Tag Archives: jack ketchum

Blood Dust

April 22, 2016admin, Blog, Writingchuck palahniuk, jack ketchum, michael bailey, modest mouse, short stories, stephen kingMax

Chiral Mad 3 is now available as an ebook, paperback, and limited edition signed hardback. Edited by Michael Bailey, this anthology includes what I consider to be my best short story (so far): “Blood Dust”. It’s about dogs that eat trash. Other things happen, too. I think. I don’t know, it’s been a while since I wrote it.

But I can say it was directly inspired by a Modest Mouse song called “Wild Pack of Family Dogs”. I recommend listening to the song before and after reading the story.

If you wanted a signed hardback, looks like there’s only 13 left. After that, you’re out of luck. Get one here. You can also buy an ebook or paperback from the same link. Or you can shop on Amazon, if you’re one of those…types.

Here’s a photo of my contributor copy, along with a print of Glen Chadbourne’s beautiful illustration that accompanies my story.

Also included in this massive, glorious anthology:

Introduction: Observations on Horror Burnout – Chuck Palahniuk

Fiction:
01. The Poetry of Life – Richard Chizmar
02. The Last Rung on the Ladder – Stephen King
03. A Rift in Reflection – Hal Bodner
04. Windows, Mirrors, Doors – Jason V Brock
05. Prayer – Mort Castle
06. The Agonizing Guilt of Relief (Last Days of a Ready-Made Victim) – Paul Michael Anderson
07. The Black Crow of Boddinstraße – Emily B. Cataneo
08. A Flash of Red – Erinn L. Kemper
09. Red Runner vs. The Surgeon, Issue 18 – Jessica May Lin
10. The Dead Collection – Mercedes M. Yardley
11. Watch Me – Meghan Arcuri
12. The Bigger Bedroom – Josh Malerman
13. That Perilous Stuff – Scott Edelman
14. Know Your Code – Ramsey Campbell
15. 3-Dot People – Gene O’Neill
16. Silver Thread, Hammer Ring – Gary A. Braunbeck
17. Those Who Watch From on High – Eric J. Guignard
18. Blood Dust – Max Booth III
19. The Offering on the Hill – Richard Thomas
20. The Whipping Girls – Damien Angelica Walters
21. Seconds – Jack Ketchum

Poetry:
01. Fair – P. Gardner Goldsmith
02. Fail-Safe – Jonathan Balog
03. Folie à Deux – Sydney Leigh
04. Reflecting on Reflections – Bruce Boston
05. Mirror Image – Marge Simon
06. Black River #1 – Elizabeth Massie
07. Prescience – Rose Blackthorn
08. The Speed of Sound – Ciarán Parkes
09. Welcome Home, Darling – Stephanie M. Wytovich
10. Whisper #1 (A Warning) – Erik T. Johnson
11. Whisper #2 (A Prophecy) – Erik T. Johnson
12. Put Me to Dream – Stephanie M. Wytovich
13. Recognizing Trees – Ciarán Parkes
14. Arbitration – Rose Blackthorn
15. Black River #2 – Elizabeth Massie
16. Reflections Through the Raven’s Eye – Marge Simon
17. Beyond Symmetry – Bruce Boston
18. Folie à Plusieurs – Sydney Leigh
19. Insomnia in Reverse – Jonathan Balog
20. Promise – P. Gardner Goldsmith

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Now Available – CHIRAL MAD 2

December 20, 2013admin, Blogandrew hook, ann e boyer, chiral mad, chiral mad 2, david morrell, dustin lavalley, el kemper, emily b cataneo, erik t johnson, gary a braunbeck, gary mcmahon, gene o'neill, jack ketchum, james chambers, john biggs, john palisano, john skipp, jon michael emory, kevin lucia, lucy a snyder, mason ian bundschuh, max booth iii, mort castle, p gardner goldsmith, patrick o'neil, phlip c perron, ramsey campbell, richard thomas, thomas f monteleone, usman t malik, written backwardsMax

Chiral Mad 2, edited by Michael Bailey of Written Backwards, is now available on Amazon. Chiral Mad 2 is an anthology of psychological horror containing twenty-eight short stories by established authors and newcomers from around the world. All profit from sales of this anthology go directly to Down syndrome charities.

My short story “Flowers Blooming in the Season of Atrophy” is included in this anthology. Here is what editor Michael Bailey had to say about it: “School shootings are touchy subjects, but, when a story of such controversy is formed by beautiful words and pieced together masterfully by someone who really knows what he’s doing, like this Max Booth III character, it somehow works. ‘Flowers Blooming in the Season of Atrophy,’ as the title hints, is a multi-POV work of art told through passion/suffering.”

