From out of the Stygian depths creeps "What scary book are you reading right now?"!

First of, I copied/pasted the thread title from a post by zwoolard.

So, what are you reading right now? Is it good? Terrible? Would you recommend it? Have an opinion on a book someone else has mentioned?

Reading Comes the Dark by Michael Prescott. Just started it so can't say much, but I am trying to figure out why the authors name sounds so familiar. I googled him and don't recognize any other titles. I know I have read something from him before.....

Getting old sucks, I can't tell you how many times I have checked out books from the library, and twenty pages into it I realized I have already read it and know how it ends. It's okay if it is a realy good book and you want to read it again, but how often do you forget really good books that you might want to read again?

Just started I am legend by Richard Matheson haven't read enough to form an opinion yet. Though with Ray Bradbury and Brian Lumley quotes in the preface I have pretty high expectations for it.

I'm a couple of chapters into the first story of My Work Is Not Yet Done by Thomas Ligotti.

It's still early days but the writing the first few pages has been quite okay. Yet, it's to soon for me to have an actual opinion of the work. I've heard a lot of praise for Thomas Ligotti, though, and my expectations is somewhat high.

#3 - I Am Legend is very good. But I don't know that it will live up to the hype built around it. It has been copied so many times (as Night of the Living Dead, The Last Man on Earth and The Omega Man for instance) and so many respected authors have hyped it that perhaps it's not fair to expect any book to live up to those expectations (I remember being disappointed in Little Miss Sunshine for the same reason).

Just try to remember how fresh it was at the time.

I need to re-read that one.

Early Matheson is some of the best horror and weird lit on the planet.

I'm off horror for a while.

#2: lol @ Getting old sucks. I'm just hitting my 30s, and my memories pretty much blown. I'd hate to think what it'll be like in another 10-20 years. :/ Anyway, hope the book's good so far. I can't say the author's name rings a bell for me, though. Good luck figuring it out. :)

#3 & 5: I have I Am Legend, but I figure I've seen the movie, why bother? But I'm sure I'll give in eventually. Thanks for the advice, jseger. I'll try not to hold my expectations up too high.

#4: I haven't read any Thomas Ligotti books, but that one looks good!

#6: I'm off horror for a while. -- I hope not permanently.

I can't think of any horror-ish books I've read lately. I set Dominion by Bentley Little aside a month or so ago (not the book's fault), but I hope to finish it before summer (that's a doable goal).

#7 - I have I Am Legend, but I figure I've seen the movie, why bother?

Please tell me that was a joke?

Lol, no, actually, it wasn't. But I do plan on reading it sometime.

Oh my. The Will Smith I Am Legend is the second worst adaptation of a book to a movie I've ever seen (ironically, the worst is Will Smith's version of I, Robot. Will Smith, stay away from classic works!).

Aside from just how generally crappy the movie is, it is also less faithful to the book than Stanley Kubrik's version of The Shining was to that book. And at least Kubrik made a good movie.

I Am Legend is a classic book. You should have high expectations. I was just saying the avalanche of accolades was something NO book could live up to.

Kind of like if you saw the original Star Wars for the first time now. You'd probably still like it, but everything that came after it would likely dull the impact it has on a first time viewer. Not the fault of the work.

Good to know. I wasn't too thrilled with the movie version of I Am Legend, but I didn't hate it either. I've just pretty much forgotten it. Thankfully, I haven't gone anywhere near I, Robot (probably won't now). But I get what you're saying. I think I'll start with Button Button/The Box: Uncanny Stories before I Am Legend, though. I have a soft spot for short story collections and want it to be my first Richard Matheson book.

I think I'll start with Button Button/The Box: Uncanny Stories

Oh, I need to order that!

I'm only 60 pages in so it's probably too early to say but The Waiting Room by F G Cottam is promising to be nicely creepy.

#12: You'll probably get to it before I do. Hope you like it.

#13: Hmm, looks interesting to me, but from the reviews, I doubt there's a gray area. Either you'll love it or hate it (hopefully you'll love it), depending on if you've read F.G. Cottam before.

Seriously, Matheson's short stories are amazing. You'll love. L.P. Hartley wrote some uber creepy stuff- The Visitor from Down Under and The Traveling Grave are classics, and his story The Lift is as bloody and horrid as anything written now. Have you read Collier and Lord Dunsany? I'm not a fan of Clive Barker's books but his short stories will be read for a long time.

#15: I'm not sure who you were asking about Collier and Lord Dunsany, but I haven't heard of/read anything by either one. Sorry. I do agree with you on Clive Barker, though. I've tried reading a couple of his novels, but I could never push myself to finish them. His stories, on the other hand (the few that I have read), were pretty darn good. And, of course, I always love watching movies based on his stuff.

Anywho, I just found my copy of The Box: Uncanny Stories and am considering starting it after I finish my manga binge. I should probably finish Dominion by Bentley Little, but these stories look less daunting than the 300 pages I have left in that book.

#15 - When you say Collier, do you mean John Collier? If so, I've been meaning to get Fancies and Goodnights for forever.

I've never read any of his stories, but I love listening to old time radio shows. I am familiar with 'Evening Primrose', 'Wet Saturday' and a few others from hearing them on Suspense.

I agree with you on Barker too. Those six Books of Blood are milestones in horror. Some of the best and most creative horror I've read. His novels display that same creativity, but I just couldn't groove on them in the same way.

(Okay, so in a couple of days, I'm ordering The Box: Uncanny Stories, Shadow on the Sun and Fancies and Goodnights. Trying to keep that list low...)

#17: Trying to keep that list low...

Good luck with that! ;) I don't know of anyone on LT who's able to resist a book or two . . . or more.

#14 Well, I'm about half way through now and gripped by the story though not actually scared yet. So far I'd recommend it (it's my first by Cottam).

>> 15 Right, John Collier. I'd been meaning to read Fancies and Goodnights for years, too. Finally did last year- don't bother buying this one, any library system will probably have it. It's one of those books you see everywhere and have never read. Don't know why.

I love old radio shows, too. I'm glad they're available free online, the price used to be prohibitive, at least for me.

And I'm able to resist a book or two. I've got too damn many, move a lot, and they weigh a ton. Of course, if I see a bargain...

#15, 16, 17 I agree, I have read a few Barker novels just because friends loved them, but they were always a struggle. (Do a lot of his novels somehow involve semen as a catlyst- I seem to remember that.) I am intrigued by the recomendations on the short stories however, so thanks for that.

#21 - Be warned. His short stories are no more... tasteful... than his novels. It's just that, for me, he was able to capture magic in a bottle in so many of his short stores. And pull off bizarre concepts like 'In the Hills, the Cities' or 'The Body Politic'.

They may not have the impact now that they did when I read them in the '80's. Back then anyway, they were staggeringly original. Probably like what Lovecraft's stuff must have been like when it was being published for the first time.

I can't stand reading most Lovecraft. His stories should be perfect- haunted houses, ancient curses, secret societies and hidden civilizations. What's not to love. Some I really like, but when he goes off on the Cuthulu mythos stuff I tune out. 'Some elder god, malevolent, unseeable, indescribable. If I were to tell you, you'd...go mad!!'

Whatever, HP. I paid 14 bucks for this book so why doesn't you give it a shot instead of being lame about it and crapping out? He's got good powers of description, I don't know why he decided to rest on hyperbole and leave so much out. Barker's 'In the Hills, the Cities' is a good example of describing complex ideas.

Same with monster movies when I was a kid and the movie was almost over before they showed the monster. I'd sit there for 70 minutes shouting 'Show the monster! Show the monster!'

Fear Nothing by Dean Koontz

So far so good, I'm only half way through the book, the antagonist(s) is still unknown and the mystery hasn't unfolded yet, which I think makes it scarier. I just hope that when I finish I will still like it. I often find the unknown to be more frightening than the known, so when the story wraps up and tries to explain everything I'm usually disappointed.

#23 - That's funny. To me Lovecraft's Cthulhu stuff is what makes him worth reading. I do admit though, I like other folks writing Cthulhu stories more than his own.

#24 - Fear Nothing... Isn't that one of his Christopher Snow books? My wife used to love reading Koontz, but I could never get into him.

I've just started Gerald's Game. I didn't like it the first time I read it a decade ago or so. But hey, I've gotten through fifty pages in a work day. Maybe I'll appreciate it more this time?

#25, yes it is a Christopher Snow book. And I loved Gerald's Game, but I read it when I was 14 and I wasn't supposed to read books like that. Maybe it was that I was young, or that I was being bad reading it that I liked it so much, but I tried to read it again a few years ago and could not get into it. But I will always say that I liked it because of the memory of staying up late reading and hiding the book under my bed when I wasn't. Funny how some books bring back memories. Hope you enjoy it

I'm about a hundred and fifteen-ish pages in to Gerald's Game. It could still collapse. But so far I'm loving the book. A huge improvment over my initial read. Fingers crossed!

