Cracked Spines

Short Story Review: "The Fog Horn" by Ray Bradbury

2013-06-09T22:08:00.001-04:00

"The Fog Horn" by Ray Bradbury is quite short, even for a short story, but it combines several themes that result in a story that is both unusual and thought provoking. Anyone with a heightened interest in classic literature has come across the lighthouse keeper stories, sea serpent stories, man against wild stories and sad tales of a beast that is the last of its kind, but, to my knowledge, there is no other that brings together all of these elements.

It takes only a page for Bradbury to hint at something strange and perhaps one or two more to bring it right to the reader. There is no real interaction with the antagonist of the story. The narrator and his companion can only watch and experience the strangeness of an ancient beast and how a fog horn breaks its heart.

There are two reasons you should give "The Fog Horn" a chance. Firstly, this is Ray Bradbury. If he has ever had a miss, I have not yet seen it. Secondly, it is so short that you have barely any time to lose.

Shelly Barclay

Book Review: "The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul" by Douglas Adams

2013-05-24T12:51:00.003-04:00

"The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul" is a Dirk Gently novel by the science fiction and humor mastermind Douglas Adams. It follows the adventures of Dirk and a woman who met Thor while waiting to board a plane at Heathrow Airport as they mingle with gods, psychopaths, mechanics and eagles. Before jumping into this book, you should know that this is no "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy," but what is? It still amounts to good, if not entirely comprehensible, reading.

One thing you will notice about "The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul" is that Douglas Adams' trademark sense of humor is present and accounted for. You will certainly get a laugh or two if you do not mind heads spinning on records and petulant gods saying things that do not make sense and will never make sense no matter how many pages you read.

A friend of mine, who happens to be British and we all know they love Adams, actually said to me that he loves Douglas Adams, but not Dirk Gently. He could never find himself enjoying the Gently novels. While I could definitely consume more than one, I was surprised at how easily I could put the book down and walk away. In fact, reading time during my dance with this book became nap time more often than not. You can decide for yourself what you think that says about it. The fact remains that it was written well and by a Shelly-appointed genius, so we really should not complain.

Shelly Barclay

Author of the Month: Suzanne Collins

2013-04-02T14:26:00.001-04:00

Suzanne Collins
courtesy of Scholastic

Those of you that read Cracked Spines regularly, if there is any such person or persons, may notice that there has never been an author of the month on this blog. Therefore, you might be asking yourself why the title of this post contains the phrase. Well, being ambitious likely beyond what my schedule will allow, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about one author per month here on Cracked Spines. Why not talk about the people behind the books on a book blog? I'm starting with Suzanne Collins, an exceptional writer of children and young adult novels.

If you know Suzanne Collins, and you probably know at least her work, you likely know her as the woman who wrote "The Hunger Games" trilogy. This successful trilogy has been talked about on Cracked Spines before and with good reason. It's brilliant. The concepts are not exactly new, but the way she assembled them certainly is. Nonetheless, "The Hunger Games" is not all this talented author has conjured up.

Suzanne Collins began her career as a television writer. She did children's shows on prominent networks like Nickelodeon. In fact, I did not know it then, but I watched a show for which she was a writer when I was a kid, the totally lame but secretly loved "Clarissa Explains it All." In 2003, she transferred her talent to novels with the first installment of her popular "Underland Chronicles." The rest has been literature and Hollywood history.

Here's to you, Suzanne Collins. Thanks for writing children's books that are easily enjoyed by adults as well.

If you have a favorite novel or television show that she has been a part of, share it in the comments!

Shelly Barclay

Novella Review: "Mile 81" by Stephen King

2013-02-03T22:23:00.000-05:00

"Mile 81" is one of Stephen King's shortest novellas. Its scope is even small for a short story, but it packs the same punch as King's better works. Expect to read it in a single sitting and have a few, "Oh, King" moments when you read it. I should also point out that readers of "On Writing" will almost be able to see the advice King gives at work in "Mile 81." It might be the shortness of the novel or the smallish area of the setting, but he's bravely leaving a lot up to the imagination and this imagination took the bait.

This piece hearkens back to some of King's earliest works in many ways, but it also has some mentions more modern things than this reader of early backwoods King novels is used to. For example, he mentions the Facebook game "Words with Friends," and even has a cop playing it on an iPad. Slow down, Mr. King. I still want banana seated Schwinns from you, sir. Anyway, it all pans out in that eerie way that Stephen King makes you see a book as though through a '50s or '60s looking glass, and then, "Bam!" there's the token young man seeing a poster, but this one is shaved. (If you've read "Dreamcatcher," you know the kind of poster I mean!) It's a Burger King and not a vintage restaurant chain. It's an SUV instead of a pickup. Well, maybe that's me, but I liked the reminders of it being a modern time, as it contrasted with the novella's focal point -- a muddy station wagon.

When I say that "Mile 81" hearkens back to early King, I mean it in several ways, but none more than the monster car theme it has going. Part of me wonders what horrible or wonderful experience Stephen King had with a car when he was a child that made him able to imagine them in such a way. My favorite was "From a Buick 8," but the inevitable unanswered questions of such a short story make "Mile 81" tasty for me as well. I both love and hate unanswered questions in a story. Perhaps that is why I like King so much.

Before I go, there is one more thing I have to point out and that is that readers will likely appreciate the pace of this novella. Stephen King has a tendency to jump back and forth between dragging butt and hauling it in his full-length novels. Even some of his short stories are a little too verbose when I am chomping at the bit for something to happen, but not "Mile 81." Every break to a new chapter ends with something interesting and starts with the promise of the same. From a kid going to sleep on a questionable mattress in a questionable place to a couple of children stranded on the side of the road, there is plenty of suspense, but not one single pause before the suspense is satisfied.

