Book Of The Half: Star Trek: New Frontier Book 1! - #Writing #Blog #Book #Review

Star Trek: New Frontier Book 1... Definitely worthy of being the book of the half!

Now with Star Trek finally starting to settle in to it's own routine, I thought that I would recommend another Star Trek saga that may have had it's start in the 1990s, but definitely is one that is extremely well worth mentioning here... That is Star Trek: New Frontier Book 1 (1997)! 

You see this awesome story tells the tale of how after an alien empire that was huge collapses, Starfleet sends in one lone ship that is Captain's by a former freedom fighter and his crew to do the best they can to maintain the peace as old rivalries begin to flare! 

This book for all you Star Trek fans is definitely worthy of  being the best book of the first half of 2016!

Five Great Modern Pulps You Are Gonna Love!

Pulp Magazines were and still are great magazines! 

Most people probably don't recognize the pulps for what they were back in the day... Well just a little bit of history...

Pulp Magazines way back in the day were these really inexpensive magazines that a lot of the authors from way back when used to write for, they were cheaply made, and had cheap and easy, and often times very fun stories in them...

Now a lot of these magazines were pretty famous for their science fiction stories... But there were a ton of other great stories from a bunch of different genre's!

Well since about the late 40s/early 50sish, with economic prosperity coming back to the country in a major way, and with the division of resources being more directed back to the United States and all, the concept of the basic pulp magazine has since changed dramatically... But not all together leaving behind the format that made the original pulps so spectacular! And so I thought that you guys might enjoy these five great modern pulps that I know you are going to love!

At number 5: Astounding Tales.

A great pulp magazine who has been entertaining audiences for literally decades!

Number 4: Out Of This World Adventures.

Another great pulp!

3: Terror Tales.

Terror Tales... A classic horror pulp!

At number 2: Horror Stories.

If you're looking for a great horror pulp, then this is definitely one of them!

And last but certainly not least, at number 1: The Magazine Of Fantasy And Science Fiction.

There are a lot of other great pulp magazines, and if you like what you have seen so far, check out what we have to offer on HellsDepot.com, by clicking here: 

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Five Great Star Trek Authors!

These ships may have helped create a sensation both on this big screen and the small screen... But they also did a huge job in making their adventures fun to read as well! 

You know, I know I give a lot of love to Star Trek novels on this site, but it is not entirely unfounded... I mean a lot of people probably think of, 'Star Trek' and think of some sort of... Children's novel right...

Well they are not, they are thoroughly well written, with great engaging story lines... And so I thought that I would give special mention to five authors of Star Trek novels that I really enjoy and hope you might to!

These guys  are people who as it turns out have actually written a lot of Star Trek novels... So when I mention them, I will mention a specific novel that you should start with... Alright... Lets do this!

5. Ira Steven Behr

Ira Steven Behr is some one who has had a long career with, 'Star Trek'! 

Now as it turns out, this guy has had a long and storied career with Star Trek, having written a bunch of episodes for the various series, he also wrote: 'Legends Of The Ferengi', with Robert Hewitt Wolf! 

4. Keith R.A. DeCandido

Another legend in the field of written Star Trek! 

Keith R.A. DeCandido is another prolific writer who has written just a ton of Star Trek novels (as well as novels for other series as well...) But for him I am going to recommend: 'Articles Of The Federation'... Doesn't really have any of the crews from the other shows or movies, but it is still a lot of fun! 

3. Diane Carey

Diane Carey, her Star Trek books are a lot of fun!

Here is an interesting one, Diane Carey has written a ton of Star Trek fiction, and I have to say that her books truly are a lot of fun! And if you are looking for a place to start with her novels, then I do recommend the first Invasion! book, it is a blast! For more info on this novel, click here:

2. Dean Wesley Smith & Kathryn Rusch

Dean Wesley Smith & Kathryn Rusch... Two amazing writers who have produced some great Star Trek books!

The truth is, is there are an awful lot of truly awesome books these guys have written, but if you want to get started with their work... As well as the works of some of these other great authors, then check out the Star Trek: New Earth series, it is pretty awesome! 


1. Peter David

His work on the, 'New Frontier' series is a personal favorite of mine!

To be honest, this guy's work is pretty easy... Check out the, 'New Frontier' series... You won't regret it! 

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Book Of The Month: A Game Of Thrones, By: George R. R. Martin

Sean Bean in season 1 of: 'Game Of Thrones'!

We all know the classic story of the, 'Seven Kingdoms', and the civil war, and the lives of the lead characters from HBO's classic acclaimed TV series, 'A Game Of Thrones'... (Man I can't wait for the series to come back on!) But before this show became so popular, it was originally a book series called, 'A Song Of Ice And Fire' by writer: George R. R. Martin!