You can purchase Chiral Mad 2 directly through Amazon. After you see the table of contents, I don’t know how you’ll be able to resist. Seriously, check this out:

01. ANOTHER MAN’S BONES – MASON IAN BUNDSCHUH
02. MNEMONICIDE – JAMES CHAMBERS
03. FLOWERS BLOOMING IN THE SEASON OF ATROPHY – MAX BOOTH III
04. THE COUNSELOR – MORT CASTLE
05. DEAR BOY – JOHN BIGGS
06. INTERFERENCE – ANDREW HOOK
07. PICTURE-IN-PICTURE – DUSTIN LAVALLEY
08. WHEN I WAS – THOMAS F. MONTELEONE
09. TIGHT PARTNERS – GENE O’NEILL
10. APPROACHING LAVENDER – LUCY A. SNYDER
11. ORANGE IS FOR ANGUISH, BLUE FOR INSANITY – DAVID MORRELL
12. IN THE EYES OF THE BEHOLDER – ANN K. BOYER
13. EMPATHY – JOHN SKIPP
14. VERSIONS – E. L. KEMPER
15. THE TENDED FIELD OF EIDO YAMATA – JON MICHAEL EMORY
16. PLAYING WITH FIRE – RICHARD THOMAS
17. INDIAN SUMMER – PHILIP C. PERRON
18. BLOOD WOMEN – USMAN T. MALIK
19. WHITECHAPEL – P. GARDNER GOLDSMITH
20. THE CHUTE – GARY MCMAHON
21. SCAVENGING – KEVIN LUCIA
22. THE WORD – RAMSEY CAMPBELL
23. WELCOME HOME, ALL YOU UNINVITED – ERIK T. JOHNSON
24. THE GEMINIS – JOHN PALISANO
25. A GUIDE TO ETIQUETTE AND COMPORTMENT FOR THE SISTERS OF HENLEY HOUSE – EMILY B. CATANEO
26. THE RIGHT THING – JACK KETCHUM
27. PASSING AFFLICTION – PATRICK O’NEILL
28. THE GREAT PITY – GARY A. BRAUNBECK

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Chiral Mad 2 to publish “Flowers Blooming in the Season of Atrophy”

August 30, 2013admin, Blog, Writingandrew hook, chiral mad, chiral mad 2, david morrell, erik t johnson, gary mcmahon, gene o neill, jack ketchum, john skipp, max booth iii, michael baily, mort castle, ramsey campbell, written backwardsMax

Michael Bailey of Written Backwards has accepted my story, “Flowers Blooming in the Season of Atrophy” for his newest psychological horror anthology, Chiral Mad 2. All proceeds will go toward benefiting Down’s Syndrome charities.

“Flowers Blooming in the Season of Atrophy” details the aftermath of a horrific school shooting from multiple points of views of those affected. It will join eight other already announced authors, including Gene O’Neill, Gary McMahon, Erik T. Johnson, Andrew Hook, Ramsey Campbell, Mort Castle, David Morrell, Jack Ketchum, and John Skipp, with more to be announced in the future.

Here is what the editor, Michael Bailey, had to say about the news on Facebook:

Max Booth III submitted a story called “Flowers Blooming in the Season of Atrophy,” which I can’t get out of my head. It’s been stuck there for a while. So, it’s going in the book. Welcome to Chiral Mad 2! The anthology will most likely lead with 1. Jack Ketchum, 2. Max Booth III, 3. Mort Castle…

That’s right. I will be following an original Jack Ketchum story. I will be the delicious, juicy meat in a Jack Ketchum, Max Booth III, and Mort Castle sandwich.

I am having a hard time picturing a bigger honor right now, to be honest. Stay tuned for further updates.

Post Mortem Press to Publish TOXICITY

July 18, 2013admin, Blogbook news, clive barker, eric beebe, harlan ellison, jack ketchum, joe hill, max booth iii, novel, post mortem press, richard thomas, toxicity, writingMax

I have sold my debut novel, Toxicity, to Post Mortem Press.

While I already have two story collections currently available (True Stories Told By a Liar and They Might Be Demons), Toxicity will be my first novel. I am beyond thrilled to be a part of the Post Mortem Press family. My short story, “In the Attic of the Universe”, was previously published in their New Dawn Fades anthology.

In the past, they have published writer greats such as Clive Barker, Joe Hill, Harlan Ellison, Jack Ketchum, and Jonathan Maberry, along with up and coming talents like Jessica McHugh, Christian A. Larsen, Kenneth W. Cain, and Brad Carter.

Toxicity has been my baby for a long while now. All in all, with all the rewrites and edits taken into consideration, this is a novel that took eight years to really complete it at the stage it currently resides. It is a black comedy about awful people continuing to put themselves into awful situations.

There will be more details in the coming months, including a micro-website for the novel which will encompass reviews, blurbs, and everything else related to it.

Here is what Richard Thomas, one of my early editors on the book, had to say about it:

“Toxicity seeps under your skin, infecting you with black comedy, shocking violence, and the stinking desperation of bad people rotting in the sun. And yet somehow, we still root for these dark souls—and that is the genius of Max Booth III.”

—Richard Thomas, STARING INTO THE ABYSS

Toxicity has a targeted release date of March 2014.