Ilona's World

Timecrimes: The movie about the guy who wanted to look at boobs and ended up as a time-traveller

2012-01-22T13:00:00.000-08:00

Timecrimes (Los cronocrímenes, 2007) is a quite original Spanish sci-fi movie by Nacho Vigalondo.

At the beginning of the movie, the main character Hector, who has just moved to the countryside with his wife, notices, via using his binoculars, a woman getting naked somewhere nearby. As soon as his wife leaves the house, he goes for a walk, looking for the naked beauty. However, a man with bandages on his head attacks him and chases him through the woods. Hector takes refuge at a nearby science lab, and he unwillingly becomes the subject of a time-travel experiment.

Apart from a few less logical scenes, this is quite an exciting movie, which has aquired international success. There is going to be an American remake of Timecrimes, in all probability by David Cronenberg.

The multiple award winnning movie was written and directed by Nacho Vigalondo, whose latest sci-fi movie, Extraterrestrial (Extraterrestre, 2011), is about a couple witnessing an alien invasion. I will surely watch that one, too.

Links:
Time crimes: Wiki, IMDB

2011: Just What I Have Accomplished in 2011

2012-01-21T04:04:00.000-08:00

In 2011:
- I restarted my English blog,
- blogging in Hungarian,
- reading & reviewing,
- more SF poems published (One in Aoife's Kiss and one in SOTN.)
- started tweeting,
- got some more poems accepted,
- wrote a short story,
- and got a lot of story ideas for later use.

Plans for 2012: More writing and more reviewing. Improving my German. Hopefully, some travelling, too. There are going to be much more blog posts here about books, movies, etc. As for my writing, I have much more story ideas now, than ever before.

Cinderella's Secret Diary by Ron Vitale

2011-12-04T12:22:00.001-08:00

Title: Cinderella's Secret Diary (Book 1: Lost)
Author: Ron Vitale
Genre(s) / Subgenre(s): speculative fiction / dark fantasy/ YA
Copyright: August, 2011
Formats: ebook (Kindle Edition), Paperback

Ron Vitale's novel about Cinderella is a young adult gothic version of the well-known fairy-tale.

At the beginning of the story the main character is a typical naive young girl, to such an extent that she is also a bit irritating at times, but soon she has to learn a bit more about life. Her marriage with the prince is not a very good one, and the queen is a frightening mother-in-law. The kingdom, which turns out to be England during the Napoleonic wars, is in great danger. Cinderella has lessons to learn about people, politics and love, while dark forces are also at work. As she gradually becomes a stronger, more mature and a much more independent woman, the story is also becoming darker and darker.

This is a novel about growing up, and also about magic, adventures, witchcraft and family conflicts.
The book comes with a beautiful cover image which is the work of Jennifer Whitelock, and the novel is the first part of a series.

By mixing the elements of fairy tales, dark fantasy and chick lit, Ron Vitale created a very entertaining book.

Links:
The author's website
reviews at Amazon

Good Contemporary SF: Best of Lightspeed Magazine

2011-11-06T04:50:00.000-08:00

I have recently spent some time exploring the archives of Lightspeed Magazine, which is an excellent magazine of speculative fiction and it also includes podcasted stories.
I decided to share my best of list with you. (URLs added. All of this is free content.). Check these out if you still haven't.

These short stories will give you a very nice outlook on contemporary speculative-fiction literature. The selection is completely arbitrary and only reflects my personal taste. I only selected stories that give the reader something different form the classic (hard) sci-fi themes, as I like my sci-fi new and fresh.

These are the best 15 stories that I have found at the Lightspeed website:

- Transcript of Interaction Between Astronaut Mike Scudderman and the OnStar Hands-Free A.I. Crash Advisor by Grady Hendrix
A hilarious story about the sci-fi clichés about landing on alien planets and also about the extiction of humanity. It is worth listening to the audio (12:46 minutes), the actors did a grat job with this one.

- I’m Alive, I Love You, I’ll See You in Reno by Vylar Kaftan
A love story for space travel and physics fanatics. I haven't seen anything quite like this either.

- Flower, Mercy, Needle, Chain by Yoon Ha Lee
A story about a female fighter and a beautifully crafted and magnificent weapon which can change history.

- The Observer by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
A story about a woman who was the subject of an experiment, which is meant to turn young women into fierce fighters.

- Saying the Names by Maggie Clark
This one is about a father and daughter conflict, but it is set in space and there is also encounter with an alien civilisation.

- Sweet Sixteen by Kat Howard
A story about coming of age and female role models.

- Amid the Words of War by Cat Rambo
An alien soldier becomes a refugee and then a sex worker in this story.

- Long Enough and Just So Long by Cat Rambo
Two women meet a 'male' AI/robot which is designed to be a sex robot but prefers freedom.

- No Time Like the Present by Carol Emshwiller
A teenage girl realizes that the neighbours, including her best friend, came from anoter time.

- Simulacrum by Ken Liu
A very emotional story about family relationships, esp about a father and daughter conflict, worsened by the man's addiction to virtual, artificial persons.

- Mama, We are Zhenya, Your Son by Tom Crosshill
A poor boy becomes the subject of a scientific experiment and almost destroys the whole city.

- Amaryllis by Carrie Vaughn
A Hugo Award Finalist short story, about issues related to motherhood, and all this is in a sort of post-apocalyptic setting and on a ship (and on sea).

- Ej-Es by Nancy Kress
A story about escapism, madness, cure, charity, colonization and destruction.

- Eliot Wrote by Nancy Kress
Again, a story with questions of personality, about human intelligence, about how the mind of a genius works and what is normal and the importance of all this.

- Jenny’s Sick by David Tallerman
A guy discovers that his girlfriend has developed a strange addiction and leaves her, but regrets this and is willing to help her later. Near-future setting, with unusual illnesses and cures.

A Free SF Ebook : Smaller Than Most by Kristine Ong Muslim

2011-11-05T16:56:00.000-07:00

Smaller Than Most is a short collection of flash fiction, with some very bizarre and surreal sci-fi and fantasy stories by a very talented author, Kristine Ong Muslim.

You can download the ebook from the Smashwords website.

