Gregor Xane's Blog, page 7
August 18, 2015
Top Ten Tuesday - Top 10 Most Read Authors
Charlene (of Char's Horror Corner) inspired me to participate in this one.
My top ten most read authors based on the data I've entered into Goodreads over the years.
Rank | Author | Books Read | Note
1 Philip K. Dick 53 - With maybe two exceptions, I've read everything ever published by Philip K. Dick. Before you could find those garish trade paperback reissues of all of his work at Barnes & Noble, I had the greatest time hunting down old beat up copies of his mass market paperbacks in every used book store I could find. At the time, I felt like I was unearthing buried treasure. And, really, I was. Dick's body of work is imaginative, idiosyncratic, unflinchingly earnest, insane, and deeply, deeply human.
2 Stephen King 37 - I've read King for all my life and I plan to keep doing so. He might piss me off every once in a while, but I keep coming back because deep down I know that getting pissed off by one of the best isn't so bad.
3 Clive Barker 21 - I've read all of Barker's major works and most of his minor stuff, too. In the realm of imaginative fiction, he has few rivals.
4 Edward Lorn 20 - How the fuck did this guy get in my top ten most read? I just started reading his crap last year, for heaven's sake! Okay, Since then we've become friends and I beta read/proofread for him quite a bit. That explains it. Well, that, on top of the fact that I just really dig the stuff he writes. If I didn't, I wouldn't read it. I'm just not that nice.
5 Joe R. Lansdale 19 - I used to think Lansdale's backlist was too long and tangled to be worth taming. I no longer think that. Joe R. Lansdale is a national treasure. One of the best writers we've got, inside or outside of genre fiction. I now realize I'm a Lansdale completist.
6 Charles Bukowski 17 - I've read all Bukowski's major prose works (novels and short fiction), and a good deal of his poetry. I love stories of down-and-out characters told with honesty and integrity, and, most of all, good humor.
7 Jeffrey Ford 16 - My favorite living writer. His work is literate, unpredictable, imaginative, and wholly his own.
7 Dean Koontz 16 - Koontz's early novels are a masterclass in pacing. I really did love much of what I read by him 'back in the day,' but sadly we've grown apart over the years.
8 Robert Anton Wilson 14 - I love reading about conspiracy theories, kooks, cults, occultists, quantum physics, bizarre sex practices, mad scientists, pseudoscience, secret societies and crazies of all stripes. Wilson's The Illuminatus Trilogy (co-authored with Robert Shea) wraps all of these elements up into one massive, messy 'unified field theory' cult classic masterpiece that is tons of fun. The rest of Wilson's fiction and non-fiction works are basically more in-depth explorations of the subjects covered in the trilogy.
9 Lemony Snicket 13 - I read all of Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, a 13 book series. I enjoyed the series, but I'm not sure that I'm especially keen on picking up any of his other stuff. Maybe some day.
10 China Miéville 12 - To my mind, the most imaginative and unique writer working in the field of fantasy literature today. I've read all of his work. I believe he's been called 'the anti-Tolkien,' and I think that's good enough short-hand for what he's all about.
Original post: GregorXane.booklikes.com/post/1226499/top-ten-tuesday-toptentuesday
My top ten most read authors based on the data I've entered into Goodreads over the years.
Rank | Author | Books Read | Note
1 Philip K. Dick 53 - With maybe two exceptions, I've read everything ever published by Philip K. Dick. Before you could find those garish trade paperback reissues of all of his work at Barnes & Noble, I had the greatest time hunting down old beat up copies of his mass market paperbacks in every used book store I could find. At the time, I felt like I was unearthing buried treasure. And, really, I was. Dick's body of work is imaginative, idiosyncratic, unflinchingly earnest, insane, and deeply, deeply human.
2 Stephen King 37 - I've read King for all my life and I plan to keep doing so. He might piss me off every once in a while, but I keep coming back because deep down I know that getting pissed off by one of the best isn't so bad.
