You're right. As soon as I visited the site highlighted in my previous post I had the feeling she had become a he.Originally Posted by Crawford Glissadevil
You're right. As soon as I visited the site highlighted in my previous post I had the feeling she had become a he.
[QUOTE=philsunset;800895]^^^ no surprise. One funny thing I saw at a World Horror Convention was Poppy over Ramsey Campbell's knee getting a little spanking.[/QUOTE
Must have been a sight to behold. lol. What sort of things did you do at the World Horror Convention? I've never been to a WHC.
I'm particularly fond of vampire apocalypses, a taste I'm sure comes to me from early enjoyment of I Am Legend (the book, not the execrable film -- though it was once filmed quite well, as The Last Man on Earth, starring Vincent Price as Neville...). Two good vampire apocalypse trilogies below.
I quite enjoyed the trilogy The Strain/The Fall/The Night Eternal by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. I bought the first one on a lark because of del Toro's film work, but I bought the others because of del Toro's name. I bought the other two because I liked the first one so much.
But absolutely the best vampire work I've read in the past twenty years is Justin Cronin's The Passage/The Twelve/The City of Mirrors -- I see you (Crawford) have read the first book. The other two do NOT disappoint!
John Steakley's Vampire$ is an interesting take: professional vampire hunters, in it for the money.
The best modern version I've seen of Dracula himself is The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova.
If you can tolerate some (well, a lot of) humor, Terry Pratchett's Discworld novel Carpe Jugulum takes on modern vampire mythology with his usual cockeyed view.
Finally, I've always gotta recommend anything by the late Octavia Estelle Butler, so even though I've not read it yet, I'll mention her vampire book, The Fledgling.
Cobra handling and cocaine use are a bad mix.
I almost mentioned "The Strain". Scared me. Something about "The Strain" creeps me out in a good way.
I've read the sequels to "The Passage". And yes, it's very good horror.
The "Historian" is on my "Must buy short list" and I look forward to reading the other 3 you mentioned. Thanks for the recommendations.
I've read around 150 vampire novels. The ones I listed are all excellent reads. I know most horror aficionados have read "Dracula", "Salem's Lot", and "I am Legend". I included "classics" so that folks could view the list and can get an idea of what kind of horror the lesser known novels like "The Narrows" or "Darkness on the Ice" hold in store for the reader.
[QUOTE=Crawford Glissadevil;801038]The WHC took place over a weekend at a hotel. There were multiple panels and programs starting in the morning. Panel discussions on various topics about horror (books, films, themes) or the publishing field. The panels would consist of authors, editors, agents. These programs went on into the evenings. Sometimes goofy stuff or weird movies were shown late into the night. There are authors reading their work along with some Q and A. Signing tables for meet and greet, getting those books autographed. It was great talking with the writers informally at the hotel bar or late night parties in the rooms sometimes. The Cons were a blast. I met a couple of writers there who I've remained friends with. I haven't been to one in a while. I don't think WHC is still happening under that name but it's maybe now StokerCon or something like that.
Dan Simmons’ “Carrion Comfort” qualifies as a vampire story, although not in the classical sense. It’s great!
Good call Guitarplyrjvb! Although Dan Simmons wrote a traditional vampire novel "Children of the Night", I opted for to place "Carrion Comfort" on my best of Vampire novels list for exactly the reasons you've elucidated. One of the greatest horror novels ever!
Horror aficionados who haven't read "Carrion Comfort" are missing out. Human chess matches are to die for.
^^ It is indeed on your list. Sorry for being redundant! "Carrion Comfort" stayed with me a long time. Truly unsettling! Gene Wolfe's "Book of the Long Sun" features a vampire protaganist as some sort of far-future human mutation. Peter Watt's "Blindsight" also has a vampire angle. There's also some vampire stuff in Jack Vance's "Dying Earth" series. This stuff is more for those with a sci-fi bent.
No problemo Bro. Redundancy is the essence of pleasing reading... I've read "Carrion Comfort" 4 times. I'm not familiar with the novels you just mentioned, I'll check them out.