Good Sci-fi Movies: Sleep Dealer (2008)

2011-11-05T16:53:00.000-07:00

Sleep Dealer is a fascinating sci-fi movie from Mexico by Alex Rivera.

This is a film about a young man from a tiny village, who after the death of his father, goes to a big city to look for a job, with high hopes, and gets introduced to the a high-tech hell of the city dwellers. This is a world he always wished to know more about, but it's one, where with the use of advanced technologies, man is used to the extremes, man is humiliated and his only value is in making profit for the company.

The basic idea makes you think about the movie Surrogates, but it is somehow more realistic and gives you a much better picture of what uses the technologies that are described in cyberpunk novels could really have. It is not about an insanely comfortable lifestyle which allows you to do everything virtually by connecting to some network with some bodily implants. Since this is a Mexican movie, it is focusing more on the new ways of exploitation. It is about poor Mexicans doing all the work in the rich countries via connecting to the network from the distance.

Apart from the thought-provoking parts of the movie, it also has entertainment value. It is also a mystery story and there is also a touching love story in it.

Sleep Dealer is probably one of the best sci-fi movies of recent years. (Trailer.)

Links:

Official site, Wiki, Imdb.

Is It Just Me? Or Is It Nuts Out There? by Whoopi Goldberg

2011-09-27T23:24:00.000-07:00

Hyperion Books (October, 2010)

Whoopi Goldberg had a lead role in some of the best comedies of the 80s and the early 90s, so when I came across her book Is It Just Me? Or Is It Nuts Out There? I immediately decided to get a copy.

This is a book of observations about the lack of respect that you can witness every day, with some humor added. She basically wrote a guidebook on what is acceptable behaviour and what is not at a lot of different places. The list includes for expl. cinemas, theatres, buses, trains, airports, airplanes, hotels, restaurants and workplaces.
The book is a bit didactic, sometimes overly didactic, but at times it is also a bit like watching stand up comedy. She is talking mainly about the US, but most of the thoughtless behaviours that she mentions are a part of everyday life at other parts of the world, too.

She notices that sometimes people just simply do not think that their behaviour can be irritating to others, even though there are many who simply do not care if they become a nuisance or not.
She also suggests giving the book as a present to your inconsiderate friends and family members.
We can all agree that for expl it's better to look at the people you are talking to than looking at your blackberry, but sometimes people need a reminder or two, so this can really be a good a advice and it is also good for the sales.

'Is It Just Me? Or Is It Nuts Out There?' is recommended for both the funny and sad examples that the author collected and also because of her style.

Transformation by Rab Fulton

2011-09-13T05:08:00.000-07:00

Title: Transformation
Author: Rab Swannock Fulton
Genre(s) / Subgenre(s): speculative fiction / a love/ghost story

Here is what I wrote when I first reviewed Rab Fulton's book, Transformation, back in 2006.

"When I started to read Transformation, I only knew that it's a ghost story. I did not know what to expect, as there are so many types of ghost stories. Later, I realized this story is very different from those I've read before.

The main character is a young man called Donnacha who moves to Galway after leaving school, and starts to work as a dishwasher. Transformation by Scottish writer Rab Swannock Fulton is the story of a young man's coming of age, getting to know love and perfection then gradually realizing his life is turning into a nightmare.

The story is set in today's Ireland, which is still not entirely different from the Ireland of the legends, the one with beautiful landscapes, and where one can bump into a ghost any time. The story is well-written and the characters are easy to identify with.

Transformation starts as a tale of romance and hope and turns into a tale of grief and monstrosity. Poetic, mysterious and moving."

At that time Transformation only existed as a web novel, published by the Arts Office of the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUI, G). Since then Rab Fulton has gained a significant readership, partly due to his serialized young adult fantasy novel, the awards he was given, and also due to his popular story telling performances.
This year the novel Transformation also appeared in paperback, so it was high time for me to post this review again.

Links:
About the novel
Rab Fulton on Myspace

The Best SF/F Books I Read Last Year

2011-08-10T15:39:00.000-07:00

I've been plannig to write this for quite some time, but have always forgot it somehow. (It will have to be followed by this year's best reads soon…)

So here is my best of list:

- Audrey Niffenegger: The Time Traveller’s Wife

A tale of time travel which is also a romance novel, a sort of Wuthering Heights for today's reader.

- Philip K. Dick: Blade Runner
One of the best sci-fi novels I have ever read. It's a shame that so many SF fans who love the movie are too lazy to read the book. I'm trying to advertise it to my friends.

- Susanna Clarke: The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories
A collection of fantasy short stories about fairies in Jane Austen's England, with some strong female characters.

- Elizabeth Moon: The Speed of Dark

This is a very intriguing sci-fi novel which is asking questions about the human mind and our concept of intelligence, about tolerance, illness and the meaning of the self.

(It is definitely not for those of you who would like to read about spaceships, guns and things that are blown up.)

- Frederick Pohl: Gateway

I like science fiction with some psychology in it, and I perfectly understand why this became such a classic. A very imaginative piece, great writing.

- The Machineries of Joy by Ray Bradbury

There is no need to explain this.

- Clifford D. Simak: City

A good old-fashioned sci-fi with interesting ideas, well-drawn characters and with some humor.

- Sergey Lukyanenko: Night Watch

A fascinating urban fantasy for you with all sorts of dangerous creatures. Read it if you have the possibility.

- Wolfgang Jeschke: The Last Day of Creation (Der letzte Tag der Schöpfung)

Another classic about war, soldiers, time-travel and this is also an alternative history piece. It is not very fast paced at the beginning, but later you just cannot put it down.

There were two more novels that I wanted to add to this best of list, but those are by Hungarian writers and surely will not be available in English. (I might write about them later, though.)

Some Good Free Reads: Kazohina - A Classic Spec Fic novel From Hungary

2011-07-03T13:24:00.000-07:00

Kazohina by Sandor Szathmari is a classic Hungarian dystopia. It is a bit similar to Huxley's Brave New World, but it was written two years earlier.
Szathmari was mixing SF with satire and the main character is Gulliver who discovers a world that is very stange, sometimes quite mad, but also stangely similar to ours.
You can read the novel online, in English at kevius.com.(You can also find an article about it in English in Wikipedia.)

