#Source: Lake of Dracula

[mushroom-punk]

the renfield movie review.

After getting rained on, having our first movie theater’s projector break, and having to drive to a different theater, I have finally watched Renfield (2023). ...and it was...fine? The movie’s overall tone is campy and fun, and it never takes itself seriously. It’s writing is horrible, god its so bad - the characters say exactly what they’re thinking at all times, and no emotional arc feels earned or fought for, there are no stakes (haha). But due to how silly the film is, this never makes it hard to watch. Nicholas Hoult truly shines in this movie and makes each scene with him engaging and fun. But god the writing. More thoughts bellow!

I think this movie’s biggest flex is its art direction, with over the top set pieces that create this nasty atmosphere that hangs over the whole film. Its like a grimy combination of The Lost Boys and The Phantom of the Opera. This is all complimented by the score. Without spoiling anything, there’s a moment where Dracula is monologuing and a sinister, orchestral rendition of Swan Lake plays, another reference to the 1931 movie it’s so heavily based off of. Although, it does get points of for the worst use of “na na na na” by MCR I’ve ever seen. It’s second best quality is certainly Nicholas Hoult, who took the shitty script he was given and really made something good with it. There’s a moment when Awkwafina’s character is on the phone, telling another character how fucked up Renfield is - who is sitting in the background cutely drinking some tea. Another detail I really appreciated about Hoult’s performance was the unexpected intensity with which he delivered some lines. On top of keeping Dwight Frye’s iconic laugh, it’s clear Hoult cares deeply for the source material and, if the script was better, I think he could have done a compelling book-accurate Renfield. NICHOLAS CAGE ITS NICK CAGE BABY HE WAS AWESOME ITS NICHOLAS CAGE! His portrayal of Dracula is fun and nasty as hell and might have fucked Ben Schwartz’s mom? The down side to having a movie that uses stylized hyper violence is that any threats of violence Dracula makes don’t really stick. Oh you’re gonna be violent? This is the violence movie! This isn’t an effective threat, you’re not scary! Contrasting this, the few moments where Dracula is simply talking to Renfield, acting like a real-world abuser and not the cartoon villain he is for most of the movie, are eerie and off-putting. Awkwafina’s there. Onto the bad. This film has no stakes, there are few things Renfield can’t slice apart or Awkwafina’s character can’t shoot, and due to the stated hyperviolence, Dracula never feels like a real threat to anyone except the main cast. The characters state what they feel, they experience something, and then state that they feel different in detail.  I’ve mentioned that it’s extremely frustrating that 2023′s Renfield is not written with psychosis in mind, and how this is made worse by its use of pop-psychology terms and the labeling of Dracula as a narcissist - a real condition that doesn’t make the people who have it inherently bad or abusive. This is still true, in fact the frequent references to the 1931 film, while well done, simply reminded me of what Hoult’s performance could have been. The poor writing is this film’s largest downfall, it betrays the heart Hoult brings to his role and its art department. ....however, none of the pop-psychology ever seems to really...do anything effective? Yes, Renfield literally calls Dracula a narcissist and they never really discredit it, but its also shown that calling him all these things and using snappy language doesn’t actually do anything. What does help Renfield the most is finding community and bonding with other people who have experienced abuse. What helps him is talking to people about it and realizing he isn’t alone, which I think is a pretty decent take. I’m going to watch it again when it’s uploaded to my pirating site of choice, but overall it felt more like a criticism of pop-psychology, rather than a celebration of it. Oh and also that the most effective thing you can do to get out of an abusive relationship is to beat the shit out of your abuser with your best friend. 6.5/10.

#renfield #dracula #vamp posting #nicholas hoult #im so tired

[slaygentford]

could black swan's main character be considered a bride? she doesn't quite have one feratu but idk if it's because her feratu is Perfection (via her mother, the choreographer, etc.) or if it's not applicable

wait I have to meditate on this. I think she's not a bride because while there are sometimes more than 1 bride there is ONLY ever 1 feratu.... but she has bride energy (delusional, ambitious, death drive), so does that mean she's her own feratu? by which I mean the black swan is the dracula and the white swan is the bride? which takes me back to the time I was watching swan lake and said this is just like if lestat was von rothbart and the Prince was a second, worse von rothbart. so maybe we actually have to return to the source text and find that von rothbart is a feratu (I BUY THAT 100%) and odette/odile are the brides. but odette isn't delusional and odile is often positioned as a niece to him, not a wife. so to that end, we're back at Nina black swan, who embodies bridelike qualities that are more and more apparent the more that i think about it. actually yeah I find the verdict to be yes she is but her feratu is herself. genius work anon

[anhed-nia]

BLOGTOBER 10/27/2022: MATANGO

Ishiro Honda's relentlessly grim, genre-bending thriller about mutant mushroom people issued me a challenge that I may have failed: Once the dangerously addictive mushrooms and their hybrid-human progeny arrived in the film, I rapidly lost my ability to think about anything else going on in the story. Much of MATANGO is a grimy, downbeat survival horror narrative about a group of people stranded on a desert island, a circumstance that causes their humanity to fall away, as does the malignant fungus that is their only source of food…and like, I don't mean to cast aspersions on the compelling script or any of the fine performances in this film, but I very much relate to the compulsive desires of the hungry cast of characters: More mushrooms! MORE MUSHROOM PEOPLE!

I'd put a spoiler alert on this review (if you're reading it on Letterboxd then I actually did), but when a movie starts out with someone reflecting on their experience from a mental institution, you already know it's going to get dark. Sensitive university professor Kenji Murai (Akira Kubo) reflects on the events that left him in such a place, beginning with an ill-fated outing on a yacht belonging to arrogant celebrity Masafumi Kasai (Yoshio Tsuchiya). The passengers are a mix of spoiled intellectuals and entertainers who stand in stark contrast to the sneering, fed-up crew of the ship, and the obvious tensions between them all boil over quickly when a storm strands them on a remote island where food is scarce. They take up residence in a beached spy ship that holds evidence of an experimental fungus which, it soon becomes clear, is slowly taking over the island, causing madness and mutation in anyone who dares to take a bite. This gang would have had no trouble turning on each other in any case, but the mushroom madness certainly doesn't help.

Make no mistake, there's a lot going on in MATANGO subtextually: The hapless survivors are ultimately the victims of international espionage efforts that spawned the killer fungus, which identifies war as the ultimate culprit, much as it is in Ishiro Honda's masterpiece GODZILLA. In fact, it's worth mentioning that the film was nearly banned in its homeland due to the resemblance of some of the mid-mutation makeup to the disfiguring injuries of atomic bomb survivors; even if this was coincidental, it's pretty affecting. There is also a lot to say about class tensions in MATANGO, as hostilities mount between the yacht's passengers, who get to think and play for a living, and the sailors who enable their pleasure cruise. Honda has further noted that the 1963 movie reflected on the rise of a drug-fueled counterculture, using the all-consuming mushrooms as a general-purpose metaphor for the ravages of addiction. But all that said…you gotta love the mushrooms. They're so great.

Production designer Shigekagi Ikuno (also responsible for the beautiful LAKE OF DRACULA) does a handy job of entrapping the viewer in the claustrophobic, mold-caked world of MATANGO, and he's at his best in the psychedelic mushroom forest at the heart of the island. Conceptual artist Shigeru Komatsuzaki completes the picture with his fabulous mutant designs, perhaps a little too well, as once I laid eyes on them shambling across the set, they took up all of my attention. They're just so cool-looking, plus who wouldn't want to live in their funky little forest with the fairy lights all around it? Actually, the one thing that's missing from MATANGO is an explanation of the disadvantages of turning into a mushroom. When we eventually return to the mental institution where the sole survivor resides, he ruminates on whether he shouldn't have just given in and stayed on the island. (He also makes some salient remarks about his own moral failings that may be reflective of Ishiro Honda's dim view of human nature, but I won't spoil them here) Everybody there seemed to be having a good time; sure, they were high on shrooms, but maybe permanently tripping and leaving humanity behind isn't such a bad thing. The vampy Kumi Mizuno looks like she really enjoyed her psychotropic snacks, which were made from rice pastry for the production by a local shop who added fun flavors just because they liked the actress so much. The attractive colors and the look on her face when she ate them really made me want one. Hell, I want one right now!

#blogtober #blogtober 2022 #matango #ishiro honda #akira kubo #Yoshio Tsuchiya #kumi mizuno #Miki Yashiro #horror #sci-fi #science fiction #body horror #survival horror #mutation #mushroom #fungus

[inthroughthesunroof]

Watched the 1931 Bela Lugosi version of Dracula for "research" tonight. Gotta appreciate the source material before working on the ballet version 😁

The thing is so old it doesn't have a sound track. The only music is the Swan Lake theme during the opening credits, and during the scene with an orchestra. You can tell they're still figuring out how to use cinema to tell a story.

My grandmother was 10 years old when Dracula came out. I doubt she saw it - that was not her genre at all - but she lived from that to Marvel movies. Which is a wild thought.

[alexanderjramirez]

Saul Bass: Movie Poster for Vertifo.

Source: areaofdesign.com

Saul Bass was an American Graphic Designer. Saul Bass' Bauhaus work was such an inspiration for when I did mine own Bauhaus poster for my graphic design class. This contains the hallmarks you'll see in Bauhaus art, with "the less is more" philosophy. I followed this philosophy while doing mine own Dracula Bauhaus poster, and I have to agree with that philosophy while doing my own poster. Minimal shapes and clean line can really add more to a work if done right.

