A letter from a fan

I got this email the other day from a man who had read my story “Lighting the Corpses,” which was published in “Robert Bloch’s Psychos” in 1997.

I thought it might be fun to reproduce his question and my response, as we talk about some of the internal mechanics of the writing process.

Not to worry. I checked with him first and he gave me the OK to do this. I’ve withheld his name for privacy purposes.

What follows is his email and my response.

Hello Mr. Stone. I was just thinking about a short story of the above title (“Lighting the Corpses”), which was included in a collection by Robert Bloch, adequately named “Psychos.” It has left a lasting impact on me, as I believe that more insight must be utilized in not only researching the making of a so-called “Human Monster”, but the inclusion of those who have helped shape the individual where punishment is concerned. After all, if it is discovered that a skyscraper toppled and caused mass injury and death due to a contractor cutting corners by using cheap rebar or watered-down concrete, said contractor would be the one to pay, no? As such, I can feel for the character of Zeke, having been not only laid bare for prey at the hands of his father but literally handed over by his mother in order to save the daughter from the same sick abuse. You captured an extremely common rug-sweep here with a decent understanding of who Zeke was. Still, the line which resonated deeply with me was Zeke’s words to Father Baptist: “What you fear about yourself is true. You are your Devil”. Quite an interesting interpretation of the seemingly traditional theological beliefs. This story is a phenomenal work of art imitating life, and I thank you for the entertainment and insight it provided. Might I inquire as to what inspired you in writing this? It’s been a pleasure talking to you.

Hi (I withheld his name for privacy reasons),

Thanks for your email. It’s great knowing something I wrote decades ago has reached across the years to touch another person. I guess that’s one reason writers write.

Your question prompted me to remember why I wrote this story, because at first, I couldn’t, not until I thought of my life circumstances of that period.

I think everyone experiences one great love of his or her life, a person or relationship that rises above all others. When those relationships go bad they do so in spectacular fashion, something that could be likened to a pyre – in this case a pyre of emotion. Sometimes the emotion is grief; other times it’s anger. In my case, it was a toxic combination of both. I had just ended an unhealthy, co-dependent relationship with the love of my life and I was staggering through the stages of grief. “Lighting the Corpses” was the anger stage, ha ha. (I wrote another story, “The Googleplex Comes and Goes,” that took place in the grieving stage.) I’d finally reached a point where I could admit I wasn’t blameless in our failure … in fact, maybe it was mostly my fault.

I then began to wonder about the nature of rage. Was it a kind of evil, an evil that could be handed down, like an inheritance, to one’s descendents? That conversation with myself, coupled with my years of experience working at a newspaper, which gave me insight into the God-awful things people can do to each another, compelled me to write “Lighting the Corpses.”

I didn’t think much of “Corpses” at the time and I hated the title, but over the years it’s grown on me. I think it’s overwritten but also it’s wildly inventive, which I appreciate more these days. I’ve learned to forgive and embrace my youthful excesses. What’s the old bromide – youth is wasted on the young? Something like that.

It’s the only story that ever paid me royalties apart from the stories I wrote for all those Barnes & Noble horror anthologies. I attribute that to the Stephen King story in “Psychos.”

Thanks so much for writing to me. I have a writing page on Facebook and would like to reproduce your letter and my response – don’t worry. I won’t use your full name or include your email address. If you’d rather I not, drop me a line and I won’t.

Thanks,

Del

About the author:

Del Stone Jr. is a professional fiction writer. He is known primarily for his work in the contemporary dark fiction field, but has also published science fiction and contemporary fantasy. Stone’s stories, poetry and scripts have appeared in publications such as Amazing Stories, Eldritch Tales, and Bantam-Spectra’s Full Spectrum. His short fiction has been published in The Year’s Best Horror Stories XXII; Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine; the Pocket Books anthology More Phobias; the Barnes & Noble anthologies 100 Wicked Little Witch Stories, Horrors! 365 Scary Stories, and 100 Astounding Little Alien Stories; the HWA anthology Psychos; and other short fiction venues, like Blood Muse, Live Without a Net, Zombiesque and Sex Macabre. Stone’s comic book debut was in the Clive Barker series of books, Hellraiser, published by Marvel/Epic and reprinted in The Best of Hellraiser anthology. He has also published stories in Penthouse Comix, and worked with artist Dave Dorman on many projects, including the illustrated novella “Roadkill,” a short story for the Andrew Vachss anthology Underground from Dark Horse, an ashcan titled “December” for Hero Illustrated, and several of Dorman’s Wasted Lands novellas and comics, such as Rail from Image and “The Uninvited.” Stone’s novel, Dead Heat, won the 1996 International Horror Guild’s award for best first novel and was a runner-up for the Bram Stoker Award. Stone has also been a finalist for the IHG award for short fiction, the British Fantasy Award for best novella, and a semifinalist for the Nebula and Writers of the Future awards. His stories have appeared in anthologies that have won the Bram Stoker Award and the World Fantasy Award. Two of his works were optioned for film, the novella “Black Tide” and short story “Crisis Line.”

Stone recently retired after a 41-year career in journalism. He won numerous awards for his work, and in 1986 was named Florida’s best columnist in his circulation division by the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors. In 2001 he received an honorable mention from the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association for his essay “When Freedom of Speech Ends” and in 2003 he was voted Best of the Best in the category of columnists by Emerald Coast Magazine. He participated in book signings and awareness campaigns, and was a guest on local television and radio programs.

As an addendum, Stone is single, kills tomatoes and morning glories with ruthless efficiency, once tied the stem of a cocktail cherry in a knot with his tongue, and carries a permanent scar on his chest after having been shot with a paintball gun. He’s in his 60s as of this writing but doesn’t look a day over 94.

Contact Del at [email protected]. He is also on Facebook, twitter, Pinterest, tumblr, TikTok, and Instagram. Visit his website at delstonejr.com .