Tag Archives: Charles R. Rutledge

A Visit From Dracula’s Ghost

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Dracula’s Ghost
Charles R. Rutledge
ebook $2.99

A while back, like just over a year ago, I reviewed Dracula’s Revenge by Charles R. Rutledge. It was a great novella with some nice surprises. Now he’s given us  a sequel, and it’s as good as the first, and it also has some nice surprises, although they are a little subtle, such as the name of at least one of the uniformed police officers who has brief appearance.

Jennifer Grail is still having nightmares from when she learned that Dracula was a real person, not a fictional character. That’s when more vampires show up. it turns out that Bram Stoker wasn’t the only one to fictionalize a real vampire.  And no, it’s not Varney. Although I won’t be surprised if he shows up in a later book. And if you think the female vampire on the cover is Elizabeth Bathory, think again. Although if she shows up in a forthcoming book, that would be cool. (I have no idea if Mr. Rutledge is going to write any more vampire tales, but I hope so.)

Jennifer turns to Carter de Camp for help. The new vampire in town is trying to resurrect Dracula.

This is a fast paced novella, and Rutledge puts as much action and character development in it as some writers would in a full length novel. There’s no padding or fluff. Just a rousing good tale, perfect for this time of year.

I had the pleasure of reading two other stories recently by Mr. Rutledge, both featuring Carter de Camp, one in the forthcoming Skelos #4 and one in Castle of Horror Anthology volume 4. Those stories didn’t involve vampires, but they were related in setting and what work of horror they related to. I’ve always enjoyed Charles’s work, but reading these three works, all of which I highly recommend, gave me a greater appreciation of just how good a writer he is. Check his stuff out. You’ll be glad you did.

When Dracula Seeks Revenge

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Dracula’s Revenge
Charles R. Rutledge
ebook $2.99

Here’s a seasonal little book you’ll want to read if you like well-written vampire stories.

Charles Rutledge has been writing dark fantasy set in Georgia for a few years now, and he’s got a set of recurring characters that are loving homages to writers of by-gone days.  While this story isn’t set in the fictional town of Wellman, it does feature the occult detective Carter  de Camp.

Jennifer Grail is a detective who gets called in on a strange murder. The victim is found in his home, his throat slashed open but with no blood.  The reader knows this isn’t an ordinary murder. Continue reading →

What’s Your Favorite Ghost Story?

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So it’s the time of year when spooky stuff seems to pervade the air.  I like a good ghost story anytime of year, but there’s something about when the air turns crisp that just seems to make them the perfect thing to be reading.

I’m always on the lookout for a good, scary ghost story.  Charles Rutledge posts the contents of a horror “anthology” every year.  I put the word anthology in quotes because he doesn’t publish anything.  It’s just the book he would publish were he to actually do so.

I find this a fun and entertaining exercise.  I had read more of this year’s list than I have of some in previous years.  There were too that stood out to me.  One I had read years ago, and the other was new to me. Continue reading →

Two Posts at Black Gate That Might Interest You

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I’ve had a couple of posts at Black Gate recently that might be of interest to some of you.

What Rough BeastFirst, I’ve reviewed the weird western What Rough Beast, but James A. Moore and Charles R. Rutledge.  This chapbook has both a solid story as well as some superb production values.  And some monsters with a surprisingly understandable motivation.

The other post is the latest in my series covering the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series.  The topic in this one is James Branch Cabell’s Figures of Earth.

Check them out if they’re something you might be interested in.

My Halloween Posts Creep into Other Blogs

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Blind ShadowsNot all of the things I’ve been reading for Halloween are getting reviewed here.  There have been two other posts that might be of interest to some of you.

The first post that went live was at Amazing Stories yesterday.  I had intended to have it ready to go a week earlier but an out of town wedding derailed my plans.

Anyway, if you’re a fan of pulp fantasy and horror, this is one you need to put on your radar.  There are a number of nice treats (and no tricks) in this novel.  It’s about a pair of former police partners.  One is now the sheriff and the other is a private investigator.  The book opens with the discovery of the body a former classmate of theirs.  He’s been ritually murdered.  Blind Shadows is a great combination of pulp, horror, and hard boiled adventure.

Lovecraft Sarnath frontI’ve been doing a series of posts at Black Gate for about a year now on the Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series.  My goal was to have one completed about once a month, but that isn’t quite what has happened.  Things have been a little more irregular than that.

This afternoon, my latest went live.  It’s over H. P. Lovecraft’s The Doom that Came to Sarnath.  This is a collection of stories written as Lovecraft was transitioning from fantasy in the vein of Lord Dunsany to his better known work in the Mythos.  Many of these stories are quite short, but overall they’re an interesting read as they show a writer moving from imitation to his own unique voice.

Anyway, that’s what I’ve been up to at other venues for Halloween.

Widowmakers Now Available

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WidowmakersWidowmakers
Peter Kahle, ed., James Newman, foreward, Keith Minion, ill.
Kindle $4.99
trade paper forthcoming

I’m not familiar with James Newman.  He’s a member of the horror community who was injured not too long ago.  Widowmakers is a fund-raising anthology to help defray medical expenses.  It’s an impressive line-up of contributors.  I’ve read and reviewed some of them, so I would probably buy this book even if it weren’t for a good cause.

And thanks to Charles R. Rutledge, who posted an announcement about the book.  I wasn’t in the loop on this one and would have missed it otherwise.

Here’s the book description from Amazon

widowmaker [wid-oh-may-ker]
noun
1. A thing with the potential to kill men.
2. A dead branch caught precariously high in a tree which may fall on a person below.
3. A dark fiction anthology of prodigious size; large enough to use as a doorstop… or crush a man’s skull.

A few months ago one of our own, James Newman, was severely injured in a freak accident. He’s known universally in the horror fiction community as a truly great guy, and, when the news broke of the incident there was no shortage of people who wanted to help. Inside the pages of this collection, you will find tales that are lighthearted mixed in with stories that will fuel your nightmares, each one with the potential to be a WIDOWMAKER.

The following 47 fellow authors and poets have contributed their words to this benefit anthology and 100% of the proceeds will go to help the Newman family. Enjoy this massive collection and thank you for your aid. Continue reading →