Now the interesting thing about this series... (I haven't read all the books, but I was told this,) but I was told that the TV seasons each year follow the books on a slightly differing level... I,e... Season 1 essentially follows book 1, season 2 is a slightly different version of book 2, etc...

And for the month of February I thought that I would recommend the first book in the series, A Game Of Thrones!

A Game Of Thrones... A great TV series is an even better book!

This amazing book, like the first seasons, follows the setup of the series real nice, with, 'Jon Snow' going off to, 'The Wall', the final stages of the plan to bring a, 'Lannister' to the Throne of, 'Westeros', and the beginning of the journey of Daenerys Targaryen, etc...

And the way it is done, the detail makes you feel like you are actually living in the moment, and almost like you are reliving the series for the first time, (even if you haven.t seen the series!)

So check this book out, I think you might like it! And stay tuned for the book of the month for: March!

Four Classic... But Lesser Known DC Comic Book Series That You ShouldEnjoy

Believe it or not, I have not actually done a lot with actual comics... Yeah I know, Comics,  a total no brainer for Hellinspace right? Well the truth is, is when I got started with this site, I had always intended to do so eventually, I just haven't really had the resources to really take advantage of that just yet... I know, 'e-Comics'... right? Well don't worry, those are coming... Till then I thought that I would turn you guys on to: Four Classic... But Lesser Known DC Comic Book Series That You Should Enjoy!

At number 4: The Book Of Fate Series.

At number 3: Dragon Lance Series.

2: Angel And The Ape.

1. Reign Of The Zodiac.

These are just some of the comics that are lesser known in the DC Verse, but still are fun ones, and if any of these covers have caught your interest, then why not check out our selection of comics by clicking: HERE:

Self Publishing... The Wave Of The Future

 Self Publishing may mean any one with a half-baked idea can bang out some non-sense, but it also helps the true talents that are passed over by publishers the opportunity to be writers!

That's right folks... Over the years people from all walks of life that have had an interest in becoming a writer... Like all artistic careers it seems... Have had to make a career of becoming a writer...

Well I will say this... Where as going this route can be extremely lucrative financially, if you think of all of the truly talented writers since the invention of the written word that have been out there that never got publushed for arbitrary reasons... It staggers the mind the true level of literature that could have been entertaining the very soul of culture for at least a millennia!

Now there is an invention that allows people to bypass the publisher and become that famous author you always knew you could be... Through self publishing!

Now you can become a published author at the press of a button!

Nothing is ever surefire, and to be sure, there are inevitably going to be some truly horrifyingly poorly written books that are going to come out, and since you probably won't have the same resources to promote your novel that a publisher does... Well let's just put it this way, 'if it were easy to do... Would it be as much fun?'

I guess basically what I am trying to say to the un-published writer... Stick with it, keep your head down and power through it... And you will make it as a writer, despite what some arbitrary publisher has to say about it!

HELLSDEPOT IS BACK

That's right folks after a long wait and a lot of requests to bring it back, our official store at, HellsDepot.com is not only back with the same great product that the world has come to love during our time on Amazon... But we are embarking on a new realm of expansion!

So set back, and relax, and prepare for some great product at prices so low that you would think you had to sell your soul for them!

HAVE A SPOOKTACULAR CHRISTMAS FROM THE HELLINSPACE TEAM

With Christmas coming up tomorrow we are closing our doors for the rest of the week...

But from everyone here at Hellinspace to all you awesome fiends out there, we would like to wish you a very, 'MERRY CHRISTMAS,' and we look forward to giving you guys the same great reviews and blogs when we come back next week!

The Mixtape... A Fun Addition For A Horror/Sci-fi Story

A tape with many uses...

For those of you who were born in the 1990s, I reckon you may not have heard of, 'The Mixtape'... The Mixtape, (later the, 'Mixed CD', I suspect,) was a tape that people recorded songs on to, to give as gifts to other people.

I suspect that there was many reasons why people gave out mixed tapes, (as party favors, or maybe corporate gifts, or for any number of other reasons...) But the most famous one that I know of, (and this one you might recognize from movies, I know that it is the one that I know of for the most part,) that being when a guy gave a girl he was interested in dating a mixed tape of some of the music that would help sway her in the direction of going out with him.

The way to a girl's heart... Through her favorite music?

 Now you might be wondering why I am mentioning this...

The reason that I am mentioning this is because one of the reasons I started up this site is because I wanted to help writers in their endeavors to go from being amateur, to professional, and it recently dawned on me, that the concept of the, 'mixtape' could be a great addition in to a story!

