Thursday, March 29, 2012

The Evolution Of Zombies In Pop Culture

This is a short and somewhat excellent little article by Dana Fredsti about the history of zombies and zombie culture. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dana-fredsti/zombie-culture_b_1375167.html?ref=books

Zombies have been around for a very long time. Here's two examples she quotes from The Bible:

And the LORD will send a plague on all the nations that fought against Jerusalem. Their people will become like walking corpses, their flesh rotting away. Their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.      Zechariah 14:12
But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.      Revelation 11:11
This reminds me of what Hershel says in the last episode of this season's Walking Dead. "I believed it when Christ said he would raise the dead. I just didn't expect this was what he had in mind."

Dana misses two important movies and two of my favorites, "Shaun of the Dead" and "Zombieland," the latter having the best Bill Murray cameo ever, but it's a short article and she can't hit everything.

 I believe that the rise of zombies is directly related to the rise, and subsequent fall, of vampires. An older article from Time asked if "Zombies Are the New Vampires," http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1890384,00.html says
It's not easy to put your finger on what's appealing about zombies. Vampires you can understand. They're good-looking and sophisticated and well dressed. They're immortal. Some of them have castles. You can imagine wanting to be a vampire or at least wanting to sleep with one. Nobody wants to sleep with zombies. They're hideous and mindless. They don't have superpowers. Their only assets are their infectiousness, single-minded perseverance and virtual unkillability.
I disagree. I believe that zombies are the anti-vampires. They are the direct result of the popularity of crappy little things like the Twilight movies and books. There's no angst in a zombie flick, no emotion. No pretty boys, or girls, no emotional trauma with the monster. It's just about survival. It's dealing with a never ending struggle against countless odds everyday of your life, to many an analogy of life in the world today, a world they've got no control, a world they feel is against them at every step. It's all summed up very nicely by Woody Harrelson again in Zombieland.
Tallahassee: There's a box of Twinkies in that grocery store. Not just any box of Twinkies, the last box of Twinkies that anyone will enjoy in the whole universe. Believe it or not, Twinkies have an expiration date. Some day very soon, Life's little Twinkie gauge is gonna go... empty.
Oh, and always remember rule #2: Double tap.

And I'll remind you to double tap on the friendly advertisers on this website. Each one brings me a little closer to a new laptop that doesn't take 30 minutes to warm up or shut down. Thanks for reading me.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Update on the Effort to Save Vintage Scifi

A few days ago I told you about a kickstarter venture by the good people at Singularity & Co and the work they are doing to save out of print classic science fiction. We're talking bug eyed aliens, transplanted brains, and cities of fish people beneath the sea. Amazing stuff, the stuff that I grew up on, the stuff that formed my imagination. (Oops, did I go too far with that last one?)

There was obviously a visible void in the published stratosphere because the response to their program has been so overwhelming that they've more than doubled their goal. But they aren't done yet. Here I'll let them tell you in an email I just received.
Hey there Singularity Supporters.  With just under 5 days to go in our Kickstarter campaign, over 900 supporters and nearly 240% of our funding goal in our futuristic hyper-piggybank, you may think that we here at Singularity&Co are content to glide towards the goal like a player from the robotic leagues on the maglev track between third and home.  But we're not done yet!
We've spent the past few days cataloging many, many spectacular books, most of which were new to us if in fact quite old in reality, as well as crunching the numbers using some very advanced hyper dimensional math. We've also scanned, converted, cleaned up more than one "test" books, and done most of the legwork on clearing two titles for publication (so far).  Based on that, we've got an offer that not even an android could refuse:

If you all help spread the word, and get us to $45k, we're willing to step it up on our end, and commit to clearing and releasing an additional 6 books in the next 12 months (if not more).  

To be completely honest, we're already planning to step up the pace of releases, but if we have that much in the bank (not counting our unbelievably generous matching funds offer), we can very comfortably commit to rescuing more books, sooner. That means that our $10 supporters would be able to count on 18 books for their money, and our $25 supporters can count on 18 books in the first year. 
If you or anyone you know is on the fence about our campaign, please keep in mind that while you will be able to find our releases on all the major publishing platforms, as well as our website, supporting this Kickstarter is the only way to be sure that you will be able to receive all of our releases for a year ($10) or forever ($25) for virtually nothing. 

So spread the word, and help us reach our new and improved goal!

At only $25 I'm a backer and get access for life. Now that is out of this world!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/singularityco/singularity-and-co


Another update: I'm getting closer to the point where Google might actually send me a second check! And all from your clicks on the sponsor ads. Please find time to click on a sponsor. But if you see an ad for PDF READER or something similar, DON'T CLICK ON IT. My virus software thinks there may be a virus on that website and wouldn't let me open it. Jut to b safe, avoid it. Thanks again for reading me... both of you... 
ha, there are a few more than that.. a couple more at least...

