In the final quarter of 2022, the edited collection The Many Lives of The Twilight Zone: Essays on the Television and Film Franchise, was published by McFarland. Edited by Kevin J. Wetmore Jr. and Ron Riekki, the book contains nineteen essays that take a variety of academic approaches to different Twilight Zone texts. One of those essays is mine, “Strange Realities: Twilight Zone-sploitation in Encounter with the Unknown.”
In my essay, I compare and contrast the original run of The Twilight Zone with the 1972 anthology-horror film, Encounter with the Unknown, which uses Rod Serling’s narration and Twilight Zone visual cues to, more-or-less, rip off the legendary series. While I consider the essay exhaustive and complete, I feel it could benefit from an addendum. The final section of my essay, ‘Voices and Images,’ I bring up examples of how VHS releases of Encounter of the Unknown mimic iconic visual elements of The Twilight Zone. While these descriptions are as detailed as possible, I figured readers of the essay would benefit from supplemental material that contains pictures of these VHS releases.
Blu-ray that uses the Encounter with the Unknown Poster.
Cover of the Interglobal release of Encounter.
Back of the Interglobal release.
Front of the VCI release.
Back of the VCI release.
If you haven’t read my essay and are curious, (or the entire book sounds intriguing), The Many Lives of The Twilight Zone can be purchased at McFarland and Amazon.
Good day everyone! Final update for October. I hope everyone has a great upcoming Halloween!
The Many Lives of the Twilight Zone
The academic collection, The Many Lives of the Twilight Zone, edited by Kevin Wetmore and Ron Riekki has been published by McFarland and is now out in the wild!
Me!
My contributor’s copy arrived and it looks awesome. The TOC sports some great academics.
My essay is titled “Strange Realities: Twilight Zone-sploitation in Encounter with the Unknown” and is probably the most in-depth article out there on the movie. Note: this essay is eligible for various 2022 short non-fiction awards out there, so if it is a piece you enjoy, consider recommending it!
The collection is available to purchase at McFarland.
Galliano Mai Tai
I’ve got quite a handful of cocktail books from the 70s and 80s, most of them filled with recipes of a dubious nature. However, it’s fun to play cocktail archeology and try out some of the recipes in these books.
I have a new old school recipe exploration written up. It is on the Galliano Mai Tai. It can be read here.
H. P. Lovecast Transmissions
This month’s Transmissions episode for HP Lovecast will feature interviews with Erika T. Wurth and Chris Philbrook. This episode will publish on the last day of this month – Halloween!
Galactic Terrors Vidcast
Galactic Terrors is a monthly YouTube midcast from the Horror Writer Association’s New York Chapter. Each episode features three authors doing readings followed by Q/A. I’ve been invited to appear on the program, which will stream November 10th.
If you want to know more about Galactic Terrors, check out their Facebook group or have a look at their episode archive on their YouTube channel. Michele was a guest last month, so check that episode out for sure!
Miscellaneous Tidbits
New Edge Sword and Sorcery
Issue 0 of the new magazine, New Age Sword and Sorcery, it out.
Personal copy of the hardback edition.
The magazine looks like a great endeavor to make the S&S genre more inclusive. The digital copy is free (link here), while the paperback and hardback iterations are available at cost (Amazon link here). Consider plucking up a copy, show interest, so the magazine can get a great start.
Amon Amarth Album Review
Hal C. F. Astell has a new review up at his Apocalypse Later website.
It is on the Viking metal outfit Amon Amarth’s new album, The Great Heathen Army. Check it out here.
They are doing a series of episodes about the Twilight Zone and I am on an episode discussing the movie Encounter with the Unknown. This episode can be heard at the Fan2Fan Libsyn page or via your podcast app of preference.
A reminder: later this year my essay, “Strange Realities: Twilight Zone-sploitation in Encounter with the Unknown” will be published in the collection The Many Lives of the Twilight Zone: Essays on the Television and Film Franchise, edited by Ron Riekki and Kevin J. Wetmore Jr. The book can be pre-ordered at the McFarland product page.
Shudder Magazine Article by Michele
Michele has a new article up at her website: a review of a few issues of Shudder magazine.
Photo by Michele Brittany of her Shudder magazines.
Michele has an active CFP on the Highlander franchise. She is looking for essays on the Highlander movies, the television show, comics, everything.
If you’re interested, check out the CFP at her website and please share with others. With a possible reboot on the horizon, this is definitely a book you want to be a part of.
Unofficial Emmanuelle / Black Emanuelle CFP
Sometime in the latter half of 2022 (after I am finished with AnnRadCon 2022) I plan on publishing an official CFP calling for essays on Emmanuelle and its sequels and spinoffs, Black Emanuelle and its sequels, and all other Emmanuelle knockoffs. I already have an interested publisher, but I want to present to them a fully laid out TOC for an ambitious collection as this.
Though my CFP will not go live until later 2022, if you have any interest in being a part of this collection, let me know! Send me an email or social media message (see my about me page for contact info) to let me know your interest. If you have an abstract already, even better.
General Neo-Peplum News
Review of Kimaera’s Imperium
Apocalypse Later has a review at their website on Kimaera’s new album, Imperium.
The review can be read at Apocalypse Later while the album can be bought digitally at Kimaera’s Bandcamp page. I’ve bought the album and am giving it a listen: symphonic death metal with unclean vocals. Digging the music and the few instances where there are more clean vox. Album cover art is cool.
Review of Crusade of Bards’ Tales of the Seven Seas
With the hit streaming series Our Flag Means Death, pirates are officially back to being pop culture juggernauts since the Pirates of the Caribbean series lost the wind in its sails in the mid 2010s. The pirate genre has straddled the line of being considered pepla or not, but with films such as Morgan the Pirate (1960) and Hercules and the Black Pirate (1963), the boundaries are nebulous – so go for it! Pirate pepla!
In addition to the aforementioned Kimaera review, Apocalypse Later has a review of the new Crusade of Bards album, Tales of the Seven Seas. The review sounded complimentary, but actually listening to this band is a hard feat! Their Bandcamp page has only their old album, and you can only buy it, not listen. Their Discogs page is barebones. There are a few official videos on YouTube, and I dig it. Reminds me a bit of Leaves Eyes.
