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chernobyl kinsman posted:a lot of people in this thread liked Lovecraft Country, though i thought it was dumb trash for idiots. ymmv
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Nov 16, 2017 19:04
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MockingQuantum posted:I mean, I can't speak to bizarro since I haven't read any, but it breaks my heart that a genre I've never heard of can apparently support a ton of publishing but some really excellent cosmic horror and weird fiction writers apparently have trouble making ends meet. I mean that as less a criticism of bizarro as a genre than a wish that some of the more non-traditional (aka King-esque) horror genres had a wider reach. Oh, I was joking. I have no idea what money bizarro fans are actually spending, and I suspect this is a move by publishers to get out ahead of the trends, just on the theory that cosmic horror is so well loved atm (plush cthulhu!) that it'll be over in a minute and the next trend is going to be bizarro because it's stranger than cosmic horror the way that cosmic horror is to regular horror. That, and I suspect they're having a hard time mining creepypasta for material they can publish.
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Nov 16, 2017 19:25
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Bizarro is popular but I don't think there are a lot of bizarro writers that can support themselves with it. Mellick does, but he may be the only one, and he approaches Craig Schaefer in how prolific he is. The vast majority of bizarro writers are just like writers in most any other genre: they have day jobs and write on the side.
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Nov 16, 2017 20:42
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David Wong is a bit of a special case in that he was a big-name writer on Cracked.com long before he wrote John Dies At The End. That and his work is extremely accessible and funny to the point where they made a movie out of it.
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Nov 17, 2017 09:49
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Skyscraper posted:If I like horror, should I watch it? Like, if I liked the third season of League of Gentlemen, is it like that? Maybe not? When I say people call it "Horrific" I mean because its about two drunks who just fight all day, poo poo themselves and pick their noses. Give it a look on Youtube, but it's base, fatalistic slapstick. I liked Season 3 of League too! Glad to know I'm not alone there. Hahah. I'm reading Keane's "Shadow at the Edge of Town" and I'm like, 7 pages from the end and it only feels like half way through the story. Everything feels like it's ramping up to what feels like the middle point, but clearly not.
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Nov 17, 2017 09:54
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Drunken Baker posted:Maybe not? When I say people call it "Horrific" I mean because its about two drunks who just fight all day, poo poo themselves and pick their noses. Give it a look on Youtube, but it's base, fatalistic slapstick. I liked Season 3 of League too! Glad to know I'm not alone there. Hahah. Oh, thanks. It sounds like it's a "horrifying but not horror" kind of thing, which can be good or bad. I'll check it out!
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Nov 17, 2017 16:59
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Skyscraper posted:The Deep, read The Deep. So despite this emphatic advice, I ended up reading Bird Box in part because I got stuck in a waiting room and it was the only thing I had on me. I ended up reading pretty much all of it in a day and it was pretty good, much better than I expected. It's pretty traditional American horror, but the whole conceit of the book is kind of interesting and a neat twist on an end-of-the-world scenario. It does share some ideas with zombie apocalypse type fiction, but it's different enough not to feel like one. Now, on to The Deep!
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Nov 17, 2017 17:55
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If it makes you feel better, there was really no wrong choice between which of those two to read first  .
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Nov 17, 2017 18:26
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MockingQuantum posted:So despite this emphatic advice, I ended up reading Bird Box in part because I got stuck in a waiting room and it was the only thing I had on me. I ended up reading pretty much all of it in a day and it was pretty good, much better than I expected. It's pretty traditional American horror, but the whole conceit of the book is kind of interesting and a neat twist on an end-of-the-world scenario. It does share some ideas with zombie apocalypse type fiction, but it's different enough not to feel like one. I was let down by Bird Box because the premise is absolutely the best, but it's still a really good book.
