Writing group meeting and discovery through anthology

This previous Sunday, March 25, my wife, a couple friends, and I gathered at a local coffee joint to read around-the-circle pieces of our own composition. It was a delightful time in which peer editing took place, deep and not so deep conversations were had, and some were moved to express genuine surprise at the work of others.

I hope to maintain this group and grow it into a local publishing opportunity for those who might never be able to move beyond just filling notebooks that will only be stored away or who have Gigabytes of writing they'll never show to anyone. It's a great chance for people to develop their work and get serious about sharing their craft. Maybe one day you'll be reading these words on an official publishing website. Only the future and the Shadow know.

In other news I've come upon a fantastic anthology of Zombie tales. Assembled by editor Otto Penzler Zombies! Zombies! Zombies! is a fascinating collection of tales of undeath both old and new, fiction and supposedly non-fiction. There are stories from authors such as H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howards, Stephen King, Harlan Ellison, Chet Williamson, August Derleth, and many more. Even though the suspense in most of the stories relies on knowledge you already posses, they are zombies of a sort, the stories keep the reader wondering just what kind of undead they are going to encounter.

One story from the collection is "The Cairnwell Horror" by Chet Williamson, and it is one that truly stood out for me. It is the tale of a young, arrogant heir to an old Scottish title who must travel to his ancestral castle to take up the previously mentioned title and learn of a family secret only known to the male heirs and only told to them on their twenty-first birthdays. In this well-written piece of fiction the reader will find shock, horror, and incredible tragedy. Find it and read it!

So far I'm about a quarter of the way through the 800+ page collection. Based on what I've read so far I'd highly recommend it, but I can not accurately rate it as of now. Locate a copy and join me in reading tales of those dead who still walk!