This is the twenty second edition of The Voice In Your Head Is Mine. The date is October 20, 2020. If you're receiving this email and have no idea what's going on, well, fuck. I guess I blew it. Or maybe you blew it. Either way, you're here and this is Zac Thompson's weekly newsletter.
It’s very early on Tuesday. Spent most of the day yesterday sorting out the rest of my week, trying to make plans for a variety of different spinning plates all of which feel like they’re relatively under control right now. That usually means something is about to come crashing down…🙃
Since I last sent one of these, I’ve spent a lot of time reading, watching horror movies, and managed to get a couple hikes in. I found the monotony of being inside every day without anywhere to go a little difficult, so I’ve been making active plans to get out of the house in virtually any capacity. So far it’s working! But the rainy season is coming…
I BREATHED A BODY
My new book!!!
Announced this morning on The Hollywood Reporter - I BREATHED A BODY is best described as a fungal nightmare about the voyeurism of violence on social media. It’s an indictment of Big Tech and set squarely in the heart of near future San Francisco. The book is a direct reaction to some of the violence we’ve been seeing on social media. It imagines a world where the most popular Influencer on the planet decides to start posting extremely violent and graphic content in order to rewrite the rules of the online space.
IBAB is illustrated by the incredible Andy MacDonald (who many of you will know from his Multiple Man series at Marvel). Andy’s built a rich world that really lingers on the disgusting details. His storytelling on this book is top notch, building out the shiny veneer of Silicon Valley only to peel it back a few pages later and expose the horrors lying beneath all the excess. It’s colored by Triona Farrell (who is someone I’ve wanted to work with FOREVER). Triona’s colors offer a murky 70’s vibe that work with lots of secondary colours to create an alluring and musty atmosphere that will eventually choke you by the final issue. And it’s lettered by the always wonderful Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (who you’ll know from UNDONE BY BLOOD and NO ONE’S ROSE). Hass has built a rich storytelling device into the lettering that holds its own mysteries.
Trevor Henderson’s stunning B cover to issue #1.
To be honest, a lot of this book has been an outlet for my rage against the institutions that keep us trapped in cycles of fear. The platforms that keep us addicted and the people we’re meant to worship (even though they don’t do anything). But, because I like to make things difficult for myself - the book occupies a very distinct and strange world that’s just left of reality. A new future world where a new decentralized internet based on the Mycelium networks of fungus has risen from the ashes of the old internet: The Mycena Network (for those at home keeping score, this was Project Mycena!). With this new fungal network comes a whole host of problems that are very similar to the ones we experience today.
Like most of my other work in this space, I Breathed A Body is at times a horror book, at times a science fiction book, and other times it’s something completely different. It’s complicated look into the politics of violence through an alt-future lens and doesn’t really fit neatly into a single box. It is definitely the most violent and gory thing I’ve ever written… so you’ve been warned. This book is meant to shock you.
So about the fungal stuff… turns out Mushrooms are inherently suited to deal with the nature of life and death. The strange creatures can punch through concrete, clean water, communicate with one another from hundreds of miles away, and so so so much more. I decided early on to tell this story in a world that’s fully embraced fungus. Its changed the way this society functions and its radically altered the way people use technology in this world. Fungus and mushrooms are a new passion of mine. They have a long history in horror genre and I saw an opportunity to fill that gap in the comics space.
Finally, I Breathed A Body is about ANNE STEWART - woman who’s stepped outside of herself to create the biggest influencer in the world. She’s worked her ass off and left her life behind for this kid. And during the events of the story she’s backed into a corner to create content that goes against every fiber of her being. This is her story but it’s also story about taking responsibility. Y’know, that little thing most social networks and influencers fail to do…
I BREATHED A BODY #1 hits shelves on January 20th, 2021. I’ll talk more about the book as we get closer to release! Almost four years to the day from The Dregs #1… time flies.