Shelly Barclay

Book Review: The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King

2013-01-26T19:36:00.000-05:00

"The Wind Through the Keyhole" is a novel in the Dark Tower series that many of Stephen King fans never thought we would see. It arrived in 2012, much to my surprise, and fits between book four and book five. Most of the novel is a recollection of Roland's containing both his first job as a gunslinger and a story his mother used to tell him when he was a child. If you are anything like me, you think these types of moments in the series are the best. "The Wind Through the Keyhole" keeps up this belief for me. I was hooked into each story within a story, of which there are three.

The first layer of this story within a story within a story is that of Roland, Susannah, Eddie, Jake and Oy. They meet an old man who drops hints to Roland that something is coming their way. Roland eventually catches on. I would rather not give away what happens, so let it suffice to say that the ka-tet winds up holed up in a deserted town together. It is here that the two other stories fold into the first.

Roland first begins telling a tale about an early experience in his gunslinger life where he went up against a skin walker. In this story, he tells a small boy another story and this is the heart of the novel and the eponymous story -- "The Wind Through the Keyhole." While this story is an ostensibly fictional tale from Roland's childhood, it also has familiar figures, one of whom signs his name "RF." If you know who this is, you should already be reading "The Wind Through the Keyhole." If not, start with the Dark Tower series up until at least book four. If you really want to do it right, read "The Stand" as well.

Bottom line: I loved "The Wind Through the Keyhole." It was a wholly unexpected treat with both the horror that makes King so skin crawling and the touching moments that make his work so approachable. I know I sing his praises a lot, but there are definitely novels by Stephen King of which I was not a fan. It's just that I really love the ones I enjoy by him, and this is undoubtedly one of them.

Shelly Barclay

Book Review: "On Writing" by Stephen King

2013-01-09T15:50:00.000-05:00

I'm sad to admit that this review is the first novel that I have read and reviewed for this blog in months and that it took me a few of those months just to finish "On Writing." I assure you, that fact has nothing to do with the quality of King's nonfiction work and everything to do with me slacking on my reading. Nonetheless, I am now done and have learned a few things about writing, but more about Stephen King.

The first part of "On Writing" is a mish mash of anecdotes from Mr. King's childhood, school years, early romance with Mrs. King, early marriage and early writing career. Some of you aspiring writers may read some of this and think, "Oh, crap! I didn't run a hodgepodge newspaper with my brother out of my mother's basement when I was a kid. I still had not thought of becoming a writer yet." Don't worry about it. I doubt Stephen King gave us a window into his life so we could compare him to ourselves. Besides, we can't all be Kings. There can be only one. (Yeah, I went there.)

After these characteristically brilliant disguised as blue-collar passages, Stephen King gets down to the writing part of "On Writing." His advice is rarely technical. You will only see a few words of advice about grammar. Apparently, Stephen King hates the passive voice. What you will see is advice about the meat and potatoes of your writing. He talks about the story. In short, he tells the reader to figure out what they are saying and say it. He says to be honest. Take these pearls of wisdom. They come from, in my opinion, the biggest oyster in the sea. Oh, and this is not a book about technical writing. Stephen King is not going to tell you how to go about writing a vacuum cleaner manual. You're on your own there.

Throughout the writing advice and beyond, Stephen King continues to add anecdotes about his life and career. He also adds bits that he has heard from other authors and even moviemakers. Then things get tough for Stevie (as he often refers to himself, but I only jokingly dare to refer to him). You see, while he was writing "On Writing," he was struck by a man driving a Dodge van and quite nearly died. He speaks about this harrowing experience near the end of the novel. Thankfully, he lived to write another day. Yes, I'm selfish, I know.

So, whether you are a freak that wants to read about someone's hardships, an aspiring writer or just a fan of Stephen King, get it, read it and let others borrow it. Now I'm off to read "The Wind Through the Keyhole" and then the list of books King suggested at the end of "On Writing." Get ready for more reviews!

Shelly Barclay

Website Review: The SCP Foundation

2013-01-01T23:54:00.000-05:00

I believe this is a Cracked Spines first. Today, I'm going to give a little review/overview of one of my favorite sites. It has a user-generated content base with reading material ranging from science fiction/fantasy to horror. The site is called The SCP Foundation. I came across it by accident one night and spent a few subsequent nights reading as many entries as possible. Some of it is very good and the site is quite organized for the type of content it produces.

The SCP Foundation is a fictional organization that handles unusual objects and creatures. Think of it as a website version of that warehouse show, but obviously better or I would not be writing about it. Every item in the foundation's possession has a file on this website. When users generate a file, they have to follow a strict format that makes even me cringe and I have dealt with some lengthy client requirements in my day. I'm relatively sure that the users do this for a love of writing as well. If there is pay involved, I have not found a single word about it.

Now, each of these files can just be a description or it can contain notes that are like miniature short stories. Some of them are only a few sentences long. Others would amount to several pages in print format. There are files among them that were clearly written by very talented writers who, in my opinion, should really branch out from free content production. I've had my skin crawl more than once reading SCP. Nothing utterly rubbish makes it through as far as I can tell, but there are some blah entries. These don't even evoke the slightest curiosity. That is the worst. At any rate, there appears to be a filtering process in place that does a relatively good job. I can't even remember seeing a typo, but I'll admit that editing is not my strong suit.

If you are a fan of science fiction or you are a writer looking for a place to stretch your limbs, you might want to check this site out. It appears to have a decent-size fan base online and I'm definitely part of it at this point. Happy reading.

