Be at Peace
Because all your questions are about to be answered. Or at least most of them. Or at least the ones I felt like getting to before I ran out of time and wandered off to read comix.
No apologies for the length of this post. You asked ‘em.
Q: In what order, from least to most, let’s say, do you enjoy writing the following: blog entries, Twitter posts, short fiction, novels, and comics?
But it doesn’t break down like that. First, the act of make-believe is a hell of a lot of fun, so anytime I’m working on a new story, I’m probably enjoying myself, regardless of form. Sometimes, though, there are bad days, days when I discover an idea or a character or a scene isn’t playing out like I hoped, and then the job is more like real work.
Twitter is generally more fun than the blog.
Q: where do you get your ideas?
Schenectady. They have them on a shelf in a Mom & Pop on Route 147.
Q: What author( pick one dead and one alive) would you like to sit down with and pick his brain.
See, that’s tricky. There are several writers I admire who I would love to sit and have dinner with, but if I had the chance, I wouldn’t interrogate them about their process. That’s just… not me. For example, I got together with Robert Crais for lunch in London one day, and we bullshitted about baseball.
Q: If H.P. Lovecraft and Nathaniel Hawthorne got into a fight using broken bottles and lengths of chains for weapons, who would win?
Hawthorne. Lovecraft would find it beneath his dignity to fight.
Q: (Paraphrase:) Would you say you’ve been deeply influenced by Neil Gaiman?
You bet. He shaped many of my ideas about what kind of writer I wanted to be myself (comfortable with fantasy, comfortable with a wide variety of literary forms, comfortable in my own skin).
Q: If cavemen fought astronauts, who would win and why?
Depends on the terms of the battle. Cavemen in the short term fight. Long term, the astronauts just nuke them from orbit.
Q: If your writing didn’t take off, what would have been the alternative?
I was going to make it take off, or go down in flames, riding my laptop all the way. My alternative to being a successful writer was being an unsuccessful writer.
Q: Wolverine vs. Harry Potter. Who wins and why?
Gabe says they kill each other and readers world-wide win. I can’t argue with that.
Q: I have a longing to be published and be read, but fear I won’t be good enough. Any thoughts on that, or am I just wackadoo?
I think if you enjoy writing, and you’ve composed a few stories, or a novel, or what-have-you, it’s natural to submit your work to the appropriate markets. Let an editor or an agent tell you if you’re good enough, and if they say you aren’t, assume they mean, you aren’t yet, and keep working. In the end, if your own writing pleases you, and scratches an inner itch, that’s the only reason you need to keep making stuff up.
Q: If you were forced to spend five weeks in a cabin, in the forest, on an island, in the middle of the ocean, what one item would you bring with you and why?
Beef jerky. For hunger. And hope there’s drinking water. Or rain.
Q: What’s your writing/reading schedule like?
I write 7 days a week; on the weekdays I go for a six-hour stretch with a break for lunch. On the weekends I’m more flexible, but I like four hours. If I’m facing a mess of deadlines, I’ll also sometimes go back and do a couple hours in the evening.
I try and read 20 pages a day and one comic. If I’m short on time, I skip the comic.
Q: What’s your current zombie contingency plan?
Go north.
Q: How many years did it take you to reach a point where you felt like a good writer/storyteller?
10.
Q: What would happen if we, society as a whole, threw all our garbage in a volcano?
We’d get our ash handed to us.
Q: Was there a book that made you all nippley for research? If so, what was it?
I avoid research if possible. I pretty much just like to make shit up.
Q: What noise, if any, do giraffes make?
Chewing. Trust me. I researched it.
Q: Do you remember the exact moment when you decided you would be a writer? Was it epiphanic?
When I was 12, I sent in a Spider-Man script to Marvel comics. I got back a form rejection, but there was a personal note from then editor-in-chief Jim Shooter on the bottom telling me to keep writing (I think… his scribble was a little hard to decipher and it might’ve said “keep wiring.” It’s possible he was encouraging me to be an electrician). From that moment on, I was pretty much fucked.
