Rich and Shane share some random shit they fucking love

Sometimes on the weekends we talk to each other via Slack off and on all day, sometimes talking business and planning strategies, sometimes just bullshitting because we are brothers from different mothers and we have a ton of common interests. And during those bullshit sessions, we often talk about things we love and we thought you might love some of them too, so here we are sharing with a few with you each week. Check back every Sunday for more Slices. Our interests are many and our lists of favorite things are boundless.

Shane’s Picks

“The Yellow Wallpaper”

A short, iconic story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. If you were to ask me to name one tale that was exemplary of women in horror, this is the one that would immediately pop into my mind. It’s a goddamn near perfect, claustrophobic look into misogyny, identity suppression, and madness that has stuck with me for three decades. I’ve read it more than any other story save Jackson’s “The Lottery,” and if you haven’t read it, you really need to unfuck that.

“The Garden of Earthly Delights”

A painting by Hieronymus Bosch. Painted in the year before his death, it is a true magnum opus, an expressively rendered tour-de-force without comparison or competition. A triptych that, from right to left, begins in the Garden of Eden and ends in one of Bosch’s uniquely twisted visions of hell, it’s a painting that, if you let it, will eat you alive, consuming hours of your time as you delve into detail after detail and the layers of hidden meaning gradually reveal themselves to you.

Dark

A Netflix Series. This German horror/sci-fi series came out of left field and threw me for a fucking loop, stomping my beloved Stranger Things into the dirt when it comes to favorite things. And, while many likened it to Stranger Things for adults, that doesn’t really do the thing any justice and anything I say about it here wouldn’t either. Just go watch the fucking thing. Season 2 is coming next month!

“I’m Shipping Up to Boston”

I fucking love Irish punk with a passion and sometimes listen to it all throughout the day. And, along with Flogging Molly, Dropkick Murphys is the band that introduced me to the genre. This particular song and the accompanying video is something I could indulge in all day long on auto-repeat. I could tell you why I love it so fucking much, but why bother when you can just watch the damn thing. Check it out. It’s glorious!

Shadowland

What needs to be said about this amazing fucking book. It’s a surprisingly terrifying coming-of-age story about two boys, Tom Flanagan and Del Nightingale, who spend a summer apprenticed to Del’s uncle, a storied and, as it turns out, terrifying magician. He teaches them dark, better left unknown secrets and shows them terrors beyond their imagining. I’m not going to say much else about it, but I will tell you this: one of these motherfuckers is going to die.

Rich’s Picks

The OA (Season 2) 

I finally got to watch the second season of Netflix’s mind-bending series The OA this past weekend. When the show first debuted on Netflix, it was fairly divisive among viewers. Personally, I loved it. While there were a lot of moments where I had no idea what the hell was going on, I was captivated by the show’s ambitious vision. That being said, this season blows the first one out of the water. It follows the characters from last season and the fallout from the events of the finale, but we also meet a new character private eye Karim Washington. Karim is hired to track down a missing girl that leads him into a strange house and a mysterious online game. I loved the addition of Karim’s character, I feel his storyline helps ground the story while also maintaining the same striking visuals and the unique weirdness of the first season. I’m kind of surprised this show doesn’t get as much buzz among genre fans, but this is a stellar season that doesn’t shy away from its ambitions and complex storytelling. Even if you weren’t a fan of Season 1, I highly recommend giving this season a shot. It continues the series’ mythology, but it’s a totally different beast. While the series may continue to keep its storylines intertwined, I’m excited that it seems the creators are trying to give each season a distinct

The National “Light Years”

Anyone who knows me is well aware of my love of music and my album collection may still out numer even my massive collection of books. The National were a staple of my high school and college years and their songs ended up on countless mix CDs I’ve made over the years. I first discovered them through their breakthrough album The Boxer, which in my opinion, is an absolute indie rock classic. After hearing that album, it changed everything and I’ve been a fan ever since. The band is getting ready to release a new album in a few weeks called I Am Easy to Find and will be accompanied by a 24 minute short film of the same name. To say I’m excited is a severe understatement. “Light Years” is from the upcoming album and I’m assuming the video borrows footage from the film. All I know is the combination of the two mediums makes for a fucking powerful statement and I dare you to watch this and not feel something.

David Joy Where All Light Tends to Go

I read David Joy’s debut a few months ago after my partner in crime Shane raved about his latest, The Line That Held Us. Based off his recommendation and nothing else, I promptly went out and bought all of Joy’s work to date. Since I’m one of those people that feels a compulsion to start from the beginning, I picked up Where All Light Tends to Go first. I ripped through that book in the span of two days and I think my exact words to Shane were, “Hot damn, this book is phenomenal. I think I found my new favorite author.” Not the most eloquent of first impressions, but it doesn’t make it any less true. His Appalachain noir is dark and gritty with characters so vividly portrayed, you’d swear on your life those people exist out their somewhere. Joy’s prose is so damn good, it cuts straight to your soul and leaves an impression that will have you racing to grab the rest of his books. If you’re a fan of crime and noir, Joy’s work is an essential addition to your personal library. Here’s the official synopsis to give you a taste of what you can expect:

Kathe Koja The Cipher

This one feels a bit like I’m cheating since I just posted an article about it last week, but it’s too damn good not to include on our first installment of staff picks. The Cipher has built quite a reputation since it was originally released back in 1991, and for good reason. With The Cipher, Koja crafts a story that is unique, engaging and that shatters genre conventions. When talking about some of the most powerful voices in horror, no list is complete without mentioning Kathe and her work.

Peep Show

I’m an absolute fanatic when it comes to British comedy series and one of the greatest ones I’ve ever seen has to be the influential cult favorite Peep Show. No words I write could ever do this show justice, but I will say Mark and Jeremy’s dysfunctional friendship has produced some of the funniest moments I’ve ever watched on television. You’re mileage may vary, but the black comedy of the Season 4 episode “Holiday” and the infamous dog scene is one of the few comedy episodes that literally made me laugh so hard that I cried. It’s no longer on Netflix, but if you dig British comedy, this show is absolutely worth tracking down.