Oh, and I did order Button, Button and Shadow on the Sun along with Now You See It... and Noir: Three Novels of Suspense. (A single seller on Half.com had all four Matheson books. Gotta love combined shipping.)

#23 & 25: I've never read anything by H. P. Lovecraft, and I really don't plan on it. Maybe one of his short stories (does he have any that are good?), but I can think of dozens of other authors I'd like to try first.

#24: It's been so long since I've read anything by Dean Koontz, I'm not sure I have Fear Nothing hidden away somewhere or not. (I tend to buy books when I find them super cheap, then read them at my leisure.) Anyway, hope you like it. :)

#25: I didn't like Gerald's Game all that much either. It was just too long, and the lady never goes anywhere. Still, very creepy (her not being able to move also works for it), and the way she escaped still makes me nauseous. I seriously doubt I'll re-read it anytime, though. Good luck! Hope it continues to get better.

#26: Was Gerald's Game your first Stephen King book? That's probably why you remember it so favorably. I wasn't supposed to read SK about that age either, but I borrowed one of my mother's books (The Eyes of the Dragon) and have been a fan ever since.

#27: I started The Box/Button, Button this week. I'm only a few stories into it, and I've already finished the main story: "Button, Button". It's really hard to imagine them making that short thing into a 2-hour film. I even rechecked the movie out for the zillionth time, but I doubt I watch it.

Anyway, nice Richard Matheson haul! :) I used to love ordering from Half.com when they initially started and offered free shipping, but now I just stick with used bookstores. It's usually cheaper that way.

#28 - I think many of Lovecraft's short stories are good, if you can just get past his narrative style, and that isn't easy, I admit.

I remember especially liking The Shadow Over Innsmouth, At the Mountains of Madness, The Temple and The Tomb.

Thanks for the recs, jseger. If I have read a short story by him, I really don't remember it; but At the Mountains of Madness looks familiar. Probably because I've seen it @ work or something. I'll try that one if I see it again.

#28, yeah I think Gerald's Game was my first Stephen King....good point.

#31: Houdini Heart does look promising. I have yet to see a horror book with five 5-star ratings. Hmm, I'll have to keep my eyes open for that one. Thanks. :)

Horror is difficult to sustain for the length of an entire novel.

I would recommend The Edge of Running Water and To Walk the Night by William Sloane as examples of excellent short novels in the genre.

Lovecraft was a pioneer. The Colour out of Space is probably his best work in the field, and captures very well Lovecraft's approach to horror.

Bump!

I haven't been reading anything for pleasure, but have been listening to audiobooks. It's kind of cheating, though- I'm listening to them because they put me to sleep rather than for me to pick up a story. I finished So Cold the River by Michael Koryta. I really enjoyed his style, although the story lacked a core. He's getting good reviews and his crime fiction scores higher; I'm going to give him another read/listen just because his his style has the effortlessly engrossing quality of Stephen King.

I haven't read any of William Sloane's work but I have heard of him. Is he a good writer? Does he do series?

>37 tabitha6:. Sloane was an older writer, who only wrote two books. (He went into publishing and editing.) The two books he wrote, though, are gems. I discovered them (thank to my father) in my teens, and they are among the handful of books I will actually re-read from time to time.

Perhaps Sloane decided to quit while at the top...

Thanks Bruce, I may try to find these. My library doesn't have them.

I'm halfway through Sinema: The Northumberland Massacre and I keep thinking: "Killers gone wild" would have been a better title. Loads of movie and music reference and posters with the lettering changed up to feature our star.

Just started The Keeper. I'm about 50 pages in and so far it seems promising....

I´m reading A beleaguered city by Margaret Oliphant (love the name), and it´s a really weird story. A warped reality where life and death, and dream and reality gets all mixed up, and yet you still believe it. Gustav Meyrink would have loved it. It´s a collection of short stories so I´m very curious about the rest of them.

I'm reading Summer Of Night, by Dan Simmons. I read somewhere that it's one of the modern classics. So far it's been particularly creepy for me since it reminds me of some aspects of my own childhood.

Cool ricardolopezp, I am reading Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons. Pretty good so far. How is Summer of Night coming along?

#45 Carrion Comfort is near the top of my tbr pile, so I am delighted to hear that you arre enjoying it, "so far!"

Well, I'm not far enough in yet to be sure just how scary it's going to be but I'm hopeful for Harbour by John Lindqvist. Ever since Dark Matter I've been drawn to these 'cold climate' creepies and I've heard good things about this one.

@47 Be interested to see what you think, been patiently waiting for it to come out in paperback. Dark Matter looks intriguing thanks.. I recommendCold Skin is a rather bonkers horror/fantasy set on a cold desolate island..

#48 (It's out now.) I'll do my best to remember to let you know ;-) I recommended Dark Matter elsewhere as it is deliciously atmospheric and I've just had that person comment that they read it and loved it. I never realised before how spooky those dark, icy places can be.

#49 Booksloth
I never realised before how spooky those dark, icy places can be.

Obviously you've never locked yourself into a refrigerator. :-)

I'm looking forward to reading Dark Matter in June. I left it in our place in France at Easter and won't be there until the end of next week. (Yes, I am boasting about my holidays.)

#50 LOL!

Nice Peter, real nice.

I hear about Dark Matter so much. I keep checking Amazon to find a paperback release date. There isn't one yet:( The book sounds fantastic though.

#48 - I do have Cold Skin. I think I'll give it a read after June's SK Flavor of the Month (which is The Waste Lands I think).

#45 - The eeriness is building up at a steady pace. I am enjoying that. It feels like my warm, sepia-tinted childhood memories were turning grey and strange and haunted. Like a cruel deja vu that threatens to reveal a terrible event that I had forgotten.

How's Carrion Comfort?

It is creepy and sad. Mindrape=creepy and Holocaust=sad.

Have been away from LT for a while, so just catching up with the bump-i-t-night thingers.

#13 Booksloth - did you like The Waiting Room? I'm a big F. G. Cottam fan and love all his books to date.

#40 Beeg - read Sinema a while back, thought I wouldn't like it but I did. It was pretty grim though!

Not read a horror for a while but I'm tempted by the good things I'm reading about Houdini Heart...but £7+ for a digital book!?

Also just won Run From The Reaper by Christian YounMiller on Member's Giveaway (yipeeee!) so looking forward to that coming. Plus it's set during a 'record cold winter break' according to the blurb, so may appeal to the cold-weather-horror-fans out there.

#56 Yes, I did. It's a rare book that sticks with me for long after I've read it and this was no exception as it's now fading fast but I enjoyed it very much (as I'm now enjoying Harbour, another spooky one) and it felt quite creepy at the time.

#56: Run From the Reaper--love the cover for that! :)

#58 Yes Sara it's certainly not understated is it!? Looking forward to it whizzing its way onto my Kindle.

I'm reading Stross' Atrocity Archives, which I think rates as horror (the kind I like, anyhow), as well as SF, espionage fiction, and humor. So far, so good.

I am currently reading The House of the Seven Gable and a collection of Victorian era vampire fiction called Dracula's Guest edited by Michael Sims which contains 20 or so stories including the titular one.

Finished The Keeper and it was really VERY good--good old-fashioned balls-to-the-wall horror like Stephen King used to write "back in the day." Someone recently on one of our threads was asking about "small-town horror" in the vein of "Needful Things" and this would be a good choice. Wrote a review. You should be able to get to it through the touchstone....

#61 - How is The House of the Seven Gables? I keep meaning to order some Nathaniel Hawthorne.

#62 - Nice review of The Keeper, Bentley. I thumbed ya for it.

#56 bibliobeck, it was like reading a slasher movie :)

#62 TheBentley I read The Keeper a couple of years ago and loved it, the sequel The Missing is even better and if I'm remembering there is another one to follow, gonna go look for it now that I've remembered.

#64 & 62 - I really like Sarah Langan myself. Both The Keeper and The Missing. If you haven't, you should also try Audrey's Door.

BTW your touchstone for The Missing is a Tim Gautreaux book that is also very good :) Although not horror.

Thanks, guys! I think I'll try Audrey's Door first, since I love haunted house books best of all (and I'm not a big zombie fan). But I'll probably try both, since I did like her work....

Just read The House in the High Wood the second book in the Western Lights series by Jeffrey Barlough and this struck as more horror than mystery.

Just finished F G Cottam´s The Waiting Room, and it left me a bit puzzled. The book is packed full of clichés, the protagonists are a bunch of unbelieveably cheap stereoypes, but for all that; it actually frightened me on a number of occasions, something that far more clever authors have not been able to do. How could this be? The back cover says that F G Cottam has left "a successfull carreer in mens magazines". What does that mean? Did he invent the page three girls, or what? I´ve never heard of him before this, but maybe I don´t read enough "mens magazines"?

