sides of the woodless mountains near, that my true compositions, the airy flights of my imagination, were born and fostered.
Preface to the single-volume, Standard Novels edition of Frankenstein in 1831
A Scandalous Affair & the Birth of a Monster
In 1814, Percy Bysshe Shelley, a poet under the tutelage of Mary’s father, but soon focused his attentions solely on Mary. She soon began a relationship with the still-married Percy Shelley; when she was nearly seventeen years old, the two ran off to England together, along with Mary’s stepsister Jane. Despite the close relationship she had with her father, Mary’s actions alienated her from them, who would go a long time before speaking to her again. The couple traveled through Europe for quite a time, struggling financially and facing the loss of their first child–a baby girl, who lived only for a few days–in 1815.
The summer of 1816, Mary and Percy were in Switzerland with Jane Clairmont, Lord Byron, and John Polidori–the story goes that the group were entertaining themselves on a tumultuously rainy day by reading ghost stories. It was this day that Lord Byron suggested that they make a game out of each creating their own horror story and see who could come up with the best one. This is how Mary began her work on what would become her most renowned novel, Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus–so in many ways, when Mary began to write this infamous tale, she was showing off to what she considered her peers in the literary community.
Two Suicides & A Wedding
Late in 1816, Mary’s half-sister Fanny Imlay committed suicide and a short time later, Percy Shelley’s first wife also committed suicide by drowning herself. Instead of taking this time to mourn, Mary and Percy Shelley seized the opportunity to officially marry one another in December 1816. During their escapades in Europe, Mary Shelley published a travelogue entitled History of a Six Weeks’ Tour (1817), while continuing to work on the monster tale that she had begun in Switzerland.
When she finished her famous monster story, Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus, she did so anonymously in 1818. Since Percy Shelley wrote the introduction to the book, it was mistakenly believed that he was the author of the book, but as the novel continued to be a huge success, the Shelleys moved to Italy and Mary devoted herself heavily to her marriage which was rife with infidelity and heartache. Two more of the children that Mary birthed died and the only child they bore that survived to adulthood, Percy Florence Shelley, came about in 1819.
Later Years
The most devastating tragedy that affected Mary was when her husband drowned in a boating accident with a friend in the Gulf of Spezia, in 1822. She was made a widow at the young age of 24, but she continued to work diligently to support herself and her son. Despite having lived a full, scandalous and tragic life before she was even a quarter of a century old, Mary didn’t give up. After her husband died, she wrote several more novels, including Valperga (1823), as well as another science fiction tale The Last Man (1826). A devoted wife, even after her husband passed, she continued to promote his poetry to preserve his place in literary history, despite facing opposition from Percy’s father who had always disapproved of his son’s unorthodox lifestyle.
Death
Shelley continued to live until the age of 53–she passed away on February 1, 1851 from aggressive brain cancer and was buried at St. Peter’s Church in Bournemouth with the remains of her late husband’s cremated remains. Shortly after her death, her son Percy and daughter-in-law Jane had Shelley’s parents exhumed from St. Pancras Cemetery in London and had them place next to Mary Shelley within their family tomb.
Fact or Fiction?
Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction, but considering the traditions we maintain to this day–keeping cremated remains in urns on our mantles, as one example–what we know about what Mary did is actually not all that strange! After Percy Shelley’s remains were recovered from his boating accident, his remains were cremated–oddly enough, his heart refused to burn and it is speculated that this was due to a disease which slowly calcified his heart. Instead of burying Percy’s heart along with the rest of his cremated remains, she kept it as a valuable possession in a silken shroud and carried it with her wherever she went. It wasn’t until a year after her death that Percy’s petrified heart was found wrapped in the pages of one of his last poems Adonais. It was eventually buried in the family vault with their son, Percy Florence Shelley when he died in 1889. It was wrapped in the pages of one of his last poems, Adonais. The heart was eventually buried in the family vault with their son, Percy Florence Shelley, when he died in 1889.
Mary Shelley (2017)
Mary Shelley (2017)
With the recent trend of classical authors having their tales told, it was about damn time that Shelley got the credit she deserved. Somehow it still took well over a century and a half for Shelley to be recognized on the big screen in a biographical sense, although the movie is rife with inconsistencies comparatively with how she has been historically represented. If taken at face value, however, it is an excellent movie–we highly recommend it if you’re a fan of Shelley at all–it is not at all within the genre of horror, despite her status as the famed mother of sci-fi horror fiction.
Georgia-based author and artist, Mary has been a horror aficionado since the mid-2000s. Originally a hobby artist and writer, she found her niche in the horror industry in late 2019 and hasn’t looked back since. Mary’s evolution into a horror expert allowed her to express herself truly for the first time in her life. Now, she prides herself on indulging in the stuff of nightmares.
Mary also moonlights as a content creator across multiple social media platforms—breaking down horror tropes on YouTube, as well as playing horror games and broadcasting live digital art sessions on Twitch.
