Michael J Seidlinger Libri

Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things.When you are born, the first thing you do is scream. Be it a response to fear, anger, sadness, or happiness, the scream is a declaration of being alive.The metal vocalist cupping the microphone blares out a deafeningly harsh scream. The drill instructor screams out commands to their soldiers. And then there's the bloodcurdling screams we know from horror films. A scream has many meanings, but it is an instinctive and reflexive action that, at its core, reveals raw emotion.Investigating popular and alternative cultures, art, and science, Michael J. Seidlinger tracks the resonance of the scream across media and literature and in his own voice.Object Lessons is published in partnership with an essay series in The Atlantic .

"The Face of Any Other bravely explores the tenuous personhood of the young and the urban, whose lives grow more ghostly the more they are particularized. Michael J Seidlinger has graced us with a quietly but unsettlingly original novel of the day-by-day slippages from alienation to asphyxiating despair." -GARY LUTZ, author of Stories in the Worst Way

The narrative follows a writer on a quest through New York City, seeking inspiration for his next story. His journey takes an unexpected turn when he encounters Jiro, an enigmatic protester at a restaurant opening. To engage Jiro, the writer falsely claims to be a director interested in showcasing his culinary skills. As their relationship unfolds, the writer confronts the challenges of creativity in a world lacking passion, ultimately exploring deeper themes of authenticity and artistic integrity.

In a provocative twist on the serial killer genre, a forensic science student named Claire becomes entangled with Victor, the Gentleman Killer. Rather than fleeing from danger, she seduces him and keeps him as a secret pet in her apartment. The narrative explores Claire's complex motivations, offering a psychosexual portrait of her obsession with power, performance, and violence. Michael J. Seidlinger crafts a beautifully written thriller that challenges expectations and delves deep into the darker aspects of desire.

What came first, the home or the desire to invade? A seasoned invader with multiple home invasions under their belt recounts their dark victories while offering tutelage to a new generation of ambitious home invaders eager to make their mark on the annals of criminal history. From initial canvasing to home entry, the reader is complicit in every strangling and shattered window. The fear is inescapable. Examining the sanctuary of the home and one of the horror genre's most frightening tropes, Anybody Home? points the camera lens onto the quiet suburbs and its unsuspecting abodes, any of which are potential stages for an invader ambitious enough to make it the scene of the next big crime sensation. Who knows? Their performance just might make it to the silver screen.