( Welcome, Coffin Hoppers! Prizes. Ghost story. )
I’m not surprised the sexy gypsy won the costume contest, but you were robbed. Your costume is more authentic, especially the way your innards dangle over your belt. How are you getting your eyes so glassy?
Okay, not much of a talker, are you?
The keg’s just been replaced. Now it’s Devil’s Backbone, named for a road near Austin that’s claimed its share of travelers. Guys who probably look about as bad as you do, now that I think of it!
It’s funny stuff like this, the little coincidences or glimpses that inspire the horror I write. Stolen Climates is the Muse-child of a few major artistic inspirations. Since you’re so quiet, and the line for beer is long, I’ll fill the space by telling you about one.
I love The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson. I enjoy the supernatural aspects of the story, but what really captures my imagination is the main character’s stubborn insistence on fabricating a better, more interesting version of herself. She lies to everyone, building a story of a life that doesn’t exist. Just as I pluck details from the chimera of reality to weave my tales, so too did Jackson’s character. Her stone lions and ‘cup of stars’ make cameos in Stolen Climates. My character, Prentice Feyerbach, is the male, iPhone-toting version of Jackson’s character. That’s why I include a copy of The Haunting of Hill House in the ‘I Won the Grand Prize!’ Scream; they are companion pieces, meant to match up like two stone lions on a high-rise balcony.
Where did that guy with the bad-ass fatal car crash costume go? You didn’t see him? He was right here a moment ago…
Don’t forget you can get a free ebook edition of Stolen Climates just by leaving me a comment that includes the phrase, “Mother Nature isn’t just a metaphor.”
May you find your blue cup full of stars,
-aniko
Aniko Carmean 
Another great post, Aniko. I love The Haunting of Hill House too, not least for the thin, blurred line that exists between Eleanor’s mind and events in the outside world. I didn’t see the connection with Prentice when I was reading Stolen Climates, but all becomes clear now…
I’m going away on a little Autumn trip tomorrow, so I won’t be able to comment for a few days, but I hope you enjoy the rest of the Coffin Hop (and, indeed, Halloween). May your blue cup be full of stars too!
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I hope you have a lovely Autumn vacation, and thank you for all of your support both here and out in the Twitterverse. You are a lovely person, and I remain thankful for the technology that allowed me to meet you. Happy Halloween!
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I was working on a short story that has since been rather neglected which also had to do with the idea that Mother Nature isn’t just a metaphor. In it, she was getting divorced from Father Time, and humans were deciding who was going to get custody (but of course we didn’t know it..they were just tallying up what each human chose to pay attention to- technology or nature). If father time won, he was going to whisk everyone away to a natureless planet made of machines and fake trees, manufactured oxygen. If she won, we’d be on earth, but without technology and measurements that he gave us. I never finished it but I like thinking about mother nature!
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Your story sounds fascinating, and I would love it if you finished it – or even if you finished it twice, so that we could see the alternative outcomes. This could be an entire series, because the implications of either type of world would be both physical and metaphysical. What a rich and delicious idea!
You get a copy of my book for using the phrase. 🙂
Happy Halloween!
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Happy Halloween! I can’t wait to read your book. That’s true, it could have a dual ending! Maybe I’ll finish it for you, just for fun!
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It would be delightful to read that story, and see what ending – or endings! – you pick!
-aniko
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Ooh what a great addition to the “I Won the Grand Prize Scream” 🙂
You had me at ghost story 😉
Can’t wait to see what next you come up with!
– Kim
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Thank you, Kim! I love The Haunting of Hill House, and love the idea of sharing it with everyone, too!
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This is three times this morning, I’ve heard about the Haunting of Hill House. I must look for it. There’s just something about reading a spooky book or watching a scary movie at Halloween >> tradition! LOL
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The Haunting of Hill House is not a perfect book, but it takes the idea of an unreliable narrator to a new height. It is a good read. And – inspirational, at least for me!
Happy Coffin Hopping!
-aniko
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