This is a relaunch of a thread that just got too long.

I'm hoping that this thread can evolve into an ongoing set of book recommendations.

Post your opinions of whatever scary-themed book you're reading even if you aren't very far into it yet.

I'm reading Bryan Smith's The Freakshow.

I'd quit his earlier House of Blood twice just because I didn't like the writing or where the story was going.

The Freakshow is much better written than House of Blood. Overall it really is a page turner. However I do think that right now there are too many loose threads. I really hope he's able to pull it all together by story's end. Right now I'm not sure what I think.

Finished (and reviewed!) The Freakshow. I'm getting the feeling I'm going to have to reread and edit my review tomorrow. I had a tough time with this one.

On the one hand, there were things I really liked about The Freakshow. The writing was often quite good and Bryan Smith seemed pretty imaginative. On the other hand, the book really got on my nerves and had awful story flow and I'd have a tough time recommending it. You know?

I think I'm still on a horror kick. As I type this Edward Lee's Messenger is catching my eye there on the bookcase. I haven't read one of his books yet. (Reading Lolita in Tehran is also waving at me. Not sure which way I'll swing yet.)

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Jul 16, 2008, 11:59pm.

I am currently reading Gaslit Nightmares, it is a cute little collection Victorian horror. The majority of the stories are not in any other recent collection, and a few of them I have never heard of before.

Hey, Gaslit Nightmares sounds pretty good. Keep us informed of what you think of the stories (if you don't mind).

I think that sounds pretty good, too. I don't easily find Victorian ghost stories I haven't read before...

You know, I picked up Best Ghost Stories of J.S. LeFanu and haven't read it yet. I also want to pick up Best Ghost Stories of Algernon Blackwood and Ghost and Horror Stories of Ambrose Bierce, but haven't yet since I never cracked the J.S. LeFanu book.

I've liked the Victorian ghost stories I've read, but I haven't read enough, that's for sure.

Oh man! I finished Heart Shaped Box (after forgetting it at home while I was away at a conference) and boy, was it good. My official review will be posted soon butin a nutshell, very creepy, very suspensful, and very well written. It really did remind me of the old King stuff, you know lots of character development, pop culture references and really spooky bad guy. I highly recommend it!

I am also now about half way through The Vanishing by Bentley Little, and I'm just not impressed. I should have listened to beeg earlier. I guess I'll finish it anyway.

I'm sorry to hear such bad stuff about The Vanishing. I think that's what has kept Bentley Little from Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Peter Straub hardcover bestseller status.

I think he is a terrific writer. Better than most other horror writers. But the problem is that he is wildly uneven. The Vanishing sounded so promising. I wish it turned out better.

seger--

I have read both the Blackwood and the LeFanu, but my favorite in that vein is by far The Collected Ghost Stories of E.F. Benson.

jseger9000 - I was pleasantly surprised by Gaslit Nightmares, the stories are very good, and I was most happy with the selection of Jerome Jerome. If you are a fan of Victorian horror you will be rolling on the ground laughing your butt off at his story, it actually inspired me to hunt down a collection of his short horror stories.
Other noteworthy's include a story by Robert Chambers, about a certain gentleman who became a bit too enthralled by a book, and a very risque story by Wirt Gerrare that is tame by today's standards but must have been considered a 'behind the curtain' story at the time it was written.

Robert Chambers... didn't he do The King in Yellow or is my memory muddled again?

Edited to say: Doh! about a certain gentleman who became a bit too enthralled by a book - That was one of The King in Yellow stories. I've heard of them but have not yet read them.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Jul 26, 2008, 12:08am.

Yes it is from The King in Yellow, I plan on picking that book up as soon as I get some extra cash, from what I have read so far it looks really interesting.

For now you can (legally) read The King in Yellow online. Having said that, I'd wind up buying it myself as the thought of reading an entire book online (ever for free) just seems, I dunno... less involved.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Jul 26, 2008, 1:02am.

I really don't like to read books online, I am an old-fashioned, need to drag my book with me wherever I go, kind of girl. Speaking of, I am off to start reading Perfume.

I loved Perfume!

I'm reading Renfield right now, while reading it I see the movie Brams Stokers Dracula playing through my mind.

So are you liking it? I hope so since I sorta steered you that way...8^}

yup, it was all you. So far it's pretty good, I'm on page 97, prolly finish it tomorrow. I'll let you know.

Ok, so I'm waaay behind on my TBR pile, mainly because I stumbled across a copy of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer at work. It's not too shabby, imo, but then I love anything vampire-esque (sp??). And, surprisingly, once you get into it, you forget it's around 500 or so pages. However, it definitely could've been whittled down a couple hundred pages; but I'm still interested in reading the other books in this series, as well as the movie coming out.

#3: I've read the Messenger by Edward Lee, but it's been so long that I can't remember if it was really great or kind of "meh." Either way, Edward Lee's always good.

#15: Is that the Perfume book the movie was made into? If so, is it better/worse? I really liked the movie, so I may have to look for a copy.

#20 - Sara,

The Perfume book they were talking about was the one made into a movie. So it was good? I was curious. I've Netflixed the movie.

I'm glad you've read some Edward Lee. I haven't yet. I have Flesh Gothic, The Backwoods and Messenger. Which would you recommend I try first?

I'm about to finish Reading Lolita in Tehran and was looking at either reading one of those Ed Lee books, The Keeper or the uncut version of The Woods Are Dark.

I'm not sure how much this counts, but I recently started Haunted: Tales of the Grotesque by Joyce Carol Oates. So far the couple of stories I've read haven't been out-and-out horror, but they've had some spookiness going.

saraslibrary - I just checked IMDB and it looks like the movie is based on the book. As a book Perfume is a great story, I am not sure how it would translate into a movie - especially the ending. Someone will have to let me know how the movie is - but if you haven't already, you should really check out the book.

Actually, I think Joyce Carol Oates has written some of the most genuinely unsettling horror I've ever read. Some of it is just out-of-left-field weird, but when she's on, she's unforgettable.

#21: Yep, I liked Perfume. :) A couple parts made me roll my eyes (the orgy scene, etc.), but overall it's good. I especially loved the music.

Out of the 3 Edward Lee books you mentioned, I've only read 2: Flesh Gothic and Messenger. It's been so long since I've read the latter, I honestly don't remember much about it. And Flesh Gothic was kind of your run-of-the-mill haunted house. Sorry I couldn't be of any help. :)

#23: Thanks, angelikat. Yeah, I can't compare the two either, so I'll have to do some book hunting. I actually liked the ending to the movie (**Spoiler: Jean kills himself by pouring his perfume on himself and basically feeds himself to a mob**); I'm not sure how different it is from the book.

#22/24: I agree with Bentley. I've read a couple short stories by Joyce Carol Oates, and she can write some creepy, stick-with-you stuff.

Well, I decided to try The Backwoods since that happened to be on the table beside my bed. I haven't started it yet. I'll do that on my break.

I do have to say I'm a sucker for stories of people going into the woods where bad things happen.

Aside from The Backwoods, I also have The Woods Are Dark, Off Season and Offspring. (Jack Ketchum, like Edward Lee is an author that gets some attention and I have not yet tried.)

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Jul 30, 2008, 9:53am.

Well, I'm up to page 24 of The Backwoods and I have to say that I really like Edward Lee's narrative style so far.

I have to say that I haven't been excited about trying his books since from what I've read they are stuffed with porn-y sex (which honestly I kind of like) and gut-bucket violence. Hearing these two elements advertised as his virtues I just expected crappy writing of the Richard Laymon variety. (I like Richard Laymon and all, but I can't read two books by him back-to-back.)

Now, this book could quickly fall apart, but he's made a good first impression on me anyway.

(I have to say, the cover screams 'I'm lurid!' to me. Reminds me of something you'd see on an old giallo movie poster. It is both attention getting and a little embarrassing at the same time if that makes sense.)

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Jul 30, 2008, 3:20pm.

Haunted: Tales of the Grotesque has really picked up, starting with "The White Cat" which I thought was brilliant, both in its obvious homage to Poe's "The Black Cat" and just for being disturbing.

Guys,

I have to say that I'm really into The Backwoods.

It has quality, sure-handed writing; atmosphere out the wazoo and depth of character. All the things that were missing from the last (and decidedly mediocre) horor novel I read: The Freakshow.

I already have Edward Lee's Messenger and Flesh Gothic sitting to-be-read on my shelf. I've gone ahead and ordered his books Monstrosity and Slither based on my enjoyment of The Backwoods. (Which explains why I'll have 1,500 bookins in my library before I know it!)

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Ago 1, 2008, 3:29pm.

Hey jseger,

I've got both Off Season and Offspring near the top of my to be read pile. Hopefully I'll get to one or both sometime soon. I'll let you know.

(My touchstones are all screwed up on those, not sure why, but both are by Jack Ketchum)

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Ago 1, 2008, 4:16pm.

I gotcha. I know when I was posting my earlier message I kept having issues with the touchstone for Off Season especially. (And I am again, hence the edit.)

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Ago 1, 2008, 4:31pm.

Just started The Jigsaw Man by Gord Rollo. I hope the story is as good as the cover!

Skauternator,

I talked to that Gord Rollo a few months ago on a message board. Picked up his first book because he was such a nice guy. Hope it's good! (It sounds promising anyway)

Different Seasons by Stephen King. Of course, The Body and Shawshank aren't horror, but Apt Pupil is by far one of the scariest stories I've ever read, and extremely disturbing.

#34: Funny, I think I've seen all the movies made from Different Seasons, but I have yet to read any of the stories. Good choice, Bobby. :)

I'm most of the way through Charles Beaumont's The Howling Man. As it's been said many times around these parts, the stories are phenomenal. It's a shame this volume's not in print right now.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Ago 4, 2008, 8:20am.

I just picked up Bad Moon Rising by Jonathan Maberry, has anybody read this or anything else by him?

#37 - Quartzite,

Watch out. Bad Moon Rising is the third volume of a trilogy. His other two books are Ghost Road Blues and Dead Man's Song.

I have all three, but haven't read them yet. From the reviews I trust, he's supposed to be one helluva writer. If I'm remembering correctly, he won a Stoker award for his first novel. Not a bad accomplishment.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Ago 4, 2008, 11:56am.

I started The Bleeding season quietly creepy, just got interesting on page 35.