Shelly Barclay

Atheists Like Christmas Too

2012-12-18T00:33:00.001-05:00

Santa does not judge.
Photo courtesy of Huhu Uet.

Well, as most of you know, this blog is typically for writing about books. Books are cool. However, I'm actually going to use it to make a bit of a point today. In a way, it involves a book -- the Bible. It also involves the best holiday for presents ever -- Christmas. Specifically, it involves where explicitly in the Bible Christmas is -- nowhere -- and why some people -- Christians -- feel it is rude for atheists to celebrate Christmas. Before I go any farther, I'll disclose that I am an atheist. That way, you can hate me ahead of time if that is your wont. If not, let's discuss a few things that are not your typical "It's a pagan holiday, anyway" atheist rants.

Firstly, I want to say that Christmas is fun. It has very little to do with Christ at this point outside of the church. It is about Santa, presents, friends and family. That might be sad to a lot of Christians and I hope they make up for it by keeping their god in their home over the holidays and doing whatever they do to praise said god. I think that is wonderful. However, we cannot pretend that atheists are somehow horning in on a Christian tradition when they get involved in Christmas. Is Christmas in the Bible? Did the earliest Christians head off to the mall to buy the latest Apple product while surrounded by blinding Christmas lights? No and no. Christmas is a strictly modern concept that happens to fall on the day mistakenly believed to be Christ's birthday. Even Christians know the date is wrong thanks to all kinds of weird interpretations and calendar foibles.

Moving on, don't you think it would be a little crappy to inundate entire countries with music, lights, presents and decorations and then tell people who are not Christian that they cannot celebrate because there is a tenuous connection between the holiday and your god's son? I think it is. If you do not want me to participate, get it off my television, out of public streets, etc. I'll gladly hold hands and sing Kumbayah with you, but if you are going to be exclusionary, you can take it into your house where I can't hear it. I'm not setting up a carnival at the end of your street for only atheists and calling it Nothingmas, am I? Nope and I would not, either, because I'm not a jerk that dangles carrots in front of bunnies.

So, do me a favor, please. I'm not the kind of atheist who refuses to say "Merry Christmas," though I will say "Happy Holidays" if I am unsure of your religion or lack thereof. I'm not an anti-theist. Your thoughts and feelings are not my business. Please feel free to worship as you wish. I just ask that during all of this, you do not exclude me as a person because I do not fit into your club. It hurts my feelings when you say things like, "Oh, atheists must have missed the 'Christ' in Christmas" or "If you do not believe in god, then don't celebrate Christmas." I probably won't take you off my Christmas list for saying it, but I'll be sorely tempted to remind you that Jesus would think you very uncool, if he were real.

Happy Holidays to All People of Every Faith, Lack of Faith, Race, Worldview, Gender, Lack of Gender, Sexuality, Lack of Sexuality and Everything In-Between.

Shelly Barclay

Pride, Prejudice and Sibling Rivalry

2012-11-20T15:04:00.000-05:00

The Bennet family makes up most of the core characters in Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." It consists of Mr. Bennet, a father who wishes to remain uninvolved, Mrs. Bennet, a tiresome and interfering woman, and their five children. The five children are all daughters. Jane Bennet is the eldest daughter with Elizabeth Bennet, the main character, following her. Their three younger sisters from oldest to youngest are Mary, Kitty and Lydia.

The sibling rivalry to be found in "Pride and Prejudice" is nearly always, if not always, perpetuated by the silly and annoying Kitty and Lydia. Jane is a sweetheart who gets along with everybody. Elizabeth is mostly just aggravated and ashamed of her two youngest sisters. She gets along with the other two and has no rivalries. No one sees poor Mary as competition.

Kitty and Lydia are very similar in both age and temperament. This not only makes them close, but it makes them vie for the same things. On at least one occasion, Kitty complains that her sister gets to leave town when she does not. Lydia, who is a careless braggart, seems not to care, despite her seeming closeness with her sister.

A common theme throughout the novel is marriage. Mrs. Bennet is obsessed with marrying off her daughters. Her older three daughters do not seem to dwell on the idea much (until the two eldest Miss Bennets fall in love). However, the two youngest Miss Bennets can think of little else. They want to flirt with officers, meet rich men, fall in love with one and get married. They are so open and obvious about their shallow desires that Elizabeth is quite embarrassed by them. Furthermore, they seem to be in a competition, in their own minds, to marry first. It is not said outright. However, after a botched and shameful marriage for Lydia, she brags to her sisters about how she was the first to marry.

Lydia is by far the worst when it comes to petty competition with her sister. Competitions that she seems to be the only one interested in, it is worth noting. However, Kitty and Mary are not exempt from sibling rivalry. Their incidences of it are simply on a much smaller scale. For Kitty, her rivalry tends to start and end with Lydia. Mary tries very hard to be a voice of reason (a somewhat dull one, at that) when her sisters are being ridiculous. It sometimes appears as if this is how she seeks to divert attention away from her sisters. She never prevails.

There are a few other sets of siblings in Pride and Prejudice, but no other sibling rivalry to speak of. Mr. Darcy gets along wonderfully with his sister, Georgiana. Mr. Bingley has a horribly shallow and scheming sister, but she does not appear to be in competition with him over anything, unless you include Mr. Darcy's attention.

Shelly Barclay

My Favorite Quotes About Books: Part One

2012-11-11T21:09:00.000-05:00

Like any lover of books, there are moments when a quote about books just hits home for me. Some are silly, some I secretly think are about me and others are quite astute glimpses at the relationship between books and society. They are all awesome. However, like most quotes extracted from the modern libraries of unattributed, misattributed and/or made up quotes, these may be off. If you notice a discrepancy, please feel free to note it and provide a source. Thanks.

