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Will Viharo
WILL "THE THRILL" VIHARO is a freelance writer and the author of several "gonzo pulp" novels including "A Mermaid Drowns in the Midnight Lounge," "Freaks That Carry Your Luggage up to the Room," "Chumpy Walnut," "Lavender Blonde," "Down a Dark Alley," and the “Vic Valentine, Private Eye” series, the first of which, "Love Stories Are Too Violent For Me," has been optioned for a film by Christian Slater, reissued in 2013 by Gutter Books, which also published the new Vic Valentine novel "Hard-boiled Heart" in December, 2015.
Two science fiction novels, "It Came from Hangar 18" and "The Space Needler's Intergalactic Bar Guide," were written in collaboration with Scott Fulks, who added real science to Will's pulp.
Will's own imprint, Thrillville Press, has issued a three volume anthology series featuring all of his standalone novels called "The Thrillville Pulp Fiction Collection," along with another omnibus called "The Vic Valentine Classic Case Files," which include four novels from the 1990s, "Fate Is My Pimp," "Romance Takes a Rain Check," "I Lost My Heart in Hollywood," and "Diary of a Dick," plus a recent short story, "Brain Mistrust."
More recently published books include the Vic Valentine "Mental Case Files" trilogy comprised of "Vic Valentine: International Man of Misery," "Vic Valentine: Lounge Lizard For Hire," and "Vic Valentine: Space Cadet"; the original story collection "Vic Valentine, Private Eye: 14 Vignettes"; the erotic horror noir novella "Things I Do When I'm Awake"; and a collection of erotic horror noir stories, "VIHORROR! Cocktales of Sex and Death."
Additionally Will has had stories included in a variety of anthologies including "Fast Women and Neon Lights: Eighties-Inspired Neon Noir"; "Mixed Up!"; "Long Distance Drunks: A Tribute to Charles Bukowski"; "Deadlines: A Tribute to William Wallace"; "Dark Yonder: Tales and Tabs"; "Knucklehead Noir" and "Weird Winter Wonderland" (both Coffin Hop Press); and "Pop the Clutch: Thrilling Tales of Rockabilly, Monsters, and Hot Rod Horror."
Viharo's unique brand of "gonzo pulp fiction" combines elements of eroticism, noir, fantasy, and horror. For many years he has also been a professional film programmer/impresario and live music booker. He now lives in Seattle, WA with his wife and cats
Here are some photos from THRILLVILLE'S BEATNIK BASH at The Vortex Room in San Francisco, a perfect match of theme event and venue: 16mm prints of Roger Corman's A Bucket of Blood and Albert Zugsmith's The Beat Generation (both 1959), live "beat" music by Smooth Toad, and cocktails mixed by in-house Vortex curators Scott and Erica. The intimacy of the space suits my new "Chillville" attitude these days. This was one of my final "road shows". Still in the pipeline at this point are a Bob Wilkins Tribute at the Camera 3 in San Jose on July 14; then the following week, our debut at The Roxie in San Francisco on July 22 with the West Coast premiere of Mil Mascaras vs the Aztec Mummy; and finally we host Movie Nite @ Tiki Oasis 10 in San Diego August 21. This will pretty much round out my summer schedule before I settle down to my new gig, Forbidden Thrills @ Forbidden Island (I'm also hosting the postponed Comic Book Superhero Nite there June 10, with more theme nights scheduled, like Spaghetti Western Nite on July 8). I'm getting too old and tired to travel, and frankly, I'd rather be writing anyway. The Thrill is "gone"...cheers.