Okay guys,

Still plowing through The Backwoods. I'm around page 180 and it is still very well written, but I'm a little surprised that not much has happened that is particularly... horrific.

At first I liked that the author was giving time for the story and characters to develop. But now I'm wondering if he's maybe taking a little too long to get going.

I'm not going to give up on the book or anything, but I do hope he ultimately takes the book somewhere. Right now it feels maybe a little aimless.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Ago 4, 2008, 12:21pm.

#40: Hopefully it will get better. The first thing I ever read by Edward Lee was "The Stick Woman", a short story in Darkside: Horror for the Next Millennium, which is probably the sickest thing I've ever read. Sadly, none of his books have even gotten close to being this disturbing. If you can find a copy of that book, I'd definitely recommend that story by him. Sick stuff.

Page 180 and nothing good yet? Good luck! Maybe he's trying to lull you into a false sense of security, but I doubt it.

There's been a couple of murders, but it's not exactly a thriller, you know. However it is very well written. I don't want to disparage the book too much. It's just that I guess I never expected a slow-paced horror tale from Edward Lee based on his reputation. I do like reading about the characters and there's a group of backwoods people called The Squatters that are really well described.

I will be reading Flesh Gothic and Messenger (which I already own) and have ordered Slither and Monstrosity (which just arrived today).

If you were thinking about reading Edward Lee, I would still recommend him based on the quality of writing so far. He is much better than most of the other Leisure writers I've read so far.

jseger, Monstrosity is kind of a cool title, so I clicked through to the book's page. Interestingly enough, LT recommendation #2 is At the Mountains of Madness. #1 is a Peanuts/Snoopy book. I just thought I should share that.

#43: I totally agree. He's one of my favorite splatterpunk writers. (Do they call them that any more? Or just plain horror writers?) Anywho, I'll probably dig up his Mephistopolis trilogy soon. I've read the first one (City Infernal, which I really liked); I just need to get motivated and start on the second.

All this talk of Edward Lee makes me want to ask: has anyone seen the, -erm-, "adult" film made from his story "Grub Girl"?

#46: Oh, no I haven't. Now I'm interested. Must do some IMDb searching. Thanks, LitClique. :)

Well, before I jump the gun, was it any good?

#44 - Carlos,

I noticed that about the Snoopy recommendation. What's weird is that I now have five Edward Lee books (well, counting the one that's on its way) and I have all of the volumes of The Complete Peanuts collection.

Maybe LT's recommendations know more than we think?

By the way, it does my black and evil heart good to see discussion in this group.

Tonight I have just started Summer of Night by Dan Simmons. My first by him.

#47> I haven't seen it yet, as I just learned about it a few weeks ago while cruising the Verotik site. As soon as I've read enough Edward Lee to say I'm a fan I'll buy it. It would have a perfect place on my DVD shelf by my copy of Café Flesh.

#50 - NightWater,

Oh! Summer of Night. That's one I keep hearing is an instant classic. Tell us what you think of it.

#52> Re: Summer of Night: I sure had a hard time putting it down to go to bed last night. I was involved very quickly, and it isn't even scary yet! The ensemble cast of young boys reminds me of Stephen King, but the writing does not. More later....

A Winter Haunting is the sequel

Has anyone read 20TH Century Ghosts by Joe Hill? I have heard good things and bad things about it. I kind of want to read this one before Heart Shaped Box, all opinions are welcome. Oh and I finished City of the Sea and Other Ghost Stories, it wasn't what I was expecting, but still very good.

Maybe a little OT, since it isn't what I'm reading right now. I picked up Bentley Little's latest: The Academy (thouchstone not working for this book yet).

I have a lot of TBR in front of it but am curious to see what the feedback will be.

Bentley Little is one of my favorite horror writers, but I admit he can be pretty on again/off again.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Ago 5, 2008, 3:25pm.

#55. I loved both Joe Hill books. Very Stephen Kingish (he's Hill's father) 20th century has short stories from truely disturbing to sweet.

Well, if anyone still cares about my Backwoods odyssey, I'm now on page 240 and the story has picked up and gotten a direction. It was always well written, but now I feel like the books is going somewhere.

I will be reading more Edward Lee for sure.

Hi guys! Jeez, I haven't posted in a while. I'm currently reading Hive by Tim Curran, a sequel to Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness.

I grabbed Hot Blood at the used book store and have started some of the short stories in it. Has anyone else read this? It's an anthology from 1989? I think, but basically a bunch of shorts from horror writers dealing with sex and horror. I'm curious, but thus far, not impressed.

I have ordered An H P Lovecraft Encyclopedia, are there any recommendations for Lovecraft besides his classics?

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Ago 8, 2008, 7:37am.

I just bought Bentley Little's The Store. It will be the first one I've tried by him. Everyone says he's wildly inconsistent, and standing in front of the shelf, I couldn't remember which ones you guys had recommended and which ones you advised against. I really wanted to try The Town but I couldn't remember if it was one of the good ones or not. I seem to remember that The Store was recommended.

#62 - Bentley,

I used to think you name was something to do with Bentley Little. I remember talking to you about that. It's funny now seeing you ask for advice on him.

Lots of people loved The Store. I thought it was pretty good, but not top tier, but that is probably just me. It isn't a bad place to start.

I'm glad you didn't grab The Town. It sounds good, but as I remember (it's been a while) it was only middling.

If you like The Store and want to read more, I'd recommend Revelation, The Summoning, The Ignored or The Association.

#61 - Angelikat,

When you are asking for recommendations, do you mean maybe lesser known H.P. Lovecraft or other writers like him?

H.P. Lovecraft is pretty hateful at times, even in his classic stories. The lesser known ones are usually lesser known for a reason. Off the top of my head I'd say if you were just starting Lovecraft, read The Call of Cthulhu, The Shadow over Innsmouth, Pickman's Model, The Rats in the Walls, In the Walls of Eryx... I'm blanking, but I'm sure others will recommend stories I should have thought of.

If you are looking for similar authors, one book I've liked quite a bit is Cthulhu: Mythos and Kindred Horrors by Robert E. Howard. He was a contemprary and friend to HPL and (in my opinion) a much better writer.

Well, I finished The Backwoods last night. (Are my reviews getting too long?)

I had my issues with it, but really liked Edward Lee's writing and will definately be reading more of his stuff.

I may be making a mistake, but I'm going to start Off Season a little later today. Too similar to The Backwoods? I hope not.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Ago 8, 2008, 9:38am.

#61 - Since it looks like you've already read The Best of H.P. Lovecraft, I'd recommend checking out his Dunsanian dream-cycle stories. One nice collection for that is Dreams of Terror and Death. seger has a point about Lovecraft's lesser works, but I think even among those you'll find some (flawed) gems. For those, there's The Road to Madness.

Also of somewhat intermittent quality are his collaborations, though if you're interested, there's The Horror in the Museum and Others.

I generally don't have many nice things to say about HPL's poetry (though that's partially because I don't have much of an ear for poetry), but I do think his sonnet cycle The Fungi from Yuggoth (podcast) expresses the ol' HPL weirdness nicely.

If you're feeling really curious, I also recommend Supernatural Horror in Literature which is HPL's look at horror and gothic literature up until his time.

As far as Lovecraftian works, I know there's quite a few collections out there. I think Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos and Tales of the Lovecraft Mythos both do a good job of anthologizing a variety of the better writers working that tradition.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Ago 8, 2008, 10:36am.

I checked Weird Tales: The 21st Century, Volume 1 from my local library on a whim. Some nice stories in there, but one I just finished that I thought was pretty good was "The Past Never Dies" by Holly Phillips. The plot, about a troubled young woman who sees ghosts and works with a retired police detective, isn't particularly radical, but I really liked the atmosphere and characterization--the way the rawness of the character's feelings connects with the terrible events. I'd be curious to see if the author chooses to expand on it.

J,

I read your review, it's done well, you talk about the book but don't give anything away. In fact that's what it feels like you're doing, talking about the book. Too long depends on how long you want to talk :)

beeg,

Too long depends on how long you want to talk :)

I know it will be a shocker, but I can talk, buddy. Look at how long my profile stuff is:)

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Ago 8, 2008, 7:22pm.

(yeah, that was my first clue ;)

Thank's for the info on Lovecraft, Supernatural Horror in Literature definitely sounds very interesting as does The Road to Madness and Cthulhu: Mythos and Kindred Horrors. Looks like I am going to have to break out the good old credit card!

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Ago 9, 2008, 6:14pm.

#71 - Angelikat,

Carlos can correct me if I'm wrong (all my H.P. Lovecraft books are upstairs at the moment) but I believe if you have The Best of H.P. Lovecraft, The Road to Madness and Dreams of Terror and Death you will have all of H.P. Lovecraft's fiction, including the story he ghost wrote for Houdini (Imprisoned With the Pharaohs, the Re-Animator stories and his novels The Case of Charles Dexter Ward and The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath.

If you do pick up Cthulhu: Mythos and Kindred Horrors, lemme know what you think. (It's out of print, but it looks like you can pick up a copy for cheap at Half.com.)

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Ago 10, 2008, 2:25am.

#72- jseger, that's true.

Those three books encompass all of the fiction except for most of the collaborations, since there are a few of those in The Road to Madness.

Carlos,

How are those collaborations? I remember reading The Lurker at the threshold and really not liking it (it's been at least fifteen years, so I remember nothing but my bad impression. I saw that book of his collaborations The Horror in the Museum, but never bothered with it.

The Lurker at the threshold is one of the infamous Derleth posthumous collaborations, which I think means August Derleth took some small amount of Lovecraft's writing and then wrote a book around it. (Which in some way makes me think of Plan 9 from Outer Space, which would make Derleth Ed Wood to Lovecraft as Bela Lugosi--an anology that breaks down pretty quickly. But I digress...)

The collaborations are pretty varied in quality. Some of them ("The Loved Dead" and "The Diary of Alonzo Typer") have a lot of the negative qualities associated with HPL. (purple prose, protagonists writing as they're being dragged to their dooms, etc.) I remember liking "The Curse of Yig" which is sort of atypical for a Lovecraft story, since it lacks both Mythos and New England connections. "The Mound" is an intriguing sort-of Mythos tale. There's also a couple of creepy Mythos-like stories set in museums. (One of them being the title story.)

Though, honestly, even the better ones feel a little second-tier--not bad, just not quite on the same level as his better known stuff.