"You want weapons? We’re in a library! Books! The best weapons in the world! This room’s the greatest arsenal we could have – arm yourselves!" ~ The Tenth Doctor

For those of you who don't know Doctor Who, go watch seasons one through now of the more recent incarnations. I'm serious. I have nothing more to say to you until you have done so. For the rest of you, you may recognize this as a quote from "Tooth and Claw." The Doctor is trapped by a werewolf and finds one of his temporary companions idiotic when he (the companion) remarks that they have no weapons while standing in a library.

"The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame." ~ Oscar Wilde

There is not much to say about this quote other than that it is unfailingly true. However, I would go on to say "or fear." Some books that are banned for being immoral contain nothing shameful, but they strike fear into those who believe them to be pathways to some sort of religious faux pas.

"Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren't very new after all." ~ Abraham Lincoln

I love this quote coming from a man who may not have had original thoughts, but was obviously very inspired by thoughts, be they his or those of other people. Nonetheless, I can very much relate to this quote. I often find myself reading something and wanting to sit in a room with the author and express my agreement, saying, "I often think that as well. Thank you for saying it."

Shelly Barclay

The Violent and Weird Side of Grimm's Fairy Tales: Part Five

2012-10-11T16:01:00.000-04:00

In this installment of our Grimm series, at least one of the fairy tales outlined is pretty sick and twisted. However, for the heck of it, I've thrown in one that is humorous and one that is just plain daffy. Each still has its own special brand of Grimm gruesomeness, though. They never disappoint in that area.

The Old Man and His Grandson

The Old Man and His Grandson is not so much about an old man and his grandson as it is the story of how the grandfather's treatment influences the child. In the very first paragraph, his son and his daughter-in-law neglect the old man because he cannot eat neatly enough in his old age. They seat him away from the dinner table and feed him less than he requires.

This quite short story ends with the man's grandson playing on the floor. Upon being asked what he is doing, the boy replies that he is building a trough for his parents to eat out of when they get old. The parents immediately begin treating the old man better. This is humorous in some ways, but it is a Grimm way to get the point across.

The Little Peasant

In a town where only The Little Peasant is poor, he tricks a cowherd into taking a fake cow out to pasture. When the cowherd fails to bring it back, the title character convinces the authorities that the cowherd lost his cow, thus gaining himself a cow as recompense. Later, he takes shelter from a storm with a woman who is kind enough to give him bread, cheese and shelter. The woman has a guest over for a feast of a dinner, but has to hide it and her male guest when her husband arrives unexpectedly. The Little Peasant tells the husband of the hidden food and guest, thus gaining himself monetary payment and a bit of the feast.

The other peasants in this town of mostly rich peasants suspect The Little Peasant is doing something devious, as he is becoming more prosperous. He is convicted on no evidence and sentenced to death by being placed in a barrel full of holes and rolled into the water. He tricks a shepherd into the barrel instead and then steals the shepherd's sheep. He then convinces the entire town to go into the water, where everyone drowns. The moral here? Everyone is greedy and murderous?

Frederick and Catherine

The moral of this Grimm fairy tale appears to be that being an idiot pays off. Frederick and Catherine are newlyweds. Frederick quickly realizes that Catherine's weak mental faculties are costing him food and money. Long story short, they wind up chasing down some thieves after Catherine loses all of Frederick's money. Catherine is carrying the door to their house, as Frederick asked her to lock the door and she reasoned that he wanted to protect the door. She drops the door on the thieves from a tree when it gets too heavy. They run off. Fred and Cathy get their money back. Problems solved by a certifiable housewife.

Shelly Barclay

The Violent and Weird Side of Grimm's Fairy Tales: Part Four

2012-09-30T18:41:00.000-04:00

By this part of my messed up Grimm's series, it is pretty well established that the fairy tales the Grimm's collected for their book were not the type of fairy tales we let children enjoy today. The morals of these stories had a lot to do with being eaten by strangers, or starved thanks to a greedy friend or foe. These were very real dangers in the cultures they came from, surely. Nowadays, people are just afraid that teaching their children these lessons will give them nightmares. I do not blame them. Here are a few more examples of frightening fairy tales.

Tom Thumb

Tom Thumb is an ordinary boy of extraordinary size. He has two normal sized parents that love him very much, though he is quite small. His size comes in handy when a few men purchase him from his father at Tom's urging. He escapes and eventually wounds up being eaten by a cow. The cow is slaughtered and Tom is eaten with the cow's intestines by a wolf. In the end, he is saved by his father, who beheads the fox and picks the boy out from among its entrails.

Rumpelstiltskin

Rumpelstiltskin is the story of a girl and a hobgoblin. In the beginning, the maiden's father brags that she can spin gold out of straw; she cannot. She is then kidnapped by the king, who locks her up with a bunch of straw and essentially tells her to spin it to gold or die. The first night, she trades her necklace to a hobgoblin for him to spin it to gold. The second night, she gives him a ring. On the third night, she trades him her first-born child, which it presumably wants to eat.

The maiden is married by the king, who had kidnapped her, imprisoned her and threatened her life for some gold. She has a child, but decides she does not want to give it up. The hobgoblin tells her that she has three nights to guess his name or he will take the child. She guesses his name with the help of another. He flips out so bad that his foot goes through the floor. In other versions, it is he himself who goes through the floor and he tears himself apart in a rage trying to pull himself out -- literally.

