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Mantic Notes………………………………..……….…1
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Mantic Notes
(Pronunciation:'man-
tik. Etymology:
Greek mantikos, from
A Contribution by Leigh Blackmore for the Sword
& Sorcery & Weird Fiction Terminus (Oct 31, 2009/ mantis : of, relating to
the faculty of
35th mailing), & Esoteric Order of Dagon (Oct 31,
divination; prophetic).
2009/ 148th mailing) amateur press associations.
Leigh Blackmore, 78 Rowland Ave, Wollongong,
NSW 2500. Australia. I fear this
Mantichore 4, No 3 (WN 15) issue may be a bit
Email: lvxnox@gmail.com
Wikipedia entry:
meagre, not for
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leigh_Blackmore want of material
Official Website: Blackmausoleum – LB at Conflux 6 backed up in my
http://members.optusnet.com.au/lvxnox/
files, but because I’m assembling it only a
week or two before deadline. The last
three months I have been focussing on my
IN MEMORIAM thesis to the exclusion of nearly all else. As
BEN INDICK I write, it’s just a few days since I handed
(1923-2009) it in for examination. It consists of two
parts: the critical component
(“Individuation, ‘Mytho-realism’ and
Surrealistic Traces in Terry Dowling’s Tom
Rynosseros Cycle”) and the creative
component (a 35,000 word novella called
‘Ghosts in the House of Life”). It seems the
critical piece may find a home next year in
S.T. Joshi’s new journal from
Hippocampus Press, Weird Fiction Annual.
I will be seeking a home in print for the
novella as well but haven’t yet decided
where to send it; in any case, I intend
developing it into a full-length novel.
My reading has been restricted
due to the thesis – I have spent months
reading nothing but Jungian, Surrealist
and Pre-Raphaelite works – but I can now
return to the consumption of fiction, and
‘Sabbatic HPL’ by Leigh Blackmore hopefully will have some reviews to offer
next issue. I haven’t even had time yet to
read Ken Faig’s The Unknown Lovecraft nor
Richard Tierney’s Drums of Chaos, both of the two back issues, plus all the issues of
which I received some time ago although I Dead Reckonings, which I have not yet seen
managed to squeeze in ST Joshi’s Classics at all. I also received Ben Szumskyj’s essay
and Contemporaries, which I vastly enjoyed. collection Robert Bloch: the Man Who
Presumably I will now graduate in Collected Psychos (McFarland) in which I
December, finally having a degree at age have an essay. It’s a well put-together
50. I intend looking for work in publishing volume and I look forward to reading all
or editing next year, after fulfilling a of it shortly.My story in Gaslight Grotesque
couple of other writing commitments should be out in November, and I’m
between now and Christmas – a story for awaiting the anthology with bated breath
an American anthology, and a critical – my first Holmes story in print, my first
piece for another American book. in an overseas anthology, and my first
I can’t refrain from publishing Canadian appearance! Also, I think, my
here the comments author M. John highest-paying story in print as yet. I may
Harrison made about my essay on his have mentioned last time that I appeared
work which appeared in Studies in the on television in a special edition of the
Fantastic No 2. In an email to me after I Australian book program ‘Jennifer Byrne
provided him a copy of the published Presents’, entitled ‘Monsters and
essay, he said: “broadly, I think it is Bloodsuckers’. While I would have
exceptional in its recognition of what I’m preferred to talk modern horror and
doing and how. After so many years in a Lovecraft, the show focussed on ‘classic’
wilderness, it’s such a relief when you horror novels – ‘Dracula and so on – but
know that people out there are getting it. I we managed to sneak a few references to
would say that “Undoing the Lovecraft in under the radar, since the
Mechanisms” is more incisive than many show’s editor was also a Lovecraft fan.
