Preview of Dark Side of the Con 3

For the third year in a row, it’s time for my favorite goth event: Dark Side of the Con! This event is a 3-day dark alternative convention in New Jersey hosted by the good folks at VampireFreaks. The convention is this weekend, March 29–31, and you can still purchase tickets at the Dark Side website as well as at the door.

Dark Side of the Con 3 banner

There have been some exciting changes since last year’s Dark Side of the Con. First, we have a new venue! The Sheraton Parsippany is a gorgeous hotel built like a medieval castle—complete with crenellated battlements and little pointed towers! It’s also significantly larger than the previous venue, meaning it can fit more attendees and has room for more programming. The other big change is that I’m on staff this year! I’ve been working as the panelist coordinator, which means I’ve been behind the scenes making sure we have plenty of amazing guests ready to lead panels and workshops on a wide variety of topics. Below, I’ve highlighted just a few of the things you can look forward to at this year’s DSotC: Continue reading Preview of Dark Side of the Con 3

Women and the Golden Age of Ghost Stories

I’ve had ghost stories on the mind lately, and in honor of Women’s History Month, I want to highlight some of the contributions that women have made to this particular genre. Ghost stories in one form or another have been a part of the literary tradition—both oral and written—going back centuries. But the period between the beginning of the Victorian era in the 1830s and the onset of World War I is considered the Golden Age of the ghost story as we know it today. Short fictional accounts of encounters with ghosts abounded in literary magazines and in the form of collected anthologies. Big name novelists and more obscure authors alike turned to writing ghost stories as a fun and reliable source of income in these years, and more than a few of those authors were women. Below are four of my favorites: Continue reading Women and the Golden Age of Ghost Stories

We Have Always Lived in the Castle Review

We Have Always Lived in the Castle coverAs much as I love reviewing recent releases, it’s just as important to go back and spend some time on the classics. This month, I finally picked up a book that I’d been meaning to read for years: We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. Jackson is one of the most prominent authors of twentieth-century Gothic. Her novel The Haunting of Hill House is a staple of the haunted house and psychological horror genres, while her short story “The Lottery,” is one of the most terrifying things I remember reading for school. However, it is her final novel—We Have Always Lived in the Castle, published in 1962—that really explores the Gothic in depth. Continue reading We Have Always Lived in the Castle Review

Review of The Night Tiger—Malaysian Magical Realism

The Night Tiger coverWhat’s more terrifying than a werewolf? Perhaps a man-eating weretiger! Yangzse Choo’s second novel, The Night Tiger, which came out last month, explores the Malaysian folklore surrounding harimau jadian—tigers who can take on the form of a man in order to get closer to their prey, almost the reverse of the werewolf myth. As in her first book, The Ghost Bride, Choo cleverly weaves together vivid depictions of Malaysia under British rule with a sense of magical realism that brings the region’s unique blend of cultures and beliefs to life. Continue reading Review of The Night Tiger—Malaysian Magical Realism

Check Out My Interview on Crash Chords: Autographs Podcast!

In case you missed it, I was featured on a podcast episode earlier this week! My good friend Matt Storm, a.k.a. Stormageddon, runs a podcast called Crash Chords: Autographs in which he interviews artists, performers, content creators, and all sorts of interesting people from different walks of life about their projects and their passions. Tune in to episode #115 to hear my interview! In it, Matt and I chat about how I started blogging, my work as a content creator for VampireFreaks.com, and what it’s been like serving as the Panelist Coordinator for Dark Side of the Con—a dark alternative convention in New Jersey that will be taking place at the end of March.

Search for “Crash Chords: Autographs” on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn, GooglePlay, or Spotify and check out episode #115 “Feat. Julia O’Connell.” Or simply follow this link to the Crash Chords website and give it a listen.

Let me know what you think of the interview! Are there any other podcasts you’d like to hear me on? Drop some suggestions in the comments!

Review of Miss Violet and the Great War—A Strangely Beautiful Ending

It’s the end of an era. Leanna Renee Hieber’s newest release, Miss Violet and the Great War represents both the end of the Victorian era and the conclusion to her debut gaslamp fantasy series, the Strangely Beautiful Saga. Over the years, I’ve reviewed the rereleased versions of Strangely Beautiful and Perilous Prophecy. Now, after much trial and tribulation, the never-before-published final book has arrived. Miss Violet and the Great War comes out tomorrow, February 26. If you’re in the New York City area, be sure to join us at the release party at WORD in Brooklyn on Thursday. Continue reading Review of Miss Violet and the Great War—A Strangely Beautiful Ending

Gothic Tropes: Prophecies and Curses

I often say that the core concept at the heart of the Gothic is the idea of the past haunting the present. One common way that this manifests in stories is through an old prophecy or curse. Prophecies serve to explain how the story’s current action is rooted in some event of the past. In many cases, the prophecy addresses a past wrong and how it might be revenged or righted. Generally, some injustice was committed by a member of a previous generation, and now the perpetrator’s descendants suffer the consequences, recalling the biblical notion that “the sins of the father shall be visited upon the children.” The prophecy can come from a divine source, or can be intentionally inflicted as a curse by a character associated with witchcraft. Prophecies may or may not be paired with other supernatural elements, such as literal hauntings by ghosts, revenants, or doppelgangers. Continue reading Gothic Tropes: Prophecies and Curses

Romance in Gothic Fiction

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we’ve all got a bit of romance on the mind. And what could be more romantic than an entire genre that was originally called “Gothic Romance”? Of course, the term “romance” has meant different things over the course of the genre’s history, and each iteration of the Gothic utilizes romantic elements in different ways. Let’s take a brief look at the role romance has played in Gothic fiction.

Mr. Rochester and Jane in the film Jane Eyre (2011)

Continue reading Romance in Gothic Fiction

Haunted Libraries of the Eastern United States

Libraries are wonderful places where people from all backgrounds can access knowledge, entertainment, resources, and community without spending a dime. They’re also, as it turns out, popular homes for the restless dead. Library hauntings don’t always look like that dramatic scene from the Ghostbusters movie, but many librarians and patrons have reported hearing noises, feeling chills, and seeing apparitions. I suppose if I have to come back and haunt a particular location, spending eternity wandering the stacks does have a certain appeal. Below are a few of my favorite stories of haunted libraries up and down the Eastern United States. Why this region, specifically? There were just too many hauntings to choose from, so I decided to limit myself to the area I’m most familiar with for now. Perhaps I’ll turn this post into a series! If you know of other libraries with a resident ghost that you’d like to see featured, feel free to submit suggestions in the comments. Continue reading Haunted Libraries of the Eastern United States

Apps for Reading

Like many avid readers, I was once very resistant to combining technology with reading. Nothing really beats the feel of a physical book in your hands and the joy of seeing your favorites all lined up on a shelf. But as I’ve gotten older and busier, sometimes lugging a physical book around with me isn’t always practical. If I’m going out for the night and want to read a quick chapter on the subway, I might not be carrying a bag that can fit a book or even my Kindle. But one thing I do always have is my phone! There are a bunch of different apps that you can use to read on your smartphone. Here are a few of my favorites: Continue reading Apps for Reading