I read Brahms Stoker‘s Dracula when I was in college, but only recently found out that this 1903 novel was the basis for Boris Karloff’s The Mummy (1932). Because I love that movie so much, I had to sit down and read this novel right away.
Like Dracula (1897), The Jewel of the Seven Stars is a horror novel which combines mythology, history, science, and the Victorian belief in spiritualism. The main character is a barrister (lawyer) named Malcolm Ross who is summoned to the estate of a rich nobleman fascinated with ancient Egypt. The nobleman, Abel Trelawny, has been overcome by a seemingly magical sleep. While in this impenetrable slumber, he’s attacked several times by forces unknown which seem intent on procuring a key fastened to his wrist by an unbreakable steel bracelet. Despite the horrific nature of the assaults, no suspect can be identified despite concurrent investigations from Malcolm, the local doctor, and Scotland Yard. Mr. Trelawny’s daughter, Margaret, with whom Malcolm is smitten, can shed no light on the experiences even though she’s the first to arrive on the scene after each attack. As Malcolm continues his investigation, it becomes clear that Mr. Trelawny’s interest in the Egyptian occult, and in particular a female pharaoh called Tera, may have something to do with his troubles. Like so many people of the Victorian era, Stoker was fascinated with ancient Egypt and clearly did a tremendous amount of research in preparation for this story. While his attention to detail is amazing, the overly mannered writing style, which often strays into minutia, can make for a difficult read. Told in first person, the reader sees very little of the actual events leading up to the book. Instead, secondary characters provide endless exposition to create the backstory. In this sense, Stoker violates a cardinal rule of a modern author: show, don’t tell. In fact, you might have to drink some coffee or go for a walk if you’re trying to get through some of the ponderous foreshadowing and long monologues. Stoker was very much a man of his time, and his characters certainly embody his Victorian sensibilities. All the gentlemen are exceedingly proper, honorable and intelligent. They are all keenly interested in understanding the ancient Egyptian mysteries laid before them, while simultaneously considering such things the works of heathens dabbling in realms better left untouched. The central female character of Margaret (who’s almost the only female character), is everything a young Victorian gentleman would want. She’s intelligent (but not more intelligent than the men), exceedingly kind, inquisitive, and in constant and persistent need of rescue. Later in the book, when her mood changes for reasons I won’t go into, and she becomes more withdrawn and haughty, Malcolm acknowledges that he doesn’t find her as attractive as before. To the reader, there’s a clear message here: the woman’s more valuable and relevant when she’s appealing to men. If you’re reading The Jewel of the Seven Stars as an example of Victorian horror fiction, then you will probably find it interesting, even at times fascinating. If not, you’re going to find it a slog. In the end, I don’t know that the payoff is worth it. I found the conclusion very anti-climactic. It had a much darker ending when it was originally published, but Stoker went back and changed it a few years later. Perhaps a happy ending was more in keeping with Victorian sensibilities where “civilized” men triumph and “civilized” women get married? In the end, Dracula's still a better book. RELATED FEATURES: Horror Collection | Supernatural Collection | Paranormal Collection | Swoony Vampires and Gay Love in the Greek Islands | Horror Fans Collection on Bookshop.org Vampires and sex have always gone hand in hand. From Bram Stoker to the modern day horror authors, vampirism is as much about seduction as it is about manipulation, fear and death. After all, the vampire can hunt by using many techniques — and getting their human prey to willingly fall into their arms appears to be one of the most enjoyable. And where better to seduce and feed than on the sun-drenched Greek Isles? Nick Landry is searching for his ex on the unspoiled island of Avraxos. Anthony was the love of his life, and without knowing why he left, Nick can't move on. But Anthony isn't the only one to disappear on Avraxos. Coast guard officer Alekos Kourkoulos is on the trail of another young man who disappeared there. Both men had fallen in with the glamorous set onboard a jet-black superyacht moored offshore before vanishing. As the mystery deepens, Nick and Alekos discover that the brighter the sunshine, the darker the shadows... Acclaimed writer John Harris Dunning (Tumult. Wiper, Salem Brownstone) and talented artist Ricardo Cabral (Wiper) team up again to bring you this darkly seductive horror, described as "The Talented Mr. Ripley meets Dracula."
