 Mailboxes - Mansions - Memphistopheles
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A finalist in the International Best Book Awards short story collection category, MAILBOXES - MANSIONS - MEMPHISTOPHELES is the first short story collection by Andrew Barger. In the collection he unleashes a blend of character-driven dark tales, which are sure to be remembered. In "Azra'eil & Fudgie" a little girl visits a team of marines in Afghanistan and they quickly learn she is more than she seems. "The Mailbox War" is a deadly tale of a weekend hobby taken to extremes while "The Brownie of the Alabaster Mansion" sees a Scottish monster of antiquity brought back to life. "Memphistopheles" contains a tale of the devil, Memphis, barbeque and a wannabe poet. "The Serpent and the Sepulcher" is a prose poem that will be cherished by all who experience it. "The Gëbult Mansion" recounts a literary hoax played by Andrew on his unsuspecting social networking friends that involves a female vampire. Last, "Stain" is an unforgettable horror story that is uniquely presented backwards or forwards. Experience these memorable stories tonight!
A finalist in the International Best Book Awards short story collection category, MAILBOXES - MANSIONS - MEMPHISTOPHELES is the first short story collection by Andrew Barger. In the collection he unleashes a blend of character-driven dark tales, which are sure to be remembered. In "Azra'eil & Fudgie" a little girl visits a team of marines in Afghanistan and they quickly learn she is more than she seems. "The Mailbox War" is a deadly tale of a weekend hobby taken to extremes while "The Brownie of the Alabaster Mansion" sees a Scottish monster of antiquity brought back to life. "Memphistopheles" contains a tale of the devil, Memphis, barbeque and a wannabe poet. "The Serpent and the Sepulcher" is a prose poem that will be cherished by all who experience it. "The Gëbult Mansion" recounts a literary hoax played by Andrew on his unsuspecting social networking friends that involves a female vampire. Last, "Stain" is an unforgettable horror story that is uniquely presented backwards or forwards. Experience these memorable stories tonight!
Mailboxes - Mansions - Memphistopheles was an award-winning finalist in the short story category of the International Best Book Awards.
Reviews
Amazon Reviewer: I was looking for something to read that wouldn't require the commitment of the traditional novel. And that's when I stumbled over this short story collection. I started reading the first one and was instantly hooked. It reminded me of reading Stephen King when I was younger, the style of the storytelling. And since my time is so limited these days, the short stories more than fulfilled my need for a thriller. Barger excels at character driven stories that revolve around characters created to resemble people we all know. And I think that's part of the draw. In the very first story, I recognized Fudgie, the main character, he was a lot like all of us...seeking to please in a difficult situation and feeling like he didn't fit in. Because of this, I can't wait for the next installment of short stories.
Interview with Andrew Barger
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Q1: Mailboxes - Mansions - Memphistopheles: A Collection of Dark Tales is an interesting title. How did it come about?
A1: When I got finished with my first short story collection I stood back and noticed three overarching devices running through the tales. The three words all began with the letter M and I went for it.
Q2: What about the word Memphistopheles? That's not how I remember Mephistopheles being spelled.
A2: The spell checker must have missed it. And it's in the title. How embarrassing!
Q3: Really?
A3: Memphistopheles is the title of one of the stories in the collection. The story is based in Memphis and I only had to add one letter to Mephistopheles to make it composite of the setting. I can't say much more or it will give away the story.
Q4: So you've coined a term?
A4: (Smiles)
Q5: Did you have input on the cover?
A5: Lots of it, as I always do! It's hard to understand how authors give up control of their cover designs. Many big publishing houses treat the cover as separate from the book. Some designer creates the cover who has never read a page of the book. To me the cover is intricately entwined with the text of the book. They each flow into the other and form each other into one art package. Many times when I am writing a story or novel an ideal picture will pop into my head and I ensure it is included on the cover. Other times, like "The Mailbox War" in this collection, a photograph or object gives me the idea for the story. To me, launching a book with someone else designing the cover is like having a stranger dress me in the morning. They have no idea of my tastes, size, mood, or what I am doing that day. As an artist I would feel awkward having a stranger dress my book. Nine times out of ten they would get the feel and atmosphere of it all wrong. I try to create the total experience.
Q6: Where did the photos of the mailboxes on the cover come from?
A6: My wife is a talented photographer. She did the coffee cup shot on the front of Coffee with Poe: A Novel of Edgar Allan Poe's Life, too. One day we were driving down a country road near the Tennessee - Mississippi border and noticed mailbox after mailbox with lavish contraptions mounted on them to ward off baseball bats. That was the seed for "The Mailbox War." We went back later, and she took photos of some of the best. I really loved the creativity of the owners in trying to protect their mailboxes from being smashed.
Q7: On the cover you also have mansions. One of them looks like an old illustration of the White House.
A7: (Smiles)
Q8: Can you tell us a little bit about the other stories in the anthology besides "The Mailbox War"?
A8: In "Azra'eil & Fudgie" a little girl visits a team of marines in Afghanistan and they quickly learn she is more than she seems. "The Mailbox War" is a deadly tale of a weekend hobby taken to extremes while "The Brownie of the Alabaster Mansion" sees a Scottish monster of antiquity brought back to life. "Memphistopheles" contains a tale of the devil, Memphis, barbeque and a wannabe poet. "The Serpent and the Sepulcher" is a prose poem that will be cherished by all who experience it. "The Gëbult Mansion" recounts a literary hoax played by me on my unsuspecting social networking friends that involves a female vampire. Last, "Stain" is an unforgettable horror story that is uniquely presented.
