Tag: Horror
John Polidori’s The Vampyre
Before the arrival of Bram Stoker’s Dracula on the literary scene in 1897, there was Lord Ruthven, “a nobleman, more remarkable for his singularities, than his rank.” Lord Ruthven’s origins and the story in which he appears germinated one infamous night in June 1816 at the same gathering that birthed the idea for Frankenstein. John… Read More ›
Circus of Blood
“If my heart wasn’t armor-plated with scar tissue, it would have broken for the girl who was hooked up to IVs and fighting for her life.” What an opening. We learn that someone tried to beat this girl to death, but then… “If she hadn’t been a Were-bat, then this would’ve been an autopsy.” The scene… Read More ›
By Its Cover: Mayhem
This striking cover with its skeletal visage—is it formed by smoke or fire?—wearing a top hat and the vintage map of London behind it have me asking: what is it that we have here? “A moody whodunit with a horrific twist, set in London during Jack the Ripper’s red reign…” says the quote (attributed to… Read More ›
5 Thrillers for Halloween
Recently I put together a short list of recommended books for a “book beat” article I contribute to a local newspaper, The Eagle Bulletin. Appearing in the October 22, 2014 issue, the selected books appeared under the banner of “Some New and Well-Respected Horror Reads for Halloween.” Though not the title I’d originally chosen for… Read More ›
John Steakley’s Vampires
Have you ever started reading a book, but for whatever reason set it aside—and possibly in the process lost track of your copy—only to pick it up to read years later? Years ago—likely in the mid1990s—I picked up a vampire book. I started reading it, but (j’en sais quoi) I really don’t remember why I set… Read More ›
18 Reads for Halloween
Recommended Reads: 18 Reads for Halloween Discover new authors (or revisit old favorites) with The Poisoned Martini ‘s Recommended Reads. Perhaps these suggested titles will expand your reading list. *** With Halloween approaching, now is the perfect time to settle in with a gothic or terror-inducing read. These chilling stories may make you think twice about… Read More ›
An Unrealistic Genre
Unearthed from my archives of things kept, I present a college midterm paper of interest to kick of Blog Week V. For those who wonder what shapes a writer’s ideas and craft, the answers lie in our experiences past and present. Those books, movies, and plays we’ve seen or read and the environment in which we… Read More ›
The Witching Hour
An Englishman remarks to a bartender in New York City that “he’d just come from New Orleans, and that certainly was a haunted city.” The doctor sitting next to him agrees and remembers … “He had been dreaming of the old house in New Orleans again. He had seen the woman in the rocker. He’d… Read More ›
Hawkes Harbor
In an asylum, Dr. Phillip McDevitt “is intrigued by his newest patient, a troubled young man recently transferred from the state hospital for the criminally insane. Jamie Sommers suffers from depression, partial amnesia, and an unaccountable fear…” In 2004, S. E. Hinton released Hawkes Harbor, her first novel in 15 years. Best known for gritty… Read More ›
Dark Shadows
In 1991, a show premiered on NBC that captured my imagination. It opened with a governess on a train… “My name is Victoria Winters. My journey is just beginning—a journey that I am hoping will somehow begin to reveal the mysteries of my past. It is a journey that will bring me to a strange… Read More ›
The Poisoned Martini 