To say its been a fraught year so far would be a bit of an understatement. A lots going on and will be going on in the coming months. As you can see, I’ve redone my website and this, the new first post on my blog, will act as a kind of “What’s she been up to…?” for the past few months. To start us off…
I got a new job!
One of my resolutions for this year was to get a new full time job by summer and I’ve done it! (I also promised myself the two Elden Ring artbooks if I did it, so those are gonna be MINE.) The community seems lovely so I’m really pleased about that. I’ve been job hunting since December and since then have been hard on myself about how long it was taking but I’m very proud of the progress I made and that I stuck to it. I’ll be starting in August so wish me luck!
I’ve been trying to read more as well. Any literature majors out there know how 4+ years of university will just suck the love of reading right out of you, but I’ve been making an effort. In particular, I’ve been reading more horror books lately. As a horror writer, I find that horror books don’t really hit me as much as other horror media? I think it’s because it’s the visualization of the horrific that I find interesting and scary, and I don’t get scared by things I’m reading. I’m also very picky about the kind of horror I like and I find a lot of horror books, at least the ones that I’ve seen, aren’t silly enough. They aren’t weird enough! That being said, I’ve read two phenomenal horror books this year, both insane in different ways and so, so weird!
Last Days by Brian Evenson is a book I can only describe as ‘if John Wick was fucked up.’ Its split into two parts, the first part called The Brotherhood of Mutilation and if that doesn’t tell you something I don’t know what will. It’s hilarious and dark and just gets more insane the more you read. It’s your classic gritty detective story, a depressed middle-aged man is charged with solving a murder within a cult, but it quickly becomes so much more than that. My reading of it was interspersed with my saying ‘ohhhh my god’ on repeat through the whole thing. It doesn’t let up, its great. It’s silly! It’s horrifying and fucked up! I highly suggest this book, but to those unfamiliar with horror, particularly body horror, research it a bit before going in, but try not to spoil yourself. If you decide to give it a shot, do NOT read the introduction until you’ve finished. It gives away the entire story. Huge HUGE trigger warnings for bodily dismemberment throughout the entire thing.
The Call by Peadar Ó Guilín is a YA horror novel that takes the concept of the fae to horrifying and grotesque new heights. Similar, in my own mind, to The Protector of the Small series by Tamora Pierce, it’s set in an alternate Ireland that has been cut off from the rest of the world by faeries. In retaliation for being banished from our world, the fae are stealing children to hunt for sport in their own world, The Grey Land. Now, children are trained to kill so that they might survive “The Call.” The Grey Land is a uniquely bad place, I won’t spoil it for you, I want you to have your own what the fuck moments, but what the fae do to the people they steal after the hunt is…whoof. Some really incredible body horror in this one.
I’ve been playing Darkwood recently. Haven’t finished it as of writing this but so far I’m really enjoying it. I didn’t think I’d like the survival part of the survival horror, but honestly? Preparing for the night and managing my inventory, laying traps and planning ahead, has been really fun. And let me tell you, the nights are singularly Frightening for me. Sounds scare me! If I hear a noise from off screen and I can’t see what’s making it, I’m done! This game is incredible at making me feel like I’m there in the game, backed up in a corner, listening to things move around inside the house in the pitch blackness, with only a board with nails as a weapon as my lamps slowly start to go out because I didn’t put enough fuel in the generator. I’m petrified! And two feet away from me, my mom is watching Married at First Sight. It’s a phenomenal game and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a rich story and getting scared shitless. If you’re not interested, or want to see what its like before you play, I’d recommend watching this video by RagnarRox: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5197BFqKrDE&t=3351s and stopping it whenever you decide you want to play it, so as to avoid spoilers.
I’m outlining an idea for Nanowrimo again this year, though because my sister is getting married in November (yippee!!) I doubt I’ll get much time to work on it. It’s a fantasy story about a woman who is mistaken for a hired assassin and is tasked by a classically evil steward to kill the king. I really like how the story is looking so far while I write my notes, I worry that it will get confusing but the way I describe it is if Elden Ring had been written by Shakespeare. I’m excited to make more regal, grotesque monster aristocrats and there’s already a Skeleton Lady, the ward of the king, who has an appropriately tragic backstory.
I’d like to be able to do this kind of thing more often! There are games, books, and movies I’d love to talk about in the future and other kinds of life updates that I could discuss on here. I think it would definitely be a bit more of a put together thing than what I could write on my tumblr blog. It’ll probably be a month or two before I write another one, I’m in the midst of writing for two new zines that I’ll link below, but summer is coming and with it a bunch of stuff I’d like to do, and time to talk about it! I’ll make a small list of other cool and interesting recommendations down below for people, of things I enjoy but won’t really talk about, if you’re interested.
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Zines I’m working on:
SPLATTER PAINTING: An Original Horror Zine
Recommendations (just video essays + documentaries this time gang)
The Bizarre Rabbit Hole of Direct To VHS Anime
Rococo: Travel, Pleasure, and Madness
Silent Hill 2: The Hell Within Ourselves
Elden Ring Lore Videos by VaatiVidya
Solving The Mystery Of Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared – Inside A Mind
Anne Luyten 