#Jason Arnopp

[mylifeinfiction]

The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp

I cannot let me get the better of myself.

He does, though. Jason Arnopp's The Last Days of Jack Sparks doesn't achieve greatness because of just how painfully cringe-worthy and utterly insufferable its titular narrator is. Yes, it's by design. And yes, some of his personality plays into some really good moments and twists, throughout. But it's all just too much, and makes an otherwise completely bonkers, genuinely creepy, ambitious narrative a lot less fun.

Thankfully, though, The Last Days of Jack Sparks is more than just its narcissistic narrator. It's a weird horror novel chock-full of well-executed—if familiar—ideas about possession and all things paranormal. And, as a whole, it delivers a creatively executed narrative that utilizes it's dark sense of humor and some exciting genre tropes (including a personal favorite) very effectively, creating a disorienting trip through the landscape of one man's addiction, childhood trauma and ego that understands just how transformative those things are.

"Creepy subject matter, right enough. The Devil's always frightening, isn't he?"

7/10

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

[musicmags]

[haveyoureadthishorrorbookpoll]

Have you read...

Jack Sparks died while writing this book. It was no secret that journalist Jack Sparks had been researching the occult for his new book. No stranger to controversy, he'd already triggered a furious Twitter storm by mocking an exorcism he witnessed. Then there was that video: forty seconds of chilling footage that Jack repeatedly claimed was not of his making, yet was posted from his own YouTube account. Nobody knew what happened to Jack in the days that followed - until now.

submit a horror book!

[livingfictionsystem]

5/5 rating

A chaotic, megalomaniacal, drug-addicted, confrontational atheist witnesses an exorcism---a rather convincing one, at that. Turns out, Jack Sparks had a lot to say about the paranormal. And the paranormal had a lot to say about him.

"None of it is remotely unnerving, scary or—most importantly—convincing. My jeans remain unsoiled. My heebies are jeebie-less. There are no willies up me."

This was underrated. It's splendidly funny, full of personality, and page-turningly horrifying. I was a bit bamboozled at the start. I thought that Jack Sparks was actually a real person and had a real urge to read 'Jack Sparks on Gangs' and so forth. The author even set up a website that supposedly belonged to the character. I saw by glancing at the reviews that a lot of people found that the categorical unlikability of the protagonist dragged the story down. You don't have to be a good person to be a good character. Jack Sparks, perhaps a wannabe Hunter S. Thompson though lacking the proper chops, is a good character. He is the type of person that you groan if you're in the same room with but want to be a fly on the wall when he's mixed with a mutual enemy of yours. The novel follows a doomed man as he frantically tries to get to the bottom of a haunting that he desperately claims is fabricated. It reads more like a case-study, so our account of the unreliable narrator gets supplemented with e-mails, interviews, and recordings of other accounts. This is all assembled by his brother, who uses footnotes to argue with Jack whenever possible. Jack's version of events will have you believe he saw something haunting, said a brilliant quip, and sauntered out. Someone else's account will have him breaking down crying in the gutter and asking strangers for drugs. That was actually pretty ingenious, particularly since it made the characterization of Jack seem so self-aware.

"Bravado may feel like a shield, but when you're telling yourself lies, it becomes a prison."

And I found the supernatural aspects of the book to be utterly terrifying. It very much has the 'doomed from the start' feeling you get with great works such as Haunting of Hill House. There's no rules, no strategizing, no holding up crosses, and no escape. And the twists at the end are magnificent---I truly didn't see them coming. You'll never guess who made, then posted the infamous YouTube video.

"Truly dreadful sounds ensue. The sounds of human disassembly."

So, this was fun. I personally loved it. I mainly ask people to give this a chance. After all, Breaking Bad was still an excellent series, no matter how much of an egotistical donkey Walt ended up being. -Polaris

TW: Gore, death, possession, exorcism, drug use, drug addiction, grief, a smattering of fatphobia, and the main character will probably offend you in some way.

[randomnessstuff]

Thanks for Helping Me Read Aloud To My Wife Today, Neil.

@neil-gaiman

I've just been spending a lovely afternoon reading to my wife from her library book, 'The Last Days of Jack Sparks' by Jason Arnopp. I've been having good fun practicing my accents and voices as an actor while reading to her. Some better than others. My Australian is rusty and sounds like a bad Tegan Jovanka with a bit of Kiwi in. It led me to apologize beforehand, which is a practice I don't normally practice. However, the titular character of Jack Sparks... The book is narrated from the first person, as well as recountings of events from those in his orbit. And he's a bit of a ne'er do well rockstar of a writer. And though set in the late 90's, honestly, the voice and accent I'm channelling for the fellow is you. Not modern storyteller Neil. This is more Black Leather Jacket and Sunglasses Neil. Particularly, this is the Neil on stage on that CD full of readings from Angels and Visitations where you had Warren Ellis (The other one.) and Dirty Three playing bits of music.