PREORDER FOR APRIL 2025 SHIP DATE >> RELATED: Pride on the Big Screen | Northranger: The Horror of Being Gay in Rural Texas | Sins of the Black Flamingo: Occult Noir Meets Miami Sleeze DC Comics has kicked off the Halloween season by opening up its vault (or is it a crypt?) and reissuing Batman #237, which was originally printed in December 1971. Over half a century later, it's always fun to look back at Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson during their long-hair-and-bell-bottoms era. This issue opens with Dick and some friends (one of whom appears to be stoned throughout) taking a break from their college studies to attend the Halloween Parade in Rutland, Vermont. The parade is a real event held in this small town every year since 1960. The festivities include a float featuring citizens dressed as both Marvel and DC superheroes — a tongue-in-cheek gag that is repeated throughout the story as Halloween may be the only time of the year when you can dress in tights and capes and look normal. However, Dick and company don't get to enjoy the parade for long when they stumble upon a group of men savagely beating Robin, The Teen Wonder. It's not really Robin of course, just a bewildered man in a store bought costume who can't understand why strangers would choose to attack him. Concerned, Dick changes into his Robin garb and takes off after the assailants, only to find another town resident (dressed as Batman) impaled to a tree with a large wooden stake. There's an obvious pattern here, but before Dick can investigate further he's attacked by scythe-wielding Grim Reaper. Batman rescues his injured partner and takes him to the home of Tom Fagan. (Fagan, who passed away in 2008, was a comic book enthusiast who was instrumental in developing the Rutland Halloween Parade.) At Fagan's house, Dick's injuries are treated by Dr. Benjamin Gruener, a Jewish German survivor of the Nazi holocaust.
Batman informs Dick that he's come to Rutland in search of an escaped Nazi war criminal named Colonel Kurt Schloss, whom Dr. Gruener has been tracking for years. Batman is convinced that Nazis are responsible for the attacks against both the Batman and Robin lookalikes, and are somehow using Fagan's costume party to locate a cache of gold stolen by Schloss. But the question remains — who or what is the Grim Reaper? I won't ruin the fun by giving away the ending. Suffice to say that this throwback is a lot of fun, if only to giggle at the ridiculous dialogue... Dick's friend: "Why'd those cats jump you, fella?" Dick: "You guys go ahead to the party! I'll search for our zonky pal!" Dr. Gruener (with German accent): "Zur clerk in zur shop tells me he rented him pirate suit!" ...and a plot that starts out like a Scooby-Doo mystery but ends up being pretty grim. The reissue also includes an earlier story from 1940 entitled "Down Memory Lane with Batman" which is not Halloween themed. This edition is currently available in local comic book stores. RELATED: Batman Collection | Nightwing Collection The terrifying tale of six internet celebrities who accompany a superstar survivalist on a one-week trip deep into the remote Canadian wilderness... After their plane crashes, the influencers and their guide are stalked by a mountain man of local legend — Skinner. When the celebrities mount a desperate counterattack, they discover that there is much more to the skinner myth than any of them could have imagined. Will the celebrities survive, or be permanently canceled? Be honest, if you've ever wished (even privately) for a gruesome end to annoying Instagram influencers or those "reality TV survivalists" who really aren't in any danger whatsoever, then Skinner maybe a blood-soaked dream come true. The book blends elements of the "survival horror" genre popularized in video games like Resident Evil, with real life serials killers like Robert Hansen (a.k.a. "Butcher Baker" — who hunted his victims in the Alaskan wilderness), to the perils of internet influencers always looking for the next dangerous and shocking thing to put on their feeds.
This graphic novel from Dark Horse Comics was released in May and is written by horror aficionados Micky Neilson (World of Warcraft, Diablo lll: Morbed) and Samwise Didier (The Last Winter, Blizzard Entertainment). The intricate and atmospheric pen and ink illustrations are by Polish comic book artist Piotr Kowalski whose other titles include Bloodborne, Where Monsters Lie, and The Witcher. PURCHASE >> RELATED: Supernatural YA | Mystery YA | The Horror of Being Gay in Rural Texas | Swoony Vampires and Gay Love in the Greek Islands THERE BE SPOILERS HERE.
The first thing we learn about Cade Muñoz is that he loves horror movies. His family thinks it's a weird obsession, but Cade sees his life as a kind of horror movie — especially when he finds himself working on a horse ranch in the middle of rural Texas. Welcome to Northranger, an LGBTQAI+ graphic novel written by Rey Terciero and illustrated by Bre Indigo. Although Cade, a city boy with no farm experience whatsoever, initially has a miserable time on the Tyler Ranch, one thing gives him hope — the owner's youngest son and fellow horror aficionado, Henry Tyler. Cade's more than a little attracted to Henry, but has difficulty figuring out if Henry feels similarly. Certainly the rural community in which Henry was raised doesn't seem particularly welcoming to queer people — or people of color! When some men in a convenience store hurl racist epithets at Cade, Henry launches into a rage. "I hate small-minded folks," he tells Cade. "Can't believe there are still bigots in this day and age. Hating people 'cause of what? The color of their skin, what God they worship, who they love..." Okay, so Henry's gay-friendly — but is he gay? The longer Cade knows Henry, the more obvious it becomes that the older boy is hiding some secrets beyond his sexuality. The skeletons in the Tyler family closet really begin to rattle when Cade's invited to the clan's lakeshore home known as Northranger. Rumors about a series of mysterious deaths — including Henry's mom — help amp up a boy who already sees the world through a horror movie lens. How and why did all these people die? Why is one wing of Northranger off limits? Why is Henry so angry all the time — to the point where he beats the shit out of his older brother in a parking lot? As the book progresses, so do Cade's feelings for Henry and his resulting paranoia over what Henry's not telling him. But is it all real... or just Cade's fantasy life running wild? Northranger is a thoughtful, well produced story. It doesn't necessarily say anything new or different about homophobia, but seen through Cade's eyes the book provides some interesting parallels between the horror movie genre and how many LGBTQAI+ people must view their lives. The ending is also a clever twist on how horror movie plots are often filled with misdirection and red herrings. This one's definitely worth a read! PURCHASE>> RELATED: LGBTQ YA | Pride on the Big Screen | Quinton's Curious Mind Book Series | Swoony Vampires and Gay Love in the Greek Islands Next month, The Joker takes his unique brand of madness and mayhem on a world tour, with Joker: The World, a 184-page hardcover anthology.