Q: How much beer is drank in Germany per year per capita?
They drink a lot there, so I estimate the total annual beer consumption at 10,338,017 WEUs.*
Q: Will there be more stories set in the world you created in ‘Gunpowder’?
There will. The next is titled SLAVE GIRLS OF GUNPOWDER and will probably appear next year (I was hoping it would be ready for Christmas this year, but I’m not sure my schedule will clear enough for me to work on it). There will be four GUNPOWDER novellas in all. Yes, I know how it all ends.
Q: What’s your favorite country to visit and why?
I haven’t seen too much of the world, but of the places I’ve gone, I’d say the Amalfi coast, in Italy. My wife and I took our 10th there. Little wine, little sun, lot of walking in the lemon groves: I think that’s about what love is supposed to feel like.
Q: Is the new Locke & Key a six-story arc like “Welcome to Lovecraft?”
Sorta, not quite. HEAD GAMES is actually four-issues long, with a standalone prologue (“Intermission” or “The Joe Ridgeway Story”) and a standalone conclusion (“Army of One”).
I wasn’t asked, but I’ll say at this point the plan is for four more six-issue LOCKE & KEY stories, the next being CROWN OF SHADOWS in the fall/winter of this year. I had thought at one point we might go monthly, but now I think it might be wiser to do it in six-issue bites. The story as a whole is like working on a mural that covers the side of a building; you don’t want to spend too much time working up close. Now and then you have to step back and gauge the whole effect. Also, a plan to end the series with a standalone graphic novel has been scrapped. I’d rather go with individual issues: for me, crafting the story in discreet 22-page portions is the great pleasure of the thing, and I don’t want to abandon what’s working.
Q: How old should my daughter be before I let her read comics?
You can read them to her right now, no matter how old she is. Just don’t read her Locke & Key; she won’t be ready for that one until she’s about old enough to drive.
Q: (paraphrase) How does an issue of Locke & Key go from your words to the finished art?
This is the subject of a different, very long post, that will be forthcoming next month. Since it features a spoiler from issue 6, though, I have to table this question till later.
Q: What was in the briefcase?
Wallace’s soul.
Q: If it were possible, which of your father’s novels do you wish you had written?
I’d be proud as hell to have written any of those books; they’re remarkable stories, each and every one. But I don’t really want to tell someone else’s stories. I’m selfish that way: I only want to tell mine. So the proper answer to your question is all of them and none of them.
Q: From Universal mythology, which one is your favourite myth?
My single favorite myth is the story of Gimpel the Fool, an ancient, classic tale made up by Isaac Bashives Singer about 80 years ago.
Q: (paraphrase) Why are there so many bad fathers in your fiction?
Because someone has to be the bad guy, and as a dad myself, I feel like father-figures are fair game. Also, I have a loving, happy relationship with my Dad, so I can write about a bad father, and he knows I’m not writing about him.
Q: Who made who?
Ain’t nobody told you?
Q: I love The Road Rage Story You did With Your dad, and since I read it I’ve wondered how do two authors collobarate? Do you each put in your own parts or does a third voice emerge between the both of you?
We each put in our own parts, and then whipped it with an egg beater for three days until it was smooth and creamy.
Q: Have you ever intentionally upset someone out of sheer boredom?
Everyone has. Even the Dali Lama.
Q: Do you think you would have been a writer if your parents weren’t?
I was an aloof and daydreamy kid and I suspect I would’ve been strongly drawn to whatever job seemed the most creative and offered me the most time to be alone. Temperamentally I was a writer before I knew how to write. That said, encouragement is always a big factor.
Q: Lets say you are able to shine a flashlight into a room composed entirely of mirrors, a room with no sharp corners: Will that light continue on forever, or will it disappear in seconds?
With nothing to keep the light perfectly focused it will disappear. Trust me. I researched it.
Q: Who are some other writers like you? I love “20th Century Ghosts” and need to find some other books like it.
If 20TH CENTURY GHOSTS made you happy, I’d point you to my father’s collections, both of Neil Gaiman’s collections, and Kelly Link’s PRETTY MONSTERS for starters.