# 68
I LOVE F G Cottam! I'd also recommend Dark Echo, The Magdalena Curse and most of all House of Lost Souls which really creeped me out. Some parts of his books irritate me- I found the ending of House of Lost Souls a bit of a let down, but the scares from the body of his books make up for this as far as I'm concerned. Creepy people from the 30s seem to be a speciality of his, and it always sends a shiver up my spine. House of Lost Souls features Aleister Crowley and Dennis Wheatley - what more could you want?

#69
Yes, I´ll definitely be looking up his other books. Anything with the ability to frighten is welcome. Speaking of Aleister Crowley, I´m actually reading a short story collection by him now, but so far it´s been more odd than scary. Dennis Wheatleys stories are very uneven. Some of them are great (like The Haunting of Toby Jugg) and others complete crap. There was one I read last summer though (sorry, forgot the title). Somewhere in the jungles of South America there were a secret society who were devil worshippers, mafia and nazis all at once. Now that´s what I call a jackpot.

#69
absolutely, and weird fact of the day... Dennis Wheatley taught maths to my dad. Strange but true

#71 Ha Ha. Unbeatable.

In the middle of reading Joe Schreiber's Red Harvest

A combination of Zombies and Star Wars , who could ask for more.

#73 - Have you already read Joe's other Star Wars/horror book Death Troopers?

Currently reading The Vanishing by Bentley Little and Flashback by Dan Simmons

I loved Simmons Carrion Comfort but I'm having a hard time staying with Flashback. This is my first Bentley Little book.

Bentley Little is hot and cold. Some I really liked (The Store, Dominion) others I thought were just boring (The Walking).

I will second #76. There is one scene I remember strongly from The Walking, but over all it was a miss.

I don't know if The Vanishing is good or bad. I haven't read that one yet. I will say that his good stuff is good enough to make me try him again after reading a bad book. He might be unstable, but when he is good, he is GOOD.

I really need to read Dan Simmons. I have several of his books. Maybe after I finish The Hobbit I'll give Summer of Night a crack.

You will not regret James!

Loved Summer of Night. Don't know if it is as good as Carrion Comfort but it might be. I've just read Carrion Comfort more recently.

#79 Carrion Comfort is on my tbr pile, so I'm delighted to see your positive comment about it. It might inch a bit closer to the top, despite gravity pulling at its massive bulk.

Just finished The Silent Land by Graham Joyce and now moving on to Ramsey Campbell's Creatures of the Pool.

#81 - So how is Creatures of the Pool?

I've started reading Nightmares and Dreamscapes for the Stephen King group. So far I've just read the inro and about half of Dolan's Cadillac.

I just finished Under the Dome

#83 - I've been waiting for that to hit mass market paperback form. I get the feeling it isn't going to happen.

his books usually do - no? I buy a lot of used books (except for the authors I collect, Uncle Stevie being one) sometimes they're cheaper than the paperbacks.

#84 Are you sure? It's been out in that format here in the UK for ages and we're usually miles behind you with his books.

#85, 86 - Well, from my vast amount of web searching (visiting Amazon a couple of times): Under the Dome has been available as a trade paperback since 06July2010 and that's it (well, there's audio and hardback).

Full Dark, No Stars on the other hand, came out as a trade paperback on 24March2011 and the mass market paperback is due out 20September2011.

There's a thread on StephenKing.com confirming it won't be released as mass market (well, the post isn't by King or anything).

Spielberg is supposedly adapting it to a cable miniseries. Maybe they'll release a mass market paperback then?

It's not that I'm cheap. I'm just not wild about lugging around a trade paperback or hardcover book. (Well, I am cheap, but still...)

#85 - Do you mean you buy the hardcovers used? I've considered doing that just for the fun of it.

Anyone heard anything about The Mall by s. l. grey? Is it available outside the uk yet?Anyone heard anything about The Mall by s. l. grey?

jseger,

yes, hardcovers, I just checked abe.com and they have Under the Dome for a dollar. you can also get 1dollar shipping depending on the book and bookstore. if you don't care about the dustcover or shape the book is in the price goes down. I've been pretty lucky with most of the purchases I've gotten through them.

Mall was discussed on here a while ago. From what I remember, the reviews were good. Beck has a review on the work page.

I googled around a bit, but haven't seen any U.S. release date yet. You can buy import hardcovers at Amazon for around $20.00 though.

jseger

I can't tell you how many hardcover books I have bought at libraries for a dollar. I regularly patronize several of the surrounding libraries, and all of them sell used books. They are not in collector condition, but I just buy them for my personal library, not for future resale for big money.

I usually avoid hardbacks because they are just to bulky for me to carry around. But I have been buying some old horror, suspense and science fiction anthologies. I've found I like the book club editions because they are smaller.

Now onto Hell House by Richard Matheson.

Just read Nine Ghosts by R. H. Malden, a collection of 9 short stories. I've read that the author knew M.R. James, and he wrote in a similar style. I found the stories nicely creepy, with lots of atmosphere. They are not in-your-face horror -- much more subtle, rather understated.

Just found a new book by Robert McCammon called The Five. Very excited; haven't read any new McCammon in a while. (Although I did re-read They Thirst recently)

Night Chills by Dean Koontz

I haven't formed an opinion of it yet.

>95 tjm568:.

Now I'm reading The Room at the Bottom of the Stairs by Robert McCammon.

It's a free ebook download from Subterranean Press right now (see their official website). It's a new Michael Gallatin standalone 36,000 word novella from The Hunter in the Woods. Gallatin is the werewolf spy in WWII from McCammon's The Wolf's Hour

The Hunter in the Woods has six new Gallatin stories! I'm with you, great to see McCammon again.

I'm reading Bram Stoker's Dracula. It's very good but the constant change of the narrator (because the book consists entirely of diary entries, letters etc.) is a bit confusing. But it's definitely a book every horror fan should read.

#98 - Oh yeah. Dracula is only list (and in my library).

I'm still working my way through Nightmares and Dreamscapes. I've been fooling around when I should be reading.

> 87

It looks to me as if mass market paperbacks (formerly "pocket paperbacks") will be the first real casualty of the e-book phenomenon. If you put a premium on portability, e-books look really good. Whereas, if you put a premium on book-objectness (that term is sufficiently cromulent, no?), then you'll be wanting hardcovers, with trade paper as a runner up. As someone in the latter camp who still sees the occasional virtue of the former, I'll be sad to see the mass market paperbacks go.

#100 (that term is sufficiently cromulent, no?),

I wonder when, or if, the word "cromulent" is incorporated into the Oxford English Dictionary, will the "origin" note credit the Simpsons?

I thought I'd give the Entity by Frank de Felitta a go next.
Its actually my partner's book but she isnt keen on it so said I could list it on bookmooch.
So if anyone in the UK wants it for free.....but let me read it first

#102 - I remember thinking the movie was pretty good. One of those 'based on true events' stories that always makes me roll my eyes, but still worth watching. I've been curious about Frank DeFelitta anyway (though mainly because his last name is very similar to my better half's last name).

Ew. I didn't care for The Entity . It's been a few years and I don't remember why. Hmmm

I didn't review it but I only gave it one star. I must have really hated it.

@103, his Audrey Rose and Oktoberfest sound interesting!

I saw the made for TV movie of Audrey Rose and loved it. Do you know how the book compared?

Audrey Rose was one of my favourite books when I was in my early 20s. I must have reread it a dozen times and it gripped me completely. Quite recently I found a copy in a second-hand book shop and picked it up for old times' sake to have a browse. Luckily I didn't buy it because I couldn't even get through the first page this time around - absolute rubbish! Just goes to show, I guess, how your tastes can change. Still, if anyone can get the same amount of enjoyment out of it now as I did back then I wish them a great time of it!

The movie Audrey Rose scared the crap out of me when I was a kid.

As for what I'm reading now - it between longer works, I'm taking just a tasty morsel every now and then from The Oxford Book of Gothic Tales, which is a real delight: the best collection I have yet found of Gothic stories old and new and with authors from Edgar Allan Poe and Sheridan le Fanu to Angela Carter, Joyce Carol Oates and Patrick McGrath. This is a real must-have for all lovers of the Gothic and would make the perfect gift for any fan.

Ed for typos

I'm currently reading Adam Nevill's The Ritual. About halfway through and really enjoying it. A deliverance-style story of middle-aged men finding themselves in the wilderness mixed with the otherworldly horrors of Algernon Blackwood's The Willows.

I've just finished Harbour by John Ajvide Lindqvist which I really enjoyed. I couldn't begin to explain why, but it really put me in mind of Stephen King's It. I think Lindqvist has got better with every book.

#110 I read Adam Nevill's The Ritual receently and although I enjoyed it, I felt it was too long - be interested to know what you think when you've finished it gryeates.

