Matthew Tait - Different Masks: A Decade in the Dark

It was midway through 2005 when the call came: a group of reviewers (with a professional slant), were being sought by Australian writer Shane Cummings for his emerging dark fiction zine HorrorScope . At this stage, the landscape of horror in Australia was a peculiar one and I was naive to both the level of people in pursuit of the dream and their zealous passion when it came to furthering horror as a serious genre in Australian fiction. The Internet still in a rudimentary stage here was slowly bringing together like-minded individuals under the umbrella of the Australian Horror Writers Association and the auspices of small publishers, like Brimstone Press . To say it had piqued my interest was putting it mildly: for too long I had dwelt in the shadows of being a dark fiction aficionado. In some ways, it was almost taboo to bring up your passion at social gatherings or family functions. Horror (with a staying power in a country like the United States), was not given equal leeway in this small populated metropolis where our biggest writers had always flourished in other genres. But little did I know a giant was about to be awakened ... one with dripping claws and malign intent.

Though my first forays into the reviewing world were hesitant, I took to the medium with unalloyed enthusiasm. Now, finally, I could put forth my obsession for dark fiction knowing there was a listening audience. Before HorrorScop e, coming across reviews for newly released work was a rare phenomenon ... as rare as pulling hens teeth, but now an avenue existed that was updated almost daily by a dedicated team of volunteers who treated the whole endeavour with the same professional attitude you would find in a successful news publication. The year of 2005 saw many personal tragedies unfold, and I am forever grateful to the team and their support during my period of individual transition. Coming home to a doorway piled high with books was the perfect stalwart against a troubled time.

With HorrorScope going from strength to strength in its formative years (and the quality of essays improving), the Internet grew broader ... and in doing so, Australia became more subsumed into the worldwide cyber-community. While this had a generally positive effect overall, it also saw the country lose cohesion somewhat, thus leading to HorrorScope s termination in early 2011. Though it was a tumultuous time here (with Brimstone Press also closing its doors), the compulsion to reach out to readers on a personal level was still strong. And so, after some lengthy email exchanges with David B. Silva (then managing editor for the Hellnotes website and a gifted writer), I made the decision to throw myself headfirst into that particular publication. Although the Australian slant would be somewhat absent, Hellnotes could provide yet another portal of passionate opinion and help me connect with readers on a more global stage. It was another educational era, and one that continued right through 2014, when I decided to focus my reviewing efforts more on the cinematic side of the coin.

And now we come to a more philosophical angle in this introduction. In the process of reading, what are our conscious minds doing? Inhabiting other skins, of course putting on a different mask per se that enables us to see the world through anothers flesh; a voyeurs view of reality that can transform our thinking for better or worse. Its a magical process, I think, and one that encourages empathy and affinity in equal measure a tool for change in any given individual. When reading the stories contained within (or viewing a film), I was putting on a different mask in the hope of being transformed, or wearing anothers skin and coming to know my world more intimately.

Herein these pages are the reviews and essays that span a decade of my time spent at both HorrorScope and Hellnotes . And while some are juvenile in retrospect, all were written in a spirit of communion, of giving the reader an intimate glimpse into a novel, short story or film. If perchance one snatches your attention in a positive light, seek out that persons work and support them. Each day, we all wear masks, and we are all different. And through the medium of novel and film, these are the masks we can ultimately share.

Matthew Tait Adelaide, 2015