From the past articles in which we have discussed Robert Bloch and his creative works within the horror genre, we decided to talk a little bit about his most famous novels, especially Psycho, the film that almost overnight made Bloch a writing sensation.
The Scarf (1947)
The Scarf (1947) by Robert Bloch
This novel was originally published twelve years before Bloch’s most famous work, Psycho (1960) and while it was originally published without much publicity and was largely ignored for years, it along with Bloch’s other older works started to receive more notice after Hitchcock adapted Psycho to the big screen. Once Bloch’s work received such critical acclaim, his other less popular works began to gain some popularity as well. These other works tend to still be less popular and while they were all well-written, most were unfortunately as forgettable as they come. The Scarf, despite being one of Bloch’s best novels is somehow still one of his forgotten novels.
When we look at The Scarf we see a story about Daniel Morley, a man who admits to having a fetish for a certain scar he wears all the time. According to our strange narrator, Morley received this scarf as a gift from his high school English teacher; in a strange turn of events, this teacher attempted to rape Morley and whom Morley killed in alleged self-defense.
We eventually see Morley as somewhat of a wandering vagrant, one who commits small crimes to get by—and then also there’s the women he murders with.. the scarf.
Psycho (1959) by Robert Bloch
Psycho (1959)
For those who have been, somehow, untouched by Bloch’s infamous novel Psycho (1959) this synopsis might be somewhat of a spoiler—but that doesn’t mean you can get away with not reading the book, watching the movie, or checking out the television series inspired by the original novel!
Within the story proposed by Bloch in this psychological thriller, we meet Norman Bates, a middle-aged bachelor who is mentally dominated by his mother—a puritanical, mean-spirited woman who prevents Norman from having any kind of normal life outside of taking care of her and the motel they run together in the small town of Fairville. Unfortunately, since the state relocated the highway, Norman and his mother have been struggling to maintain their business which at one point had been a fairly busy highway adjacent place for people to stop for the night.
Enter Mary Crane, an impulsive woman who, after stealing $40,000 from one of her real estate clients, is on the run from the law. Mary arrives just when Norman and his mother are in a heated argument and as the situation progresses, Mary is under the impression that Norman’s mother would benefit from a mental hospital. Norman denies that there is anything wrong with her, suggesting that, “we all go a little mad sometimes.” After finishing her dinner with Norman, Mary returns to her room having decided to return the money she stole and face the consequences so she doesn’t end up like Norman and his mother, but in an unforeseen change in circumstance, while Mary is taking a shower, a figure that looks like an old woman ambushes Mary and beheads her for her offenses.
Norman, who had passed out drunk after dinner finds Mary’s bloody corpse and is instantly convinced his mother murdered their customer—briefly considering letting his mother go to prison, he instead decides to get rid of the body and dispose of Mary’s belongings in a swamp before returning to life as usual. Mary’s fiance catches wind of her disappearance through Mary’s sister, who with the help of a private investigator hired by Mary’s employer, begin the search for her together. Arbogast, the private investigator, is eventually led to the Bates Motel where he questions Norman about Mary—Norman of course lies, telling Arbogast that Mary had only stayed for one night and left. Wanting to cover his bases, Arbogast asks to speak with Norman’s mother, but Norman refuses and by doing so, rouses Arbogast’s suspicion. The mystery continues and what awaits those searching for Mary Crane turns into a psychological thriller that goes beyond the standard criminal mind—who could have known that Norman Bates was such a pscyho?
Psycho (1960) Adaptation into Film
Immediately after publishing, Bloch was made an offer for the film rights to the book that put him on the map, it wasn’t until well after the rights were purchased that Bloch found out the person who purchased them was actually Alfred Hitchcock. We discuss more of the surrounding details in our article Robert Bloch: The Man Who Brought Us Psycho.
Psycho (1998) Remake
Bates Motel (2013-2017)
A disturbing and driving force of psychological horror, Carlton Cuse and A&E provided a reimagined version of Bloch’s original creation, having a more in-depth backstory and an interesting narrative and twist on dissociative personality disorder and how the extremes of such could result in such a violent psychological break even from someone who was at first depicted as being so docile and sweet.
Sergio. “THE SCARF (1947 / 1966) by Robert Bloch.” Tipping My Fedora, 13 May 2012, bloodymurder.wordpress.com/2012/04/20/the-scarf-1947-by-robert-bloch/.
Van Sant, Gus, director. Psycho, Universal Pictures, 1998.
Georgia-based author and artist, Mary has been a horror aficionado since the mid-2000s. Originally a hobby artist and writer, she found her niche in the horror industry in late 2019 and hasn’t looked back since. Mary’s evolution into a horror expert allowed her to express herself truly for the first time in her life. Now, she prides herself on indulging in the stuff of nightmares.
Mary also moonlights as a content creator across multiple social media platforms—breaking down horror tropes on YouTube, as well as playing horror games and broadcasting live digital art sessions on Twitch.
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