Lonely Receiver
I don’t want to ignore LONELY RECEIVER right now. The last issue of this series will be hitting in January three weeks before IBAB and I want to keep people focused on this for the time being. So here’s Jen Hickman’s stunning cover for issue #5:
A LIFE: WEAVE THE WIND // I HAVE NO GHOSTS
Reception to Lonely Receiver has far exceeded my expectations. I’m blown away that our weird dreamy horror/romance is hitting people so hard and I’m eternally grateful. Thank you to everyone finding the time to tweet, write, or post about the book. It really means the world. That’s how little books like this live and die. Well, actually that’s how all books live and die. Talk about the special indie comics/books/films you love. Affection and excitement spreads.
Some of the recent hits about the book, all gathered in one place:
Adventures in Poor Taste reviewed both issue #1 and issue #2 yesterday, giving them each 10/10 and saying, “Lonely Receiver does so much that feels fresh, not just in comics, but in entertainment in general. It feels widely applicable without being generic, new and sci-fi but also wise, raw and emotional but still controlled. It’s a work that I think is easy to personalize, and feels relatable in maybe the worst way. It’s something that I don’t think should be missed.”
We received a perfect 10/10 review Comics Bookcase over the weekend. They said, “Lonely Receiver #2 is a deeper and more personal issue than the debut was, and it’s one of the most memorable comics I’ve read all year, equal parts dark and relatable. This is a book with something poignant to say, and it’s going to say it with a bleak sense of searing futuristic style.”
Finally, I did a short interview about the second issue over at Bleeding Cool. It’s a brief three question thing but should be fun for those that have been following the series.
RAZORBLADES
I had the immense privilege of having a short story in the newest issue of Razorblades: The Horror Magazine. It’s a grounded, modern horror anthology co-created by James Tynion IV & Steve Foxe. Not pastiche. Not camp.
It’s packed full of some of the best talent comics has to offer. It also features chilling prose stories and illustrations by the best names in modern horror.
My short, FRUITING BODIES is best described as a weird transhumanism eco-horror sex comic. Yeah, it’s a lot. It’s stunningly brought to life by Jen Hickman (my co-creator on Lonely Receiver) and hand-lettered by Hassan Otsmane Elhaou.
I can really only show you a small piece:
See the rest at readrazorblades.com
Tender Is The Flesh
I Just read Agustina Bazterrica’s TENDER IS THE FLESH. A harrowing look at a world where cannibalism has been made into a legal meat trade after an unknown “animal virus” makes most animals deadly to eat. The book follows Marcos, a man who works at a local processing plant slaughtering humans.
As you can imagine, it’s a hard read. The things that Marcos have become accustomed to are relayed to you in stark matter of fact terms. The prose is cold and efficient. Everything is presented at arm’s length and everything Marcos does is measured and controlled. The people in this world have erased parts of themselves to deal with the trauma they confront every day. The banality of how it’s all communicated is haunting. There’s a strange passivity to the narrative that begins to make you apathetic too.
Then the final few chapters hit you over the head like a sledgehammer. A few nights ago, I sat in bed with tears in my eyes after finishing the book.
Horror Movies I’ve been watching:
In case anyone cares…
BLACK CHRISTMAS - the original slasher. It’s slow and uses POV to incredible effect. If you haven’t seen this, fix that right away.
THE FOG - Classic Carpenter. It’s got a really fantastic score and a big ensemble cast. The use of fog is tremendously effective at hiding all the constraints of the budget. A ton of fun to watch with friends.
A DARK SONG - One of the best horror movies of the last few years. A single location, a cast of two and a really tight premise. Go in knowing as little as possible and it will ruin you.
Tiny Scabs
Just a playlist this week. Lots of uptempo stuff, the type of music to keep you tapping your foot while working:
Goodbye
It’s been two weeks since one of these went out. Next Tuesday we’ll return to our regularly scheduled programming. Yeah, this is now a Tuesday newsletter… sending them on Mondays was just too hectic. Next week, we’ll get into some talk about writing craft and whatever the hell I’m reading and watching to endure the nightmare of the world.
It’s October, the best time of the year. Go for a walk in the dying evening light, listen to the leaves crunch under your feet, breath in the cool autumn air - let it refresh you, let it renew you.