Like DC’s bestselling and critically acclaimed Batman: The World, this can’t-miss anthology will feature Joker stories by creative teams representing 13 different countries, including renowned storytellers such as Geoff Johns, Satoshi Miyagawa, David Rubin, German Peralta, Alvaro Fong Varela, Jason Fabok, and others. With stories tailored to the authentic style, tone, and cultural sensibilities of different nations around the world, Joker: The World highlights how DC’s most popular super-villain has inspired chaos on a global scale. What does The Joker do when on holiday in Spain? How has he inspired others to follow in his footsteps, creating Joker duplicates in Germany and Turkey? How does a Joker in Cameroon find inspiration? Only the top writers and artists from each country can provide the answers, in unique stories celebrating one of the most compelling characters in pop culture. PREORDER FOR SEPTEMBER 17, 2024, SHIP DATE >> RELATED: Batman Collection | Comics Collections | Nightwing Collection Before Watchmen, Alan Moore made his debut in the U.S. comic book industry with the revitalization of the horror comic book The Swamp Thing. His deconstruction of the classic monster stretched the creative boundaries of the medium and became one of the most spectacular series in comic book history. With modern-day issues explored against a backdrop of horror, The Swamp Thing stories became commentaries on environmental, political, and social issues, unflinching in their relevance.
Created out of the Swamp by a freak accident, Swamp Thing is an elemental creature who uses the forces of nature and wisdom of the plant kingdom to fight the polluted world's self-destruction. Alan Moore took the Swamp Thing to new heights in the 1980s with his unique narrative approach. His provocative and groundbreaking writing, combined with masterly artwork by some of the medium's top artists, made Swamp Thing one of the great comics of the late twentieth century. The first volume begins with the story "The Anatomy Lesson," a haunting origin story that reshapes Swamp Thing mythology with terrifying revelations that begin a journey of discovery and adventure that will take him across the stars and beyond. In this second volume, The Swamp Thing says goodbye to the illusion of his own humanity after learning that he is 100% plant, meets a crew of benevolent alien invaders inspired by the classic comic strip Pogo (also set in the swamp), and consummates his relationship with Abigail Arcane as only he could. The third volume is brimming with visceral horrors including underwater vampires, a werewolf with an unusual curse, the hideous madman called Nukeface. Best of all, this volume features the comics debut of John Constantine, Hellblazer, who launches Swamp Thing on a voyage of self-discovery that will take him from the darkest corners of America to the roots of his own long-hidden heritage. Volume four brings Swamp Thing's quest for self-discovery with the mystic John Constantine to its shattering conclusion. A harbinger of doom has been released with the sole charge of waking an evil beyond comprehension, and Swamp Thing, John Constantine, Deadman, The Phantom Stranger, Etrigan the Demon, The Spectre and other masters of the occult must unite against the dark forces that threaten to eradicate Heaven's light. The fifth volume begins as Swamp Thing returns from his sojourn to hell, only to learn that his girlfriend Abby is being persecuted for their "unnatural relations." When she skips town for Gotham City, he follows and runs afoul of Batman, Lex Luthor, and the Gotham City Police Department. The sixth and final volume collects Moore's entire run, reprinting issues #57-64 and features the classic stories "Loving the Alien" and All Flesh is Grass." PURCHASE: All the groundbreaking Saga of the Swamp Thing graphic novels by Alan Moore, the writer of Watchmen and V for Vendetta, in a gorgeous slipcase box set! The Merc with the Mouth is the biggest movie in theaters right now. If you can't get enough of Deadpool, well, don't worry... There are plenty of books about him and his, uh, antics.
For example, what if everything you thought was funny about Deadpool was actually just disturbing? What if Deadpool decided to kill everyone and everything that makes up the Marvel Universe? What if he actually pulled it off? Would that be FUN for you? The Merc with a Mouth takes a turn for the twisted in a horror comic like no other! PURCHASE>> RELATED: Comics Collections Earthdivers is a graphic novel series written by Stephen Graham Jones that takes a horrific, dark-fantasy look at some alternate realities on the North American continent. The Butterfly Effect wrecks havoc on time and space when five Indigenous outcasts discover of a time portal in a hidden cave and set out to fix the past to save the future. Storylines cover a plot to kill Christopher Columbus, to battling vicious Ice Age mega-fauna, to hijacking the United States Declaration of Independence. RELATED: Comics Collections | Fantasy YA | Science Fiction YA |
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