DEATH OF HEAVEN, a reflection (SciFi/Eldritch Horror)

I just reread my Literary Titan review of my book. Interesting. Odd to write something and hear another's informed view of it. I seem to produce works that are of a specific nature for a certain type of consumer. One for the odd, or disturbing, the unique and bizarre.

See, I've had a setback this past week on Facebook. They killed 14 years of my account on there, with groups, with band pages, all affecting myself and many hundreds of followers with an utter lack of care or customer service. I've repeatedly contacted them to no avail. 

And so in the end I've had to recreate a page on Facebook. That led to (once past the frustration and loss) creating a new page here. That led me to some marketing efforts to gain followers as well as perhaps sell some books and film views.

I've been marketing some of my works this past week, my films and writings. Like my film "Gumdrop", a short horror which I came to realize I was shooting for a "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" kind of vibe. Great little flick and if you saw it (Henry) and if you did not like that one, you certainly won't like mine. 

There is also my short filmic poem/historical WWI documentary, "Pvt. Ravel's Bolero", where I used all public domain media. Until I put it on YouTube when there was a licensing issue for the main song (Bolero) from NAXOS and maybe also (though I don't think so) with, Universal Music for the written song. Finally today, after years I got an answer from PDinfo.com:

Sound Recordings get 100 years copyright protection in the USA.  It is our understanding that a sound recording with a 1930 copyright will not be PD in the USA until January 1, 2031.

Lynn

Public Domain Information Project PDinfo.com

Also, my non-fiction memoir and rather well-researched (and well-received) health book, Suffering "Long Covid". 

On my epic portmanteau novel reviewed below, the reason for today's blog, even if you're not interested in reading my book, the review is something to remark upon. That being said, it is not the type of book you can pick up and read a few pages and think you know the rest. Those who have done that might have loved the rest, but the initial story is only a few pages and vastly different from the rest. However, it sets the tone for how this is not a typical book. And the adventure one is about to embark upon.

When you read the next and first full chapter, a story of two boys' horrific event and how it reshaped their futures, it does not even then offer insight to the next and following chapters, where from there, it descends into madness. But of a crafted type. It is a story that is multi-layered and "meta" in a way that is rather unusual.

The book is based upon the final novella, "Andrew" in my first collection of short stories, "Anthology of Evil". 

My non-fiction article Marvin produced the cover for, below.

For those who are confused by my book covers, do follow the old adage about not judging a book by its cover. I do like the covers. Some of them are done by my younger half-brother who is a brilliant artist in his own right. But these covers give you a bizarre consideration of what's inside. His art has always awed me. You can get an idea of how great he can be by checking out his works on Redbubble. You can even purchase them for your devices. 

Above, three of the "Gods" from DEATH OF HEAVEN (again, art by Marvin). Perhaps think of the Starz series, "American Gods" based on Neil Gaiman's book. But these are very different "Gods".

All that being said, welcome to one of the reviews of my book...

DEATH OF HEAVEN

Literary Titan Review

"Eldritch Horror is a narrative style that is defined by the names of those who create works within its genre: H. P. Lovecraft, Clive Barker, and now, JZ Murdock. To speak of the overarching plot of Death of heaven is to speak of madness, depravity, and incomprehensible horror of both mortal men and unimaginable beings, for both the characters in the world, and for the reader of the book.
"Death of heaven captures the essence of what makes Eldritch Horror spectacular-entities that are difficult for the mind to fathom are front and center within the narrative. True to the form of the genre, their interactions with the mortals of planet Earth are always interesting and usually end quite poorly for the mortals who receive their attention. JZ Murdock does an exceptional job with his narrative crafting, and the main protagonists of Jimmy and James provide an understandable vessel through which to view the narrative events as they unfold. They are, as characters, perfectly imperfect, each shaped by their experiences both with the incomprehensibility of life and the even greater incomprehensibility of the beings that have now taken note of them. To read this story is to gaze into the abyss, which is one of its greatest strengths.
"With that being said, however, it is important to note that this book is, by all merits, predominantly an all-consuming abyss and, by its nature, is often devoid of anything vaguely resembling happiness, hope, or basic decency. JZ Murdock's world is established as a world in which the conceptualization of God or gods is a radical misunderstanding of the true structure of the world, and the moral fashioning of those who live within this world reflects that quite well. This book plays freely and loosely with morality, divinity, and concepts that are generally felt to be too dark to be included in any form of media, making it entirely unsuitable for any who are not committed to Eldritch Horror as a genre: if Hellraiser was too much for you as a film, leave Death of heaven on the library shelf and choose another tome. The words of Dante match this work quite well: "All hope abandon ye who enter in."
"The story expands and balloons dramatically, and I felt that it is often difficult to understand what is a core event of the plot, and what is simply window dressing to make the experience "darker" or "more macabre." This leads it in places to leave the confines of Eldritch Horror and take on the feeling of the film Knowing starring Nicholas Cage. The core plot, I feel, takes readers on a headfirst spiral toward the end of all things, but there is an overarching sense of curiosity as to what is truly important for that end.
"Death of heaven earns its place in the Eldritch Horror pantheon (an ironic turn of phrase, considering), and while its tone and construction may eliminate many who would read it, those who can find enjoyment within the dark and twisted works of Lovecraft and Barker will undoubtedly find joy in the words of Murdock." - Literary Titan ★★★★

