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Out of Frame Anthologies
The mind of an artist can be a landscape of imagination and wonder, but when it becomes unbridled, its genius can give into madness. If you were born with a talent for the arts, simply enjoy the world of the artists, or revel in suspenseful and psychological tales, you will find it hard to put this novel down.
In Out of Frame Anthologies, creativity is the thin red string that connects an actor, a novelist, a gallery painter, a surrealist, a creative writer and a sculptor. Six separate tales weaved by six uniquely-styled writers, each examining the darkness of imagination.
Red Hollows by Jack Lothian - In 80’s Hollywood fast and free culture, if an actor wants to retain his popularity, getting in touch with his killer instinct is a must.
Deadline by S. J. Sims - A writer can’t find her killer as writer’s block, a psychological adversary that no writer wants to face, threatens her looming Deadline.
Ouroboros by Rhiannon Robertson - At the brink of artistic corrosion, an artist ingests a Tab of magic that revitalizes his art but may be the gateway to death.
Don’t Call Me Crazy by Sarah Witt - A woman on the path to insanity experiences the ecstasy of art as she observes her alters. Their surreal macabre paintings are stimulating, but the mutilated corpses that they use to paint with electrifies her soul.
There Will Be Cookies by Oneiric Roper - A writer’s group is a place of sharing ideas, receiving feedback, and when this writer sits in the group, Death is there.
Common Clay by John M. Risner - An art student sees clay as a way to escape the perversion of her reality, but there are men in her life that want to destroy her artistic expression.
Following in the tradition of stories featuring tortured artists, like the books, John Fowles’ The Collector, and Stephen King’s The Shining, and also the films, Michael Powell’s Peeping Tom and David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive, Out of Frame Anthologies offers a collection of shocking tales. Are you ready to glean insight into the yin and yang nature of beauty and horror that exists in every artist's conflicted soul? There is no better time than now to submit to Out of Frame Anthologies and immerse yourself in its creative mania.
In Out of Frame Anthologies, creativity is the thin red string that connects an actor, a novelist, a gallery painter, a surrealist, a creative writer and a sculptor. Six separate tales weaved by six uniquely-styled writers, each examining the darkness of imagination.
Red Hollows by Jack Lothian - In 80’s Hollywood fast and free culture, if an actor wants to retain his popularity, getting in touch with his killer instinct is a must.
Deadline by S. J. Sims - A writer can’t find her killer as writer’s block, a psychological adversary that no writer wants to face, threatens her looming Deadline.
Ouroboros by Rhiannon Robertson - At the brink of artistic corrosion, an artist ingests a Tab of magic that revitalizes his art but may be the gateway to death.
Don’t Call Me Crazy by Sarah Witt - A woman on the path to insanity experiences the ecstasy of art as she observes her alters. Their surreal macabre paintings are stimulating, but the mutilated corpses that they use to paint with electrifies her soul.
There Will Be Cookies by Oneiric Roper - A writer’s group is a place of sharing ideas, receiving feedback, and when this writer sits in the group, Death is there.
Common Clay by John M. Risner - An art student sees clay as a way to escape the perversion of her reality, but there are men in her life that want to destroy her artistic expression.
Following in the tradition of stories featuring tortured artists, like the books, John Fowles’ The Collector, and Stephen King’s The Shining, and also the films, Michael Powell’s Peeping Tom and David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive, Out of Frame Anthologies offers a collection of shocking tales. Are you ready to glean insight into the yin and yang nature of beauty and horror that exists in every artist's conflicted soul? There is no better time than now to submit to Out of Frame Anthologies and immerse yourself in its creative mania.
- GenresAnthologies
179 pages, Paperback
Published January 3, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 17, 2020
Living in Los Angeles, I witness no shortage of artists, filmmakers, musicians, writers, and other creatives whose eccentric tendencies and out-of-the-box thinking prompted them as young adults to uproot from their hometowns and congregate here in mass to take a stab at commercial success.
No matter how talented, connected or just-plain-lucky the careers of these bohemian transplants turn out to be, their journey is almost always fraught with peril. More often than not, I watch these artists arrive with high hopes and struggle for years, decades, or even a lifetime to gain some morsel of recognition, let alone a manageable living, from their passionate pursuits.
Even rare stories of a meteoric rise to glassy-eyed stardom often contain important highlights related to inner conflict, moral corrosion, and existential despair. After all, no matter how far one might travel — or committed one might be to make a mark on this world — escape from oneself remains for most of us an elusive mystery; and maybe this is the case even more so for the artist, whose dramatic undertakings appear, at least superficially, unlike the norm.
Thus, for the vast majority who come to Los Angeles, stay, and never attain the twinkling scoop of stardust they sought, they either adjust accordingly and live as satisfying lives as possible, or they transform into hardened cynics. Sometimes compounded by mental illness and substance abuse, but often tied to issues related to their failed path to self-realization, they become strangers far removed from the optimistic youth they were when they arrived.
That’s not to say the arts are not worth the effort or sacrifice; after all, it’s a calling since the first cave paintings and stories told by firelight that stands the test of time. However, the perspective one has to measure personal success as an artist – the view through the frame, so to speak – seems to be key, perhaps, to mitigating the psychological or physical horrors that await.
That’s why reading Out of Frame, a collection of dark stories revolving around creativity and the mythical ‘quest for success,’ was a pleasant reminder of the egotistical pitfalls that lie beyond the romanticized veneer of the artistic life. This assortment of tales was haunting in ways that those who actively use their imagination can easily relate, while those who lack it and pick up the book anyway might find even more cringeworthy — and like the arts themselves — down, dirty, diabolical fun.