When I list the most purely terrifying novels I've ever read I always mention "Pet Sematary, The Ruins, Robert R. McCammon's Stinger, and Orwell's 1984. Now I must add one more novel to the scary as Hell list- Risen by "Jan S Stanad" aka- "J. Knight".
I had to put RISEN down for two weeks because the novel was so anxiety inducing, scary, and disturbed. I was literally scared of the book itself...afraid to pick it up. Heebie jeebie, creeps up on you, hair-raising-horror! An amalgamation of zombie meets Jesus Rising from the dead, coupled with paranoia of Body Snatchers.
Last edited by Crawford Glissadevil; 07-31-2018 at 12:39 PM.
Oooooo!!! You have my attention now!
A Comfort Zone is not a Life Sentence
Just taking a moment to point out this is comicbook writer Jan Strnad (pronounced "struh-nad"), who has collaborated with artists Richard Corben (most recently on Ragemoor) and Dennis Fujitake (Dalgoda).
Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally
Thanks! I've read almost half of these, but there are also some titles I'm not familiar with. I hope I live long enough to read everything in my house, on my Kindle, and
in my wish list!
A Comfort Zone is not a Life Sentence
For me that would involve immortality. My wish list keeps growing.
Cobra handling and cocaine use are a bad mix.
Seriously.
Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally
Very nice list. I've read about a third of them and they all deserve to be on the list. Should be one each by Ray Garton, Bentley Little, and Joe Lansdale on there, too. And what, no Psycho!?
Lou
Looking forward to my day in court.
Thanks for that as I was trying to remember who wrote Swan Song and/or the title. Rat stew, no thanks.
Took a look around the house as this got me curious about Mom's library of 5 or 6,000 books. There's almost no horror here except my SK collection and her's of Koontz. The only other I could find is The Island from Peter Benchley - he of Jaws Fame. You may remember the movie but it didn't hit me as hard as the book when I read it 30 years or so ago. There's a early scene in the book that really freaked me out and I was creeped out the whole time. Then I saw the movie and was basically bored. It didn't have the same effect but I think Benchley's writing had something to do with that. Gonna have to re-read that one.
Two I did come up with even though Ik can find neither copy but both are Piers Anthony. Anthonology, a collection of short stories with the most amazing torture scene I've ever read as this human wants to become a ruling council member for a alien race. Totallyh crazy.
Then there's Shade of the Tree, IIRC although it may also be Firefly. Been so long and I'd have to pull out the ladder to get to Firefly which I ain't doing right now. I remember it as being really erotic but also a horror book.
I can only seem to find four Neil Gaiman books. He does a lot of sort of horrorish books but I can't remember one that was truly horror without his weird sense of humor like Good Omens or American Gods. Although Terry Pratchett co-wrote Good Omens so maybe it was his weird sense of humor.
Carry On My Blood-Ejaculating Son - JKL2000
Although it has a werewolf-side too, there's some apocalyptic danger in Red Moon by Benjamin Percy.
I liked the book, because it's partly a story about a young girl, but it's getting bigger and bigger....
I started reading A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay yesterday. So far so good. It on the list linked in one of the posts above. The author will be a featured guest at next week's Telluride Horror Show fest. Anyone a fan of Paul Tremblay?
Lou
Looking forward to my day in court.
Tremblay's latest book The Cabin at the End of the World was reviewed in detail in The Los Angeles Times a few weekends back. Let me know how it goes.
Yep. I have both of these titles on my list. Anxious to get to both of them.
Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally
Lopez got a head full of ghosts? As Lozez turn the page, did he bob his head in fear and tremblay…err tremble? What's the verdict on Paul Tremblay? Was the book worth the candle?
Last edited by Crawford Glissadevil; 11-18-2018 at 11:31 AM.
Just found a copy of George R. Stewart's Earth Abides in a new Dutch translation. Looking good.
Yes, it was worth the candle (I'll have to use that expresssion). I enjoyed it, but I don't think enough to get me to read other Tremblay books.
Lou
Looking forward to my day in court.
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