Bass' work a lot like this movie poster to this one. Out of all his minimal movie poster, "Bunny Lake is Missing" might be my favorite of his but the orange for this poster gives it such a flashy look. I think it's pleasing for the eyes, the color scheme for this poster all work great together. The impact of Saul Bass' work for graphic design is so great that there's a lot of fan made movie posters inspired by Saul's minimal style. I like looking at all of the fan made posters, they're all so great. I like to think my Dracula poster is a homage to his work and style.

[dignitywhatdignity]

I posted 643 times in 2022

118 posts created (18%)

525 posts reblogged (82%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@dignitywhatdignity

@prismatic-bell

@nonbinary-octopus

@copperbadge

@lasrina

I tagged 576 of my posts in 2022

Only 10% of my posts had no tags

#i literally lol'd - 112 posts

#friday night queue up - 86 posts

#adventures in parenting - 44 posts

#sam! - 41 posts

#fic rec - 30 posts

#sunday morning tumblr bible study - 28 posts

#food cw - 21 posts

#dracula daily - 18 posts

#adventures in marriage - 17 posts

#bluey - 16 posts

Longest Tag: 85 characters

#also my father is related to the guy who designed the mormon temple in salt lake city

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

5.5yo's Four Categories of Colors:

Colors that are pretty

Colors that are not pretty

Colors that are the color of liver

Colors that are random

23 notes - Posted January 20, 2022

#4

They're here!

@copperbadge

77 notes - Posted March 28, 2022

#3

I was inspired by a) @copperbadge describing city of gold rings in his Shivadh-verse novels, and b) discussion of his rings and how they're used as a an adhd coping tool. And I haven't seen my wedding ring since before 6yo was born (because adhd, probably) and it almost certainly wouldn't fit anyway, I went to Etsy and got a ring of my current city in lieu of a wedding band, and a ring of my birth city for a right-hand ring. And it's only been about 20 minutes but I'm loving it.

106 notes - Posted September 9, 2022

#2

Alien: I find your media regarding the history of organized crime fascinating!

Human 1: Oh, that's cool. What's your favorite?

Alien: While Godfather Part II is probably the superior work by most commonly accepted metrics, I enjoy Boyz n the Hood more.

Human 2: Good choices!

Alien: But of course, I haven't seen every film there is. In fact, I am having trouble sourcing a particularly popular one. By any chance do either of you have a copy of Goncharov?

Human 1: Should I tell him?

Human 2: Don't you dare!

646 notes - Posted November 22, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Sam...

@copperbadge

1,300 notes - Posted September 2, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #none of this surprises me

[skunkyrp]

Name- Wolfgang Ansel Rosenbaum

Birth year- 1263

Wolfgang's been a vampire for a very long time, nearly a thousand years. He's watched the world shape itself, changing rapidly from one century to the next. The turn of the 19th century was like being on the receiving end of a tuna to the face. 1802 was when the steam engine came about, and from there, technology exploded. Wolf had a hard time keeping up with the world's advancements. First telegraphs, then telephones, motor vehicles, and aeroplanes. Wolf was amazed every time a new gadget hit the headlines. Seeing the future unfold firsthand would never get old, or so he thought. By the 21st century, it was so commonplace that he didn't care when yet another "new" iPhone made its debut. The only advancements that gave Wolf that brand new steam engine feeling was in space technology, far beyond what he could comprehend. Imagine you were born in a world where the earth revolves around the sun, and the stars are pinpricks in a paper globe. Come to find out that the planet, nay, the galaxy, is one dust mote in an infinite, unfathomably large universe.

Advancing technology aside, the passing times presented unique obstacles for Wolf and other supernatural creatures. Social networking got more intricate. The isolation created by modern politics and economic disparities meant people fought harder to be together and to keep one another safe. So beings like vampires had to think critically about where their next meal came from. Modern forensic science blindsided those who still chose to hunt. The discovery of DNA and trace evidence meant the jig was officially up. The hunters who weren't part of some kind of association or guild quickly got with the program, and hunting became a respected occupation.

Thankfully, Wolf hasn't had to deal with hunters in centuries. He started farming his own blood source back in the 1500s, after The Fall of Dracula. Then, in 1930, he had a nasty run-in with a particular party of German extremists, who chased him throughout northwestern Europe until the second world war started. He joined the British army to avoid capture.

After that, he took himself to Ohio, where he's stayed in relative peace for the past 75 years. He bought a bar in a small neighborhood near the coast of Lake Eerie. He helped establish another branch of one of several global networks dedicated to keeping supernatural creatures out of reach from hunters. Wolf was responsible for a few laws and bills passed in the United States, some of which granted beings like vampires and lycanthropes the status of "human with a disease." Some of these laws are a sort of "don't ask, don't tell" thing. To use Nephilim terminology, as long as Downworlders behaved, they could live in peace. But, of course, most humans still lived in blissful ignorance; their whole lives shrouded in glamour.

STARTER

It's about noon on the first Saturday of Spring Break. The bar was packed up to close this morning, and there are already a few early bird spring breakers here, hardly seven hours later. He's had help wanted posters out for weeks, with no bites. He hoped to staff up for the summer and maybe even give some of the long-haulers some much-deserved time off. Wolf was wiping down the counter and checking on a few things when the door opened. He looked up to see who might be another patron or a new employee.

Hey there y'all. I'm looking for something fun and exciting to do with this character. He can be placed in any setting of any genre. IF there's romance, it'll be slowburn. It can be mlm or mlw, doesn't matter bc Wolf is bisexual.

As for requirements, I'm not picky. You don't need to include a bio. I'd rather learn about your character organically through the course of rp. Wolfgang has a whole google doc with notes, so another fleshed-out character would be amazing. I'm dealing with undiagnosed ADHD, so my response times vary from minutes to months. I always come back, though, don't worry.

If you don't have a plot in mind for your character, we can go with the starter on this post or discuss plots in pms. I'm open to anything.

#rp #roleplay #independent rp #supernatural rp #shadowhunters rp #castelvania rp #literate rp #multi para rp

[goblins-riddles-or-frocks]

Fic Exchange Letter:

Thanks for considering my requests! I’m goblins_riddles_frocks on ao3

Things I like:

Horror of the familiar. Something that the character(s) thought was safe that is no longer. That could be a childhood home, someone they trusted, the refuge of sleep, a hobby (spelunking, reading, watching movies, whatever) etc.

Gore or body horror, but preferably only if it’s reversible for the main characters. (ie a red shirt dying horribly is fine but for the mains I’d prefer it if it’s something that can be healed eventually or undone somehow).

Obsession, pining, romantic angst with a crueler edge

A character being a replacement for someone else. Reincarnated bride type stuff but only if the focus is on the identity of the reincarnated person/how they differ from the original and possibly will never/do not want to live up to the original

Doppelgängers, uncanny valley, “this thing is familiar but wrong”, staring at your own face in the mirror and not recognizing it or maybe even it stares back type stuff. Maybe throw in an identity crisis with it lol

Themes of autonomy, power dynamics, powerlessness

Amnesia tropes played for angst and horror. A character being overwhelmed by not knowing who or where they are and having to rely on the people around them for information. Bonus points if that’s taken advantage of, someone is lying, or being overbearing somehow.

Location focused stuff, where there’s a fun new atmospheric set for the characters to explore or be stuck in. A theatre, abandoned hospital, stranded on a ship, snowed in at the ski lodge etc

Horror as a means to exacerbate or explore existing conflict. As in, if there’s an imposter among them (lol) it highlights the POV already feeling mistrustful and lonely. If the characters must trust each other or work together to avoid a monster then perhaps they struggled with the idea of ever needing anyone (which could lead to angry confessions in the heat of the moment!)

Time loop or otherwise meta narratives, madoka style

Canon or canon adjacent set things. Even when majorly altering events I prefer there being a clear canon diverging point rather than a full AU

Rewriting a canon event or missing moments

Monster of the week or bottle episode type plots. I’m also perfectly happy with just reading about characters talking about their feelings tbh

Inevitable or inescapable storylines— that character was always/already dead. Someone’s past or future coming back to literally haunt them in a real way.

Characters making selfish choices or being terrible in some way. The cost of one person’s happiness being someone else’s misery and the moral quandary that provides. Just messy ethics tbh

Characters, while perhaps being too stubborn to *say* they care about each other, expressing it via being mindful of each other’s eating/sleeping/general needs.

Fond/familiar arguments that operate on a baseline of caring about each other, and are perhaps even more cutting because of that.

Focus on atmosphere, scenery, sensory details. Gothic vibes

Ship fic is very welcome!

Horror Media I enjoy:

Dracula

John Carpenter’s The Thing

Phantom of the Opera

Ravenous (1999)

Silence of the Lambs

The Shining

Lake Mungo

The Innocents (1961)

The X Files

The King in Yellow

The Magnus Archives

The Bloody Chamber collection

Dark Shadows

Insidious

Rosemary’s Baby

DNW

Completely mundane AUs– even if it’s in a coffee shop or what have you I’d love an explanation for why the canon characters are in that situation in a canon scenario though.

Characters actually having a baby/raising a child (pregnancy is fine if it’s the source of the horror)

Character assassination to make another ship work

Soulmates

Fluff with no plot

Woobification or a character only being soft if they’ve done horrible things in canon.

Scat, watersports, etc

A/B/O, heats, characters being given animalistic features of any kind

Daddy kink or age play

Unasked for character identity HCs or genderswaps

Smut with no other plot. Smut itself is fine just please add other things lol

When in doubt feel free to send me an ask on anon!

#fic exchange #blog meta #i ramble sometimes #baby’s first fic exchange letter 😭 #I’ll flesh it out later perhaps #this was written for the summer of horror exchange but honestly my default is wanting horror fic anyway!

