Justin Cronin, author of the post-apocalyptic vampire epic The Passage, will be at BookPeople Saturday, and his breathlessly hyped page-turner is likely to be the book of the summer. A reference to Twilight and current teen-driven vampire craze seems obligatory, but it isn’t all that apt; set in a near-future North America in which Jenna Bush is governor of Texas (a dystopic setup in and of itself, some might say), The Passage stars undead that are vicious, animalistic, mindless—more akin to speedy, glowing, gravity-defying versions of Romero zombies or the viral monsters of Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan’s The Strain. more ›

To commemorate the day on which the pilgrims invented persistence of vision, Hollywood is releasing a whole bunch of movies in the middle of the week. There's a little something for everyone, from horror-thriller to arthouse-biopic to barfbag-melodrama. The Mist After the titular mist engulfs a small Northeastern town, a group of folks trapped in a local supermarket must work together to survive a monster attack. But when the poo hits the fan, the line... more ›

If you're still in college and think you can scare the bejeezus out of someone in 1,000 words or less, the Writers' League of Texas is looking for you. Whether you've got a traditional campfire ghost story, a cutting-edge literary experiment, or anything at all that Stephen King hasn't already done, they want to see it. A $5 entry fee (and $15 student League membership dues) lets you channel your demons onto paper, enter to... more ›

A Fine Frenzy One Cell in the Sea (Virgin Records) What’s mediocrity? It’s Lethal Weapon, George Clooney and the latter day works of Stephen King. It’s not bad, but when faced with other, more appealing and engaging choices, it doesn’t seem quite up to par. That’s mediocrity. That’s One Cell in the Sea. But hey, what is one person’s uninspired ‘eh,’ is another person’s guiding star. You could fall in love with the twinkling pop... more ›

JOSH RITTER What’s The Deal: Josh Ritter graduated from college with a major in American History through Narrative Folk Music, which makes the title of this folk-pop singer/songwriter’s recently released album, The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter, fitting as well as boastful. He can boast all he wants with those hearty lyrics fat with imagery and the voluminous songwriting of this, his fifth album. Comparisons to Bob Dylan as well as John Lennon immediately come... more ›

Want an excuse to toss down yet another of the Alamo's Asian Chicken Salads this weekend? Sample one of these new celluloid delights from Tinseltown. (Hey, Alamo: Bring back the shrimp substitution option! Seriously!) 1408: John Cusack stars as a skeptical debunker of all things haunty who spends the night in a legendary hotel room and finally gets his Western rationality scared right outta him. Made from a Stephen King short story, like all... more ›

Holy smokes! Giant fish on the MTA, Paris Hilton in jail, then out, then in again, Al Gore, goatses, blumpkins, Matt Damon, and baby art critics! It's been a busy week across the Ist-A-Verse, and here's a smattering of what's been going on. In Gothamist's neck of the woods, they found out that many things are possible: A man caught a 40+ pound fish off the Rockaways and took it home on the subway. Graffiti... more ›

There's so much going on across the Ist-a-Verse that it's almost impossible to keep track these days. Fortunately, we do it so you don't have to! Londonist took a walk through Oliver Twist's London, thanks to a gorgeous map layer for Google Earth. They also caught up with modern-day fictional London, with the Fantastic Four and 28 Weeks Later. It was a week of insanity over at DCist. They started the week off with... more ›

9000 miles. 28 days. 11 different locales. 16 cinematic gems. That’s right folks, come July 18th it will be time to break out the adult diapers and the no-doze as you and your cinephiliac friends embark on an epic quest to obtain your next celluloid injection in the form of the Alamo Drafthouse’s third annual Rolling Roadshow Tour. Never mind that at today’s prices the entire circuit will set you back just under twenty five... more ›

There is a lot going on this weekend. And throughout the summer, for that matter. You will be exhausted and needing that loveliest of leisure activities to help you unwind. And soon enough it will be 1,000 degrees outside and you will need something to keep you occupied while you float around at the springs or rest in your pecan tree-shaded hammock. We don't know about you, but our favorite thing to do when... more ›

Apparently when your concert ticket says ALL AGES, it really means that if you are over a certain age you are either A) there with your kid, B) a narc, or C) a pedophile. We guess that’s what happens as you get older; the kids at shows look at you funny as they wonder what category you fall into. It’s strange to be only one of 15 people in a sold-out venue old enough... more ›