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Nov 17, 2017 18:57
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Ornamented Death posted:If it makes you feel better, there was really no wrong choice between which of those two to read first Well if The Deep is similar quality, then I'll be a happy clam indeed. Not like I was expecting Bird Box to be bad by any means, I just hadn't heard much about it and my friend who recommended it did so in kind of an offhand manner. I also love that kind of horror--not sure what to call it, but it's just very traditional, straightforward, and well written. Kind of the same feeling I got when I read Hex and A Head Full of Ghosts. Also I'm not sure if I mentioned it in here, but I finished Experimental Film and it kind of falls in that same category. Some cool conceits, some fun spoopy moments, but overall just a well crafted, enjoyable read.
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Nov 17, 2017 18:59
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Ornamented Death posted:If you like Wong, you'll probably like Skullcrack City by Jeremy Robert Johnson. Seconded, I actually liked this one better than JDATE.
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Nov 19, 2017 06:30
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Daveski posted:Seconded, I actually liked this one better than JDATE. Skullcrack City was fantastic. I urge everyone to give them speed freak whose only friend is a turtle a chance.
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Nov 20, 2017 07:57
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Just started The Imago Sequence and Other Stories by the curiously named Laird Barron. Having just enjoyed Gemma Files and John Langan this seems an appropriate choice (made by a friend of mine really into horror) and two stories in I have to agree. I see Barron is controversial in the thread due to the sameness of his work, so next up will be China Mieville's Kraken. He also gave me a couple of other collections this round in our informal book club.
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Nov 20, 2017 16:09
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Bilirubin posted:Just started The Imago Sequence and Other Stories by the curiously named Laird Barron. Having just enjoyed Gemma Files and John Langan this seems an appropriate choice (made by a friend of mine really into horror) and two stories in I have to agree. I see Barron is controversial in the thread due to the sameness of his work, so next up will be China Mieville's Kraken. He also gave me a couple of other collections this round in our informal book club. Imago Sequence is definitely the strongest of his work, some really excellent stories in there. Barron does tend to be samey, but that means if you like some of his stuff, you'll probably like most of it. Occultation is hit and miss but also has some really great stories. I can't remember what collection it's in, but The Men from Porlock is also really good. A word of warning for Imago Sequence, though: Procession of the Black Sloth is extremely divisive, I think the thread consensus on it is not favorable. I ended up skipping most of it and don't really regret it.
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Nov 20, 2017 18:07
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MockingQuantum posted:Imago Sequence is definitely the strongest of his work, some really excellent stories in there. Barron does tend to be samey, but that means if you like some of his stuff, you'll probably like most of it. Occultation is hit and miss but also has some really great stories. I can't remember what collection it's in, but The Men from Porlock is also really good. Cool thanks. Procession of the Black Sloth is next up so we shall see how I fall wrt this story.
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Nov 20, 2017 19:56
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Bilirubin posted:Just started The Imago Sequence and Other Stories by the curiously named Laird Barron. Having just enjoyed Gemma Files and John Langan this seems an appropriate choice (made by a friend of mine really into horror) and two stories in I have to agree. I see Barron is controversial in the thread due to the sameness of his work, so next up will be China Mieville's Kraken. He also gave me a couple of other collections this round in our informal book club.
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Nov 20, 2017 20:21
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Read Brian Evenson.
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Nov 20, 2017 20:45
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anilEhilated posted:You realize Kraken isn't horror, right? Just checking. I mean, it does have horror elements. It’s kind of on the divide between horror and urban fantasy
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Nov 20, 2017 21:05
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MockingQuantum posted:I can't remember what collection it's in, but The Men from Porlock is also really good. The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All.
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Nov 20, 2017 21:52
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anilEhilated posted:You realize Kraken isn't horror, right? Just checking. vOv It is in the pile of things my buddy recommends I read so haven't really given it much thought past that
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Nov 20, 2017 21:53
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i dislike barron not because his stories are repetitive but because they arent goodfez_machine posted:Read Brian Evenson.
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Nov 20, 2017 23:49
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MockingQuantum posted:I can't remember what collection it's in, but The Men from Porlock is also really good. The Croning, which follows up on The Men from Porlock, is pretty great as well, so long as you pretend the protagonist is about 20 years younger than Barron tells you he is.