[hannigramficrecs]

Newly Added Fics 5/16

Hello everyone, sorry again for the slight hiatus! I’ve replied to all the messages in my inbox (at least the ones that were sent to me before this past friday), so if you asked me something before that, be sure to check out my replies!

As usual, I’ve emboldened the fics I really liked and italicized the ones that are incomplete.

Looks Like Love by luvkurai [words: 5,987] — (AU)

After his sister's wedding, Will kisses his childhood housekeeper (and first love).

Betrothed by slashyrogue [words: 3,932] — (AU)

In one month he would marry a total stranger.

Titan Arum by ProxyOne [words: 64,614] — (AU)

Will is a botanist, working in the greenhouse of the local Botanical Gardens. He is getting his life back on track after his divorce, but he can't help but notice someone who keeps coming back to his greenhouse to draw, day after day. A man who seems to have been paying very close attention to him...

Find Me In The Dark by Rising_Phoenix [words: 40,131] — (AU)

After a fateful accident, the marriage of Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter has reached its end. Grief and the inability to stop them from falling apart has brought an irreconcilable distance between the formerly deeply devoted couple. While Hannibal is apathetic towards his husband, ignores him, and is withdrawn, Will has started an affair with fellow teacher Francis and drowns his desperation in more and more alcohol. 

Light of All Lights by whiskeyandspite [words: 20,377] — (AU)

Dracula-like fic without any of the vampires

The Stage Just For You by CarnivalMirai [words: 6,494] — (AU + Age Gap)

Will has landed himself the role of Odette for world-famous choreographer Hannibal Lecter's rendition of The Swan Lake.

There Will Be Bells by Entropyrose [words: 36,639] — (A/B/O)

In Georgian England, male omegas are very rare diamonds. Baron and Baroness Graham have a plan to build their wealth and social status by offering their son Will's hand in marriage to a mysterious older Duke, an Alpha named Lord Hannibal Lecter. Will's personal feelings need not apply.

Alpha Mart by slashyrogue [words: 63,164] — (A/B/O)

Will needs an alpha. After years of fake knots, half-assed suppressants, and his own damn hand during heats he’s reached the end of his rope. He doesn’t do dating so he decides to waste his life savings and hype with the current trend. Alpha Mart.

Enchanted By Your Name by CarnivalMirai [words: 9,207] — (A/B/O + PWP)

“Now, my husband would prefer it if I got the job done quickly.” He says, slashing down the back of each gag as he passes each man, watching as the silk falls gracefully to the floor. “However, I want to have some fun. Considering you’ve troubled my husband so much… it’s only fair, right?” One of the men whimpered fearfully. Or: The name "Will Graham" is a name you'll only ever hear once.

I've Been Building Black Ships by cloudsarefluffy [words: 8,116] — (A/B/O + AU)

Alpha Hannibal moves to the States with his sister Mischa after being overtly done with the fancy life of a count, and his blind omega neighbor gives him an insight into love that he never quite expected.

A Rare Find by hit_the_books [words: 5,379] — (A/B/O + AU)

Life as an omega bookseller can be quite lonely. However, as the owner of Graham’s Books, Will Graham is reasonably content. That is until he meets—long-time customer and crush—Doctor Hannibal Lecter in person for the first time. Attraction blossoming between them both, Will agrees to a dinner date with the good doctor.

We All Have a Hunger by 1ntothew1ld [words: 12,260] — (A/B/O + Age Gap)

Hannibal will ensure a properly slow and painful death for an alpha who allowed a beautiful young omega to go to waste as this one has. Too skinny for his own good, a stuttering and humble mess. The likes of the omega in front of him belonged at Opera houses and in million-dollar mansions, not scrounging for his next meal. Meek and afraid in some disheveled row house. When he finally looked back up the alpha had to conceal the utter punch to the stomach that meager glance was, blue eyes full of innocence but also hunger.

The Doctor Is In by Kummerspeck7 — (A/B/O + PWP)

Will nearly scoffed. "You can't expect me to believe you'd want anything other than a delicate flower to adorn your side, keep your ostentatious home, bare you the exact number of children you want--No more, no less-- all while being available at your whims." "Not at all." Hannibal disagreed. "I would no more put a wilting flower in my home than in a bouquet given as a gift. Tell me, Will, is that how you are treated? Forbidden from work, cloistered inside and used at Mr Brown's discretion?" "My Alpha's discretion." Hannibal looked pointedly at the curve of Will's neck, free from a single scar. "Not yet he isn't."

Teenage Wildlife by writtenbyizzy [words: 10,163] — (Age Gap + Sugar Daddy)

While reluctantly prowling Grindr for a sugar daddy to pay for his dog Bean's vet bills Will comes across Hannibal, and gets far more than he bargained for.

Just As Poised As I Remember by CarnivalMirai [words: 5,721] — (Age Gap + School)

When Will was in high school he had an incredibly handsome psychology teacher-- tall and sharp with a thick European accent. And now, a decade later, said psychology teacher-turned psychiatrist... just swiped right on him.

We Can Chase the Dark Together by K_R_Closson [words: 16,615] — (Fantasy)

Will tips him and Hannibal off the cliff. Instead of hitting the water, he wakes up in his bed, several years in the past. His first, and only, priority is to find Hannibal again.

We Killed a Dragon Last Night by inameitlater [words: 88,150] — (Fantasy)

Will remembers falling. He wakes up months before Jack got him to work for him. Months before he met Hannibal for the first time. Free from his past he decides to change events and meet Hannibal again.

My Only Constant Is You by TheSilverQueen [words: 25,369] — (Fantasy)

Hannibal Lecter is an immortal who can never die. Will Graham is a time traveler who can never stay in one place. Perhaps that is why they are perfect for each other.

Motinos Kalba by Lyla_Joy [words: 6,040] — (Fluff)

Five times Hannibal Lecter spoke Lithuanian on accident and one time he meant too.

You Make Me Feel (Good) by sourweather [words: 7,190] — (Fluff)

Will Graham has sensory issues. The world gets too loud, he gets overstimulated easily, but most of all he hates being touched. He never expected someone to work so hard to make him comfortable, to be so patient with him.

Pick Me Up by sourweather [words: 6,053] — (Fluff)

Will doesn't go to bars much. He doesn't end up needing a ride home much. But when he does get drunk, he always wants to ask Hannibal to pick him up.

Hard to Get by JSinister32 [words: 5,561] — (Jealousy)

Will and Hannibal had been broken up for six months. When confessions are made during a work function, can they find it within themselves to forgive?

Polar Opposites by Lyla_Joy [words: 19,513] — (Kidnapping)

“Says the cannibalistic serial killer who knocked me out and is now holding me hostage,” sassed Will. The Ripper didn’t smile but his eyes crinkled in the corner. “Please call me Hannibal.”

Fate Is A Keen-Eyed Hound by LydiaFearing [words: 5,890] — (Mischa)

Hannibal may be a successful, charming psychiatrist but Mischa worries that her brother is lonely so she gifts him a puppy. Hannibal reluctantly falls for his little dog but wants to get involved with time-consuming FBI work and not just anyone can be allowed to look after his pet. Luckily, Alana can recommend a boarding kennel in Wolf Trap.

The Significant Other: The Will and Hannibal Edition by house_of_lantis [words: 18,431] — (Murder Husbands)

After their terrible and abrupt break up, Will and Hannibal attempt to maneuver through their social circles, side step ongoing gossip, and deal with the fact that Will knows the truth of Hannibal. Through impossible odds, Will and Hannibal do find their way to each other again.

Dancing with the Beast by proser [words: 86,347] — (Murder Husbands)

In order to catch a mediocre serial killer, Will must pose as Hannibal's date for a series of pretentious social events. Hannibal is dramatic and jealous as ever, and Will is having a great time without the encephalitis. Of course, it's a love story.

Arriving at the Crossroads by HigherMagic [words: 7,558] — (Mpreg)

"You haven't been my psychiatrist for a long time," Will echoes. "But you've been my friend. You've helped me. With…" He gestures vaguely to his head. "When my brain was on fire. On consults. When it's dark and I need a guiding light." "It pleases me very greatly to be a source of comfort and reassurance for you, Will," Hannibal says. "I have wanted to be that for you, for a long time."

The Hanged Man by justhavesex [words: 13,076] — (Mpreg)

Will Graham had never wanted children before, but he had never considered it to be a consequence of his omegan brain not finding anyone worthy, but the moment he had met Hannibal Lecter he had been filled with want. In which a dinner party one-night stand results in a pregnancy that changes Will's entire life.

I Don't Even Like Lana Del Rey by perpetuallycaffeinated [words: 4,328] — (PWP)

The tension and low thrum of arousal were making Will speak impulsively. He knew this, but he’d just finished his drink. There was nothing he could use to stop the question, blunt and presumptuous and rude. “So, what, you’re my daddy?”

A Bad Combination In The Dark by perpetuallycaffeinated [words: 1,957] — (PWP)

When a nerve wracked Will Graham accidentally cuts his hand on Dr. Lecter's letter opener, things quickly get out of control.

The Best Bait by sourweather [words: 3,327] — (PWP)

Will is a good fisherman, he knows which bait to use for his catch. Will seduces Hannibal at a party by being sexy.

Whimsy by justheretoreadhannibalfics [words: 3,001] — (School)

Doctor Hannibal Lecter is standing in as a teacher while Professor Graham is out of town on a case. The students start to kind of like him, and become very invested in his love life.

Callipygian by ProxyOne [words: 2,260] — (Season 1)

Hannibal has a lot of sketches of Will, which he normally keeps safely away. One day though, Will shows up unexpectedly and Hannibal is caught unawares, and unprepared.

L'appel Du Vide by sourweather [words: 5,413] — (Season 1)

Will is hiding things from his coworkers. From himself. But Doctor Lecter knows.

Friends Don't Frame Friends: A Lesson for a Clueless Cannibal by LadyFelixTristis [words: 5,041] — (Season 1)

Ear? What ear? Will Graham doesn’t try to thwart Hannibal Lecter’s plans for him. He just does. By accident. And then on purpose.

For All My Pride, You Were the Fall of Me by nobetterlove [words: 13,212] — (Season 2)

After being released from the BSHCI, Will grabs the dogs he can't live without and leaves without a trace

Letters to God by CarnivalMirai [words: 4,698] — (Season 3+)

Will writes letters to Hannibal every day after his incarceration. But they never make it.

Blankets, Coffee Cups, and Christmas Morning by sourweather [words: 6,352] — (Season 3+)

Hannibal wants to enjoy the domesticity. The love, the closeness, the being Known. But something about his life with Will makes him want to lash out.

All These Fictionary Tales by ProxyOne [words: 18,492] — (Season 3+)

After the fall, Hannibal is presumed dead. Will has been declared dead. But Will isn't willing to believe that Hannibal would just abandon him like that 

Seduction by BloodunderMoonlight [words: 7,086] — (Season 3+)

“For fuck’s sake, Hannibal.” Will glared at him, brimming with wrath he had only seen behind Will’s gun. He had no doubt Will would draw out a knife from beneath the duvet or pillows, but clearly words were enough to make him gobsmacked—“Are you a fucking virgin or monk? If all these can’t get you to bed then I don’t know what can.” Hannibal stood gaping at Will.

Blood, Cedar and Dog Hair by sourweather [words: 3,351] — (Season 3+)

Something terrible happens while Hannibal is in prison. Something he never prepared for.

Hidden Potential by sourweather [words: 20,789] — (Soulmates)

The first time you make eye contact with your soul mate, you see a vision of their greatest accomplishment. They call it your Peak. Unfortunately for Will Graham, his soul mate's Peak is a vision of blood and horror. Fortunately for Hannibal Lecter, his soul mate's is too.

Karoliai by slashyrogue [words: 4,577] — (Sugar Daddy)

Will works at a jewelry store. He has worked there for three months and sold less than any other person there. His boss tells him to sell something by the end of the day or he may not have a job tomorrow. If there was one thing Will hated more than having to talk people into buying jewelry they didn’t need, it was trying to do it two days before Valentine’s Day.

#hannibal #hannigram #hannibal fanfiction #hannigram fanfiction #hannibal fic recs #hannigram fic recs #hannibal fanfic #hannigram fanfic #hannibal fic #hannigram fic #nbc hannibal #hannibal tv #will x hannibal #murder husbands #hannibal au #replies

[vampyrasgone]

   “  maybe to dracula,  it isn’t a mirror at all...  ”

                 in the 19th century, mirrors were created with a backing of silver - an extremely pure metal that was used to repel lycans and vampires. but the silver is what kept vampires from being able to see themselves in it, and would hurt them if touched. but what about mirrors that *weren't* made with silver? - were they used for vanity purposes??  for dracula, the answer is no.

the count used these mirrors for far different purposes, and often kept them scattered around his castle in shards.  this goes back to similar figures like baba dochia, dragobete, koschei the deathless and baba yaga, who in some stories used water or mirrors as portals to their abode.   the lake nesamovyte, in bucovina, also has a legend about the lake having a frozen mirror at the very bottom which is used to house the souls of the evil dead, as well as teleport horrible storms to the region.            his castle, located in bucovina, is said to have a great and terrible many-headed zmei (dragon) in its depths, submerged in a great, frozen lake where the bottom cannot be reached by the living.  that dragon is known as the weathermaker, or a balauri type dragon, and shoots lightning from its mouth and calls down horrid storms. 

thus, i am stating that the count both keeps a mirror on himself (a small shard, triangular in shape, shattered from being thrown and not cut) hidden deep within his pockets and wrapped strictly by a velvet cloth. this is used for emergency travel, whereas the remaining shards of this mirror (touched by alchemic magic) have been left to hover above a lectern in a tower at his castle where it is guarded by lycans and daemonic guardsmen.  this mirror, as i am taking from cv lore, is how he moves his castle- along with the heat and electricity provided by the balaur in his castle’s depths, that provides an endless supply of clean energy that is instant and hotter than the surface of the sun.  thus electricity is necessary to power the spell that has been placed on the mirror itself, and each shard resonates with the ability to move not only dracula, but through a mass amount of his energy and power, the castle in itself.   the mirror in his pocket allows him to return to the point he came,  this is namely whatever place he calls home at the time.  this mirror too can be fragmented, and the spell will remain intact unless the shards are utterly destroyed. 

edit:  in 2004 film canon, this is also accurate;  mirrors are sources of teleportation from his hold family home to the fortress in the upper end of the carpathia that he must pass through, and it cracks like ice when he does so before going back to normal. 

#♔. ˋ and if unfit for tombs and hearse ; our legend be ; it will be fit for verse; . ˊ headcanon.

[picturejasper20]

Infinity Train and Cults

One of the most interesting aspects in Infinity Train's story is how humans passengers start cults and the process of recruitment. This theme is very prevelent during the second half of Book 2 and all Book 3.

This theme is represented with "The Apex": a group commopsed of very young passengers who go from car to car harrassing citizens of the train and stealing their goods. They are first introduced in the series in the episode "The Lucky Cat Car" in Book 2.

In this post i'm going to write a detailed analysis explaining what is a cult, why the Apex could be considered a cult and the reasons why passengers would join the group in first place.

To do this i'm going to cite a few sources about cults and the psychology behind cult recruitment, which you'll find at the end of this post.

Let's start:

1) The definition of the word "Cult".

According to Sociologist Janja Lalich who speciales in cults the definition of a cult is:

¨A cult can be either a sharply-bounded social group or a diffusely-bounded social movement held together through shared commitment to a charismatic leader. It upholds a transcendent belief system (often but not always religious in nature) that includes a call for a personal transformation. It also requires a high level of personal commitment from its members in words and deeds.¨

Another details she talks about in her article are:

¨This definition is not meant to be evaluative in the sense of implying that a group is good, bad, benign, or harmful. Rather it is meant to convey a systemic view of such a group, which is comprised of a charismatic relationship, a promise of fulfillment, and a methodology by which to achieve it.¨  

¨Each group must be observed and judged on its own merits and its own practices and behaviors as to whether it falls within this category type, which is not meant to be dismissive or one-sided¨

The Ted-Ed video: ¨Why Do People Join Cults?¨ gives a similar definition:

¨Broadly speaking, a cult is a group or movement with a shared commitment to a usually extreme ideology that's typically embodied in a charismatic leader. A typical cult requires a high level of commitment from its members and maintains a strict hierarchy, separating unsuspecting supporters and recruits from the inner workings. It claims to provide answers to life's biggest questions through its doctrine, along with the required recipe for change that shapes a new member into a true believer.¨

To put it in simpler words: A cult by definition is a social group which has a very strong belief system (this doesn´t mean it is religious), it’s controlled by a charismatic leader whose followers rarely question. The members of the group have to obey an specific set of rules that are usually created by the leaders of the cult. Critical thinking is very often discouraged between the members.

The word cult isn´t meant to be good or bad. It’s just a way to describe a social group with specific characteristics. The definition itself isn´t exact, one has to learn about the group first before labeling it as a cult.

Now, how do the Apex from Infinity Train fall in this category?

2) The Apex as a cult.

For this part of the analysis I’m going to cite common characteristics of cults and how they do apply to the Apex. I’m going to add multiple examples of how the Apex members behave, how they interact with their leaders (Grace and Simon) and their ideology.

¨The group displays an excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader, and (whether he is alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as law.¨

 In the series, the Apex members consider Grace and Simon as unquestionable leaders. They follow their commands including those that are indicate to hurt train citiziens.

When Grace snaps her fingers in one of the kids immediately listens to her and goes to her side, kneeling when he meets her. (The Lucky Cat Car).

Simon also kneels before Grace in next episode since he is supposed to be second in command.

In ¨The Music Car¨ all the members pledge to the leaders and salute them:

 ¨Apex!

May our spirits be high!

And our numbers higher!

Down with the false Conductor!¨

 Both Grace and Simon appear to have a special status within the group as they are given gifts by the kids when the raid a car as seen in the first episode. It’s not stated if this is part of their routine as way for each member to prove they are worthy of being a Apex but considering the rules of the group it is very possible assumption.

¨Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.¨

In ¨The Mall Car¨ after Jesse refuses to follow Grace orders and stands up for Lake and Alan, Grace responds by telling him he made a big mistake and uses her mirror to let the flecks catch Lake.

This is a huge contrast with how she was very friendly with Jesse at the start of the episode. Grace´s sudden change of behavior comes from how Jesse didn´t accept her authority and realized how he was being manipulated.

This is another example of The Apex behaving as a cult: In the moment someone doesn´t want to follow Grace or Simon´s orders, they are seen as an enemy who opposes the Apex and there before must be punished. Disagreement is very discouraged in cults groups. Those who show any sign of disagreement or doubt are mocked, guilt tripped and called out.

A more subtle case of this happening when one of the kids,Lucy, calls a train citizen a ¨person¨. Grace corrects him by telling him that the train citizen is ¨another toy the train made to amuse us.¨ She makes Lucy feel ashamed for doubting the Apex ideology by mocking her in front of Simon: ¨Aw, that's cute. Lucy thinks it's a person¨ (The Music Car).