Q9: It sounds like you posted "The Gëbult Mansion" on Facebook and acted like it was really happening.
A9: I've noticed that a lot of people of social networking sites believe most anything that their friends post, and I am just the type of author to take advantage of it! For weeks I developed the background of the story. They, on the chosen date, I supposedly flew to Michigan to survey an old mansion I had gotten on the cheap during the real estate meltdown. As I "toured" the mansion I posted photos I had taken with my cellphone a few days before. I got all the way through the house and up into the attic where I met my fate. My poor friends got Prose Punked. It's all in the book.
Q10: Your blog is AndrewBarger.blogspot.com. Did you post any of these dark tales to the site?
A10: None of these, but I have others written. You never know. Right now I am counting down the Top 40 ghost stories from 1800-1849 on my blog. I'm posting free links to them. The top ghost stories are included in The Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Ghost Anthology.
Q11: Last question. You have come up with a number of interesting characters in these stories. Which one is your favorite?
A11: Fudgie is one of my favorites for sure. He makes me laugh and yet a part of me really feels sorry for him. The brownie of the alabaster mansion is absurd and though he tries hard to be likeable to those around him, I really despise the guy (in a good way). I also enjoy the passive-aggressiveness of Theo Winterbottom and the ineptitude of Milky in "Stain."
Q1: Mailboxes - Mansions - Memphistopheles: A Collection of Dark Tales is an interesting title. How did it come about?
A1: When I got finished with my first short story collection I stood back and noticed three overarching devices running through the tales. The three words all began with the letter M and I went for it.
Q2: What about the word Memphistopheles? That's not how I remember Mephistopheles being spelled.
A2: The spell checker must have missed it. And it's in the title. How embarrassing!
Q3: Really?
A3: Memphistopheles is the title of one of the stories in the collection. The story is based in Memphis and I only had to add one letter to Mephistopheles to make it composite of the setting. I can't say much more or it will give away the story.
Q4: So you've coined a term?
A4: (Smiles)
Q5: Did you have input on the cover?
A5: Lots of it, as I always do! It's hard to understand how authors give up control of their cover designs. Many big publishing houses treat the cover as separate from the book. Some designer creates the cover who has never read a page of the book. To me the cover is intricately entwined with the text of the book. They each flow into the other and form each other into one art package. Many times when I am writing a story or novel an ideal picture will pop into my head and I ensure it is included on the cover. Other times, like "The Mailbox War" in this collection, a photograph or object gives me the idea for the story. To me, launching a book with someone else designing the cover is like having a stranger dress me in the morning. They have no idea of my tastes, size, mood, or what I am doing that day. As an artist I would feel awkward having a stranger dress my book. Nine times out of ten they would get the feel and atmosphere of it all wrong. I try to create the total experience.
Q6: Where did the photos of the mailboxes on the cover come from?
A6: My wife is a talented photographer. She did the coffee cup shot on the front of Coffee with Poe: A Novel of Edgar Allan Poe's Life, too. One day we were driving down a country road near the Tennessee - Mississippi border and noticed mailbox after mailbox with lavish contraptions mounted on them to ward off baseball bats. That was the seed for "The Mailbox War." We went back later, and she took photos of some of the best. I really loved the creativity of the owners in trying to protect their mailboxes from being smashed.
Q7: On the cover you also have mansions. One of them looks like an old illustration of the White House.
A7: (Smiles)
Q8: Can you tell us a little bit about the other stories in the anthology besides "The Mailbox War"?
A8: In "Azra'eil & Fudgie" a little girl visits a team of marines in Afghanistan and they quickly learn she is more than she seems. "The Mailbox War" is a deadly tale of a weekend hobby taken to extremes while "The Brownie of the Alabaster Mansion" sees a Scottish monster of antiquity brought back to life. "Memphistopheles" contains a tale of the devil, Memphis, barbeque and a wannabe poet. "The Serpent and the Sepulcher" is a prose poem that will be cherished by all who experience it. "The Gëbult Mansion" recounts a literary hoax played by me on my unsuspecting social networking friends that involves a female vampire. Last, "Stain" is an unforgettable horror story that is uniquely presented.
Q9: It sounds like you posted "The Gëbult Mansion" on Facebook and acted like it was really happening.
A9: I've noticed that a lot of people of social networking sites believe most anything that their friends post, and I am just the type of author to take advantage of it! For weeks I developed the background of the story. They, on the chosen date, I supposedly flew to Michigan to survey an old mansion I had gotten on the cheap during the real estate meltdown. As I "toured" the mansion I posted photos I had taken with my cellphone a few days before. I got all the way through the house and up into the attic where I met my fate. My poor friends got Prose Punked. It's all in the book.
Q10: Your blog is AndrewBarger.blogspot.com. Did you post any of these dark tales to the site?
A10: None of these, but I have others written. You never know. Right now I am counting down the Top 40 ghost stories from 1800-1849 on my blog. I'm posting free links to them. The top ghost stories are included in The Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Ghost Anthology.
Q11: Last question. You have come up with a number of interesting characters in these stories. Which one is your favorite?
A11: Fudgie is one of my favorites for sure. He makes me laugh and yet a part of me really feels sorry for him. The brownie of the alabaster mansion is absurd and though he tries hard to be likeable to those around him, I really despise the guy (in a good way). I also enjoy the passive-aggressiveness of Theo Winterbottom and the ineptitude of Milky in "Stain."
Copyright Andrew Barger - All rights reserved.