Q: Do you ever buy marked down food in the grocery store?
Not usually – I’d rather buy fresh then save money.
Q: Did the editor character of “Best New Horror” get away at the end?
I know what I think, but what I think doesn’t matter. After the final sentence, it’s your turn; if you think he got away, he did; if you think he didn’t, then he didn’t.
Q: How many drafts did Heart-Shaped Box see before publication?
4 big ones. 2 small ones.
Q: Universal absolution or subjective relativity?
It’s pretty clearly subjective absolution.
Q: Can you make it a point to write more blog entries this summer, please?
Blogging is low-man on the totem pole when it comes to my work. It’s what I do after I’ve done everything else. So no promises. If you just can’t stand going without my scintillating wit and trenchant observations on a regular basis, jump onto Twitter, I usually stick something up every couple days or so.
Q: What is your favorite website?
Twitter. I like it so much I wrote a short story about it, which will be in Christopher Golden’s upcoming THE NEW DEAD anthology.
Q: Do writers get paid for their positive “comments” on other author’s covers?
No.
Q: What is your opinion on the Twilight series and its popularity?
The only thing more boring than reading about vampires having sex with other vampires is reading about vampires NOT having sex with other vampires.
Q: Do you have any interaction with the translators of your work? Have they ever contacted you with specific questions about phrases or concepts that they were having difficulty representing in their native language?
I worked closely with my German translators on both HEART-SHAPED BOX (BLIND there) and 20TH CENTURY GHOSTS. I also was occasionally in touch with my Japanese translator on GHOSTS.
Q: Do you think eBooks will kill the physical book?
I’ve been meaning to write a mini-essay about why independent bookstores don’t need to be afraid of the eBook, but haven’t got around to it yet. The short answer to your question is, no, but it will force the big publishers to add more value to their books, to become, in essence, more like small presses.
Q: (Paraphrase) Does J.J. Abrams have a plan to tie all his television shows and movies together?
I think storytellers helplessly return to the same notions and motifs over and over again, and Abrams is no different. This is not a bug; it’s a feature.
Q: Guns & Roses or Nirvana?
It isn’t necessary to choose. You’re allowed to like both.
Q: Nature or Nurture?
I want to believe nurture, but, regrettably, I think mostly nature.
Q: Why is there evil in the world?
Because sometimes you just wanna fuckin have it, and you don’t care who gets hurt.
Q: Is there such a thing as evil?
Q: Any ideas for a fantasy novel?
Yep. Lots.
Q: Will there be chalk art this year?
Probably not.
Q: What conspiracy theories do you believe in and why?
I have a hunch there was a conspiracy to kill Julius Caesar.
Q: What’s your favorite television show?
My favorite all-time is Sopranos. My current favorite is Breaking Bad. In truth, I watch very little TV; not ’cause I’m a snob (I think some of the best writing in America is being done on television right now), but because with my very limited free time, I’d rather read comics, where the writing is even better, and where there’s less commercial pressure to play it safe.
Q: Top 5 musical artists?
Beatles, AC/DC, Stones, Springsteen, Steve Earle. How boring is that?
Q: Do you go fishing much on Lake Ponchatrain?
Only in the rain.
Q: Are you a fan of Joss Whedon?
Did you know his real name is Joe Hill Whedon? No, I’m serious.
I think Joss Whedon is a big fat stud. Believe it or not, though, I’ve only seen two, maybe three episodes of Buffy. I know him primarily for his work on Astonishing X-Men, and for Dr. Horrible. I went to Serenity but walked out forty minutes in… not because I hated it, but because I loved it, and wanted to go back and watch Firefly before seeing the rest of the movie. And I have Firefly on DVD, but still haven’t got around to watching it.
Q: What’s your favorite romance novel?
Another Marvelous Thing by Laurie Colwin.
Q: What’s your favorite film score?
The Warriors is the coolest.
Q: What’s your favorite video game?
Katamari.
Q: How do you feel about your contemporaries? Do you share the same sort of fandom you witness on your site, or do you keep it more cool because you’re in the game?