¨The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s), and its members (e.g., the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar—or the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save humanity.¨

The Apex believe that they are entitled to their car. They are above the train citizens, they are allowed to take and hurt them as much as they want because for the Apex the citizens aren’t real and they don’t experience emotions.

¨She doesn't even have a number. (..) ¨She's not a passenger¨.(..) Exactly, she's a null. Null, it means nothing, not even a zero.¨ Grace talking about Lake in ¨The Mall Car¨

¨I've got a number, and you don't. You two are only as good as you are useful.¨ Simon referring to Alan Dracula and Lake.

The group itself refers to the old conductor as their as divine figure, who inspires them everyday and has been stolen from his true place by the ¨false conductor¨, who is One-One. It’s almost as the old conductor is their god because it has the highest number in the train.

Grace mentions multiple times in Book 3 how she was saved by the conductor. It´s heavily implied she believes she has been chosen and how she´s the only one that who knows how the conductor looks like.

In Apex ideology, the numbers are very important: They determine your status in the community. The higher the number, the more powerful you are. To increase your number you have to do the tasks the leaders give to you. These tasks involve destroying, stealing and hurting citizens. The person with the highest number is the leader of the group.

¨The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group¨

While wrecking the car in the episode ¨The Lucky Cat Car¨ Grace mentions how the Apex are just doing what they must to survive. This shows a very explicit example of ¨the the end justify the means¨ that is common to find in cults. Grace and the other Apex kids are clear they don´t care about stealing and hurting citizens as long as they are able to increase their numbers and get resources.

Another example of this is when Grace and Simon plan to getting rid of Tuba to take Hazel with them in Book 3. This implies they don’t care about separating kids from their train companions to make them join the Apex. It wouldn´t be farfetched to think they have done this before with other young passengers to isolate them and persuade them into staying with the group.

In case of Jesse in Book 2, Grace tries to convince him to participate in a raid by breaking a cube from a train car. She tries making Jesse believe that those without numbers aren´t real and lack capacity to experience actual pain. Before that she told him to throw food under the train by saying he is ¨free to do whatever he wants¨. This case is more about how members make non-members commit morally questionable actions before they become full members.

¨Subservience to the leader or group requires members to cut ties with family and friends, and radically alter the personal goals and activities they had before joining the group.¨

Very often when joining a cult members are asked to keep distance from their close relationships (family and friends). Applying different methods, the leaders seek to isolate the new members from their family to control them more easily and thus making doubt less of the orders they are following.

In Infinity Train, the apex often try to separate kids and teenagers from their train companions. To do this, they manipulate the passengers into believing that their companions are just ¨toys to play with¨ and that the Apex are going to give them a home to live.

In ¨The Mall Car¨ Grace asks Lake to stay to look for Alan Dracula while Jesse goes with the Apex kids. Grace did this on purpose to be alone with Jesse and cause problems between him and Lake’s relationship.

After Lake stays behind, Grace starts talking about how Lake is getting Jesse into trouble and how the train is a ¨scary and lonely place¨. By giving Jesse all these negative thoughts she intends to giving him more reasons to not continue his journey and be part of the group.

In Book 3, Grace and Simon try applying something similar with Hazel and Tuba. They try to make Hazel to leave Tuba’s side and getting rid of the citizen. Much like Lake and Jesse, Tuba and Habel have a very strong bond which means they are going to have a hard time encouraging Hazel to ditch her friend.

One detail worth of adding is that they considered Tuba a threat because of her huge muscular form which made her look really intimidating. Someone like her was a obstacle that was impeding them to recruit Hazel.

¨Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions.¨

The Apex believe there was a conspiracy against the old conductor and the new conductor (One-One) is the false conductor. They seem to hold into this idea that old conductor was overthrown and their true place is being in charge the train.

When Amelia is explaining them that she used to be the old conductor and she isn´t prisoner of One-On, Simon keeps accusing her of spreading false propaganda and insist Grace that she is trying to trick them. In this scenario, it makes some sense for someone to be skeptical, especially if they held a very strong belief system like Grace and Simon do.

3) Why would passengers join the Apex?

After watching how badly the apex treat the train citizens and separate kids from their companions, why would someone join them? It may look like only those who want to commit vandalism and have a extreme prejudice against citizens would but if one analyses how the train operates it makes perfect sense.

When a kid gets on the train, they are completely separated from their family. Unless they find a kind companion, they are going to be completely alone stuck in a unknown place without adults to take care of them. They are very likely going to feel lost and scared not knowing what they have to do and what they should go.

Combine all this factors and they make a very easy target for a cult movement like the Apex to recruit: The members can take care of them, give them a place to belong, have friends and a sense of community. The kid passengers don’t have to worry about anything as long as the follow the rules.

Cults seeks to recruit people who are in a state of extreme vulnerability, who have issues fitting in or may feel lost. The members give these people a new purpose. They say ¨we can be your new home, your family¨ which leads to people to be persuaded into joining.

In the two examples in the series, Hazel and Jesse, Grace talks to them about how great the Apex are: They are going to help them, they will take care of them and keep them safe from the dangers of the train.

With Jesse, Grace tells him ¨how she cares about people¨. She fills his mind with how the Apex are good and they can do whatever they one. She’s very friendly with him and even invites him to jump from car to car.

In the case of Hazel, Grace tells her how they are going to help her with fixing her number. She also mentions how Hazel is going to meet tons of other kids once they reach the Apex car.

She knows that kids like Jesse and Hazel feel confused inside the train and takes advantage of their weaknesses to trick them into becoming Apex members.

In Conclusion:

For the reasons I wrote in this post, one could interpret the Apex from Infinity Train as a cult or a social group that shares characteristics found in cults : They have a very specific type of almost religious ideology, they think having more numbers gives them a special status, they rarely have doubts in their leaders and don´t care about hurting people to get what they want.

I think that the Apex is one of the most interesting themes of the series. It explores what happens when many young passengers start working together and create their own society with its own rules while showing how people come together when they find themselves lost in a place they don´t understand. It’s worth of analyzing the psychological and sociological aspects of this community and how they work.

Sources that were used for this post:

http://cultresearch.org/help/characteristics-associated-with-cults/

http://cultresearch.org/definition-and-explanation-of-the-word-cult/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janja_Lalich

https://www.insider.com/why-people-join-cults-according-to-therapist-who-treats-survivors-2020-9

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2009/may/27/cults-definition-religion

The video ¨Why do people join cults?¨: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kB-dJaCXAxA&ab_channel=TED-Ed

#infinity train #infinity train season 3 #infinity train season 2 #infinity train grace #infinity train simon #it analysis #cults #Animation

[emily-the-fae]

Sound of a Heartbeat

Part 2. Edge of the Water

Part 1 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6

Okay so apparently this piece has formed some more or less coherent storyline and I just had to write it down...well at least try to. So if anyone enjoyed part one and is in to hear the further turn of events, here we go.

Pairing: Dracula x OC

Warnings: um, none again, suicidal mood a little bit if that counts

Watch out for the side effects of slowly dying by vampire bites (and no, it's surprisingly NOT turning into vampire)

***

Shari woke up in a strangely lit place. Woke up - big word, rather jumped into consciousness with total clarity as to what she is and what happened to her and total frustration as to where she may be located. It was definitely not the place she left. The forest around her seemed to glow light blue, fireflies dancing in the air with their bluish sparks. She didn't feel cold nor warm, all the pain seemed to leave her body together with most of her senses - Shari felt light, almost weightless and when she looked upon herself, she saw that her own body was glowing the same bluish color as everything around her.

She stood up hesitantly.  She had no idea what the place was - the campfire was gone and the forest around was nothing like the spot she stayed at before. What was this? A magic trick? A hallucination? Was she dead? Shari saw particularly bright light behind the trees and decided to walk in its direction - perhaps it was a trap, perhaps she's dead and in purgatory and there are punishing beasts waiting to see her. Shari could never be sure, but felt surprisingly at peace even in her current state, strangely at peace.

The source of light turned out to be a lake. A long and seemingly deep lake that ripped its way through the forest, no end of it seen any near, it might also be seashore, although she doubted that due to abscence of waves - there were fireflies dancing above it and the water seemed crystal clear, even though she couldn't see far below the surface because of the light emanating from it. Shari felt the urge to go closer - to dip her feet in the shiny water, almost felt the need for it, but something restricted her from doing so. She could hear whispers too - as if there were hushed voices coming from the depth of water and that scared her off quite a lot: whatever that thing was, it was definitely not as simple as it tried to look. Her witching life has taught her - if something looks nice and calls out to you, but is also magical: in most cases it wants you to be its lunch. A rule that definitely worked in practice.

The healer stopped still, then sat down on the ground abruptly, feeling awkward in her position; but she needed time to think. This all seemed unexplainably odd - the water, the indecisiveness, the whole place - it seemed like a vague dream even though she felt completely awake. Dracula said it was going to be like sleeping. But by Dracula's deeds she should already be dead. This did not look like afterlife.

Suddenly Shari sensed, rather than saw a movement behind her, ready to jump to her feet and defend herself the best she could, she turned her head to face the source of it. It was a woman. Shari could swear she wasn't there before - a young woman stared at her, standing some distance away. Her beautiful, intelligent face looked somewhat concerned, her long blonde hair thrown over her shoulder, she was glowing the same bluish light as everything else around them. Shari recognised her, very vaguely, but she did remember: Adrian had shown her portraits before.