A poem of mine has appeared in the 10th Anniversary issue of Aoife's Kiss magazine

2011-06-20T14:08:00.000-07:00

Issue 37 of Aoife's Kiss is a double issue and the absolutely awesome cover features Sandy DeLuca's "Lonely Night."

This is a quarterly magazine of fantasy, science fiction, horror, sword & sorcery, and slipstream, which publishes short stories, poems, illustrations, articles, and reviews. Generally, some very intriguing stuff.

The list of contributors includes:
Greer Woodward: In Search Of Flight
Robert J. Sawyer: Star Light, Star Bright
Tyree Campbell: Starlet
Shelly Li: The Architect Of Apathy
J Alan Erwine: R-Complex
Tim McDaniel: A Little Green
D. Moonfire: Best Of Enemies
Kimberly Richardson: Violin
DoA Worrell: The Fermi Paradox
Ramon Rozas III: Night Of The Sevens
Edward Cox: Ideal Village
Dawn Marshallsay: Sleep-Less Highs
Susan E. Curnow: A Gift Horse
Gale Merrick: The Jeweled Necklace Of Ishtar
Keith P. Graham: Carnival Of Blood
Edward W. Robinson: In The Veins Of Arawn
Sam Kepfield: Azaleas
Barbara A. Barnett: The Deepening
poems
Denny Marshall: The Last Ride
Brock Marie Moore: nature, godhood, and the grave
Marsheila Rockwell: The Apprentice Stitchwitch
Bruce Boston: The Music Of Shapeshifters
Yunsheng Jiang: The Last Scene Of Act I
William R. Ford Jr.: The Last Day Of The Grieving Summer
Natasha King: Children Of All Spheres
Terrie Leigh Relf: The Ambassador From Ariadne IV
Brock Marie Moore: Tumble
Marcie Lynn Tentchoff: There Will Be Tea
Daniel Ausema: Spell
Marge B. Simon & Michael Fosberg: Cat Woman
William R. Ford Jr.: For Empire
Linda Ann Strang: Scheherezade Of The Fully Automatic
J. P. Cashla: The Hound
N. R. Allen: The Lamia
JC Crumpton: Another Year Has Passed And Still I Cannot Fly
Ilona Hegedus: After The Fright
Shelly Bryant: In The Goldilocks Zone
flash fiction
K. S. Hardy: Old Man Winter
features
KW Taylor: Science Fiction�s Usefulness As A Tool Of Argument
Jacob Edwards: Milestone Or Millstone � Sam Hignett & Eric Frank Russell
Jacob Edwards Review: Thor

This is quite a list and I'm glad to be on it. Now I'm only waiting for my contributor's copy to arrive. :)

(Btw, "Aoife" is pronounced "EE-fah", and it is Irish for "Eve.")

The magazine is published by Samsdot Publishing. Copies of it can be ordered via the SDP Bookstore.

Dark Highway by Dan Thomas

2011-05-09T00:42:00.000-07:00

Some years ago, I reviewed Dark Highway, a truly entertaining zombie novel, for Novelspot.
It seems to me that zombies are more fashionable nowadays than ever, so it was just the right time for the Kindle edition to come out.
Read my review of this book here.

Publisher: Black Death Books (March 28, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services

Some Good Sci-fi Comedies: AROG and GORA

2011-04-10T10:39:00.000-07:00

AROG is the sequel to the hilarious Turkish sci-fi comedy, GORA (2004) which achieved international success, and not quite without a reason.
The first movie includes scenes parodising a great number of Hollywood movies, and the main character is a brave Turkish carpet salesman who saves the world and the attractive princess. (After being kidnapped and taken to a prison ship by some aliens, one of whom impersonated Prince Charles...)

In AROG (2008), the villains return, and send the hero back in time in order to get rid of him, as their leader still wants to get close to the princess, and all this leads to a lot of advetures in prehistoric Earth.
Whereas GORA is a must-see, the second movie is just funny. Nevertheless, it is still recommended.

Links:
GORA (Trailer, Wiki, Imdb.)
AROG (Trailer, Wiki, Imdb.)

Some Good Free Reads: A funny story by Sheila Crosby

2011-02-19T04:01:00.000-08:00

You can read a hilarious short story, Some Day My Prince Will Go at the Daily Science Fiction website. This is a highly unusual fairy tale, which made me laugh out loud again and again.

Sheila Crosby is a British author who lives in the Spanish Canary Islands. You can find links to many of her short stories and poems on her blog.

A poem of mine appeared in Sounds of The Night

2011-02-09T04:14:00.000-08:00

The Febr issue of Sounds of The Night is out, with a poem of mine in it. (This is issue 8, and the poem's title is 'Enough is Better Than Too Much').
Sounds of the Night features science fiction and fantasy short stories and poetry, with a tad of romance thrown in.
Based on the list of contributors, it seems to be a nice selection. (I can hardly wait to get my contributor's copy).
Sounds of the Night is published by Samsdot Publishing. Copies of it can be ordered via the Genremall.

Some Good Free Reads: While the Waters Nearer Roll by James Dorr

2011-01-30T11:05:00.000-08:00

James Dorr has posted a link to another short story, While the Waters Nearer Roll in his blog. It is worth reading. (This story was published in the Oct, 2007 issue of MAGUSZINE.)
He is the author of two collections by Dark Regions Press (Darker Loves; Strange Mistresses) and one novella. (The latter, The Garden, is available from Damnation Books). His stories and poetry have appeared in many magazines around the world. Visit his blog to read some more.

Some Good Free Reads: With A Rose Between Her Teeth by Valerie Collins

2011-01-30T10:37:00.000-08:00

With A Rose Between Her Teeth is a funny short story about expats in Spain by Valerie Collins. (Click here to download it.) This story is also included in the Writers Abroad Anthology of Expat Stories.
Valerie Collins is co-author of In The Garlic, an English language guide-book to all things Spanish. Her short stories have recently appeared in two antologies and she is working on a novel.

