Horror, Mystery, and Sex!

That’s what Women in Horror should have been called.  Laurell K. Hamilton, author of the Anita Blake series and the new Meredith Gentry series (A Kiss of Shadows), and Paula Guran, editor of Horror Garage, fielded questions about writing horror and the publishing world.  Unsurprisingly, especially if you’ve read any of Hamilton’s books or seen Horror Garage, the topic kept coming back to sex.

Hamilton’s books are a breath catching, glued-to-the-pages, leave-the-lights-on meld of horror, mystery, and erotic (but not erotica) umph that has spawned a new sub-genre term: Hamiltonesque.  They reflect careful research into the BDSM scene and, as Hamilton was quick to point out, her stuff is accurate!  Hamilton explained (and as any of you know who play/live what you dress-up) people are safer at a BDSM club than at a bar on Saturday night.  If you’re pushy and forget what “no” means, people won’t play—nice, or worse, not-so-nice–with you.  Powerful incentive to behave and be a decent human being, doncha think?  And the BDSM scene is sensible: you can still be a hottie post-40 and intelligence and imagination are the currency of the realm.

Guran’s publication is a hard-hitting horror ‘zine with top-of-the line fiction, fronted by scantily-clad babes in full glossy on the cover.  It’s an odd combination.  I can see the head scratching at Barnes and Noble: Where to shelve it?  Next to Grease Babe Racks or F&SF?

If you haven’t read Laurell K. Hamilton or picked up a copy of Horror Garage, do it.  Do it now.  The next Anita Blake book, Narcissus in Chains, is due out Oct 9.  The current issue of Horror Garage with the babe in the fuzzy bikini on the cover is available now.

Author of the article

Eugie Foster was the long-time Director/Editor of the Daily Dragon an award-winning writer of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and YA/children's lit. She received the 2009 Nebula Award for her novelette, "Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast," the 2011 and 2012 Drabblecast People's Choice Award for Best Short Story for "The Wish of the Demon Achtromagk" and "Little Grace of the House of Death," and has been nominated for the Hugo, British Science Fiction, and Washington Science Fiction awards. Her works have been translated into eight languages, and her short fiction collection, Returning My Sister's Face and Other Far Eastern Tales of Whimsy and Malice, has been used as a textbook at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of California-Davis.