- Lisa? You're Lisa, right? Lisa Tepes, I know you! - Shari wanted to jump up, but the woman held her back with a gentle gesture of her hand. Lisa - or whoever it was that looked like her - floated rather than walked closer, then sat down next to a very confused and excited Shari, giving her a reassuring smile. There were a few moments of silence, while her guest studied her face intently.

- You are beautiful, you know, - Lisa smiled warmly.

- Wh-What? I mean thanks, but why? I mean... Umm what kind of a conversation starter is that? Are you?... Are we?... Am I not dead or...? - Shari was startled to say the least.

- Yes, you are... Heading in the direction of death, though your friends and specifically my son are very insistent upon the opposite. I believe, you'll have to live up to their expectations and survive now... although it all depends on you, really.

A pause. Shari nodded slowly, taking in her words.

- But-but hasn't your husband killed me? I thought he was definitely going to finish me off...

- He was going to, I'm sure. But he didn't have enough time to do so... or will, for that matter, - the woman turned somewhat remorseful. - I hope he didn't hurt you too much.

- He... tried not to, at least in the end. That's a pity he didn't succeed. I almost felt grateful to him for doing so, - Shari turned away to look at the lake. - It wasn't going to end well anyway...I wasn't going to end well.

- Don't. It's probaly his poison wearing off on your mind, but stilll.Just don't say that. Value what you have while it's still in you. You have to live. Trust me, it's not as pleasant as it seems to be when you get to the other side.

- Why excatly? - a chuckle. - You know, I'm not far from death anyway, it is going to be pain and waiting for me. To go like that is the best way now, I am afraid. Going to be there soon, why not strip myself of needless agony, - she hesitated for a moment. - You are actually dead by the way. If you say I'm still alive, how are we even talking?

- I am not quite sure I can explain this properly, - Lisa frowned, her gaze drifting off to the lake. - The simplest way to place it is: sometimes the people who die are not yet ready to leave this world - and then they stay between life and death, like...

- Essentially, you're telling me that you're a ghost, - Shari felt a bit sceptical.

- Essentially, yes.

- And why am I seeing you out of all people?

- Because I wanted so?

- Why? To tell me to survive?

- Yes.

Shari arched an eyebrow, looking at Lisa with mistrust.

- I don't like this simple tone.

- You are not going to like it, - she hesitated, then continued. - You have to save Wallachia, - the words left her mouth so easy and obvious, that Shari burst out laughing.

- Oh no-no-no, now I'm definitely hallucinating. Is this some fairy tale for children or something? Listen here, you ghost of Christmas past, I'm no kind of warrior-saviour person. I'm not going or willing to catch up to the pathos of "you are the chosen one" or whatever it is that they say in those situations. I believe you confuse me with your son, madam, - Lisa listened silently to her monologue with an amused smile on her face; it was obvious that the reaction was quite expected. When Shari finished, the ghost carried on:

- That is exactly why you have to do it. You are no chosen one. But you are one who has at least a chance. Adrain doesn't. He thinks he does, everybody thinks he does, but in reality it will only go worse if he works out his plan. I know... I don't need you to save all of Wallachia after all, - Lisa paused after that sentence and Shari looked up confused, trying to catch her meaning. -  Just one person - and that will do the rest, - the woman was very serious, and Shari suddenly understood this conversation was somehow real, even if happening in a dream realm.

- And who might that be? - she asked carefully, in a hushed voice.

- Dracula.

Shari actually laughed.  Loudly. Not quite rolling on the ground, but close to doing so. Lisa looked at her, with a raised eyebrow and calmly waited for the small hysteric to finish.

- Done yet? - were her only words, when Shari seemed to calm down a little bit.

- Listen, ok, I get it, you want to protect your husband, but...

- You don't understand! It's not only about protecting him - it's about stopping this war. Peacefully. It's about stopping Adrian from killing his own father - you need to persuade Dracula to call back his army, - Lisa was looking at her earnestly, determination in her stare. Shari only huffed.

- You... How do you imagine me do it? Persuade him? Are you insane? He would tear me apart and finish what he started, he didn't listen to Adrian, he actually almost killed Adrian, his own son. Why would he listen to me now?

- That is quite the point. He would listen, because it's you, - Lisa leaned back, smiling at the confusion on the girl's face.

- Oh yes, and what's so special about me? - Shari replied sarcastically.

- Nothing.

- Ouch.

- Apart from the fact that he pities you, - sensing that she was about to be interrupted, she quickly added. - I've watched both him and Adrian, thinking of a way to figure this out and stop them from tearing at each other's throats, and you suddenly came as the most valid solution I can think of for the time being.

- He... "pities" me? - Shari rubbed her neck, raising her eyebrow. Sure. He pities her so much; she flinched slightly at the memory of their encounter.

- Don't go witty. He does. He was merciful to you, he almost didn't want to kill you, that's why he didn't succeed. You're the first human after my death that he feels this way to... You are a person he did not know before all of this, you evoke his pity and you seem to have the skill to negotiate your way into people's good side and out of conflicts. You may actually have something in you to change his mind.

- That's not how it works, he...!

- You remind him of me. You may persuade him that there are people worth fighting for... That there is a life worth fighting for, - her tone was growing louder with each word, getting more insistent.

- Wait a minute, so you want me what? To replace you? Remind him of you and tell him you wouldn't want it? Tell him your final will, you think that'll stop him? - Shari jumped to her feet, backing away.

- I want you to go to find him. To reassure him, show him pity, show empathy. You will remind him of me. And he will come back to understanding that humanity is not all bad, that some people are still worth keeping alive. And that awar against them is not worth his own or our son's lives, - Lisa stood up too, sensing the tension rise and stepped closer once again. Shari did not like it. She didn't just die heroically to come back and search for yet another heroic and probably much more painful death.

- No, Lisa, I-I see what you want me to... But I'm not you! You see, I'm not you! I can't just go and drag - who? Dracula-the-vampire-king-that-just-killed-me - out of his murderous depression! - she backed away.

- If you had a choice: you can surrender or you can come back to fighting with a new way...

- Yes, I think if I had any kind of choice and if I survived, I would keep away from trouble and try to hold onto my final bits of life for as long as possible, thank you very much! - Shari argued loudly.

- You have to do it, if you live, Shari. It is the only way to protect you and... - Lisa made another step towards her.

- And die a much more painful death, yeah, thanks, great, - Shari almost hissed. Her attention suddenly turned to the pool of water behind her. So that was the whole trick, why Lisa appeared to hold her back from dying. - Oh. I know how this works. The lake is the entrance. My decision if I do or don't die, right?

- Precisely, though it's not really you, who decides. You touch the water - you either leave or wake up. Can't be sure until you do... - Lisa answered. - But before you decide and step in I want you to think. Shari, you have to fight for it, for yourself annd for Adrian, for all the people out there you've been trying to help!

- I am not your son, - she answered barely audible, but firm.

- Shari! - Lisa stepped yet again closer.

- No! I've had my bunch of suffering. I'm not going back in just because you believe I am good for the fight, I'm not! I'm selfish, okay? I did not ask for this, - she paused, glancing at the water. - Whatever it is, let it be. If I die - I die, right? - Shari turned away decisively and with a moment of hesitation made a small step forward, into the water, not looking back at the ghost.

She awaited darkness or light, hell or heaven or emptiness and quiet. Whatever escape was about to come, she threw herself at its mercy.

#castlevania #dracula #alucard #sypha belnades #trevor belmont #lisa tepes #fanfiction #writing #dracula x oc #dracula x reader #adrian tepes

[omniversalobservations]

Horror Time (2019)

First row from left to right: Billy (Dead Silence, 2007), Ghostface (Scream, 1996), a critter (Critters, 1986), Spiders (Arachnophobia, 1990), Church (Pet sematary, 1989) Bride of Frankenstein (Bride of Frankenstein, 1935), a crow (The Birds, 1963) Frankenstein (Frankenstein, 1931), a wooden witch symbol (Blair Witch Project, 1999), Bruce (Jaws, 1975).

Second row from left to right: Michael Myers (Halloween, 1978), Pinhead (Hellriser, 1987), Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th Part 3, 1982), Freddy Krueger (A nightmare on Elm street, 1984), Chucky (Child's play, 1988), Jigsaw's puppet (Saw, 2004), a gremlins (Gremlins, 1984).

Third row from left to right: The Grady twins (Shining, 1980), Sadako Yamamura (Ringu, 1998), Leatherface (The Texas chainsaw massacre, 1974), Toshio (Ju-on: The Grudge, 2002), the xenomorphe (Alien, 1979), a yautja (Predator, 1987).

Fourth row from left to right: Thomas (El Orfanato, 2007), The Gill-Man (Creature from the Black Lagoon, 1954), Nosferatu (Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens, 1922), Tarman (The return of the living dead, 1985), Regan Theresa Macneil possessed by Pazuzu (The exorcist, 1973), an extraterrestrial (They live, 1988).

Fifth row from left to right: the Candyman (Candyman, 1992), Pennywise (It, 1990), Dracula (Horror of Dracula, 1958), The Wolf Man (The Wolf Man, 1941), The Thing (The Thing, 1982), The urban legend killer (Urban Legend, 1998). Hannibal Lecter (The Silence of the Lambs, 1991), Pyramid Head (Silent Hill, 2006).

Sixth row from left to right: Mr Babadook (Mister Babadook, 2014), The Nun aka Valak (The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Poltergeist, 2016), David Kessler in his werwolf form ( An american werewolf in London, 1981), the leprechaun (Leprechaun, 1993), Pumpkinhead (Pumpkinhead, 1988), Annabelle (The Conjuring, 2013), cheryl williams possessed (Evil Dead, 1981), the Red-Faced Man (Insidious, 2010).