Even more particularly this would be the Neil reading the short experiment on writing while drinking as the bonus track. And I wanted to thank you for the book, the stories in it, and the hilarious reading you gave that night. I'm not going for hilarity. I'm more going for the narrator of the bit from Murder Mysteries who met with his girl in his flat before speaking with Raguel. In any case, I wanted to thank you for your voice suggesting itself through my throat as I read to my wife today. It felt right to do. And I've learned to follow my instincts with that.

[king-carnivore]

i genuinely love when writers make thrillers about an asshole told from the asshole's perspective. i love being in their head as they try over and over again to rationalize the bullshit around them, that none of what's going on is their fault. when it well and truly is. and they keep being an asshole and get even worse because of the paranoia that everyone's against them

it's so much fun watching the asshole get what they deserve, continuing to dig their own grave knowingly, but not acceptingly

[ancient-qveen]

concert reviews for EMPEROR's 1993 London gig

Quite clearly, Emperor are as much of a threat to society as a tooth-pick might be to an elephant's arse - Jason Arnopp, Kerrang! magazine

The sound tonight was simply pathetic, very thin and lifeless and there's not a hint of evilness about this band onstage - Russ Smith, Terrorizer magazine issue no. 1

...

lol fr tho, they're not wrong but give my pookies them a break they were ~18/19 years old on their first real tour by themselves. and turns out 3/4 of the band was a threat to society 💀

here's a clip of that fucker yelling "satan fucking satan" and Ihsahn and Samoth just🧍‍♂️🧍‍♂️

[vanalex]

NAME: Peter Steele, frontman with Type O Negative

GIG: Black Sabbath

VENUE: Madison Square Garden, New York

DATE: August 27, 1978

"I went with Josh (Silver, Type 0 keyboardist/producer) and we had really lousy seats, but at least I was on Geezer Butler's side. He was my idol back then, and for the 80 minutes that they played, I was in heaven. Or at least, I was so high that I felt like was."

"A very good night out, and a very innocent night. That was before I drank or smoked pot, or anything like that. I just went, saw the band and had a great time. Sitting there, seeing the original line-up, I couldn't believe was there. I felt like everyone in the whole place were my brothers and sisters because we all loved Black Sabbath. I stopped listening to them after Ronnie James Dio left. Actually, that's when I stopped listening to metal. I grew up with Sabbath's 'Masters Of Reality' and Paranoid', I'd look at myself in the mirror and write down all the things I hated about myself. It was the soundtrack to oblivion!"

~Peter Steele~ [Kerrang Interview 1996 by Jason Arnopp]

[mizgnomer]

Behind the Scenes of The Unicorn and the Wasp (Part Six)

Excerpts from Jason Arnopp’s article in DWM 396:

DWM: How did you like working with Christopher Benjamin [who played Lord Eddison] David Tennant: It's glorious. Although I have to say, it's one of those casts where you're delighted with everybody. I've worked with Fenella [Woolgar, who plays Agatha Christie] a couple of times, and I'm proud to announce to the world that her casting here was my idea! I think it's the first time a casting suggestion of mine has ever been taken up. And Tom Goodman-Hill [who plays Reverend Golightly] is a fantastic actor. He was buzzing brilliantly in the readthrough. DWM: You auditioned for the part: were you sitting in a waiting room with a bunch of Christie-alikes? Fenella Woolgar (Agatha Christie): Yes, that was hilarious. And even funnier, because there was another audition going on next door which couldn't have been more different: some guy was shouting, "I'm gonna kill your effing mother!" So I was standing there, thinking, "No, no, it's 1926! Focus!" DWM: You've known David Tennant for a while, right? Tom Goodman-Hill (Reverand Golightly): Since drama school days, so we've got lots of mutual friends. I remember talking to him, just after he got the Doctor Who job, about how we grew up on Tom Baker and Peter Davison's Doctors. Although I'm a little older than David, so I also remember a bit of Pertwee.

Link to [ part one ] of this post, or click the #whoBtsUnicorn tag, or the [ full episode list ]

[lupinedreaming]

Eclipse’s spooky season TBR list

Okay!! I have decided to make a tentative TBR list for list spooky season, which, for me, will arbitrarily start today, Friday, Sept. 22, and will end Tuesday, Oct. 31.

This is perhaps an overly ambitious list, and I’m not going to try and make myself read everything on it. It’s more like a place to start for me. And if I don’t like a book, I’ll DNF quickly rather than force myself through it. If you would like to follow this journey, you can follow me on Goodreads, where I’ll try to post at least 1-2 sentences sharing my thoughts on the books! 

oKAY. Here is the list. It’s broken down by subgenre/topic.

Werewolves:

Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King

Wolfen by Whitley Streiber

Short story collection:

October Country by Ray Bradbury 

Meat horror: (This is a subgenre I made up. I define it as horror that deals in some way with the horrors of meat and the consumption of it.)

Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

Brother by Ania Ahlborn

Witches: 

Slewfoot by Brom

Space horror:

Parasite by Darcey Coates

The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling

Comic: 

Aliens: Labyrinth 

Internet horror: (I basically define this as horror in which the internet is a key element in the plot.)