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Nov 21, 2017 04:47
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The other two books I was given were by Arthur Machen and Jeff VanderMeer but I will fez_machine posted:Read Brian Evenson. soon
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Nov 21, 2017 07:07
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Almost finished Southern Reach. My opinion vacillates between thinking it's pretty good or thinking it's a massive missed opportunity with the premise. Any other Roadside Picnic homages worth reading?
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Nov 21, 2017 09:58
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a foolish pianist posted:The Croning, which follows up on The Men from Porlock, is pretty great as well, so long as you pretend the protagonist is about 20 years younger than Barron tells you he is. there are at least two other stories tying in to the children of old leech, although they lack the familial connection between the croning and porlock. one is... i think it's delirium tremens or something like it. that one is really, really good - i'd say better than porlock. the other is the broadsword, which is also pretty solid, though not quite on the same level. there are probably others with less clear connections - maybe the weird old money family from the croning appears in another story but it isn't about old leech? probably less obvious connections i've forgotten. a sequel to Carter and Lovecraft is out. i didn't realise this was going to be a series. i'm about 80% through. it's decent. more of the same as the first in how it relates to cosmic horror, for the most part - while drawing on lovecraft and being associated with horror it's not particularly horrific and reads more like a decent thriller with lovecraft stuff in there. i probably like it more than the first since you don't have that bit where the protagonists have to be convinced there's weird poo poo afoot in the world. if you liked the first you'll probably like this.
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Nov 21, 2017 12:26
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Neurosis posted:a sequel to Carter and Lovecraft is out. i didn't realise this was going to be a series. i'm about 80% through. it's decent. more of the same as the first in how it relates to cosmic horror, for the most part - while drawing on lovecraft and being associated with horror it's not particularly horrific and reads more like a decent thriller with lovecraft stuff in there. i probably like it more than the first since you don't have that bit where the protagonists have to be convinced there's weird poo poo afoot in the world. if you liked the first you'll probably like this.
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Nov 21, 2017 13:54
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anilEhilated posted:I don't know about series but the first one ended on a cliffhanger. Wasn't scary in the slightest but fun book overall, glad to know the second one is out. Seconded on the "not scary, but fun". I ended up liking it more than I thought I would.
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Nov 21, 2017 14:01
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That book was weird with all the ''this book store owner is cute...AND BLACK'' poo poo the protagonist was constantly day dreaming about.
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Nov 21, 2017 16:58
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I just read The Three-Body Problem, it's not cosmic horror, but without spoilers, I was really shocked at some of that book.
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Nov 21, 2017 17:01
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Skyscraper posted:I just read The Three-Body Problem, it's not cosmic horror, but without spoilers, I was really shocked at some of that book. I've heard that it's a bit inaccessible for anyone without a passing familiarity with Chinese culture and history, is that true? It's been on my "must read" list for a while now but I'm afraid I'll be missing a lot of context.
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Nov 21, 2017 20:50
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The Clap posted:I've heard that it's a bit inaccessible for anyone without a passing familiarity with Chinese culture and history, is that true? It's been on my "must read" list for a while now but I'm afraid I'll be missing a lot of context. Not really. It's good, but it's Asimov good. Ideas that are big and grand in scope, but characterization can be flat.
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Nov 21, 2017 20:52
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The Clap posted:I've heard that it's a bit inaccessible for anyone without a passing familiarity with Chinese culture and history, is that true? It's been on my "must read" list for a while now but I'm afraid I'll be missing a lot of context. Well, you need to know that The Cultural Revolution happened, but otherwise no. It helps to know that the I Ching exists, and that Buddhism is A Thing but honestly those are passing mentions. I could see a comparison with Asimov, but Asimov has always put me to sleep, I'd compare it to Neal Stephenson in his prime. Proteus, you'd see why I'd post this here after having finished the first book, right?
