Reviews

Continuing his Gothic fairy-tale short stories, Author Lorin Morgan Richards has produced a new limited-edition hand-made book entitled "A Boy Born From Mold (and other delectable morsels)".

This book (the second I have reviewed by the author) is in the style of what came before, and as a complete package it works wonderfully.  Beautifully typeset, with quaint hand-drawn illustrations, "A Boy Born From Mold" contains numerous short stories (some as short as two pages) that are all entertaining and imaginative.

It is the highly imaginative nature of these stories that makes them unique -- there is no attempt to create a sense of reality: these stories are simultaneously fantastic and charming, and told with a seemingly reassuring voice that invites you to suspend disbelief.

If you have an opportunity to pick up one of the author's books, I recommend doing so -- you will not be disappointed.

A collection of written work and visual art published at The Horror Zine.  

Edited by Jeani Rector, published by BearManor Media, 2010.

"And Now the Nightmare Begins" is a collection of short stories, poems, and illustrations -- the title should leave no doubt as to what to expect, and if you are a fan of quality horror writing this book will not disappoint.

About two-thirds of the book is made up of short stories: tales of the uncanny and the grotesque told with subtlety and style -- cliches are thankfully avoided, and the stories consistently engaging. I can honestly say I did not find a dull (or poorly written) story in the collection -- in my experience this is rather rare, and really speaks to the numerous (relatively unknown) writers out there with legitimate talent.  I think editor Jeani Rector deserves a nod here as well -- she has a discerning eye and it really shows in this thoughtfully assembled collection.

While the entire book is worth a thorough read, there were a few works that really stood out: "Ghost of Roses" by Debra Young, "The Bus Station" by Jeani Rector, and the poetry of Kate Bernadette Benedict.  The illustrations of Ignacio Bernacer Alpera and Ryan Doan in particular set a mood that makes it almost necessary to read this book by candlelight.

Be sure to explore The Horror Zine and all the content it has to offer -- you will not be disappointed.

When I first opened the envelope I was taken completely aback by the physical construction of this book.  From the inset hard-cover to the luxuriant quality of the paper this is a book you almost want to leave on display as a piece of art.

The physical beauty of this book is no mistake: author Lorin Morgan Richards hand-made it.

Simon Snootle and Other Small Stories is a collection of short works, which all together make what seems like a Gothic storybook.  The overall effect is darkly charming and rather romantic, an effect brought together by the pen-and-ink illustrations and choice of typography, which has a slightly rough quality.  The stories are economical (some no longer than a page), and all have a literary feel to them, something that makes one think this book heralds from a different era.

It is obviously quite rare to come across a hand-made book, so I decided to ask the author to elaborate on the influences behind this very creative work.

Disdeinen.Net: The feel of the paper and the cover design really enhance the illustrations -- did you have a specific aesthetic in mind when choosing the materials?
Lorin Morgan Richards: In choosing my materials I wanted to keep an organic feel to the book. Some might consider this an art book, but I was really just trying to give it some life. Having seen what is being printed by majors these days with poor quality paper, I wanted to provide the reader with a book that carries more value near the same price and that can last for generations. Nothing would be more inspiring to me than to know my books are treasured like an heirloom.

DdN: Was there any particular inspiration for the book -- did you have a theme in mind that the stories were written for?
LMR: Inspiration has come from dreams and life experiences. For example, my first story 'Simon Snootle' about a boy that has fallen into a cistern with the neighborhood cats is inspired by my childhood when I always had like 20 cats around, and we did use a well and cistern, a type of holding tank, for our bath water instead of being hooked in to city water pipes. This meant that there were times we had to go down and clean the cistern out. There, I remember seeing all sorts of strange things like fish and frogs and could never figure out how they appeared. Over time I realized they must have either fell in, came from birds, or originally been bucketed from the well.

DdN: How long have you been making books?  What kind of time commitment is involved with producing this type of book?
LMR: This is my second book. The first of which has been shelved temporarily. I have been writing stories since I was a child, and my other muse is of course music. Each book takes approximately 1 and half hours to make by hand. Thankfully, bookbinding can be very therapuatic.

DdN: The illustrations have a distinctive look -- were they created using illustration software or "classical" techniques (ie: pen-and-ink), and what was the reason for using the technique you did?
LMR: I prefer the use of pencil, pen and ink. However I'm not opposed to use watercolor sparingly. My interests are in the Victorian and Edwardian era illustrators, and I have a deep fondness for the use of early woodcuts and old quilting patterns.

DdN: What would you consider the intended audience for these stories?
LMR: My audience mainly consists of those that enjoy satire and dark humor. People that take themselves too seriously probably would not get my jokes.

DdN: Name a few of your favorite writers, visual artists, or filmmakers -- what inspires you about their work?
LMR: Local to Los Angeles, I appreciate cartoonist Angus Oblong and Roman Dirge. I also find the old Victorian photo manipulation of Mark Mothersbough entertaining, as well as films by Crispin Hellion Glover. Outside of authors like Edward Gorey, Edward Lear, and Charles Addams, I find folktales and their origins very interesting. A few years back, I took a trip through Germany following the fairytale road, the path by which the Grimms Brothers collected their stories (they were actually first collected by Frau Viehmannin). It was fascinating to see how local customs affected the stories. For instance, in the story of little red riding hood the red cloak and outfit the child wore was traditional to that specific area [Schwalmstadt]. So I went on to study folklore in college, and focused on Native American cultures.

DdN: Do you have any new projects in the works?  If so, can you tell a bit about them?
LMR: I am currently writing a new novel about the caretakers of a funeral home, and I have another set of short stories I am finishing up for next year entitled 'A Boy Born from Mold'.

As many have said before -- and will say after -- the Pacific Northwest seems to be the ideal breeding ground for the Industrial/Gothic genre.  Is it the weather?  Whatever of the reason, Seattle-based Legion Within is an excellent example of the original musical projects calling this perennially rain-swept environment home.

Legion Within's fourth album, Mouth of Madness, has a terrifically confident and unique sound -- club-friendly beats (Someone's Speaking), ambient (Memories of You), and rock influences (Mouth of Madness, the title track) can all be found here.  To my ears there are some diverse musical influences at work on this album: guitar that at times would be at home in a PJ Harvey song, electronics and beats reminiscent of Angel Theory, and of course deep romantic vocals that are simultaneously familiar and yet defy any direct comparison.

Mouth of Madness has certainly made it into my daily rotation -- there are some stand-out tracks that are rapidly becoming some of my favorite songs.  This is an album that I highly recommend.

Visit the official Legion Within website here.