Clever Gretel

Clever Gretel is not about the girl who loved and was loved by her brother Hansel. Clever Gretel was a cruel and greedy cook. She drank wine all the time and ate too much of what she cooked. One night, she ate a guest's meal and told the guest that there was no food and that her boss was going to cut his ears off. The guest ran away in a panic. The story ends with the boss thinking the guest ran off with the chickens the cook ate and chasing him with a knife, yelling that he wants only one. The guest thinks he means one ear, but he really means one chicken. Gretel is unaffected by her morbid storytelling.

The Violent and Weird Side of Grimm's Fairy Tales: Part One

The Violent and Weird Side of Grimm's Fairy Tales: Part Two

The Violent and Weird Side of Grimm's Fairy Tales: Part Three

Shelly Barclay

The Violent and Weird Side of Grimm's Fairy Tales: Part Three

2012-09-10T00:15:00.000-04:00

In this third installment of our look at just how messed up the Grimm fairy tales really were, we take a look at some kidnapped children, greedy birds, girls who use poop to make their great escapes and something one would expect Hannibal Lecter to do. Well, maybe not. Lecter did seem to have some morals.

Hansel and Gretel

The story of Hansel and Gretel has survived many a century to make it to the present as a story with a deranged witch and two plucky kids. Well, the original has that much, but much more. At the start of Hansel and Gretel, their parents have decided to abandon them in the woods because there is too little food to feed all of them. Well, clever Hansel leaves a trail of stones, so they make it back, at which time, their stepmother pretends she has been waiting for them all along.

Food gets scarce again and the filicidal stepmother decides that it is time to leave the children out in the woods even farther than before. Hansel is unable to get stones, so he sacrifices his only food to leave a trail of breadcrumbs. He and Gretel, after half-starving, stumble upon a house made out of treats. It is owned by a mean old witch who locks up Hansel and forces Gretel to cook rich meals for him so he will get fat. Naturally, as this is Grimm, the old hag wants to eat him. When she decides to put Gretel in the oven alive, Gretel tricks her and the witch is instead burnt alive. The children go home to find their stepmother is dead (never explained) and their rueful father welcomes them. Way to go, dad.

The Mouse, the Bird and the Sausage

Inanimate objects are sometimes animate in fairy tales. It's a rule; kind of like not having characters eat each other, but Grimm ignored that one. In this case, a sausage lives in harmony with a mouse and a bird until one day the bird decides it does too much work. When the others agree to change household duties, it results in all of them dying. Perhaps the moral of the story is to do your chores or you will die.

Little Red Riding Hood (Little Red Cap)

In Little Red Riding Hood, a wolf swallows a grandmother whole, waits a bit and then swallows her granddaughter as well. In the Grimm's version, they are both saved by a man who wants the wolf's pelt. However, the versions that the Grimms derived theirs from were far more grotesque than even that. In one, the wolf makes Little Red Riding Hood take off all of her clothes and burn them. She is made to lay in bed with the wolf and is only able to escape when she pretends she has to go number two and makes a break for it. In another, the wolf has left the grandmother for Little Red Riding Hood to eat. Really, this one is quite nasty no matter how you look at it.

The Robber Bridegroom

The Robber Bridegroom is the creepiest fairy tale I have read to date. It involves a young girl who is promised to a man courtesy of her father. She goes to his house as requested, but finds a derelict home with an old woman in it who warns her to leave. The woman hides her in a room, just as a group of men comes in with another girl, who they proceed to kill, undress, chop up and prepare for eating. One of the girl's severed fingers lands in the first girl's lap. Well, she manages to escape and get the men captured, but that does not change the fact that this fairy tale is not safe for life.

The Violent and Weird Side of Grimm's Fairy Tales: Part Two

2012-08-31T22:28:00.001-04:00

As mentioned in "The Violent and Weird Side of Grimm's Fairy Tales: Part One," there is typically a little more to the fairy tales of the Grimm brothers than what makes it to whitewashed modern children's television and literature. In fact, the original Grimm fairy tales would be lucky to get by with a rating of T for teen, with a few exceptions. Here are a few more tasteless children's fairy tale twists courtesy of the Grimm brothers.

Cat and Mouse in Partnership

Oh, how nice, a fairy tale that brings together a cat and a mouse. These ancient enemies will be just adorable together. Well, it might work in legitimate children's television like Tom and Jerry . . . Wait, Tom and Jerry were homicidal maniacs too. Well, if this were a cartoon blog, we would certainly discuss it. Where was I? Ah, yes, the cat, the mouse, friends forever, or until the food runs out.

This story starts with a cat convincing a mouse that they would make great roommates. They move in together and decide to store a pot of fat for the winter. The cat tricks the mouse and eats the entire pot long before winter strikes. Finally, winter comes around and there is no food. When the mouse figures out that the cat did it, her dear friend eats her without a blink. Moral of the story: store extra food for winter or your friends might eat you.

The Goose Girl

A princess, kind and meek, is sent to another kingdom to be married to a prince. She takes with her: royal clothes, a golden cup, jewels, a talking horse, a maid and many more riches. During the trip, the maid forces the princess to trade horses and clothes, saying that she will kill the princess if she tells. When they get to the kingdom, the prince mistakes the maid for the princess and brings her inside. However, the talking horse is a problem and the maid has it killed. The princess then has its head hung outside of a gate and talks to it every day. Oh, and the severed horse head talks back.

The king eventually finds out that the maid has tricked his son, partly thanks to the Dickensian ghost of a horse. So, he sneaks the princess into the castle in royal clothes. Nobody recognizes her as the goose girl that she had become. The king then recounts the story and tricks the maid into deciding her own fate. She is then stuck in a barrel with many nails sticking into it. Then, the barrel is dragged by horses.

