Closed Captioned Ramblings

October passed in quite a daze. I have been so actively passive in a long time and it felt like the month given to me by the universe to enjoy being an utter sloth. In indulging these primal desires I let a few things slip through my fingers.

First, October was the final month in the R.I.P. IV Challenge hosted by Carl V. and by my estimation it went rather well. Some books were read that fitted the challenge and some were neglected though they were my initial choices for the challenge. But I am not surprised, since my mind hates it when I try to organize and set goals and rebels. We are not on a talking basis with it. Anyway here is the breakdown.

1) “Scar Night” by Alan Campbell ~ Read & Reviewed
2) “Day by Day Armageddon” by J.L. Bourne ~ Read & Reviewed
3) “Scary Faeries” a Juno small anthology ~ Read & Reviewed
4) “Hellbound Hearts” an anthology ~ Read & Somewhat Reviewed
5) “Dunraven Road” by Caroline Barnard-Smith ~ Read

October also hosted the first installment of tanabata’s “Hello Japan!” mini-challenge, which runs on a monthly basis and has its participants experience Japan through a various ways. The first task was to experience Japanese horror and although I did my reading I wasn’t punctual due to tired eyes and lazy typing fingers. But I am quite determined to show what I have been reading.

The manga is called “School Mermaid” and has three chapters, so it’s a quick 10-15 minute read with decent art and a completely ridiculous story that can be invented only in Japan. In one of the infinite number of Japanese high schools, because Japan is the greatest export of high-schoolers ever, there is this urban legend about mermaids living in the swimming pools and if you eat the mermaids flesh you will find your true love, which is also puzzling to talk about with high-scoolers, but in Japan true love can be found in your teen years.

Two girls are determined to do so and go on a mermaid killing spree, which is trickier than it seems the mermaids are perfectly human legged teen girls in swimming suits that can phase through solid objects. Things go downhill for Haruko, when she discovers that her friend has a rather nasty agenda. It’s quite the creepy read to be frank and delivered with the same a bit over the top intensity and also solidifies my understanding that Japanese people with mild and cultured temperament are in fact homicidal.

Over Halloween week several nicer things happened to me. First and foremost Adele was cool enough to publish a story of mine over her blog-zine, which got me compared to Poe, which I think is an exaggeration, but made my day totally. [LINK] I am also featured over at John’s latest installment of “Inside the Blogosphere”, which makes me feel so honored. These small things are the ones to build up confidence that I may not have screwed entirely with the whole mingle-with-people-and-connect skills that seem to be underdeveloped in me. [LINK]

Oh and some book news. I am otherwise too lazy to do this, but since I am an insurgent as it is I shall do my job honorably to promote the new Jeff Vandermeer novel “Finch”. It is out. So go get it. It’s hot on the shelves. Seriously people. Look at this beauty of a cover and tell me you don’t want it.

Check with the man to see whether you can see him talk. [LINK]

I also made the decision to help promote Shaun Duke as he just stepped into a brand new venue and that is namely to be a magazine editor. His magazine is both electronic and printed and is called “Survival by Storytelling”. Issue one is out. So check it out. [LINK]