### ### ##### \ Soulz At Zero # # # # \\ ### ##### # \\\ Proudly Presents # # # # \\\\ ### # # ##### \\\\\ The Death Certificate! -----THE-DEATH-CERTIFICATE------VOLUME-1-ISSUE-1---------OCTOBER-1994----- Staff: The Stranger, Jack Flack - Editors, Writers. (*) If you are interested in contributing to The Death Certificate please let one of the editors know. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I want to see. Show me. Take me to the fun house, into the dark where the bogeyman jump out and go boo and scare me. And then you can hold me tight. Hold me very tight. Show me the dead men so I can feel alive. - from Ash Wednesday - Chet Williamson --------------------------------------------------------------------------- + Table of Contents + 1. Words from the Editor 2. SAZ News 3. Horror News 4. Reviews 5. The Writers Block 6. Final Words --------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Words from the Editors: When we started SAZ we didn't know how many people would be interested in reading poems and short stories on their computers. We hoped that maybe twenty people would take a look at our work, twenty-five at the most. At the time I'm writing this, over forty people have looked at pack one.. We want to thank all of those who took the time to read over pack one and we hope you continue to support us in the future. If there was one problem we had with the first pack it was the amount of comments we received about it, which was almost nothing. We do want to hear from you and we do want to know what you think. We don't want messages telling us how lame we are or anything like that. But we do want to hear from you so we know if were reaching anyone out there or if we're doing this all in vain. So please, leave us a message on any of the many boards that we are on. What you are looking at now is the SAZ Newsletter, "The Death Certificate." The idea of the newsletter is to pass on news about SAZ and horror in general. We will have reviews of books, movies, and music that have horror tones to them. We will have tons of quotes and information about new books that are coming out. We will have non-fiction pieces about the many meanings of horror. The future of this newsletter depends on your responses. If you hate it, it's gone. If you like it, then we will keep doing it. But most of all we want to know how you think we could make it better. Well that's all from me for the first issue. Thank you for taking the time to look through pack two and please send your comments to us and support us by sharing the pack with a friend. Now, turn down the lights, keep your eyes wide open, and pray you don't find your name, on The Death Certificate... The Stranger ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Soulz At Zero News On September 13, 1994 the first Soulz At Zero pack was released. There was little interest at first but once word got around, the downloading really began. Over forty people have downloaded the pack and over fifty have looked through it. We consider this a great success and thank those of you who took the time to read Soulz At Zero pack 1. On October 13, Pack II will be released which includes more great LIT, more Gif's and Ansi's then before, and our new newsletter "The Death Certificate." We hope you enjoy it and feel free to write us a message with your thoughts or comments. --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Horror News by The Stranger: New in Bookstores Insomnia by Stephen King. The master returns to the bookshelves this October 3rd with his latest installment of horror. 787 pages long, this book should mark the return of King to the genre that made him a household name after his recent trips away from horror with Gerald's Game and Dolores Clairborne. The story is about an elderly man named Ralph Roberts who finds himself suffering from insomnia after the death of his wife. And maybe its the lack of sleep or maybe not, but something is making him see things that are more than hallucinations. Based in the town of Derry, Maine where strange things have happened before (It was also based there) Ralph and his friends are about to encounter something they won't believe. If only they could sleep it off.. Look for a review of this book in the next newsletter. Twilight Time by Rick Hautala. Known as Maine's "other author", Rick Hautala has slowly become one of the most respected horror writers in the field. His newest book, his eighth, has just been released by Zebra and it appears to be the continuation of Hautala's new jump from Horror to Psychological Horror. The story is about a man named Jeff Wagner who is returning to his home town in Maine where as a child, Jeff was abused along with his sister and younger brother. Jeff formed multiple personalities, each one more dangerous then the other, and the only way to heal himself was to leave Maine. And now he's coming back, he's about to open the door that has been closed for so long, he's about to meet head on with his childhood fears once again.. Well that's what the back of the book says, expect a review of the book in the next newsletter. Drawing