Now before I go on, let me say this, in movies the, 'mixtape' seems to be mostly used for, 'romantic comedies', but since this is a site for horror and science fiction, I thought that I would do those...

First off, in horror, there is one salient and recognized truth (no matter what the sub-genre or type of script you are writing,) anything and everything can be a weapon, (just imagine Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees throwing the character's mixtape at him or her as he or she flees.)

Trust me when I say, they could and probably will eventually kill some one with a mixtape!

Next off, lets talk about era... The era of the mixtape, (don't know specifically how long, but I have heard of them as far back as the 80s,) but any of these eras that you place your story in, that has the mixtape in it, is a time period were some of the best modern horror/science fiction movie/books have been written... So it goes without saying that having that in play in some capacity should work pretty nicely...

And lastly, I thought that I would mention here the fact that the concept of the, 'mixtape' can be a story in and of itself... Just think, Videodrome (1983)...

If they could do it, it so can you!

There are other uses for it, but I think you get the point, and I do hope that this helps!

Happy Halloween From The Crew At Hellinspace

Michael and his sister are in attendance for this!

We here at Hellinspace.com would like to wish all of you fiends out there a very scary and Happy Halloween! With 2 years under our belt, the crew at Hellinspace are taking off and partying! But check back with us for more of that great content you guys know you love, when we come back on November 1st!

Five Must Have Horror Book Gifts For The Fan In Your Life For Christmas2014

That's right folks, with Christmas fast approaching, I thought that it might be helpful to give you guys a few little suggestions as words of advice when going Christmas shopping this Holiday season for the Horror fan in your life.

So with out further adieu:

5. Twilight, by: Stephenie Meyer:

A best selling Vampire romance novel series that was turned in to an extremely successful horror movie franchise.

Trust me when I say that recommending this novel for anything is not a particularly easy one, but the truth is, is I am sure you have heard of the movie... Well the movie is based on the book, and is one that would be a good gift for a fan of either, or is some one who is in to these types of horror novels.

4. It, by: Stephen King:

Don't let the terrifying clown on the book cover fool you... This book is a lot scarier then the clown is making it out to be!

To be honest with you guys, this novel certainly is not the best of Stephen King's body of works, but if you are looking for something for that Stephen King fan in your life for Christmas, and he or she has not read this one... Then this would be a good one to add to the ole shopping list!

3. The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, by: Robert Louis Stevenson:

One for the Victorian era Horror fan!

Now this one... This one, I am going to say this, this is a fantastic book, but unless your horror fan is in to older novels, then this may not be the one for him...

2. Desperation, by: Stephen King:

Here is a Stephen King book you can really sink your teeth in to!

The reason that I am mentioning both of these... And I am sure that if you get the Stephen King fan in your life a book this year that you are going to get them Desperation... The truth is, is I doubt you will be disappointed, but both books are one's I think the Stephen King fan in your life are going to like!

1. Psycho, by: Robert Bloch

A must for a horror fan!

This book... The movie is epic, the third book is amazing, this book... I haven't read yet... An error I assure you, but despite this fact, I can say that with confidence, the horror fan in your life is going to love this book!

I hope that this list helps when you are making your Christmas purchases this year!

Halloween In Horror Movies... A Great Setting For A Scary Story

Halloween (1978) a true classic with an awesome story setting!

Halloween, now the origins of the actual holiday can actually be traced back to the pagan Holiday of, 'Samhain', a festival that has it's roots in deep mysticism, and with religious overtones that stated in Irish myth that the doors to the world of the Undead are opened and the dead are allowed to come in to our world...

In more modern times, Halloween is still celebrated at the same time, but the truth is, is that it is more of an opportunity at this point for kids to dress up in costumes and head out with their parents for that time honored tradition of, 'trick 'r treating'...

So the question in all of this that I am sure comes to mind for some is, 'why is an event that is meant at this time for the enjoyment of kids, such an awesome setting for horror movies?'

Friday The 13th... A classic horror movie series that is great to watch on, 'Halloween!'

Well first off, in slasher movies, Halloween is a great setting to hide your villain til the bitter end, as most the time in movies, almost all people under the age of 18 are usually in some sort of costume... And continuing on in that logic, another plus point to setting  your story on Halloween is the fact that not only is this holiday already designed to be terrifying, but with the holiday usually being celebrated at night... It is a great creepy setting for either a movie, tv show, or book!

As a side note on this mode, if you are just getting in to writing your first screen play, beware of one problem that can trip you up... That being the fact that even though this is a great setting, it has been done a lot in movies, and it can become to easy to make your movie snippets from other movies... Make your movie as original as possible, and with a setting like one on, 'Halloween', you will almost certainly have a truly classic horror film!

