Specimen #9

In honor of the release of my collection THIRTEEN SPECIMENS from Delirium Books (see my post of July 4), in oh-so-affordable trade paperback form, I am posting thirteen entries that will each feature an excerpt from one of the thirteen pieces in the book. In addition, each post offers an odd little specimen from my personal life. I’ll leave it to you to decide which, fact or fiction, is more compellingly disturbing. Here’s the next item on our tour… 

(1) From the story THE MASK PLAY OF HAHOE BYEOLSIN EXORCISM

“Sir?”

Ford smiled tightly. “Nothing. Oh…ah, last night I thought I heard someone scream outside.” He watched the man’s face closely. “Did someone get hurt, do you know?”

The man did indeed look fidgety all of a sudden; evasive. But he responded, “Well, yes sir, a woman was murdered across the street last night…”

The words turned to full volume a white noise in Ford’s head. Somehow, he had not expected to hear confirmation of what he had witnessed, despite his work to locate some reference on the web. Somehow he had expected, or hoped, that it had only been a dream that he had experienced while he merely thought he was awake. But now…

The man went on, “…but you shouldn’t worry. Seoul is a very safe city – none of our guests have ever been robbed or attacked. It may have been the woman’s lover, or someone she knew…”

“How was she…killed?”

“They say she was beaten. And…burned…with a…” At a loss for the correct word, the man made a forward and back motion with his fist above the desk top. Ironing.

(2) Hardcover DEADSTOCK in the near-flung future:

A while back publisher Bad Moon Books inquired about the possibility of doing a limited edition hardcover of my 2007 SF/horror novel DEADSTOCK (from Solaris Books), and all the details have now been…ironed out. (Heh heh; see story excerpt above.) The book is scheduled for a March or April 2010 release, so you have plenty of time to start saving. Bad Moon recently scored a major coup by acquiring an old, never before published novel (or four related short stories, actually) by Clive Barker called THE ADVENTURES OF MR MAXIMILLIAN BACCHUS AND HIS TRAVELING CIRCUS (due out this December). Read about that and more at their website: www.badmoonbooks.com

But to tide you over until then, why not order my collection THIRTEEN SPECIMENS: https://www.horror-mall.com/THIRTEEN-SPECIMENS-by-Jeffrey-Thomas-Trade-Paperback-p-18122.html