A Poem For Horror Lovers: Trial

2011-01-23T07:29:00.000-08:00

This has been one of my most successful poems so far.
It was voted Nr9 in The Preditors & Editors Readers Poll in 2005.

Trial

Rightful or unjust?
It's the place of claims
and pleas and lies.
Questions reverberate
on the corridors of the mind.
The hall is crowded
and all want to
get into the court room.

It's the place where I defended
rapists, crooks,
the man-eater
and the vivisector.
But who will defend me,
the most terrible monster of all?

A long row of corpses turn up,
they were all called to testify.

© Ilona Hegedus, May 2005
First Published in Whispers of
Wickedness, June 2005.

This poem also appeared in my (self-published) book of genre poetry,Uneartly Companion in 2005.(It's not on sale anymore.)

You Will Find Some Speculative Poetry Here

2011-01-21T16:03:00.000-08:00

I decided to include here some of my previously published poems (SF/F/H).
I was planning to put them onto my website, but then it occurred to me that my blog is also a good place for that. :)

River City: A Series of Good Books For Those Who Like Police Stories

2011-01-20T12:55:00.000-08:00

Do you like books that include loveable characters, heroism, grandeur, humor and crime?
Dead Even, the latest book in Frank Zafiro's fascinating River City series is now available from Gray Dog Press.

This time it's a short story collection, not a novel.
I reviewed the first novel, Under A Raging Moon some
years ago for Novelspot. (Those of you who do not know the series, can read my review of it here.)

New Poems

2011-01-11T04:08:00.000-08:00

A sci-fi poem of mine will appear in Aoife's Kiss in June, and a fantasy poem will be in Sounds of the Night in Febr.

In the meantime, you can read some of my older poems here:
Clarissa,Ruler,Healer, Ghost Story,(these are from 2004 and 2005.) I will revamp the website soon, and I'll include more poems, too.

New Reviews Coming Soon

2011-01-11T03:55:00.000-08:00

I dedided to revive this blog. There will be new blog posts here on books, sf, movies, and sometimes even on tv series and comedy.

You Can Follow Me on Twitter

2011-01-11T03:47:00.000-08:00

I started a Twitter account today.
http://twitter.com/IlonaHegedus

A New Poetry Project

2010-08-12T03:29:00.000-07:00

After a long time, I feel like writing poetry again. The main idea of the so-called project is to write 100 pieces of poetry in 30 days.
The most important part of this is choosing a deadline, just to keep the motivation, (but I do not think this will be very difficult, since I would be writing anyway).

New Poem in NthZine

2010-06-19T06:44:00.000-07:00

A poem of mine, (Me and My Clones) has appeared in NthZine (Issue #5, June/July 2010).
You can download the magazine from the NthDegree website:
http://www.nthzine.com/

Time Flies

2010-02-18T13:21:00.000-08:00

I have not updated this blog for a bit more than two years. Well, that's a long time.

Things I've done:
- living, loving, partying, learning and working...
- reading a lot of books, (contemporary fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and sci-fi classics).
- I wrote a short story, a couple of poems, and lots and lots of blog posts in Hungarian about books and movies.
(I don't think it is worth the time and the energy to translate these to English, but we'll see what the future holds.)

My poetry book is not on sale anymore. (I will soon remove the dead links).

That's all for now.

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-24T03:20:00.000-08:00

Happy holidays to you all and a very, very happy new year!

In The News: Famous Hungarians - WOW

2007-05-27T04:45:00.000-07:00

Just after all the talk of Hungarian-born space tourist Charles Simonyi, we have another big science-related news item to talk about. A Hungarian research team has successfully cloned a bunny last week.

Back Again

2007-05-27T04:44:00.000-07:00

I haven't had much time to post here lately, but I'm planning to make up for it. Soon.

Happy Easter!!

2007-04-09T11:08:00.001-07:00

Another Short Story in Universe Pathways

2007-01-25T15:01:00.000-08:00

My horror story, Lucky Boy has just appeared in
Universe Pathways.
It's in issue 4 of the English version of the mag. (This short story is based on the one in my poem, Trial).
http://www.lulu.com/content/633172

This issue is quite long, check out the contents here.

Updates On My Writing

2007-01-25T14:48:00.000-08:00

I haven't had much time and energy for writing lately, not to mention self-promotion. At least, I got a couple old poems published and two short stories.
I'll soon update my websites, though, and I'm also planning to dedicate more time to writing in the future.
Actually, I've just finished the work on my official website, but I have some problems uploading. (I think this will be resolved in a few days time.)
I'll also make changes to this blog. I'll delete the movie ad, and I'll add the link to my Hungarian blog to the sidebar. I also have a couple of ideas on what to blog about, so visit back soon. :)

No ebook version for the moment

2007-01-25T14:45:00.000-08:00

The ebook version of my book, Unearthly Companion is no longer available. However, you can still buy the paperback version at Lulu.com.

Happy Holidays to you all !!

2006-12-24T03:52:00.000-08:00

A Short Story of Mine in Universe Pathways

2006-11-25T11:00:00.000-08:00

Issue 3 of the English version of Greek magazine Universe Pathways includes one of my short stories.

Universe Pathways is a Greek magazine dedicated to science fiction, fantasy and horror literature, cinema and art.

The magazine also has an English-language version.
Here's the purchase link for this one:
http://www.lulu.com/content/507517

A poem of mine in Wicked Karneval

2006-11-25T10:46:00.000-08:00

Wicked Karneval Issue 7 includes a poem of mine. (She's a Star.) It's a monster story. Creepy, scary, funny and absolutely wicked.
Visit the WK website:
http://www.wickedkarnival.com/

The last issue of Wicked Karnival (130 pages) featuring... Edward Lee - Wrath James White - John Everson- Graham Masterton - Ramsey Campbell - Greg Lamberson and many more...

A magazine full of 'tales that will truly disturb and haunt your soul, forever!'

Voodoo Moon : a Horror Movie Starring Charisma Carpenter

2006-09-14T16:18:00.000-07:00

(Press Release)
From renowned special effects artist Kevin VanHook (I, Robot, Daredevil) comes a new excursion into the beating heart of evil with the October 3 rd DVD release of Voodoo Moon from IDT Entertainment's Anchor Bay Entertainment. Starring Charisma Carpenter (TV's “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel”) and Eric Mabius
(Resident Evil ), Voodoo Moon promises viewers a horrifying journey into the netherworld of satanic rituals and voodoo rites! SRP is $19.98 and pre-book is August 23rd. Distribution pre-book is September 5th.