Blood by Poppy Z. Brite. Poppy Z. Brite has just turned twenty-seven years old and she is already being called the hottest writer in the horror field. Drawing Blood is her second novel, last year she released Lost Souls, which quickly went on to become a best seller. Brite has the power to take the madness of her generation and turn it into blood curdling horror. She listens to Tom Waite or Nine Inch Nails as she pens her stories and its usually clear in her writing style. This story is about Trevor McGee and his family. His father goes crazy one day and kills off Trevor's mother and brother. Trevor had to leave to find sanity, but now he's back, back to face the ghosts and find a reason for his fathers deed. He befriends a computer hacker and a beautiful girl as he plunges into a world of terror that will lead either to understanding or to a blood raining repetition of the past. This book should be a great read. Echo Magazine says of this book "Darker and more exotic than Anne Rice. More cerebral than Stephen King...Horror is rarely this good." Review in the next issue, hopefully. Taltos by Anne Rice. This book is the third installment in her Lives of the Mayfair Witches series which began with "The Witching Hour" and then "Lasher." The story is about a race of beautiful and practically immortal giants who once lived in peace on an island in the North Atlantic. That is until Homo sapiens came along and began to slaughter them. And so the Taltos disappeared from the earth, well not entirely. At least one lived, Ash Templeton, a seven-foot-tall New York millionaire who is seeking for one of his own kind. And there is another, a woman born from a witch who Ash must find. The reviews on this book so far are horrible.. But then again its been the number one bestseller for two weeks now. Coming Soon to bookstores: "Dark Rivers of the Heart" by Dean Koontz. The limited edition version is priced at $250 and is probably already sold out. Expect to see the trade hardback version out before Christmas. Dell Abyss will release two highly anticipated books possibly before the year is out. "California Gothic" by Dennis Etchison and "Swamp Foetus" by Poppy Z. Brite. "California Gothic" will mark Etchison's third novel and should be out before Christmas. "Swamp Foetus" is a collection of short stories that is already out in an expensive limited edition version but will be released in paperback around January. These two both promise to be big sellers and great reads. New on the magazine rack: Cemetery Dance Magazine, Summer 1994. My personal favorite magazine once again proves itself to be the best horror fiction magazine around. A wonderful piece of art is featured on the cover and as usually the pictures inside are breathtaking. This issue has short stories by well known short story writer Norman Partridge as well as three well known novelist, Ed Gorman, Douglas Clegg, and Mathhew J. Costello. There are articles by Charles Grant, Douglas Winter, Kathryn Ptacek, and Thomas F. Monteleone to name a few. And the interview this issue is with Nancy A. Collins author of such books as "Sunglasses After Dark" and her new one "Wild Blood." Cemetery Dance is always worth the money. Pick up the new copy at a comic book store or horror store near you. New on Video: "The Stand." This six and a half hour made for TV mini-series is now available at your local video store. It comes on four VHS tapes which also includes a behind the scenes making of the film. "The Stand", based on the novel by Stephen King, was one of the highest rated mini-series of all time. The story is about a disease that sweeps across the country killing everyone except a select few who are called in dreams by the voices of good or evil. The survivors make their decisions on who to follow and prepare themselves for the Stand.. Highly recommended. New on CD: 4P by Danzig. On October 3rd Danzig released there fourth studio album. Riding high on the success of the song "Mother", Danzig looks to keep there new audience by adding more melodies to the songs but by also keeping the screams and devilish lyrics that made them popular. The album contains twelve songs including "Brand New God", "Going Down To Die", "Until You Call on the Dark", and "Bringer of Pain." It also includes a hidden track on the CD version at track number 66, which is a Gregorian chant to the demons. The album is loud, aggressive and evil. Buy it. Review in next months "Death Certificate." --------------------------------------------------------------- Life is not good; one day it will be good to die, and then to live again. Christine Rossetti --------------------------------------------------------------- 4. The Reviews: Books: "The Nightrunners" by Joe R. Lansdale, 1987 Tor Pub. Fangoria Magazine said of Lansdale "You have to turn to someone like Clive Barker to equal the repulsive and vivid imagination Lansdale has at his command." But where as Barker will slice open a victim with precision like a surgeon, Lansdale will rip his victims apart like Jason from Friday the 13th. There is no one who writes like Lansdale, there are many who