Currently reading Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror by Chris Preistly. Yes I know it's YA but I don't care - it's creepy and gory :o)

#111 yay, I won that in the early reviewers and I'm reading Handling the undead right now

# oooh I loved Handling the undead! Well done Beeg :-D

I am reading Peculiar, MO by Robert Williams -- one of those 'strangething comes to town with military close behind' in which it is not clear which is greater threat to the folks therein. Not great, but readable, with a couple of very likable characters.

I read Handeling the Undead. I liked the book, but I guess I missed the point. I thought it was well written, and I'm not meaning to sound like a jerk or smartass, but I just didn't get it. I am sure there was a message. I went into it thinking I was reading a zombie novel with a twist, like Let the Right One In was a vampire novel with a twist. Yeah, there was a twist, but I guess I missed the point.(in Handling, not Let the Right). Sometimes I'm not that bright. Someone please explain what I missed.

115, I didn't love it either not like Let the right one in didn't love the grubs or the Fisherman but I did enjoy the writing. It's tricky when the ending or premiss is poor but the journey is good.

Right now I'm reading The Strain it's kinda like a cross between Salem's Lot and The puppet masters which now that I think it about it, that's an excellent concept. So far the book is pretty good.

I just finished The Strain and liked it a lot. I won't say too much because you're still reading, but I am loking forward to more. I certainly agree with your comparison with Salem's Lot, which I still think is one of the scariest books I ever read, but I think the cross is more like with The Stand.

Let me know what yiu think when you are finished.

#116&117, I will have to add the Strain to my wishlist. The Stand was my favorite book, so if the Strain is comparable then I'll have to give it a shot!

yeah, I didn't get The Stand so much, but if you like The Stand you might also enjoy Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons

Loved Carrion Comfort. Just re-read it recently. Your Puppet Masters reference reminded me of part of Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson, which I recently finished.

#119 Oh dear! I thought The Stand was just so-so and yet I was looking forward to Carrion Comfort. Of course, Dan Simmons's writing will save the day.

I've never heard of Carrion Comfort but the reviews look good! Added to the WL! Thanks for the suggestion

#121 Carrion Comfort is nothing like The Stand. I loved both books, but they are nothing alike. I have always thought King is a very good writer, but Simmons is better. Also, the story of Carrion Comfort is nothing like The Stand. Please don't be turned off of Carrion by comparisons with The Stand. I think the comparisons come from people considering what they feel are two authors at the top of their craft rather than similarities in the stories. I would feel terible if this discussion contributed to you taking a pas on Carrion Comfort.

#123 tjm568

Thank you for the reassurance. I think my liking for Simmons's writing was keeping Carrion Comfort well up the "to be read" list.

I have found King's stories to be good and bad. I think my problem with The Stand could relate to my reading the extended version. My dominant feeling for the book was that it was too long. Perhaps the excess pages had been edited out for a reason; possibly a very good reason.

I've never understood the comparison between The Stand and Carrion Comfort. I think if you liked one, you might like the other. Some people are put off by the size. I kinda like knowing going in, its gonna worth it.

#125

I seem to get myself into big books about once a year, examples being The Reality Dysfunction, Cryptonomicon, Drood, The Stand (extended version) and Anathem, and thankfully I have seldom been disappointed. I did find The Stand a drag and of the books I listed it would be the one I enjoyed least.

Carrion Comfort is of a size that fits my once a year madness and it is by a writer whose work I like. In terms of your comment, if you liked one, you might like the other., I hope it holds true that "if I wasn't fused about one I might still like the other".

At the risk of being stoned, I didn't love The Stand. I liked it a lot, like Under the Dome I liked it a lot but it's not up there in my top ten from Uncle Stevie. Personally I rather The Talisman and if you like Straub then Ghost Story is up there with my favorites.

Reading The Uncertain Places by Lisa Goldstein and enjoying it.

You know how sometimes you re-read a book and notice the errors or problems with the story that you misssed the first time through? I reread Carrion Comfort. Simmons doesn't make many mistakes. The guy writes a damn good sentence, paragraph, story. I haven't dug some of his latest books due to the topics, but the guy is a great writer

#129 tjm568

I know exactly what you mean. I didn't think much of his writing a book about Dickens and Collins, and didn't like the liberties he took with the characters from The Mystery of Edwin Drood, but he executed Drood exceptionally well. His great writing is the reason I will give any of his books a chance.

Changing the topic; I just finished The Descent by Jeff Long. I liked the story until the end. The writing was solid and the story was interesting, but I guess I just didn't get the message at the end. I felt let down with the ending. Was there some meaning that I missed? any help....

I am currently reading the second installment of Guillermo Del Toro's vampire epic. This one is The Fall the first was The Strain. I like them. In general I am not a huge fan of vamp stories with some notable exceptions. Although my guilty pleasure some years back was the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as far as novels go, I can't stand vampire stories where the vamps are just troubled and looking for love. I want my vampires to be evil, tear your throat out monsters. Guillermo definitely delivers in that respect. An interesting twist in explaining vampirism. And to bring it back to earlier discussion, one of the other vampire novels I really enjoyed was Children of the Night by Dan Simmons. Those vampires were some mean motor scooters. But the more interesting aspect was that the scientific explanations about the nature of vampirism left me thinking that it kind of made scence. Not that I believe there are vampires out there of course...

Hey beeg, I don't think anyone minds if your stoned.:)

#131 - I can't stand vampire stories where the vamps are just troubled and looking for love.

Amen!

The high point of this for me was Francis Ford Coppola's otherwise excellent Dracula. You are supposed to feel sympathy for Gary Oldman's Drac (or even find him sexy). Yet earlier in the film he stole an infant and fed it to his brides. It's the ultimate 'he just needs a good woman to straighten him out' story.

Ah well. I'm starting Stephen King's Insomnia later today...

#132 I'm curious to see how you like Insomnia it's in the "not my favorite" list but I think I should re-read it someday. I find I pre judge books if they're not rolling the way I want them to.

#133 - I remember actually disliking the book. This go-round I'm trying to approach it with an open mind...

I didn't care for it much either. I should probably give it another shot at some point, but there is so much other stuff that is begging for reading I doubt I'll ever get back to it. I do re-read, but have a hard time going back to a book I didn't particularly care for the first time.

#133, 134 & 135
While Insomnia was written by Stephen King, you are allowed not to like it and be happy with your decision without having to reread it.

As tjm568 says, but there is so much other stuff that is begging for reading.

PS I didn't think a lot of The Stand.

There, I've said it. It's out there.

I think King's writing style varies from each book so much that one person can fall in love with one book and hate another. I know I loved The Stand but still have not been able to finish The Tommyknockers.

#Gogs81
I haven't tried The Tommyknockers yet, but it is on my shelf awaiting attention.

I remember really liking The Dead Zone.

In other words, I agree with your comment.

As a matter of interest, did you read the original release version of The Stand or the extended version? I read the extended version and that may have affected my opinion of the whole book. The version I read was far too long for the story it contained and I am left with the idea that much of it was left out of the original published version for very good reasons.

#138 pgmcc
I read the regular version, and based on what you and others say I think I will skip the extended version. The regular version is quite long enough to begin with.

I think I like The Stand because it was based (loosely) on a concept that could happen, much like The Passage. Basic end of the world concept because of some person's experiment or ineptitude, and then add a supernatural twist. Right up my alley.

#139 Gogs81
According to the introduction of the extended version it was a release, at fans' request, of the original text King had written, and that the publisher had cut down in size for the original publication.

I agree that stories based on something that could happen have an edge over those that are simply made up, especially if the writer can give the reader the sense of being in the position of the unfortunate victim in the story. A hint of the supernatural all helps to give the reader/victim that terrifying sense of helplessness with an added absense of hope. ;-)

I will say that I'm one of the few that loves The Tommyknockers. But I don't care for The Stand (I've only read the original, truncated edition). It's not at all bad. But his masterpiece? I doubt it. Not crazy about the Dark Tower stuff either. The closer King gets to fantasy, the less I enjoy the work I guess.

As part of the King's Dear Constant Readers group, I'm reading all of his books, in publication order, one book a month. I'm glad I'm doing this, because it convinces me to read works of his that I just never got around to (the excellent Dolores Claiborne and the Dark Tower books) and re-evaluate books I didn't like the first time (Cujo, which worked for me this time). And getting to revisit old favorites (It and Different Seasons) has been nice.

I love how you summed up your feelings for the King group reads, jseger. It is how I feel! Even though I have fallen way behind with the King's Dear Constant Reader group reads, I am so glad that I joined in. I am about 4 books behind having skipped a few but I will eventually get to them all. I just finished The Tommyknockers after messing with it on and off for 6 months or so. While I enjoyed King's writing style I didn't care for the book.

