Like so many writers, I’ve made the jump over to Bluesky social where I have refocused my energy on posting daily artifacts and anecdotes on Ray Bradbury, as well as general musings on popular culture: music, books, art, and more. There’s enough bad news in this world, so much hate, animosity and people using the internet to hurt others. Art lifts us all. It’s glorious. Let’s celebrate it together.
Join me! @SamWellerAuthor.bsky.social
I have a brand new essay published by the Los Angeles Review of Books about the tumultuous relationship between Ray Bradbury and film director John Huston, Bradbury wrote the screenplay for the 1956 cinematic adaptation of the Herman Merman classic, Moby-Dick. The essay includes a never-before-seen photo taken by Ray Bradbury of John Huston as they were working together at Huston’s Irish manor, Courtown. This essay is a one of thirteen “deep dive” essays about Bradbury, his life and work that will be included in my forthcoming scholarly collection. More details on this soon! Stay tuned to this page or follow me on X @Sam__Weller for more news and daily Bradburiana.
Thrilled and honored to have my short story, “Creepy Crawly” included in the forthcoming Whisper House Press anthology, Costs of Living. The book won’t be out for awhile—pub date is around Halloween 2025. And that’s the thing with old school books—they take time! Production from inception to publication is a laborious and painstaking process. But in this day and age of instant digital gratification, I find the physical book to be most endearing. Books represent patience and a slower pace of life. Publishing books takes time, reading them takes time, too!
It has been a delight working with Steven Capone Jr., editor and creative-in-chief at Whisper House Press. Steve has a terrific vision for this anthology, and a totally innovative marketing plan replete with a behind-the-scenes initiative that illuminates the entire labor-of-love process of putting an anthology together. All writers and editors should check it out.
“Creepy Crawly” is a modern slice of urban mundanity. I aimed for punk rock Poe, a story about a man and his obsession with an unlikely apartment mate—a Midwest centipede.
I hope you will check out Costs of Living upon its release.
I worked hard for the two Bram Stoker Awards you see here and display them proudly in my home. They are beautiful little statues and surprisingly heavy when you pick them up. The small brass doors even open up to reveal the award category and titles of my books.
But these trophies represent the past. I am now very much focused on the future. So what’s next? Here’s an exclusive: I’m hard at work on two books at the moment. The first is a horror/fantasy novel that also features a visual encyclopedia sort of sewn throughout. I love genre mashups and this one certainly fits the bill. The working title for the book is FREAK.
For years, my longtime agent has asked me to write a narrative nonfiction book in the tradition of Erik Larsen (Devil in the White City). I love Erik’s work. I had the fortune of doing an event with him a few years ago at the Sulzer Regional Library in Chicago. I have wanted to get back to nonfiction as doing heavy research is one of my favorite parts of the creative process. I can’t divulge the subject of the book just yet, but I will say it centers around the world of the occult. It is narrative nonfiction horror.
Finally, I am back on the speaking engagement trail, giving presentations on the great Ray Bradbury and also leading writing groups. If you are interested in having me visit your library or school, drop a message to custombuiltcommuincations@gmail.com.
Be cool. Be positive. Never forget—gratitude is an attitude.
So excited to announce that I will be co-hosting the IT CAME FROM GENERATION X! podcast with the brilliant and hilarious Tom Dieboldt. Each week, we will cover rock n roll, movies, television, comic books, literature, and all-around sugary sweet pop culture. We will be joined by awesome guests and provide a respite from the absolute lunacy of our mad, mad, modern-day world. The first episode will be out soon!
The promo trailer for It Came from Generation X! Theme music by Chris Wimsett ©️ 2023 Logo by Leo Malkin ©️ 2023
©️ 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗺𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯
So thrilled to see that legendary editor Ellen Datlow gave my book Dark Black “Honorable Mention” in the esteemed Best Horror Volume 13 anthology! What an honor! Also great to see illustrator Dan Grzeca given a well-deserved shout-out as well. Some of Dan’s incredible art from the book is available as signed, limited edition prints. We both poured our hearts into this book.
I had the distinct honor of serving as guest host for the smart and savvy Big Table podcast. I sat down with former California Poet Laureate and former National Endowment for the Arts Chair Dana Gioia to discuss Ray Bradbury’s remarkable legacy, his impact on literature and culture, and his assured place in the pantheon of great writers. Dana and I first met when I joined Ray at the White House in 2004 when Ray was given the Medal of Arts from President George W. Bush. We have remained friends and admirers since.
Then I got the opportunity to chat with New Yorker writer and author extraordinaire, the great and formidable Susan Orlean, about her love for Bradbury and how we he was her “spirit animal” when she wrote the exceptional The Library Book.
I hope you will give the episode a listen!
I recently wrote an essay for the Los Angeles Review of Books about the flu pandemic of 1918 and its tragic impact on Ray Bradbury’s family and, ultimately, the development of his imagination and the themes so central to his voluminous body of work. A few folks have since asked if I plan on doing more of these “deep dive” scholarly essays related to Ray’s life and work. The answer is most definitely, yes! I am currently working on three separate Bradbury essays. Coupled with the ones I have already written and published, I hope to release a new collection of these essays in the not-too-distant future.