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Underground > Creation >

'Weird Fiction' zine? Anyone?

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STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

07:09 / 05.12.01

Been toying with this idea for a while... either a paper zine or an e-zine in the mould of "Weird Tales"- y'know, the whole sf/horror interface thingy? I'm thinking Lovecraft, Ligotti, the more fucked steampunk stuff, etc... anyone interested?
As I say, it's not much more than a vague idea right now, but if anyone's got any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

07:33 / 05.12.01

OKAY!!! Let's get this show on the road...
suggestions? post/PM them (I can't actually DO anything of value int this direction until next week, but thinking/planning time=good.).

So that's one.
Anyone else feel like braving/creating unspeakable transdimensional horrors?

As I already said, I've been mulling this over for some months now... this ain't just some idea I came up with while pissed. Getting people on board is the kick up the arse I need. Nice one, sfd. We CAN do this.

07:47 / 05.12.01

Those of us left emotionally shattered by the experiences of the Barbelith Anthology will sit back and watch with interest.

And then beg to join in when it gets off the ground.

08:02 / 05.12.01

So, SFD are there any examples of your work on the net ?

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

08:17 / 05.12.01

Just cos this kind of thing's been tried before and hasn't worked is no reason not to try again. I used to do an sf zine about 7/8 years back called "postcards from Murmansk"- it wasn't particularly successful but we managed to keep it going for six bi-monthly issues, and got lots of good feedback. And that was when I was more of a lazy bastard than I am now. As I remember, once we got the momentum going, it stopped being an effort at all- editing was fun, writing was DEFINITELY fun, and getting stories through the post from people you've never met before was the best part of all! It's occurred to me recently that I miss that feeling, and that it wasn't that hard to achieve.
So... sfd, you in? Anyone else? C'mon, face the unspeakable horrors...

08:33 / 05.12.01

I definitely wasn't knocking the idea. In fact, I'd be quite interested. I was just shuddering aloud at the memories of the Barbelith Anthology.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

08:40 / 05.12.01

Before my time, I'm afraid. But if y're interested, then fucking come on in!
O/T- WARNING- Stoatie has to work tonight. Therefore has just taken some sleeping pills. Therefore will be asleep very soon, hopefully. Therefore may not post again today. (Basically, I'm sitting in front of my computer until I KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that I'm gonna sleep, whether or not those bastard workmen downstairs hit/drill/saw stuff loudly. When that moment comes, I'm outa here.)
Back on topic... Okay, so that's two... who else will join our carnival of the grotesque?

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

08:50 / 05.12.01

Details I'm not too hot on... basically, I think a paper zine is within my capabilities as of next week or so (I mean technically... putting the thing together's the bit that's gonna take time)... in which case I need help with submissions, editing, etc.
BUT if you know more about these weird computer things and think it may work better that way (or, indeed, both) then I'm all ears.

08:50 / 05.12.01

Yeah, I'm up for it. I write short stories that might fit in with what you're looking for. I've got a story of about 3000 words in length which might be suitable for the zine.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

08:50 / 05.12.01

Cool. I'm DEFINITELY going to bed now, though. But that's 3 people so far...
Let's see what support we can drum up this week, next week start trying to organise stuff. Sound like a (loathsome) plan?
Me DEFINITELY off to bed now.

13:34 / 05.12.01

Hey, good plan, Stoatperson. You have my undivided support.

I don't know if I could be bothered to come up with anything in the traditional Weird Tales mould (much as I love reading that kinda thing), and certainly nothing very professional or well thought out, but seeing as this is Barbelith, I take it that psuedo-Lovecraftian journeys into the realm of the COMPLETELY FUCKED will be equally welcome?

Whisky Priestess

18:47 / 05.12.01

Can you give us some guidelines?
(Theme, word length, timeframe etc.)Willing to help contributing and editing. Will this be sold or given away?

I like a bit of unspeakable horror, me. Just as long as it's not before Emmerdale.

00:03 / 06.12.01

something a little like this 'zine
or perhaps this one?

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

06:20 / 06.12.01

Somewhere between the two... and yes, the realms of the "COMPLETELY FUCKED" are DEFINITELY appropriate...
subject-wise, well, that's for you/us to figure out individually... it's kind of a broad remit... if it makes you shudder, shiver, or just plain go "What the fuck was THAT?" then it sounds about right (that's not exclusive, though).
lengthwise, 3,000 sounds about right... long enough to do the job, not so long that we run out of paper/whatever...

btw... haven't we lost someone?

