Horror/Scary: July 29, 2009 Issue [#3182]
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Horror/Scary


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  Edited by: W.D.Wilcox Author IconMail Icon
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Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

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Word from our sponsor



Letter from the editor

The Day The Earth Stood Still



On July 25, 1951, W.D.Wilcox was born…

and there was much rejoicing….

*yea…*

Of course, at the same time, on the other side of the world, typhoon floods killed 4,800 people in Manchuria.

But honestly, it wasn’t my fault!

There were other things that happened: J.D.Salinger published ‘Catcher in the Rye’; Color Television emerged as a brand new entertainment media; Disney premiered the animated feature film classic, ‘Alice in Wonderland’; and several asteroids were discovered in the heavens as our new and improved skyrockets raced toward the stars.

And then there was Roswell, New Mexico… (coincidence? I think not.)

Our telescopes looked toward the stars and the 12th satellite of Jupiter was discovered even while Rocky Marciano defeated Joe Louis.

Also in 1951, the first atomic explosion was witnessed by US troops in (where else?) New Mexico.

Two passenger trains collided in Woodstock (and it wasn’t my fault!); the first rocket intercepted an airplane in White Sands, New Mexico (hmmm…I see a pattern here); as well as the first underground atomic explosion in Nevada, and then some very odd supercharged gases rolled down Mount Catarman in the Phillippines, killing 500 (again, not my fault!)

Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio retired, and Mr. *nyuk-nyuk-nyuk* Curley Howard, of the Three Stooges, died, never to be slapped around by Moe again.

And let us not forget that atomic explosion in famous New Mexico that was televised for the first time on national network news.

It was also the time when the frequency of UFO sightings forced the Air Force to reevaluate their investigations which directly led to the establishment of Project Blue Book.

Ah yes, 1951, the year the earth stood still, aliens landed, and W.D.Wilcox was born. There’s just gotta be a connection.

Until next time,

billwilcox



Editor's Picks

Unidentified Sightings



 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#1416685 by Not Available.

Excerpt: She twisted her ears off and placed them on the table. Then she pulled her hair back and revealed a bronzed head with two huge mosquitoes for eyes. Her nose slithered in a constant circular motion like a centipede. She opened the wide gap in her mouth and a slew of tarantula legs flickered about.


 Endless Memories Open in new Window. (13+)
A new twist to an infection alters the perception of time.
#1296497 by Kotaro Author IconMail Icon

Excerpt: A pain ripped through her head. Within, memories kicked open a door leading deep into nightmares past. She saw herself bound in a rough rope. The canopy of a gigantic tree loomed over her. From the dying leaves hairy pink caterpillars rained upon her. She twisted frantically against the rope, knocking a dozen of the squirming bugs off and squishing them under her naked body. Yet, they continued falling upon her and, soon, she was covered in a wriggling crawling mass that melted into a cold black slime that oozed over her. She shut her eyes and mouth as it spread up her neck. It entered her ears. Shaking her head violently from side to side, she shook sticky globs of the slime off her face. Finally, she squealed and arched against the ropes as the slime squeezed into her brain.


 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#781932 by Not Available.

Excerpt: Now if you’re like I was, you have no idea what a jiglequo is. Let me describe it. It looks rather like a large-sized Terran tarantula. Its fuzzy high, arched legs attach similarly, and I think it has close to eight of them, but there might be a few less. (I certainly wasn’t in the mood for counting them right then.) Anyway, this lime-green tarantula-looking critter was placed on my arm. If I’d had the energy, I would have flung it off or at least screamed, but I was busy having another spasm, heaving up what was left of my inner stomach lining.


 Creatures under the Mountain Open in new Window. (18+)
Bills camping trip goes horribly awry when he catches something unexpected in the lake
#692970 by MadMan at Large Author IconMail Icon

Excerpt: “Crap!" Bill cried. “I lost it!” Suddenly the pole was snatched out of his hands and shot across the surface of the lake. Bill watched in sheer frustration as his pole left him standing on the shore. Then it turned in a large arc, and began coming back towards him. It was traveling very fast, fast enough to keep it from sinking as it normally would. Bill watched it return, and grew hopeful that he might actually get lucky enough to get his pole back, and the fish to boot. He kept his eyes fixed on the pole, and never saw what happened to Dodge. Dodge, however, saw it all, but simply had no time to do anything about it.


STATIC
The Eye Open in new Window. (18+)
We all have a little devil inside just dying to get out.
#1024765 by W.D.Wilcox Author IconMail Icon

Excerpt: In the distance, he could just make out the strange reflection of the alien craft as it crossed above the desert floor. It wavered in-and-out of view like an apparition, resembling a giant eye you could see when opened, yet disappeared when it blinked closed.



 
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Ask & Answer

First Contact


🦄🏳️‍🌈Sapph Author Icon
Submitted Comment:
Awesome newsletter! And I have got to agree with you on Twilight. I ended up reading all of the books (pushy little sister) and they just got worse with it. *Laugh*


rgaudiopro
Submitted Comment:
Gone are the days of Mr. Strieber's 'The Hunger' and to much a loss. Yet, even those vampires had something amiss. Nary a fang in the film either, but what a plot. Another testament to the question as to whether or not vamps need their own genre. Was 'Twilight' meant to be scary? The horror might be found in its mediocrity. I apologize if I have touched on someone's 'R.L.Stine' and shone up lacking in sentiment.
-BC


StephBee Author Icon
Submitted Comment:
Bill, I didn't care for Twilight either, but I understand the appeal. I liked the movie more than the book.


K. Medeiros Author Icon
Submitted Comment:
"When Is a Vampire Not a Vampire?" I would like to point out that Bram Stoker does not turn over in his grave. Every story we write is an expression of our inner selves. That being said, Bram stoker doesn't turn over, he rises from the grave and takes his wrath out on mankind. Peaceful dreams!


bazilbob
Submitted Comment:
Have you read, Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist (also known as Let Me In)? I love Bram Stoker's Dracula but the twist this novel gives to the traditional vampire is brilliant. It's also an amazing film - the book's better, of course, but the film does a great job, even catches the mood.


Zoe Graves Author Icon
Submitted Comment:
I absolutely agree. Vampires don't friggin' sparkle! It's like giving The Hulk anger management classes. Or spraying Spiderman with raid. Why are writers dumbing down or 'nicing up' all our best classical characters? The convenient plot twists, the cooincidences, the bending of rules of myth. That's why it takes me so long to write something. I do it right! I put the work in and close the plot holes and stay true to the idea I'm 'borrowing' while still pputting my fresh slant on it. Stop lazy writing!


esprit Author Icon
Submitted Comment:
Good letter, Bill.
Character development is left out for quick little peeks at the bits of horror to come.
I notice horror writers are so anxious to get to the gory, fun stuff, they often neglect the basic components of a story: characters and plot. Thanks for the gentle reminder that readers need to care for the characters in order to worry about the gore.


AliceNgoreland Author Icon
Submitted Comment:
I hated Twilight too.


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