Last year we discussed some of the supernatural traditions and beliefs of Laos, although the government officially denies the existence of the supernatural. A nation the size of Great Britain with over 600 years of tradition, much of the 20th century was spent in conflict. Known by some as the “Land of a Thousand Smiles,” or a “Lost Eden,” barely a dozen films have ever been made in the country. Mattie Do’s “Chanthaly” is a groundbreaking new horror film from Laos. It holds the distinction of being the first feature film ever directed by a woman in Laos, and even…

I grew up in New Zealand and now live in Australia, one hell of a long way from the States. The horror genre “down under” is pretty active, with a well-established Australian Horror Writers Association (AHWA), fiction awards, magazines, and writers making their name on the world stage. We only have a limited number of conventions (catering more for the wider spec-fic audience than only horror, although we do now have an Oz Horror Con), and like most conventions, these are great fun. You get to catch up with friends you only see at cons and meet other writers like…

About three years ago The Husband (author Weston Ochse) and I made good on our talks about downsizing and wanting to move back into a town neighborhood as opposed to the rural house we’d been living in for more than six years. We signed papers, coughed up money, had some sleepless nights, and the following November (two years ago next month) we moved into our newly built home in Sierra Vista proper. One of our wishes was to be smack in the middle of all the fun decorating for holidays. Halloween especially: the ghosties and goblins hanging from trees, carved…

Ah, Halloween. That magical time of year when the air is crisp and redolent of burning pumpkins, when candy is collected, raw eggs are tossed, and the streets are filled with everything from pint-sized demons to last year’s Comic-Con castoffs. When I was young, most kids wore costumes from Ben Cooper.  They came packaged in a box with a cellophane window that allowed you to see the mask.  Usually the drugstore (Halloween shops were unheard of back then) had sample masks and costumes hanging high out of reach.  The mask was brightly colored plastic with two eye holes and was…

Halloween. This is one of my favorite times of the year. In fact, the whole month of October is such a wonderful time for me. Aside from the noticeable changes in the sultry, hot and sweaty summer, of which I totally despise, to the cool crisp northerly breezes I simply love, I seem to come alive again. Not sure if there’s something in this air that passes through my open windows, or perhaps the stars in my astrological whatever you call it, align around this time, but I do. As Halloween approaches, the smell of Pumpkin pie and the hunt…

Last year, I described what fear was for me. It has never been that which I see, the visceral and horrid depictions on a TV screen, but always in those moments of reflection that follow. Often, when we are all alone, is when fear strikes. What if some monster waits for me around that corner? What if I don’t make it home from my friend’s house alive? What if, indeed? There will always be “What if’s” to threaten our thoughts. What I wanted to share with you this year, and mostly because a few early readers of my latest collection…

Originally published in Raven Elektrik's Jack O' Spec, 2011. It was time for another Family Gathering. I can always tell because Auntie Blue gets fidgety and insists we wash all the curtains twice. Cousin Anne makes a night sky for the occasion, with clouds and a full moon. You’d think this would bother the neighbors because the sky stays that way for a week or two. It’s not an easy matter to change days back to day, and nights to night in the proper order. But the folks on our street don't seem to mind. In a day or two,…

well I let their teeny minds think that they're dealing with someone who is over the brink and I dress this way just to keep them at bay cos halloween is everyday it's everyday Ministry, “Every Day is Halloween” What is it that makes Halloween unique among the other holidays? Well for one, it’s the last unrepentant pagan holiday still observed. But it’s also an affirmation, if not a celebration, of the unseen world and its effects on us. Cynical modern western culture allows itself this one day to imagine a universe of devils and demons, ghosts, angels and spirits.…

For years now, I’ve been hoping for The Horror Revolution. A resurgence. A return to the good old days of the eighties (before I was born!) when horror was not only successful, but thriving. In some ways, on some days, I feel like we’re almost there. I read exceptional horror novels and short stories (many from HWA members) all the time. I feel that the industry is teetering on the brink of Big Change, and that one little push could bring about the boom that will pull us out of the bust. On other days I feel seriously frustrated with…

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays, the other favorite being Thanksgiving. I’ve always enjoyed dressing up and I’ve had some great costumes courtesy of my mom and her willingness to sew. I had a dog costume that was probably one of my favorites and I recall wearing it year after year until I outgrew it. Mom made me a horse rider costume that I also remember vividly. Basically my top was the rider and my legs were horse legs and I wore a horse body. Not really the most practical costume for school, but I wore it.…

We've heard for years how to write. We've learned three-act structure, possibly subconsciously, through countless hours of movies, television shows, and novels. We've read articles about sentence structure, grammar, what kind of dialogue tags to use, point of view, how to format the best of our best for submission. You name it. But there's something else that I feel is equally as important as all the above. That's opening the vein. Ripping open your heart. Spilling your guts on the page. Making the emotional connection. But what will make the difference? How does one connect to other people? How do…

Should Halloween not be a case where the parent is the boss of what their child does without it being considered evil? Hypocrite or actual devout Christian can find some way to make sure their children are not ostracized this Halloween by their classmates because peer pressure among adults is one thing. For the most part we as adults can handle the snide comments concerning how we choose to celebrate Halloween but why punish our children? Halloween and Christmas, while in a base sense reflect two different religious views, are paramount to young children.  They view them on almost the…

If you’re anything like me, your interest in the horror genre explodes every October. You set aside the Michael Chabon or Nick Hornby you’ve been reading for Stephen King or Peter Straub. The indie or classic rock of summer that’s been playing from your speakers is slowly replaced by Phillip Glass or The Dead Can Dance. And your movie viewing returns to the old standbys: The Shining. The Exorcist. The Amityville Horror. And why not return to those films? There’s a reason that the classics are the classics, after all. But even the most diehard Halloween horror movie viewer can…

Summer’s bright days are still upon us: the joys and laughter stronger, louder, as if the earth’s bounties now ready for harvest rail us with delight. As the days begin to grow shorter, summer screams one last time in a desperate display of color so powerful, it seems as if life would spring forth from the natural palette of yellows, gold and orange. But in our hearts we know the hues to be that of decay. Not only the decay of the natural cycle, but also of men’s minds; when they turn from the business of day to the fallen…

When I was a kid, the excitement leading up to Halloween night was second only to that of Christmas Eve. The leaves had fallen and made a wonderful noise when you tramped through them; summer was a memory but hockey season had begun; and it was cold out there with just a costume, but somehow as a kid I never noticed. The really rich kids had store-bought costumes, but I had more fun dreaming up my own. My mom and dad were always great sports: helping me out and proclaiming that this year's costume was even scarier than last year's.…