No matter how talented, connected or just-plain-lucky the careers of these bohemian transplants turn out to be, their journey is almost always fraught with peril. More often than not, I watch these artists arrive with high hopes and struggle for years, decades, or even a lifetime to gain some morsel of recognition, let alone a manageable living, from their passionate pursuits.
Even rare stories of a meteoric rise to glassy-eyed stardom often contain important highlights related to inner conflict, moral corrosion, and existential despair. After all, no matter how far one might travel — or committed one might be to make a mark on this world — escape from oneself remains for most of us an elusive mystery; and maybe this is the case even more so for the artist, whose dramatic undertakings appear, at least superficially, unlike the norm.
Thus, for the vast majority who come to Los Angeles, stay, and never attain the twinkling scoop of stardust they sought, they either adjust accordingly and live as satisfying lives as possible, or they transform into hardened cynics. Sometimes compounded by mental illness and substance abuse, but often tied to issues related to their failed path to self-realization, they become strangers far removed from the optimistic youth they were when they arrived.
That’s not to say the arts are not worth the effort or sacrifice; after all, it’s a calling since the first cave paintings and stories told by firelight that stands the test of time. However, the perspective one has to measure personal success as an artist – the view through the frame, so to speak – seems to be key, perhaps, to mitigating the psychological or physical horrors that await.
That’s why reading Out of Frame, a collection of dark stories revolving around creativity and the mythical ‘quest for success,’ was a pleasant reminder of the egotistical pitfalls that lie beyond the romanticized veneer of the artistic life. This assortment of tales was haunting in ways that those who actively use their imagination can easily relate, while those who lack it and pick up the book anyway might find even more cringeworthy — and like the arts themselves — down, dirty, diabolical fun.
September 6, 2018
Out of Frame Anthologies is a collection of six haunting and ambitious stories. They each answer the question, what would you do to become successful? Yet each writer has a unique voice and twisted interpretation of the theme. With a mix of horror, guts, mystery and gore, this anthology has a story for the likes of all horror enthusiasts.
The first two stories are Red Hollows by Jack Lothian and Deadline by S.J. Sims. These were similar in premise, but each took their own dark interpretation of the theme. Both were well-written and twisted tales. The third story, Ouroboros by Rhiannon Robertson is a bit different from the first, a little less classic horror and more of a psychological thriller with an ending I didn’t predict. (I’ll save the forth story for last.) The fifth, There Will Be Cookies by Oneiric Roper, was a little slow paced, but was the most introspective story in the anthology with supernatural twists and unpredictable plot. The collection ends with Common Clay by John M. Risner, which contains sexual assault and a well crafted heroine with a secret.
Don’t Call Me Crazy by Sarah Witt is the forth story in the anthology and it stands out from the others, not in terms of plot or premise, but in utter disgusting gore. It’s an unsettling, twisted, vomit-inducing and over the top story of a psychopath. To give you an idea, the term “flesh jigsaw puzzle” was used. If this is your type of horror, buckle up and get ready for a very dark ride into the mind of a killer. If not, I highly recommend skipping this story. It’ll stick with you and haunt not only your nights, but days as well. It’s extremely well written which only paints the scenes more graphically in your mind. For me, it was too much. I like my horror of a different flavor, but if you have a strong stomach, give it a read.
Overall, each story had well crafted characters, conflict and horror. But beware. This anthology isn’t for the light weight horror fan. These tales dig in their claws and don’t let go.
The first two stories are Red Hollows by Jack Lothian and Deadline by S.J. Sims. These were similar in premise, but each took their own dark interpretation of the theme. Both were well-written and twisted tales. The third story, Ouroboros by Rhiannon Robertson is a bit different from the first, a little less classic horror and more of a psychological thriller with an ending I didn’t predict. (I’ll save the forth story for last.) The fifth, There Will Be Cookies by Oneiric Roper, was a little slow paced, but was the most introspective story in the anthology with supernatural twists and unpredictable plot. The collection ends with Common Clay by John M. Risner, which contains sexual assault and a well crafted heroine with a secret.
Don’t Call Me Crazy by Sarah Witt is the forth story in the anthology and it stands out from the others, not in terms of plot or premise, but in utter disgusting gore. It’s an unsettling, twisted, vomit-inducing and over the top story of a psychopath. To give you an idea, the term “flesh jigsaw puzzle” was used. If this is your type of horror, buckle up and get ready for a very dark ride into the mind of a killer. If not, I highly recommend skipping this story. It’ll stick with you and haunt not only your nights, but days as well. It’s extremely well written which only paints the scenes more graphically in your mind. For me, it was too much. I like my horror of a different flavor, but if you have a strong stomach, give it a read.
Overall, each story had well crafted characters, conflict and horror. But beware. This anthology isn’t for the light weight horror fan. These tales dig in their claws and don’t let go.
April 12, 2018
I was kindly approached to complete a review of Out of Frame, and as a horror fan and deranged artist myself I gladly read this collection.
Red Hollows stood out by providing a particularly dark humorist twist on the theme, and There Will be Cookies I felt was the best story containing a little more intrigue and twists compared to the more blood splattered other stories.
Overall the tales were a well written collection, definitely erring on the side of bloody horror (as advertised). My only criticism is perhaps not enough variation across the compilation - most stories fitting into a relatively predictable format of artist + blood and violence = story.
Red Hollows stood out by providing a particularly dark humorist twist on the theme, and There Will be Cookies I felt was the best story containing a little more intrigue and twists compared to the more blood splattered other stories.
Overall the tales were a well written collection, definitely erring on the side of bloody horror (as advertised). My only criticism is perhaps not enough variation across the compilation - most stories fitting into a relatively predictable format of artist + blood and violence = story.
December 25, 2019
I enjoyed the Jack Lothian piece, though I thought his Cronenberg tribute anthology piece was stronger. The others didn't do anything for me.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews