[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 483: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 112: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 112: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/bbcode.php on line 112: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is no longer supported, use preg_replace_callback instead [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/functions.php on line 4668: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at [ROOT]/includes/functions.php:3815) [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/functions.php on line 4670: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at [ROOT]/includes/functions.php:3815) [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/functions.php on line 4671: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at [ROOT]/includes/functions.php:3815) [phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/functions.php on line 4672: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at [ROOT]/includes/functions.php:3815) Horror World • View topic - MY WORLD (and welcome to it)
… themes of longing and seclusion unite them all. The original Gothic horror tales focused on personalities deformed through loneliness. Ghouls, vampires, werewolves: all made, not born. But the isolation? Are even such as these ever truly alone? Perhaps the psyche has always been more complex than that, desire eternally more potent than terror. Surely, none prowl entirely in solitude. Every hunchback has his gypsy, each phantom his diva, and flames of passion consume witches and martyrs alike. For any lonely monster, tradition demands one sacrificial soul seek immolation. Ashes to ashes. It remains the ultimate, transformative act of love. ~ Author’s Note from MARTYRS & MONSTERS
Most people have a favorite author, someone whose books they especially like to curl up with. Frequently, this enthusiasm manifests as a kind of quiet affection, loyal and steady, but when one writer develops a passion for the works of another, especially a contemporary, it tends to become a different matter altogether. The intensity can approach religious mania.
I have this thing about Greg F. Gifune.
Okay, so he’s not the only one who incites these feelings in me. There’s Samuel R. Delany and Donna Tartt and Darcey Steinke and Dennis Cooper and, well, a few others.
What? I’m a slut with my reading. So?
In my heart, I’m faithful.
If you don’t know Gifune’s work, you’re in for a rare pleasure when you discover novels like CHILDREN OF CHAOS, JUDAS GOAT and SAYING UNCLE. (Visit the author's site at And don't miss Tony Zuma's excellent review of CHILDREN OF CHAOS in this month's Horror World Review section.) Critics have referred to him as ‘one of the best writers of his generation.’ And if one more person asks me, “Gee, why isn’t he more famous?” I may scream.
I mean, isn’t the answer obvious?
He wrecks the curve.
Hacks hate geniuses. Talk about natural enemies. And who do suppose dominates this genre? (Understand, the rule of dumb runs all through the culture really, a trickle-down effect from eight years of George II. The arts were not immune, and it’s going to take more than a couple of months to fix it. Don’t get me started.) Anyway, never mind – that’s not what I intended to talk about. I meant to talk about my latest book: I had the most amazing stroke of luck in that my favorite writer actually wrote the introduction.
“… as Somerset Maugham once said, “Tradition is a guide and not a jailer.” If there’s a living writer who demonstrates a better understanding of this concept than Robert Dunbar, I have yet to encounter his work.” ~ from Greg F. Gifune’s introduction to MARTYRS & MONSTERS
Can even you imagine how much this meant to me? Few authors inspire me the way Gifune does – his mastery of his craft, the sheer creative drive of the man. Several of the stories in MARTYRS & MONSTERS first saw the light of day at The Edge: Tales of Suspense, a small press magazine Gifune ran for many years. The first story of mine he published? GETTING WET, which begins the new collection. As an editor, he always encouraged me to develop that story into a novel, and though I balked at this (probably because the effort would have landed me in a sanitarium), I did go back and create another story about those characters. As it turns out, these two remain my favorite stories in M&M, and I’m not sure the second would ever have been written if not for his support.
Thanks, Greg. For everything.
Others stories in the collection appeared in places like Cemetery Dance, City Slab: Urban Tales of the Grotesque, Dark Wisdom and Apex Digest of Science Fiction and Horror. Settings for these tales range from the pines to the shore, with occasional detours through Transylvania and outer space, but the heart of the book is gritty and urban, eerie and desperate. (Yeah, yeah, I know – such a stretch for me.) MARTYRS & MONSTERS is currently available at Amazon Books and Barnes & Noble, also at the Horror Mall or directly through DarkHart Press.