I think most of the people who comment here on the website play it pretty cool. I don’t see a lot of wanton asskissing, and wouldn’t want any.
I don’t feel anything about my contemporaries as a group. I take it on a case-by-case basis. But here’s a good spot to mention three writers my age or younger that reduce me to slavish fandom: Brian K. Vaughan, Curtis Sittenfeld, Kelly Link. Recently I discovered a comic called Scalped, scripted by a dude named Jason Aaron; he’s shaping up like a new favorite.
Q: How does it feel to have way, way more hair than Brian K. Vaughan?
Hairier.
Q: Why on earth isn’t a butterfly called a flutterby?
Have you noticed that all the famous lepidopterists have a stammer? That’s why.
Q: If you knew then what you know now would you have changed anything?
Sure. Probably 95% of my fiction is about regretting that you didn’t know then what you know now.
Q: What would you have had us ask that we did not?
I’m a little surprised no one asked if the hook in Tyler Locke’s baseball cap matters. And the answer is, hell, yes.
* Warren Ellis Unit
June 1st, 2009 at 10:13 am
Very cool Joe, thank you. That was fun. Your volcano answer was my favorite.
June 1st, 2009 at 10:18 am
I’ve discovered that everything I’m writing sounds very fan girly. I’ve deleted 3x…
So I’m reduced to saying “I love the FAQs and your site looks great!”
Lame. Sorry. It’s either that or FAN GIRL. Between you and your dad it’s just too much adoration to manage.
I <3 the Locke and Key books, too. VERY nicely done!
June 1st, 2009 at 10:21 am
Excellent stuff, very ‘enquiring minds want to know’.
June 1st, 2009 at 10:57 am
Thanks for answering my question about Gunpowder. The answer has got me excited!
Will the remaining three novellas also be published by PS?
June 1st, 2009 at 11:37 am
Of course the hook matters.
June 1st, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Thanks Joe! And I liked Gabe’s answer too!
June 1st, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Thanks a lot for this, Joe. For me, the greatest thing about the internet has been how it allows me to know more about the authors I like to read.
June 1st, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Twitter would be even more fun if I could upload my goddamn pic!
The Twilight answer was a bit surprising. I know that Stephenie is a fan of your work and she’s dying to meet you, Joe. Even if you’re not a fan of romance novels, her writing style is really amazing. She majored in English. There is a strong Bronte influence in her work. I love the language she uses. She’s got class. IMO
Thanks for your answers. I’ve learned a lot about you.
DC
June 1st, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Dark Crystal,
My comment about Twilight wasn’t a judgment on the author; more a judgment on a particularly narrow genre of fiction, the vampire romance. I think vampires are pretty tapped out – there’s not much left to do with them – and I’m not sure they were ever all that interesting to begin with.
June 1st, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Dark Crystal, I found what you said pretty surprising. No offense to her, but it just seemed unlikely that a woman who won’t watch anything R rated would read Joe’s work (which, let’s face it) is pretty R-rated work.
June 1st, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Also, I read an article/interview with her and she said she doesn’t like reading horror.
June 1st, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Thanks for answering all our questions, Joe.
June 1st, 2009 at 5:49 pm
FInally!!! after all these years. My soul can finally rest. I say “yes” to both Gun’s and Nirvana…..They both may exist on my Mp3 player at the same time.
June 1st, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Alright. Some of those answers were the best ones I have ever read in my ENTIRE life.
June 1st, 2009 at 7:13 pm
Re. Vampires: They’re a really hard subject to deal with without sounding corny, but if done well, I think they rock.
Without starting a family feud, Salem’s Lot comes to mind.
And (as I prepare myself for a flaming), as a fan of over-the-top action movies that scrape dangerously close to B grade, I loved the “Blade” trilogy (the movies – I haven’t read the comics).
It’s all in the delivery!
June 1st, 2009 at 8:41 pm
This was excellent, great idea Joe!
Will Gunpowder (and its sequels) be made available to the masses one day?