Seventh row from left to right: Annie Wilkes (Misery, 1990), Captain Spaulding (House of 1000 corpses, 2003), The Jeepers Creepers (Jeepers Creepers, 2001), Andre Hayworth (Get Out, 2017), Seth Brundle in his final form (The fly, 1986), The crocodile (Lake Placid, 1999), The Happy Birthdead killer (Happy Birthdead, 2017), Sam (Trick'r'treat, 2007), Carrie White (Carrie, 1976), the pale man (El laberinto del fauno, 2006), Norman Bate (Psycho, 1960), Matthew Bennell (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 1978).

Last row from left to right: Roberta (Jurassic Park, 1993), Godzilla (Gojira, 1954).

Source: DeviantArt

#unofficial #Jurassic Park #Godzilla #The Babadook #Misery #House of 1000 Corpses #Jeepers Creepers #Get Out #The Fly #Lake Placid #Happy Death Day #Trick 'R Treat #Carrie #Pan's Labyrinth #Psycho #Invasion of the Body Snatchers #Candyman #The Conjuring #It #An American Werewolf in London #Dracula #The Wolfman #Leprechaun #The Thing from Another World #Pumpkinhead #Evil Dead #Insidious #Urban Legend #Hannibal #Silent Hill #The Orphanage #Creature from the Black Lagoon #Nosferatu #Night of the Living Dead #The Exorcist #They Live #The Shining #The Ring #Texas Chain Saw Massacre #The Grudge #Alien #Predator #Halloween #Hellraiser #Friday the 13th #Nightmare on Elm Street #Child's Play #Saw #Gremlins #Dead Silence #Scream #Critters #Pet Sematary #Frankenstein #Blair Witch #Jaws

#unofficial #Jurassic Park #Godzilla #The Babadook #Misery #House of 1000 Corpses #Jeepers Creepers #Get Out #The Fly #Lake Placid #Happy Death Day #Trick 'R Treat #Carrie #Pan's Labyrinth #Psycho #Invasion of the Body Snatchers #Candyman #The Conjuring #It #An American Werewolf in London #Dracula #The Wolfman #Leprechaun #The Thing from Another World #Pumpkinhead #Evil Dead #Insidious #Urban Legend #Hannibal #Silent Hill

[samoimjebistaru]

The Historian (Povjesničarka) is a book about Vlad Tepes III The Impailor. Or today known as Count Dracula. Its based on true research done in Transylvania and there is one strange thing about that research. In all official books it is said that Vlad was buried near lake called Snagov in his village, but when researchers opened the tomb, it was empty. Some rumours say that he was seen on Turkish carriage while transported in Constantinople aka Istanbul. Some sources also claimed that Vlads dead body spread some unknown illness whose symptoms were pale skin, thirst for blood, aggression.

[aion-rsa]

Lord of the Rings Amazon TV Series: Cast, Release Date and Everything to Know

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Amazon’s purportedly billion-dollar-budgeted Lord of the Rings TV series will take place LONG before the events of Peter Jackson’s movies. Setting the tone for this small screen return to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, the first two episodes will be directed by J.A. Bayona, who helmed Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

The Lord of the Rings TV series is set during Middle Earth’s Second Age—that’s thousands of years before Bilbo Baggins, Gollum or Aragorn ever existed! Moreover, the end of said age was a full millennium before the Wizards (Gandalf, Saruman, et al.) even arrived in Middle Earth, which makes the series a prequel in an epochal sense.

Amazon hopes the new Lord of the Rings TV show will be the next Game of Thrones, evidenced by its early Season 2 order. While COVID-19 temporarily halted its New Zealand production back in March 2020, progress ultimately resumed in late-September.

With that set, here’s everything you need to know about the project!

Lord of the Rings Amazon Cast

In the first bit of news on The Lord of the Rings television series in quite some time, Amazon Studios announced a plethora of new cast members. While we’re still not getting any official details on the show’s characters, the latest development proves that the project is a massive ensemble.  

The CW

Cynthia Addai-Robinson leads this crop of newcomers.

The London-born, American-raised actress most recently fielded the role of Ramona Garrity on Starz series Power, but genre fans likely best know her as the CWverse’s version of Amanda Waller during Arrow’s brief Suicide Squad storyline, along with roles on USA’ Shooter and—in a setup somewhat close to LOTR—Starz’s Spartacus. She also had a notable role in 2016 actioner The Accountant.

Here’s the rest of the announced additions:

Maxim Baldry (Years and Years)—whose addition was reported by Collider back in October 2019—is now officially confirmed, joined by newcomer Ian Blackburn, Kip Chapman (Top of the Lake), Anthony Crum (Krystal), Maxine Cunliffe (Power Rangers Megaforce), Trystan Gravelle (A Discovery of Witches), Sir Lenny Henry (Broadchurch), Thusitha Jayasundera (Humans), Fabian McCallum (You, Me and The Apocalypse), Simon Merrells (Knightfall),​ Geoff Morrell (Harrow), Peter Mullan (Westworld), Lloyd Owen (Cleaning Up), Augustus Prew (The Morning Show), Peter Tait (Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King), Alex Tarrant (Mean Mums), Leon Wadham (Power Rangers Beast Morphers), Benjamin Walker (Jessica Jones) and Sara Zwangobani (Home and Away).

Interestingly, the addition of Peter Tait marks the return of an alumnus from The Lord of the Rings films, since he was in Return of the King as Shagrat, the Uruk-hai who carried the venom-paralyzed, web-wrapped Frodo back to the Tower of Cirith Ungol before getting into a scrap (over Frodo’s Mithril shirt,) with the bossy Orc known as Gorbag. – In another Peter-related angle, the addition of Peter Mullan should delight fans of HBO’s Westworld who know him as James Delos and his “fidelity” tested robotic doppelgangers.

They join the following existing cast members:

HBO

Robert Aramayo, best known as Young Ned Stark on Game of Thrones, fields the lead role for which the departed Will Poulter was previously tapped. While little is known about the character, he was initially referred to as “Beldor,” and is said to be heroic. Poulter, who was cast back in September 2019, reportedly withdrew from the series over scheduling conflicts.

A24

Morfydd Clark has a lead role as a familiar character, as first reported by Variety. She will play a younger version of Galadriel, the ancient elven Lady of Lothlórien, famously played by Cate Blanchett in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and (in an appearance anachronistic to the novel) The Hobbit films.

Clark put in a dark performance as the star of excellent horror film Saint Maud, in which she played a piously deranged hospice nurse. She also recurred in Season 1 episodes of HBO’s His Dark Materials as the daemon-deprived Sister Clara, and fielded the major role of Mina in the recent Netflix/BBC Dracula miniseries. Clark also notably appeared in horror film Crawl, Benedict Cumberbatch miniseries Patrick Melrose and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Galadriel, an ancient elf from Valinor who predates the First Age, famously used her long-honed magic powers to aid Frodo and the Fellowship in their journey during the Rings Trilogy. Yet, said powers happen to be rooted in her possession of Nenya, one of the three Rings of Power bestowed to the race of Elves; a trinket whose powers come with a caveat since, thanks to Sauron’s trickery, it is ultimately subordinate to the One Ring. Consequently, with the show’s Second Age setting (the era of the Rings of Power,) the inclusion of Galadriel seems to signal a story centered on Sauron’s deceitful claim to fame.

BBC

Markella Kavenagh was revealed back in July 2019 as the first cast member for the series, reportedly set to play a character named Tyra.

Kavenagh was most recently seen co-starring in Australian drama My First Summer and recurred on TV series The Gloaming for Australia’s Stan streaming service. Additionally, she’s no stranger to Amazon Prime originals, having been part of the cast of 2018’s Picnic at Hanging Rock.

Blumhouse Productions

Ema Horvath will play an unspecified character as a series regular, reported Deadline.

A relative newcomer, Horvath made her onscreen debut in the 2017 horror film, Like.Share.Follow, in which she appeared opposite Keiynan Lonsdale (The Flash’s Wally West), and moved on to field roles in 2019 horror films The Gallows Act II and The Mortuary Collection.

BBC

Joseph Mawle will play a villain, reported Variety, whose sources claim that the character will be named “Oren.”

The Oxford-born actor is best known as Benjen Stark on Game of Thrones, which he fielded in Season 1, and eventually returned as the show’s version of book character Coldhands in Season 7. He recently fielded BBC TV runs on drama MotherFatherSon, actioner Troy: Fall of a City and was memorable as a corrupt pugilist police inspector on Ripper Street. He’ll soon be seen in auteur director Terrence Malick’s developing film, The Last Planet.

Cinemax/Sky

Maxim Baldry will field an unspecified “significant” role, reported Collider.

The English actor most recently recurred on 2020’s Season 8 of Showtime’s Strike Back, having recently fielded a breakout performance on HBO television drama series Years and Years. He has been seen on Channel 4’s Hollyoaks, a 2013 guest spot on BBC’s Skins and, back in 2007 as a child, had a three-episode run on HBO’s Rome and was seen that same year in Mr. Bean’s Holiday.

Additional LOTR cast members include: Owain Arthur (A Confession), Nazanin Boniadi (Counterpart), Tom Budge (Bloom), Ismael Cruz Córdova (The Undoing), newcomer Tyroe Muhafidin, newcomer Sophia Nomvete, Megan Richards (Wanderlust), Dylan Smith (I Am the Night), Charlie Vickers (Medici) and Daniel Weyman (Silent Witness). The addition of this group was announced back in January 2020 (just on the cusp of the pandemic,) during the Winter TCA Tour.