JZ Murdock's "Death of Heaven" lured me in with a sense of poignancy as childhood friends James and Jimmy played treasure hunters in the suburban yard. It seemed like such a sweet tale. Until I turned the page and discovered abject horror. This novel is unrelentingly unique, defying the norms of the classic horror genre. JZ Murdock doesn't think outside the box: he IS outside the box. Expect nothing "normal" here.
With an imagination that brings to mind certain hallucinogens, the author takes the reader on a mind-numbing roller coaster ride in a haunted mansion. There are highs and lows, twists and turns, but all of them happen in the eerie darkness. James and Jimmy have grown into adulthood, but both have struggled to overcome their childhood trauma. Now they've got to rely on each other as they begin receiving disturbing messages about the potential destruction of all they know. But that's part of the paradox here; the more they find out, the more apparent it is that all they've ever known is... incorrect. Unfortunately for them, things begin spooling up at such an incredible rate that they don't have time to process all they've received. They're racing against time and doing it on thin ice.
JZ Murdock presents his readers with a highly imaginative and unique read. It's a bit of a "Frankenstein" piece if you will. Made up of previously written short stories and wrapped with an overarching meta storyline that strings them all together, this is decidedly not your normal horror or sci-fi novel. Within its pages, readers will find viscerally gritty scenes of unimaginable (except to the author) inhumanity. Yet there are also pages of amazing prose dealing with philosophy, psychology, the human condition, and man's reliance on religion. My mind may have blown a fuse or two making these transitions.
"A dark character rode my mind, I knew that. A dark rider who made no compromise and rode in ways both surreal and inexplicable. Eventually I began to believe him. Someone was indeed out there. And in here."
This is high-functioning fiction, not designed for those who just want a quick, light read. It demands attention from its readers with its profundity and its depth. So often I read a novel and think to myself that I would love to see that story brought into production. I don't ever see that happening with this novel- all the thought, rhythm, and mystery of this piece simply wouldn't translate to a movie screen.
While I profess the storyline is remarkable and highly creative, I struggled with the inconsistent pace as the author led his readers from horror into philosophy, then on to his next whim. For me, this felt like the literary equivalent of a Jackson Pollock painting. The reader will most likely get out what the reader puts into this story.
I can easily see this novel becoming a cult classic in the vein of HP Lovecraft. With its polarizing style, it's fair to anticipate that most readers will either love it or loathe it- there is no in-between. If you enjoy reading avant-garde literature that shatters genres and tropes, this one's for you. - Reader Views

From the Author

This is one of my favorites of my books and writings. It was a complicated journey writing it and an intricate interweaving of many dark stories on many levels that all culminate into a fascinating tale that is larger than we are. Larger than humanity is, and encompasses the entire galaxy, if not that of the universe. Contained herein are tales of many kinds, and many times. Of youth abused. Of love gone awry. Of a dark love the color of congealed blood. Of friendships torn asunder for desire and power. It is based in two stories of mine. "Andrew" a novella contained in my first collection of short horror titled, Anthology of Evil. Andrew is a young boy who has seen horrible things and he too has to find a way to grow and live and eventually, he finds his place in the universe. The second is a very short piece I wrote for a psychology professor of mine during my university years. It is titled, "Perception" and is about how easily and from the very beginning, we as humans have misperceived so very many basic things. Misunderstandings that have led us to here and now. For all the good or bad it may one day be judged to be. In the end I believe this is an engrossing and entertaining read. Others have agreed. I hope you will too!JZ Murdock

From the Inside Flap

"A dream you dream alone is only a dream.A dream you dream together is reality." John Lennon

From the Back Cover

WHERE DID WE COME FROM?Throughout human history many philosophers and religions have pondered this ultimate question. James and Jimmy, brothers in arms since childhood, will learn that the answer is what nightmares are made of. They, along with all of humanity, will experience firsthand the...DEATH OF HEAVEN

Cheers! Sláinte!