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Nov 21, 2017 20:58
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Skyscraper posted:Well, you need to know that The Cultural Revolution happened, but otherwise no. It helps to know that the I Ching exists, and that Buddhism is A Thing but honestly those are passing mentions. I could see a comparison with Asimov, but Asimov has always put me to sleep, I'd compare it to Neal Stephenson in his prime. Yeah, Stephenson is a fair comparison. And yeah, you can argue there's some existential horror involved. Proteus Jones fucked around with this message at 21:03 on Nov 21, 2017 |
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Nov 21, 2017 21:00
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Proteus Jones posted:Yeah, Stephenson is a fair comparison.
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Nov 21, 2017 21:07
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Chas McGill posted:Almost finished Southern Reach. My opinion vacillates between thinking it's pretty good or thinking it's a massive missed opportunity with the premise. I remember enjoying Wormwood by Terry Dowling, although Dowlings' aliens are a bit less inscrutable than Garland's or the Strugatsky's. Christ knows where you'd find a copy nowadays though (it's definitely not worth the $45 Amazon's asking for it).
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Nov 21, 2017 21:20
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I can see the argument that some of Three-Body Problem has some horror to it, sure. I didn't really like the book, the characters felt really wooden to me, so I'm not sure I'd ever finish out the series (trilogy? not even sure). On a definitely-more-obviously-horror note, I'm about a quarter into The Deep and I am really digging it. I mean, I'm kind of terrified of the ocean so it's a rough read at times, but in the best of ways. Once that's done, I've kind of finished off my digital TBR stack of horror novels, so I'm looking for some recommendations of recent (last five-ish years) horror. Any standouts? Right now I'm eyeing Ararat, The Croning, and The Fisherman.
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Nov 21, 2017 22:13
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MockingQuantum posted:I can see the argument that some of Three-Body Problem has some horror to it, sure. The Deep creeped me out in the first few pages before anything actually weird happened. It is a pretty good read.
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Nov 21, 2017 22:39
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MockingQuantum posted:Once that's done, I've kind of finished off my digital TBR stack of horror novels, so I'm looking for some recommendations of recent (last five-ish years) horror. Any standouts? Right now I'm eyeing Ararat, The Croning, and The Fisherman. All good choices. I'll also recommend anything by Adam Cesare; he is really good at channeling that cheesy, 80s horror movie vibe (in a good way, mind you). Video Night and/or Zero Lives Remaining are a lot of fun. Slade House by David Mitchell was great in my opinion. It ties into the setting for several of his other books, but can be safely read and enjoyed as a stand-alone title (that's how I did it). Slowly We Rot by Bryan Smith is a GREAT zombie novel because it doesn't really focus on the zombies, they are just part of the setting. I have several more I could recommend, but they were DarkFuse authors so I don't know that their books are readily available  .
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Nov 21, 2017 22:41
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Neurosis posted:there are at least two other stories tying in to the children of old leech, although they lack the familial connection between the croning and porlock. one is... i think it's delirium tremens or something like it. that one is really, really good - i'd say better than porlock. the other is the broadsword, which is also pretty solid, though not quite on the same level. there are probably others with less clear connections - maybe the weird old money family from the croning appears in another story but it isn't about old leech? probably less obvious connections i've forgotten. I'm pretty sure all the stories in Occultation are part of the Old Leech mythos.
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Nov 22, 2017 02:13
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MockingQuantum posted:I can see the argument that some of Three-Body Problem has some horror to it, sure. The sequels make the horror elements escalate in scale, but the characters never get any more fleshed out than that. Ye Wenjie is the peak of 3D characters in that trilogy. Ornamented Death posted:Slade House by David Mitchell was great in my opinion. It ties into the setting for several of his other books, but can be safely read and enjoyed as a stand-alone title (that's how I did it). My expectations for Slade House got hosed by me having read all of his previous books first. I was disappointed at how repetitive and samey it was in comparison to his previous work. The sequel bait at the end did not help matters. That said, it is pretty spooky if none of that matters to you.
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Nov 22, 2017 06:53
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