Chaosynthesis: Sequence #6.39
“Someone told me once that I belonged in the circus. It’s almost funny. The circus does seem like the place for someone like me. I’ve never really fit in anywhere else.” –Lilac Chambers
(Design by Cottagecore Creations)
October is a time when the festivities, décor, and popular entertainment become instilled with the colors and enthusiasms of its final hours—Samhain, All Hallow’s Eve, Halloween. Some may not even quite realize what they’re celebrating, yet enjoy it for its quirks that elude the rest of the year.
Who doesn’t enjoy tricks and treats? The old man at the end of the road who sits half-drunk and irritable on his front porch with a shotgun and yells at the children to get off his lawn, possibly?
In recent years, a few have mentioned to me that Halloween isn’t safe to celebrate anymore. The question is, what changed, the circumstances or the perception?
There are at least a couple of types of haunted houses, the kind purported to be haunted by the ghosts and energy signatures of those who existed there in the past, and another sort where people dress in scary outfits and face paint and leap out to scream “Waaaaah!” at random intervals. We have a few of both in the surrounding area, though the latter of these only tend to surface during this time of the year, and it has been my experience that those attractions close early here. I don’t always have the time to explore them when the show dies before dark, and as for public Halloween events and parties, I’ve seen much of the same.
Not everyone is into it, that’s clear enough. I can almost hear a collective sigh of relief from that local majority when the first of November arrives, the shelves become full of Christmas decorations, and the imps, ghosts, and vampires scurry back into the shadows.
But we are always here, and those of us carrying that flickering green torch will not be dissuaded by grumbling naysayers shouting at costumed kids or those who gawk and point and whisper of strange behaviors better locked behind the doors of an asylum. Against that noise, I’ve come equipped with a surprise counter-whisper: Behind those cold doors, beyond common sight and sound, celebrations for the shadow season never cease.
Welcome to another October, friends, fiends, readers, and to the Chaos Synthesizer.
New Tales of Terror
Let’s say it together: On the Obscure Symbolism and Lore Associated with the Arcane Manipulation and Distortion of Multiple Energies. This is the actual title of one of my newest short stories, now featured in The Asylum of Terror Volume 2 from Flying Body Press and edited by Bowie Ibarra.
Bordering on dark fantasy, it’s a story I’ve sold to a few different publications over the past years, all of which imploded and were never released. Therefore, while it isn’t a tale I’ve newly written, it might be cursed. If you enjoyed the Southern folklore and cosmic aspects of the Black Carmenia series, you’ll want to check this one out. Get your copy here.
“Murder by Chocolate” appears in Tales from the Lark Side, the new horror comedy anthology edited by Lindsey Goddard. In this story, a pair of homicidal fiends invade a bakery and demand the chocolatiest cake ever.
If you’re down for the laughs and screams, you can find your very own copy of it here.
Nightmare in the Ozarks and Severed Lines
The Nightmare in the Ozarks Film Festival will be held at the City Auditorium in downtown Eureka Springs, Arkansas on October 22-25. The festival offers a showcase of numerous new films spanning the horror genre.
Sponsored by Severin Films, the Severed Lines Writers Workshop will be happening on October 23 at the Osage Creek Lodge in conjunction with the film festival. Here, aspiring writers can gain knowledge and insight from experienced voices in the industry with panels, workshops, and networking opportunities available throughout the day. Tickets are free with any purchase of a film festival pass, but those interested solely in attending Severed Lines can sign up here as well.
One of the largest zombie parades in the country erupts over that same weekend, on October 25. Are you ready for the Zombie Crawl?
Treats
Since the final season of Stranger Things is approaching, Chips Ahoy! released a couple of like-themed variant batches. The first was a mere change in the packaging design, the Stranger Things logo prevalent and the cookies the same as usual, whereas the other variant contained a strawberry filling.
I wasn’t impressed with these. The sweet-yet-artificial flavor of the fruity filling overwhelmed everything else, much like if such a thing as a diet Pop Tart existed. Disappointing.
On the upside, I noticed a supply of Elysian Brewing’s Pumpkin Pack at my local Harp’s grocery store and took quick advantage. Elysian produces a nice selection of pumpkin ales, and my only issue is that this year’s selection didn’t include Dark O’ the Moon Stout, which was the best of the bunch and one of my favorite pumpkin beverages aside from Dogfish Head’s Punkin Ale.
This year’s Pumpkin Pack includes The Great Pumpkin, Punkuccino, and Night Owl. The Great Pumpkin is lighter in color with the pleasant accompaniment of pumpkin spice that doesn’t dominate. Its smoothness belies its status as an imperial ale. Punkuccino is a darker pour, and any traces of pumpkin are faint against the bold coffee profile. It isn’t as heavy as it first appears, and reminds me of the Cowboy Joe Breakfast Stout I sampled at Cellarman’s in Sherman, Texas last year. The third and final inclusion is Night Owl, a standard pumpkin ale, balanced and drinkable, but rather run-of-the-mill as far as pumpkin ales go.
Though I miss Dark O’ the Moon Stout and hope it will return next year, I did enjoy this year’s Pumpkin Pack enough to revisit and grab another. After all, it’s pumpkin time.
The Long Walk
The Long Walk was one of the Richard Bachman books and one of my favorite stories from that segment of Mr. Bachman’s career, tied with Rage, which has not been allowed to return to print for certain understandable though regrettable reasons.
By the way, Richard Bachman is Stephen King.
It’s a character-driven story and isn’t blatant horror in the classic sense, instead detailing the horrors of human government and society, in addition to that of sheer physical limitations, and the film presents from an angle that resonates with modern situations. There are some definite twists as well, even for those who have already read the original story.
Reports indicate that some early showings of the film offered the unique experience of viewers walking on treadmills for the duration of the movie. This wasn’t my own experience. Instead, we sat in comfortable, adjustable reclining seats and watched the unfortunate group of boys walk a bleak, winding road through the green countryside with guns to their backs until their feet bled.
There is far more to it than that, of course, but the best part of the journey is the unraveling of those details which you’ll just have to witness for yourself.
Events
One event remains for 2025, the Nightmare in the Ozarks Film Festival, where I will be signing books and speaking at the Severed Lines Writers Workshop along with Xavier Poe Kane, Bert Edens, Brad Carter, and others.
A few events linger on the horizon for 2026. I will be returning to Williamsburg and Louisville, and even Pittsburgh, with other appearances to be announced over the months ahead.
October 23-25, 2025: Nightmare in the Ozarks Film Festival and Severed Lines Writers Workshop in Eureka Springs, AR.
February 27-March 1, 2026: AuthorCon VI in Williamsburg, VA.
June 4-7, 2026: StokerCon in Pittsburgh, PA.
July 17-19, 2026: Imaginarium in Louisville, KY.
For more news as it becomes available, watch http://tommybsmith.net.
And as always:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authortommybsmith
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/authortommybsmith
Let the tricks and treats commence. Until the next.
Love and Destruction,
Tommy B.