Jack O' The Hills by C.S.E. Cooney

There are certain authors that, after you've heard them read, you'll forever after hear their voices in your head whenever you read their work. It was impossible for me to read C.S.E. Cooney's chapbook, Jack o' the Hills, without adding those sly little inflections and feeling the undercurrent of manic energy that accompany all of her performances. So I can recommend the book to anyone ... but only with the caveat that it still doesn't compare to hearing it read by the author herself.

The book collects two short stories, Stone Shoes and Oubliette's Egg, concerning a trickster named Jack Yap, his giant brother Pudding and the contents of a most unusual egg. It's high dark fantasy in which even the most grotesque and sinister of elements are rendered through words into something beautiful.

You can order the book in print or as an e-publication here. And if you need convincing, check out her story, Pale, and from a Sea-Wave Rising, at Apex Magazine. Or her poem, Dogstar Men, at the same site. And as far as live performances go, try Ride of the Robber Bride in the Spring 2011 issue of Goblin Fruit.

She's currently working on a novel and once it's published, this chapbook is going to be one of those rare collector's items that goes for big money on E-bay. Honestly, if you're looking for fresh voices in dark fantasy, you'll want a copy of this one.

Doom Patrol 22 - Final Issue

This week saw the end of Keith Giffen's run on Doom Patrol. While the series had its flaws, it was one of the few comics I still bothered to pick up regularly. Since the 1960s, there have been something like seven or eight writers doing his or her version of the Doom Patrol every few years. My favorite run on the series (and, in fact, one of my favorite comic series of all time) was the Grant Morrison version in the early nineties.

I've noticed that the best versions of this team are those that present them as heroes who wish they were dead. Maybe not every minute of every day, but there is a death-wish undercurrent even in the kid-friendly 1960s versions of these characters. These were people whose powers separated them from the rest of the world, left them unable to maintain secret identities (much less normal jobs). They were people with nowhere else to go and nothing else to do. In the best versions (Arnold Drake's, Grant Morrison's and Keith Giffen's), the Doom Patrol comes off more like a support group than a crime-fighting team.

Of course, given the nearly fifty years of history enjoyed by these characters, it's certain that a new book will be launched in a few years. Until then, there's always the back issue bins. Farewell to a fine book done by a fine writer.

Unholy Sacrifices

Thanks to everyone who showed up for Cult Fiction's Unholy Sacrifices event. These performances get better with every show and it's always fun to see how different writers interpret the same theme.

Brendan Detzner's Figure 8 started off the show, illustrating the terrible power that can come from true faith (whether or not the object of one's faith is actually worthy). A largely psychological horror story that also managed some truly bloody moments.

Frank Stascik's Threads was next up. A story of honor among horrors where the reader doesn't quite know who is sacrificing whom until the bitter climax. This one also pulls off the clever trick of horrifying in its description of how the monster does not manifest.

Eric Cherry's Infidel's Revenge began with a tale of rescuing a damsel in distress, only to descend to those horrors that no bullet or knife can stop. Once again, the true horror comes from the depths of human depravity rather than any supernatural entity.

My own story, Just A Little Head, followed. It was read by C.S.E. Cooney, who did a much better job of conveying both the absurd humor and hallucinatory horror than I could have managed had I read it myself. Tina Jens reminded me that humor and horror are often opposite sides of the same storytelling coin and it was nice to see Ms. Cooney balance the sides so well.

Finally, show organizer Jude W. Mire did a performance art piece titled This Melting Flesh. The silent transformations of one face to another to another, the meaning of it all left for each viewer to interpret. A wonderful finish to the fourth Cult Fiction show.

If you want to learn more about Cult Fiction (both the quarterly show and the weekly writing workshop) visit their blog. Or just stop by The Lucky Number Grille (1931 N. Milwaukee) any Tuesday night between 6:30 PM and 9:00 PM to join in with the workshop.

Thanks again to everyone involved with this performance.

Halfway to Shore

Friday, January 28, Cult Fiction is presenting a live reading event called The Dark Hunt. It's five stories detailing all manner of hunts, both by and of things dark. This will be the group's third show and, in addition to stories, there will be s'mores, burlesque and music. It's at the Lucky Number Grill (1931 N. Milwaukee, corner of Western and Milwaukee, next to the Blue Line Western stop) and starts at 8:00 PM.

One of my stories, Halfway to Shore, will be in the line-up. Our hero pursues a fugitive to South America, only to find that he isn't the only one hunting for him. Some history, some math theory and the question of what truly could be a fate worse than death follow.

Hope to see you there.

-Michael Penkas

Another End of the World

Just got my contributor's copy of Northern Frights' War of the Worlds: Frontlines. My contribution, "Another End of the World", probably began with memories of playing with toy robots in the backyard. It's a story about alien invasion and the way that wars sometimes get away from anything regarding a rational motive. It's also about the way that we often define our world not as the planet we're standing on or the government that we empower, but rather as our own small social networks of family and friends.

If you like stories about alien invasions, check it out and let me know what you think.

-Mike

Return of the Zombie

Everyday Weirdness has just posted my story, "Return of the Zombie" today. They post a new one every day, so look for it under May 14. It's another one of my comic book-inspired stories, taking a little from EC Comics and a little from those weird ads that just don't seem to run in comics any longer. Check it out.

New Year, New Story

Just found out a few days ago that a story of mine, Midnight Cappuccino, won second place in the Twilight Tales' Jingle Hell story contest. I can't really say if it's a sad or hopeful story (supposing the two are mutually exclusive). In some ways, it's about the emotional pain we go through when we decide not to give up.

It's special to me because the setting is inspired by a hospice which I visited over several months, spending time with a woman who didn't deserve the hard life she'd led. On a more pleasant note, it is also the first story that my girlfriend, Julie, ever heard me read at Twilight Tales. If you're curious, you can read it on their web-site through this link:
http://twilighttales.com/2009/01/01/jingle-hell-contest-second-place-winner/

It's a great way for me to start the New Year and, if you were there the night of the contest, you'll know that it is an honor, given the great assortment of stories that were presented. Twilight Tales really is a fantastic group and they've been meeting every Monday night for live readings for over fifteen years. Check it out some time and hopefully I'll see you there.