Rapunzel

Rapunzel is not as bad as others, though I have heard that the very original version is quite X-rated. In the version that made it into recent translations, Rapunzel does not just let the prince up into her tower, she gets pregnant. We all know how that happens. Then, the enchantress who trapped Rapunzel banishes her to the desert and gets the prince to jump from the tower. He does not die. He only has his eyes gashed open by thorns and is rendered blind. Disney left that out. Later, he stumbles into the desert where he finds his wife and twin children. His sight is restored by Rapunzel's tears. Lovely happy ending, but readers deserved it after the eye gouging, bearing children alone in the desert and kidnapping going on in Rapunzel.

Fundevogel

Do not be fooled by its name. The Grimms forgot to put the fun in Fundevogel. It starts when a forester finds a child that was grabbed away from its mother and carried off by a bird. He takes the boy and raises him as a son with his own daughter Lina. Lina and Fundevogel grow to love each other very much. They are inseparable, as evidenced by their great escape when the cook admits to Lina that she is going to boil Fundevogel alive. Oh, yes. We assume she was going to eat him too. Sleep well, kiddos, and don't worry. Lina and Fundevogel turn into a swan and a pond. Lina then drowns the cook in Fundev . . . the pond.

More of these twisted tales of fairy whimsy will be up soon. Beware.

Shelly Barclay

The Violent and Weird Side of Grimm's Fairy Tales: Part One

2012-08-22T18:09:00.000-04:00

Grimm's fairy tales are among the most popular children's stories of all time. Several of them have been the basis for those airy Disney classics that our kids love so much. Though some arguably messed up stuff makes it into children's television, it is pretty much guaranteed that Grimm's uncensored works would be rated nothing less than "Holy crap! Don't let kids watch that."

The Golden Bird

In The Golden Bird, a fox helps a young prince find a golden bird that his father covets. Like a strange personal ad on the internet, the fox only asks one thing in return -- that the prince cut off his -- the fox's -- head and feet. Serial killer bedtime stories, anyone? Not to worry, though. When the prince finally gives in and hacks into the fox, the little guy becomes a prince.

Hans in Luck

Hans in Luck is the story of a man who is ripped off . . . over and over again. Hans starts his day with a hunk of silver as large as his head. Throughout the day, he happily trades his silver for a horse and so on. Every person he makes a trade with is a swindler. By the end of the day, Han is empty-handed and happy about it. Moral of the story: If you are going to be ripped off, it is best to be a dolt so you do not feel bad about it.

The Dog and the Sparrow

In The Dog and the Sparrow, a man decides to starve his dog. The dog runs away and is run over by another man, who committed the deed on purpose. A sparrow had befriended the dog and so torments the man who killed him. The man tries to kill the sparrow with a hatchet, but misses three times and kills all three of his horses. Later in the story, his wife tries to kill the sparrow, but misses and hits him in the head with the hatchet, killing him. It is like Poe and 70's teen slasher flicks got together and had a baby.

The Twelve Dancing Princesses

In The Twelve Dancing Princesses, a king is curious where his daughters are going at night. Their shoes show signs of having danced the night away. He issues a proclamation that any man who can discover their activities will be given the princess of his choice and later become king. However, if he cannot within three days, he will be executed. Several princes die this way. It turns out that the princesses were giving the men a sleeping agent, despite knowing that the men would have their heads chopped off.

Shelly Barclay

Book Review: Cereal for Dinner, Cake for Dessert by Laura Wells McKnight

2012-08-20T16:11:00.004-04:00

If you're hoping this book contains a miraculous new diet plan that allows high-carbs and plenty of sugar,while still allowing you to lose ten pounds in one month, you may be a bit disappointed. This is not a book about diets or weight loss or weight gain. The book is, however, a delicious treat and may have your mouth watering for fluffy white cake slathered with buttercream frosting after each succeeding chapter.

Read more of this review from Kathleen Krueger.

Short Story Review: "Cat Calls" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

2012-08-13T15:24:00.001-04:00

"Cat Calls" by Cynthia Leitich Smith is a short story that is clearly geared toward young teen women. It is about a girl named Tiffany who is coming into her own living with her grandmother in a traveling circus. The story touches a bit on the girl's back-story, particularly as it pertains to her parents. It is not especially memorable, well written or suspenseful. However, it does the trick. It delivers what it is meant to deliver and leaves the story open at the end so girls can gobble up a little more sexual angst and supernatural mystery.

If there was one thing that could have been hoped for out of this story it would have been more development as far as the setting of the circus. Yes, we get to know that Tiffany and her grandmother have some special gifts, but it is hard to tell whether the rest of the circus is just as gifted or if it is just your typical circus. In this way, Smith manages to take her greatest opportunity and leave it stranded.

Unfortunately, the big twist of "Cat Calls" is evident from about page two or three. There really is no surprise to be had for most readers. Some might find it surprising or tantalizing. I did not. Nevertheless, Smith has found her niche and does well in it, and this story is not terrible. It is just not eerie enough for my taste, especially if I were still a teen girl.

Shelly Barclay

Best Horror Short Story Anthologies

2012-08-07T20:25:00.001-04:00

Horror is one of the most beloved genres in literature. Writers like Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft have made horror visceral and approachable. However, some people like their horror with a quick punch rather than as a long tale. That is what horror short story anthologies are for. The following are single author anthologies, but there are great collections available that include several writers each.