Twenty years ago, a demonic massacre in a sleepy Southern town left two young siblings as the lone survivors. But for adult Cole (Eric Mabius) and his younger sister Heather (Charisma Carpenter), an obsession with their parents' satanic slaughter has lasted a lifetime. Now through Cole's psychic connection with a group that includes an outlaw biker (John Amos , “The West Wing”, DIE HARD 2: DIE HARDER), a traumatized cop (Jeffrey Combs , RE-ANIMATOR) and a mysterious healer (Dee Wallace , CUJO and THE HOWLING), vengeance is about to take a very unholy turn. Tonight they will all be brought together in a place where depraved secrets are exposed, legions of the damned are unleashed, and the final battle between Good and Evil will be fought beneath the VOODOO MOON…

In addition to his previous visual effects credits, VanHook also wrote and directed the 2005 cult film shocker “The Fallen Ones.”

Viewers will find the following chilling special features on the Voodoo Moon DVD:

* Widescreen Presentation (1.78:1), enhanced for 16x9 TVs
* “You Reap What You Sew” Making-of Documentary
* “Black Magic”: The Stunts, Makeup and Visual Effects of Voodoo Moon featurette
* Deleted Scenes
* Poster and photo gallery
* Trailer

VOODOO MOON
Street Date: October 3, 2006
Pre-Book: August 23, 2006
Catalog #: N2078
UPC: 0-1313-82078-8 3
Run Time: 90 Minutes
Rating: Not Rated
SRP : $19.98

Official site

My Book Reviewed in Calenture

2006-09-03T12:10:00.000-07:00

The latest issue of Calenture, A Journal of Studies in Speculative Verse with its review of my book, Unearthly Companion is now online. Read it here.

Blood Wrestling? Wow.

2006-08-14T03:34:00.000-07:00

I've just read that the world's first ever blood wrestling event will be held at Genghis Con II (in Pittsburgh). Beautiful women (actresses) will be wrestling in stage blood.
How funny is that? I hope the girls will get lots and lots of publicity. They surely deserve it.
Bloodwrestling in bikinis? That must be great fun, both to watch and to do. This is a great idea for a horror con.
More info: www.genghisconpa.com

A Recommended Website: Spoxtalk - Listen On Demand

2006-08-04T09:13:00.000-07:00

This is a new site with lots of radio shows, and all come as free downloads. There's one for sci-fi fans, Sherlyn Meinz reads from "All My Aliens", her Sci-Fi Soap Opera Series.
There are also many other shows on music, history, politics, astrology, news, humor and many more.
Check it out at http://www.spoxtalk.com

Review: Inspirations End and Still My Beating Heart

2006-08-04T09:10:00.000-07:00

Here's my review of Eugie Foster's Inspirations End/Still My Beating Heart (Scrybe Press 2005). It contains two excellent vampire stories.

Xpat interview: Ilona Hegedűs

2006-07-31T10:14:00.000-07:00

Read the interview at Xpatloop. This time it's not even about writing. I was asked about things like jobs, likes, dislikes, travels, Hungary, Budapest, food, etc. and you can also find out about my personal motto, if you read it.

Jane's Game Reviewed

2006-07-19T10:40:00.000-07:00

My review of Mike Philbin's Jane's Game is up at Novelspot.
Read it here This is of interest to horror fans only. Definitely not for the faint of heart.

Ursula Le Guin interview

2006-07-12T02:22:00.000-07:00

I've found this interesting interview at BellaOnline

A Poem of Mine in Universe Pathways

2006-07-08T08:15:00.000-07:00

Issue 2 of the English version of Greek magazine Universe Pathways includes one of my poems (A Dying One). (It's a poem from my book, Unearthly Companion).
You can get a copy of the mag here.

I've Been Interviewed

2006-07-08T04:35:00.000-07:00

Here's the text: Novelspot talks to Ilona Hegedus
http://novelspot.net/node/1970

Vampire Stories by Eugie Foster

2006-07-01T04:37:00.000-07:00

I've just read Inspirations End/Still My Beating Heart by Eugie Foster. This is a chapbook with two vampire stories, good ones, and I'll review this one, too.

Easier to Add Comments

2006-06-29T11:50:00.000-07:00

From now on anyone can leave a comment, there's no need to have a Blogger account. However, there's still word verification, (as this is the way I try to reduce comment spam).

Not Much Happening...

2006-06-29T03:58:00.000-07:00

It's very hot here in Budapest, and I haven't done much lately.
I've read a few books including Mike Philbin's Jane's Game.
I loved that one. (I'll post the link here when my review appears at Novelspot.) I've been reading some blog posts by friends, too, and I received A LOT of emails.
I also wrote a few more poems, and I updated the European Reader website. (There are quite a lot of links to sites with poetry now.) I'm trying to lose weight again. Basically, that's all for now.
Music: Godsmack, Korn .

Recommended Website: Virtual Tour to Machu Picchu

2006-06-29T03:01:00.000-07:00

This is just great. Try it, if you have the time.
Here's the URL:
http://www.mp360.com/index_eng.php

New Links

2006-06-25T02:02:00.000-07:00

Writers and magazines. See my Links page.

Poems by Ian Watson

2006-06-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I met Ian Watson at Gateway Con and he's quite nice. You probably know that he's a science fiction writer.
I read three of his poems, the ones that are included at his website, and they are just great. I know many of you are interested in poetry, so here's the link. You can read the poems here.
Btw, I am just about to read his novel God's World.