#30 - Hey klarsen,

I'm up to page 80 in Off Season. (The book is only 260 pages, so I should have been able to finish it over a weekend, but things've been hectic.)

So far it's mainly been the building of tension. ight now I have the feeling you get when you watch the beginning of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Not much has happened as yet, but you can see that the characters are on their way into trouble. I like what I've read quiet a bit.

The writing isn't the knockout that Edward Lee was to me. To be fair though, Off Season is a first novel that is over twenty-five years old.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Ago 11, 2008, 1:13pm.

I just picked up The Serial Killers Club by Jeff Povey today, and am already a couple chapters into it. (Bad habit, I know, since my TBR pile is growing by the week. :) I love the dark humor and the whole idea of a wannabe serial killer wacking fellow club members, so I guess I'm surprised by all the bad reviews it's received. Anyone else read this one? If so, what'd you think?

#60: (Sorry so slow to respond.) Yes, I have read/own some of the Hot Blood books (only 2: Hottest Blood and Kiss and Kill). I haven't read the first, but I really like the series overall, since there aren't too many erotic horror anthologies out there--well, ones I like anyway. ;) I guess that's why I love/hate anthologies. I have yet to find one where I love all the stories; but it's a great way to find new authors; that's why I keep reading them. Good luck! I hope it gets better. :)

The Serial Killers Club sounds fun. From what I saw in my thirty seconds of research, user reviews are mixed but positive. Professional reviews not so much.

It does sound a little like Jeff Povey cobbled together some ideas from Dexter and The Sandman, but it doesn't look like an out and out swipe. I think I may pick it up.

Has anyone read Heartsick? I'm thinking of starting that once I finish Off Season.

#78: I haven't read either books, but I agree with you on the Dexter comparison.

Heartsick--the one by Chelsea Cain? Yes, I've read it and liked it. Surprisingly, there's a sequel out already (Sweetheart), which I'll have to try.

#79 - Sara,

Heartsick by Chelsea Cain, yeah, that's the one. That it has a sequel is kind of a strike against it, actually. Not that Sweetheart won't be any good, but why do so many new writers insist on creating a series (he asks rhetorically)?

By the way Off Season is really, really good. Jack Ketchum has built the tension Richard Laymon is so good at creating without all the stupid baggage a typical Laymon novel would have (and it is much better written with better characterization than Laymon ever has). I have the sequel Offspring and will be reading it too, though I've heard it doesn't hold up.

Off Season reminds me quite a bit of The Hills Have Eyes remake (not surprising since they are both based on the Sawney Bean legend. If you aren't sure about the book but enjoyed that movie, then do read it.

I have to say though, the other stuff I've seen from Jack Ketchum just doesn't sound like my cuppa. I'm not really sure I would read more by him unless someone on here was really flogging it. Not because he's a bad writer (he's not by any means) but because most of his books sound a little too brutal and close to reality for me.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Ago 13, 2008, 6:23pm.

TheGirl Next Door is a must read for horror fans, it's a book I'll never forget. Also Ladies Night is quite fun. Offspring is a let down compared to his other works.

Pete,

Hey, good to hear from you again.

See, The Girl Next Door is one of the specific books I was thinking of when I said "most of his books sound a little too brutal and close to reality for me."

I've heard so much good stuff about it, I'll probably pick it up. I am curious to read more of his work.

jseger9000 - I have ordered Cthulhu: Mythos and Kindred Horrors, I can't wait for it to get to me. I will let you know what I think after I have read it. I did come across this book from Cemetery Dance Publications. Something new to spend money on!

Finished Off Season last night. I LOVED it. The writing wasn't quite up to par with the Edward Lee book I'd just finished, but the pacing was much better.

There was also an interesting afterword and a bonus short story thrown in at the end.

For a change of pace, I'm reading a Monty Python-esque true crime book On the House: The Bizarre Killing of Michael Malloy. In 1933 a group of low-rent sleaze headed by a guy running a speakeasy take out a bunch of insurance policies on a falling down drunk in poor health named Michael Malloy.

They gave him wood alcohol, poisoned oysters and tainted sardines. Then they dragged him into the street, repeatedly plowed into him with a taxi and left him laying there all night in a New York winter.

A week later, Malloy stumbles into the bar with a whopper of a story to tell his 'friends' or at least the parts of the story he can remember...

Didn't you ever hear, you can't kill Michael Malloy?

Js thought I'de pop my head back in, I've been reading a bit more recently and am not so swamped with work. The Girl Next Door is brutal, the book haunted me for a couple of weeks after. However considering it's based around a true story gives it a little more of a kick to the gut. Ketchum really gets into the minds of the characters, it reads more like the nature of people and pack mentalities rather than shock for shocks sake. Also reinforced the hatred I have for anyone who would abuse those more vulnerable than themselves. So yeah, for me a must read. Definately in the top five.

#82/86 The Girl Next Door is very brutal and hits very hard. It stuck with me for a looooong time. Child abuse that is very real. I'm not sure that's a good example of his best work. Having read it recently, I had to take a short break from the "real horror" stuff.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Ago 15, 2008, 5:21pm.

#85 - Carlos,

What the hell was that? That mask was SPOOOOOOOKY!

I meant to reply right away, but that video intrigued me, so I spent an hour researching Primus (a band I respect, though they aren't my style). Interesting bunch of guys.

Back to books, I'm only 70 pages in to On the House: The Bizarre Killing of Michael Malloy, but I think the Michael Malloy case could make a(nother) really interesting movie.

(Edited because I accidentally touchstoned Little House on the Prairie!)

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Ago 16, 2008, 12:14am.

jseger,

I don't really know. When I saw the title of your book, I immediately thought of Frizzle Fry, which is still my favorite Primus album, though I don't listen to them much anymore. I didn't remember the exact song so I went to look it up on YouTube! And then I just felt like that masked freakiness really had to be shared.

And on a side note, I just finished King's Danse Macabre. It was okay. Some nice insights, but it really needed editing. I gave up with 50+ pages left because I knew I wasn't missing much. (Except I did skip to the last few pages to see if he had any valuable final thoughts.)

I'm about a quarter of the way through The Store now, and I'm liking it, although I've read better. (His characters sort of pale in comparison to King or Straub, for instance.) But the premise is clever and well-executed, so far.

One thing I really have to complain about, though, is the copyediting. I have a Signet mass market paperback, and the typos and misspellings are really distracting. There's about one every five pages. I'd expect better than that from a manuscript, let alone a published work.

#89 - Carlos,

I remember really enjoying Danse Macabre. Then again I read it fifteen years ago or so.I read through the thing in one marathon session.

I wish he would put out an updated edition. I'd be curious to read his thoughts on the effects of September 11th and the current (U.S.) administration on the horror field. Plus I'd like to see a newer list of 'can't miss' books and movies.

(I just had to go back and watch 'You Can't Kill Michael Malloy' again. Now I'm going to have that song stuck in my head while I read the book. Not that the song sounds like something from the thirties, but it does make a pretty good soundtrack for the movie in my mind.

#90 - Bentley,

Glad you are enjoying The Store. I remember liking it, but not quite as much as others seem to.

What I liked was how he managed to mix in the very real details of Wal-Mart moving in to a small town with the fantastic stuff that makes a good horror story. Reading about the concessions and tax breaks they are able to force through and how they can suck a small town dry made me wonder how much time he spent railing against a Wal-Mart in his town.

We just had a Super Wal-Mart built a couple of miles from our house, so I'm thinking of reading that book again.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Ago 16, 2008, 1:09pm.

#91 -- Well, I've seen it described elsewhere as having the feel of sitting down with the author over some beers to hear his thoughts on modern horror. I'd have to say that's pretty accurate, because there's definitely some sections that feel like drunken rants.

You know how some people have a few too many and start unloading on some issue that they normally keep bottled up? (Their ex-wife, the terrible job the president is doing, where they'd be if the coach had not pulled them out for that last inning/down, etc.) This felt a little like that, with King too often digressing to how academia were humorless prigs who did not understand the nature of fiction which he was so lucidly laying out for us right now. I mean, jeez, who died and left him arbitrer of fiction?

Who knows, maybe I misread his tone, but it just kind of wore me out aftere a while. There's even a digression where he scolds readers for reading ahead in novels. (And considering that he actually writes "SHAME ON YOU!" I don't think he was being ironic.*) Like I said, after a while that kind of thing wears me down.

I have to agree it would be interesting to get an updated book, especially since I think horror has changed quite a bit since 1980.

#93 - Carlos,

You know how some people have a few too many and start unloading on some issue that they normally keep bottled up? (Their ex-wife, the terrible job the president is doing, where they'd be if the coach had not pulled them out for that last inning/down, etc.) - Man, that is such a funny description! You ought to work that post into a review of the book.

As I said, I read the book so long ago, I can't rightly defend its merits, because I just don't remember them that well.

I can see him getting mad at academia. The thing is, I don't get the feeling he's trying to be the arbiter of fiction. Just he's trying to get some of those academics to look out of their ivory towers from time to time.

Remember, it wasn't until after his death that Charles Dickens work was taken to have literary merit. I think he feels the same sort of thing is happening to him and quite a few other 'popular' writers. (Again, I don't remember the book too well. I'm extrapolating on your comments and from what I remember him saying when he won the National Book Award.)

jseger, I'll preface by stating that there's a degree of subjectivity to the reading experience. What earns my sympathies might leave somebody else cold, and vice versa. An author has every right to bash anything or anyone they feel deserves a good stomping. But, as a reader, I think any rant that isn't either entertaining me or garnering my sympathy counts as bad writing.

I'll stop and get specific. (I'll try to be brief because I know I have my own weakness for ranting.) There's three points in the book where King loses me with digressions that are dull and for which I found I could not sympatize. They may be minor, but they sour the themes. (If I may extend my previous analogy, the guy who comes up with nonsensical reasons why he hates his ex is going to garner a lot less sympathy even when he has legitimate complaints.)

The first is when King scolds readers who flip to the end of a book to see how it ends, acting as if it's some terrible sin. (I quote the segment on message #60 here, if you're curious.) It seems to me like the only person harmed when someone skips to the end of a book is the reader himself, so why get all Jonathan Edwards on us? (And I don't mean the former presidential candidate.)

