I’ve been thinking of what I want to do with my blog. As social media has fallen off for me (Twitter makes me angry. Blue Sky is nice at times, but I find I still spend too much time scrolling. I can’t for the life of me figure out how Instagram is supposed to work etc.) I want to go back to blogging. Of late I’ve been considering the “content age” that we’re in — where we’re all told we need to constantly produce content or we’ll be forgotten. I’ve wanted to stop chasing that, and only put out “content” that is authentic and meaningful. Of course, getting out of the habit of retweeting or spewing off random thoughts without deep consideration is difficult. It takes training. And I think that having a blog as a form of expression can help ease that desire to just throw out content for likes.
But what about? I really want to Read the World to take off, but I don’t want it to be dependent solely on me. So while I might blog about some of the stories and books that end up on the map, I don’t think that’s where I want my sole focus at the moment. The last time my blog felt “meaningful” was when I was writing about weird short stories. But lately my focus has not been on writing novellas and novels. I’ve also switched back to reading more long form. So I thought I’d write about that.
The other day I was talking with the editor of an online horror magazine about the possibility of writing a guest article that could tie into my release of Hold My Heart in May, and I decided I’d love to write about the state of Serial Killers in fiction these days. However, while I have some preconceptions about serial killer fiction, most of my reading has been with older books. So I thought I could kill two birds with one stone: research this potential article while also exploring the serial killer genre more deeply.
On my blog you’re going to get musings about serial killer books, some reactions. Some assessment. But nothing too deep. Then hopefully, after a few months, I’ll be able to write a thoughtful, deep dive into serial killer books. We’ll see. Maybe that won’t happen.
I’ve been asking for suggestions on twitter and bluesky for serial killer books. I want to mostly concentrate on indie books that have released in the past five years. But I will also be reading books that are older and are considered canon in the genre, so I can make comparisons. The list so far:
- There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins
- the sluts by dennis cooper
- My Pet Serial Killer by Michael J. Seidlinger
- Vanishing Daughters by Cynthia Pelayo
- So Beautiful and Elastic by Gary J. Shipley
- Crushing Snails by Emma E. Murray
- Kill for Love by Laura Picklesimer
- Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk
- Perfume by Patrick Suskind
- Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
- Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
- the Wasp Factory by Iain Banks
- I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones
- My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Of course this list is not exhaustive, and I may remove some if they don’t fit what I’m looking for at the moment. (I’ve also read a few of them already… I’m not sure if I’ll do a re-read or depend on my swiss cheese memory. If you have any suggestions for additional books, please send them my way!
Available May 27
“Perfect horror erotica. Gore is kept at a minimum, but suspense is maintained sky-high.”
“This isn’t your run of the mill average serial killer story. It’s heartbreaking, beautiful and brutal without being explicit.”
“Hot, horny, and horrifying, the novella drips with bodily fluids and purple alien ooze.”
“I was morbidly fascinated and couldn’t set the book down.”
“If you want a book that will stick with you for a long time, give this a read. You won’t be sorry.”
“If you love monsters, some gore, and super dark prose… then this is for you.”