Danzig: Albums 6-8

2006-06-15T06:56:00.000-07:00

I've been listening to a lot of Danzig lately. I got the last three albums (Satan's Child, I Luciferi and Circle of Snakes) and I just love them. You can believe me when I say that they are good, as I've been a Danzig fan for more than ten years.
Album 6 and 7 are great and as sexy as ever (esp. No.6.), whereas I was a bit disappointed with album 8, Circle of Snakes, when I first listened to it.
This is the one which is supposed to be the big return to the roots, though at times I feel that the music and the lyrics are just a bit too simple after such poetic ones as those on 4.
However, I realized that my main problem with the album was just that there's a bit less erotica included, at least in the first half of it, than what we are used to from Glenn, our Evil Elvis, who continuously plays the role of the ultimate bad guy, the sort of demonic lover that women like to phantasize about so much. (Yes, they do. Just show me a woman who does not think that Angel or Spike is a hottie. Do you see what I mean? Women are attracted to the Wickham type of characters, and Glenn's roles are just the ultimate wicked ones. You can never know whether he's just thinking of something nasty and exciting or he really wants to do you some harm, but you enjoy to listen to him tremendously.) In addition to that, he has a great voice.
Danzig is a legendary band, so I don't think there's a need for an introduction here. However, if you like metal, but for some reason, still do not know Danzig, do not hesitate to give it a try.
These songs are really dark, outrageous, unique and exciting, and full of, full of energy.
For samples visit the Danzig website:
http://www.danzig-verotik.com

I'll have a poem in Wicked Karnival

2006-06-15T06:14:00.000-07:00

I've just realized, that I've been so busy that I haven't posted anything personal for a while. So I'll try to make up for it.
As for my writing, there was an unfortunate break, but I've just started to write again.
As for getting published, I'll soon have a poem in Issue 7 of Wicked Karnival horror magazine.
Info on the mag at: http://www.wickedkarnival.com/

The Garden : A Horror Movie starring Lance Henriksen, Claudia Christian and Sean Young

2006-06-15T00:33:00.000-07:00

On July 11 th IDT Entertainment's Anchor Bay Entertainment, the acknowledged industry leader in horror DVD programming, presents the DVD premiere of The Garden , the latest exercise in terror from the fertile mind of acclaimed writer/producer Stephen J. Cannell (“The A Team”, “Hunter”, “Profit”, “21 Jump Street”). Starring Lance Henriksen ( Aliens, Near Dark ), Claudia Christian (“ Babylon 5,” The Hidden ) and Sean Young ( Blade Runner, Stripes ), The Garden digs deep into the greatest fears of civilization itself and will take viewers on a mind-bending journey, possibly to the end of times! Seeded with a bushel of value-added bonus features including audio commentary from the director and exclusive behind the scenes footage, The Garden promises a harvest of thrills for the casual and ardent “horror”-ticulturalist! SRP is $19.98 and pre-book date is May 31st.

Sam (Adam Taylor Gordon) is a boy with big problems: he is besieged by nightmares (sometimes religious in nature), he cuts himself and he's recently been released from a mental hospital. When he and his recovering alcoholic father (Brian Wimmer) are involved in an auto accident, they are forced to stay on a ranch owned by the enigmatic Ben Zachary (Henriksen). Soon, Sam's dark visions become frighteningly real. Even Sam's benevolent teacher (Young) gives no comfort. Amid the wheat stalks and horse trails, the dead walk, evil is everywhere and Sam fears that an apocalyptic prophecy might come to pass. Produced by Stephen J. Cannell and Michael Dubelko, directed by Don Michael Paul and written by Samuel Bozzo, The Garden is a provocative horror thriller about the battle for the soul of mankind – waged within all of us.

Anchor Bay has harvested bountiful supply of bonus features for The Garden DVD , including:

* Widescreen Presentation (1.77:1), enhanced for 16x9 TVs
* Audio Commentary with Director Don Michael Paul
* The Garden: Behind-The-Scenes
* Still Gallery
* Lance Henriksen Bio
* Trailer

THE GARDEN

Street Date: July 11, 2006
Pre-Book: May 31, 2006
Catalog #: DV14358
UPC: 0-1313-14358-9 4
Run Time: 92 Minutes
Rating: Not Rated
SRP : $19.98

(I was asked to pass this on as a part of Anchor Bay's grassroots campaign. )

Another Great Review for Unearthly Companion

2006-06-04T02:41:00.000-07:00

This time, at Novelspot. Nancy Louise wrote some really fabulous things about me and my book. Things like 'Nothing is safe from her probing pen. This is one wonderful work that has been printed and has thankfully not been left in the dark drawer.' and also 'Get Unearthly Companion and enjoy the stories. For even better enjoyment, read them out loud.'
Read the review here.
You can buy the book here. (Paperback)

Site Moved

2006-05-25T03:33:00.000-07:00

I moved the English-language site to a new location, (next to the Hungarian one, though probably just temporarily).
The URL that takes you there is the same: http://www.ilonahegedus.com

Do not visit my website

2006-05-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

Its traffic has exceeded the limit and it has been shut down. (Temporarily.) Both good and bad. :-)

About the previous post

2006-05-17T09:40:00.000-07:00

Some of you probably noticed that the previous post was a press release. You might find this strange, if you visit this site regularly, as I usually do not include ads or media releases. I included this only because bloggers are contacted as a part of Anchor Bay's grassroots campaign, and I was also contacted. I was asked to pass this on and the movie seemed interesting enough, so I did it.

Cemetary Man Seems Like An Interesting Horror Movie

2006-05-15T12:21:00.000-07:00

Here's Anchor Bay Entertainment's press release on the horror movie Cemetary Man and its DVD release.
(I was asked to pass it on.) It sounds really intriguing.

Great horror films are like zombies – the best ones always come back!

On Tuesday, June 13th, Anchor Bay Entertainment, an IDT Entertainment company, will release the eagerly-awaited U.S. DVD premiere of Cemetery Man , one of the most requested horror titles of the last decade. Revered by consumers and industry critics alike for releasing classic and cult horror films, Anchor Bay continues that tradition for Cemetery Man (aka Dellamorte Dellamore ) with a new anamorphic widescreen transfer, and resurrected with a SRP of $19.98.