The second is a tangent when trying to describe the importance of story where he accuses critics of "being more comfortable if Moby Dick were a doctoral thesis on cetology rather than an account of what happened on the Pequod's last voyage" and that this is "what a million student papers have reduced this tale to." If that were true, isn't it more likely those people would be marine biologists, not literary critics? And isn't literary criticism and picking stories apart into their elements kind of what Danse Macabre is about? Why is King's approach okay, but some other unnamed critics approach mockable?

And the third is a bit like the second, except this is about The Shrinking Man. King has done a pretty good job of tying the novel's use of shrinkage, er, shrinking to power and particularly sexual potency. As the protagonist shrinks, he fails to have sex with his wife. Later he has an affair with a midget but then through further shrinkage, er, shrinking, that becomes impossible. Finally, he gets so small that he gets menaced by a spider, which he manages to kill with a straight pin, and then he shrinks out of visible existence. Anyway, King was at a party once where a female science fiction author (whose name we'd know if King were to tell us) suggested that the spider represents a vagina, and that the hero's killing it with a pin is symbolic of the sexual acts he can no longer partake in.

King refers to that as "elegant bullshit" and suggests that only "tiresome critics" and "half-baked Freudians" would come up with those kinds of interpretations. What gets me is that the main difference between King's theory and the unnamed author's is one of emphasis--sex is pretty central to the theme, so can the spider be considered a female symbol or not? And King never addresses why the spider can't be a symbolic vagina, which makes it feel like the anecdote is less about the pitfalls of Freudian interpretation and more about some woman who said something at a party that King didn't like. (He never mentions if he tried poking holes at her theory at the party. Did he? Or did he say nothing and stew over it until he could disparage her ideas in a book?) Again, King didn't convince me that his theories were inherently more worthwhile than the theories of those he disagreed with.

And, even if I can't blame King for feeling frustrated with the academy, I can't really sympathise with him either. Some things in life just are not fair; art happens to be one of them. Anybody can name dozens of examples like Dickens. (And much more egregious ones, to boot.) And is this really about fiction or literature? Or is it about Stephen King and about how his talent (including his talent for film and literary criticism) has gone unacknowledged, ignored by the literary cool kids?

Now, I don't mean to suggest that King is a jerk. I'm sure nowadays he's older, wiser, a little more willing to admit his own weaknesses. But the guy who wrote this book has his hang-ups, and some of them are kind of off-putting. I could go on, but I think I have probable ranted enough. (Sorry about the length of this.)

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Ago 17, 2008, 12:49am.

Hey, no problem. I enjoyed your post, it was pretty interesting. You make your points so well it's making me laugh. I didn't see any of that when I read it fifteen years ago and was just not so discriminating a reader. Your points sound very valid and I believe they are accurate. I'm wondering if maybe I was so wrapped up in King's writing and 'Uncle Stevie' persona he's so good at that he completely got passed me with some of those tangents.

There are some writers (Dean Koontz and sometimes Richard Laymon) whose authorial voice is so annoying I have trouble reading their work. But then there are authors like Peter Straub, John Irving and especially John Steinbeck where I enjoy their voice enough that I will read stereo instructions if they write them. Stephen King is the (sorry) King of that for me. I'll occasionally pick up Entertainment Weekly just to check out his column. Therefore I probably breezed through the things that bugged you.

I'm telling you, I know you didn't finish the book, but I think you should collect your thoughts and put together a review for the book.

I'm curious, have you read On Writing? I haven't yet myself, but I wonder if you could see how his personality has changed in the years between the two books.

Thanks, I am planning to write one up, though it hasn't quite gelled in my mind yet. And in all fairness, King's digressions can be entertaining, so there's a question of finding the right balance. Sometimes I just need to let a reading experience kind of sit in my head, percolating or precipitating until it gels or crystalizes.

I did find myself wondering if my reaction to the book would have been different if I had approached it differently, not as someone sort of curious about King but as someone who'd already read a few novels and was eager for more. It was one of those mysteries of reading that one's reading experience sometimes seems to be path-dependent.

Tangentially, your comment about Stephen King wrtiting stereo instructions made me think of one of those humor pieces that imitate famous authors writing unexpected material.

I had actually intended to read On Writing, which I was going to check out of the library. Then I found a cheap copy of Danse Macabre, so I figured I'd just read that instead. I've actually heard good things about it even from non-horror fans.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Ago 18, 2008, 6:15pm.

I'm currently reading and loving Joe Hill's Heart Shaped Box I have about a quarter of the book left.

Incidentally, whilst mooching around today, I've come across The Saragossa Manuscript: Weird Tales by Count Jan Potocki. Anyone read this? If so what did you think and should I invest my hard earned cash in a copy?

I just finished The Serial Killers Club by Jeff Povey today, which I liked. No surprise there; usually I know if I'll like a book by the first couple chapters. The ending twist was OK, but nothing very memorable (I've already forgotten it--ha!).

Now I'm on to The Attraction by Douglas Clegg, just because it was in my work cubby and I was bored. Not bad so far. This is my first Clegg book (even though I have more at home unread--tsk, tsk). Anyone else read this one--or any Douglas Clegg for that matter?

#98: It must be me, but I've tried to start Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill a couple times, and I just can't get into it. Maybe I'll try again. . . .

#98: I've never read The Saragossa Manuscript, only because I haven't come across it in any libraries or used bookstores, so I'd definitely get it if I were you! It's listed in Horror: Another 100 Best Books if that means anything.

#99: The Attraction looks pretty good! I've read a few of Douglas Clegg's books--Mischief, Naomi, and The Hour Before Dark. I also started Mordred (which isn't horror), but it really bored me and I never finished it. Anyway, iirc, I found The Hour Before Dark really scary and the others only okay.

I have finished The Store, my first Bentley Little, and I found it very enjoyable. Of course, I'm a sucker for paranoia horror anyway, so that may have had something to do with it. But I thought it was superior to most paperback original horror novels out there. In places, especially toward the end, I thought the pacing was maybe a little too accelerated--like once he saw his way out of the story, he sprinted toward the finish line. Near the end, I felt like he was just justifying the characters' motivations more than actually letting them develop in character. There were also some questions that never got answered. (For fear of spoilers, I won't go into that.) Still, overall, I'd try him again.

Bentley,

Even on his best books, Bentley Little has a habit of rushing the ending. Not always, but it's something you can count on more often than not.

Glad you liked it though. I know a couple of the posters on this board just don't like his stuff. I never got that. I think he's one of the best out there (when he's firing on all cylinders). But that's what makes the world go 'round, right?

# 99 Saraslibrary - I'd definitely give Heart Shaped Box another go, although I have to say I got into it right from the start. I wouldn't say it was scary particularly, but I do think it's well written. I would read other books by him.

# 100 D2vge - Thanks! I'm going to get it if I can...and now I know about Horror: Another 100 best books I'm going to have to get that too! Somehow I feel I should have already known about this one as a member of this group, but I add new books & authors to my TBR & TBB (to be bought :0) list everyday I log on here, which I suppose is really the point!

@bibliobeck: Yeah, both Horror: 100 Best Books and Another 100 are definitely worth a look. It's always interesting to me to see what horror writers themselves read/like/are influenced by, and I've read quite a few great books mentioned in them that I probably never would have picked up otherwise. Both books are fairly heavy on cross-genre books, which some reviewers seem to have found extremely objectionable, but I liked. My only gripe is that a few of the books are very hard to find for less than 8 bazillion dollars...but that's more of a problem with publishers than the books.

#104 d2vge. 8 bazillion dollars...!!! Oh no, don't the publishers know there's a credit crunch in the UK! ;o)

I tend to read a number of books at the same time, right now I'm reading my early review copy of Tim Waggoner's Cross County, Edward Lee's House Infernal, and Gord Rollo's The Jigsaw Man on my plate. I love Lee's writing and was a fan by the time I finish City Infernal, and while there are things that i get frustrated with in his writing, it doesn't keep me from wanting to reading more of his work. And just finished rereading Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge, excellent book and I hope to have a review up soon.

jseger

I picked up Bad Moon Rising at a friend's suggetion, but they didn't tell me it was part of a trilogy. I hate not reading the first book unless it is out of print, so what is the first book in the trilogy so that I can pick that up?

#106- wdprescott,

The first book is Ghost Road Blues and the second is Dead Man's Song.

I've checked Amazon and both are still in print. Of course horror books can have a pretty short shelf life at some bookstores, so don't be surprised if you have to order them.

Thomas Tryon's The Other--wow, just brilliant. I actually knew the rough outline of the story when I started this book, so I was pleasantly surprised at just how chilling and suspenseful it was. I am really looking forward to Harvest Home now.

Harvest Home is one of my absolute favorite horror novels ever. I actually envy you reading it for the first time.

I remember reading Harvest Home and thinking it was very well written, but being bored regardless. I didn't finish the book.

To be fair I tried reading it while on vacation. Thomas Tryon probably isn't an 'airplane author'. I'm going to have to try him again. I did pick up The Other and Night of the Moonbow.

#106 and 107,

I think you'll enjoy Jonathan Maberry. Ghost Road Blues won the Bram Stoker award for first novel. I've seen all three in my local chain bookstores recently and checked out the first two from the library so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding them. I couldn't wait for the library to obtain the third and bought it myself. Although he claims Bad Moon Rising can stand on it's own, I think reading through each of the trilogy enhances the experience as the first two really delve into the background story. They are pretty thick books, but well worth it.

I think you'll also enjoy his take on vampires and werewolves as they owe to his work in the folklore surrounding these creatures. He's written a few books on that itself, one being Vampire Universe.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Ago 22, 2008, 9:48am.

seger--Harvest Home is very much a "paranoia horror" novel like the Ira Levin novels or Conjure Wife. I love that sub-genre, but if that particular kind of tension doesn't do it for you, I imagine they all seem very slow. Lovecraft and his many disciples leave me completely cold, so I've taken a lot of recommendations from die-hard horror fans that I never finished.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Ago 22, 2008, 9:51am.

#110, jseger, I think it does benefit from a close reading. I was originally planning to read it over a week or so, but ended up getting so engrossed in it that I just couldn't put it down.

There's a death early on, which Tryon foreshadows nicely with a few seemingly random images. Then when the death is coming up, the images start to come together. You know the death is coming even before the author tells you, but you're only like half a beat ahead so there's only enough time to get this sense of horrible inevitability.

