VIRUS ALERT
Yep, some moron with no life and a pathetic excuse for lineage is trying to be an "asshole to the world". There is a new real virus threat this happy Holiday season and it comes in the form of an e-mail that opens in (of course) Outlook (yet another reason why I'll never use that program). For full information please follow the link to Symantec, makers of Norton Anti-Virus. Those of you with anti-virus programs already installed take note: This virus program attempts to erase your anti-virus software from your computer.

Go to Symantec.
Thanks to FeoFan David A. DeFalco "for the "heads-up".

Report by Judi Rohrig
LET THE REVOLUTION BEGIN
RevolutionSF continues to present literate science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories. Edited by award-winner Rick Klaw (WEIRD BUSINESS), RevolutionSF's menu offers classic reprints from S/F/H legends as well as tales from talented up-and-comers, and they don't always follow conventional forms. Here's their schedule for unique, imaginative fiction for January.

1 "The Forsaken Of God" by William Mudford
2 "Metamorphosis #6" by Don Webb (Continuing the weekly series of  reprints from UNCLE OVID'S EXERCISE BOOK)
3 "Capetown Party: 1892: Butterflies" by Michael Moorcock (Continuing the weekly series of reprints from BREAKFAST IN THE RUINS)
8 "Ghostdance: Showdown at Carthay Circle" by Mark London Williams
9 "Metamorphosis #7" by Don Webb
10 "Liberation in Havana: 1898: Hooks" by Michael Moorcock
15 "The Gene Drain" by Lewis Shiner
16 "Metamorphosis #8" by Don Webb
17 "London Sewing Circle: 1905: A Message" by Michael Moorcock
22 "The Huh Maker" by Delo White
23 "Metamorphosis #9" by Don Webb
24 "Calcutta Flies: 1911: Doing Business" by Michael Moorcock
29 "Hollow Man" by Norman Partridge
30 "Metamorphosis #10" by Don Webb
31 "Quiet Days in Thamn: 1918: Mixed Meat" by Michael Moorcock

But there's a whole lot more than great fiction at RevolutionSF though. Just completed is the WWAotORD contest. What the hell is that? "What Would All of the Other Reindeer Do" Contest. Nevermine. Just know that the current contest is WWPfHD ("What Would Pinhead from Hellraiser Do?") to have the most fun New Year's Eve party? Answers will be posted! And don't miss the "Six Degrees from Santa to Satan" answers! Give it a gander, whydoncha?

URBAN CHILLERS FESTIVE SPIRIT
The Uncanny UK'ers invite us all to their annual Online knees-up. They kick off at 11.30pm Chiller Time this Sunday 23rd December in the Chiller Chat. There will be laughter and no doubt tears as we booze, chat, dance and swing (Now you're talking!) the night away. We will also be attempting to tell a live ghost story on The Urban Forum from 00.00 onwards, so come on in to the chat room - Don't be shy and - Oh hell why not - Bring a date.

Find them at Urban Chillers.

Report by Judi Rohrig
HANDS UP, IT'S A NEW YEAR!
CHICAGO - Lots of things going down with the Twilight Tales Reading series. Monday, January 7, 2002 finds their Open Mike, well, open! Fiction readers (any genre welcome!) have 20 minutes to hold the audience spell bound; Poets are alotted 10 minutes to do the same. Just sign up at the door before everything starts at 7:30 p.m.

Wedged in between the usual readings... Sunday, January 13, TT offers a very special event for crime and mystery lovers: "TAKE 'EM DOWN: Police Arrest Procedures." This Writers' Development Seminar will be conducted by C. Allen Reed who has over 20 years experience in law enforcement. Reed will conduct a hands-on seminar that promises to increase the authenticity of any author's story without the annoyance and social stigma of a criminal career and prison time. Participants will learn what happens between "Don't move! Police!" and the courtroom antics of Perry Mason and "The Practice." Please note the special time: 2-4 p.m. Cost is $10 per person.

Then onto another Monday night gig... On January 14, at 7:30 p.m., Bruce Hoff will read "The Red Field" and Keith Schulz will offer his KEEPERS OF THE RIVER.

