Maggers Wrote:Ahhh...ummm.....*gulp*....You know, maybe that's so. :eek:

Of course, that would mean all of NYC has been affected by the Otherness, and wouldn't that just make sense.




I think that would be a kick ass GU .... on so many levels!

stacyzinda123 Wrote:That would be awesome. I love your short stories. They're perfect for when time is short and I don't want to start a novel!

Maggers Wrote:I, too, just finished "Freak Show" and want to talk all about it. I'm not quite sure why you feel the need for secrecy on this, Ken. I don't think there's anything in the book that hasn't been addressed or touched upon in one story or another, especially any of FPW's short stories that have to do with the Pine Barrens.

Which is not to say that "Freak Show" isn't unique and terrific. The choir of voices that come together to create such a cohesive story is quite amazing. I particularly liked reading about the authors at the end of the book, where FPW states about himself: " 'Freak Show' is the first anthology he has edited. It is also the last."

FS takes the Otherness to lengths we haven't seen outside of "Nightworld," and I found that almost unbearably creepy. But then, that's the essence of the Otherness, isn't it. Those of us not touched by the Otherness find that being near it makes our skin crawl and starts things squirming in our guts. It's an instinctive reaction.

I will honor your request not to go into detail, Ken, but I am dying to talk about the last sentence.

Maggers Wrote:I didn't know "Freak Show" was so hard to find. I looked on the used book section of amazon.com and found it on my first attempt. Granted, I got a used paperback in midling fair condition, but it's "Freak Show." It was expensive either.

I still don't quite understand the secret aspect. Much of what is addressed in "Freak Show" about the Otherness I had garnered from other stories and books. However, there is new information about the Otherness, and there's plenty that's new in terms of the freak show itself and the folks that populate it. I won't go into specifics about that.

Though much of data on the Otherness may be available in other FPW short stories and books, that in no way diminishes "Freak Show." What FS did for me was put the spotlight on Oz, and that's more than worth the price of admission.

If someone wants to PM me about the last sentence and let me know what they think about it, that would be great.

KRW Wrote:When I get some time, we'll talk KRW

Maggers Wrote:OK, thanks, Ken.

I'd also welcome comments from anyone who's read "Freak Show."

Keith the Elder Wrote:SPOILER
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That burned out circle in the barrens where they activated the "Otherness" device was noticed by Snake in Deep As The Marrow when he was stalking Poppy (Once again, my favorite FPW character, EVER) and the child.

fpw Wrote:Let me see if I can get this right (I don't feel like pulling out the book). FREAK SHOW ends about a year after Gateways. It's an adjunct to the AC/RJ timeline. Oz Prather apears in All the Rage but that occurs before the events of Freak Show.

As for Freak Show itself, yes, read the stories in order. They build on each other; characters are borrowed from story to story and appear in my interstitial material. As far as I know, it's the only anthology to ever do that; it's probably the most labor-intensive anthology ever done (took about a year out of my life). And if you have a chance to get hold of the Borderlands hardcover edition, do so. It's a truly beautiful book, plus it differs from the pb because of the illustrations (by Phil Parks) that I integrated into the text. I don't know if anyone has ever done that before.

If was a finalist for the World Fantasy Award but lost out to ?? [answer is MetaHorror, BTW].

Maggers Wrote:Keith,
Yes, I figured that as well. That burned out circle is also a key component in the short story "The Barrens" in "The Barrens and Others."

I wanted to know where "Freak Show" falls in the time line. And I just found the answer from The Man Himself. He answered someone who had posed the same question about a year ago.



It may be the heat, but I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around that timeline. "All the Rage" occurs before the events of "Freak Show," which ends about a year after "Gateways." I need to see that beautiful timeline that RIP created last fall. Anyone know where it is?

jimbow8 Wrote:Here you go, my friend:

TIMELINE