Spooky Shorts

Many months ago when Stacy’s was closing, I bought The New Annotated Dracula by Bram Stoker, Leslie S. Klinger, Janet Byrne, and Neil Gaiman. I finally started reading it a few weeks ago in preparation for the release of the sequel. Unfortunately it’s annotated using the conceit that the events of the book actually happened and Bram Stoker covered up the real identities of those involved. I say “unfortunately” because it’s damned annoying. The true annotations are really interesting and the references to Stoker’s notes are fascinating. I just wish it had all been done straight. Instead Klinger is being too insufferably clever. (Kind of like Jasper Fforde in the later Thursday Next Novels.)

I think I might just spend the money and buy the facsimile copy of Stoker’s notes. The brief windows into his writing process I've gotten from some of the annotations have been very educational.

**

I still have yet to find a bookstore in the Bay Area (independent or chain) that has Dracula: The Un-Dead. Admittedly, I’ve only looked in 5 stores, but no wonder Amazon is the juggernaut that it is.

**

If this isn’t one of the freakiest things you’ve ever seen, you live in some world where freaky things don’t exist:



From Boing Boing