Werner's comments (member since Jul 17, 2008)

Werner's comments from the Supernatural Fiction Readers group.

I've just added it to my to-read shelf. (Sigh!) "So many books, so little time."

Okay, I know, I've gotten us off topic. Mea culpa! I promise to get back on the strait and narrow path now. :-)

Thanks for the tip about Anne Rice, Sue! I will send another e-mail her way, and see what happens. :-)

Sue, congrats on the Pluto Award nomination! Keep us posted on that.

Though she has an author profile here on Goodreads, Rice isn't a Goodreads member herself, so it's unlikely she'd join in a discussion here. :-) Interview With the Vampire is the only one of her books I've ever read (it was also the first book our group did as a common read); it has no actual sexual content, but I would say that her prose there does have a sort of indefinable erotic quality. But the contribution she made to the vampire sub-genre isn't the eroticism; rather, it's the transformation of vampires from bloodsucking automatons of evil into actual characters who have personalities and make moral decisions (as Richard does in Never Ceese). Of course, Barnabas on Dark Shadows was portrayed that way before Rice wrote, but she was the first to use that model in written fiction. Even though not all subsequent authors of vampire fiction have adopted that model (Stephen King, for instance, hasn't), those two influences have changed the face of the field.

I've e-mailed Rice myself, years ago, and never got a reply --of course, as I recall, that was in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, so obviously not the best time to write. But I wouldn't take her lack of interest in your books personally. She's probably contacted by literally dozens of vampire authors (that is, authors who write about vampires --probably not by authors who are vampires, by "choice" or otherwise :-)) all of the time, and there are only so many books one human being can read --especially when she's also reading a lot for research on her current series.

Sue, just for the benefit of SFR group members who may not also belong to the Open Book Society, what were some of the best questions raised in that discussion?

Also, how did you get into writing this type of fiction? Can you tell us anything about your "literary influences?" (Were you a Dark Shadows fan? How about Anne Rice?) After you got the idea of writing Never Ceese, did you try to read a lot of vampire/werewolf fiction to get a feel for how other writers handled it, or did you avoid it so your vision wouldn't be unduly influenced by others?

Speaking of reactions to characters, I certainly like Rodney --I think he's endearing. :-) It's hard to imagine why any readers would hate him!

Lightning Source works much like Lulu, as I understand it; so Sue, your situation with Never Ceese is something like mine with Lifeblood (my publisher also went out of business). There are a couple of issues operating here. Both of our current printing services will print anything, unlike traditional presses (and bookstores know this, and distrust them for it, even if the book happens to be one that stood on its own merits with a traditional publisher); they also don't --or at least Lulu doesn't-- give bookstores a discount off list price. But you're right; there's also some prejudice against the POD technique itself --which is a wholly separate issue, since many small traditional, royalties-paying presses use it (Silver Lake did). It's part of the larger stigma attached to small presses in general; sort of a "you're not in the same league as the BIG boys" mentality.

Meanwhile, the old mainline houses of Big Publishing still play a game of trying to guess how big a run of books to print every time they publish a book, and almost invariably wind up remaindering or pulping literally tons of their stock, all at a loss. That business model is so insane, and the use of POD so sensible, that their attitude boggles the mind. My guess is that eventually, as the hidebound generation of CEOs passes from the scene and is replaced by a generation more comfortable with, and aware of the possibilities of, computer technology, POD will become the industry standard. But as yet, it's still like trying to get Big Business to switch to green energy.

Over on another thread, Sue just mentioned that Never Ceese was originally marketed as YA fiction. That surprised me; none of the characters are in the YA age bracket, and the review of it I read in one of the library trade journals didn't indicate a YA orientation. I never regarded it as anything but adult fiction. That might be another angle for discussion: what makes a novel or story "YA fiction?" And are the tastes of intelligent adult and kid readers really always all that sharply different? (C. S. Lewis thought not; and Madeline L'Engle has stated that when she gets an idea for a book, she just writes it and then waits to see if her publisher calls it "YA" or "adult." :-)) The way that adult readers take to the Harry Potter and Twilight series, and the way a lot of kids eat up classical adventure fiction if they discover it, would suggest that the tastes are often similar!

Just by way of letting everybody know: since it's now the month of December, I've moved this thread to our "common reads" folder. We'll be discussing Sue's book all this month.

Some areas you all might want to talk about include: whether or not you like the book, and why; strong (or weak) points in the author's style; the portrayal of vampires and werewolves here, and how it compares to that of other writers; the author's message(s), if any; the role of religion in the novel; or how you like or dislike particular characters. Or, you may come up with entirely different angles of discussion!

Simon, if you're asking me, I'm sure either of those books would be viable suggestions; but not having read them, I don't have any useful feedback about which one would be better to nominate. Maybe someone who's read one or both could give you some advice on that! Any Campbell fans out there in SFR group land?