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Can we ever get too many Zombie movies? Maybe....

This just in. The film studio that brought us "Mega Piranha," "MegaFault," and my favorite "Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus" is set to jump on two bandwagons at the same time. The Asylum, the low budget, fast and cheap movie studio that seems like a feeder for the SyFy Network is rushing out their own past president film. Trying to beat out the certain summer blockbuster "Abraham Lincoln Vampire Slayer" they have created their own spinoff "Abraham Lincoln vs Zombies".

The first trailer is out and it doesn't tell us much more than what the title already does. We see President Lincoln, we see zombies, we see Lincoln fight zombies.  See it here  http://youtu.be/0tFaQYSFLuE

Quality is not quite in The Asylum's working vocabulary, but fast and dirt cheap are.  Although most of their movies do have some redeeming comic value. I do have a copy of "Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus" on Blu-ray even, if only to see a giant saw eat the Golden Gate Bridge. (Don't blink, it doesn't take too many bites.)

Never one to rest or do something original, The Asylum also has their own fairy tale movie coming out soon, "Grimm's Snow White".

At least The Asylum is giving some young unknown actors their first big break. Who knows, maybe some future Academy Award winner will be comically embarrassed when someone shows a clip from their first acting job. My fingers are crossed.

Look for these "original" movies coming soon from The Asylum. "American Battleship," "Alien Origin," and my soon to be favorite, even though I haven't seen a clip yet, "Nazis At The Center Of The Earth". Maybe they have something to do with the strange booms around Clintonville, WI this past week. Hmmmmm.

The Asylum Studios home page:  http://www.theasylum.cc/index.php     Horrible awesomeness.

Please find time to click on a sponsor and keep this blog entertaining and its creator happy. Thanks

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Save vintage SciFi!

I love Kickstarter.com. It's a place where someone can present their plan for a project. It might be a book, a movie, a performance, a cd, or so many other ideas I can't even begin to fathom them all. Then you can decide if you want to help out. Pledge them a dollar, pledge them $5, Pledge them $1000, whatever you'd like. If they meet their stated goal in pledges, and only if they meet their goal, the pledges are collected and the project is funded. It a wonderful and fascinating website. If you haven't checked it out yet. Do so.

One such project I just pledged to this morning. It's for a group called Singularity and Co. And I love their idea to no end. Here, I'll let them explain it.
So here’s what we’re going to do: Each month we’ll choose one great classic, obscure or otherwise fascinating sci-fi book that’s no longer in print and not available online, track down the copyright holder and/or author (if they’re still around), acquire or otherwise clear the copyright, and publish the title both online and as an e-book, for little or no cost. Our supporters and followers will help us choose which books will be digitally rescued from copyright and publishing limbo via a monthly poll on our website, and we'll share the story behind the story, including with each ebook what we learned about the book, the author and their history along the way.

And while Singularity & Co. promises to keep our mission alive, in perpetuity, throughout the universe, we need your support to get started. This Kickstarter campaign will allow us to rescue our first four neglected works by providing for the following:

* Acquiring and curating the treasures to be found  among many, many paper copies of old, out of print sci-fi books
* Expanding our current website to allow us to display and deliver our sci-fi library - physically as well as electronically - and support voting capabilities for fans to help decide the next titles to be rescued
* Building an open source book scanner (see http://www.diybookscanner.org/ for an example) to aid in turning forgotten paper books into e-books
* Covering costs associated with tracking down rightsholders, authors and/or their estates, as well as clearing or acquiring the electronic publishing rights to our orphaned books
* Spreading the word not only to established fans but also potential supporters who love great books and ideas (may include attending conventions, creating t-shirts, prints and anything else we can think of)
* Covering costs associated with legal work to be done by our attorneys, all of whom are generously contributing their time pro bono (we’re trying to keep our costs as low as possible)
Awesome, right? I signed up immediately and hope you will too. The project has already met their goal, even doubled it, but more funding will allow them to save even more books. Check them out today.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/singularityco/singularity-and-co

I've often thought about doing my own kickstarter project to bring "Dr Zombie Lives Next Door" to a print edition. Hmmmmm. Must ponder this some more. What do you think?

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Have Zombies? Need More?

We here at Bibo Madness are always up to serving your zombie needs because we know you can never have too much zombie. And do we have the website for you today. It's Zombie Movie Cinema. Free zombie movies online, anytime you want them!