Lord of the Rings Amazon Release Date

Amazon’s Lord of the Rings doesn’t have a release date as of yet; a notion that was compounded by the pandemic production delay enacted back in March 2020. However, we do know that filming—specifically to complete the first two episodes—resumed back in late-September.

The series returned to the classic film franchise’s stomping grounds of New Zealand, specifically in Auckland, where production continues. The initial confirmation of that came from Amazon, which issued a statement from showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay:

“As we searched for the location in which we could bring to life the primordial beauty of the Second Age of Middle-earth, we knew we needed to find somewhere majestic, with pristine coasts, forests, and mountains, that also is a home to world-class sets, studios, and highly skilled and experienced craftspeople and other staff. And we’re happy that we are now able to officially confirm New Zealand as our home for our series based on stories from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.”

Lord of the Rings Amazon Crew

Juan Antonio (J.A.) Bayona (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, The Orphanage, The Impossible) directed the story-setting first two episodes. He is also serving as an executive producer, joined by his producing partner, Belén Atienza. “J.R.R. Tolkien created one of the most extraordinary and inspiring stories of all time, and as a lifelong fan it is an honor and a joy to join this amazing team,” Bayona said in a statement. “I can’t wait to take audiences around the world to Middle-earth and have them discover the wonders of the Second Age, with a never before seen story.”

Bryan Cogman, a winter-tested writer with Westeros work on his CV from Game of Thrones, is onboard the writing team as a consultant, as first reported by Variety. After starting as an assistant to showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, Cogman has since worn many hats on HBO’s Game of Thrones going back to the show’s first season, having written 11 episodes total—the most recent of which was Season 8’s pre-battle character study, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”—and served as a producer on several episodes, ascending to co-executive producer for the last two seasons. He’s also attached to the screenplay for Disney’s live-action adaptation of its 1963 Arthurian animated classic, The Sword in the Stone.

J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay are handling the day-to-day duties as showrunners for the series, having been brought onboard the project back in July 2018; well before Amazon divulged any official details on the series. The collaborative duo have relatively thin CVs, with work on the script to 2016’s Star Trek Beyond being their only non-Rings major entry.

Here’s the officially released list of the show’s creative team:

Executive producers Lindsey Weber (10 Cloverfield Lane), Bruce Richmond (Game of Thrones), Gene Kelly (Boardwalk Empire) and Sharon Tal Yguado; writer/executive producer Gennifer Hutchison (Breaking Bad); writer/executive producer Jason Cahill (The Sopranos) writer/executive producer Justin Doble (Stranger Things); consulting producers Bryan Cogman (Game of Thrones) and Stephany Folsom (Toy Story 4); producer Ron Ames (The Aviator); writer/co-producer Helen Shang (Hannibal), and writing consultant Glenise Mullins.

Lord of the Rings Amazon Story

Amazon has been teasing the plot for The Lord of the Rings series for a few years now. The officially released series-era map not only confirmed the show’s time period, stating, “Welcome to the Second Age,” but bore another bountiful clue: the five-pointed-star-shaped southwest island kingdom of Númenor. An ancient kingdom of Men with long lifespans, Númenor flourished throughout much of the Second Age until the initial incursions of Sauron, which eventually led to the kingdom’s legendary fall (which culminated with the entire island sinking into the sea,) and King Elendil’s arrival on the mainland, where he eventually founded the kingdom of Gondor.

Welcome to the Second Age: https://t.co/Tamd0oRgTw

— The Lord of the Rings on Prime (@LOTRonPrime) March 7, 2019

Given Amazon’s subsequent teases, which recall tropes connected to the Ring of Power, one might further deduce that the Lord of the Rings series will specifically chronicle the epoch’s mythology-setting events. Pertinently, the sporadically posted lines in the teasers recall the Second Age story in which Sauron deceived the kingdoms of Elves, Men, and Dwarves with rings of power that he secretly controlled with the One Ring; a story famously told in The Fellowship of the Ring film prologue by Cate Blanchett’s Galadriel (a character played on this series by Markella Kavenagh).

We could also take this to mean that the Lord of the Rings TV show might showcase the formation of Gondor and the era in which Sauron’s insidious plot first came to a head; events that were briefly chronicled in Tolkien’s posthumously-published quasi-Biblical Middle Earth chronicle, The Silmarillion, specifically in the section titled “Akallabêth.”

Amazon Prime Video narrowed down the show’s time period by provocatively posting maps of Middle Earth, including downloadable versions hosted on the main Amazon site. Having started by posting a label-less version of the Middle Earth map, Amazon would incrementally reveal things by updating the map with land labels, which provided valuable clues about the show’s time setting. The first major revelation came in February 2019 with the release of a map containing a name that’s archaic to the familiar era of the Third Age, in which The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings novels and Peter Jackson-directed films take place.

New Line Cinema

The name on the map in question was “Calenardhon,” which is the ancient original name of the pastoral plains of the region that we know as the kingdom of Rohan (founded in 2510 in the Third Age), which we saw on magnificent display in the Rings Trilogy’s 2002 middle act, The Two Towers.

Additionally, the familiar sight to Rohan’s south, the great kingdom of Gondor, was nowhere to be seen on the map. This was a crucial clue, since Gondor (along with Northern Kingdom Arnor,) was founded by King Elendil and his sons during the Second Age of Middle Earth in 3320, setting up a climactic confrontation in 3441 between “The Last Alliance of Elves and Men” against Sauron and his evil army from Mordor—again, as depicted in the Fellowship prologue.

Consequently, with the Lord of the Rings series confirmed to take place in the Second Age, speculation can begin on how it might fill story gaps of the first war over the One Ring, potentially showcasing movie prologue characters like King Elendil, his son and eventual One Ring-owner, Isildur, as well as the powerful high-born Elven king, Gil-galad. Moreover, it appears that we might finally get to see Sauron himself as an actual character, rather than a giant irritated flaming eye!

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

That’s all we know about Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series. We, along with the franchise’s legion of fans, anxiously await any update that comes our way.

The post Lord of the Rings Amazon TV Series: Cast, Release Date and Everything to Know appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/367OMmx

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

[weirdletter]

The Necronomicon of Solar Pons, edited by Derrick Belanger, Belanger Books, 2020. Cover art by Brian Belanger, info: amazon.com.

From Sherlock Holmes to the Cthulhu Mythos. August Derleth introduced the world to Solar Pons and Dr. Lyndon Parker in the 1920’s. Pons, like Sherlock Holmes, solved crimes using deduction and ratiocination, often referring to Holmes as “The Master” or “My illustrious predecessor”. Since his first appearance, Pons has been a favorite with Sherlockians. In the 1930’s, Derleth coined the term “Cthulhu Mythos” to describe the weird fiction written by the writers in the Lovecraft circle. After Lovecraft died in 1937, Derleth created Arkham House Publishing to make certain Lovecraft and other writers of the Cthulhu mythos, himself included, remained in print. Derleth wrote a number of tales of the Cthulhu mythos including The Mask of Cthulhu, The Trail of Cthulhu, and The Watchers Out of Time (collaborating with Lovecraft). Now, for the first time ever, the estate of August Derleth has authorized a one of a kind anthology combining Derleth’s Solar Pons, the Sherlock Holmes of Praed Street, with his Cthulhu Mythos and horror tales. Join us in the foggy streets of early 20th Century London where horror is lurking on the streets and also at the veil of reality. Nine new tales of terror and detection including: The Rondure of Cthulhu by Stephen Herczeg – Solar Pons must solve the mystery of a man seemingly torn to shreds by invisible forces. The Meandering Mathematician by Robert Perret – A mathematician’s strange disappearance leads to visions of an otherworldly realm, a witch, and a sinister rat with a human face. A Matter of Blood by Nick Cardillo – Dr. Seward brings Pons a case involving a a notorious Transylvanian Count. Fans of Stoker’s Dracula will love this sequel. To Everything There is a Season by Stephen Persing – The Sherlock Holmes of Praed Street has a Lovecraftian Final Problem. The Adventure of the Book and the Gate by Eleanor Sciolistein – The Necronomicon is used to access a horrifying power source. Solar Pons and the Testament in Ice by Jeff Baker – Pons must face an evil Arctic entity. The Adventure of the Drowned Genealogist by I.A. Watson – How did the body of a recently deceased woman end up in a two century old tomb? It is up to Solar Pons to solve this Dunwich horror. The Man with the Writhing Skin by David Marcum – Mrs. Velda Knoll, a lecturer on “The Great Old Ones” is being stalked by a man with masses of open sores moving about his skin. The Devil’s Tongue of Blue John Gap by Derrick Belanger – Solar Pons must solve the case of strange symbols mysteriously appearing in the fields of Blue John Gap. Plus a bonus Sherlock Holmes adventure!

Contents: Solar Pons & Cthulhu? by Bob Byrne The Sherlock Holmes of Praed Street in the Derleth Mythos by Derrick Belanger The Rondure of Cthulhu by Stephen Herczeg The Meandering Mathematician by Robert Perret A Matter of Blood by Nick Cardillo To Everything There is a Season by Stephen Persing The Lancastrian and the Lake Monster by Derrick Belanger The Adventure of the Book and the Gate by Eleanor Sciolistein   Solar Pons and the Testament in Ice by Jeff Baker The Adventure of the Drowned Genealogist by I.A. Watson The Man with the Writhing Skin by David Marcum The Devil’s Tongue of Blue John Gap by Derrick Belanger The Wylington Lake Monster by Derrick Belanger Special Thanks to Our Kickstarter Backers About the Author

#book #anthology #weird fiction #horror fiction #occult detective fiction #supernatural detective stories #occult investigator #weird detectives #solar pons #lovecraftian fiction #necronomicon #cthulhu mythos