There are many things I would like to do now that we have started this venture – publish books, articles, and blogs, but I think the most important first step is to clarify as simply as possible what it is I hope to do here.
I am a fan of horror, of the macabre, of the Gothic novel. Yet, when you hear the word “horror” today what comes to your mind? More than likely you see flashes of serial killers stalking silly, but lovely and barely covered beauties, down dark streets. Or, perhaps when you think of “horror” you imagine the bloody torturing scenes from films like “Saw.” Now, while there is a market for what I personally refer to as “torture-films” that is not what I believe horror to be solely, and gory horror is not at all what I plan to do here at Burial Day Books.
Stepping back a few years, I must admit that my fascination with horror did begin with a horror film – “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” I was a child when my brother turned off all of the lights in our living room as we watched Freddy Krueger invading the dreams of young people, threatening them with his bladed gloves. There, in that film, even at five years old, I saw that there was something else behind the gruesome killer – there was something fearful as that something was unknown – how did he get into their dreams? How was he not obeying the rules of the physical world? Then I realized – it was because he was a ghost, or possibly something more.
That film is what put me on this cobble-stoned, dark path to learn all that I could about the supernatural world. While on this exploration I learned about superstitious beliefs, folklore, and dark legends. I became absolutely fascinated with the almost universal belief among all cultures in ghosts, and yes, in monsters. The belief in the werewolf for example is not just a European belief. The belief in the werewolf had been present in the America’s long before any fictional tale of the wolf-man ever left Europe.
So, as simply as I can put it – the purpose of Burial Day Books is to bring you literary horror fiction that explores the paranormal, superstition, legend, and folklore. H.P. Lovecraft wrote “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.”
I hope you follow along as we explore this fear of the unknown. I guarantee that you will be entertained….fine, I hope that you will be entertained and I will even guarantee you that there will be some blood and death…fine, a lot of blood and death because what is horror without some sort of demise?
I plan on blogging at least twice a week initially; Wednesdays and Sundays with Sunday’s being a more personal narrative/opinion based article on something within the horror genre. I also hope to start posting short fictions fairly soon on a monthly basis. This spring I also hope to publish the first novel brought to you by Burial Day Books.
This is supernatural horror with cemeteries and restless ghosts, rotting corpses and resurrected corps, warlocks of South America, and legends of gypsy curses from the East, demons living within your walls, and mischievous creatures hidden for centuries within North American forests. I do hope you will follow and that you will enjoy.
Also, this is my first blog ever! Like ever! Not sure how well of a job I did, but I promise you I will get better.
Before you go to bed, do say a prayer, meditate, or at least have a cup of tea…because you never know what will invade your thoughts, putrefying your very core and blackening your soul.
-Gravedigger
