By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 6/16/2016
It’s been quite a week for master purveyor of words and professional mind f**k*r Chuck Palahniuk. The off the wall comic book sequel Fight Club 2 has a collected edition in stores now. He’s in the final hours of a successful Kickstarter campaign to adapt his novel Lullaby to independent film. If that weren’t enough, he just announced a new […]
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 2/19/2016
The press isn’t allowed at ComicsPRO, but who needs reporters when you have social media? Faith Eein Hicks made a moving speech about Strange Adventures, her local comics shop, and Fight Cub 2 author Chuck Palahniuk charmed people by fighting with them. Here’s a twitter snapshot of what else has been going on, mixed with […]
By: Maryann Yin,
on 12/14/2015
Dark Horse Comics has unveiled the cover for the eighth issue of the Fight Club 2 series. We’ve embedded the full image above—what do you think?
Comics creator David Mack drew this piece. Novelist Chuck Palahniuk wrote the story for this sequel project while artist Cameron Stewart and colorist Dave Stewart collaborated on the illustrations.
The publication date has been scheduled for Dec. 23. Follow this link to check out a variant cover designed by illustrator Steve Morris.
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By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 10/6/2015
UK Comics Shop Orbital hosts a podcast interview series called “Orbital in Conversation.” In the most recent episode, Orbital Events manager Chris Thompson speaks with renowned literary author and current comics scribe Chuck Palahniuk about Fight Club 2 and Palahniuk’s take on the various strengths and weaknesses of the comics medium. If you’re a structural reader, I highly suggest […]
By: Maryann Yin,
on 7/16/2015
By: Maryann Yin,
on 7/8/2015
Dark Horse Comics has announced that Chuck Palahniuk, the novelist behind Fight Club, will be featured as a recurring character in the Fight Club 2 comic series.
Palahniuk will make his first appearance in the third installment. The release date has been set for July 22.
The fourth issue will introduce characters based on the members of Palahniuk’s real life writing group: Chelsea Cain, Monica Drake, Lidia Yuknavitch, Suzy Vitello, and Diana Jordan. That book will be published on August 26.
Palahniuk gave this statement in the press release: “Literary critics claim that Ken Kesey’s mental hospital in Cuckoo’s Nest and Toni Morrison’s plantation in Beloved represent those authors’ post-graduate writing workshops. To prevent anyone from thinking my own workshop is either a support group for the terminally ill or a bare-knuckle mosh pit, I’ve included it in Fight Club 2.”
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By: Maryann Yin,
on 6/24/2015
Who says you can’t talk about the horsing around club? Author Chuck Palahniuk has decided to create a child-friendly version of his beloved novel, Fight Club.
In the video embedded above, Palahniuk drops several expletives while reading a hilarious story about a “horsing around club.” According to Mashable.com, readers “can share all of your favorite Fight Club moments with your children, without fear of scarring them.”
Since May 2015, Palahniuk’s fans have been enjoying the Fight Club 2 comics series. Thus far, two issues have been released. Dark Horse Comics will publish three more installments from July 2015 until September 2015. (via Esquire.com)
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By: Maryann Yin,
on 6/5/2015
We’ve collected the books debuting on Indiebound’s Indie Bestseller List for the week ending May 31, 2015–a sneak peek at the books everybody will be talking about next month.
(Debuted at #3 in Hardcover Fiction) Radiant Angel by Nelson DeMille: “After a showdown with the notorious Yemeni terrorist known as The Panther, John Corey has left the Anti-Terrorist Task Force and returned home to New York City, taking a job with the Diplomatic Surveillance Group. Although Corey’s new assignment with the DSG-surveilling Russian diplomats working at the U.N. Mission-is thought to be ‘a quiet end,’ he is more than happy to be out from under the thumb of the FBI and free from the bureaucracy of office life. But Corey realizes something the U.S. government doesn’t: The all-too-real threat of a newly resurgent Russia.” (May 2015)
(Debuted at #10 in Young Adult) P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han: “Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter. She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever. When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?” (May 2015)
(Debuted at #12 in Hardcover Fiction) Make Something Up: Stories You Can’t Unread by Chuck Palahniuk: “Representing work that spans several years, Make Something Up is a compilation of 21 stories and one novella (some previously published, some not) that will disturb and delight. In ‘Expedition,’ fans will be thrilled to find to see a side of Tyler Durden never seen before in a precusor story to Fight Club.” (May 2015)
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By: The Dot,
on 5/24/2015
Reading the new Chuck Palahniuk collection is like popping that giant zit on your forehead: it's completely gross and full of bodily fluids, but you just can't leave it alone. After finishing, you step back from the mirror — exhausted, ashamed, and totally satisfied. Books mentioned in this post Make Something Up: Stories You Can't... [...]