All Twilight Tales events take place upstairs at the Red Lion Restaurant and Pub in Chicago. For more information, visit TwilightTales.com.

HAVE A DARK FANGO CHRISTMAS!
Fangoria Online announces the winners of the Very Fango Christmas Short Story Contest sponsored by DarkTales Publications. Congratulations to Grand Prize Winner Duane Swierczynski for his story EVE OF DESTRUCTION.
1st Runner Up Dean H. Wild: "The Holly Man"
2nd Runner Up Steve Gordon: "December of Decadence"

All three won shopping sprees in DarkTale's Book Catalog. Also congrats to honorable mentions:
Lawrence Barker,
Steve Climer,
Laura Cooney,
J.C. Alegria and
Paul V. Wargelin (all right PAUL!)

Read the winning stories online at Fangoria's Frightful Xmas.

HAVE A DARK FANGO CHRISTMAS!
Fangoria Online announces the winners of the Very Fango Christmas Short Story Contest sponsored by DarkTales Publications. Congratulations to Grand Prize Winner Duane Swierczynski for his story EVE OF DESTRUCTION.
1st Runner Up Dean H. Wild: "The Holly Man"
2nd Runner Up Steve Gordon: "December of Decadence"

All three won shopping sprees in DarkTale's Book Catalog. Also congrats to honorable mentions:
Lawrence Barker,
Steve Climer,
Laura Cooney,
J.C. Alegria and
Paul V. Wargelin (all right PAUL!)

Read the winning stories online at Fangoria's Frightful Xmas.

MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT OPTIONS RIVERWATCH
Barclay Books is pleased to announce that RIVERWATCH, the debut novel by Joeseph Nassise that launched Barclay's Spectral Visions horror imprint in July, has been optioned to become a feature film by Media Entertainment in Tampa, Florida.

RIVERWATCH will be adapted for the screen by Media Entertainment's President and CEO, Robert Emery (SCREAM BLOODY MURDER), whose previous credits include the screenplay and executive production for Swimming Upstream starring Ben Savage, Elisabeth Harnois, and Michael Moriarity. Media Entertainment's television programming has been seen in over 55 countries and is regularly broadcast on Encore, PLEX, BET, Discovery Channel, and Outdoor Life.

Says Barclay's Marcus Stevens, editor for Spectral Visions, "Readers and reviewers alike agree that RIVERWATCH is a powerful novel, full of frights and excitement. We know that Bob Emery's team over at Media Entertainment will do it full justice and we are particularly excited to be working with them on this project."

INTERVIEW
DOUG CLEGG reveals things you never knew - probably never WANTED to know, about his life and the writing process. This week Harry Shannon gets the big lug to open up in an exclusive interview in Story Time.

"What the hell does THAT mean?" you say, "Exclusive Interview"? Doug has done TONS of interviews with folks! Yeah, but he did THIS one with us, see? And we ain't sharing it with NOBODY!

So check out our talk with Doug in Harry Shannon's INFINITE TALENT.

Report by Judi Rohrig
BLOOD NOG SOUNDS GOOD, DOESN'T IT?
Horror never takes a holiday. Can't. People always have fears, and since this is the darkest time of the year, we can celebrate that, can't we? Feed on it! Oh, wait. Yes, peace and gifts. Okay, so here's who's spreading peace and here's where you can pick up some signed gifts!

Trisha Baker will be signing her debut novel, CRIMSON KISS, on Saturday, December 15, from 2-4 p.m. at Books A Million, 197 Westbank Expwy in Greta, LA (That's in the New Orleans area).

Steve Lee Climer will be reading from his works and signing on Saturday, December 15, from noon to 4:00 p.m. at Waldenbooks in the Westlake Mall in Westlake, MI.

