The Black Hand, vol.31
It is the time…The Spooky Time!
Okay, so maybe you’re not a big fan of Halloween – honestly, I’m not sure why I’m that into it myself? I never really grew up with it as a tradition, it was never a prominent feature of my Australian childhood. But I can’t deny that it feels good to have at least one whole month dedicated to the freaks, the frights, and the fears, heh.
So maybe none of the things on this list of scary films, haunted ruins and sinister songs really do it for you, but here are my own fave picks for the spooky season:
Film – Talk to Me
I’ve raved about this movie before, for good reason. I’m not a huge watcher of horror films, because I’m a massive wimp. But this year I set myself the task of toughening up, so I’ve engaged in a ‘Get Ellie Watching Horror’ campaign, and it’s really working a treat – and this film was, by a wide margin, the best and most original horror film I’ve seen so far this year.
It was perfect for me! Limited but judicious use of jump scares, gory without being a splatterfest, and super-smart production and dialogue, with strong themes of grief and addiction and social media culture. Plus the lead, Sophia Wilde, is legitimately insane in her debut – she is so good, and this is in a cast that is all-round freaking awesome. If you haven’t seen it, get cracking! I’m guessing it’ll be in a lot of peoples’ ‘best of’ lists for 2023.
Book – Top 10 Horror Reads
I can’t select a single horror book that I loved above all the books I read this year, but here’s a bunch I found really memorable:
*Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark
*How to Sell A Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
*Don’t Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones
*Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey
*The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias
*The Elementals by Malcolm McDowell
*Bunny by Mona Awad
*Leech by Hiron Ennes
*Mary: An Awakening of Terror by Nat Cassidy
Only two female authors in this list, which is a bit sad. That’s something I plan to change in 2024 – and next books on my list include Silver Nitrate by Silvia Morena Garcia, Cutting Teeth by Chandler Baker, Animal by Lisa Taddeo, The Drift by CJ Tudor, Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward, and The Return by Rachel Harrison. I’ve also got my eye on work by Hailey Piper, Erin Adams, and Ainslie Hogarth.
Music – Mirror Medusa
Looking for something deep and vaguely sinister for your spooky season vibes? Look no further than Mirror Medusa by Lisa Gerrard – I listen to this frequently when I need to recall the feeling of creepiness that I’m trying to evoke in my writing.
Artist – Konrad Krajda
This guy is an amazing tattoo artist (or just ‘artist’, tbh) and while his work is not my aesthetic so I wouldn’t put it on my bod, I really admire the level of work and detail, plus the pieces just look extremely metal.
Outfit – La Femme En Noir: Stoker’s Dracula
Ever wanted to dress like the characters in Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula? Well now you can thanks to these gothic couture outfits by Micheline Pitt – love the red vegan leather and the flounces!
Food – This account on Tiktok
I don’t understand why – I think she has a party supplies business or something? - but there’s a bunch of great videos for making Halloween food on this account, including this one:
Podcast – Colors of the Dark
I’ll continue to keep recommending this pod, as I find the two hosts really engaging, especially while I’m driving long distances in my car (which I’ve been doing a lot of lately - and hey, I’m just about to drive to Sydney). Colors of the Dark does a run-through of all the latest scary films and books (and sometimes graphic novels), as well as some deep-cut dives into certain films and directors etc, plus great interviews 😊
Weird Crime of the Month
I didn’t even know sushi saliva terrorism was a thing, but apparently the Japanese government got pretty concerned when some folks started licking the sushi and communal condiments on the sushi trains – people got arrested. And fair call, really: No one wants to eat licked sushi, blech.
What I’m doing
I’m in Sydney at Book Fair Australia this weekend! That’s right – Sydney Showgrounds, I’ll be in you on Oct 14-15, and you can buy tix here.
Find me at the Book Addiction table (Table 4) and there’ll be a bunch of lovely authors in attendance, including CS Pacat, Vanessa Len, Maiya Ibrahim, Candice Fox, Leanne Yong and more. We’ll be singing books, chatting, talking on panels, giving workshops, and generally having an excellent time. See you there!