write with the same vicious style but none who understand the mixture of language and life as well as he does. After reading this book you will have to wash the blood from your own fingers as every page drips of it. Okay, well not really, but you get the idea. "The Nightrunners" was Joe's first novel (under his own name) and it shows. His inexperience makes for a sloppy plot and bad structure but it also brings raw power and originality like no other book has. The story is about a woman named Becky who one night a long time ago was raped by a group of boys. The boys call themselves "The Nightrunners" and with a little help from fate and maybe a little strange magic, they are about to meet the woman they terrorized years before. You see, she was able to recognize one of the boys on the night she was raped and he was sent to prison. He hung himself in his cell. And now his best friend is the groups leader and he knows he must bring revenge to the woman who he feels killed his friend. He knows he must bring revenge because his dead friend tells him so. Let me warn you here, this book is very violent and somewhat shocking. And because of that its also almost impossible to find. This one didn't last too long on the shelves before people decided it had to go away. But it can be found through horror bookstores and should cost under ten bucks. At the end of the newsletter will be the address of Pandora's Bookstore where I bought my copy for only four bucks (plus three dollars for postage and handling.) This book is worth it. It's an amazing book, the first novel of one of the biggest names in the horror field, it includes a short introductory by Dean Koontz, and it should be a great collectors item in the future. Check it out if you can get a hold of it. The Stranger... --------------------------------------------------------------- "Created By" by Richard Christian Matheson, Bantam Pub, 1993. R.C. Matheson will probably always be best known as the son of one of the most famous horror writers of all time, Richard Matheson (I Am Legend). But R.C. has been making a name for himself in the horror world for a while now and with the release of his first novel he has established himself as a writer to watch for in the future. If you know R.C. Matheson's writing, you know its his short-short stories that have earned him the right to be considered one of the best writers around but with his new book, "Created By", Richard takes a stab at finding a bigger audience than his short stories could ever find. Richard is the master of short-shorts (stories under a thousand words) and though his novel is hard to follow at times, the power he brings to his shorter works makes this book worth reading. He has the same quick cobra strike attack of writing that Joe Lansdale has but without all the blood. He's able to make one sentence scary and funny at the same time. "Created By" is the story of Alan White, a hot young writer-producer looking for the one megahit every Hollywood writer dreams about. He finds it in a show called "The Mercenary." The show has sex, violence, and even nudity, and though the networks are getting uptight about the show, the television viewers can't keep their eyes off their screens. There's only one problem, the show is beginning to have its own life. Murders on the show are becoming the next mornings headlines and Alan himself may be the next victim. The story has some twists, yet at times you may feel you know exactly what's going to happen. The writing is wonderful though there may be a few too much television lingo to keep up. Overall I liked the writing more than I liked the book. But I do recommend it, especially if you've never read Richard Christian Matheson before. The Stranger... --------------------------------------------------------------- "Shadow Man" by Dennis Etchison, Dell Abyss, 1993 Few authors are more respected in the horror field than Dennis Etchison. Although he has written only two novels (Darkside being the first), he has established himself as one of the best writers of horror. Under the pen name Jack Martin, Etchison has written many adaptations of movies for books such as The Halloween movie series and Videodrome. But it is his short story writing that has made him already somewhat of a legend. He has many short story collections, all of which are hard to find, all of which are worth the trouble of trying to find them. "The Dark Country" would be the most popular and the one you may be able to get a hold of. "Shadow Man" is about a strange man who lives under the shadow of night and only the children know his legend. But social worker Lissa Shelby is starting to get worried because many of the children she works with are missing. When a homeless boy is discovered missing, Lissa sets out to find him, only to encounter a reality more terrifying than anything she could have imagined. With the help of a friend, she will search and possibly find, the "Shadow Man." Dennis Etchison is one of the best writers around and that's obvious once you read the books prologue. There's only one problem, he has no idea how to write a