Charity Novella The Despicable Fantasies of Quentin Sergenov Wins Independent Publisher’s Gold Medal for Horror: "The Despicable Fantasies of Quentin Sergenov, Preston Fassel’s 2021 horror-comedy novella released to help raise funds for The Trevor Project, has won the Independent Publisher’s Gold Medal for Horror.
Set between the mid-90s and early-2000s, the John Waters-inspired story documents the exploits of Quentin Sergenov, a closeted pro-wrestler whose affair with a fellow athlete causes him to be blacklisted from the industry and subsequently transformed into a dinosaur by a collective of mad scientists. After escaping his captors, he decides to try and reintegrate into society in his new form, with disastrous results. The book was released during Pride Month 2021, with 35% of all proceeds going to benefit The Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization that provides suicide prevention services to LGBT+ youth.
Founded in 1996, the Independent Publisher’s Book Award—also known as the IPPY— recognizes works by authors unaffiliated with any of the “Big Five” publishing companies, to “reward those who exhibit the courage, innovation, and creativity to bring about change in the world of publishing.” An official ceremony is held annually in New York City for winners to receive their medals.
“It’s a little surreal to me that this thing actually won,” says Fassel, who initially conceived the story as a way to entertain himself and his brother during walks to-and-from work and college during a period in their youth when they lacked a car. “It all started out as this piss-take on homophobes and bigots we knew in high school, and was really just this insane joke, like, ‘what if John Waters got the money to make a straight-up horror movie?’ Then it evolved into this sort of love letter to all of my pop culture influences and what it felt like to be young and optimistic in pre-9/11 America; I was like twenty at the time and had just gone through my first breakup, and I ended up putting a lot of my regrets and anxieties into it and it got me through. And now it’s won a literary award. I’m really grateful and hope this draws more attention to it and The Trevor Project.”
The book was released by Encyclopocalypse Publications, the independent publishing and audiobook company founded by Mark Miller, former Vice President of Seraphim Films and producer of the Rondo-award winning Nightbreed: The Cabal Cut. “I’d written this thing years ago and would just pull it out at parties to make people laugh,” says Fassel. “Then one day Mark called me up after he’d begun the transition from solely producing audiobooks to publishing original paperbacks as well, and he said, ‘what’ve you got? I’ll publish anything you have for me as long as it’s good.’ And the ‘anything’ part really jumped out at me and I said, ‘Well, there’s this story about a gay dinosaur wrestler…’ And I also told him about Trevor Project and what it meant to me and how I’d like for this to be this sort of ongoing source of donations to them. And ten minutes later I’d sold Quentin. I pulled it out and started revisions on it immediately and here we are.”
The book additionally features unique art by Dallas-based painter Dan Gremminger, who painted an original 20x30 acrylic portrait of “Quentin” which was then digitally scanned and used for the cover image. “I've been developing this painting style over the last few years,” says Gremminger. “The original inspiration was the works of Chuck Close. I have attempted to make this grid style my own by fusing it with my love for screened comic artwork and pixelated computer imagery. These portraits also explore color theory and the ability of the human mind to ‘read’ facial images that are presented in non-representational ways. This style feels ideally suited to portray the protagonist… Quentin's entire world has become a fractured, fragmented place and impossible to look away from.”
The win is unique for Fassel in that it represents his second win for his second book, having also received the 2018 IPPY gold medal for his debut novel Our Lady of the Inferno.
“My third book is coming out in 2023, which I can’t talk about yet. But maybe I can make it a hat trick,” Fassel says.
The Despicable Fantasies of Quentin Sergenov is currently available exclusively through Amazon. Fassel’s other books, Our Lady of the Inferno and the nonfiction Landis: The Story of a Real Man on 42nd Street, a biography of Sleazoid Express founder Bill Landis, are available through Encyclopocalypse via Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, and wherever books are sold.
Follow Preston on Twitter @PrestonFassel
Dan Gremminger’s art can be found at https://beestreetgallery.com/artist/dan-gremminger
Learn more about The Trevor Project at https://www.thetrevorproject.org/ "
To learn more and pick up the novella for yourself, visit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08T1HJ4GV/
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AFTER BLUE: "In a faraway future, on a wild and untamed female inhabited planet called After Blue, a lonely teenager named Roxy unknowingly releases a mystical, dangerous, and sensual assassin from her prison. Roxy (Paula Luna) and her mother Zora (Elina Löwensohn) are held accountable, banished from their community, and forced to track the murderer named Kate Bush down. Haunted by the spirits of her murdered friends, Roxy starts a long journey pacing the supernatural territories of this filthy paradise.
The newest vision from Bertrand Mandico (The Wild Boys) plays like a lesbian El Topo (in space!) with stunning 35mm in-camera practical effects, otherworldly set pieces, and a dazzling score by Pierre Desprats."