Signed copies of my books
If you can’t make it to Sydney this weekend, not to worry – you can buy signed copies of any of my books by contacting Stoneman’s Bookroom, my local bookstore in Castlemaine, and ordering through them. Also, if you want to order a specific title and have it signed and personalised, please do touch base with Stoneman’s – they can call me to come by and sign your stuff before they send it out.
Alternatively, you could try Dymocks Melbourne CBD for signed copies of my latest titles, or Bookish in Bendigo, if you’re a little further north.
If you’re overseas, and you’d like a signed book, please keep an eye out for when I’m touring, or hit me up via email for a bookplate! (elliemarney@gmail.com)
Should I take clothes to prison or just run?
This is objectively funny, because some guy posted a question on Quora asking if he should take clothes to prison for his 30-year stretch, and asking if he would have to wear prison uniform…and dozens of people in the comments advised him simply to make a run for it:
What I’m reading
I’m a big Stephen King fan, but like most people, I haven’t read everything the guy’s written – he’s just way too prolific (if you want a recap and funny opinion on everything King’s written, may I invite you to check out The Great Stephen King ReRead by Grady Hendrix), not to mention that a lot of his books are seriously chonky, many well over 800 pages.
So a lot of his early 00’s doorstoppers I never got around to - but this month I began remedying that to some extent by reading Duma Key for the first time.
I really enjoyed this book! Heaps of reviewers called it ‘a return to classic King’, and if you’re a big fan of his earlier books, then you’ll find a lot to love here. To my mind, it was a little more Dark Half than Firestarter, but it didn’t really matter – I dug it. Not super scary, but definitely some gripping, unsettling moments throughout, so watch your mileage, and overall a lot of fun.
One of his infrequent first-person novels, Duma Key had serious foreshadowing for a long game set-up, which gave me the sense of someone in complete command of his writing craft. Some people say King has lost his storytelling skills as he’s aged and that he recycles themes and scenarios, and you may find some familiar things here, sure. But I’m willing to forgive a lot on that front, because a) I happen to enjoy those themes and images, and also b) speaking from experience, I don’t think you can avoid some recurrence of themes and images in your work, especially if you’re someone who’s been writing so many words for so long, as King has. And yes, I love his early stuff the most – along with everyone else – but this is really mature and skilful writing. Highly recommend, just remember it’s a long ‘un.
DARK HEIR release coming soon!
One of my most anticipated YA fantasy books of the year is releasing next month – CS Pacat’s DARK HEIR 😊
At my house, we’ve been hanging out for the sequel to DARK RISE since the moment it was announced, and if you’re as keen as we are, then I suggest you get in early and preorder!
Nailbiters
I’m about to share a sneak peek of Book 3 of the None Shall Sleep Sequence over on my paid newsletter, Nailbiters, so if you’d like to get in on that action (and also get a lot of behind-the-scenes content), allow me to invite you to sign up here!
LoveOzYAbookclub
This month’s title is Royals by Tegan Bennett Daylight and you’re very welcome to join us on Instagram anytime you want to chat Australian YA books 😊
And that’s it from me for this month – I was going to do a spot on creepy Victorian headless portraits, but I think I’ll save that for another time? I should also say that I’m officially finished vacation, and back at work. That means I’m about to go diving down the giant rabbit hole that is None Shall Sleep 3, a thing I’ve actually been looking forward to for months. I always think it’s a good sign when, instead of thinking about how much work is ahead of you with a project, you’re excited to be absorbed in it again, don’t you? If that’s the sign of a good book, then Book 3 is gonna be a firecracker…
Stay tuned for new updates in November (how is it nearly the end of the year, wtf!!) and until then, I hope your Halloween season is a heckuva lot of fun, and you read some amazing books 😊
Stay well and lots of love,
xxEllie