I liked the Tommyknockers as well. I thought that it was a little long winded, but Steve has a tendency towards that, but overall I enjoyed it.

jseger as far as not liking The Stand, HOW DARE YOU! You are not allowed to have your own opinion on this! Many of us have told you that this is his masterpiece. Bow to our greater wisdom, damn you! :)

Seriously, I really liked The Stand, and I read both versions. But I love epic post-appocalyptic stories. And I tend to read a lot of sci-fi and fantasy, and The Stand falls into all those categories. Add to that the fact that I became a King fan early on, and it is no surprise that I dug the book.

Re: Dolores Claiborne. It wasn't one of my favorite stories. In fact I wasn't all that crazy about any of the eclipse novels. However, Dolores stands out in my mind as one of his better written books because of the voice he told it in. I loved the voice of the old woman telling the story and was amazed by King's ability to keep it consistant and believable throughout the book. It goes back to what I have posted before; I am usually entranced by the writing in King's books and it isn't until I finish them that I decide whether I liked the story or not. Like them or not, I am usually captured by them until the end.

I just finished King's short story Mile 81. It was a good read, however I was disappointed in the ending. It reminded me of some of his earlier works with how vulgar he can be and the gruesome details he uses. Ending was a tad abrupt though, but that's what I have come to expect in short stories.

He has a new book coming out on November 08, 2011 called 11/22/63 and it doesn't sound like it will be too creepy, more like a triller perhaps
Read an except here if you wish

I've decided to give The Tommyknockers another chance to wow me, but I've got it on audio this time.

When I finished reading The Tommyknockers I remeber feeling so-so about it. I didn't hate it as many did at the time. On the other hand I wasn't blown away by it. But if I remember correctly, King had written some of his best just previous to that. (Was It not too much earlier?) Anyway the point I want too make, as ambivalent as I felt about Tommy's , to this day certain scenes stick in my mind and still creep me out (the rooomful of dolls talking to the woman and driving her insane) or just stick in my mind as great tidbits of human nature. (The guy who wipes his ass with the dollar bill, and the sherrifs(?) response to it.) I also love the last line, I think, Warp speed Scotty! So, for a book that I didn't think was anywhere near his best, and was widely panned by the critics, I have a lot of positive memories.

Note: The movie was possitively horrendous and should be avoided at all costs.

I just finished the second installment of Guillermo Del Toro's vampire epic The Fall Thank god the last book is due in October, I hate waiting for books. This series is excellent so far.

I'm reading The Gardens of Lucullus, which is a sword-and-sandal tale with elements of Lovecraftian occult horror. It's a sort of "team-up" of the two authors' heroes (Simon of Gitta and Rufus Hibernicus) in the setting of ancient Rome. Good fun so far, and I'm a little over halfway through.

I'm still working my way through Insomnia. It's getting by on its charm right now. I'm enjoying the book, because of the personality of the characters. But boy it sure is light on story. I don't want to say it is plotless. It's not. But the pacing is slooooooooooow.

Which is to say that two hundred pages in it is mainly "The Life and Times of Ralph Roberts: Sleepless Old Fart" Not that I would quit reading it. I enjoy the characters enough to read the whole thing.

There IS a story here (I've read the book before, so I more or less know what is coming), it is just not in any hurry to unfold. Right now, it is a portrait of a widower coupled with a pro-abortion-rights screed. I agree with King's politics. I can only imagine how uncomfortable the book would be for those who don't.

I guess I should have posted this in the King's Dear Constant Readers group...

#146 I have added The Strain and The Fall to my wish list as they sound quite good!

#148, I remember loving Insomnia but thinking it was quite long winded. I should reread it at some point as I can't for the life of me remember the story line now.

I'm about 10 (of 28) hours into listening to The Tommyknockers and it's much better than I remember it being.

The thing is, I don't mind long-winded King and I don't mind that he's long-winded here. It's just that he's being long winded-without much of a story to hang it on. I wouldn't mind if the entire book were this way. His writing is plenty good enough to keep me happy. I just wouldn't be able to say that it is a better book than, say, The Tommyknockers, which had a story to tell. Does that make sense?

Just started The Gone Away World. Strugling a bit. Very dense to start. Does that change? I need some help here. Is this one worth the effort?

tjm568 It is very much worth the effort.

It goes along at a cracking pace and is fairly dense the whole way through.

Just go with the flow. The piece on sheep in war torn areas is great fun, as is the explanation of being in a state of "un-war".

I've challenged myself to read all of Stephen King's works in chronological order, beginning with Carrie, and I just started The Shining the other day for the umpteenth time. As always, it is fantastic, although I never realized before how slow the beginning is. He crams in a LOT of backstory in the first 10 chapters or so, but it's an easily forgivable writing sin, given how superb the suspense is.

Hey Coloradogirl,

We're doing a similar project in the King's Dear Constant Readers group. Feel free to revive any of those old threads as you read through the books.

Finally finished The Tommyknockers! It only took me 10 years to get all the way through it. I think that was the creepiest book I've read in a long time. It's really too bad that it took me so long to finally read.

I think King was a little long in the beginning setup of this book (longer than normal) which is the reason I kept giving up. I tried it on audiobook this time and quite enjoyed it!

Gogs81 - I might have to try the Tommyknockers again - I read it about a year ago and hated it...I thought the story was meandering too much, like he started out writing without a purpose and never went back and edited it. But I've heard good things about it from other people, so maybe I was just in the wrong mood for it.

Also, I don't know if anyone has access to a NoveList subscription, but I work at a library, and in my downtime, I found some fantastic recommended reading lists for horror novels, categorized into different subsections, like Extreme Horror, Classic Horror, and Creature Features.

Hi Coloradogirl14!
I only went back to The Tommyknockers after people from this group mentioned how much they liked it. I did find it extremely creepy, but as always King needs an editor to cut down his meandering.

I have seen a link to Novelist on my libraries webpage but haven't looked at it. Is it basically a website of reviews or suggestions?

I'm one of the supporters of The Tommyknockers.

#155 - I think King was a little long in the beginning setup of this book (longer than normal)...

Seems like EXACTLY the problem I am having with Insomnia right now. But where The Tommyknockers had a payoff that was worth it (the scenes from around town are fantastic. Who can forget the magic show or the dolls in the classroom?), Insomnia isn't quite there.

Gogs81 - Normally, I don't mind King's longer novels (It is my favorite out of everything he's written), but The Tommyknockers was an exception. Same with Insomnia, which I wanted to chuck out of a window. But it seems like it ties in with some of his other stories (stories I haven't read yet), so I'm HOPING that I'll dislike it less the 2nd time around. But we'll see.

And Novelist is basically a suggestion tool for people looking for new books to read. It's fantastic - next time you're at the library, give it a shot. It's a great way to kill time when I'm bored at work!

#158: HI James! Yes, I think it was you and tjm568 that made me want to give The Tommyknockers one more chance. Finally I can put the book back on the shelf and ignore it now!
I'm sure that Insomnia had a pay off ... but I can't remember now. Must not have made that much of an impact on me I guess.

#159: I also hope you dislike it less on the 2nd go, mostly because it seems a waste to re-read something that you didn't like.
I'll give novelist a shot ... but I probably shouldn't as my wish list is about a mile long right now!

Just started, and almost finished The Zombie Autopsies. Short, interesting but kind of dry to this point.

Will go back and restart The Gone Away World soon on reccomendations. It will have to be soon, because it is due back to the library.

Picked up the new Dan Simmons book Flashback, but it will have to wait a week or so. Any thoughts by those who have read it?

I am halfway through The Strain -- fast moving and good so far, but I'm not too thrilled that there will be several books needed to get through the whole story.

#162 I've read the second one and I'm assuming there is just the one left due out sometime this month, so far it's still pretty good.

Okay I cheated and read Flashback first(instead of The Gone Away World). I really like Dan Simmons.

To summarize: I thought The Zombie Autopsies was so-so. I've read so many zombie books that were good or great, this one wasn't horrible, but really didn't do that much for me. I also read a book a colleague gave me (totally outside this genre; The Art of Racing in the Rain which is kind of an Oprah type book, but what do you do when a co-worker thrusts a book on you and is so enthusiastic. Actually, it wasn't bad; made me cry a little, which is why I hate those kind of books on principle. I am man; no crying. Although I also cried a little when I read Where the Red Fern Grows. Man, I'm seeing a pattern. I just have a problem with dog death. Seems I'm okay with the vast majority of humanity turning into bloodthirsty monsters, but a dog dies....)

As far as Flashback goes I am 450 pages in and enjoying it. I have some suspicions of who the bad guy is but am not certain. I have read some posts about the politics but that hasn't bothered me. Anyone who has checked my read list probably won't be too surprised by that. As usual, Dan Simmons delivers well written prose and an entertaning story.