book. This book has so many strange plot twists and one of the worst endings I've ever come across that its almost hard to recommend. Almost. I have to recommend this book for the writing, it is truly one of the best written books in a long time. Etchison takes a boring plot and makes it scary and full of emotion in short paragraphs. Etchison's next book should be coming out in November or early December. Watch for it and read this one while your waiting. The Stranger... --------------------------------------------------------------- "Dark Channel" by Ray Garton, Bantam Pub., 1992. Ray Garton is known for his writings on two different subjects, sex and religion. This book has both. This book marks the first attempt by Ray Garton to go "main stream" and he accomplishes that very well. His other novels (Live Girls, Darklings) have all had an excess of violence and sex but he tones it down with "Dark Channel." Not a lot but he does tone it down. Garton is considered by some a sexpunk, which is a phrase taken from another slang horror term splatterpunk. Whereas a splatterpunk is uses excessive violence and blood, a sexpunk uses excessive violent sex. But in this book the sex only begins at the end and never gets too graphic. And the violence is rarely spoken of. The book is about a woman named Hester Thorne who has begun her own new age group called the Universal Enlightened Alliance. The starts the group because Orion, the voice speaking to her inside her head, told her too. Her group becomes one of the biggest in the world, people are flocking from all over to her meetings to hear her speak. But private detective Jordan Cross has been hired to find out more about the group after another man who was suppose to be doing research on the group never returns. As Jordan begins his search he finds more people who have lost a love one to the group and together they will search to find where everyone is, or to see if there even alive. Ray Garton never cops out in this book, meaning he never says it was only a trick. He gives us the feeling that everything we see in the book, no matter how improbable it may be is actually happening. His writing is very straight forward and the plot goes in every direction but its still easy to follow. Garton has an amazing way of introducing us to ten or so characters and then making it possible for us to remember them all. Though the book isn't what you'd call scary, it is a great read and something could be learned from it about religion in this country. Check it out and see if your a believer.. The Stranger... --------------------------------------------------------------- "Gone South" by Robert McCammon, Pocket Books, 1992. "It was hell's season, and the air smelled of burning children." Wow! That's the first line from Robert McCammon's twelfth novel and from there the ride begins. McCammon has set his sails for the world of mainstream writing but still his books always have a sense of horror to them. Whether it being the emotions that scare or the feelings of pain, McCammon can make you hurt like no other. His epic "Swan Song" is possibly one of the best horror books of all time and his other novels aren't much worse. McCammon has a southern style of writing that makes you want to read carefully through every sentence so you can see the picture he's painting before your eyes. Where a Joe Lansdale would write quick sudden sentences that punch you in the gut, McCammon writes long flowing sentences that just dance through your head. He is truly one of the best writers out there in any field of fiction and any chance you have of reading any one of his books should be taken. Now lets talk about "Gone South." The story is about a Vietnam Vet named Dan Lambert who kills a man in a moment of fear and fury and in that one instance his life is changed forever. Now he's on the run, not only from the police but from bounty hunters who want the reward money being offered for his arrest. He has to flee to the Louisana bayous and make his way through the swamplands to escape but he may never escape the guilt that is driving him insane. This is not one of my favorite McCammon books but it is still worth the read. This book has characters you won't soon forget and tales a fantasy story that will have you surprised and laughing at the same time. McCammon has so much improved since his first novel (Baal) that it is a pleasure to read writing this good. The Stranger... --------------------------------------------------------------- There is nothing more beautiful than death. Walt Whitman --------------------------------------------------------------- 5. The Writers Block By The Stranger... This is where I will write a short essay on how to help you become a better writer. First let me say that I don't consider myself a great writer nor do I consider myself the keeper of knowledge on how to write. I only want to share things that have helped me become a better writer in hopes that it will help you. I have not been published though I continue to try but I believe that I have some suggestions or tips that might help. At the end of the article I