More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz

Unfortunately, it seemed the thing to do to include only one of the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series. That is not because only one is good, but because only one is necessary to put this series on the map. I chose More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark because it contains The Bride, which is my favorite of all these spooky tales. It is written by Alvin Schwartz and illustrated surreally by Stephen Gammell. This is the only collection on this list that is geared toward children. Of course, its status as a children's book is widely challenged because of its violent and gory content. Needless to say, kids love it. I know I did.

Skeleton Crew by Stephen King

Skeleton Crew is a short story anthology by best-selling horror author Stephen King. Some of the stories contained within it are largely psychological, such as The Jaunt. Other stories contain that characteristic in-your-face horror that has made Stephen King a living legend, such as The Mist. This book is a constant hit and never miss.

The Dunwich Horror and Others by H.P. Lovecraft

Since you are reading this, you probably do not need an introduction to Lovecraft. However, if you are experiencing a sudden craving for horror that you have never indulged, thus you do not know of him, read his work. That is all the introduction needed. As for The Dunwich Horror and Others, it is a short story collection typical of Lovecraft. By typical, I mean it is quite awesome. His use of the English language never fails and certainly does not here. Creeping prose, vivid imagery and an instinct for fear make Lovecraft the best of the best. This collection is proof of that. Story of Note: The Call of Cthulhu

Clive Barker's Books of Blood

All right, I said I only added one by Alvin Schwartz for a reason, but one cannot mention the Books of Blood without just chucking them all in for good measure. Some of Clive Barker's horror has gone on to become teen screams, but not in the way one would expect. It is just that he appeals to that audience, not that he has half-naked teen girls in his stories. However, the Books of Blood cater to any audience. I have to suggest that readers start from the beginning so they understand the literal meaning of the collection's name.

Please feel free to leave your horror short story anthology suggestions in the comments or even tell me why you hate mine.

Shelly Barclay

Book Review: The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

2012-08-01T16:18:00.001-04:00

It wasn't only the garden that the little girl at the beginning of Kate Morton's story had forgotten. She'd forgotten her name. She didn't know where she belonged or who she belonged to. It had been a long voyage from the shores of England to the continent of Australia, especially for a four year old. But the childless couple who took her in off the dock knew exactly who she was. She was a child who needed a home, and they were just the ones to give it to her. They gave her a name as well, Nell.

Read more of this review by Kathleen Krueger.

Book Review: "The Stand" by Stephen King

2012-07-30T13:16:00.000-04:00

"The Stand" by Stephen King is an epic novel that follows the survivors of an apocalyptic plague through their experiences before, during and after the event. While this is a major plotline of the novel, the eponymous stand is a face-off between good and evil in a battle for what remains of the United States. It is hinted that, in the time to come, the battle will spread to other countries and become a worldwide struggle for power.

The novel progresses from the story of a young soldier who manages to escape a U.S. Army facility when a then unknown disaster occurs there. As the young man, his wife and child make their escape, they touch the lives of several others. Soon, the reader learns that the young man and his family are carrying a highly deadly virus -- a manufactured strain of the flu. Gradually, characters from across the country fold into the story seamlessly as almost everyone around them gets sick and dies while they are left to traverse the broken country in search of a place where society can reconvene.

In true Stephen King style, "The Stand" addresses deep fears that would be quite realistic in such an event. A pregnant woman fears her child will not be immune to the virus. A number of survivors realize that the loss of most modern medicine means their lives are still at risk. The loss of law and order leaves survivors wondering what will happen when someone inevitably gets violent. On top of all of these, there is the supernatural evil that one expects from Stephen King. In "The Stand," this evil comes in the form of a creature known as the Dark Man, the Walking Dude, Randall Flagg, Walter o'Dimm and possibly Andre Linoge. This one single creature is the ultimate bad guy in Stephen King's fictional universe and he has come for the world in this story.

This is one of Stephen King's best works. It is terrifying, uplifting, sad and, best of all, it is one of the ropes that ties into the best horror series of all time -- the Dark Tower series. It touches on religion, while distancing itself from absolutes as to the existence of any deity. King carefully interchanges the words magic and miracle so as to leave an ambiguity that I have always appreciated in his work. Anyone who has some time to kill on a book that is bigger than the Bible should pick up "The Stand."

Shelly Barclay

Book Review: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

2012-07-17T11:47:00.000-04:00

Jeannette Walls opens her memoir stuck in traffic in New York City. As she looks over to the sidewalk, she sees a homeless woman digging in the trash. A homeless woman that she recognizes as her own mother. Instead of leaping out of the cab to embrace her and bring her home, as we would expect, she instead leans back and hopes her mother doesn't see or recognize her.

Back in her Park Avenue apartment, Walls deals with her feelings of guilt on one hand and helplessness on the other. She rehearses in her mind the number of times she has tried to help her parents before, and their insistence that they are quite content and in need of no help from their children.

Read more of this review by Kathleen Krueger here.

So, I Wrote a Book

2012-07-15T20:26:00.000-04:00

Dear Cracked Spines readers,

Well, it is about that time. You may have noticed that since December of last year there has been a NaNoWriMo winner badge on Cracked Spines. During November of last year, I wrote a book. It is a short book, but I did what many others do not do and gave myself only the month to complete it. Of course, editing was to come later, but the story itself was wrenched out of me in November of 2011. I continued writing here and elsewhere at the time as well. In short, I am mighty proud of myself for finishing it.

Fast forward six months and I have made the epic decision to edit and publish what is now known as Morrigan's Shadows. That was harder work than writing it, I think. It was somewhat scary. Nonetheless, within a few months of that decision, my first full-length horror novel was for sale in print and electronic format. Surprisingly enough, I have sold a few copies too. Here I am, in the second month of sales, a few tens of dollars richer and working on a sequel.

