23 Days Until Halloween

[eldritchhobbit]

If you're looking for some appropriate Halloween literature, I recommend the new 2010 edition of Jules Verne's The Castle in Transylvania (originally published as The Castle in the Carpathians in 1893). I'll let the cover speak for itself: "In its first new translation in over 100 years, this is the first book to set a gothic horror story, featuring people who may or may not be dead, in Transylvania."

I just finished it and enjoyed it very much.

• Read the Salon.com review here.


• Read the Barnes & Noble review here.


• See the castle that may have inspired the novel here.


• Read my Goodreads review here.

Speaking of Halloween literature, check out the Haunted House Tour 2010, where Maurissa Guibord and some of her fellow fantasy and suspense authors have gathered to fill a virtual haunted house with appropriately spooky short fiction for the Halloween season.

Last but not least, via agameofthree: "How to make your own pumpkin spice latte."


Text of the Day: Today's text is the short story "The Revolt of the Machines" by Nat Schachner (1895-1955) and Arthur L. Zagat (1895-1948). (Why yes, I am having fun with this. Could you tell?)

Teaser: For five thousand years, since that nigh legendary figure Einstein wrote and thought in the far-off mists of time, the scientists endeavored to reduce life and the universe to terms of a mathematical formula. And they thought they had succeeded. Throughout the world, machines did the work of man, and the aristos, owners of the machines, played in soft idleness in their crystal and gold pleasure cities. Even the prolat hordes, relieved of all but an hour or two per day of toil, were content in their warrens—content with the crumbs of their masters.

Read the complete story here.

Comments

The cover

[(Anonymous)]

Wow, the cover to the Jules Verne book is fantastic! Dwight is a huge Verne fan, so I know he will be on this like no one's business!

By the way, he commands you to get a Twitter account! HA! I know, one more page to have to deal with right?!

Rebecca

[mguibord.livejournal.com]

Love Jules Verne-I'm going to look for this one!
And the Deva castle picture is wonderful- but the Hollywood style sign does take away a bit from the gothic ambience, lol.
And thanks so much for the Haunted house mention!

[lizziebelle.livejournal.com]

That book sounds good! I just checked, and my library doesn't have it. :( Hopefully they'll get it soon!

you almost . . .

[agingaglaea.livejournal.com]

. . . make me like Hallowe'en. :-) Your links and stories and such are so fantastic and I love them and thank you. (And I'm sure you saw Mr. Gaiman's interesting post on his foolish comment from 2008. I hope it helps more people think about this important issue in both literature and life.) (Oh, and huge hugs. You are greatly missed on a darned regular basis!)

[agentxpndble.livejournal.com]

Would it be inappropriate for me to drink my knock-off pumpkin spice latte out of my pumpkin cup from STARBUCKS? BHUAHAHAHA!

Re: The cover

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Isn't that cover gorgeous? I think Dwight would love it. It's a very steampunk novel, too, by the end.

LOL! I'm not sure if I have the guts to go against a direct order from him! I actually had an account - for, like, a day - but I realized 1) it was too much for me to keep up with, on top of everything else, and 2) I can't say anything that actually fits in the word limit. ;) So I killed it. I'm a Troglodyte, aren't I? Woe!

I hope the two of you are having a most excellent day!

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

It's well worth reading.

Ha - I know what you mean about that sign! Somehow, I don't think it's original to the castle, do you? LOL. It's hard to be too creeped out by the scene, with those huge letters there. At least they're not neon and blinking, I suppose.

My pleasure - thank you for making it available!

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Oh, I hope so! It only came out a couple of months ago, so hopefully they'll have it soon.

Re: you almost . . .

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

you almost... make me like Hallowe'en

It's a tough job, but someone has to do it. ;) Ha!

Seriously, I'm thrilled you're reading and enjoying the posts. I was so pleased to read Mr. Gaiman's recent post. He really is a class act, and I admire how he's handled the whole apology/explanation. And you're so right: it will all be worth it if it makes other people aware of the situation.

I'm just wrapping up another "Native American Identity" class this week. These days we finish it with Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which I highly recommend, by the way, if you haven't read it. I've thought over our conversations re: the readings so many times.

I miss you, my friend! Huge hugs to you!

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Muahahaha! :) As a matter of fact, I love the idea! *reaches for mine*

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

PS. Starbucks, if you're reading this, please don't get angry. I'm still your servant and slave.