Monday, December 12, 2011

Monster Dream

Cool monster dream last night. Lana and I were on vacation, staying in a motel at the outskirts of a large Texas city. I was hungry; she wasn't, so I walked about a dozen blocks to small restaurant. While I was there, Lana actually called me on the store's phone and told me she wanted to go home. As I left the eatery, however, a parade was coming along the main street between me and our motel.

I started trying to find a gap through, when I heard a collective gasp and looked up to see the ball of a water tower flying through the air and then crashing down into some buildings. When I looked behind me I saw massive columns of smoke rising in the distance, and fires burning among the city center's skyscrapers.

The parade was scattering so I ran through the crowd toward our motel. I started along the route I'd come but soon came to a big parking garage that was leveled. I turned into other streets, trying to make my way through, and I knew that whatever the destroyer was it was getting close because debris was flying everywhere. At one point, a giant whip-like tail went whizzing by over my head, shearing off tree tops.

When I found the motel, people were running and screaming, although some were clustered together praying. I started screaming for Lana but there was no answer. I ran inside and down to our room. When I threw open the door, Lana was inside folding clothes with the music turned up really loud. I started yelling at her to "come on, come on". And to "get her shoes." I grabbed her hand and practically dragged her from the room to the outside. Then I woke up.

This dream was almost surely a response to watching the movie "Super-Eight" the other night, although it had elements of "Cloverfield" in it, for sure. I enjoyed!

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Since it's getting close to Christmas, I thought I'd also post my "price list" today. If anyone wants a signed copy of anything I've got around the house, this is the damage. You can email me at kainja at hotmail dot com I hope everyone is having a good December so far.

(2011): Current Prices on Books: Signed copies. (Shipping included inside the USA)

The Talera series: Sword & Planet Fantasy Adventure Series

Swords of Talera -- $12.50
Wings Over Talera -- $12.50
Witch of Talera -- $12.50
All 3 -- $32.00

Bitter Steel: An anthology of Sword & Sorcery short stories. $12.00

Midnight in Rosary: An anthology of Vampire and Werewolf short stories. $12.00

Both anthologies: (Bitter Steel & Midnight in Rosary). $22.00

Cold in the Light: A horror/thriller. $8.00

Wanting the Mouth of a Lover: A collection of vampire haiku. $5.00
Or $4.00 as an addition to any other order.

Write With Fire: A nonfiction guide to writing. $14.00
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29 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Yeah, it sounds like a mixture of those two movies.

Travis Erwin said...

I wonder if writers tend to have more graphic dreams than the general public?

Tom Doolan said...

Wow. I sometimes wish I had vivid dreams like that. but I'm prone to nightmares that I dislike. So, it's probably a good thing I don't.

I may be contacting you shortly about one of your books. :)

Charles Gramlich said...

Alex, exactly so.

Travis Erwin, I don't know. It would be worth a survey to find out.

Tom, Nightmares make for great stories after they are over. While having them they are kind of unpleasant, of course. :)

Paul R. McNamee said...

Gotta respect a man who has a monster dream and enjoys the ride!

Charles Gramlich said...

Paul, always, man.

nephite blood spartan heart said...

I still need to se Super Eight and get a copy of Cold in the Light-I'll be in touch.

Mary Witzl said...

You get the most interesting dreams!

Sometimes I too have had nightmares I don't much like. The kind I really enjoy are the ones that I KNOW are dreams, as they're so obviously fanciful. I can sit back and be entertained, as it were -- until my cat sits on my face and wakes me up.

Oscar Case said...

Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Sylvia Browne where art thou? We need an interpretation of Charles's dream.

Issa's Untidy Hut said...

Excellent dream, Charles - now here's hoping that people all over the world aren't having the exact same dream ...

Deka Black said...

You should follow the tradition and turn this dreams in stories, Charles.

About this dream itself, since taked place in Texas, i think the monster can be a gecko. Btw: Lana is a brave woman. packing while a monster attacks! ;)

Golden Eagle said...

It sounds like a very vivid dream.

Travis Cody said...