I was not going to write about it here, as this is not so much a personal blog as a place for people to go to read about books. After thinking about it for a while, I realized this is about creating books and selling them, so I decided to tell you guys a bit about it. Morrigan's Shadows is no epic masterpiece, but it is something I am proud of. Its sequel will be longer, more epic and hopefully even scarier. I will let you know when I finish. For now, you can keep up with my progress on my website.

Shelly Barclay (Michelle Barclay)

Book Review: "All My Crimes" by Tal Valante

2012-07-14T22:13:00.000-04:00

"All My Crimes" by Tal Valante is a fantasy fiction story with adult themes. It is set in a world where humans have just defeated the race of the elves in a fell swoop that is soon revealed to have been nothing short of a massacre, but whose fault is it? The story is told from the perspective of Lord Teregryn Eve, a former lover of the human king and former prisoner of the elves. He is recovering after a respite of two years following the war. He cannot remember those two years and might just be better off that way.

In a very short span, Tal Valante manages to conjure a story that could easily be called an epic with just a few tweaks. It sweeps across years and even generations if one looks deeply at the story. Tal whips up magical lore that most authors take many chapters and sometimes even many novels to create. By simply displaying the powers that some characters have and using her narrator's memories, she skips the lengthy descriptions and dialogue that would have transformed "All My Crimes" into a 1,000-page novel.

Perhaps the best thing about "All My Crimes" is the way this single novelette encompasses so many themes. Most short stories will focus on one or just a few things. Fear, grief, anger and revenge are just a few of the themes that can drive a short plot to a satisfying end. Tal Valante incorporates magic, war, revenge, genocide, love, friendship, fear, murder, anger, sorrow and even more. Maybe another reviewer will find something negative to say about "All My Crimes" by Tal Valante, but having just read it and thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish, I simply cannot. Tal Valante is certainly one to watch.

Shelly Barclay

Book Review: "Justine" by Lawrence Durrell

2012-06-20T14:13:00.000-04:00

The cover of "Justine"
Courtesy of Open Road Media

"Justine" by Lawrence Durrell is a story of forbidden love, secrets and memories. It takes place in Alexandria and is told retrospectively by an unnamed narrator who is also the former lover of the eponymous character Justine. The novel's strongest suit is its descriptions of Alexandria and its denizens.

Despite the tumultuous backdrop that many would find unsavory, there is an overwhelming theme of love and sensuality in "Justine." Durrell's Alexandria, well anyone's Alexandria, is a hot, dusty and old place that historically lent itself to romance, but the narrator himself says that the Hellenic romances of Alexandria's past are not apparent in his version of the city. The love recited in his telling is of a much less mythical Alexandria, but the stories are no less tragic and passionate.

The pages of "Justine" are dotted with exclamations to the people of the narrator's past. Melissa! Justine! He frequently exclaims in the first pages of the novel. The reader gets a real sense of the man's feelings for his lost acquaintances, but the chronology of the story does not lend itself to a thorough understanding of the events taking place. The narrator does not tell the story as it happened, nor does he mention when each event takes place, so the reader must rely on imagination to put the events in some order. One could say that it is a fault of the novel, but this mechanism has been used by Durrell and other influential authors to much success.

Lawrence Durrell's wordplay in "Justine" borders on the poetic. He had a magnificent grasp of English vocabulary and reading the novel is recommended, if only just to experience Durrell's moving descriptions. It left me wanting to read the rest of the Alexandria quartet, of which "Justine" is the first volume.

Shelly Barclay

Lawrence Durrell Titles Now Available in Electronic Format

2012-06-14T20:18:00.002-04:00

Cover of "Justine"
courtesy of Open Road Media

Lawrence Durrell was born in British India in 1912, though he was ever disassociating himself with Britain. He considered himself a citizen of the world, in a manner of speaking. He went on to become a prolific writer who published novels, poetry and even travel guides. Until now, his works have only been available in print, limiting the distribution significantly in this digital era. However, Open Road Media has decided to launch 28 of his titles in e-book format. This will be the first time ever that Lawrence Durrell's books will be published electronically.

Those who already own print copies of Durrell's work may still want to consider grabbing these e-books. Each of them contains an author biography and photos that are not available in the print versions. Furthermore, there will be several introductions that are only available in the e-books.

For those unfamiliar with the work of Lawrence Durrell, the following is an excerpt of his first full-length novel and the first novel in his renowned Alexandria Quartet -- "Justine."

"Capitally, what is this city of ours? What is resumed in the word Alexandria? In a flash my mind’s eye shows me a thousand dust-tormented streets. Flies and beggars own it today — and those who enjoy an intermediate existence between either. Five races, five languages, a dozen creeds: five fleets turning through their greasy reflections behind the harbour bar. But there are more than five sexes and only demotic Greek seems to distinguish among them. The sexual provender which lies to hand is staggering in its variety and profusion. You would never mistake it for a happy place.The symbolic lovers of the free Hellenic world are replaced here by something different, something subtly androgynous, inverted upon itself. The Orient cannot rejoice in thesweet anarchy of the body — for it has outstripped the body. I remember Nessim once saying — I think he was quoting — that Alexandria was the great winepress of love; those who emerged from it were the sick men, the solitaries, the prophets — I mean all who have been deeply wounded in their sex."

Visit Durrell's Open Road Media page to learn more about his most famous series and about the author himself. The e-books are also available via this page.

*Note: Durrell's e format titles are currently available in the U.S. with limited distribution in Canada.

Shelly Barclay