June 1st, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Re. Vampires: Vampires are indeed a hard subject to write about. If not so much because of them sounding corny, then more for the vampire purists (I will admit, I am one to an extent) who feel that the idea of the vampire shouldn’t change.
The thing is, vampires were a metaphor for sexuality when sexuality was something that wasn’t openly discussed. Now, with the internet, television (i.e. Cinemax, Shotime, etc.) sexuality is everywhere.
I believe it all depends on the delivery, really. Look at zombies. No one really took them seriously and then Max Brooks wrote “World War Z”.
June 1st, 2009 at 9:52 pm
That was great! Thanks for asking us to submit questions – Loved reading your answers. I, also, liked to answer to what happens if we throw all of our trash in a volcano. Cute.
June 1st, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Glad you’re liking SCALPED, Joe. I appreciate the shout-out. I’m really digging LOCKE AND KEY.
June 2nd, 2009 at 12:06 am
That’s really interesting Joshua, I didn’t know that about vampires. I always wondered why vampires are often shown as quite sensual, so now that all makes sense.
I guess I was a little too young to pick up on that when I read Dracula, all those many years ago.
June 2nd, 2009 at 12:23 am
Sam,
Take a look back on all the dark creatures of the night and you’ll find some reason why they came about. Zombies were a way for George A. Romero to make social commentary during the 1970s and still are a very big tool for that.
Werewolves, at least I think, are a way to pursue our animalistic nature. Censorship never works because the truly talented find a way around it.
June 2nd, 2009 at 12:51 am
HOLY SHIT!!! Tyler’s cap has a key on it?!??!!?! OMG every time I re-read Locke and Key I keep finding things, little stuff and secrets i missed before… Like hidden keys in people’s heads and the door the wolf was digging at has the number 11 on it… does this mean there’s eleven keys and doors in total? Must be more I’m over looking… I love mystery!!!
June 2nd, 2009 at 2:59 am
A surprising number of win-lose questions. Guys, it’a a tough world
Great (and witty) answers. Thank you, Joe.
June 2nd, 2009 at 6:38 am
Thanks Joe! And I second Vlad…great answers! I love starting my day off with a giggle or two.
And I have to say that I tend to agree with your answer on why is there evil in the world…I’ve always assumed it is about free will, but the way you put it really brings it home.
June 2nd, 2009 at 8:00 am
Curtis Sittenfeld! I thought you said vampire romance is boring. No, I’m just kidding. Cross is an okay guy. It’s not his fault he’s so resplendant with aristocratic charm, etc.
I really enjoyed the Q and A. It was have been even cooler if you had answered my question, but maybe you can tell I think I already know the answer. That is, to me, “Voluntary Committal” Is DEFINITELY about writing. Thanks for writing that story–I loved it.
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:29 am
Jason Aaron and Joe Hill on one website? Christ, if we could get BKV to post, it’d be this man’s all-star trifecta of 1970’s-born writers.
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:57 am
My students and I were disappointed that you did not reply to my offer to weigh in on our book club. We did enjoy looking at your responses.
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:03 am
I think that your answer to question to the question about evil may be about the best answer I have ever seen.
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:58 am
Wow! Thanks Wolfram Joe!
Lets all toss our scraps into a volcano for more hellfire and
brimstone from Joe’s ass! SALUTE YOU !!!!
June 2nd, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Not sure if this is appropriate (but what’s the ‘net for if not for sharing?), but to the person who asked “Who are some other writers like you? I love 20th Century Ghosts and need to find some other books like it,” you may want to check out the short story collections of Margo Lanagan. I’m a big fan of short stories in general, especially the strange ones (but NOT the nonsensical ones, often a fine line), and hers are among the strangest and well-written around.
I agree with Crystal, “Because sometimes you just wanna fuckin have it, and you don’t care who gets hurt,” was a great answer. I’ve never heard it quite put in such realistic terms.
June 3rd, 2009 at 8:57 am
Thanks for your answers. I’m very uplifted and inspired. I feel like doing something reckless now. Maybe I’ll write a novel version of the Telltale Heart or a sequel to Catcher in the Rye. Copyright schmopyright!