Directed by Michele Soavi, Cemetery Man stars Rupert Everett ( My Best Friend's Wedding and the voice of Prince Charming in Shrek 2 ) as Francesco Dellamore, a cemetery caretaker who finds that his seemingly dead-end job has recently become a little harder. Along with his sidekick Gnaghi (Francois Hadji-Lazaro), Francesco spends his days interning corpses and his nights killing “returners” – those who have risen from their grave seven days after burial. Life changes for Francesco when he falls for a beautiful, mysterious widow (Anna Falchi). When fate intervenes, Francesco must choose between Love Eternal and the Living Dead…

Ever since its release in 1994, Cemetery Man has shocked and tickled with its unique balance of the macabre and the comical. Anchor Bay Entertainment dug deep to find bonus features worthy of the film's reputation, including:

Widescreen Presentation (1.66:1), enhanced for 16x9 TVs

Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound

Death is Beautiful: The Making of Cemetery Man featuring all-new cast and crew interviews including director Michele Soavi, star Anna Falchi and more

Michele Soavi Bio

Trailers

Nebula Awards Winners Announced

2006-05-10T03:09:00.000-07:00

The 2006 Nebula Awards winners include Joe Haldeman, Kelly Link, Carol Emshwiller,
and Joss Whedon. Holly Black won the Andre Norton Award which was created for young adult SF/F novels. More info.

Rhysling Nominations Announced

2006-05-10T02:58:00.000-07:00

Nominations for this year's Rhysling Awards for SF, fantasy, and horror poetry have been announced. The list of nominees is a very long one. SFPA publishes a yearly anthology with the nominated poems. Congratulations to all the poets nominated.

Recommended Website: Violette L. Reid's Home

2006-05-09T14:31:00.000-07:00

I know many of you like poetry, so here's another link for you. Visit Violette L. Reid's website. New poetry and short stories are included each month. I've just read that her poetry book, VIOLETTE ARDOR will soon come out.

Recommended short story: The Dragon of Yellow Wood

2006-05-09T14:12:00.000-07:00

This is a fantasy story by Bill Snodgrass. It's very different from what I usually read and recommend to you, but check it out and see if you like it.

Under A Raging Moon Reviewed

2006-04-28T15:09:00.000-07:00

Read my review of Frank Zafiro's crime novel, Under A Raging Moon at Novelspot.
The book will be released in June, but it is well worth waiting for.

A New Domain Name

2006-04-28T15:07:00.000-07:00

It's my name and it's a .com domain name for my website:
http://www.ilonahegedus.com .
(The site remains at the same place, but you can also get to it using this URL.)

A Gallery Added to My Website

2006-04-17T08:39:00.000-07:00

I included two photos and a cover image.

Happy Easter

2006-04-17T08:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter to Everyone!

Contests End

2006-04-17T08:31:00.000-07:00

Two contests have been running simultaneously. One for subscribers of my newsletter and another one for visitors of the TCM Reviews website.
Copies of my book, Unearthly Companion were sent to the winners (Bbbcwebb, Chris and Belinda).

Recommended Novel: Scott Sigler's Earthcore

2006-04-07T02:07:00.000-07:00

Those of you who read these posts a lot and those who have read some of the things I wrote, must know by know that I really like genre-crossing.
For those of you who also like it, I recommend Scott Sigler's work.
He has a free podcast of several of his novels. I listened to
the first one, Earthcore and I really enjoyed it.
It starts as a sort of horror story, then turns into a sort of action/crime, and ends up as science fiction story, and it's really good writing. I still haven't got the paperback version, but I think the podcast was a really good introduction to his writing, as he's a very good performer.
His site is at: http://www.scottsigler.net/ .

Please vote for me at the Locus Poll

2006-04-06T05:15:00.000-07:00

You still have a few more days to vote at Locus Online, where there's also a poetry poll this year.
The voting goes on until April 15. You can find the poetry poll here.

As for the best poem of 2005 cathegory, please nominate a poem of mine, if you think I might deserve it. Here's the list of my published ones.
(Remember, you have to chose from the 2005 column).

Thanks a lot for taking the time to vote,

Ilona

Unearthly Companion Contest at the TCM Reviews website

2006-04-02T05:29:00.000-07:00

Visitors of the TCM Reviews website can win a pdf copy of my book,Unearthly Companion. Details here.

A Poem in Universe Pathways

2006-03-24T12:27:00.000-08:00

A gothic poem of mine, A Dying One has appeared in Greece. It was published in the Greek version of Universe Pathways magazine, though it has not been translated into Greek.
This poem will also appear inthe English-language version of the magazine. (It's a poem from my book, Unearthly Companion).

My Book is No Longer Available at eBookAd

2006-03-24T12:23:00.000-08:00

The ebook version of my book can no longer be purchased at the eBookAd website. (Several authors have experienced difficulties in getting their royalties from that company and I decided not to sell the book there ...)

Confronting The Void Reviewed

2006-03-16T13:25:00.000-08:00

My review of Steve Lazarowitz's science fiction novel Confronting The Void is now up at the Novelspot website. Read it here.
(Keywords: sci-fi, adventure, psychic bond, fears, human psyche .)

Website Revamp

2006-03-16T09:11:00.000-08:00

I've just created a new website. It's still at the old storage space, but it looks much better. URL: http://ilonahegedus.topcities.com
Feel free to send me your comments, (see my email addy below, on the right side.) I'll soon create a Hungarian version, too.

Two More Reviews

2006-03-10T10:19:00.000-08:00

My book has just received two more reviews and both are good ones. Muse Book Reviewer Lea Schizas wrote nice things like 'A great read all around'.
Glenda Woodrum wrote: 'This collection of poems was a true pleasure to read and I recommend it heartily to lovers of genre poetry.'

Another good review for Unearthly Companion

2006-03-09T07:33:00.000-08:00

Ameasha Brown has reviewed my book, Unearthly Companion for Girlposse.com:
'If the reader enjoys the macabre and dark fantasy then I would definitely recommend her book " Unearthly Companion ". '

A New Poem in Night To Dawn

2006-03-08T03:12:00.000-08:00

A vampire poem of mine, Mistress Awaited has just appeared in the in the 2006 Spring issue of Night To Dawn vampire magazine.

A Science Fiction Adventure Reviewed

2006-03-02T02:16:00.001-08:00

I've just read and reviewed Confronting The Void by Steve Lazarowitz for Novelspot. I'll post the link here soon.

