Joel Lane

[Nemonymous]

For any interested, I've started an ongoing review of BENEATH THE GROUND - an anthology edited by Joel Lane - here:Beneath The Ground - edited by Joel Lane [weirdmonger.blog-city.com]

[Joel]

Just picking up a couple of points here, not trying to stimulate debate on the theme of me... I'm afraid The Earth Wire is out of print (only 500 copies were printed, even so it took a decade to sell out). I'm hoping someone will reprint it some day.

In the UK, Joy Division are not seen as a Goth band but as a 'post-punk' band. I associate Goth with the likes of Fields of the Nephilim and the Sisters of Mercy, who are mentioned in dispatches in my second novel, and feel them to be a bit on the lame side. I'm a lot keener on the Cure, though Joy Division remain my favourite band. I went to a lot of gigs in the late 80s and early 90s (and saw Nico twice), but was not a Goth.

Finally, I have a mini-collection out soon from Ex Occidente Press with the title The Terrible Changes. This contains 12 previously uncollected stories, written over the past 25 years, and two short new pieces. It focuses on relatively low-key and quiet stories.

That's all. Over and out.

[vegetable theories]

Hi Joel,
I wanted to ask you a question about the difference between your novels and short stories.
Although your novels have horror elements they are more mainstream. I was wondering, is this because you feel the short story form is better suited to the horror genre ? Or is it because the way that you use the horror elements, often in a sort of symbolic or allegorical way like Ray Bradbury, can't be sustained so well over the length of a novel ?
I don't know if that makes any sense

[Viva June]

Quote Originally Posted by Joel

Finally, I have a mini-collection out soon from Ex Occidente Press with the title The Terrible Changes. This contains 12 previously uncollected stories, written over the past 25 years, and two short new pieces. It focuses on relatively low-key and quiet stories.

Great title for a summer read. On the Ex Occidente website, the book is still listed as "available for pre-order" even though the publication date is (or was) this month. Has it been delayed, or did someone just forget to update the website? I ordered—or pre-ordered, as it might turn out—a copy yesterday, and although I do not mind waiting, my palms are really itching with anticipation.

[MadsPLP]

It should be very close to being sent out, from what I've heard.

[nomis]

Ex Occidente does seems to be behind on the schedule, but not by very much and not any more than most small presses.

[Joel]

Hi folks. The Terrible Changes was slightly held up due to artwork reproduction problems, but has now been printed with an alternative cover. I don't think you'll be disappointed by the new cover, even if you liked the first one. Ordered copies should be dispatched within the next few days.

[Joel]

Vegetable Theories asked:

"Although your novels have horror elements they are more mainstream. I was wondering, is this because you feel the short story form is better suited to the horror genre ? Or is it because the way that you use the horror elements, often in a sort of symbolic or allegorical way like Ray Bradbury, can't be sustained so well over the length of a novel?"

Both reasons, actually: that kind of supernatural horror story is very difficult to achieve sucessfully at novel length, as even Bradbury has proved. I once planned and started writing a supernatural horror novel (back in the early 1990s), but gave up quite early. I'm not sure how to write a novel-length supernatural horror story in the vein of my short stories, though hopefully I'll find a way of doing that eventually.

There's a further reason as well: both of my novels, as well as the third one I've just completed, were written to deal with themes that required a novel-length treatment – but which, in each case, I didn't want to have to find a way of integrating into the weird fiction genre. I wanted to foreground some 'mainstream' themes, and would have struggled to do within a weird fiction story of any length.

[Nemonymous]

Great novella by Joel Lane recently published:



"The Witnesses Are Gone" - I have just finished reading this and consider it to be a very important work. You won't forget this one.

I was also intrigued to read in the book's Acknowledgements page:

"This story takes its core idea from 'The Vanishing Life and Films of Emmanuel Escobada', which appeared anonymously in 'NEMONYMOUS 2' and whose author has chosen to remain nameless, but has kindly given permission for the story to be developed in the present work. Thanks are due to him or her."

des

[Joe Pulver]

I read the excerpt of this at PS Publishing site -- WOW! I'm hooked and ordering!!