Hey all!
Thank you, Pam. It has been way too quiet here. I hang on Horrabin
Hall sometimes - a good list, but I'm closer to this one.
So - what I've read in the last few months:
DEEP WATERS and OUT OF THE STORM by William Hope Hodgson
I was pleasantly surprised by "Deep Waters" which showed aspects of
Hodgson I hadn't seen before, though I've read his novels and some
shorts in the past - humor, a gift for characterization, even
poignancy. A good collection and I can see how some of these became
classics.
Unfortunately, "Out of the Storm" was a disappointment to me. The
stories were much lesser works, tended to be repetitive (how many
times can you get stuck in the Sargasso and attacked by giant octopi,
anyway?) and were probably left behind for a good reason.
THE SILVER SKULL by Les Daniels
A surprisingly good mix of historical novel and vampirism, with a
vampire character who's both sympathetic and at the same time ruthless
and corrupt. Much better than Anne Rice.
NAZARETH HILL by Ramsey Campbell
Which is good, but I confess I didn't finish it. I like Campbell, but
I don't find his style wears that well at novel length.
LONELY VIGILS by Manly Wade Wellman
The complete John Thunstone (and other supernatural detectives)
stories. Not Wellman's best work, but I really enjoyed these more
than I expected. I celebrated further by reading Wellman's late novel
"The Hanging Stones," which features Judge Pursuivant and John the
Balladeer, and which I also enjoyed.
WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE by Shirley Jackson
Beautifully written like all her stuff.
TOO LONG A SACRIFICE by Mildred Downey Broxon
This is about a pair of lovers in ancient Ireland who journey to the
court of the faeries. There they stay for many years, until the court
itself is destroyed and they are turned loose in what is now 20th
century Ireland, and they become embroiled in the current political
troubles. Really great book - beautifully written, and one of the
best elements is that, for once, the characters don't bumble around
like a pair of chowderheads trying to figure out what happened but
instead quickly understand that they are in the future and adapt
appropriately to their surroundings. Here's something else - I read a
review of this puppy back in 1981 when it came out and made a note to
myself to find it and read it. Well, I didn't find it, but I
remembered it and my interest in it, until last year when I stumbled
across it while unloading some books at a local used bookstore - I
took it in trade. So, it only took me 13 years to find and read this
thing, but it was worth it.
WE ARE FOR THE DARK (the Aickman stories) by Robert Aickman
I have "The Collected Strange Stories" and decided this year's reading
project will be Mr. Aickman. I've read quite a few of his stories
before, but it's been close to twenty years, so the plan is to go
through the whole collection. I'll be reading one collection (i.e.
the stories as they appeared in the original 8 collections) per month.
I think Aickman is better appreciated in doses rather than going
through his whole output in one fell swoop.
Anyway, these three stories are all excellent, though I'm less
enthusiastic about "The View" than most people seem to be.
Next question - has anyone seen any of the recent crop of horror
films? I haven't...
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