Always, I haven't seen the movie adaptation of Ghost Story, so I can't compare the two. But I'd definitely agree with Chris' assessment of the book; and I would NOT describe it as dull, whatever the movie was. :-) The book starts slowly, because Straub takes time to introduce the characters and setting --and you also don't understand what's going on in the Prologue, and its relationship to the rest of the book, right away, though eventually it fits like a glove. But he soon starts building suspense, which quickly mounts to horror as the bodies start dropping; and it escalates from there. At some points, the tension of fear for characters you care about is practically unbearable.

If you've been following the "What are we going to read in this group?" thread, you know that Never Ceese will be our group's common read in December. To make it easier for you to participate (it's strictly voluntary --we don't feed you to the ghouls if you don't :-)), Sue's authorized me to announce that she'll sell copies of the original hardcover edition for $5.00 plus postage to anyone in the group who wants one. Just message her (she's an SFR group member) with your mailing address, and she'll send you a Paypal invoice. (If you ask her nicely, she'll probably autograph the book for you, too. :-)) Thanks for this kind offer, Sue!

Straub's Ghost Story was one of our early common reads in this group, so that thread (in the Common Reads folder) might be worth reading too, for those interested in this author. To date, that's the only thing by him that I've read, but I really liked it --it got five stars from me. Chronologically, it would also be one of his earlier works. I didn't mind the dense prose that Patrick mentioned; but then, I have a higher tolerance for that than some other readers do. :-)

I've read (and liked) two Machen stories: "The Great God Pan" (which is probably his best-known work) and "The Coming of the Terror," which is actually a condensation (made by American editors for magazine publication) of his The Terror --but a condensed version that he praised as done with particular skill. They're both very effective works; and the first one particularly also has a theme that indicates Machen's own significant influence on Lovecraft.

Welcome to all of our newer members, both those who've introduced themselves here and those of you who haven't yet! We're glad to have each one of you with us. (There are over 400 of us now --wow! When I started the group, I suspected that supernatural themes resonated with some other Goodreaders besides me, but I never guessed there were this many. It's great not to be alone! :-)) Hope you'll all make yourselves right at home, and that you'll find the group fun and informative.

Simon, I've only read one of Campbell's stories myself, but I know he has a substantial reputation in the genre; I'm sure any book by him would be a popular group read, and probably generate a lot of discussion! Since you don't have a specific book in mind, we can leave the December plan as it is for now, as you said; but between now and the next poll (which should be in late December), you or any Campbell fans reading this can use the time to come up with a specific suggestion.

It's nearly nine o'clock (Eastern time), and no other books have been nominated yet! That being the case, I'd say we can skip a poll this time. If nobody objects, then, our common read in December (for anyone who wants to join in) will be Sue Dent's Never Ceese.

Time certainly flies --November's more than half gone! Usually, I've been posting the polls for our common reads so that they're up for the last two weekends of the month. If I keep to that schedule, I'll need to set up the poll tomorrow. As yet, though, we only have one nomination --which would make a poll something like a Soviet "election!" :-) If nobody has a second suggestion by tomorrow morning, I'll propose just declaring Never Ceese the winner by default.

Jeannie, I loved Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural, too (I've reviewed that collection here on Goodreads)! And I've read and really liked a few of M. R. James' stories as well. When I'm visiting my wife's side of the family every summer, I always get in some time reading short stories in their local public library. Next time I come, I'm ready to start a new anthology --and The Oxford Book of English Ghost Stories is waiting invitingly on the shelf for me!

Thanks for the other recommendations, too. (And as an aside to anyone following this discussion, you can find a lot of great possibilities in this sub- genre just by perusing our group bookshelves, and clicking on the reviews!)

As a schoolkid, I was always picked on and bullied; and at the time, it tended to make me more vengeful than forgiving. But growing up that way did leave me with a strong sympathy for the underdog, and a willingness to stand up for people (and animals) that are being pushed around and hurt.

Like Chris, I grew up to write "horror" (if vampire fiction qualifies :-)). And villains in my fiction definitely tend to get their comeuppance, big time! I'm sure childhood experiences play a role in that.

Jim, good suggestion! In fact, I'll withdraw mine, and vote for yours. (I'm going to read Water Witch in December anyway, but I've already read Never Ceese, so I won't have any problem joining in the discussion if the group votes for it. (Next month, I'll put Water Witch in the poll for the January read --assuming that I like it as much as I expect to :-))

Since we don't have any nominations yet, I'll throw one into the ring: Water Witch (Leisure Books, 2008) by Goodreads author Deborah LeBlanc. (Deborah's one of my Goodreads friends, and I've promised to review her book, so I need --and want!-- to not put off reading it any longer.) Quoting from the back cover: "Dunny knew from an early age what it meant to be an outsider. Her special abilities earned her many names, like freak and water witch. So she vowed to keep her powers a secret. But now her talents may be the only hope of two missing children. A young boy and girl have vanished, feared lost in the mysterious bayous of Louisiana. But they didn't just disappear; they were taken. And amid the ghosts and spirits of the swamp, there is a danger worse than any other, one with very special plans for the children --and for anyone who dares to interfere."