of the texts it quotes –more incisive, too, The program screened in Australia in
than some of the criticism in Parietal Games September and I had quite a number of
[ed: a collection of criticism on MJH in positive comments from people who had
which I wish I had been included!]. I feel seen it. For anyone who wants to see it
that the books are well served by it, and in and missed the original broadcast, you can
terms of its sense of authority and clarity go to the following site:
of angle-of-attack, I’d place it with Chris http://www.abc.net.au/tv/firsttuesday/jbp/
Moyle’s Lacanian “Sex as Exile: . Simply click on the picture next to the
Postmodern Metamorphosis and Erotic ‘Jennifer Byrne Presents: Monsters and
Dystopia” and David Punter’s Gothic Bloodsuckers’ heading and you will be
“Light: Shadows of Modernity.” taken to the vodcast window, then just
Given that I admire Harrison press the ‘Play’ arrow. We made a trip to
more than any other living fiction writer Woori Yallock in Victoria in September (a
save perhaps Ligotti, these appreciative round trip of some 2000 miles) to gather
comments made me very very happy! I with a group of Reclaiming Tradition
also feel that my critical ambitions are on witches. On the
the right mark and that perhaps I can way down we
further develop in that direction…. saw Margi’s
I received copies of Lovecraft cousin Denise at
Annual No 3, containing my essay on “The her farm at
Transition of Juan Romero” and many Spring Valley
other excellent essays on HPL. It’s a near Goulburn,
handsome production – this issue also the ‘ancestral
contains my review of Joshi’s The Rise and place’ of most of
Fall of the Cthulhu Mythos – and I have Margi’s folks, and
scraped together enough money to order Margi & Graham at explored the
Spring Valley
cemetery there. In Victoria, we had a magick and appear on panels, but due to
good couple of days meeting the people my time-consuming thesis, we took it
and doing some interesting ritual with easier this year and simply relaxed around
them, and it may lead to further work. I the con. We also got out to see the
am also currently considering rejoining National Art Gallery and the National
the OTO, my former magical order, in Library in Canberra (the latter featuring
which I haven’t been active since the mid- the excellent exhibition on the work of
1990s. muso Nick Cave). One day we had lunch
En route to Victoria, we visited with one of the co-editors of Studies in
many small country bookshops in towns Australian Weird Fiction, James Doig. James
such as Holbrook, Goulburn, Euroa, took us to Tilley’s, an atmospheric eating
Benalla, place, and then on to a great secondhand
Wangaratta bookshop ,Canty’s, where as well as
and Albury. finding a couple of good books, I ran into
I had a few an old compadre from my magical lodge,
good finds the OTO, David Bottrill. It’s a small world!
including a In family news, my stepson Rohan
first of is about to turn 21, and we are hosting a
Witches party for him and his friends at Kuleto’s
LB standing next to weird roadside Three Cocktail Bar in Newtown, Sydney, near
sculpture near Goulburn, NSW (containing where he lives. Work on the property
Lieber’s Conjure Wife) progresses, with Graham having hired a
digger to flatten the earth near our back
The creek where we intend re-fencing next
band I have year. Margi is loving her painting and
been rehearsing drawing classes and is turning out many
in with Margi artworks. Graham had a major coup with
and Graham, a commission some time ago to design the
now dubbed fonts for the intertitles of a re-release of the
‘Third Road’, is classic version of the silent horror film
going well. We Playing bass at home Nosferatu. He received the finished copy
in Third Road from America recently and is very happy
have perfected
2-3 hours of material to play live and will with the result.
be doing a ‘dress rehearsal’ gig at a small It was with sadness that I learned
hall locally in Wollongong on the 7th of the passing of founding EOD member
November for friends. Our first semi- Ben Indick recently. I never met Ben but
public gig will be for a wedding in early always appreciated his contributions to
December. Next year we hope to play local the EOD. (Danny Lovecraft met him while
clubs and bring in some money. in the US a few years back). I pay a small
In tribute to Ben this issue with some notes
October about his output.
Margi, I have been giving serious thought
Graham to the project of assembling Robert Bloch’s
and I Selected Letters, for which I have obtained
attended approval from the Bloch Estate. I imagine
this will take at least the next year or two
Conflux sf Leigh & Margi at Conflux 6 and will keep me out of mischief! Danny
convention in Canberra, now an annual Lovecraft may be collaborating with me
tradition and the marker of the fifth on this project, for which there is no
anniversary of our polyamorous triad. publisher as yet.
Usually Margi and I run a workshop on
I seem to have encouraged our whom one doesn’t care a whit, is terrible.
esteemed EOD friend Fred Phillips about And why does this Punch character speak
publishing a collection of his poetry to the with a Welsh accent? Rigby also refers to
extent that Hippocampus Press has the film’s “lager-lout surrealism” and “a
apparently now committed to assembling hit-or-miss stream of vulgar vaudeville
a volume of his verse next year, for which routines.” A bloody awful film which I
I have provided a blurb. didn’t enjoy at all. There’s a much more
In my few idle moments I have menacing jester-capped troll in the final
found time to improve many Wikipedia segment of the 1985 Stephen King
entries relating to Arkham House and its adaptation Cat’s Eye.