My grandmother and I had a firm policy--no sad dog stories.

not too happy about the St. Bernards in The Strain

#165 Thank you for that warning quartzite - that's another book I know I won't be reading.

Finished Flashback. Liked it. I don't think it is as good as some of Simmons' classic stuff, but still very good.

I am moving on to The Gone Away World. I am a little nervous about this one, but I'll let you know.

I have heard so much about Jack Ketchum but haven't been able to find him in my local libraries, so I ordered Off Season on Amazon. I am looking forward to reading him. I have been turned on to a number of authors thanks to LT. I have been happy with most of them, so thanks to all of you out there who reccomend authors and books. My read list has become much richer and my trips to libraries, bookstores and online resources much more rewarding (and more expensive). Thanks all.

RE: Jack Ketchum - I read Off Season about a month & a half ago. The writing & characters left much to be desired, but the story itself was delightfully disgusting. Think original Texas Chainsaw Massacre with 50x more blood and guts.

Has anyone read Ketchum's Girl Next Door? That's a story I want to get my hands on, but I haven't been able to find it yet.

Also just started reading The Dead Path by Stephen M. Irwin, and it is FANTASTIC so far! Well-written, dimensional characters, and extremely creepy! I can't wait to read more!

Just starting The Three Impostors and Other Stories. I've read in it before, but this time I'm going to read the whole thing.

#167 - I hope you enjoy Off Season. It was really the pre-splatterpunk splatterpunk book. That might not sound like much of an endorsement, but it really is a good book. For one thing, Ketchum isn't Laymon (or Bryan Smith) for that matter. He's a better class of writer. His book might be gruesome, but it doesn't come off feeling like a teenage fantasy.

168 - I haven't read The Girl Next Door yet, though I do have it. I'm just nervous about the emotional wallop that one packs.

#118, 121, etc - if you are looking for a good book like The Stand try my second favorite post-apocalyptic book Swan Song by Robert McCammon

#170 - Off Season arrived in the mail today. It will probably be a little while before I can get to it, but I am looking forward to it. I have looked at The Girl Next Door on Amazon, and even used paperbacks are pretty expensive. I first came across the title The Girl Next Door when I was searching for Let's go Play at the Adams' which a bunch of people listed as the most disturbing book they had ever read. I was intrigued, and searched it out. (Another expensive used paperback; and the author's story is kind of strange). Anyway, it was a disturbing story. And I was surprised that it was surprisingly well written considering what I expected. I think The Girl Next Door is going to be similarly disturbing when I finally bite the bullet and buy it and read it.

#172 - Not sure if you are in the U.S., but Amazon has new copies of The Girl Next Door for as low as $4.55: http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Next-Door-Jack-Ketchum/dp/0843960973/ref=tmm_mmp_titl...

You can snag used copies for $0.01: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0843955430/ref=nosim/librarythin08-20

Half.com has a brand new copy listed for $5.74: http://product.half.ebay.com/The-Girl-Next-Door-by-Jack-Ketchum-2005-Paperback/4...

Looks like anyone that wants a copy better move fast though. There are numerous other copies listed at triple that price. I just don't understand that. How many of those hyper-inflated books ever actually sell?

173 Thanks for the heads-up. I was on Amazon last week and couldn't find even a paperback for less than $14. How the hell did I miss the lower priced ones? Obviously I wasn't going to pay $14 for a used paperback. Thanks agin for the heads-up and the link.

Hey, no problem. It rankles me to no end seeing people charge exorbitant amounts for not-too-old mass market paperbacks. I always get the feeling that one yahoo goes in and lists an inflated price and then other sellers mark their prices up accordingly.

Hey, it's not a scary book per-se, but I'm reading One Week Only: The World of Exploitation Films. It is not a scholarly book, which is both good and bad. But it is a fun read and is giving me many ideas for future rentals.

I just finished Audrey's door Sarah Langan is fast becoming a favorite for me.

#176 - Sarah Langan is a favorite of mine as well. I don't think she has come out with another book since Audrey's Door has she?

no, nothing since Audrey's Door but has Empty Houses in the works, no word on when its due out or anything following The Missing (isn't that a trilogy?)

I'll have to look out for that one. I wish I had a better way other than to just be alert to what I see here on LT or random chance.

And yes, The Missing followed The Keeper. It didn't follow the same plot, but rather created another story concerning the aftermath of events from The Keeper in a neighboring town.

BTW, your touchstone for The Missing points to a Tim Gautreaux book that was also very good.

Have been away for awhile but have read a few horrors. Carrie and The Shining by King - didn't enjoy either very much, and prefer the films. More on the discussion boards for each book in the King's Constant Readers site.

Let the Right One In - readable enough, but a bit average, strictly three stars for me. The film was vastly superior, pared it right down just as Kubrick did with The Shining. I'm not sure I'd read any of Lindqvist's again; if I didn't enjoy this early one, will I like his later ones? My arm might be twisted...

The Vanishment and Whispers in the Dark - I'm sorry bibliobeck, I enjoyed Naomi's Room and I thank you for that recommendation, but these two ruined his work for me. I certainly won't be going back for more. His snobbery is hard to ignore in The Vanishment - his characters are terribly stuck up and not at all sympathetic - and much of it was hard to believe. Whispers in the Dark was pretty bad too, bordering on corny. But what really did it for me was the constant return to the theme of child abuse, to the point where it seemed unhealthy. Physical abuse, psychological abuse, sexual abuse... a lot of it unecessary, too. And what was with those parents letting a child killer babysit? Weird.

Hi Moo! Funny, just dropped by myself for the first time in a while :o) I can't recall many of the books because I have the memory of a sieve, BUT if I could twist your arm, Jonathan Aycliffe's The Matrix is well worth a read - creepy-crawly and no children!

Also, I enjoyed Lindqvists two other books Handling the Undead and Harbour more than Let the Right One In, although if you're expecting out and out horror you'd be disappointed. Harbour had a few real creepy moments in it and reminded me of early Stephen King... although from your post, that might not be such a good thing.

Hmmm I'm going to stop now, but anyway - good to see you back thingy-bumping in the night :o)

If it was anyone else, bibliobeck, I'd think again, but you put me onto Naomi's Room and I enjoyed that, so I'm willing to look out for The Matrix.

Early Stephen King is pretty much like middle or later Stephen King if you ask me - the quality of his books is pretty up and down through his career - so I wouldn't rule out The Harbour.

Glad to see you on here too :)

#181, 182 - Hey, welcome back!

Speaking of King, I've started Rose Madder. I quit this one my first read through way back when.

I'm liking it more this time, though I'm only about eighty pages in.

If I can breeze through it, I'm planning on reading through Richard Matheson's Duel: Terror Stories, since I seem to have been discussing him a lot recently.

Cheers, jseger! Lovely to be back :)

I just finished The Strain and loved it!! Thanks to those that recomended it! I'll be getting to the sequel next week

I finished Machen's The Three Impostors and Other Stories and posted my review.

Jseger - let me know how you like Rose Madder. I liked the first third of the book, but then it lapsed into vague fantastical weirdness for me, if I'm remembering it correctly. Definitely one of my least favorite King books as of right now.

Also, The Dead Path by Stephen M. Irwin was fantastic, and I tried to read The Cellar by Richard Laymon and I put it down 50 pages in. I'm all for over-the-top horror, but I also want it to be either well-written or self-aware that it's just another pulp horror novel. The Cellar just made me want to simultaneously laugh and punch something. So, I'm rereading The Shining for the umpteenth time in my quest to read SK chronologically. At least I know the Shining won't let me down.

I tried Peter Straub's In the Night Room, but it just wasn't working for me. The idea of e-mail from dead people was creepy enough, but the rest of it wasn't working for me -- especially the guy with wings that flew off down the street. (Angel? Fairy? Direct TV commercial?)

Nailed by the Heart by Simon Clark about a family that has just moved to a old place, their dream home by the sea. I have just moved to an old house, a dream home near the sea. Hopefully it's gonna work out better for us.

I'm reading Harbour by John Ajvide Lindqvist it's by the sea as well...

#189 - What did you think of Nailed By the Heart?

I read Vampyrrhic and loved it, but then read Stranger and hated it. Now I'm not sure what I think about Simon Clark, but I have all of the books he put out through Leisure.

So far it's okay, I'm about half way. I read half of one his books that was pretty good and then lost it.

Adding: The third quarter of the book gets kind of draggy, with a good hundred pages of "what-will-we-do" handwringing.

I'm reading Richmond Macabre, a new anthology of stories set in my city of residence and, bonus!, co-edited by LT member noblechicken.

Yay! I hope you enjoy it!

I just got Hell House by Richard Matheson from the library, I will be starting it soon.