Ghoster by Jason Arnopp

Found: An Anthology of Found Footage Horror Stories, by various authors 

[in-death-we-fall]

Tagged by @if-you-got-a-heart-at-all

star sign: gemini

favourite holiday: Halloween

last meal: sad chick'n sandwich

current favourite musician: Wednesday <3

last movie i watched: The Rocky Horror Picture Show

last tv show i watched: Queer Eye

last book finished: Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z Brite

last book abandoned: Inside The Sickness by Jason Arnopp. I can literally see it on my bedside table, but have I touched it in forever? No

currently reading: fanfiction

last thing researched for writing/art: accessible bathroom stall

favourite fandom online memory: oh man there's a lot but it has to be someone's absurd misadventures in cosplay

temping project you're trying to reign in/don't have time for: I'm actually doing well at Projects recently

[butchmariuspontmercy]

1 and 24 for the book ask!! :D

Thank you! I track these things obsessively. I've read 28 full length books! And I've DNF'd 12 books.

thanks for asking!

Here's a list of both:

Read (bold = favorite)

Patricia Wants to Cuddle - Samantha Allen

Negative Space - BR Yeager

The House in Abigail Lane - Kealan Patrick Burke

Crying in H Mart - Michelle Zauner

Different Seasons - Stephen King

The Fall of the House of Usher - Edgar Allan Poe

Sorrowland - Rivers Solomon

Found: An Anthology of Found Footage

Scanlines - Todd Keisling

This is Where We Talk Things Out - Caitlin Marceau

The World Cannot Give - Tara Isabella Burton

Sharp Objects - Gillian Flynn

Fluids - May Leitz

The Elementals - Michael McDowell

Educated - Tara Westover

Say Nothing: A True Story of Memory and Murder in Northern Ireland - Patrick Radden Keefe

Little Fires Everywhere - Celeste Ng

Psychic Teenage Bloodbath - Carl John Lee

Good Omens - Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman (reread)

Mister Magic - Kiersten White

The Last Days of Jack Sparks - Jason Arnopp

The Bayou - Arden Powell

The Iliad - Homer

Helpmeet - Naben Ruthnum

The Weight of Blood - Tiffany D. Jackson

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier - Ishmael Beah

Suffer the Children - Craig DiLouie

Intercepts - TJ Payne

and i'm hoping to finish at least 5 more books, but we shall see! (Les Mis, The Once Yellow House, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Penance, and Pet Sematary)

as for DNFs;

Ghost Wall - Sarah Moss: Too tedious even for me

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay: I feel there's more up to date feminist literature to read

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes - Catherine Lacey: as a Mexican, the way she talked about death and corpses left a bad taste in my mouth.

Kentukis - Samanta Schwelbin (Little Eyes in the translation): Gave up on this author, the stories went nowhere at all.

Heaven - Mieko Kawakami: I felt this book was going to leave me with nothing

Sleeping Giants - Sylvain Neuvel: This is just the set up for something very NGE and I didn't wanna commit to a saga

Anybody Home? by Michael J Seidlinger: Tries too hard

Ugly Girls - Lindsay Hunter: Wouldn't give me what i was craving atm

The Children of Red Peak - Craig DiLouie: Too infodumpy

Brutes - Dizz Tate: Wasn't providing what I needed

A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers: cringe

Stolen Tongues - Felix Blackwell: A creepypasta turned book that extends too much, weird treatment of Native American characters.

[poobletoods]

I've noticed I keep hearing songs that make me think of the books I've read this year so I'm gonna keep a little list of those. So far I've enjoyed them all and if you want a book to read maybe consider these! Perhaps these song choices will even give you an idea of the book's tone :)

the last days of jack sparks (jason arnopp): the main character (will wood)

leech (hiron ennes): body terror song (ajj)

the final girl support group (grady hendrix): dead girls (penelope scott)

mothtown (caroline hardaker): the pattern (the narcissist cookbook)

[mylittleblorbo]

Thank you to @bulkyphrase for tagging me in this People I'd Like to Know Better game!!

last song: Only Happy When It Rains - Garbage

favorite color: A tie between pink and green

last book: A Sincere Warning About the Entity in Your Home by Jason Arnopp

last tv show: Severance (starting the new season of Black Mirror tonight though!)

savory, sweet or spicy: Yes

last thing I googled: "gremlins 2 greta neca figure" lmao

looking forward to: Checking out the new antique store near my house!

current obsession: Weird horror stories

tagging: I never know who to tag in these things 'cause I'm awkward lmao, so if you're seeing this--yes you!!-- and want to do it, consider yourself tagged :D

[like-rain-or-confetti]

Guys! Help me pick my next read in a TBR thats far too long!? Please and thanking youuuu!🥺

[explosionshark]

Oh btw if u are a kindle user looking for some good horror books for upcoming spooky season, The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp (possession horror, black comedy vibes but some genuinely terrifying moments, hilariously hateable protagonist) and Come With Me by Ronald Malfi (haunting as an expression of grief + 'true crime' style serial killer investigation story) are both on sale for like $3 or less on the US Amazon store rn (08/28/23). Both of these are top tier faves of mine, highly highly recommended