Carlos,

Seeing the praise heaped on Tryon on these boards has difinately shown me that I probably missed the boat on my first attempt at Harvest Home.

I will reread it for sure, though I think I will read The Other first. (I'd say I'll read it next, but I think I'll try that Whitechapel Gods that I mentioned on the Weird Fiction board first.)

I'm reading The bone key

#115: How do you like it? I've never heard of Sarah Monette, but it looks interesting.

old fashion Lovecraft kinda style. So far I'm enjoying it.
rather than a novel, it's of stories that involve the same man.

I gave it 4.5 stars and a glowing review. More of her stuff's now on the semi-infinite TBR list.

oh gosh, it's on my favorite list of books read so far with me looking for more of her stuff. I really enjoyed it.

I'm reading another early reviewer book right now called Shade (wrong touchstone) by a guy named John B. Olson. So far it's a bit scattered and frantic, I'm not sure if that's his writing style or just the mood he's trying to set with the book. It's great to read some of these things early, even if they don't turn out to be on my list of favs.

I just finished the new Lio collection, Silent But Deadly. It's not scary, but it's a feast for horror fans and one of the funniest comics in the papers today.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Ago 26, 2008, 9:14am.

I'm reading Eat the Dark, the sequel to Chasing the Dead. It got off to a bit of a slow/boring/more-of-the-same start, but after I couldn't sleep last night and read a good chunk of it I'm liking it a lot more. But then, I'm a sucker for a creepy abandoned hospital story. Schreiber's books really remind me of chase thrillers (movies, I mean): not very deep, but fast-paced with lots of "boo" moments.

ETA: Actually, I'm not sure if it's really a sequel or not.... So far there's no direct connection.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Ago 26, 2008, 9:29am.

#122 - d2vge,

I want to get Eat the Dark, but it annoys me that such a short book was published as a $14.00 trade paperback. If they ever come to their senses and publish it as a mass market, I'll be in line to pick it up.

#123: I generally hate trade paperbacks, and the Canadian price listed on the back is $16.95, so I don't think I'd rush out to buy it either. I took it out from the library. But still, it's worth reading.

I'm slightly ashamed to admit that finally, early in my 31st year, I have started reading It.

Better late than never, isn’t that what they say? So, don't feel ashamed. I have so many books to read that it is stupefying ridiculous, but yet, it is still very satisfying to know that I do have great books ahead of me still to consume.

In a way I am jealous as I wish I could still read IT for the very first time. I remember it vividly when I read it with wide-eyed astonishment in my early teens.

You will have a blast. Stephen King is in top form with that book.

#125: Don't be too ashamed. Here I am in my 44th year and I am just now reading Peter Straub's Ghost Story. I've read a few of his books, but for some reason never read his classic. I think it had to do with the movie, which I didn't like.

Having read all but a handful of Stephen King, I envy you being able to read It for the first time.

Ooooo, I love Ghost Story. I haven't read it in a while. Time for a reread!

#127> Now I admit I've never read anything but PEter Straub.
Please, don't look at me!!!!

lol @ 129. Don't worry about it, LitClique, neither have I (at least all the way through). I own several of his books, but I keep getting sidetracked.*

As for It, good luck. It's good, but a long one. :) Do you plan on watching the movie afterwards?

---

*Actually, now that I think about it, I may have read one or two of his short stories in an anthology, just none of his novels yet.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Set 5, 2008, 1:16pm.

#130> Yes, I'll definitely watch it. I might even still have a copy of the VHS floating around my house.

#131: Same here. Maybe when I win the Lotto I'll replace all my old VHS copies. :) I actually saw the movie on TV when I was a kid before I ever read the book. (The movie prompted me to buy the book right after watching it.) It's probably cliched, but I liked the book better, even though I really liked several of the actors.

Failing VHS, I'll get it off Netflix.

I had a friend in the 6th grade who read It over the course of maybe two months. Years later I would realize he lied about many things, often without any clear reason or possible gain, so now I'm curious to see if the stories he related from the book really are in there. If not--more evidence a friend I gave up on 17 years ago!!!

Mmmm. Ghost Story was fantastic! I'll jump on the reread bandwagon.

After not reading too much horror over the summer, I'm getting ready for Halloween by reading Dark Delicacies II and We Have Always Lived In The Castle. Both are terrific so far.

I've picked up a book that looks promising by a first time author (I'm a sucker for them) called Shadows in the Mist. I haven't read much about it, but it looks to be some sort of a Hellboy-ish mixture of Nazis and the undead. The comparisons (however off-handed) to The Da Vinci Code are the only thing that worries me.

I'll be tackling it once I complete the ARC book I'm working through.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Set 6, 2008, 1:14pm.

LitClique,

If it matters you can pick up the DVD version of It for around $5.00 on Half.com. Of course you can get it essentially for free on Netflix...

#135 I didn't know there was a Dark Delicacies II. I finished the first one not too long ago. I think I'll definitely pick up the second.

Just finished Cthulhu: Mythos and Kindred Horrors, all I can say is yuck. I like H. P. Lovecraft and I have read a few stories that were a homage to him and his style, like Neil Gaiman's A Study in Emerald (very good Holmesian story with an Old Ones' twist) but Robert Howard just doesn't seem to do it for me.
He did get some things right and at least one of his stories was enjoyable, but there are too many things he got wrong. This one is definitely not a keeper.

Sorry about that. I guess for me, I like Lovecraft's ideas, but hate his writing. Howard wrote at the same time (they were pen pals and friends) and they shared ideas, but I like Howard's writing a whole lot more.

Out of curiosity, which story did you like? I'm guessing 'Pigeons From Hell'...

jseger9000, how did you know? That was an excellent story, even though I am not a huge zombie fan.

Robert E. Howard is mainly known for his heroic fantasy, especially Conan. But outside of his fantasy work, 'Pigeons From Hell' is sort of a mini-classic.

Hmm it is a classic for a reason, it is funny though I have so many anthologies but have never come across this story before now. One more reason we need a common knowledge field for listing short stories! I am now off to check out some Joe Hill!

I kind of took a break from horror for the past couple weeks, trying to catch up on my YA and mystery TBR piles; but I'm back, starting on I Shudder at Your Touch edited by Michele Slung. If this one is good, I may go on with her second anthology: Shudder Again: 22 Tales of Sex and Horror. Does anyone know if there's a third book (or more) in this series?

143: You bring up a good point, angelikat. I never noticed if short stories were listed on anthology pages or not, but it'd definitely be helpful if they were.

I've been listening to Joe Hill's 20th Century Ghosts on audiobook. They're pretty good stories, but nothing's really knocked my socks off yet. (I've gotten as far as "Abraham's Boys" now, which was a story with an interesting concept that it didn't really do that much with.)

Just wanted to let you all know I posted my review on Tim Waggoner's Cross County.

reading Let me in John Ajvide Lindqvist 2/3 of the way in not too scary or creepy, mostly kids picking on the fat kid with some Lolita thrown in.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Set 19, 2008, 8:35am.

I'm about three-quarters of the way through Ghostwalk, and it's absolutely beautiful. It's very creeping, gothic horror, beautifully written, with a lot of metaphysics woven in. In a lot of ways it reminds me of Daphne DuMaurier, but very consciously post-modern.

Let me in or UK version Let The Right One John Ajvide Lindqvist turn into a really good book, prolly one I'll read again someday. If you like vampires with a touch of zombie this is a book for you.

I finally finished Heart Shaped Box, and I can honestly say that I am very impressed. I was kind of expecting it to be sorta a bit reminiscent of his father's work but it turned out I was so wrong about that (so much so that now I feel like I need to apologize to him!) the style and voice are completely his own. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but there were a few bits in there that made me think of the classic horror move 'scare' maybe that was his intention?
Overall the book wasn't extremely scary but it is an excellent read all the same. I completely recommend it, and now I will have to get his book of short stories!

You will enjoy his shorts. Very entertaining. You can send a message to Joe Hill here on LT. He was very nice when I told him what I thought of his work.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Set 20, 2008, 11:30am.

I loved Heart Shaped Box and now I'm smack in the middle of 20th Century Ghosts and I like it even more. That may be because I'm a huge short story fan, but good stuff non the less.

PS I wonder if he'll be as gracious if we all bombard him with messages now?

I just finished the third story in 20th century Ghosts and can I just say wow. His stories suck you right in then leave you smiling afterwards.

so far

I am glad to hear such positive messages about 20th Century Ghosts it is going to be my next purchase. I just finished The House Next Door, I liked it alot, at first I didn't think that a haunted house story without an actual haunt would work, but it did. Once again I am happily proved wrong!

ekkk - touchstones are wonky again!

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Set 25, 2008, 7:20pm.

I love The House Next Door. It's one of my favorite horror novels ever--especially of the "haunted house" variety. I love it when a writer like Siddons dips into horror and does it well. It's so different. I'd love to see what someone like Annie Dillard could do with a good horror story...

By the way, if you liked The House Next Door, you should really try Burnt Offerings.

Burnt Offerings sounds good, I will try it, thanks for the recommendation.

Burnt Offerings... I saw the movie years and years ago. I don't remember much except 'what an ending!'

I'll have to give the book a read myself some day.

Hey beeg #153. I hate to admit it, but I'm such a pathetic goof ball, I actually cried while I read the third story "Pop Art" from 20th Century Ghosts. Yep the man can write.

"Pop Art" reminded me a bit of A Prayer for Owen Meany.
But just a bit.

You know, I've been reading through a book that I just am not sure is correct to post here: Whitechapel Gods.

It definitely has horrific elements to it. A strange cancer-like disease that causes mechanical growth in people. It also has bits of fantasy, sci-fi and steampunk. I guess if I had to categorize it as something I would say it's a Weird Tale.

I'd recommend it, so far (I'm about two-thirds through) but it isn't properly 'horror'...

Klarsenmd, I just finished The Cape and I busted out laughing towards the end. These stories are wonderful (not so wild for the bug boy story), but Best New Horror gave me such a feeling of satisfaction when I finished and Pop art was excellent (although I kept thinking he was going to end up being an imaginary friend)

This man is chocked full of reading goodness.

klarsenmd, 158, I cried, too!

I've just started Deborah Leblanc's first novel Family Inheritance (which has been languishing on my TBR stack forever).