By: Maryann Yin,
on 4/28/2015
Who says you can’t talk about Fight Club? Dark Horse Comics has unveiled the cover for the first issue of the Fight Club 2 series. Comics creator David Mack drew this piece.
We’ve embedded the full image above—what do you think? Novelist Chuck Palahniuk wrote the story for this sequel project. In an interview with Maxim.com, Palaniuk revealed that he feels “it’s so much fun to be Tyler Durden, to think like that character.”
Artist Cameron Stewart and colorist Dave Stewart collaborated on the illustrations. The publication date has been set for May 27th. Click on these links to check out variant cover designed by Stewart and illustrator Lee Bermejo.
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By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 3/28/2015
A lot of Dark Horse Comics were announced yesterday with opening day at Emerald City Comic Con, but probably none more anticipated than the one we already knew about, Fight Club 2. Saturday morning, Emerald City opened with an hour long discussion dedicated to the upcoming comic form sequel. On the panel: Artist Cameron Stewart, cover artist David Mack, Scott Allie, and of course the creator Chuck Palahniuk.
An insanely packed room at the Washington State Convention Center was treated to a preview of the upcoming book right when you walked in the door. As we knew the story picks up years after the events of Fight Club and it looks as though his son has a little bit of Tyler in him. This is also looking like some of Cameron Stewart’s best work, ever.
Dark Horse’s Aub Driver moderates the festivities. Chuck opens up talking about the FCBD issue. “It’ll be the end of the book in graphic novel form.” Allie asked Chuck about the reasoning for doing it as a graphic novel. David Mack and Chuck have been friends since 2006, after he wrote a letter to which he responded with a box of goodies and a letter. They’d been talking about ideas like life, love, and other stuff in the universe. Bendis also had a little bit to do with the genesis. From a dinner party Bendis and Mack hammered the idea of how different publishing comics is.
If Palahniuk was going to talk about Fight Club for the rest of his life then why not do it in a “Lovecraft” fashion and expand the story in two directions. Cameron Stewart came on board after 2013 when he contacted EIC Scott Allie about the book. He adapted one of the later chapters of the novel into a three page comic as proof of concept.
Chuck talked about making Stewart research what he wanted him to draw. In Stewart’s words, it was “deeply upsetting”, though he talked about how that was a good thing with this project. Scott talked about how surrealism was a big part of Chuck’s work and this was the perfect team to do it. A comparison to the last issue of Stewart’s Batgirl, a comparison was even drawn because of Barbra fighting her own mind.
A walk through of the preview interiors was done by the panel. Chuck talked about naming the character Sebastian, because he used every other name he knew in his other fiction work.
We’ll never see GUTS because you can’t literally depict someone being disemboweled.” Cameron Stewart’s work is perfectly cartoony for what the writer wants to depict.
The panel opened up for questions.
ANy other callbacks beyond Marla and Sebastian?
“Yeah”
Gas station worker went back to college?
“I’ll find a place for him now.”
Sebastian’s real name?
“Dealt with in FCBD issue”
Other books in comic medium?
“Invisible monsters by David Mack, Rand done after the Franco movie comes out.”
One of the new stories in Chuck’s upcoming collection will be a girl version of Guts called Cannibal.
what do you prefer, comics or novel?
“Writing a graphic novel is live having a terrific workshop.” Though he’s full of ideas, he doesn’t necessarily know where they’re going to end up.
With that the panel came to an end, we’ll be at the Marvel: Black Vortex to Secret Wars later.
By: Maryann Yin,
on 3/10/2015
Award-winning novelist Toni Morrison has contributed a piece to NEA Arts Magazine. For this issue, every article focuses on the topic of “failure.”
Morrison (pictured, via) feels that “as a writer, a failure is just information. It’s something that I’ve done wrong in writing, or is inaccurate or unclear. I recognize failure—which is important; some people don’t—and fix it, because it is data, it is information, knowledge of what does not work. That’s rewriting and editing.”
Morrison also shares her thoughts on “recognizing when something isn’t working,” “learning not to overdo it,” and “stumbles along the way.” Many writers have publicly expressed similar opinions on failure including Harry Potter series author J.K. Rowling, Fight Club novelist Chuck Palahniuk, and Trigger Warning writer Neil Gaiman. How do you deal with failure?
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By: Maryann Yin,
on 8/4/2014
The Suvudu team wanted people’s thoughts on this question: “Is it right to spoil the movie or TV show if you’ve read the book?” The video embedded above features a few responses from various Comic-Con 2014 attendees.
