Thirty-One Stories, Thirty-One Days 6

I remember a time when music was dangerous. When rock music corrupted, threatened to such a degree that the wife of a future vice president gathered the villagers and handed out torches.
Even novels got written about it, The Scream and Kill Riff being two. And of course, the short story collection.

Flaming Telepaths by John Shirley, from Shock Rock, ed. by Jeff Gelb

Just how far would an evangelist go to stop those evil rock and rollers? Pretty far, in Shirleys tale, told from the point of view of a music journalist. Of course, with any Shirley story, theres more going on than the evangelist could imagine- or the reader.

Here's an interview with the gentleman himself- I was surprised to find he mentions this story.

Thirty-One Days, Thirty-One Stories 7

There are some things that are, well, almost sacred. So when I saw the title of today's story, I thought "hmmmmm." But I was pleasently surprised when I read

Mr Dark's Carnival by Glen Hirshberg, from The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror XIV ed by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling.

"Something Wicked This Way Comes", it ain't. Impressive it is. A college professor lectures his class on a local urban legend about a mysterious carnival. Yeah, we've been here before and it does go where you think it will. But Hirshberg's approach proves to be more of a homage than stepping on the toes of any previous, very much beloved incarnations of the carnival.

(no subject)

Dread. I find dread much more compelling than Fear. I tried writing this a couple of days ago, but it wasn't working. Case in point- tonight's story. I knew that it wasn't going to be a happy ending. 'Cause, y'know that's how those stories go. It's the knowing hows it's going to end is like approaching a car wreck at night. You see the flashing lights up ahead. The flares. And you have to look. I do anyway.