Also on Saturday, December 15, Dark Delicacies will play host to three mighty fine authors: F. Paul Wilson, Michael Slade, and James Robert Parish. Wilson will be signing his children's book THE CHRISTMAS THINGY (Cemetery Dance) along with his latest novel in the Repairman Jack series HOST and his new novella SIMS 2. Michael Slade slides in from Canada to sign his latest thriller DEATH'S DOOR while nonfiction author James Robert Parish will put pen to page on his book about the deaths of the entertainment world's rich and famous entitled THE HOLLYWOOD BOOK OF DEATH.

[A note here from Dark Delicacies' Del Howison: "The Clive Barker signing December 8th at Dark Delicacies in Burbank, CA for the new book BOOKS OF BLOOD published by Stealth Press set new signing records for the store. The record for biggest one day total has been held for years by editor Stephen Jones and 16 other authors for a giant anthology signing. That single day total was broken by Clive last Saturday. (No, we're not giving out the total $'s). Also Bruce Campbell held the record for most books of a single title signed by a single author with his biography IF CHINS COULD KILL. Clive also broke that total by eleven books. He signed at Dark Delicacies from 2:00 p.m. until 6:30 p.m."]

Then next week, Drew Williams will embark on mini-Western Pennsylvania NIGHT TERRORS Walden Books signing tour. Note that all his signings are from 6-9 p.m.: Monroeville Mall Dec. 18 (TUES): Century 3 Mall Dec. 20 (THUR); and Westmoreland Mall, Dec. 21 (FRI).

OTHER NEWS...
The electronic horror newsletter Hellnotes announced that it would be taking a two-week break in its publication. Gary A. Braunbeck in his latest newsletter announced grim news concerning his health. "As I write this, I'm just a few short days away from surgery. A few months ago I discovered a lump in my right breast which has since grown in both size and painfulness, as have my lymph nodes on the right side. Because of the location of the mass and a few other factors too tedious to recount, it was decided it would be best if the mass - and some muscle - were removed and then biopsied. My surgeon assures me that "odds favor it isn't cancerous" but the bottom line is I don't know yet and won't know until the biopsy results come back."

Report by Judi Rohrig
DEAD LINES!
And the deadline for getting that bargain-basement membership to the next World Horror Convention, WHC2002, is quickly approaching. Memberships jump from $75 to $100 per person on January 2, 2002!

Continued at /Conventions

DREGS OF SOCIETY HITS THE STREETS
Michael Laimo's new collection, DREGS OF SOCIETY is now available. Sean Wallace, senior editor at Prime Books says that all preorders have been shipped. Sean says "Thanks to all of you who preordered...$100 of my royalties will be donated to the New York Fireman's Fund. There are plenty of copies still available, but orders have been coming in with the book hot off the presses.

For the many people who have inquired about the original novellette, "The Smart Society", which leads off the collection, the 11,000 word tale is original to the book, and Michal has posted an excerpt online for all those who'd like to give it a read for themselves: laimo.com.

GETTING IT TOGETHER, HORROR STYLE!
Horror World and TTA Press online announce a partnership that expands the content of both websites by allowing visitors of either site to visit a multiplicity of author message boards.

Between them TTA Press and Horror World have a significant number of message boards for some of dark fiction's best known names such as Michael Marshall Smith, Ed Gorman, Muriel Gray, Graham Masterton, Graham Joyce and T.M. Wright. As well as author boards, both sites run a number of general discussion forums such as 'The Cellar' and 'Reality Checkpoint'. Visitors to the websites will now be able to access a range of message boards from either site as well as each other's main pages.

Andy Cox (TTA Press) and Andy Fairclough (Horror World) are sure that this link up will be of benefit and interest to regular visitors, as well as stimulating further interest in speculative fiction on the internet.

THE RETURN OF MISS CLEO
Just when I thought that I had dumped this cyber-stalking broad for good, she comes crawling back like nothing ever happened. Too bad she forgot my "$FirstName$"!

Check out MISS CLEO RETURNS

GAGE-ING LIFE
Our new Fanboy, Christos N. Gage, and his writing partner, Ruth Fletcher Gage, are now officially married! Chris and Ruth are both heavily into Horror and have co-wrote both THE BREED and TEENAGE CAVEMAN.