All aboard!

Welcome to the permanently moored Queen Mary, which sailed the seas from 1936 to 1967, but which is now a retired ocean liner turned hotel in Long Beach, California—and last month the home of the second annual StokerCon. My guest for this episode snuck away with me from the con for some peace and quiet in my room—and to share take-out food delivered from nearby Thai Silk.

The first of five episodes I captured for you while out West is with the legendary William F. Nolan, who’s written more than 2,000 pieces of fiction and non-fiction, co-wrote with George Clayton Johnson the novel Logan’s Run, co-wrote with Richard Matheson the screenplay to the movie Trilogy of Terror (which contains perhaps the scariest doll ever seen on film), plus—he’s received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Horror Writers Association and was named a World Horror Society Grand Master. His most recent short story collection is Like a Dead Man Walking.

We discussed how Ray Bradbury helped him sell his first short story in 1954, the way a slush pile sale to Playboy convinced him to abandon a successful career as a commercial artist, why his Twilight Zone episode was never filmed, the difference between the real truth and Charles Beaumont’s “greater truth,” why he only ever acted in one movie (and got punched by William Shatner), how Stan Freberg pranked diners aboard the Queen Mary and made them think the ship was sinking, which novel he thinks is his best (and it’s not Logan’s Run), and more.

Before you dive in, a reminder—if you like what you hear and what Eating the Fantastic is trying to accomplish, check out how you can support the show by subsidizing some of the travel, bandwidth, meal, and other costs over on Patreon. (There are perks for all patrons, of course.) Or, if you’d prefer, make a one-time donation via Paypal.me. With your help, I can keep capturing all those who make the world of the fantastic great, and also make this podcast even bigger and better.

And now—here’s how you can dig into some of that Pad-Se-Ew with us— (more…)

Arrived back home late last night from a fun and exhausting World Fantasy Convention in Brighton. There’s lots to tell you about good times with good friends and good food, but I’ve no time for that now, as I’ve got to leap into the work which allows me to go to places like Brighton and have those good times eating good food with good friends.

So for now, let these nine photos stand in until I’m oriented back to life in the U.S. and am able to fill you in on the details …

Stephen Jones’ Psycho-Mania! anthology—which contains a story of mine—launched with a book signing at which I was told 23 contributors were on hand to autograph. (more…)