will list some horror magazines that you can write to in order to get there guidelines and possibly be published in them. Okay lets start. In this issue I'm going to deal with the simple rules on how to become a better writer. Next issue I'll deal with how to get published (though it hasn't helped me). There are two very important rules that come to mind that every author tells a young writer. Number one, you must read a lot. We learn language and how it can be used by reading the works of others. The more you read the better understanding you will have for the workings of a story such as plot, characterization and setting mood. And I think its very important to read the genre that you plan on writing, whether it be horror, science fiction, or whatever. This allows you to keep up to date on what's already been done and what the current feel is in your genre. But at the same time I don't think you should limit yourself, meaning I don't think you should read tons of books and magazines and see that vampires are the current rage and then you start writing vampires stories exclusively. By reading others, we find out what everyone else is doing and then we try to come up with are own style or originality. The second rule is to write. Writers learn there craft by writing just as an athlete becomes better through practices. Writers should always be writing and in time you will notice a big change between your first pieces and the ones you do now. A lot of younger writers feel that after writing ten short stories that its time to start sending them in to magazines. And though some of these writers may be good enough to get there works published so soon in their hobby, it's a better idea to wait until you have written the story that uses all your talents perfectly. This usually doesn't happen until after, say, thirty or so short stories. Poetry is different because at anytime you may come up with something that means a lot to you and works just as well for others. That's it for this issue. I kept it short due to lack of time and also because I didn't think anyone would want to read anymore. Next issue we'll look at the more advanced writer who is ready to be published. Here is a list of some magazines. Send a SASE to which ever ones you like and tell them you would like a copy of their fiction guidelines. This is the first step in getting your finished product out to the markets. Thanks for reading and good luck with your writing. Dreams and Nightmares. This is a poetry magazine that excepts horror or fantasy poems. Write to: 1300 Kicker Rd., Tuscaloosa, AL 35404. There very quick with responses. Deathrealm. This is a big horror fiction magazine, tough to get published in. Write to: 3223-F Regents Park, Greensboro, NC 27455. Eyes. This is a beginning horror fiction magazine. Quick responses. Write to: Apt. 301, 2715 S. Jefferson Ave., Saginaw, MI 48601. 2AM Magazine. Another big magazine in the horror world. Write to: Box 6754, Rockford, IL 61125-1754. This magazine helps out newer writers. Thin Ice. A good small magazine that responds quickly. Write to: 379 Lincoln Ave., Coucil Bluffs, IA 51503. Aberations. This is for adult horror fiction. Write to: Sirius Fiction, PO Box 460430, San Franciso, CA 94146. That's all of them for this issue but I have a lot more that I'll share with you in the next few issues. When addressing these, state the name of the magazine first and then the information that comes after "Write to:". Send a Self-Addressed-Stamped- Envelope with each and expect a response in 2-8 weeks. --------------------------------------------------------------- 6. Final Words: I'm cutting the newsletter short this month due to lack of time. I hope that by next months issue we will have twice as many reviews and hopefully some non-fiction pieces on horror. If anyone would like to contribute to the newsletter, feel free to leave us messages on the many boards we are on. If there is anything you would like to see in the next "Death Certificate" just leave us a message. Well you've wasted enough time reading through this newsletter, go enjoy the LIT's if you haven't already. And upload the pack to your favorite boards and any long distance boards you may be on. Thanks again, and we'll see you next month. --------------------------------------------------------------- Young fingers black from ink as your shaking hands glide down the page, trying to see if your name is on the death certificate. The wind screaming against the window, begging to get in, to get to you. And at last you find the dotted line, written in blood the letters that form your name. A sudden gasp caught in your throat, a flicker of the lights until they fade off completely. The cold touch of fingers as a hand reaches across the bare skin of your neck. Goosebumps rise from your neck just as the lights shine on once more. And once again you are alone. Before you lies the death certificate, your name is no longer written. You have escaped death, for now. The Stranger... --------------------------------------------------------------- (C) Copyright SAZ 1994. -The Stranger and Jack Flack-