R.I.P. Holy Horrors
Weeping angel
It’s been a long road punctuated by sometimes dramatic life events. I feel a soft rush of nostalgia when I recall my initial excitement at the prospect of co-editing this anthology. I experience a kind of numinous awe when I contemplate the fact of time’s passage and the way this project has intersected and defined a major portion of the last two years (well, 22 months) of my life. I suffer a pang of guilt when I recall how thoroughly I devoted my precious few moments of “free time” to burying myself in the story submissions over a period of months, effectively removing myself for a time from the life of my family. And I’m saddened when I once again look over the truly awesome table of contents in awareness that the book will remain forever unrealized in concrete reality, like a Platonic Form or a perpetually unincarnate spirit (although we must always hold out the possibility that reality will prove different from what we expect; perhaps the door remains slightly ajar; read on.)
But, as they say, them’s the breaks. Holy Horrors is dead. Long live Holy Horrors. My co-editor, the inestimable T.M. Wright, made the announcement yesterday at the Shocklines Message Boards, as was only fitting since the project was born there in 2006 from a wonderful suggestion proffered by Randy Chandler. Below is T.M.’s announcement, followed by my own contribution/coda.
Although T.M.’s and my comments below contain an apology to all of the antho’s authors, I’ll reinforce it ahead of time by making it impossible to miss: GREAT APOLOGIES and MASSIVE THANKS to all of you who submitted stories to this project, with an especially massive dose being aimed at those who received our acceptance notices and then sat back to wonder and wait for far too long. Terry and I both hope you’ll end up selling those fine stories to high-paying publications where they’ll get the recognition and readership they deserve. Either that, or we hope an act of God will somehow resurrect the project from its present status of dead-but-dreaming.
I’m suddenly and unaccountably reminded of the kung fu Catholic priest in Peter Jackson’s Brain Dead/Dead Alive, with his deliriously wonderful delivery of the line, “Stay back, boy! This calls for divine intervention!” (Followed by the all-time classic, “I kick ass for the Lord!”) Of course, he ended up being defeated by the zombies and becoming a zombie himself.
Let’s hope a finer fate, even if only that of being a fond memory, awaits Holy Horrors.
* * * * *
TO: The Shocklines Message Boards (and all Holy Horrors authors)
FROM: T.M. Wright
DATE: July 8, 2008
SUBJECT: Holy Horrors obituary
I’ve been putting off this announcement for some time, hoping that we’d find a publisher, at last, for the really great anthology, HOLY HORRORS, which Matt Cardin and I spent no small amount of time putting together. But I can’t put off the very regrettable announcement any longer: despite our best efforts, the anthology — at least at this point — looks like it’s not going to see print. A couple of publishers referred, in their rejections, to the state of the economy, while congratulating us on putting together a wonderful anthology. It’s 140,000 words by some of the biggest names and brightest new stars in the horror business, and, again, at the moment, it has no home.
My very large apologies to all the writers who sent stories: for those whose stories I accepted, I’m going to try and secure funding to make that half-upon-acceptance payment that’s so long overdue. And, to all those writers whose stories I accepted, you are, of course, free to submit your stories elsewhere.
All of the blame for this failure falls on my shoulders: I should have had a publisher committed to the anthology BEFORE I solicited stories. Should I try to put together another anthology, I won’t make that mistake again.
Matt Cardin deserves many, many kudos for his efforts on the anthology. He has one very keen editorial eye and he certainly knows the horror business as well as anyone. I will say again, this was MY failure, not Matt’s. To large measure, the anthology itself — published or unpublished — is Matt’s great success!
So this is Holy Horrors’ obituary. Perhaps it will rise from its grave. That would be fitting. I certainly hope that, through more hard work or just plain luck, it happens.
Thanks for listening.
T.M. Wright
* * * * *
FOLLOW-UP FROM MATT CARDIN
Here’s my own heartfelt apology to all the authors we snared and then inadvertently kept waiting for a non-event. Oh, how I really, truly hate that. Especially since HOLY HORRORS turned out to be one hell of an anthology. Only a few short weeks ago at Mo*Con III, I was expressing lingering hope that things would turn out differently. As Terry says above, it is of course possible that the universe will conspire in unforeseen ways to manifest the antho. But at present, all things considered, it’s time to say goodnight.
Don’t let Terry fool you by shouldering all of the blame and heaping such praise on me (regarding which, thank you for the kind words, Terry). I, too, devoted effort to trawling the publishing pool, and I, too, came up empty. So responsibility for this failure to launch is mine as well.
For the record and in case anybody’s wondering, Terry is one swell guy to work with. Smart, sensitive, creative, and warm.
My three semesters of college Latin are vestigial at this point, but I’ll risk it anyway (and probably get it wrong):
Requiescat in Pace, Atrocitates Sancti. September 2006-July 2008.
Simon Strantzas said,
July 10, 2008 at 6:14 am
It is indeed sad news, Matt, but by the looks of things the two of you put together a cracker-jack anthology, and I’m proud to have had my name associated with it regardless of the outcome. You should both be proud of the results, even if those results fell short of your dreams.
Cindy said,
July 10, 2008 at 10:06 am
I am nigh devastated. Although I’m not a horror junkie myself, this anthology was one I was very much looking forward to reading, especially given its particular focus.
Drat.
And drat again.
My condolences to you and to the horror lit world, which will be the poorer for this stillbirth.
Grumpy said,
July 10, 2008 at 11:25 pm
How terrible! I had been looking forward to reading Holy Horrors too, and I hate that you worked so hard only to be disappointed.
Matt Cardin said,
July 12, 2008 at 5:08 am
Many thanks for the sympathy and support, Simon, CIndy, and Grumpy. And extra thanks to you, Simon, for putting up with your own emotional roller coaster over this project.
Would you believe that, ironically enough, the announcement of the antho’s death may have sparked a few lingering possibilities? Don’t make too much of it; I’m certainly not myself. But do reread those parts of Terry’s and my notes above where we deliberately left the door open.
thefaithfulmind said,
July 13, 2008 at 8:43 am
That’s what I was going to say: even if it doesn’t ever get published, you will still keep it on file, won’t you?
bendk said,
July 14, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Sad to hear about Holy Horrors demise. (Although I still have hope). I really looked forward to this one. But my disappointment pales in comparison to those who worked so hard on putting it together.
Kaleb said,
July 28, 2008 at 12:19 am
M.C., i am sorry that you have to move. It makes me very upset. Maybe you will only have to be gone for a year again. I need your email, though, as it will be the only way for me to contact you besides the teeming brain. I also feel sorry for all of the new sophmores whoo won’t have you as a teacher. Baker and I are thinking about making a Code of Cardin to give to the new teacher: something that she can memorize to better her classes. We’re all gonna miss you. Hopefully someday i will get a copy of Mopar.
TTYL,
Kaleb
Jim Rockhill said,
August 8, 2008 at 6:57 am
I am confused, Matt. Did not publishers spring up to rescue the book AFTER this announcement and is not the book back in the pipeline?
Jim
Holy Horrors: The resurrection! (And other news) « The Teeming Brain said,
August 8, 2008 at 8:35 am
[...] Come again? I thought that anthology project was dead. Didn’t you and T.M. Wright make a public announcement to that effect in July?” Ah, yes, we certainly did. And in the weeks since then, much has [...]