My newest anthology, Anthology of Evil II Vol. I and Anthology of Evil II Vol. II.
On these, I shot the photos and crafted the book covers, but Marvin worked on enhancing them the photos.

 

Victim? DPCR - Defensive Passenger Car Riding

This isn't just about being a passenger. More broadly it is about being put in the position of being a victim and then, how you handle that. What do you do when you are trapped in a car with someone attempting to take control away from you?

When you are with someone who is driving and they won't let you out, how do you handle it?

Ask, please? If you're going slow, leap from the car?

The best way may be to distract them so you can grab the keys in the ignition, turn the engine off, extract the keys, possibly throw them out the window or toss them when you exit the car. If you can blind them, perhaps with the extracted keys, you can get the car to stop pretty quickly.

It may be better if possible, to crash the car. At times death is preferable to living through what may be coming. But that takes reading the situation correctly, during a very difficult situation.

The website, crime-safety-security.com suggests:

• Wait and see what happens – then decide what to do.
• Reason with him, if at all possible. [Because odds are it will be a "him".]
• Outsmart him – using Outsmarting strategies. Some of their suggested options are a bit out there, but you do need to think "outside the box". [This is basic martial arts. It is not unlike Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do style of scientific martial arts. Use what works, be smart. Use your capabilities, your environment, your options. SEE your options. Maintain a clear head. Act. But act wisely.]
• Invite him to “a more comfortable place” – one that provides an escape. [decades ago my fiancee found herself in a situation with a guy she thought she could trust. Who I thought we could trust as he was my best friend at the time. A time when I was in basic training 2,200 miles away. Once she realized what was going on, and that she was trapped, in a car by the way, she suggested a motel room, for him to take her to her car, which was at her house so they could both drive there and leave from there. When he got her home, she got out, said thank you, good night, and moved quickly into her parent's house where she was staying until I got out of basic training in the Air Force. She outsmarted him. She was smart, but she was also lucky. [This actually worked for my fiancee years ago by someone we thought to be a friend. She suggested taking her home to get her car and they could go to a motel. Then said goodnight when she got out and went quickly into her parent's home. But it takes being believable to perhaps an unrealistic degree and selling something they want.]
• Initiate violent action – preemptive self-defense – before she’s taken to a secluded place.

Slamming the car in park is good or reverse is good, if the car will allow it or if you can get it to work. Even getting it into neutral may be useful, or downshift can be lit hitting the brakes... but you'd have to hang on to the shifter for dear life. Not the safest option by they way. Should they realize others in the area may notice who can see the car, and they will take serious efforts to stop you.

That is something you want to avoid. Keying them up to be hypervigilant and defensive. You want to take action that permanently stops them and lets them know that hurting you will not help them but will indeed hurt them in some way (be it physically, socially, legally, whatever works that stops them). It's all about believability and excessive reward or punishment. However many times the only thing that will stop them, is disabling them.

Consider that they may not be fully rational in some way or another. You may just have that single moment or specific situation and you need to exploit it.

Mostly physically taking control away from them is always best (e.g., throwing the keys out of the car on a busy highway). Be aware however that some cars, mostly older vehicles, may have a capability of the keys being removed while remaining fully in operation. But those cars today are few and far between anymore.

It may be better to force a crash, than to allow them to remain healthy and intact. You would have the element of surprise if done correctly, giving you the opportunity to brace yourself which they hopefully may not have.

If you have a seat belt on, pulling the steering wheel hard toward you and not letting go, or some degree of that. Faking turning hard one direction and when they apply steering to the other direction, go fully and hard with that, can be a very effective technique.

Basically, it's whatever works, just do it. But be prepared to reverse it in order to surprise them and take control. But once you grab the wheel, don't let go... literally to save your life. You may have to ask yourself which is better, going with them, or taking a chance on dying. Once you apply something to change the direction of the situation to your direction, hang on and even if they beat you, don't let go.