In other news, Leisure Books is about to release the first paperback edition of my novel THE SHORE. (Delirium Books previously published a hardbound edition.) Review copies went out a few weeks ago, and the advance press has already been pretty sensational. Here are some of my favorite quotes.
“In literary circles, it's often said that “style is the verbal identity of the writer.” Iambic pentameter suggests Shakespeare, lyrical prose evokes Bradbury, pinpoint word economy reveals Carver. In this way, Robert Dunbar's vivid imagery continues to blaze a distinctive trail.” ~ Shroud Magazine
"THE SHORE literally drips with atmosphere … and doesn’t let up on the intensity. The characters were fresh and fascinating, with intricate personalities and quirks that made them all the more real. Totally blew me out of the water … definitely one of the best books I’ve read this year." ~ Famous Monsters of Filmland
“Dunbar really knows how to scare his readers. THE SHORE is Gothic in many respects … character driven yet filled with action … a terrifying horror thriller.” ~ Alternative Worlds
“Edge-of-your seat suspense ... it'll scare the devil outta ya!" ~ The Horror Fiction Review
"I couldn't put the book down! THE SHORE is a genuinely creepy read . . . a roller coaster ride where everyone is both the hunter and the hunted." ~ Fantasy Book Reviews
“Impeccably crafted, with precise and elegant prose, meticulous attention to detail and pacing, this intense and wholly original novel is one of the best to come out of the horror genre in years." ~ Dark Scribe
“A masterpiece … Dunbar charts a new course in contemporary horror.” ~ Dark Wisdom
“Breathtaking eloquence … a tour-de-force that can hold its own among the best work in the genre.” ~ FeoAmante.com
“Every bit as much of a classic as THE PINES. This is the way great horror should be written.” ~ HellNotes
You gotta love this stuff. Well … I gotta anyway. And I do.
THE SHORE is available for pre-order at Amazon Books and Barnes & Noble, also directly from Leisure Books. It’s due out in July.
Speaking of Leisure Books, paperback copies of THE PINES are also still available at all the usual places, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Actually, there’s been a lot of interest in THE PINES since a Jersey Devil segment of MonsterQuest aired on The History Channel recently. And the Sci Fi Channel’s movie “Carny” didn’t hurt either.
You know what else hasn’t hurt? All these radio and newspaper and magazine interviews I’ve been doing all over the place. (Watch for a new one, coming soon in Shroud Magazine. Others are online at places like Dark Scribe Magazine and The Horror Fiction Review.) There have even been some new reviews of the book.
“It's a treat to encounter a work that's dark, brooding – downright frightening – and beautifully written. Boasting a vivid, literary voice, Dunbar twists the threads of reality and horror until the two are impeccably entwined. THE PINES is truly an astounding work, a brooding tale told with haunting grace. The mystery is intriguing, and the characters are real people with painful lives. The narrative is rich, full of substance, and literary. This is a work of art, and it only wets the appetite for its sequel." ~ Shroud Magazine
"… tough-minded, smart … poetic … intense … a thoughtful and sophisticated entertainment, closer to the Southern Gothic School of fiction than most traditional horror novels." ~ The Fright Site
“A tableau of honest characters, full of depths, flaws, and the need for redemption, an unswerving buildup of terror, and Dunbar's deft descriptive powers … all make the New Jersey pine barrens come to life. There is an underlying Southern Gothic sensibility to Dunbar's writing, one that speaks volumes about the nature of violence.” ~ Dark Recesses
“After reading THE PINES, I have a new favorite horror writer.” ~ Nights and Weekends
Oh, and don't forget to check out the Horror World review:
Of course, there’ve also been a host of reviews in the following style: “This book is so stupid, I couldn’t even understand it.”
Sadly, that’s not a paraphrase (though I did fix the spelling). Don't you love this sort of militant stupidity? Apparently, there are planets on which irony hasn’t been invented yet. Have I mentioned the sort of people who dominate this genre? And you wonder why I drink. (Well … maybe you don’t.)
It’s fairly unusual for me to have so many projects going at once, and this isn’t even all of it. Depending on a number of variables, I may have another book (or conceivably two) out before the year is over. Let’s not even talk about the stress.
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