The Secrets of Pain--new Phil Rickman

196 Another in the Merrily Watkins series, I see -- is it really #11?. I've read the first two.

Yup

#195 - Curious to see what you think of Hell House. I didn't care for it at all, but a number of people love it. Makes me wonder if I should reread it.

I'm trying to burn through the last 80(?) pages of Rose Madder. I was planning on reading a book of Richard Matheson short stories next, but then remembered I should complete my tradition of the last two years and read the third of Al Sarrantonio's Halloween trilogy (Horrorween, Hallows Eve and Halloweenland) on Halloween day.

I think I will buy David Robbins Halloween trilogy (Hell-O-Ween, Prank Night and Spook Night) to cover the next three years.

I just finished reading Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror by Chris Priestly - it's a juvenile book, but it was terrifying in an old-fashioned way (I mean that in the best possible way). It was a loose collection of scary stories, told in a way that evokes terror without gore or ultra-violence. Just brilliant.

In grown-up books, I'm also reading Your Neighborhood Gives Me the Creeps - it's a book about hauntings by a man who conducts ghost tours for a living. It's pretty interesting (though occasionally he lapses into a sneery tone).

-199 jseger- I was intrigued by your mention of Al Sarrantonio's Halloween trilogy and started looking for it. Wiki lists Orangefield as the first book, whereas you started with Horrorween.
Is Orangefield not really a big part of the series? That would actually be good news because it is not available at any of the surrounding libraries, and is quite expensive to buy. I think it was a pretty limited publication. The other titles are available for very reasonable prices on Amazon, but if I need to read Orangefield first I am not going to buy the others.

How do you rate this series to the Pine Deep trilogy by Jonathan maberry, another Holloween Romp?

Oops just dug deeper into the Orangefield mystery and found that the original Orangefield was incorporated into Horrorween. Still interested in your thoughts on the comparison.

Just finished Greg F. Gifune's Midnight Solitaire and once again was totally captivated, impressed and moved. I don't think there is a better "dark" writer currently publishing. Also recently finished Best New Zombie Tales (Vol. 1) edited by James Roy Daley that turned out to be a pleasant surprise; all but two (and only because they were very short and I thought were cop-outs on the authors' parts) were exceptional and a couple were down-right freaky. "Muddy Waters" by Brian Knight is still sharp in my memory.

Just finished Drood, Looking for Jake by China Mieville and started The Beast With Five Fingers by W.F Harvey Wordsworth Editions are reprinting a lot of good stuff if you are into ghost stories.

tjm -- I just read Horrorween and I liked it better than the the first Pine Deep.

#203 - Oh! I hope you keep us up to date on The Beast With Five Fingers! I have that one and wanted to hear how the stories rate.

#201 - I've not yet read the Pine Deep books (though I do have them), so I can't compare them. But I enjoyed the Orangefield books. Please understand, they aren't fantastic horror novels. In fact, they have a lot of problems. But damn it all, they are charming horror novels, if that makes sense.

The reason the series is so weird is that there were various novellas published by Cemetary Dance and were then collected in cheap mass market paperbacks by Leisure (yay Leisure!). If you buy Horrorween, Hallows Eve and Halloweenland, you will have all the Orangefield stories (that I am aware of). Horrorween is an anthology that collects Hornets, The Pumpkin Boy and Orangefield.

I have reviews posted for Horrorween, The Pumpkin Boy, Orangefield, Hallows Eve and The Baby. I'm currently working one up for Halloweenland.

I'm a few stories into The Innsmouth Cycle, and trying to decide whether to re-read "The Shadow over Innsmouth" before going on to the rest of it.

Oh yeah, I'm about a third of the way through Nightmare at 20,000 Feet. Reading through that first story really made me want to start watching The Twilight Zone again.

I forgot to update my Netflix queue and will be receiving Trilogy of Terror tomorrow. The last and most famous story there (the woman fighting the African doll) was adapted from 'Prey' which is the last story in my collection. I should have made sure the movie arrived after I read the story. D'oh!

Working my way through a lovely little edition of classic Ghost Stories newly published by Everyman Pocket Classics. Includes such gems as The Monkey's Paw, WS, The Body-Snatcher, The Quincunx etc plus quite a few I hadn't read before. It's also just the right size to slip into my handbag.

Trilogy of Terror, wow I can still remember the first time I saw that, something about little things, running...*shudders*

I still remember the first time I watched Trilogy of Terror, something about little things, running...*shudders*

what the night knows by dean koontz

One of his better ones in a long while.

Half way through Aleister Crowleys "The Drug and other stories", and it´s not quite as supernatural as I would have expected, but I have to give it to him: he´s a far better author than I ever thought possible. I´ve herad quite a lot about him (who hasn´t?), and I never expected him to be so sharp, clever and actually witty. It´s cavorting druids and devil worshipping for me now...

> 212

"who hasn't?" indeed.

Crowley's two major occult novels are decent reads as well: Moonchild definitely has more supernatural elements than Diary of a Drug Fiend. My favorite Crowley fiction is the set of stories originally collected in Golden Twigs, but I don't know if those are all in The Drug and Other Stories -- I think they are; it was supposed to be all of Crowley's short fiction other than the Simon Iff stories, which are rumored to be collected soon in a second volume from the same publisher.

Check out Where Darkness Dwells by Glen Krisch, available on Amazon or Smashwords. Good stuff! Also, has anybody read The President's Vampire series by Christopher Farnsworth? Does anybody have any thoughts on it?

Just finished Flicker, a conspiracy thriller with horror elements. Started so well that I didn't stop rooting for the main characters, even when the book dragged or became ludicrous, but I'd recommend this to horror fans for the descriptions of the films made by the two fictional directors, Max Castle and Simon Dunkle. I found reading about the Castle films to be very creepy.

A strange book that doesn't always work, not for everyone, but some of you might like it.

I just finished The Claw by Norah Lofts. More of a police procedural with horrific elements, it was much better than I thought it was going to be. If you like Christopher Fowler's Bryant and May series, you should like this one, too.

Recently finished Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge, which was well-paced and enjoyable. Am now reading one of my all-time favorite authors (in any genre): Joe R. Lansdale, The Complete Drive-In -- an omnibus of "three novels of anarchy, aliens and the popcorn king."

#214 cdhtenn2k10. I read the two books in that series this summer and thought they were pretty good! Easy to read but fun

#213 Thanks for the tip. Got to look that one up.

I just finished Matheson's Nightmare at 20,000 Feet collection and would highly recommend it. Not all of the stories worked for me, but the ones that did? Awesome! I'm trying to work up a review that is a little more literate than that.

I think I'm going to read Budd Hopkins' 'non-fiction' alien-abduction book Missing Time next. For the most part, I pooh-pooh all that UFOlogy stuff, but I love learning about it anyway.

I am loving the gems I sometimes find at the kindle store. I have just finished The Shelter by James Everington I am still amazed when someone can make my heart (and my imagination) race just with an arrangement of words on a page, and this is one such author.

This is the tale of a group of boys, during the summer holidays, testing themselves and each other by seeking out an underground shelter. As the sense of foreboding builds, one of the boys ends up stuck in the shelter. He soon discovers that he isn't alone as malevolent entities reveal themselves to him. I won't give the game away, but I will say I've immediately downloaded a collection of short stories by the same author called The Other Room which has also been very highly rated by other readers on Amazon. I'd definitely recommend The Shelter for a quick - but oh so creepy - read.

#199, I finally finished Hell House

I did not love this book, but it was a fun read. A little slow moving for my taste and it wasn't too scary, but it's one of those books that as a horror fan I'm glad I finally read it but have no interest in doing so again. I will probably read more by this author.

★★★½'s

I have started The Night Eternal by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan. This is the third in The Strain trilogy. I enjoyed the first two a lot and so far this one has been entertaining also.

tjm, I finished that a couple of weeks ago, I'm waiting to see how you like it.

I'm reading The Sentinel Jeffrey Konvitz and it's following the movie so closely (not a bad thing) that it's not holding my interest.

Trying to finish Endurance by Jack Kilborn. I remember enjoying Afraid, but this one...ugh. The guy with the hair lip that splits his whole face is grossing me out. And for those who have read this and wondering, "with everything else, that's what grossed you out?": well I know, there are many other disgusting parts, but yeah that's just icky.

#226 timdt - agreed, the whole book is icky! I don't think I can read anything else by him...

#225 - I remember quite liking The Sentinel. You are right that the movie follows it very closely. I believe that I was lucky enough to have read the book and then watched the movies enough years later that I was able to enjoy seperately it each time.

There's a sequel called The Guardian. I read that as well, but it wasn't as memorable as the first book.

Have started The Oxford Book of English Ghost Stories, which I read about 15 years ago and have good memories of. The stories are arranged chronologically, from 1829 to 1981, so the reader can follow the development of the short ghost story.