She knocked me out with the prologue, a really creepily written bit about a pregnant woman and her friend paying a visit to a gris-gris man as a lark. This being a horror story they got a lot more than they bargained for.

I have jury duty Monday, so I ought to have plenty of time to read. Looks like I'll be tearing through this one pretty quickly. I'm really liking it so far.

I've never really been into all these classics people tell me I just have to read, but at the moment I'm reading The Strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and it's really quite good. A lot better than all the rather crappy movies adapted from it, and not at all as stupid as I thought it was gonna be. I tried to read Frankenstein once, but just couldn't manage to get through it, it was so hopelessly boring. Sorry Mary Shelley.

I remember Stephen King talking about the three big horror classics (Frankenstein, Dracula and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) in Danse Macabre.

I remember that he said Frankenstein was important, but pretty badly written. I remember he liked Dracula, but not much more. He heaped praise on The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Said it was easily the best written and most enjoyable of the three.

I have to try them at some point.

Interesting, I've read all three and have to agree with Uncle Stevie. It's hard wading through a classic esp a bad one because you feel like you have to.

I have never read Frankenstein, but of the two that I have read, Jekyll and Hyde is the read that was the most fun. It is a quickly paced story that isn't bogged down by a ton of 'this is this and that is that' stuff. On the other hand I love Dracula because of it's bogginess.
The unique way that Stoker used the journal and diary entries was a hard go the first time I read it when I was in 7th grade, but after re-visiting it a couple of times since then I have grown to like the style.
Just goes to show how much tastes can change as we grow older.
I am starting Burnt Offerings today after I finish off The Haunting of Hill House, I couldn't finish it last night, in the dark, when no one could hear me scream.

I'd like to know your opinions on Burnt Offerings. I saw the movie years ago and was thinking of picking up a copy of the book.

Burnt Offerings is one of my absolute favorite haunted house books. It's very much a cousin to The Haunting of Hill House and The House Next Door. The movie is very dated, and Karen Black chews up the scenery a little, but it's fairly true to the book.

I'm about three-quarters of the way through Wheel of Darkness right now, and it's really great vacation reading. Preston and Child aren't going to win any awards, but they are fast-paced, interesting, and very cinematic, and I love what they do with huge casts of minor characters. This one isn't quite as good as Relic, but it shares the "disaster movie" feel that Relic has. So far, well worth the cost of admission, as they say.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Out 6, 2008, 10:21am.

I like their books, they read fast, have history bits, and give that Indiana Jones feel. Are you reading them in order? Their solo efforts are pretty good too.

This is only the second one I've read. I think I'm going to go back and start reading them all in order...

good, I think they're better that way, nothing worse then meeting a character that every one else already knows.

I actually didn't realize they were part of a series until I started reading this one. I always thought of the Lincoln/Child books as similar to Crichton. Now that I realize they're connected, I will read them in order.

Hi jseger9000, I finished Burnt Offerings last night, it was pretty good. There were not a lot of 'scares' and I kind of figured what direction that the book was going in. Actually I think I might have seen the movie when I was younger and just forgotten about it, Marasco's descriptions of the City life are dead on and you can really sympathise with the characters and their need for a place away from it all (and what a place they find!). Overall it wasn't the best I have ever read but it was very good none the less, I totally recommend it, and thank you TheBentley for recommending it to me!

Has anyone read Vacation by Jeremy Shipp? (Wrong touchstone) I was checking out his profile page for new shorts and noticed it. His shorts are disturbingly scary.

I just finished The Thirteenth Tale which was gothic and creepy but not very scary. Enjoyable nevertheless. This morning on the trolley I began 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill. I finished the first two stories and man oh man are they good. He really has the stuff, I think.

I have started Ghost Road Blues, not bad, but a little tweaking from a good editor could have fixed a the occasional awkward sentence, which I am finding distracting.

I bought Ghost Road Blues and the sequels (Dead Man's Song and Bad Moon Rising) but haven't read any of them yet. Let us know what you think.

I'm about four stories into The Living Dead so far it's excellent. The cover totally rocks but I have no clue which zombie is which author? maybe Clive Barker in the front? Heh, guess I don't know my walking dead.

I finished Ghost Road Blues and it was okay, but I was disappointed. First of all it ends with the story clearly unfinished, and in no way is a stand alone. Secondly, though the plot was promising and the characters strong and interesting, the writing was not compelling. The pacing was awkward, and the prose was sometimes good, and sometimes juvenile, and often repetitive. At one point, I thought if I saw the words 'blood' 'smell' and 'copper' in the same sentence one more time, I really would scream.

another four stories into The living Dead and I'm not so impressed any more.

Guess it's hard to find a good zombie story.

Well instead of re-reading Carrie like I had wanted to (my local library doesn't have it, can you believe that, I had to have it shipped from another library) I dug into 20th Century Ghosts and couldn't put it down.
I am afraid it is an awesome book! Thanks everyone who encouraged me to read it. Now I am starting From Hell by Alan Moore, I am about half way through and so far so good, Alan Moore is such a cool little monkey boy.

Well, I finished Family Inheritance by Deborah Leblanc and liked it quite a bit. I just posted my review.

I've moved on to Carrie for that reading group (the first book I've ever read as part of a reading group). I wasn't sure what to expect from Stephen King's first publishede novel. I'm only about ten pages in (I'm trying to read it while I'm on vacation) and he already has me hooked. Man that guy is such a natural storyteller, it's scary.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Out 17, 2008, 1:39pm.

Well beeg, The Living Dead was supposed to be next on my tbr list, and now I'm not so sure. I do love the cover, it's sitting there staring at me all the time. Maybe I'll try a story or two and go from there.

#176 I loved The Thirteenth Tale but I agree, it's definitely not horror.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Out 17, 2008, 3:00pm.

More post-apocalyptic dystopia than scary, but I've just started Earth Abides. Classic from 1949 about civilization (or lack thereof) after a plague wipes out most of the human population. So far, it's beating The Stand all to heck and back.

I remember being on some sort of post-apocalyptic jag one day at Half-Price Books. I picked up Earth Abides, On the Beach and Alas, Babylon all on the same trip.

Finished 20th Century Ghosts, sped through We Have Always Lived in the Castle and am now a few chapters into Blaze by Stephen King. Spooky October is going well so far.

indeed, those are excellent books

Well, I ended up starting Off Season today. I'm about a hundred pages in and am enjoying it so far. I am getting the feeling there won't be any major surprises, though I may still be pleasantly proven wrong. I do get the feeling that Jim and Laura should not be investing in growth stocks. (And should perhaps make sure their term life is paid up.) Also, that Marjorie's trials will allow her to find that reservoir of strength the lack of which has kept her from enjoying a full life. And perhaps Nick and Clara will rediscover how much they truly love each other. Outlooks for Dan and Peters are a bit cloudier.

Okay, first unexpected death in Off Season, pretty brutal, too. We're definitely not in Kansas anymore. (And all bets are off, except I still have my doubts about Laura's survival.)

Hehehe...I am glad you are enjoying it. It is about to get a lot better...

I just started Mr. X, and I'm having a hard time getting into it. I think maybe it's because I've been busy and I'm having to read it in such small chunks so far. I've always really liked Straub, so I'm not giving up. Maybe I can pick up the pace soon.

#193 - One problem with Straub is that he often seems to enjoy dropping you into the story and expects you to play catch-up with him. I love his books, but wouldn't recommend starting one in small chunks. Hope you stick with Mr. X. It's been years, but I remember loving it.

Carlos,

Let us know what you think of Off Season once you finish it. I was very surprised by that one myself. Especially since I'd just read the similarly-themed (but not nearly as gripping) The Backwoods. Though I enjoyed that book, I felt like Off Season delivered on what The Backwoods promised but never quite came through on.

jseger, I thought Ketchum's Off Season was brilliant. It might be sacrilegous to say so, but I found it more gripping than Carrie. (I also found it much less anchored in an era than Carrie was. If someone had told me this book had been written 10 years ago instead of in 1979, I would have believed them.) His style isn't anything to drool over, though better than average. And I had to admit the characterization seemed a little conventional, enough so that I thought I had a good idea what was going to happen. (As you can see above.) But then, when the deaths started coming, it threw me off balance, in a good way. And his pacing is perfect, or near-perfect.

It may be outrageous to say so, but Off Season was a little bit Lovecraftian in its own twisted way. Well, no monsters from the vast outside, but Ketchum's world is just as devoid of human morality as HPL's. (What can I say? When it comes to horror, I have a soft spot for nihilists and pessimists.) And then there's this:

"Probably they could have pulled him off, too, but it was...Peters didn't know exactly how to put it...loathsome. Like the kid was some kind of huge leech."

There's that sense of horror exceeding the bounds of language. And while the clan may not grow gills or scales, they may as well be Deep Ones for how close to, but not quite, human they are.

Did you ever get around to Offspring?

And on an odd(er) aside, today I finished two books that both featured a woman dying after having her tongue cut out. (The other was The Etched City.) I'm not sure I want to think about what that means...

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Out 24, 2008, 2:21am.

LOL when I first clicked on Mr McReys link I got Off Season by Anne Rivers Siddons - I was all wtf? Thanks for the second link, I'm adding it to my list.

Same here, beeg. I didn't think Siddons was a horror writer. Bloody touchstones.

The touchstone for Off Season has been wonky for a while.

Carlos, I have Offspring but haven't read it yet. As for his style not being anything to drool over: I noticed that I read two similarly themed books: The Backwoods and Off Season.

Off Season was easily the superior book. Off Season (for me) was an instant horror classic. Yet I haven't gone out and picked up more Jack Ketchum books and am in no rush to do so.

With The Backwoods, even though something seemed to be missing, I noticed that I liked Edward Lee's style enough that I picked up a few more of his books even as I was reading my first one and wishing it was better.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Out 24, 2008, 7:52pm.

Finally got my hands on Vampire Zero, David Wellington's latest. I'm about 15% in. Wow...

I'm about a quarter of the way through Out by Natsuo Kirino. What's nuts is that it's not scary when I imagine it should be, like when there's murder and cooperative effort at dismemberment . . . !

I think "instant horror classic" is about right. I am curious to see if additional novels will seem as innovative, or if it only felt so impressive because I wasn't expecting him. But his pacing, which I think is pretty key to horror novels, is definitely tight. I picked up Offspring today, and I'll have to sneak it into my TBR pile somewhere. His novel She Wakes also sounds kind of intriguing.