June 3rd, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Salinger:
haha…
Catcher In The Rye II…”Holden Unleashed!!~~~”
June 3rd, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Holy Hell…someone did just write a sequel to “Catcher”
…the bastids!!!
I read that book again last year and loved it as much
as the first time I read it. I love the pen name of the
writer of the sequel…JD California. The books name…
60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye. Holden
escapes from an old folks home and wanders around
NYC.
Salinger is sueing.
June 3rd, 2009 at 3:03 pm
60 years later my eye… That’s terrible. I say, if you’re going to antagonize JD Salinger, go for broke:
“Stradlater Loved It: The Revenge of Jane Gallagher”
June 4th, 2009 at 9:41 am
Thanks for doing something like this. I love this new age of the translucent author!
June 5th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
This was hilarious. I keep sending texts and messages to friends quoting various bits. And they find it hilarious, too! So there you have it.
I tried searching for info on the Locke & Key trade paperback, but with minimal luck. Any word?
June 5th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Damn those lepidopterists and their stammers!
Having read this blog and seen some of the art work you posted from Locke and Key I am now inclined to purchase my first comic. I’m actually really looking forward to getting my first copy. Whodathunk?
June 6th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
I maintain that J. Whedon’s best work was on Toy Story.
Re: Nature vs. Nurture… why regrettably Nature? Evolution is at play in our lives as much as any other organism. Nature dictates your proclivities, but intellect (shaped by parenting, education, development of cognition, nutrition) governs your responses. Ultimately, evolution selects individuals with the better reasoning (though on a case-by-case examination this argument seems to Fail) and if it is carried in our DNA, then… Nature.
Reading your responses was enjoyable. Ta for that.
June 8th, 2009 at 1:33 am
No Chalk art this year? does that mean no chalk off? man I’ve been practicing!
. oh well. Great post! Really entertaining and informative answers 
June 8th, 2009 at 10:15 am
Re: the Julius Caesar conspiracy… have you seen the HBO series ROME? It is genius. Just simply genius. Everyone should watch it (age-appropriate disclaimers here).
Re: Whedon, Serenity, Firefly… dude. Go watch Firefly NOW. Now now now now now. I personally think the episodes are better than the movie, but it’s all so very satisfying.
Re: an unanswered question on John Irving… he tried to give a serious answer about where he got his ideas (general discussion of his influences, etc.), but I’m pretty darn sure he’s getting delivery from that store in Schenectady, too.
Re: zombie contingency plans… ours is also to go north! We have a series of meeting places and everything. Of course, I seem to recall that World War Z mentioned some serious downsides to going north, but hopefully we can learn from those mistakes…
Oh, my daughter just turned two. If you ask her what owls say, she says “Hoot!” If you ask her what bears say, she goes “Grrrrrrrrr.” And if you ask her what zombies say, she says “Brains.” We’ve been trying to get her to say it less cheerfully, maybe with some outstretched arms and a more growly voice like her bear imitation, but she just thinks that’s funny. Ah, well, we try to prepare them young as best we can…
June 8th, 2009 at 10:26 am
I think my college education just went right out the window.
June 8th, 2009 at 10:26 am
Oh, I am so teaching my daughter to say Brains now. Thank you for that idea.
June 8th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
mmmmm, beef jerky.
June 8th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
I hate Twitter. I deleted my account. If nothing else, it gave me an idea for my next project. I’m gonna dedicate it to all the Goths of the world who’ve ever felt hurt, left out, abused or mistreated. I’ve always had a soft spot for them in my heart. I was a Goth before I even knew what one was.