Only a few tales in and already impressed. The earliest, 'The Tapestried Chamber' by Sir Walter Scott, is creepy, and I've always found Le Fanu very readable - this book includes one of his best, 'Squire Toby's Will'. Plus it's the right time of year...

I finished The Night eternal. I liked it, but was somewhat suprised at some of the plot twists.

SPOILER ALERT

While the earlier books went with a scientific explanation for vampirism, the third book suddenly went for a mystical/religious explanation. It didn't really bother me, and I still enjoyed the story, but I was kind of confused with the sudden shift.

I'm reading Four and Twenty Blackbirds by Cherie Priest-- has some nice creepy moments so far.

Just finished Dead of Night by Jonathan Maberry. Not bad. Like all Maberry books this one moved along pretty well. I thought the characters were a little cliched and the depiction of the heartless government covering it's ass above all else also kind of a trend that is overworked recently. But what the hell, lots of blood and undead, so overall a thumbs up.

I am not sure what is next. I have the second Alan Bradley Flavia de Luce book and the third Craig Johnson Walt Longmire book sitting here. I also have a book called Seeds by Rob Ziegler which is a short term loan, so I will probably read that first. Anyway, none of these fall in the horror genre so I will probably not be checking back in here for a week or so (unless a topic catches my fancy of course). I have some fun reading in front of me however, so I am a happy man.

I think I'm over horror for a while, at least anything written since the 70s. I got halfway through Slob by Rex Miller and I thought 'why am I reading this?' So much of horror lit is really badly written and uninteresting. And I really love a good scare, too.

#233 ...I feel you man

#233 - So much of horror lit is really badly written and uninteresting.

Yeah, I agree. The same with movies, though I keep sifting the muck hoping to find the gold, it is getting harder and harder to do.

I'm reading the hefty, uncut version of the Stand for the first time. The Stand isn't really a horror novel, except for the first section, but I figure Stephen King still counts for inclusion in this thread.

I also just finished Missing Time, a non-fiction UFO book. I'm pretty skeptical when it comes to Fortean things. But the book still had a nice, creepy vibe to it.

I've been reading W.H. Pugmire's Some Unknown Gulf of Night. An excellent series of prose poems written in response to the Fungi from Yuggoth. The man is a very talented and literary writer.

I have about 100 pages left to go on Harbor by John Ajvide Lindqvist and unless it falls apart at the end, I highly recommend this book. He is also the author of Let the Right One In which has been discussed here many times.

I am halfway through Autumn Disitegration by David Moody. I am not sure why I keep reading these Autumn books. They are depressing as hell. The writing is pretty stark, and there are very few characters that I give a shit about. Maybe that's the way the end of the world zombie book should be. Anyway whenever a new one shows up I get it. What does that say about me?

You're hooked. ;) Not necessarily a bad thing, though. There's probably something you like about them; otherwise, you wouldn't waste your time on them. Hope you enjoy it (for whatever that's worth)!

#238 - I've been cusrious about David Moody in general and Autumn in particular. It's just that for the all the love it gets, it also gets such BAD reviews. I got a boatload of B&N gift cards, so maybe I'll order the first book. Or should I try Hater?

I've just finished Ill At Ease, a mini ebook anthology containing three stories by three authors. Although marketed as 'macabre' they were more psychological than supernatural, apart from one story. All were good but the real highlight for me was the story by Mark West, someone I'd not read before. Have now bought his 'The Mill' too. Recommended anyway, especially for the cheap price.

p.s. hello! new here

Hey, James! :) Welcome. I haven't heard of Ill At Ease, but then I really haven't gone the ebook route yet.

Just finished Truck Stop by J.A.Konrath (aka Jack Kilborn) - not a bad short story but I felt it lacked something but can't quite put my finger on what exactly.

and onto Bad Girl by Blake Crouch

243- I think it lacked a couple of toes. Sorry, couldn't resist:) Actually I didn't care for it or any of his other stuff much. But I have mentioned that before so I won't harp on it. Different strokes for different folks

I've only read a few of his books before but this has been the weakest so far. As it was free from Amazon on Kindle I can't complain too much. Am hoping the story picks up as the series goes along.

Hello all! New to the group, but thought that this was as good a place to start as any. I'm currently re-reading IT by Stephen King. One of my all time favorite scary ones!

Nice book, StefanY! I haven't read that one in years (doubt I'll ever find the time to re-read it, so I'm envious :). Oh, and welcome to the group! :)

Hey StefanY- Welcome. I loved It. I think I have re-read it at least once, and might read it again at some point if I hit a lag. It is one of those books that is kind of like a horrific cup of hot chocolate for me. I read it when I was young(er) and it brings me back to my younger fear, if that makes any sense.

245 Azeryk- Hey I'm with you. I got his books for free too. I read them, I just didn't dig them too much. Doesn't mean I'm not going to pick up other books I find for free on the e-reader sights. It's a great way to try out different writers without spending any money. You try a bunch of stuff and hope you find an author you like. Very smart move by writers too, because if I like the book, I will probably buy it in printed form too if it is available.

Finished Bad Girl by Blake Crouch, there was nothing wrong with the book but it was much shorter than expected and ended really soon. I know it says in the title that it's a prequel; but it really was written with that in mind whereas a more stand alone story would have been better.

Reading Graverobbers wanted (no experience necessary) by Jeff Strand now

246 Stefany - Welcome to the group - am also new here :)

248 tjm568 - Only wise if people do buy more of the books, am not sure if I would have gotten these if they weren't for free; but I have paid for a couple of their other books which seemed more appealing.

Anyone - Is it me; or is the group not too active atm?

hi Azeryk, this thread use to be kicking. If you check you'll see several threads of continuation. It does seem a bit slow so maybe some new blood splattered around will wake it up.

Thanks for the all of the welcomes! Along with the other things that I'm reading, I'm working my way through all of King's works in chronological order. It's kinda fun to revisit some old favorites!

#249 Welcome back at ya, Azeryk!

Currently reading The House of Seven Gables, but it's slow going. Next on the bedside table are The Ferryman and A Twisted Ladder. Anybody read the last two?

Currently on a thriller binge at the moment, but just wanted to say hello to new members and embarrass #241 James - read his The Shelter towards the end of the year and loved it - reviewed in post 221. very creepy. Also read and can thoroughly recomend The Other Room. I'll find it interesting to see what a horror author has in his library ;o)

#237 pollux - did you enjoy the end of Harbor? I know Let The Right One In is the one everyone talks about, but personally I prefered this. He seems to be getting better with each new book :o)

Hey Azeryk - I agree I wouldn't have gotten some books if they weren't free. But since some authors offer some books up for free I have found authors that I really like and have bought some of their books, including older books, just because I liked what I read for free. I don't know if you're a sci-fi fan, but baen books has a site that offers free online books. There is a post fom the author who initiated it, and he claims that sales of a lot of the titles that are older and offered for free have a significant surge in sales after being posted. Also, subsequent books by that author also see a surge. If you read the initial post on the Baen site I think tou will be interested. Go to the Free Library link. It is interesting even if you are not a sci-fi fan.

I will have to look into that as it could be a good way to find out about new authors without any risks. Luckily I've built up a good sized list of authors over the last few years of authors I like so I get a nice stream of books released over the year now which helps.

#244 - I'm with you on J.A. Konrath/Jack Kilborn. My only experience with him was Afraid and it was just missing... something. My wife loved it to pieces though.

#251 - I re-read It last year as part of the King's Dear Contact Readers project. I love that book. I think it was likely his high-water mark.

I'm reading through his other all-time doorstopper, the unedited version of The Stand right now.

#252 - I have not read The Ferryman or anything by Chrisopher golden yet, but I have been meaning to order a copy of it. I hope when you read it you'll whip up a review.

#252 & 256

Intrigued, I've just looked up The Ferryman on Amazon. The hardback is a snip at £100.40 (no, that's not a typo) and I can get a used paperback copy for 40p. Now, which one to go for...

#256 - I quite liked Afraid, one of his better books that I've read so far, I think I rated it 4.5/5 when I read it a couple of years ago. Trapped and Endurance just weren't up to the same standards though.

For some annoying reason someone has added all of the short stories from Konrath/Kilborn's short story collections separately and if you link them together into the books they unlink them....

#256 - will do!

Sorry to revive an old topic, but:

#258 - someone has added all of the short stories from Konrath/Kilborn's short story collections separately and if you link them together into the books they unlink them....

Be very careful about that. The Combiners group will release the hounds on you!

Short stories shouldn't be combined with books they appear in. There is a field on the work page called... I forget. But in that field you can indicate that the work ontains a short story if the short story is represented as a seperate work.

#260 - Thanks for the warning, I just found it odd that it said Konrath had done 110+ books and it turned out loads were short stories :P

I think the page I should of used was work-to-work relationship....don't think I can be bothered to sort it out for 20-30 separate works.