THEATRICAL LISTINGS
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THE PREY: LEGEND OF KARNOCTUS: "In the Afghanistan desert, a group of mercenaries out for treasure complete their greatest heist. Seeking refuge from the hunting Taliban in a nearby cave, they are soon joined by retreating US soldiers, and both groups are trapped within by a rocket explosion at the cave’s entrance. The newly joined parties need to work together to find an escape through the labyrinth but soon realize they’re being tracked by a deadly beast that local legend calls Karnoctus; and they have become… the prey."
Studio/Distributor: Lennexe Films
Release Date: June 3 (Theaters), June 7 (Cable), July 7 (Digital)
Rating: NR
Runtime: 93 minutes
Genre: Action, Horror
Director: Eric Hensman and Matthew Hensman
Writer: Matthew Hensman and Gustavo Sainz de la Peña
Cast: Nick Chinlund (Chronicles of Riddick, Con Air), Adrian Paul ("Highlander: The Series"), Kevin Grevioux (Underworld), Fahim Fazli (Argo, Iron Man), Adolfo de la Parra, Justin Arnold, Masika Kalisha, and Danny Trejo (Machete, From Dusk till Dawn).
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OCCUPATION: RAINFALL CHAPTER 2: "Clay Epstein’s Film Mode Entertainment and Luke Sparke’s Sparke Films announce the next feature films in the sci-fi action thriller OCCUPATION: RAINFALL franchise, OCCUPATION: RAINFALL CHAPTER 2 (with CHAPTER 3 already in the works). The film stars Jeremy Piven (Rock n Rolla, Entourage) Casper Van Dien (Starship Troopers), Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica, Van Helsing, Bombshell and the upcoming Step Up: High Water), Liam McIntyre (Spartacus) and Danny Trejo (Machete).
Piven, Van Dien, Helfer, McIntyre and Trejo join the powerful ensemble of returning cast members including the voice of Jason Isaacs, Jet Tranter, Dan Ewing, Zac Garred, Charles Mesure, and Dena Kaplan. Additional casting announcements of both new and returning cast will be announced in the lead-up to filming.
The film is written and directed by Luke Sparke.
“We’re thrilled to be introducing to this highly commercially viable, genre-raising film franchise to the marketplace in Cannes and the multi-project distribution deal between Film Mode and Sparke Films to the world at large. Luke’s ability to execute large scale productions with stellar casts, gripping storylines and top-of-the-line special f/x truly sets Rainfall apart from others,” said Epstein.
"It's been a genuine thrill to see OCCUPATION RAINFALL find its audience as it rolled out around the world. Every day, it finds new fans and the feedback from them has been amazingly supportive. I'm so happy that I can bring my vision for the 'Rainfall Trilogy' to the screens very, very soon. They are bigger, better and bombastic but also uniquely grounded in humanity and what it means to be a member of this planet. Filming these stories back-to-back later this year will be a huge challenge but one I'm excited to deep dive into with the amazing cast and crew we are gathering. It's a celebration of sci/fi!" said Sparke.
“We are thrilled to be continuing the Rainfall saga and introducing the fans to some more memorable and unique characters and landscapes in this next chapter. This film is going to show the world that Sparke Films has taken this whole story to a new level of mind blowing and epic sci fi action and that is just the beginning,” said producers Carly Sparke and Carmel Imrie.
OCCUPATION: RAINFALL CHAPTER 2
Survival or extinction. Following the international success of 'Occupation Rainfall’, comes the continuing chapters of the 'Rainfall' trilogy. Earth’s resistance is thrown into chaos as an ominous new threat ruthlessly hunts down the humans that are left, and any aliens who have joined them. With no clear leader and struggling to find common ground, the resistance finds itself on the brink of destruction. Aboard the Mothership, a group of survivors, plan to strike at the heart of the Alien threat - the Rainfall weapon - as the fate of all life hangs in the balance.
OCCUPATION: RAINFALL CHAPTER 2 will enter pre-production immediately following the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. Filming will take place in Australia starting in the 3rd Quarter of this year. Chapters 2 and 3 are being filmed back-to-back in a custom-built LED volume stage.
Producers are Carly Sparke and Carmel Imrie. Co-Producers are Alex Becconsall, Zac Garred, and Liam McIntyre. Executive Producers are Clay Epstein, Geoff Imrie and Luke Sparke.
Film Mode Entertainment is handling worldwide sales rights."
After spending more than 10 years as a consultant in the tech and entertainment industry, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his interest in horror and sci-fi. Since then, it has grown into an online magazine with a staff of writers that provide daily news, reviews, interviews, and special features.
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