Chimp on his Shoulder

Long-time readers will know I've got a story in the upcoming horror anthology In Bad Dreams, edited by Mark Deniz and Sharyn Lilley. Well it appears some character known only as Chuckle Monkey has been popping up on various blogs and trashing the book - even before it's hit the shelves. He specifically targets Mr Deniz for vitriolic criticism.

Well, the hairy rabble-rouser has dropped in today to share his opinions: it's time for a quick round of Simian Says.

~

P: G'day (pri)mate. Neither of my readers get over to Live Journal very often, so in a sentence, who are you?

CM: What do you mean who am I, I thought the world knew that! They can jolly well check out my LJ Chuckle_Monkey and find out can’t they?

P: You're popping up on various blogs to sling ... well, what monkeys sling at the upcoming In Bad Dreams anthology. Why? Just what is your problem with Mark Deniz?

CM: We sling poo… well I sling poo anyway. What is my problem with him? Well apart from him murdering me and then taking my LJ account and making a mockery of it, nothing, nothing at all!

P: Is it that you think you could have done a better job editing the anthology?

CM: Now, that’s not been asked before but I bet I could, you wanna write for me?

P: Probably not - you work with monkeys, you get paid peanuts. Plus it seems to me like Mark and Sharyn have done a pretty decent job. The line up of writers is certainly impressive ...

CM: Well there are some good authors in there, this is true, but I still don’t get why they wanted to work with ‘monkey slayer’.

P: Would it be fair to say then that In Bad Dreams fills you with a sense of horror, dread and perhaps even nausea?

CM: Indeed it does, that would be a perfect description!

P: Job done, then.

CM: Erm … that’s not what I me—

P: Alright, come on, admit it: you're Mark's dark side, aren't you? You're a dessicated corpse dressed in a wig and a frock, locked away in his basement. You know: 'Monkey! Oh God, Monkey! Blood! Blood!'

CM: Are you okay there?

P: Fine. I just really got into researching the book. Maybe I just need a lie down.

CM: Maybe… *backs out slowly*

*****

Well, I hope that clears things up for everyone. If there's a lesson to be learnt: ignore the monkey, buy the book.