 This website has lots of quality zombie movies, okay, just lots of zombie movies and I'm not sure about the quality. But what this website makes for in quality, it has in quantity. There are 32 zombie movies on just the first page. Everything from the defining classic of the genre, "Night of the Living Dead" to "Zombinladen - The Axis of the Evil Dead". These are the original Hunger Games.

I stopped and watched a little of "Zombie Prom" a post apocalyptic nuclear zombie musical starring everyone's favorite she-male Ru Paul. It was gloriously bad, and fortunately only 36 minutes long.

So if you need a fix that only a zombie movie can cure, check this site out. I like my popcorn brains with a little melted butter and salt. Eat you at the movies.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

NECON Ebooks' "Best of 2011"



NECON Ebooks has just published the second in their anthology series of flash fiction "Best of 2011". This ebook contains all the winners of their themed monthly contests. Each entry is only 100 words long. Now that's great fiction in a flash. 

I have to honor of letting you know that I have 4 short flash pieces highlighted within. Check it out, I think you'll enjoy it! At only $2.99 it's a great bargain.



Disclaimer: I receive no royalties from the sale of this ebook, BUT I do get a few pennies every time you click on one of the advertisers on this website. Thank you.


Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Help save The Hobbit pub!

The Hobbit, a pub in Southampton, England (© Martin Halfpenny/PA Photos/Landov)

'Hobbit' star joins Hobbit pub to fight the Hollywood bullies


"If you have a hamster named Frodo, you better hope the Saul Zaentz Company doesn't find out. A division of the firm, which owns the rights to various Hobbity things, has (rather belatedly) accused a British pub of copyright infringement for, among other things, calling itself The Hobbit (for 20 years) and serving character-themed drinks, says the BBC. But in a wonderfully ironic show of support, "Hobbit" movie star Stephen Fry blasted the action, tweeting: "Sometimes I'm ashamed of the business I'm in. What pointless, self-defeating bullying." To save The Hobbit pub, you can join 16,000 people who have liked its Facebook Page"
 When I "liked" their Facebook page the number was over 39,000. I couldn't even get into the BBC page, it was so busy. Let's keep it coming.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Do You Haiku?

It's been a slow year for publications, at least mine. The year began with three publishers, all had wanted to publish short stories of mine, closing their doors due to the weak economy. I've been shopping things around with a few nibbles. Yesterday I got my first publication of the year. Start small, grow humongous.

It is with our friends at NECON Ebooks. I was one of this month's winners in their Horror Haiku contest.
You can see my poem "Love On The Night Stand" on their website all this month.
http://www.neconebooks.com/flash.htm

Some of you may remember that this is my second win in a haiku contest. My first was for a contest sponsored by Talk Like A Pirate Day and it was, of course, pirate themed. Here be me entry for that one.

At sea the rain stings
The sun blinds me one good eye
Plunder makes me smile

 Have you ever written Haiku? Try it. Just remember the first line is 5 syllables, the second line is 7, and the third line is back to 5. Give it a try and post yours in the comments.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

"Peace, Love, Ukulele" - It's all about the music

If you don't know the name Jake Shimabukuro all I can say is where have you been? This guy, this master of the ukulele, yes I did say ukulele, is a musical god. Only four strings and he can fill a concert hall with sounds so sweet, so beautiful, so moving you will be wondering where the rest of the band is. Did I say he was good?

I dragged Laurie to see him last year. On the way she said, "Now who are we seeing again?" Jake. "And he plays the uke?" Right, you won't believe this. "Does he have a big band?" No, it's just him. "Do I know a song he does?" He doesn't sing, it's all instrumental. "On just a ukulele?" That's it. "You are going to owe me big time for this one."

He walked on to the stage with a smile as big as the auditorium and an instrument smaller than our dog. He looked out over the audience, tipped his hat, and began to play. I don't remember the song but I do remember it was magical. After he had finished that first song I looked over to my wife and saw her smile. She loved it. I hadn't won. Jake did.

This guy is good. Check out his latest album "Peace, Love, Ukulele."

If you are in the San Fransisco area check out the new documentary coincidentally entitled "Peace. Love, Ukulele." One night only, March 14th, as part of the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. Here's the trailer:



Yes, he is that good. See him live. If you can't see him live, see this movie.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

"Authentic Replicas" - flash fiction

Here's the latest PLOTTO entry. I have to admit that the one that did win is very clever. This is a tough contest. The winners have all been pros or writing instructors. If I want to make a living at this I have to raise my game, do better than my best. This obviously wasn't the one to do it. But I liked this one. I took a chance. No writing is wasted. It all makes you a better writer. Don't give up, never give up.