Now there is another side that I wanted to talk about here, and that is the, 'Samhain' angle... The truth is (and I have never quite understood why this is, because it is a fun angle that I think can be a lot of fun to work with,) but Samhain is a Halloween setting that seems to not be used as much in movies set around Halloween...

A scene in Halloween 2 (1981)

If you are writing a movie based in Halloween, try working it around, 'Samhain',  the concept behind this festival, rather or not you intend to embellish it, or stick strictly to the original festival itself can be pretty scary in and of itself, and if used right can be on it's own a movie that will scare the hell out of your  girlfriend/wife, or just be something that, (after being made,) is just something that you and your friends will really enjoy!

Anyway, there ya go, a freebie story idea,  try it out... You might find writing that movie just about as much fun as watching it for the first time after it is made!

Three Of The Earliest Monsters In Movies And The Books They Came From

Believe it or not, most of the monsters that made the modern horror movies what we have all come to love actually did not get there start in the movies... Yeah, it is true! As a matter of fact, I would say that some of the earliest monsters from the movies, actually got their starts in the imaginations of Victorian era authors like, 'Bram Stoker', or , 'Mary Shelley'!

And so I thought that you guys might enjoy this list of: Three Of The Earliest Monsters In Movies And The Books They Came From!

At number 3: Mr. Hyde.

In 1988, Anthony Perkins did a great job portraying Jack The Ripper as being Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde!

Now for most of you out there, you probably know Mr. Hyde from the role that some actor had... And if you are a big enough fan, you might have even seen Anthony Perkins (Psycho) play the role later in life! But before Anthony Perkins and the multitudes of actors that came before and after had the chance to play the role, the character was one of the central figures in the Robert Louis Stevenson novel: The Strange Case Of Doctor Jekyll And Mr. Hyde (1886)!

A truly horrific classic that has helped shape the world of the horror movie!

At number 2: Frankenstein's Monster.

Boris Karloff as, 'Frankenstein's Monster' in probably the most famous big screen adaption of Mary Shelley's novel!

A slightly more used figure in the world of the horror movie, the first time though Frankenstein's monster came to life was not in James Whale's classic movie but in the pages of the novel that had originally been written by Mary Shelley!

The book that the universal classic was made from!

At number 1: Orlok/Dracula.

Believe it or not, before any of these Dracula's came about, Dracula was first seen in the pages of Bram Stoker's original novel!

Most people tend to forget this, but, 'Dracula' was not the first, 'Dracula' movie to come out... No, no, you see, Bram Stoker's estate would not give them the rights to make the movie, so some inventive German Filmmaker decided to try to change just enough of the story so that they could make it... Thus, before Dracula there was Orlok... But before there was Orlok, there was Dracula in literary form!

Five Classic Crossovers Between The Literary World And TV

What I mean by this guys is that over the years it has been well established that authors that have made their careers writing novels, have also some times made the crossover to both Movies and TV shows... A great example of this is, 'Stephen King'... Now Stephen King... A large portion, if not everything he has ever written that has been published has been turned in to a movie (and some of them have been remade a couple of times now!)

But where as the movies have been covered pretty nicely, the work that they have done for actual TV shows (not TV movies) has not been as heavily explored, and so I thought that you guys might find these Five examples to be pretty awesome!

At number 5: R.L. Stine (The Nightmare Room).

R.L. Stine helped create horror novels that kids can enjoy as well!

For more information on R.L. Stine , please check out this scene from the TV show!

At number 4: Richard Matheson (The Twilight Zone).

Richard Matheson... A legend in the field of written horror! 

For more information on Richard Matheson, please enjoy this clip from the episode: Profile In Silver/Button Button, from the 1980s remake series of: The Twilight Zone:

At number 3: Ray Bradbury (The Ray Bradbury Theatre).

Ray Bradbury... One of the most prolific Science Fiction writers of all time! 

This guy wrote for a lot of the Horror/Science Fiction TV series in the 50s/60s, but the one that I thought that you guys would be interested in is this clip from: the Ray Bradbury Theatre!

At number 2: Dean R. Koontz (CHiPs).

Dean R. Koontz... A master of written horror!

Believe it or not, this author who is famous for the horror novels has only written one episode of A TV show, and that is: CHiPs... Unfortunately there does not appear to be a clip available that he wrote, but for your pleasure, the TV intro to: CHiPs!

At number 1: Stephen King (The X-Files).

Stephen King has written for a lot of mediums including books, movies, and TV series as well!

Stephen King had written a lot in a lot of different mediums, but the one that I wanted to mention here is when he wrote the episode, 'Chinga' from: The X-Files: