Sunday Salon: Stalking Halloween

Just in time for Halloween, I've posted my review of Eric Nuzum's The Dead Travel Fast, which was a lot of fun. I've also dug up the first part of an interview with the author at YouTube, which you can view below. Seems like an entertaining guy. (Here are parts two and three of the interview.)

Speaking of vampires, don't forget to enter my contest for a pack of TEN SCARY BOOKS from Hachette Book Group.

Today I hope to spend a lot of time reading the book I started yesterday (while sitting in the car facing the wind-swept woods of a park), Bill Mason's Confessions of a Master Jewel Thief. So far, quite good. I'm looking forward to reading more.

Eric Nuzum, The Dead Travel Fast

Thomas Dunne Books © 2007, 256 pages

Eating his bowl of Count Chocula one morning, author Eric Nuzum was struck by the ubiquity of vampire references in modern culture. He set himself the task of exploring the popularity of vampires, a quest which led to his book The Dead Travel Fast and to the graphic scene with which it begins: Nuzum watching blood drip down his bathroom mirror after an experiment in auto-hematophagy that went badly wrong. No, Nuzum's not a crazy person, but his investigation into vampirism did prompt him to do some wacky things. In addition to trying to drink his own blood, Nuzum watched 216 vampire films--apparently they get pretty bad after the first dozen or so--traveled to Romania on a bus tour with celebrity host Butch Patrick (a.k.a. Eddie Munster), took in a vampire-themed topless show in Vegas, and attempted to turn himself into a vampire in six easy steps. This last project necessitated his ending a meeting early so he could chant over a raw chicken liver. (Nuzum also watched all seven seasons--108 hours' worth--of Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer, developing an appropriate regard for it in the process. But that's a sign of good taste rather than wacky obsession!)

Continue reading at book-blog.com »

Comments

[Lisa]

1.

Great review! What a great giveway for Halloween, too! Thanks for hosting!

[Debra Hamel]

2.

Thanks, Lisa!