Hi, all.
Here we are, once again entering the red and gold month of October, where gradually our pathways become less crowded, skittering leaves noisier, evenings darker and the chill edge of the wind cuts closer to bone.
When I’ve talked with experts on film and literary horror and dark fiction I’ve reached the conclusion I’m at best a still studying sophomore in comparison, but I have read a few things that might be of interest and here Hobbit and SFFWorld have built a sanctuary, a space where we share the disturbing, the ominous, the dark and dread-inspiring stories appropriate to the season. Not all spaces are safe, though, and this year I found myself visiting places haunted or somehow … off, some of them spaces inside and some spaces outside, some in cities and some in deep forest or by the sea or in suburbs, some present and some past, some of the stories verging on s.f., some on fantasy, but all … well, perhaps not horror if by that we mean solely physical violence, blood and gore. Some of the works I propose to discuss show a sense of humor, most are dark and some are brooding, and a few … well, a few are violent and bloody.
So, welcome, “Enter freely and of your own free will,” knowing in this space you are encouraged to enter the discussion at any point along our tour of paths to Halloween, free to discuss, comment, question or disagree with my views, and to recommend other readings. Come one, come all to our (torch-lit? pitchfork wielding?) procession through October.
Randy M.