3 Clive Barker 21 - I've read all of Barker's major works and most of his minor stuff, too. In the realm of imaginative fiction, he has few rivals.
4 Edward Lorn 20 - How the fuck did this guy get in my top ten most read? I just started reading his crap last year, for heaven's sake! Okay, Since then we've become friends and I beta read/proofread for him quite a bit. That explains it. Well, that, on top of the fact that I just really dig the stuff he writes. If I didn't, I wouldn't read it. I'm just not that nice.
5 Joe R. Lansdale 19 - I used to think Lansdale's backlist was too long and tangled to be worth taming. I no longer think that. Joe R. Lansdale is a national treasure. One of the best writers we've got, inside or outside of genre fiction. I now realize I'm a Lansdale completist.
6 Charles Bukowski 17 - I've read all Bukowski's major prose works (novels and short fiction), and a good deal of his poetry. I love stories of down-and-out characters told with honesty and integrity, and, most of all, good humor.
7 Jeffrey Ford 16 - My favorite living writer. His work is literate, unpredictable, imaginative, and wholly his own.
7 Dean Koontz 16 - Koontz's early novels are a masterclass in pacing. I really did love much of what I read by him 'back in the day,' but sadly we've grown apart over the years.
8 Robert Anton Wilson 14 - I love reading about conspiracy theories, kooks, cults, occultists, quantum physics, bizarre sex practices, mad scientists, pseudoscience, secret societies and crazies of all stripes. Wilson's The Illuminatus Trilogy (co-authored with Robert Shea) wraps all of these elements up into one massive, messy 'unified field theory' cult classic masterpiece that is tons of fun. The rest of Wilson's fiction and non-fiction works are basically more in-depth explorations of the subjects covered in the trilogy.
9 Lemony Snicket 13 - I read all of Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, a 13 book series. I enjoyed the series, but I'm not sure that I'm especially keen on picking up any of his other stuff. Maybe some day.
10 China Miéville 12 - To my mind, the most imaginative and unique writer working in the field of fantasy literature today. I've read all of his work. I believe he's been called 'the anti-Tolkien,' and I think that's good enough short-hand for what he's all about.
Original post: GregorXane.booklikes.com/post/1226499/top-ten-tuesday-toptentuesday
August 2, 2015
Get Notified of New Book Releases
Amazon has introduced a feature that's been on my wishlist for years. You can now go to an author's Amazon page, click the golden Follow button beneath the author's profile picture, and, going forward, Amazon will send you an e-mail every time a new book is released by that author. (You'll receive the release notification e-mails to the address tied to your Amazon account.)
If you'd like to be notified of my new releases, go to my Amazon author page and kindly click the Follow button.
And, while you're there, you might as well look up and follow all your favorites. I did.
If you don't want to mess with Amazon, I should also probably mention that you can be notified of my new releases by joining my New Release Mailing List here. One advantage to joining my list is that you'll receive a short story (ePub and Mobi) exclusive to subscribers.
I do thank you for your time and consideration.
May 31, 2015
Two Fantastic Collections By Jeffrey Ford Finally Available in eBook
To cap off 2015's Short Story Month, I feel compelled to tell you about what I think is some great news.
On June 9th, two of my all-time favorite short story collections will finally be released in eBook format. Both are by the inimitable Jeffrey Ford.
The Fantasy Writer's Assistant and Other Stories
The Empire of Ice Cream
If you love finely-crafted short fiction and appreciate works of fantasy that contain none of the stereotypical elements that spring to mind when you hear that word, then you should grab these collections.
If you're not an eBook person, and you're interested, then I highly recommend that you hunt down the gorgeous Golden Gryphon hardcover editions of these two books.
On June 9th, two of my all-time favorite short story collections will finally be released in eBook format. Both are by the inimitable Jeffrey Ford.
