Let's Talk About Horror Fiction and Film

Re: Let's Talk About Horror Fiction

I plan to read them all. The ones I've read so far all have merit, although they were not what I expected or hoped for. If I were assigned the task of sequelizing the Universal Monsters, I would have taken a very different approach.

 

Re: Let's Talk About Horror Fiction

Thanks for the info. I'm gonna check the series out.

Also, I've heard good things about Simmons. He wrote "The Terror," didn't he?

 

Re: Let's Talk About Horror Fiction

Most of my recent horror reading is authors I've already mentioned upthread- more Ramsey Cambell (including The Overnight, a menacingly enjoyable if somewhat repetitive novel about a haunted bookstore), more T.E.D. Klein, more Thomas Ligotti. I did read the latest Year's Best Fantasy and Horror. As usual most of the entries, though technically well-done, weren't to my taste, but I did quite enjoy a few of the subtler stories, especially Christopher Harman's "The Last to be Found," Stephen Graham Jones's "Raphael," and Glen Hirshberg's "The Muldoon." Based on that last story I picked up Hirshberg's two ghost story collections (The Two Sams and American Morons) from the library. Both are excellent and earn my highest recommendation. Hirshberg's stories are modern and unusual in their settings and characterizations, but achieve traditional terror in the best style of M.R. James and other classic writers.

Today I bought Inferno, a new horror anthology by Ellen Datlow. Datlow usually does theme anthologies, which I steer clear of because I think they're a bit cute, but her only requirement for this volume was that the stories be so terrifying as to be physically unsettling for the reader. A rough task for even the best writer, but I have high hopes. There's a new Hirshberg story too, which is something to look forward to.

 

Re: Let's Talk About Horror Fiction

Well, I won't spoil anything. I want to see what you think. And, actually, I'm not sure if it is shorter than the others; but the typeface is tiny. My poor aging eyes.

Or not relying on it, as the case may be. Flip through Marv Wolfman's novelization of Crisis On Infinite Earths sometime. There has to be a typo, sometimes multiple typos, on every page. Not to mention chapter "Froty Three."

It's true (although, I think at the end too much happened ), but I enjoyed it; The Wolf Man is my favorite of the old Universals. And I think the writer really did a good job of capturing Larry Talbot's character.

 

Re: Let's Talk About Horror Fiction

My eyes aren't the only things that are aging; I double checked on this and it's actually chapter "Thrity Nine."

 

Re: Let's Talk About Horror Fiction

I'll have to check. I hope so. That looks fantastic!

Funny you should ask. That's kind of a nostalgic interest of mine. We used to have the Ghoul here in Boston when I was a kid. But there are still a few out there. Check out these links:

E-Gor

Horror Hosts

And an on-line Horror Host:

Count Gore de Vol

Is that even possible?

 

Re: Let's Talk About Horror Fiction

Well, I finished Pandora's Bride. There's a rather remarkable plot development about halfway through the book that I can pretty much guarantee that nobody will see coming.

And I wonder what people will think about the ending....

 

Re: Hallowe'en Reading 2007!

Oh, last year I read The Descent and Deeper by Jeff Long, some really interesting novels where Hell is a physical place on Earth and there is a race of demons in the subterranean. If you're interested in creepy books, I definitely recommend these.

 

Re: Hallowe'en Reading 2007!

I recently read the zombie duology "The Rising" and "City of the Dead" and found them to be pretty horror filled.

 

Re: Hallowe'en Reading 2007!

I think they're about on the same level. I can understand why some people don't like Deeper, but I think all the hate is unfounded. I mean there are actually some things I like about Deeper more than the Descent. The Descent takes place mostly below ground, but there is a very irritating subplot that takes place on the surface. Deeper takes place mostly underground as well, and I think there are some very interesting characters.

Deeper is probably disappointing to people because it takes the main characters from the Descent and makes things much more depressing for them. I'm not always up for a happy ending though.

 

Re: Let's Talk About Horror Fiction

I did, as a stand-alone entity (some of the moments of TV sitcom feminism made me roll my eyes, but it's not too bad). It doesn't really capture the feel of the Universals; the first half reminds me more of the Doug Moench-Val Mayerik series in Monsters Unleashed back in the 70s (which I loved) and the second half is off the wall. Also, it's totally inconsistent with Shadow of Frankenstein, so obviously they're not interested in expanding the Universal universe. I'm not happy about all that, but it doesn't effect the quality of the novel, which is pretty high. And I did like the ending, but I'm interested in hearing your opinion when you read it.

Unfortunately, it's not syndicated in my area. But that site looks like a treasure trove. I just need a block of time to dive into it, which will probably happen this weekend.

 

Re: Let's Talk About Horror Fiction

Well, I guess I won't bother recommending Don Glut's movies.

I like that election gimmick. I wish I got Cinema Insomnia around here. You'd think the Boston area would get everything, but we don't....

Ah, Pandora's Bride then. After a few mood swings, I came to like it; it's like I crossed some threshold of ridiculousness and said what the hell. How'd you like the "Special Guest Star?" And the ending?

 

Re: Let's Talk About Horror Fiction

Hmm. All I remember at this point is a "building suspense while the monster watches the photoshoot" scene. Anyway, it was that kind of a movie. I especially liked the pointless digression into a werewolf encounter, just so Eddie Munster could have a cameo.

Hah! That's inspired.

True. I was talking about the robot. That was just hilarious. Come to think of it, perhaps Mr Winckler should produce the movie adaptation.

I just couldn't picture it as a Universal movie. The Children of Caine and the weird giant horse would have been impossible to achieve. Like I think I said, I was totally visualizing it as a Val Mayerik story in the old Monsters Unleashed. And I just loved the warm-and-fuzzy TV show aspect of the ending. Only the extras die. Our people are kidnapped and just about to be experimented on, but the villains miraculously don't have time. And the forest kids show up out of the blue with super-horse for a last-minute rescue. And then when the plot is over, everybody talks for five minutes and then gets in a cab, as if walking patchwork corpses are perfectly normal and everybody hasn't just had the most traumatic experience of their freaking lives. Whatshername goes off to the club for her dance shift after just being rescued from brain surgery. Very surreal.

Did I mention Crisis On Infinite Earths? I've also noticed that in a couple of Peter David novels I've seen, and elsewhere. It really does seem that standards are falling in a disturbing way. I blame the editorial side, though, because these are obviously good writers; I just think that companies seem more willing to publish a rough draft rather than spending the time and money to polish and finish something.

I actually just read the first chapter, or prologue, of The Mummy. Too soon to make a judgment, although it was a bit confusing about whether it takes place in the present or the early 20th century. I suppose it will become clear soon enough. As for The Creature, yeah, it seems to be going too far afield in concept-- even moreso than Bride.

I just wish they had really gone for the Universal feel and made these books consistent sequels; one of the most disappointing aspects of this project is that they are mutually exclusive and contradictory. It's not the way I would have done it.