How does Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk feel about spoilers? He despises them! What about The Maze Runner author James Dashner? He feels that people who wish to avoid spoilers should just read the book “fast.”
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
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By: Dianna Dilworth,
on 3/27/2014
Chuck Palahniuk revealed a photo of his upcoming novel Beautiful You! today on his website. The book’s design takes its inspiration from Andy Warhol.
Doubleday is putting out the book in October. The book is about a sex toy company and boasts the tagline, ”A billion husbands are about to be replaced.” Check out the book’s description:
Penny Harrigan is a low-level associate in a big Manhattan law firm with an apartment in Queens and no love life at all. So it comes as a great shock when she finds herself invited to dinner by one C. Linus Maxwell, aka “Climax-Well,” a software mega-billionaire and lover of the most gorgeous and accomplished women on earth. After dining at Manhattan’s most exclusive restaurant, he whisks Penny off to a hotel suite in Paris, where he proceeds, notebook in hand, to bring her to previously undreamed-of heights of orgasmic pleasure for days on end. What’s not to like? This: Penny discovers that she is a test subject for the final development of a line of sex toys to be marketed in a nationwide chain of boutiques called Beautiful You.
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By: Powell's Staff,
on 3/10/2014
This round of Required Reading is dedicated to the place we at Powell's Books call home: the great Pacific Northwest. Whether you're from the area or you simply appreciate the region for its beauty, history, temperament, or legendary bookstore, these titles will give you a more nuanced understanding of this peculiar corner of the U.S. [...]
By: Powell's Staff,
on 3/10/2014
This round of Required Reading is dedicated to the place we at Powell's Books call home: the great Pacific Northwest. Whether you're from the area or you simply appreciate the region for its beauty, history, temperament, or legendary bookstore, these titles will give you a more nuanced understanding of this peculiar corner of the U.S. [...]
By: Jason Boog,
on 4/18/2013
Do you feel like you have failed to reach readers with your writing? Never give up.
Fight Club and Choke novelist Chuck Palahniuk answered reader questions on Reddit this week. When one reader wrote “It’s rare for a writer’s first book to be as successful as Fight Club was,” Palahniuk clarified and shared some inspiring insight into his career:
Please let me address a misperception. ‘Fight Club’ was a huge failure. Most of the hardcovers were going to be pulped. They were unsold when the movie opened… and then the movie was a flop. It has taken years ( decades ) for the story to build an audience. What’s amazing is that it still resonates for young readers; it’s never become dated. ( he shakes his head in disbelief )
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
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By: Maryann Yin,
on 10/26/2012
What’s your favorite bookstore? My Bookstore: Writers Celebrate Their Favorite Places to Browse, Read, and Shop comes out on November 13th, sharing recommendations from 84 writers.
Published by Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, it features bookstores around the country, including The Strand (New York, NY), Powell`s (Portland, OR) and Porter Square Books (Cambridge, MA). Publishing industry consultant Ronald Rice and “Booksellers Across America” edited the book.
Contributors ranged from John Grisham to Chuck Palahniuk to bookstore owner Ann Patchett. The book also contains illustrations by Leif Parsons, an introduction by Richard Russo and an afterword by Emily St. John Mandel.
You can find all these bookshops and more in our Best Indie Bookstores on Twitter list.
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By: Maryann Yin,
on 10/17/2012
Have you ever written a scary story? In honor of the Halloween season, we are interviewing horror writers to learn about the craft of scaring readers. Recently, we spoke with author Jonathan Maberry.
Throughout Maberry’s career, he has won multiple Stoker Awards for his horror work. Last month, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers released the third installment of the Rot & Ruin series, Flesh & Bone.
He has written for Marvel Comics and published multiple novels for both adults and young-adults. As a nonfiction writer, Maberry has examined topics ranging from martial arts to zombie pop culture. Check out the highlights from our interview below…
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By: Dianah,
on 9/4/2012
Aging porn-queen Cassie Wright plans to retire on a high point by having sex, on film, with 600 men. Yes, the title *is* Snuff, but it's not what you think. Not for the faint-of-heart, the graphic content is raunchy, bizarre, and shocking but also laugh-out-loud-hysterically funny. While Palahniuk can be an acquired taste, he is at [...]
By: James Bernard Frost,
on 5/24/2012
It's been entertaining watching and listening to reviewers talk about Being Flynn, the movie being made from Nick Flynn's novel, which bears the expletive-laden title Another Bullshit Night in Suck City. You can hear annoyance in the reporter's voices, the fact that they're adults that have to tiptoe around Nick Flynn's title, "Ha ha, we [...]