The Fantasy Writer's Assistant and Other Stories
The Empire of Ice Cream
If you love finely-crafted short fiction and appreciate works of fantasy that contain none of the stereotypical elements that spring to mind when you hear that word, then you should grab these collections.
If you're not an eBook person, and you're interested, then I highly recommend that you hunt down the gorgeous Golden Gryphon hardcover editions of these two books.
You can pre-order the eBooks now, if you're of a mind to.
The Fantasy Writer's Assistant and Other Stories
Amazon / B&N / Kobo
The Empire of Ice Cream
Amazon / B&N/ Kobo
Note: The author and I are not buddies. I get nothing out of recommending these books (aside from the joy in making other readers happy).
The Fantasy Writer's Assistant and Other Stories
Amazon / B&N / Kobo
The Empire of Ice Cream
Amazon / B&N/ Kobo
Note: The author and I are not buddies. I get nothing out of recommending these books (aside from the joy in making other readers happy).
May 30, 2015
Lawnmowers, Truckers & the Box Office Girl
Three more shorts down for Short Story Month:
"The Lawnmower Man," by Stephen King (from Night Shift) - This was a re-read for me. I first read it when I was in high school and thought it was great at the time. A friend of mine recently posted a review of this story in which he expressed a deep and long-lasting hatred for this piece. I didn't like it as much the second time around, but I did enjoy it. I like the absurd nature of the story and can't really see anything about it that would inspire my pal to spit such venom over the poor little thing.
"Yvette's Gift," by Richard McGowan (from Short Fiction, Volume 1, The Erotica) - This story somehow manages to be engaging despite the fact that there is zero conflict. It's just a pleasant recounting of two people getting to know each other on a road trip. It didn't end the way I thought it would, but at the same time, the ending I did get didn't seem wholly earned either.
"Leaving Maverley," by Alice Monro (from The O. Henry Prize Stories: 2013) - This was interesting in that you didn't quite know who the story was focused on until a good way in. It had an emotional impact that was expertly and stealthily seeded throughout the narrative, so that the ending kind of creeps up on you. Nicely done.
May 19, 2015
Bishop, CrimeStopper, Vampire, Misfit
Four more shorts read for Short Story Month:
"Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes," by Michael Bishop - An annoying inside joke (with a shitty title) that was written as a birthday present for a Tor editor. This kind of cute stuff is cute only between friends. The literary equivalent of reading an 'oh, so clever and mysterious' Twitter conversation.
"Catch 'Em in the Act," by Terry Bisson - A well-executed, if not particularly inventive or surprising, Amazing Stories-type read.
"When Barrettes Brought Justice to a Burning Heart," by John Everson - A bloody revenge tale that, thankfully, didn't end the way I thought it would.
And, by far, the best of the bunch:
"A Good Man is Hard to Find," by Flannery O'Connor - An excellent chunk of writing, if you forgive the incredible coincidence that the story is built around.
"Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes," by Michael Bishop - An annoying inside joke (with a shitty title) that was written as a birthday present for a Tor editor. This kind of cute stuff is cute only between friends. The literary equivalent of reading an 'oh, so clever and mysterious' Twitter conversation.
"Catch 'Em in the Act," by Terry Bisson - A well-executed, if not particularly inventive or surprising, Amazing Stories-type read.
"When Barrettes Brought Justice to a Burning Heart," by John Everson - A bloody revenge tale that, thankfully, didn't end the way I thought it would.
And, by far, the best of the bunch:
"A Good Man is Hard to Find," by Flannery O'Connor - An excellent chunk of writing, if you forgive the incredible coincidence that the story is built around.
May 14, 2015
Where are you? Well, you're right here, silly!
Don't believe the product description for Jedediah Berry's "A Window or a Small Box." This short story isn't 'magic realism.' But it is a light, dream-like adventure that falls somewhere between surrealist or absurdist fiction.
Think of it as PG-13 bizarro.
Think of it as PG-13 bizarro.
May 12, 2015
Hackle & More Johnson
More Short Story Month Reads!