Carrying pepper spray? Not a bad idea either. On that matter, whatever you do carry, and I've said this for years about the foolish who practice "open carry" of firearms...if you show it they know you have it and you lose one element of surprise, power or control. If I know you have it. I can take it from you. Yes, at times the directed display of a gun can end the potential for a situation. But showing it to all. Is just stupid.

Guns are about security (as are other protective devices). Security has several levels.

Security by obscurity. Security by obfuscation. If say, you have a safe, if no one knows you have it, how can they rob it? Or if you have a safe, and they know you have it, but can't find it, or you slow them down until police can arrive, you again have them at odds. Security is frequently about those two things. As well it is about time.

Nothing is 100% secure and mostly security is about slowing down access until it is too costly in some way making it untenable. Either because of time or their own issues of security in committing a crime. You have to make the object of their desire too expensive for them to go all the way to the end of their attempts against you.

And so it is much in the same for weapons and defensive tools. Their surprise at your suddenly using some device (pepper spray, gun, martial arts, etc.) on them, gives you one more level of control. The element of surprise and their inability to not be prepared to protect themselves from something they didn't even know they were about to get presented with.

If you are put in the trunk, if you have your cell, well, call someone. If you can, pull the tail or brake lights, wave through the tail light lens or if possible, break it out (quietly). If you can stick your hand out the tail light, that is a pretty good indication that someone has been kidnapped. newer cars have anti trapped in trunk release devices. If they are smart and prepared they will have disabled it, but it's worth it to verify that first.

But that is getting pretty deep into this situation. The best defenses are to be aware before it happens. As far as when it is happening, visualizing it far before the situation helps you be able to think clearly when it is happening and then to be better able to act on your best possible exit or end to the situation.

Once you get to a certain point, however, in waiting too long, you have given up one potential opportunity after another until finally, it may simple be too late. That is a situation you want desperately to avoid. Tough at times there may be no choice.

It depends on if this was carefully planned or a chance event, a crime of opportunity without aforethought. Not something you run into with serial killers or offenders. But you don't know that in the beginning. And that is part of the problem. Part of the reason criminals have an edge over citizens. YOU don't know you are being involved in a crime until it's too late. At least that is their desire in how they present things to you and set it up.

But even then you have the potential for survival.


One clear and painful example is Alison Botha, who was a twenty-seven year old from South Africa. She made a documentary film about it titled, Alison.

She had been abducted, raped and left for dead by two men.

Alison Botha, right, with Christia Visser, who plays Botha in the film version of her ordeal 

One of the men stabbed her in the throat so badly her head later flopped back when she tried to rise and she literally had to hold it up to be able to seek help from the location where they had left her for dead.

Alison was stabbed more thirty times in the abdomen. Had she just lied there, she would surely have died. But she first tried to move, to find help. She really had no other course to follow if she wanted to live. Through her own massive efforts in moving to a better location, she was found.

In the end, she survived. It is a lesson for us all.

Never. Give. Up.

The Breathing - The Passing of an Old Friend

Okay, so this happened the other night.

As I was getting into bed and was about to turn the bedside light off, I heard breathing. Understand, recently my 80 pound German Shepherd of 15 years died, in my bedroom. A few weeks ago. And I live alone. Now.

July 17, 2017

His mother was a medium sized white German Shepherd. His after was a massive 120 pound German Shepherd. Everyone complimented him on his looks and his confirmation. He didn't have issues with his hindquarters until this past year when it was hard for him even to walk, to go outside. He was always good natured. A good protector. Smart and so funny at times.

He'd been having a hard day and night and over time had been getting worse. That night I let him know as usual when it was time to get up and head to the bedroom. He tried but just couldn't do it. He'd been getting worse over the year since we moved in here last year so it wasn't surprising, but it was.

So I laid down next to him, petted him and talked to him. My daughter and her boyfriend were staying here at the time and they gave him some love and attention before they went to bed too.

We knew he was near the end, but it could have gone on for weeks, too. Finally, as I was very tired myself that day, I dragged him on his living room pillow bed down the hallway into my bedroom and put his bedroom bed in the living room.

He seemed relieved to be where he knew he should be. Lately a few times he had just slept in the living room and the next day seemed fine.

He woke me a couple of times through the night pawing at the wood floor until finally I moved him over to where his nails would touch the throw rug which seemed to calm him. I was sleepy and didn't realize he was trying to get up.

