This month's Sites of Horror is all about bigtime. Big time horror icon authors, that is. Yeah, they probably get their fair share of internet traffic, but chances are there's a few of our readers who might have missed some really well thought out, incredibly brilliant author websites. Believe me when I say these guys are the cutting edge of internet promotions because they know the value of a website in drawing in new fans to their work and have the resources available to make online magic. Below are three men who have done more the keep the lights burning into the wee hours of the morning for fear of what hides in the dark than any hundred such writers.
First up, let's take a look at one of my favorite authors in all of fiction. Peter Straub is the bestselling iconic genre author of Ghost Story (1979), Shadowland (1980), Floating Dragon (1983), The Talisman/with Stephen King (1984), Koko (1988) and tons more great novels, incredible short story collections, non-fiction and poetry, and his newest brilliant literary take on horror, A Dark Matter (2010). His web site is like a mini-adventure, filled with surprise easter eggs and hidden links all over the place. It can take the better part of a day just roaming his site. Oh, and if you're a jazz fan, like myself, you'll really appreciate his music lists. He knows his jazz, man. Visit his official website here: http://www.peterstraub.net/
Next up, of course, we have to talk about the King himself. Stephen King has always been on the cutting edge of using technology to help create and maintain a high profile online personality to go along with his 'real world' one. He's the author of the biggest bestselling horror novels all time, including Carrie (1974), 'Salem's Lot (1975), The Shining (1977), The Stand (1978), and more recently the huge Under the Dome (2009) and about forty other novels, short story collections, non-fiction books...seriously, if you've read a horror novel or seen a horror movie in the last 30 years, then you should probably already know all about his work. He's an incredibly prolific creator of some of the darkest fictions ever put on paper or cast on the silver screen. He is legend and so is his website. On Stephenking.com you'll find all things King and more, including his genre defining Dark Tower series of books. There are tons of links, artwork you would not believe, and lots of other multimedia things to enjoy. Most importantly, there is a gathering place for King and horror fans alike on his officiallly created and maintained message board. Go thee forth and learn all about King and his work.
Last, but certainly not least, is a man who had been writing and publishing speculative fiction since he was a teenager. Dean Koontz is the bestselling author of classic genre thrillers such as Night Chills (1976), The Funhouse (1980), Phantoms (1983), Lightning (1988), and more recently Breathless (2009), plus about 50 other novels and short story collections. He's one of the nicest guys in the industry and is always eager to meet his fans and readers. Some of his novels have helped make cross genre writing more acceptable to all horror fans. If you've never given his huge catalogue of books a read, do yourself a favor and pick up about a dozen, because you're gonna be hooked right away. Then take a look at excellent personable website for more titles and exciting news about the author, the man, the legend at http://www.deankoontz.com/. And, you know, any man who loves his dogs as much as he does cannot be a bad person to love and admire.
That's it for this month, but, please, make it a point to hit these websites and read what these gentlemen have to say about the craft of writing dark fiction. They are the last of the horror greats of our generation.