The following four stories bring me to the end of the main thrust of Jeremy Robert Johnson's We Live Inside You, a rather fine collection of short fiction:
"A Flood of Harriers"
"The Encore"
"Laws of Virulence"
"States of Glass" (This one scared me, which is rare.)
The last section of the book, which I'll try to finish by month's end, contains what Johnson has labeled 'b-sides' and oddities. Based solely on the stories I've read so far, fifteen or so, I already feel safe saying this collection is highly recommended.
I also read a short short by the inimitable Douglas Hackle called "In Our Hearts." This is a gem of a story lost in a morass of kludgy eBook formatting so fucked that it dissuaded me from even sampling any of the other stories in the collection. For those who dare, you can find this particular Hackle in Aliens, Sex & Sociopaths: The Best of Surreal Grotesque
TERROR MAN. TERROR FACE. TERROR CLOWN. TERROR CHILD. TERROR MAN. TERROR FACE. TERROR CLOWN. TERROR CHILD. TERROR HOUSE. TERROR SHARK. TERROR MOUSE
- Douglas Hackle
The following four stories bring me to the end of the main thrust of Jeremy Robert Johnson's We Live Inside You, a rather fine collection of short fiction:
"A Flood of Harriers"
"The Encore"
"Laws of Virulence"
"States of Glass" (This one scared me, which is rare.)
The last section of the book, which I'll try to finish by month's end, contains what Johnson has labeled 'b-sides' and oddities. Based solely on the stories I've read so far, fifteen or so, I already feel safe saying this collection is highly recommended.
I also read a short short by the inimitable Douglas Hackle called "In Our Hearts." This is a gem of a story lost in a morass of kludgy eBook formatting so fucked that it dissuaded me from even sampling any of the other stories in the collection. For those who dare, you can find this particular Hackle in Aliens, Sex & Sociopaths: The Best of Surreal Grotesque
TERROR MAN. TERROR FACE. TERROR CLOWN. TERROR CHILD. TERROR MAN. TERROR FACE. TERROR CLOWN. TERROR CHILD. TERROR HOUSE. TERROR SHARK. TERROR MOUSE
- Douglas Hackle
May 10, 2015
Kangaroos, Jane Does, killer canines, and an ice storm
Four more short stories read in celebration of Short Story Month:
"The Kangaroo Communique," by Haruki Murakami (from The Elephant Vanishes ) - A bizarre and frightening response to a customer service complaint.
"Alphinland," by Margaret Atwood (from Stone Mattress: Nine Tales ) - A sad tale of mourning and escapist fantasy.
"Unlicensed Surgery," by Richard McGowan (Available from the author upon request) - A dark fantasy with an interesting take on a creature from folklore.
"The Steel Valentine," by Joe R. Lansdale (FREE at Amazon) - A bloody noir tale of revenge and revenge.
May 3, 2015
A Link and more Everson & Lorn
I finished a couple more stories by Edward Lorn slated to appear in his forthcoming collection Others & Oddities:"The Red Door on Market Street"
"Just Short of Paradise"
"Red Door" is my favorite so far of those in this collection that I've not yet read. I also understand that the table of contents for this thing is growing, so I can look forward to more stories headed my way in the near future.
John Everson's collection, Cage of Bones & Other Deadly Obsessions , has thankfully gotten muc...
May 2, 2015
FREE Short Fiction from the Bad Apples People
Short story month continues and I felt it was appropriate to let folks know about some FREE short fiction available from the semi-humans behind the anthologies
Bad Apples: Five Slices of Halloween Horror
and
Dead Roses: Five Dark Tales of Twisted Love
."Serving Spirits," by Adam Light (Download FREE from Amazon)
"Crawlspace," by Evans Light (Download FREE from Amazon)
"Easy Pickings," by Jason Parent (Download FREE from Amazon)
"Got Your Goat," by Edward Lorn (Read it FREE online)
"I Will Tell You...