Last week’s prompt: {B} receives, in a mysterious manner, a photograph, not of herself but of someone greatly resembling her.

My story:



Authentic Replicas
Bill Bibo Jr


Marci stands at the heart of this city, her adopted New York, unseen by the multitudes pulsing by her endless in their number, faceless for all their need to be seen. Times Square. The billboards beat their chest, roaring like giants, shouting for attention now so common that no one looks up except the tourists, the visitors, or the bored. She glances at the time on her phone. She is early, perpetually so, a fault she often laughs. But she knows she will not change, cannot change. It is a habit too ingrained from childhood traumas. She glances again at her phone.

She waits for Tim, her Tim. Together nearly three years, they've become inseparable, a steady fixture in her comfortable life.  He texted her. Meet him here. He has something special for her. But as she arrives early, he is always late, always making her wait for his arrival, his entrance.

An older couple bends over a blanket filled with a mosaic of handbags and purses. A young man, no more than a boy really, proudly points to his display. Each is an authentic replica so close even the designer could not tell the difference he tells them. The woman smiles and selects one.

Down the block there is a commotion. It flows toward them gathering speed as it goes. People are stopping, staring at the billboard screen above them. The woman points while the boy gathers up his blanket, running into the crowd. The woman is still holding the handbag, the man still with his wallet in his hands as a motorcycle cop rolls by following the boy, unseen for all eyes point up.

Marci looks up too.

Forty feet above her standing forty feet tall is her face smiling out to world. She looks around for the camera but there is none. Letters appear below her smile, one by one the message forms. "Will. You. Marry. ME?"

Tim? She spins around looking for him. Just like him to be late for his own proposal. Marci stops. Proposal? The weight of the word settles on her. Sure she had always assumed that something like this would happen, that they might eventually take this step. But here it is. He's flung it at her for all to see, not really giving her an option. The city was staring, waiting for her response.

A delighted scream on the opposite corner makes the world go silent for just a moment. "Yes! A thousand times yes!" A young woman jumps into the arms of her boyfriend and the city applauds.

Marci looks up again. How stupid, it wasn't her at all. Why hadn't she seen it right away? Had she wanted it to be her? Presented like this she wouldn't have to decide for herself, the city did it for her. Is this what she wants?

She looks around and sees Tim watching the happy couple. He hasn't seen her yet. Marci ducks into the corner store and leaves by another exit.


The Plotto contest is taking a rest until April now while the past weekly winners fight a literary Battle Royale. I'm curious to see what happens next.

As always you can read the winning story here:  http://www.tinhouse.com/blog/

And never fear, the writing doesn't end. It just gets better.
- fingers crossed -

Monday, March 5, 2012

Running from... Zombies!


I have never been a runner. I have never had the desire or the mindset to be a runner. I mean running for fun, who thought of that? Well the thought just never occurred to me. But when I saw this app I almost did, I almost wanted to became a runner, if only for the deadly thrill of it.

The most difficult part of running is the motivation, something I've already said I don't have. I never understood why someone would run in freezing cold temperatures or a thunderstorm or extreme heat. How is that healthy? And don't get me started on long distance runners. Crazy!

So what drives the runner? (Obviously no one because they're running. Ha!) What is their motivation? Is it exercise? Not good enough for me. There are plenty of ways to exercise that are more fun, and less painful. Is it for competition, training for a race? Whatever it is, how do they keep it day after day after day? I would need a lot of help.

Zombies, Run! is an app for IOS or Android that is part game, motivation to run. Seriously is there a better motivation to run than to get away from zombies? I watch The Walking Dead, I've written zombies stories, I know what they can do.

The game is simple. You lock the door, you hit the road, you push "Run." And suddenly...
"You’re Runner 5. Hundreds of lives are counting on you. You've got to help your base rebuild from the ruins of civilization by collecting critical supplies while avoiding roving zombie hordes. Can you save them and learn the truth about the zombie apocalypse?"
 According to the website instantly you hear them, they're all around you, coming for you. You have a mission, a task, a reason for your run. It might be to get supplies, it might be to scout, it might be to help survivors. But that's not all.
"You automatically collect items like medicine, batteries, and ammo while running - but when you're back home, who needs them more: the soldiers or the doctors? Which buildings need extra defenses? It’s up to you - and the bigger your base, the more missions you can play."
The app developers promise future integration to record distance, time, pace, and calories burned on all of your runs making it the complete package.

This game/app sounds like a lot of fun, if it wasn't for the running.

Check out the website at https://www.zombiesrungame.com/


Complete disclosure: I won't get a dime for recommending this game. I do so because it looks cooler than hell. BUT I do get a dime if you click  on one of my advertisers on this blog. Run away!