LitClique,

Out was fantastic! I wouldn't class it as a horror novel, but it was such a great read.

Re: 198

Actually Siddons' The House Next Door is a very good horror novel. ;-)

(you know I remembered that book *after* her name popped up, but didn't take the time to make sure)

#204: Oops, my mistake. I've never heard of The House Next Door before, but I'll look into it.

About halfway through Cabal by Clive Barker

Cabal... It's been forever since I read that. Man, those Books of Blood short story collections (Cabal was what, book five or six?) are some of the best horror ever written. I need to reread all of them some day.

Sadly, I never liked his novels quite as much as I enjoyed his short stuff.

Ohhh, I loved Cabal, and the comic and movie adaptations as well, it is my favorite Barker short story. I just finished The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman I can not recommend it highly enough. It is a very fast read, finished it in a day, but it packs a bit of a punch and stays with you.

Funny, I just started the first volume of his Books of Blood. I've only read the first story so far, but I thought it was pretty good.

Carlos,

I hope you enjoy The Books of Blood. I remember reading those some time in the early nineties. At the time, they were a revelation. I'd never read anything quite like them before. He's been imitated quite a bit since then, so they may not have the punch they once had, but I still remember stories like In the Hills, the Cities; The Forbidden; Midnight Meat Train; The Body Politic; In the Flesh and Confessions of a (Pornographer's) Shroud.

To me his novels never quite matched what he was able to pull off in those initial stories.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Out 28, 2008, 8:20am.

I wrapped up Carrie last night and throughly enjoyed it.

Today I'm planning on (finally) starting David Wellington's Monster Island.

Since it's October, I've kind of been glutting myself on horror novels.

I'm halfway through Classic Vampire Stories, which is a set of short vampire tales from the late 19th through early 20th century. There some good classics (e.g. Carmilla, The Horla) and some decent lesser known ones. A few of the lesser known ones are a bit repetitive, following pretty clearly in the Carmilla / Dracula mode.

Almost all are in the public domain in the U.S. and the introduction doesn't add much so I don't think I recommend buying it, but the stories are worth reading.

I have to say that so far I’m not too impressed with Monster Island. The core idea (a man trekking through a Manhattan island that has been overrun with the walking dead) is terrific. Escape From New York meets Dawn of the Dead. What could go wrong?

The problem is that I’m failing to empathize much with the main character. His situation is just too outlandish. A U.N. Weapons inspector and a group of bad ass Somali school girls as the main character? I dunno. To me the key to horror is to have a very realistic and grounded main character as it makes it easier to accept the bizarre and supernatural hijinks that they go through.

Also, the alternating Gary chapters would make for a neat short story maybe, but I’m not too keen on following a thread showing things from a zombies point of view through a whole novel.

The book is readable though and I will finish it. I have already bought Monster Nation and Monster Planet, so I guess I’ll be reading those too.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Out 29, 2008, 1:43pm.

jseger, that is the very reason I have not even added David Wellington's zombie trilogy to my TBR. If the characters were of the more normal next door neighbor variety with their inherent limitations, I probably would have already read the series. Please let us know how things work out.

I've just finished Joe Lansdale's High Cotton and Sarah Pinborough's The Reckoning and enjoyed both. High Cotton was very good with an odd mix of horrifically humorous stories. At least I found them humorous.

The Reckoning followed a standard template, but I like Sarah Pinborough's writing style and will be reading more of her books.

I'm now reading High Cotton's follow up collection, Bumper Crop, and not enjoying it as much. Most of the stories are much shorter and seem to be something that just popped into Joe Lansdale's head and onto paper. Maybe that isn't so bad. I'll review it and give my thoughts when I'm finished.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Out 29, 2008, 3:33pm.

The House Next Door thanks to this thread. So far, so good.

#215 - I liked your review for The Reckoning (which I haven't read yet). I had pretty much the same feelings for her first book The Hidden. Not outstanding, but I liked her writing quite a bit. I've bought all of her books since. I'll support a horror author who is a good writer, even if she isn't exactly reinventing the wheel.

I'm up to about page 70 of Monster Island. My goal is to try to get over my disappointment with the characters and see if I can otherwise enjoy the ride.

#216 - That is a great book, I can say from experience that the people in here will never steer you wrong with recommendations.

I am ready to start in on Ghost Stories: and Other Horrid Tales another vintage horror anthology.

Well, I finished (and reviewed) Monster Island. Overall it was... okay. Not great. I will read the sequels since I own 'em already.

I believe my next book is gonna be 'Salem's Lot (for the Stephen King book club I'm in), but really I'm finding I kinda want to read World War Z. Monster Island just didn't quite scratch my zombie itch.

I'm a few chapters into Dark Hollow by Brian Keene. I've read a few others by Keene and I liked most of it.

Just started Bentley Little's The Summoning. So far so good, but I'm only two chapters in...

Dark Hollow is another book I was going to read, but 'Salem's Lot took precedence. Tell us what you think of it.

Dr. Neutron, hope you like The Summoning. I remember it was a little slow to start, but really comes together.

I would have classified Warren Ellis's Transmetropolitan comics series as "scary" until I noticed one issue won a Horror Guild award. In any event, I've spent a good chunk of today reading the first four collections. It's fun stuff; light cyberpunk satire with nearly ceaseless vulgarity.

Man, re-reading these old, old SK shockers: Carrie and 'Salem's Lot with The Shining up next, I'm really impressed with the one, two three punch he came out of the gate with.

Reading over them you can see why he became a bestselling author so quickly.

The Summoning is an excellent vampire novel and the first Bentley Little novel I read. Since then, I've read all but his latest (The Academy). Little occasionally has a clunker, but The Summoning is one of his better ones.

If I remember right, it was either you or jseger that suggested The Summoning to me, so if it goes badly, I have someone to blame...just kidding! 8^}

I'll take that burden on my shoulders:) I think The Summoning is one of the best vampire books I've read (and I'm not a fan of vampires).

How goes it so far?

Seven chapters in, and so far so good!

I've recommended The Summoning for years to many readers and I can't recall anyone not liking it. I guess there's always a first time ;-) My favorite vampire novel was Robert McCammon's They Thirst. However, not everyone likes it due to the ending, but I'd still recommend it if you haven't read it. I'm not sure if it's in print or not since McCammon pulled a number of his older books from publication. No, you can't have mine as it's a first edition personally signed by McCammon himself :-D

>229: McCammon pulled a number of his older books from publication

What'd he do that for?

"McCammon now refuses to let his first four novels be republished because while he does not dislike the books, he does not feel that they are up to the standards of his later works. He wrote that he feels he was allowed to learn how to write in public, and therefore has decided to officially retire his earlier works"

Hmm, all the more reason to go find his earlier stuff now. Thanks, beeg. :)

I've wondered about Robert McCammon. He seems to be a little bit weird to me. Does anyone know why he decided to 'retire' a while back?

I've read Baal (his first novel). I don't remember much about it, but I did like it.

I also read The Night Boat. I don't know if that was one of the infamous 'first four', but I really enjoyed it as a simple, earnest horror story. I plan on rereading that one some time and think it would make for a fun movie.

Sounds like McCammon just needs to get over himself.

I think he retired for a few reasons, one being that he had been typecast as a horror writer. His later books were marketed as horror, even though they were thrillers (Mine) and coming-of-age (Boy's Life and Gone South). His latest two books are historical mystery/thriller and is planned to be (I think) an eight book series. I haven't read those two yet, but plan to soon. The release of the third book is up in the air at the moment as he doesn't have a publisher.

He always was tired of being compared to Stephen King. I don't think he had anything against King personally, but his works, especially Swan Song were compared to King's works by critics and publishers. Swan Song is *not* a copy/rehashing of The Stand. Really the only thing they have in common is that they are post-apocalyptic/end of the world thriller/horror novels. While The Stand is very good, I thought Swan Song was excellent.

His early books are a bit rough and you can tell they were his early works. Only The Night Boat would I not recommend, but I might need to reread that one to see if I have a better opinion of it now. His first four were Baal, Bethany's Sin, The Night Boat, and They Thirst. You can read more details at his website. Some authors offer reworked versions of their earlier works, but McCammon just chose to pull his. I don't know that he needs to get over himself, he just doesn't like the quality of the early ones and chose to address it in a different way. You can find his earlier books in used book stores and online for relatively cheap (the last time I checked).

I don't know that he needs to get over himself, he just doesn't like the quality of the early ones and chose to address it in a different way.

I guess. I dunno. If those early books were making his readers happy and were making him money I think he should have just enjoyed it. And of course he was going to be compared to Stephen King. Stephen King was (especially at that point) a Harry Potter-like phenomena. McCammon owes his initial success to the horror publishing boom that was largely a result of King. If McCammon was writing what he wanted to write, it was supporting him and entertaining folks, why not enjoy the ride?

Boy's Life and Gone South were pretty popular books, if memory serves. Why fret about how they were marketed? Different Seasons, Eyes of the Dragon and The Green Mile were all marketed as horror, yet they did okay anyway.

Swan Song may not purposely be a copy of The Stand, but c'mon man, how can such an obvious comparison be avoided? Both are epic length, post apocalyptic novels dealing with a group of survivors who gather together to face down a supernatural evil.

If he can't find a publisher for his Speaks the Nightbird epic, maybe he should have just written it for himself and continued writing other works as well. How many years did King wait to really get going with his Dark Tower books?

Maybe I'm sounding mean, but I don't mean to. I don't have anything against McCammon, honest. I've enjoyed what I've read of his stuff. I admit I've never been in his shoes. It just appears that he is a writer taken down by his own self doubt.

(Off topic, but They Thirst is pretty pricey online and The Night Boat is climbing. Baal and Bethany's Sin are still going for cheap.)

I understand what you're saying. I guess I can understand his feelings about being compared to King like this: let's say you do a great job in your profession; however, instead of being told/recognized that you're doing a great job, your work is compared to somebody who is recognized as doing a better job. Instead of your work standing out on its own, you're constantly being compared. The money is nice, but may not have been what mattered most.

Regarding the marketing of his books, I think he wanted to expand beyond horror, but since that had been his specialty, he was typecast as a horror author. The horror boom had started to wind down around '92 or so, maybe he was trying to branch out into other genres. He's an excellent storyteller, regardless of the genre, in my opinion.