Finally I woke at 4:30AM, his breathing was labored and he seemed a little panicky. I finally realized why. He had relieved himself on his bed. Normally he would tell me, wake me, leave the bedroom anyway but he couldn't. It was then I realized he was in trouble.

Yes he was always clowning around

Again I laid down and petted him and talked to him for an hour. Tried to talk to him, it was hard to talk. Finally at 5:30AM, he passed on. I was pretty emotional and had been for that night and for that final last hour. It had tasked me pretty thoroughly. I had to leave the bedroom. I got up and wrote a friend an email about it, while sipping on a double Taliskers whiskey. That behavior continued throughout the rest day.

That next week my mother died. It's been a long summer all things told, those two things just being a part of what was going on all summer.

Then last night. The breathing.

As a pup

I had checked the clock radio, actually thinking it was on and I was hearing rhythmic white noise that sounded like breathing. It wasn't on. The breathing was as loud as it was the night he died in my bedroom. I'd considered an animal breathing at the window situated next to and behind my bed. But the window being so high off the ground outside, that would have had to have been a very large animal and the breathing would have been louder and I would have had other issues to worry about.

Then just as I was starting to be unable not to get emotional and anxious over it, the breathing stopped. Silence took over. I was finally, hesitantly, able to lay my head down and eventually I fell asleep.

Some might say it was my dog, communicating. But what the hell would that be communicating? I'm sure he'd have communicated something different, happier. Not that I buy into that sort of thing. So no, I don't buy it. Others might say it's an echo from my memories out of my own mind, but then, I've never been that type. Some might even say it's an echo of something that had happened in that room and... I could almost buy into that.

But in reality I think it was just my mind playing back a tape in my head, telling me how much he meant to me. As if I didn't already know that.

Whatever it was, I could use having it never happen again. Regardless, I'll miss him.

I acquired him as a puppy to help my kids with the divorce I (we) were going through. And it worked so well for us all. It was easy to love him, such a little bundle of energy and humor at first.

He was the pet I had the longest. The pet who was our family member and who held such a high place in my kid's lives. He was my home security system. My alert system while I slept. We lived on some acreage in the woods and for some years after my kids moved out, I lived there alone with him.

If there was a noise in the middle of the night, he got up to ferret it out in case someone or some thing was at the far end of the house. And he was the first (and will be the last) pet I had for his entire life, save those first eight weeks before I acquired him as a puppy.

Thanks my old friend. For being there every day, always, for always being there.

Sláinte!

The late Great Buddha Thai in his prime

August My Birthday Month 2017

It's weird. I started watching Season 5 of Ray Donovan a few weeks ago. This season seems to be all about death. So I watched episode one, I was confused but figured out what was going on. Then I watched episode two, sadder, weirder.

That was Monday. Tuesday morning at 4:30AM, August 15, 2017, I woke to my nearly fifteen year old German Shepherd, Buddha Thai, having breathing issues. He'd been having them. In fact the past couple of weeks or so it seemed he was on his last legs.

I got up and spent the next hour with him, until he stopped breathing at 5:30AM. I had a double whiskey at 5:45AM. It was a rough week after that.

Then today, the day of the solar eclipse, I woke at 4:30AM. My head was throbbing with a sinus headache. I went back to bed.

I had a rough morning overall. In and out. The sun was up so I got up. I noticed a text on my phone from my older brother. I figured it was about our mom. Maybe my sister bugging him to bug me to go see her because she was old and having difficulty. I felt horrible, so I thought to put it off until I felt better. Honestly, maybe tomorrow.

I had a cup of coffee, I never finished, watched last night's episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. It was on nuclear waste. Just as unsettling as last week's show about White Supremacists and our president. But after it was over I started to feel worse, so I went back to bed.

After a while I woke up and it got dimmer than before, with odd colors to the lighting through my blinds in my bedroom. I fell asleep, woke, same colors, maybe dimmer. I feel asleep and seemingly suddenly the light from outside was very bright.

So I got up. I felt horrible. I watched some of the last episode of the Netflix show, The Defenders. Pretty good. It kept my attention until my phone rang. I answered it, though I had to fight the urge to just let it go to voice mail.

My brother told me our mother died last night, our sister was there now, after the helper had found the body and called her, she was waiting for them to come pick up the body.

That all sounds pertty rough. In a week, I lost my country to Nazis, I lost my dog of 15 years to old age and I lost my mother for a second time, also to old age.