How the hell have none of you tried something like this before?  For as long as it became 'a thing,' I've been a fan of the fake Criterion covers fans have designed.  Not only are many of them hysterical (one of my favorites being Days of Thunder), but some of the artwork is damn good and clearly tops the shitty, uninspired DVD covers studios sleepwalk through.  (example: Scott Pilgrim vs. Scott Pilgrim).  These fans could be working for Criterion with these skills.

But alas, I've never seen a fake Criterion for Fight Club.  Until now...

This was designed by S. L. Jackson.  Here's what he had to say about the design: read more »

Good news for you canucks!  Chuck is taking a trip north of the border to British Columbia for two big reading events for Damned.  Here's the scoop from his Canadian publishers:

British Columbia audiences have been some of the most enthusiastic of Chuck’s past tours so [we're]really excited about these events. In Vancouver he’s returning to the Frederic Wood theatre on UBC campus where he had a now legendary night five years ago sharing the stage with Doug Coupland. And it has been over four years since he has been to Victoria (for RANT) so [we] can’t wait to see what he has in store this time.  Chuck emailed [us recently] and said he was stockpiling some interesting prizes so he could give his Canadian events the “full treatment.”  I didn’t dare to ask…
 

 So without further ado, here are the two dates:

• November 28th - Victoria, BC - *Tickets go on sale 10-18-11 w/ purchase of 'Damned'
• November 30th - Vancouver, BC - *Tickets go on sale 8-26-11!

*For more info, check out our Tour page.  And for pictures from past tours, check out  our Flickr Group!

For three years, Chuck Palahniuk contributed to our ground breaking online Writers Workshop (which he also helped conceive, btw) with 36 writing essays.  These are lessons from a best-selling author on how to improve your craft as a writer... the types of lessons they teach in $20,000+ MFA writing programs.  

To look back and celebrate these exclusive essays, each month we are "unlocking" one and offering it for free on the site.  Normally you would need a Workshop Membership to view these essays, but until you're ready to make that important commitment, we'll offer you one of these a month. 

For August, we have Nuts and Bolts: "Big Voice" Versus "Little Voice."  An interesting character has strong opinions, and voicing them can lend mood and texture to the work, but you can't allow these "Big Voice" rants to eclipse the "Little Voice" needs for descriptive physical action. In this essay, you'll learn to strike that balance.

Read 'Nuts & Bolts: "Big Voice" Versus "Little Voice"

Earlier this week I got an update from Cameron MacLaren, the producer who owns the option on the Invisible Monsters movie adaptation.  Today, Cameron made the news public by way of a newsletter blast.  Check out below for some updates on the production, including someone officially sitting in the director's chair. read more »

Our popular documentary on Chuck Palahniuk, Postcards from the Future is now shipping... with a big fat signature by Chuck right on the cover.  We've got a limited amount of these and once they're gone, they're gone.  So if you haven't seen this documentary yet, now is the time to order this 2-disk DVD set.  If you have seen it, but covet having this signed edition, follow your temptation and click the link below.

Order the Chuck Palahniuk Documentary DVD - Signed Edition

Summary

Postcards From The Future: The Chuck Palahniuk Documentary takes a look at author Chuck Palahniuk ís landmark year of 2003. With back to back books and subsequent tours hitting the public, Chuck ís year was filled with success, controversy, and even phenomena. But what many fans don ít know is that this entire year kicked off with a mysterious conference held on his work in a small town in Pennsylvania.

As guests of the conference, my fellow documentarians and I attended the three day event and captured some of the most exclusive material a fan could hope for. Chuck read from his novels, hosted multiple Q&As, gave an hour long exclusive presentation, participated in a screening of Fight Club, signed books and, best of all, sat down for a very candid one hour interview. But it wasn ít until the days of editing this piece together that followed that we realized the true gift of the conference for Chuck had attended with a very important motive and message for his fans: To evolve a generation of young readers into writers. read more »

Looking for something new from Chuck?  Can't wait until October 18th for the release of Damned?  Well you're in luck, because there's a new short story in the August issue of Playboy. The short is called Romance and here's the official word, straight from the Chuckster's mouth:

The story is called "Romance," and it's the most redemptive story I've ever written.  Look for a good, old-fashioned boy-meets-girl love story culminating in the birth of beautiful babies.  I'll be reading it on tour in October for "Damned."

Gotta say, I'm excited to read this one... the story, not the magazine.  Well, the magazine, yes, but the articles in it.  The articles, dammit!!

You know the drill, folks.  Every month a new book is selected and a new moderator steps up to lead the discussion.  This month, we will be reading and discussing The Tobacco-Stained Mountain Goat by Andrez Bergen.

Purchase 'The Tobacco-Stained Mountain Goat' here!

From the back cover:

 

Cut to Melbourne, Australia–the most glamorous city in the world. It also happens to be the only one left standing, but nevermind that, we’re there now and I’d like you to meet your narrator, a certain Floyd Maquina, a likable chap with one hell of a story to share. See, the powers that be are knuckling down on the Deviant menace that plagues the city, and our boy Floyd’s unknowingly got himself in the thick of it. Cue guns, intrigue, kidnappings, conspiracy and all sorts of general mayhem that make for cracking good headlines.

Does Floyd stop the bad guys? Does he get the girl? Does he make Humphrey Bogart proud? Grab some popcorn and read on.

 

 Check Out Our Book Club

Over the years we've received some great Chuck Palahniuk inspired artwork from fans. Banners, portraits, and of course book covers.  But it's the fans that go the extra mile and actually design the entire dust jacket of their favorite Palahniuk book, that light me up.  Here are three by Ben Perry, as well as an explanation from the designer below.

read more »

We've posted a few of these in the News over the past year.  But now Shortlist.com has big collection of all alternative Fight Club posters designed by fans.  This is a cool collection, yes, but they missed a few great ones.

Here's one of my favorites, which I hadn't yet seen. read more »

Lately, you might have noticed that The Cult has 'Lidia Yuknavitch fever.'  This started as a warm recommendation from Chuck for her stirring and brutal memoir The Chronology of Water.

I've read Ms. Yuknavitch's book The Chronology of Water, cover to cover, a dozen times. I am still reading it. And I will, most likely, return to it for inspiration and ideas, and out of sheer admiration, for the rest of my life. The book is extraordinary. -- Chuck Palahniuk.

We then decided it was time we interview Lidia and we're even pursuing her to possibly host a Workshop for us.

Now St. Helen's Book Shop is doing another one of their wonderful signing promotions.  Lidia will be in there store on June 21st to personally insrcibe and sign all custom orders that St. Helen's receives.  But you have to get your order and inscription in by June 17th.   So hurry and check out this link for details:

Order 'The Chronology of Water,' Signed & Inscribed