Musicals and Science Fiction

2006-03-02T02:16:00.000-08:00

Visit Mike Resnick's blog for an interesting article on the subject.

Baker Winners Announced

2006-03-02T02:14:00.000-08:00

Adam La Rusic has won the Baker in the Best Poem for 2005 cathegory ("Jim And The Reaper Grim"). Congratulations, Adam!
See the list of winners in the March Expressions.

Preditors & Editors: TOP 10

2006-02-13T05:45:00.000-08:00

I've just seen the results for The Preditors & Editors Readers Poll 2005, and I'm included in the top 10. Twice. (I'm No 7 in the poet cathegory and No 9 with a poem 'Trial'). European Reader is No 13 in the ezine cathegory, and I am No 22 as ezine editor.

Thanks for all of you who voted for me.

A Free Download for Police Story Lovers

2006-02-13T05:36:00.000-08:00

The first chapter of Frank Zafiro's forthcoming book, "Under A Raging Moon," is now available as a FREE download from his website. (There is also an Audio Book version, narrated by Dan Nachtrab. You can also download the first chapter in mp3 format.) Knowing his earlier works, I'm sure this novel is worth waiting for.

Nominated for the James B. Baker Award

2006-02-10T13:30:00.000-08:00

I'm so glad. My poem, Clarissa has been nominated for the James B. Baker Award in the Best Poem for 2005 cathegory.
This poem first appeared in the in June 2005 issue of Between Kisses, then later in my book Unearthly Companion (October 2005).

A Poem Of Mine Will Soon Appear In Greek

2006-02-06T02:25:00.000-08:00

My gothic poem, a "A Dying One" will be published in Universe Pathways, (in the 3rd issue of the Greek version and in the 2nd issue of the English version of the magazine). It's a poem from my book, Unearthly Companion.

It's Monday Again

2006-02-06T02:14:00.000-08:00

I haven't had a lot of time to post lately, but I think it's time to revive the It's Monday Again column. (On Monday, each week, I used to give an account here of the work done on the previous week. So this is what I'll do.)
I have several new projects, but I'd like to tell you about only one of them, which is really completely new. Several reviewers and readers pointed out, including some writers, that the stories told in my poetry book Unearthly Companion would also make good stories if they were told in prose. I've been thinking about this for a while, and gave it a try yesterday, and I wrote a short story based one of those in the book.
And it felt good. I'm not sure I will create a prose version for all the stories, but I really enjoyed writing this one, and I'd like to do some more.
This one is a horror story and a really creepy one. I hope you'll have the possibility to read it someday.

New Locus Poll for Poetry

2006-02-03T04:09:00.000-08:00

There's a voting going on at Locus Online, and there's also a poetry poll.
https://secure.locusmag.com/2006/Issues/2006PoetryPoll.html

You can vote for the best poem of 2005, and there's also a best speculative poem of all time cathegory. (Some recommended titles are also included.)

This is a new thing and people in SFPA (Science Fiction Poetry Association) are really enthusiastic about it. I also think that it is important to keep this cathegory alive, so please go there and vote, if you have the time.

As for 2005, please vote for a poem of mine, (if you think I might deserve it).
See the list of my published ones here. Some of them are online and you can read them here.

Thanks a lot,
Ilona

The Form Is Not Working

2006-02-03T04:03:00.000-08:00

I have asked you to add a rating to my poems, but people keep telling me the form is not working. I was told that this is probably a browser-related problem. (It certainly applies to Firefox and certain versions of IE.)

New Poems and Nice Words

2006-01-20T06:13:00.000-08:00

Two short poems from my book Unearthly Companion have just appeared in the Winter issue of Muses Review. You can read them here. (Please rate them, if you like them.)
Muses Review also wrote some nice things about the book. They call it 'A unique collection of poems for your library.'

Aeon Flux

2006-01-11T01:43:00.000-08:00

I've just seen the movie version of Aeon Flux. It seemed a bit weak at the beginning (simplistic and overly-didactic), but later on I just came to like the characters.
There's some good acting there and there are developments on the part of the characters. People and their situations also turn out to be very different from what it seems at the beginning.
There's a lot of action, and there are definitely some scenes that were made to impress, but many things in them go unexplained. (But I haven't seen the series...) For some of them, you get an explanation later on, though.
There are some action scenes that looked a bit stupid for me, but, on the whole, it was an entertaining movie that was worth watching.

A New Book by Karen Koehler

2006-01-09T02:59:00.000-08:00

The book is entitled The Blackburn & Scarletti Mysteries, Volume I and it's a good one. Read my review of it at the Novelspot website. Here.

Please Vote for Me

2006-01-03T05:32:00.000-08:00

The voting for the Preditors & Editors Readers' Poll award has just started. You can vote for me in the poets cathegory and you can also vote for a poem of mine at the poems page.
'Trial' has already been nominated but you can suggest another one if you like.
(You can also vote for the European Reader website in the following cathegories: nonfiction zine, ezine editor.)
A big big Thank You for your support.

Merry Christmas

2005-12-23T00:56:00.000-08:00

I Got A New Profile Page

2005-12-23T00:52:00.000-08:00

This has been an interesting week. I've been interviewed (twice) and I also got a new Author Profile page at Novelspot. It's here.

Recommended Short Story: Be My Santa Baby by Frank Zafiro

2005-12-20T00:56:00.000-08:00

A new short story by Frank Zafiro, Be My Santa Baby has appeared in Mysterical-E mag's winter issue. Read it here.

End of Contest

2005-12-18T07:39:00.000-08:00

The Unearthly Companion contest has ended at the TCM Reviews website. The winner will soon receive a pdf copy of my book.

2005-12-15T02:07:00.000-08:00

This is me with the book.
See how good it looks. Remember, poetry books
make great Christmas gifts.

European Reader Website

2005-12-12T01:30:00.000-08:00

Check out the brand new European Reader website, a site for readers and writers in Europe and beyond . (I am the editor).

Novelspot Reviewer's Choice Poll

2005-12-12T00:58:00.000-08:00

The new Novelspot poll has just started. You can also vote for your preferred author here. (My choice was Karen Koehler.)