I hope everyone had a good holiday over the New Year. Oh, I was stuck with a terrible cold, found out that sinus trouble can be caused by an allergic reaction to cough syrup, and that the mail service over the holidays is really horrific. I complain about shipping all of the time but this terror was real. Sitting, waiting, pulling on my hair, and having the days tick by with no sign of the order for a used book that I thought that I would never be able to find. Those are the horrors I've been through.

Just as a series of books, films, or stories that are connected need continuity so too is there a greater continuity in the horror genre itself. This genre level continuity forms a mythos. Certainly individual works and individual authors can have a mythos, but if either level is successful and catches the minds of enough people then that singular mythos can be added to the greater one. Certainly we have seen this with such seminal works as Dracula, Frankenstein, and the collective works of H. P. Lovecraft.

Warning: May be unsuitable for some readers. The second page contains mature subject matter, disturbing situations, and coarse language. Reader Discretion is Advised.

In 1972 a new director named Wes Craven stunned the world with his first real movie "Last House on the Left". Last House on the Left was instantly catapulted into infamy by its vicious portrayals, and the film was banned in 27 countries. It is still banned in at least England and Australia. Film managers themselves cut pieces out of the film before showing it, if they even dared to show it. Yet through it all it is a highly acclaimed cult classic of horror.

In the late afternoon she coasted into town on the last fumes in the car's gas tank. Morning had come too early that day and she had turned off the travel alarm clock and rolled back over in the crisp clean sheets of the motel room bed. Three days on the road and she was finally there, finally in the town of Burnt Corn. More than the three days travel, this was the culmination of a year's worth of research.

She stared at the black screen and was reaching for the lamp when this thing appeared on the screen. It was big and hairy, with warts and blisters. It had narrow slitted eyes, two small holes for a nose and a mouth full of small sharp teeth. It was hideous. It raised its huge clawed hands in front of it. "You're going to die soon," it said.

Perfect Blue is a psychological thriller about fandom and the descent into madness. Japanese pop star Mimarin Kirigoe is setting down her hand microphone and picking up a script. She leaves her band Cham for the bright lights of the television sound stage. The decision is a tough one, but she believes her decision is the right one. Mima's fans are unhappy about the choice, but most of them are going along with it as well, except for one.

Prey is a Lovecraftian inspired tale about David Williams who moves into a large house on the Isle of Wight to renovate it. He meets a lovely young woman and becomes involved with her. However as idyllic as everything seems there is something not right about the house. The angles seem to be off and time does not act like it should within the house. Worse yet, something part man and part rat is skulking around. David could ignore it, but he has his son staying with him in the house.

Ben nodded and with his hand pressed lightly to the small of her back he led Brianna out into the hall. There was a large crowd of people there and the noise crashed over them instantly. Quentin was in the front and made the crowd split so Ben could lead Brianna to the end of the hall where she sat down on the floor. Ben sat down beside her. Quentin crouched down. He looked at Brianna, opened his mouth to ask a question, and Ben raised his hand palm out. "Give us a minute Quentin."

I am not exempt from the learning even though I am the author of everything here. I've learned something lately, or at least been reminded of it. There is something to learn about an analytical state of mind and delving into stories as a hobby. The two do not mix very well. It is true that moderation in everything is important. Too much analysis and consideration, in fact mulling over things to distil the most information, can taint the experience.

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