–Photo courtesy of the public domain
Wordless Wednesday – 1/29/25
Month: January 2025
Bom bommmm… Bom bommmm… Bom bommmm…
Finished a horror story over the weekend where I reflected on the time my folks let me watch this grisly masterpiece, one of the greatest remakes ever attempted. Age 12, in a violent rut being tormented by my peers. Already a deep horror fan at such a young age. They previewed it first and let me have at it, knowing instinctively what therapy this film would provide me then.
Thank you, John Carpenter.
–Ray Van Horn, Jr.
Back to the Mall Record Shop Future
And this still isn’t vintage enough, but the point’s made plenty hard. Mall record stores and megashops were horrendously overpriced even by today’s inflated economical standards, but there wasn’t a single time I didn’t not pop into one of these on a mall outing. For all of you indie record shops still hanging out there, I love you. Keep the faith.
–Meme courtesy of the public domain
Holy Kaiju, Batman!
–Meme courtesy of the general public
Reading at The New Outlaws Open Mike, The Depot, Baltimore, MD
Dropping some verses and a lil’ Behind the Shadows at last night’s New Outlaws Open Mike at The Depot, Baltimore.
–Ray Van Horn, Jr.
Sexy Saturday
–Courtesy of the public domain
Universal Rushmore
–Photo courtesy of the public domain
Billy Chizmar’s Debut Novel “Them” is Stephen King Worthy
One of my Christmas scores was a signed, sold-out limited edition of W.H. Chizmar’s (son of Richard) debut novel, Them. Not a story about 1950s Atomic-era giant ants, but in the neighborhood. Not an evil ghost-witch concept album by King Diamond. It initially felt like The Last of Us and A Quiet Place post apocalypse story which about-faces its dramatic and occasionally amusing and sentimental quest for survival into a bombastic War of the Worlds epic. Existentialism is under fire between human and our alien usurpers Chizmar calls “Scorpions,” with a long unnamed protagonist leading us through turf where you sometimes question which side you are rooting for.
Billy Chizmar has written a first-time novel that sucks your oxygen from his detailed, tumbling prose that rings of a long-standing pro writer. Them is so damn good you won’t believe this is a relatively new voice to horror fiction. In the couple of short interactions I’ve had with Billy, I found his confident smile and glowing support of his dad in the public to be indicative of a writer who already knows his future. After reading Them and Billy’s novella, Mr. Purple, this dude has the chops. Welcome to the fold, young man.
–Ray Van Horn, Jr.
Two Killer Reviews of “Behind the Shadows,” by Ray Van Horn, Jr. at Horror Tree and Games, Brrraaains and a Headbanging Life!
What a week prior for Behind the Shadows! Booking two upcoming signings and then this wonderful 4.5 out of 5 star review from Amie Destefano from the elite genre hub, Horror Tree.
Amie says “There are truly grody monsters here, which you recognize. Some made, some birthed and a number who have made mistakes. Van Horn, Jr.’s prose is active and effortless. The story details are ultra-specific, allowing each character to carry his/her own authority. There’s no choice but to believe them. Completely wrapped up in the scenes, I heard, saw, felt, tasted and touched the environment created.”
Read the full review at horrortree.com
Then comes this incredible 9/10 review of Behind the Shadows from Brendan Fisher at Games, Brrraaains & Headbanging Life!
Brendan glows, “An anthology that delivers 10 clever stories with plenty of attitude, plenty of scares and characters we can believe and buy in to. Reel them in (the readers), make them care and then break their hearts – that makes for great reading. Behind the Shadows is a wonderful read that will scare a lot, emotionally touch you at times and always make you think. It just wouldn’t be possible to be a fan of horror and not find something in Behind the Shadows for you.”
Thank you, my man!
Read the full review at www.gbhbl.com
Behind the Shadows, from Raw Earth Ink. Available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble.com, Lulu, Kindle, Kobo and Nook!
–Ray Van Horn, Jr.
The Cure, Indeed
Current audile drug. Waited out for it to be gifted me at Christmas. So worth the wait. On my ninth spin. Incredible to hear how methodic and layered they still are, hailing those luxuriant textures of Disintegration that pushed The Cure onto the map.
I think back to high school and two people who wanted me to try The Cure when I was all holy rolling heavy metal. I was given a cassette taped copy of Head on the Door, to listen to and while it didn’t quite land with me then, I’d taken to the gnarly bass lines of “Screw” and the 1950s sway of the snarling “A Night Like This.” It planted future seeds to my love of alternative rock music, and funny enough, Head on the Door is my long-standing favorite Cure album.
In college, I rediscovered The Cure and it was instant glue. Something about college and 80s alternative. A cliche, maybe, but I look at it as a sign of American metal dying and that transition into adulthood. Either-or, The Cure remains a top 10 favorite band of mine and this close to perfect gem of album, Songs of a Lost World, reminds me why I finally fell in love with them.
–Ray Van Horn, Jr.
Roads Lesser Traveled 