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

06:23 / 09.12.01

Still interested? (I kind of disappeared for a couple of days while trying to figure out how to set up my new computer, and then how to use the fucker. Don't worry, I didn't forget.)

07:47 / 09.12.01

i am still interested, stoatie. if you are interested in having me on board. but what does it involve?

20:42 / 09.12.01

I volunteer for making the logo in Photoshop once you have a title. I love to make logos in Photoshop.

21:55 / 09.12.01

I'm having a bash at writing a story - not sure how it'll turn out.

I'll bung it to you when it's done (if ever).

[ 10-12-2001: Message edited by: Rizla Year Zero ]

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

20:10 / 13.12.01

Yup, it's all still go. First off, I guess we have to decide whether to do it online or on paper... I kind of like paper, but then I'm kind of old-fashioned. I'm not too bothered either way... anyone got any preferences?

06:48 / 14.12.01

paper, definately.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

07:20 / 14.12.01

Yeah, there is something nice about having stuff you can actually pick up and stuff...
Should have a story myself in the next couple of days... now we've just gotta figure out what everyone actually wants the thing to be LIKE... Any other suggestions for content apart from fiction/pictures, or do we wanna keep it to stories?

11:50 / 14.12.01

well I s'pose it's best to keep it open to whatever anyone wants to do..

..apart from music, film and sculpture maybe, cos it's difficult to photocopy those..

(psst .. wait a month or two and there's a chance I'll have the most ROCKING Lovecraftian comic ready - my artist friend's roughing out pages in his sketch book as we speak and they look ace, though I don't know if or when he'll get round to doing them properly)

16:08 / 19.12.01

does "Tantalus" or "Tantalus Prime" sound good as a title?

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

11:48 / 20.12.01

I have to admit, I kind of like "Tantalus" (not too keen on the "Prime" part... sounds a little too hard-sf and nowhere near creepy enough)... anyone else any suggestions?
"Tantalus", though. I could go with that.

13:56 / 20.12.01

The Fingers of Tantalus

16:29 / 20.12.01

others suggestions, "Oil River". "Stormcloud." "The Beast".

almost a story in itself.

hurry up with the picking as like I said I love to create logos.

16:36 / 20.12.01

I think Tantalus is really, really good.

15:37 / 21.12.01

and I made up some new ones...

"Delirium", "Trauma Unit", "Beauty of the Beast". "Bloodwork."

but I suppose we already have a winner.

[ 21-12-2001: Message edited by: Ria ]

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

06:32 / 22.12.01

Hmmm... "Trauma Unit"'s kind of cool, too... fuck it, we're gonna need names for columns, etc, as well, so... and "Oil River" has a certain Tom Waitsy charm...

06:48 / 22.12.01

I vote 'Trauma Unit'! That's a cool name.

(great name for a death metal band too..)

14:31 / 27.12.01

Call the mag "St. Tantalus Infirmary" and the editor's column "Trauma Unit".

Or else do like Granta and give each issue a name under the main name.

22:22 / 27.12.01

I leave it up to Moominstoat and when he picks, go forth and design a logo, 'kay?

12:00 / 28.12.01

quote:Originally posted by grant:
Call the mag "St. Tantalus Infirmary"....

St. Tantalus Infirmary is a great name for anything. It has that down home delta blues Greek tragedy thing working for it.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

18:32 / 28.12.01

With the whole "Casualty" vibe in there an' all.
Found a couple of off-board people who're up for this too... it could well be a goer.
BUT... there's no reason I should be the final arbiter. Contribution is surely the most important aspect, therefore contributors should have as much- if not more- of a say. How do we work this one out?
Point two- (yeah, I know I never designated that as "point one" or anything- so crucify me) nobody seems to have raised any objection to the whole "paper as opposed to weird electrical shit" thing. Does that mean we're agreed? Or does someone want to take issue with that? We need to sort out some specifics here. THEN we can get rolling with... forget the word... how we do whichever it is we're doing.
Personally, I like the whole paper thing (and can possible swing free photocopying and such at work). But if anyone else prefers to go the other way, now's the time to say.
Oh yeah... my designated story is coming on in leaps and bounds... (sorry, but there ARE pirates involved).
Merry Cthulhumas.

11:29 / 29.12.01

If you can do print runs without too much cost or difficulty, paper is definately the better medium I feel.

But hey - why not do a paper version AND put it on the net?

As the next step, why not start a yahoo group or something where we can discuss stuff and post submissions and so on and so forth?

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