By: Maryann Yin,
on 3/26/2012
Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk survived a freak car accident. According to UPI.com, Palahniuk (pictured, via) was sitting in his car parked on a driveway when a semi trailer hit his vehicle on Friday.
Here’s more from the article: “The semi’s driver took a curve too fast, tipping his trailer. The trailer slid toward Palahniuk’s car and struck the side of it before coming to rest blocking the westbound lanes.”
His car was destroyed, but Palahniuk didn’t go to the hospital. The driver also escaped unharmed, but was ticketed for his negligence. His webmaster tweeted: “Spoke to Chuck last night. He’s fine and is recovering. Thank you all for your well wishes.”
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My name is Mia Lipman, and I never made it through Infinite Jest. In fact, you couldn't pay me enough to read most of David Foster Wallace's fiction to the end.
Go ahead—revoke my literary credentials. I'll pretend to understand. But if I've learned anything from working as an editor and critic for the past dozen years, it's that the world is too rich in great writing for me to finish a book I'm not enjoying. The next one in the stack is always right there, batting its Garamond eyes.
That said: The Cult of DFW has a point. Wallace's writing was rich, his brain a diamond mine, and his early death left a gaping hole in modern thought. Many of his essays were masterful, especially this one, and he was hot in the way a man in coveralls with dirt under his nails can melt college girls into butter and sugar.
I have a bias against footnotes, coupled with an inherent distaste for ponderous tomes that extends to the Russian masters and horrified many of my professors—but that doesn't mean I don't get it. Wallace was a mad genius cut from the classical self-destructive mold. He did what poets seek to do: interpret the intangible in a way the rest of us can't begin to imagine but can immediately recognize. I saw him read once in a church in San Francisco; he looked like a lumberjack and seemed to be gently spoiling for a fight. Nobody could stop staring.
Today would have been David Foster Wallace's 50th birthday, and it's a damn shame he's no longer here to practice his craft. Lord knows his work spoke volumes, even if it didn't always speak to me.
As it happens, another mind bender was born the same day DFW shuffled on this mortal coil: Chuck Palahniuk, who's still very much alive. The author of Fight Club and Damned uses one word for every hundred of Wallace's, but their writing shares an inability to be categorized or, thus far, successfully imitated.
Often hailed by adjectives like "eccentric" and "transgressional," Palahniuk's fiction is so bizarre and otherworldly that I've never quite understood its widespread popularity. Except when he pulls off lines like this: "It's green the way a pool table with green felt looks under the yellow 1 ball, not the way it looks under the red 3."
Again with the poetry. Again with a raised glass, even from those of us who earn our keep by finding chinks in the armor.
Happy 50th, David and Chuck. I don't get it, but I absolutely get it.
By: Maryann Yin,
on 11/28/2011
Readers looking for literary-centric web videos can turn to LiveWriters.com. The site showcases videos spotlighting on authors and books of every genre.
Browsers can find everything from book trailers to recorded interviews. The site’s most recent videos features Chuck Palahniuk reading from Knock, Knock, Paul Zak discussing the origins of morality and Jeffrey Eugenides talking about his latest title The Marriage Plot.
Here’s more from the site description: “LiveWriters is home to video and audio by and about writers of all types and kinds, as well as news, stories, original writing – in short anything that matters to writers, writing and the future of our shared culture. And we believe in a good healthy dose of fun too. Participate, play, share, enjoy.”
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By: Jason Boog,
on 5/8/2008
From the imaginary libraries of Jorge Luis Borges to the books-inside-of-books that obsess Paul Auster's heroes--I've always loved imaginary texts inside fictional worlds.
Novelist Chuck Palahuniuk's book trailer takes literary fakery into low-brow history--introducing a fake porno movie that features fictional characters from his book. The greasy porn stars that populate his novel get full porno treatment--complete with bad special effects, horrible audio and a cheesy soundtrack.
The trailer isn't exactly safe for work, but it raises the question--what would Borges do if he had a book trailer?
If that trailer isn't your cup of tea, you still have to check out the award-winning book review section at Truthdig. Novelist and blogger Mark Sarvas pointed us towards the no-nonsense, well-edited reviews have given me a week's worth of new reading. It's real book love.
Finally, comics editor and mediabistro scribe Danny Fingeroth has collected six years worth of comic book writing advice in a single tome--Best of Write Now. Don't forget to check out our interview with comic strip writer Woody Wilson. (Thanks to the good folks at GalleyCat for the link.)
Still – it’s a fun place to be and Ross’ BOOM party van is always fun.
Hey! That picture is of me – from a brand new baby comic book store in Oakland, CA called Cape and Cowl Comics! Thanks dudes!