Regarding Swan Song, some perceived it as a copy of The Stand. Can they be compared? Sure, because as you said, they are both epic tales dealing with an evil during a post-apocalyptic time. However, Swan Song is not a copy or retelling of The Stand like some believe. I really wonder how many of those who insist it's a copy have actually read both books vs. just assuming they are the same. Just wanted to clarify my earlier statement.

He did write Speaks the Nightbird for himself originally, many years before it was ultimately published. I think he started the sequel after securing a publishing contract on the first one, but I'm not sure. I'm sure he will continue the series as the money doesn't seem to drive him.

I hadn't checked the online pricing of his first four books in several months. Amazon's prices are high, but you can still get all four for a reasonable price on half. However, as you noticed, the prices are going up so supply is dwindling.

You both make two valid points and I agree with them both to some extent. The alignment of my opinion falls somewhat between both arguments.

I think that McCammon is a stupendous author no matter what genre he writes in. I mean, an author that leaves the field for this long and still generates this much talk, is not with undue cause. I wish he would continue writing horror, as I am sure would the large following he had a decade ago, but he already made it fairly clear that he has no inkling motivation to write horror again.

I think we as readers have to respect that.

Authors change direction all the time since as they grow; they sometimes find inspiration in other things. That is fine.

Nevertheless, an author owes it to its fans to announce it with the utmost professionalism when changing direction. No matter how much I like McCammon’s novels, you cannot help but question the latter. He cashs in on the horror wave, gets sick of it, and then it really felt like he had the audacity to piss where he ate. If he really wanted to branch out from horror, he could have done it much more professionally rather than the abrasive approach he took with the entire industry and the horror genre. I see that when McCammon finally got around to publishing his two recent non-horror novels, he had no problem throwing a fit on how they were marketed, because when I picked up my copies, sure enough they were in the horror section. Still riding by the genre’s coat tails, I see, a genre that in his opinion is so boring.

I do believe that Swan Song and The Stand are two distinct works. I find sometimes comparisons go as far as accusing McCammon of being unoriginal or that he is trying to be too much like King. I never understood this comparison and it makes me wonder if the people making these comparisons have read both novels. The argument always seems to give King ownership to the Apocalyptic genre. There were many novels written about the Apocalypse prior to The Stand, but meanwhile, we don’t say that Stephen King is trying to be too much like so and so. The Stand made many references to Lord Of The Rings and King has admitted that Tolkien was a heavy influence for the story idea. The Tolkien vs. King comparison seems silly, doesn’t it? King took the idea and put his own special spin in it. The same respect should be given to McCammon, because comparing both Swan Song and The Stand is like comparing different coloured apples.

I enjoyed The Stand immensely. I have an utmost respect for it and you cannot but admire the impact that it had in the industry. Swan Song however, is much more fleshed out in both character and plot development. Where The Stand sagged at times, Swan Song remained as rigid as a lying virgin.

I think McCammon could have been a tour de force just like King in terms of fame, if he had kept at it. The difference between their successes is none other than their approach on professionalism and acting with some business etiquette.

Just my two coppers...

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Nov 13, 2008, 12:53pm.

Wow! That was a whole lot of in depth discussion there. Just curious, did I read correctly #233 that somthing seemed weird to you. I didn't think anything could seem wierd in this group.

I just wrapped up Dark Hollow by Brian Keene. It's a pretty entertaining little piece of pulp horror. As someone in an earlier post pointed out, Keene is going to try and fit his novels into a larger mythology. He has references to at last two of his previous works in this book, and probably some others that I missed. It will be interesting to see where he goes with it.

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Nov 13, 2008, 6:11pm.

After nearly a month, I finally finished Mr. X. Once I got into it and committed myself to it, it wasn't bad, but I still don't think it's quite as enjoyable as some of his other work. It is, however, very subtle and sophisticated--worth teaching alongside The Secret Sharer and some other works like it. If I had approached it expecting something more challenging than I'm used to from Peter Straub, I think I would have liked it better.

I read Mr. X about a week ago. Though a bit slow to get started, I thought it was pretty good overall, but it wouldn't make my top five Straub's.

Quartzite,

I'm curious, what are your top five Peter Straub books?

So far, I've read Ghost Story, Floating Dragon (twice), Mr. X, Koko, Julia and The Hellfire Club so I guess I only really have a 'top five'. (I wasn't nuts about The Hellfire Club, though it was well written enough that I would reread it._

I keep telling you to add Shadowland

I'll need to dig Shadowland outta my stacks. Went to Ikea and picked up a couple of new book cases, so I'm moving stuff around right now.

You have hit most of them--definitely Ghost Story, Floating Dragon, Koko and Mystery, I'd have to cogitate a while to decide on my pick for number five and possibly reread several , but either Shadowland or The Throat would probably beat out Mr. X.

I loved Ghost Story when I read it years ago, and I loved Mystery, but most of my Peter Straub reading recently has hit on duds--not I-can't-believe-I wasted-my-time-on-this duds, but no fireworks.

#199: Off Season was easily the superior book. Off Season (for me) was an instant horror classic. Yet I haven't gone out and picked up more Jack Ketchum books and am in no rush to do so.

Neither do I! I've just put down Old Flames by Jack Ketchum. The second novella in the book 'Right To Life' was simply too disturbing. Guess I found my limit there! Laymon's violence in Island is actually quite fun because the story is so far-fetched at the same time, but Ketchum's sadistic violence in 'Right to Life' is way too realistic and unsettling. And there's really not much of a story there to justify the use of such explicit violence!

Well, no more Ketchum books for me!

Now I'm reading Lisey's Story by Stephen King. It's a lot better!

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Nov 19, 2008, 3:43pm.

Has anyone read Cross County by Tim Waggoner? A fellow LTer sent me a ER copy and it is tagged as a horror read but I have never heard of the author. I'm curious to hear what you have to say.

I finished The Summoning a few days ago - pretty good! Now I have to go get some more Bentley Little...

#247 - See, I think Jack Ketchum is a good enough writer that he will disturb me too. I liked the off-the-wall violence of Off Season, but most of the other stuff he writes would just be... too much.

Richard Laymon on the other hand is a talented hack. Hey, I like his books, but they are the equivalent of a well done straight to video horror movie. He never grips me enough to disturb me. I don't mean that as a slam though. I have two Ketchum books and, what... 25 Laymon?

#248 - I have a couple of Tim Waggoner's Leisure horror books (Like Death, Pandora Drive and Darkness Wakes). I haven't read them, though I picked them up due to rave reviews. Alas, they are on my ever-increasing TBR pile.

Let us know what you think of Cross Country.

#249 - Hey, glad you liked The Summoning! I don't want to spoil any surprises for potential readers, but I remember I was enjoying the book well enough until that scene with the video camera at the motel. For some reason, that little bit of the book really gripped me, gave me goosebumps and moved the book up to a different level. Bentley Little can be hit or miss, but when he hits, he's great.

Hey jseger! I know you liked Off Season and Offspring (both wrong touchstones by the way), but have you read Winter's Child? I'm wondering if it's as good or if too much cannibalism will eventually get old.

OK, so I'm either going completely nuts, or my memory is really crappy, because I can't find that title anywhere on amazon. I was sure that was the name from the excerpt at the back of Off Season, but now I'm not so sure. Any help out there? Did he really write something called Winter's Child?

I'm still reading It by Stephen King...

#253 - klarsenmd,

You aren't going crazy. The recent Leisure paperback of Off Season comes with the short story Winter Child. Jack Ketchum had originally written it to appear as a chapter to his novel She Wakes (he wanted it to be a story within the story), but decided not to include it. It's no excerpt, that's as much as he wrote.

It wasn't bad. Totally different in tone to Off Season. Vaguely related to Off Season, but just barely. It's a quick read (I want to say I read it on a break).

There is a sequel called Offspring (if you want more Jack Ketchum cannibal madness) and I have it, but haven't read it yet.

If you want more cannibals in the woods, but from a different author, Richard Laymon has a book called The Woods Are Dark. (I think they're cannibals... I haven't read that one yet either!)

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Dez 1, 2008, 7:25pm.

Thanks for the clarification. I'm reading Offspring as we speak (or type) and it's pretty good. I'll let you know my verdict in the next couple of days. Maybe I'll add on The Woods are Dark just for kicks afterward.

Kami

I just finished the excellent The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons that I read about in this group. It shows what you can get when a good writer tries their hand at something creepy.

If you enjoyed Off Season, try Ladies Night. Offspring will really disappoint. The Girl Next Door and Right To Life are also very good Ketchum but the horror is more realistic and some find them a little too disturbing.

Mr Rabid

where have you been? horror is just not the same without you.

ih8dis

ih8dis

I'm in the middle of Suzuki's Ring. So far it's pretty good - his terse style reminds me of some of Cormac McCarthy's stuff, especially The Road.

I've been wondering about The Ring. Do you like it enough so far to look into Koji Suzuki's other books?

And welcome back, RabidPete! Where ya been?

Yeah, I'm enjoying Ring so far. I'll at least read the rest of the Ring trilogy and look into his other works.

Hi rabidPete. I've read The Girl Next Door and think I'll skip Right to Life, but I'll give Ladies Night a go one of these days.

I'm about a 1/3 into Ring, I always expect the book to do a better job than the book. So far nothing is any clearer.

Hello again and thanks, gave up on novels for a while. A few crappy stories in a row dented the enthusiasm. Just recently picked up Red by Ketchum, Infected by Sigler and Heart Shaped Box by Hill. A dose of Ketchum cleared away the cobwebs. And I'm now really enjoying Heart Shaped Box which kinda re-affirmed my horror bug.

Well, I finished John Shirley's novelization of Doom, which I'm shamed to say I quite enjoyed. My name is now attached to another positive review of a cheesy movie novelization. Nothing but class, folks. Nothing but class.

Anyway, I've moved on to a re-read of The Shining which seems fitting for these winter months.

Reading and re-reading all these Stephen King books, it's really struck me just how much better he is than every other horror writer out there. Now, you may or may not like his themes or stories, but in terms of pure writing talent the only writers that come close are Peter Straub and Clive Barker.

(Is this thread too long? Should I start a 'Bride of "What scary book are you reading right now?"')

Mensagem editada pelo autor, Dez 8, 2008, 9:25am.

Go for it, jseger!