authors (such as H. Russell Wakefield, I was also disappointed by The
Carl Jacobi, etc). Most of the changes have Spirit, based on the Will Eisner character
been left alone by the invisible ‘Big and scripted and direct by comics legend
Brothers’ of Wikipedia, so they must have Frank Miller. While the production design
been OK. The ST Joshi page has also been is gorgeous, the acting is uniformly
considerably improved. Some wooden (and that includes the usually
investigation around Arkham House’s excellent Samuel L. Jackson), the comedy
recent history leads me to discover that doesn’t work, many scenes are incredibly
Peter Ruber (who became editor there in stagy and talky (not least that in which the
1997) must have bowed out due to ill captured Spirit is lectured by Jackson’s
health around 2002 or so…and now Octopus character dressed as a Nazi), and
Robert Weinberg and George the use of anachronism is grating
Vanderburgh seem to be about to take the (characters dress 1940’s style but use
editorial reins. Of course, this is probably laptops and employ phrases like “lighten
old news to some of you (such as John up” and “bling”). The brilliant title
Haefele, who seems to be abreast of sequence of the film is all you really need
everything concerning Arkham House) to see; the rest is like wading through
but it was exciting to me to learn of a treacle.
possible new injection of direction and The best movie I’ve seen recently
impetus at the venerable publisher. is David Lynch’s extraordinary Inland
I managed to watch some movies, Empire – definitely worth the wait after
though mostly in the last week or so. They five or six years since Lost Highway. Lynch
were a mixed bag. Two were particularly has a lot in common with novelist
disappointing. I have been collecting the Christopher Priest with their common
movies of Christopher Lee, inspired by usage of identity switches, interest in the
reading the excellent and comprehensive double and the doppelganger, etc. Inland
volume by Jonathan Rigby, Christopher Lee: Empire is obscure, and at a three hours, a
The Authorised Screen History (Reynolds & trifle overlong, but is another haunting
Hearn, 2001). The film Funny Man (1993) production from Lynch that will stand the
should really be titled ‘Unfunny Man’ or test of time.
even ‘Stupid Dickhead Man’. Lee’s The movie I really want to see
appearances in it are restricted to a few next is Terry Gilliam’s newie, The
minutes of footage in which he peers Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus, which opens
through a house of cards or recites bits of in Australia this
Lewis Carroll. The setting, a real disused week.
lunatic asylum, is impressive, but the I got to the
laboured script, in which Tim James’ local Lifeline Bookfair
character (described aptly by Rigby as ‘a in October, and had a
repulsive, wisecracking combination of few good finds,
Harlequin, Freddy Krueger and Mr probably the best of
Punch) messily picks off characters about which was Alfred
The First Fandom Awards were presented “A Gentleman from Providence Pens a
at Anticipation to honour those with long- Letter”. Madison, WI: Strange Co, 1975
standing in the fannish community. Aug wraps. (100 copies, booklet).
2009. recipients were James Gunn and Ben
Indick “The History of the EOD”. Scream Factory
#9 (Summer, 1992); revised and reprinted
in “James Van Hise Presents ‘The Fantastic Stories
Worlds of H. P. Lovecraft’”. Revised and
reprinted online at: • * Bluegrass Reunion, (ss) Eldritch Tales
http://www.qusoor.com/EOD/EODhistory #25 1991 100 Wicked Little Witch
.html Stories, ed. Stefan Dziemianowicz,
Robert Weinberg & Martin H.
“HPL as Decadent: A Consideration of St Greenberg, Barnes & Noble 1995
Armand’s Essay”. Ibid No 14 (May 1976) • * Expiration Notice, (vi) Eldritch Tales
pp 8-9 . (A reply to St Armand’s HP #18 1989
Lovecraft: New England Decadent, noting • * A Flash of Silver, (vi) Horrors! 365
that the Decadent school was only one of Scary Stories, ed. Stefan R.
the many influences upon Lovecraft’s Dziemianowicz, Robert Weinberg &
thought). Martin H. Greenberg, Barnes & Noble
1998
“H. Russell Wakefield: The Man Who • * Quiz: Break a Leg!, (qz) Twilight Zone
Believed in Ghosts.” In Discovering Classic Jul/Aug 1985
Horror Fiction 1, edited by Darrell • * The Road to Dunwich,
Schweitzer, pp. 73-93. San Bernardino, (ss) Ibid Jun 1973 The
Cal.: The Borgo Press, 1992. Online at: Dunwich Cycle, ed.
http://www.bookrags.com/criticism/herber Robert M. Price,
t-russell-wakefield_10/ Chaosium 1996
• * The Rose Cavalier, (ss)
“In Memoriam: Frank Belknap Long”. 100 Vicious Little
Lovecraft Studies No 30 (Spring 1994): 3-4. Vampire Stories, ed.
Robert Weinberg, Stefan
"King and the Literary Tradition of Horror Dziemianowicz & Martin H.
and the Supernatural" in Tim Underwood Greenberg, Barnes & Noble 1995
and Chuck Miller Fear Itself The Early
Works of Stephen King, (Underwood-Miller,
Inc) 1982.