Cover reveal! New newsletter! Other stuff!

HEY

Ok, so I’m doing a newsletter. I’m calling it “Absurdist Horror.” Which is how I describe what I write and a lot of what I dig. A flavor on the page I’m always on the hunt for. It’s more of an vague, amoebic vibe than a well-defined thing. A certain kind of horror, a certain kind of absurd.

I’m thinking about stories where things get strange in ways that are nightmarishly unreal, but less in a “sublime” or awe-inspiring way as in cosmic horror and more of a deadpan-yet-disturbing or messy or even somewhat comical sort of way.   

There’s an aesthetic – the stories are weird and upsetting and succinct. They’re confrontational and even a bit cartoonish. And, for me, there’s a political side – stories that through distortions, exaggerations, hyperbole, etc., crank up the contradictions to expose the shit that’s fucked up and unfair about society. 

And I love these stories. And I try to write these stories. So stick around. We’ll have some fun.

THE FORAGED STRANGE

This is the part of the newsletter where I give a shout out to rad shit I see as sharing the absurdist horror vibe, stuff I think you should check out if you dig what I’m up to here.

• This new story, “The Boxer’s Omen,” by Elytron Frass on Psycho Holosuite

• This Badass Wolf Shirt track 

• The neon creature art of Tetsunori Tawaraya

RICK’S SCHTICK

Ok so if you’re reading this you probably already know this. But if you don’t: my next novel, SKULL SLIME TENTACLE WITCH WAR is COMING SOON from Anxiety Press. Expect it summer of 2024. It’s wildest, most demented thing I’ve ever written and IT WILL MELT YOUR FUCKING FACE OFF. I MEAN LOOK AT THE COVER!

(Shout out to Cody Sexton from Anxiety Press for working his graphic design magic on a photo I took to make this exquisitely horrible thing).

If you’re still reading and you haven’t subscribed yet you should do that now to make sure you’re in the loop on the book-related whatnot.

OK BYE!

xoxo

Rick