The Sopranos rule. ACDC with Bon Scott was cool, but I could never get used to Brian Johnson’s voice. My family is German, but we don’t drink at all. Nathaniel Hawthorne was a genius who was ahead of his time. J.J. Abrams is one of the best directors ever, and it’s not fair to compare him to people like Brian Depalma and Stanley Kubrick because he’s just getting started. If Kurt Cobain had lived, then his band would’ve broken up and he’d probably be a washed-up hasbeen like Gavin Rossdale. Guns’N'Roses would be an even better band if Axl Rose focused on his keyboard playing and stopped singing. JMHO
June 8th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
Carrie…Love your response, especially “What does the zombie say?” That made me laugh. It reminded me of when my girls were little we taught them to give a raspberry whenever they heard, “George Bush” (the first).
And lali, I think Joe said “regrettably nature” because if we are bound by our dna it feels as though there is nothing we can do to change. (If I’m wrong about your meaning Joe, please correct me.) I recently heard someone say, “nature is the bullet–nurture is the trigger.” That made a lot of sense to me. In other words, it’s probably a combination of both.
June 8th, 2009 at 7:40 pm
Enjoyed reading your answers, Joe. The volcano one was very punny…groan.
But………….no Chalk-Off this year?
I can’t tell you how bummed I am. Please host it, even if you just pick winners and don’t give out any tangible prizes…….pleeeeeeeeeease?
Have to respectfully disagree about vampires. Have loved em since I was old enough to sneak-watch Christopher Lee on my tiny b&w in my room as a kid, and have read lots of very bad books, to be sure. Seeing ‘Salem’s Lot on tv when it first aired was what introduced me to your Dad’s work. But there are very good vampire books out there and yeeeees, they often include sexy-time. As long as the authors can come up with ways of reinventing the vampire mythos and keep it compelling- I’m going to be reading.
(You can take that as a challenge….)
(Have you heard about The Strain? If so, what are your thoughts?)
Great answer on evil. Can’t believe anyone would seriously ask that…
Breaking Bad Rocks!! Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul are 2 of the finest actors working on tv right now and together? Perfect chemistry.
June 10th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Hi,
I was your Swedish translator for both Heartshaped Box and Ghosts. Dit you get copies of the Swedish editions? And when can we hope for a new novel?
Gabriel
June 11th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
I hope you won’t be offended when I say this, but I like your writing better than your dad’s. I can’t help it, it’s my opinion.
I like Heart-shaped Box, especially the part about keeping pencils in a skull head. I like stories about ghosts for a particular reason that’s better left omitted. Suffice it to say, I like stories about ghosts. They’re extremely believable.
I’m reading a book about ghosts, by Bentley Little, called ‘The Academy.’
I like books that make me have to sleep with the lights on, and both ‘Heart-shaped Box’ and ‘The Academy’ have made me do that.
June 16th, 2009 at 4:52 am
So, Joe, Will GUNPOWDER be released again in a more affordable way, or will it all be released together as one in the end of it all? I want to read, just cant afford…
August 14th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
“Q: where do you get your ideas?
Schenectady. They have them on a shelf in a Mom & Pop on Route 147.”
I had to chuckle when I read that. Wasn’t it your pop who, when asked where he got his ideas, replied “Utica?”
I really, really enjoy reading your work. Looking forward to the new book.
August 25th, 2009 at 1:41 am
Nirvana. Hands down.
And I would have to say that Twilight is the WORST popular series. Even King said in his ET article that Meyer can’t write for shit.
I’m not saying that everyone isn’t entitled to their opinion … but guys, please, come on.
August 26th, 2009 at 11:13 am
great answers joe, very funny
i have to say that i totally agree with your opinion of twilight
December 25th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
I was talking to someone a few days ago, who said people are always asking him where he gets his ideas. He has a degree in Fine Arts: Theatre and Acting.
He writes his own material, acts in, edits and produces it.
I told him what you said, from Schenectady on Rte. 147, and he liked that answer.
He’s going to think up a place of his own, he lives in Australia, and tell them that.
He didn’t know how to explain where his ideas come from and didn’t understand why people ask that all the time.
December 26th, 2009 at 12:50 am
My favorite web site is You Tube, but I don’t for the life of me know why anymore. It started as my favorite, before all the haters came out in droves, so I still like it in a basic way.
I just hate haters, like my friend’s 10-year old daughter said.
Even a kid knows they’re troublemakers.