I would not like to have such a dream, but then I'm a bit wuss about scary stuff.

Cloudia said...

there's that SF writer imagination



Aloha from Waikiki

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Harry Markov said...

Super 8 was brilliant. I enjoyed and it's rare to see good child actors. I do have to confess that I don't pay much attention to children actors any way, but still.

SIDETRACKING Here. The dream is awesome. I have similar ones, but with zombies.

Prashant C. Trikannad said...

Cool dream, Charles, sounds like a cross between Super 8 and Godzilla. You're a writer and a writer's imagination might have something to do with it.

Charles Gramlich said...

David J. West, since I know you like Monsters I’m sure you’ll probably like Cold in the Light. Both Lana and I thought that Super eight could have been better but it was pretty good.


Mary Witzl, Yeah, I think the fantasy dreams are the most entertaining, although I had an entertaining one last night where I’d written a lot more books than I actually have.


Oscar, I think the interpretation is don’t watch movies like Cloverfield and Super eight unless you want to have dreams about them. :)

Don, indeed so.
Deka Black, I’ve written it down so sections of it will no doubt end up in stories at some point. We went through Texas on our vacation last year so that’s probably how Texas got in there. Lana is a brave woman. She married ‘me’ after all. ;)


The Golden Eagle, enjoyable for sure. After that fact at least.


Travis Cody, it’s only scary until you wake up. Then it’s cool!


Cloudia, it’s always been a part of me. I’m thankful for it. It makes life fun.

Harry Markov, the acting was pretty good, particularly the young woman, I thought. I have had a zombie dream but not in a good while.

Prashant C. Trikannad, I think it is a combination of those stories. CLoverfield is really a Godzilla movie. Godzilla was cooler though,

ivan said...

Durn vivid dream!

I was hooked, from beginning to the denouement!

I too have been having weird dreams, where I somehow absorbed the image of my former wife's paramour--right into my body.

I don't know what it means. A gay streak?
I suppose you, a a psych major, would have an insight. I might have to email you if you still have the same address.

(Hah. If you left out your opening sentence of "Cool monster dream last night", you would have had us convinced that your dream was a real event. Is that how ideas come?

Cheers from Morpheus.
....Or is it Joe the Morph?

Charles Gramlich said...

Ivan, I'm generally of the opinion that only the dreamer is likely to be able to interpret their dreams. Most of my dreams don't have any deep meaning, I think. they are related to things that have happened to me recently and usually I can tell what the sources are.

BernardL said...

Mix up of movies or not, that was a tight dream. There has to be a scene to use in there somewhere. :)

sage said...

neat dream--the calm wife and the chaotic husband (their might be something there!)

Charles Gramlich said...

Bernardl, I've recorded it so that if I need to pick from it at some point I can. Certain images will stay with me for sure.

Sage, I didn't think of it quite that way, but Lana is generally a calmer person than I am, for sure.

Greg said...

nice dream! that sounds pretty cool.

do you have a lot of copies of Cold in the Light left? mind if I post that it's available on my blog?

pattinase (abbott) said...

My monsters are usually family members. And my dreams are much more prosaic. No wonder we write what we write.

Charles Gramlich said...

Greg, I've got quite a few copies of Cold. I just got in an order a couple weeks ago so I have about 20. If you'd like to post about it that would be cool. I'd certainly appreciate it!

Patti, Yes, I see what you mean!

laughingwolf said...

i envy all who recall their dreams, have none of a any for many years...

about this one: main thing is, you got to lana in time....

X. Dell said...

Maybe the dream was a response to a Texas size meal you had the night before?

Actually, dodging monsters while watching a parade is something I do every other day. I wonder why your dreams are so mundane?

Erik Donald France said...

That's a fun dream, for sure. And that's a fine Christmas selection, too ~~

Charles Gramlich said...

Laughingwolf, yes, I'm sure that's why the dream ended at that point. the purpose had been accomplished.

X-Dell, those of us who live ordinary lives must only dream of such excitements as I am sure you enjoy every hour. :)

Erik, yeah, I enjoyed it. Thankee!