Literary Horror discussion
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What Else Are You Reading?
Looking further into O'Brien, it seems he's published an earlier, well-received collection of short stories The Silence Room in 2008. As a poet, O'Brien has won both the T.S Eliot and the Forward prize, something I believe only John Burnside (another fine poet who writes creepy fiction) has done.
Marie-Therese wrote: "Thanks for the rec, Bill! "You're welcome, Marie-Therese. It's good to come across more interesting books after combing the Jackson single-author collection shortlist every year. (Not that I'm likely to jump on Garden of Eldritch Delights though...)
Just finished "A Cold Spot", which has more than a whiff of M.R. James. O'Brien can write dialog as well. The repartee with the two "witches" taunting the main character is so well executed.
Burnside looks pretty interesting too; just stuck him on my to-read list.
Bill wrote: "Burnside looks pretty interesting too; just stuck him on my to-read list."I dipped into John Burnside's Glister. It's distressingly old-fashioned and long-winded, totally not my thing.
While Neel Patel's If You See Me, Don't Say Hi is not Literary Horror material, I do recommend it.
I also finished Anna Kavan's classic Ice. I was really enjoying it up to about a hundred pages, then it seemed to emphasize the (to me) least interesting aspects of the book, and set aside the meta-narrative stuff that I loved. Took me awhile to grind on till the end. Ah well.
Better late than never, I came across Carmen Machado's recommendations:https://theweek.com/articles/730483/c...
I've read the collections by Jenny Zhang, Julia Elliot, and Bennett Sims. While not unflawed, they're all interesting and totally worth my time. I plan to check out the other three as well. (Machado's own Her Body and Other Parties is a favorite of mine as well.)
Bill
Mimi wrote: "I'm now reading Dino Buzzati - the May buddy read which finally arrived at the library!"Finally! Look forward to your impressions.
Excellent Mimi! I think you are going to like the Buzzati. Also very interested in hearing your thoughts.
Tim wrote: "I’m currently reading The Body Snatchers. 1950s Cold War paranoia at its finest."I just found a copy of this myself and will probably read it soon!
Of some interest to LH members, two catalogs of Surrealist exhibitions:Dorothea Tanning
Grace Pailthorpe and Reuben Mednikoff A Tale of Mother’s Bones
I'm really enjoying
Lesley Arimah, What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky
Very well-written, with some magic realist elements.
Also finished Amy Parker's Beasts and Children, very worthwhile, but probably of less interest to the group.
Just finished Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis (which was the inspiration for the excellent anime film). A fun, if sometime ridiculous, little book that feels more like a 70s style slasher than the Hitchcock-like film.Currently reading White Jazz, which is not a horror, but is certainly disturbing at times. .
Thanks for sharing Mimi. These kind of academic journals can be really interesting. I'll have a look.
Mimi wrote: "I've also been reading some articles in 'The Revenant' an academic journal that focuses on the 'supernatural, the uncanny and the weird' it's yearly so only four back issues."This looks really interesting and I've bookmarked the link for further reading when I have more time. Thanks, Mimi!
The Shirley Jackson winners for 2018 have been announced:https://www.shirleyjacksonawards.org
I'm pretty happy The Taiga Syndrome won for best novella. Not familiar with the other winners.
I recognize Priya Sharma from Undertow Publications (never read the now award winning collection though).. no idea who any of the others are.
Lol... nice one Mimi. ; ) I think there are a lot of different awards in the horror genre that some of us follow and use as launching off points for our literary explorations. I generally don't follow any of the major awards for this genre. I'm not sure if my tastes really align with the Shirley Jackson award voters... or maybe they do.
That being said... I might be interested in the Sharma... Taiga Syndrome sounds moderately interesting...
I think I currently have a little over 300 books in my TBR... just trying to make some headway. =)
Yeah... it is really easy to let your TBR explode...My delta for this year between incoming books and completed reads has me slightly in the red... which is not good... just means the TBR will keep expanding.
Mimi wrote: "I've been dipping into an online journal 'Sublime Horror', it focuses on horror, the macabre, folklore and mythology. It features essays, reviews and other short pieces and has a regular newsletter..."Looks interesting, thanks for the link.
Mimi wrote: "I've been dipping into an online journal 'Sublime Horror', it focuses on horror, the macabre, folklore and mythology."This looks really intriguing, Mimi! I'm bookmarking it so I can read further later. I'm especially keen to read the review of Jeanette Winterson's new book, 'Frankisstein', as I generally like her work very much (hers was one of only three stories I really liked in that recent English Heritage ghost story book-she's a reliably interesting if not perfect writer).
I’m currently reading Psycho II, which is a rather amusing sequel in that it is so self aware of itself. Bloch realized that Psycho would always be more fondly remembered as a film than his original novel, so this second book involves Norman escaping from an asylum to go to Hollywood to kill the people behind making a movie of his life. It’s hilariously bitter and a self aware commentary that seemingly perfects to future meta slashers like Scream. On a fun note, apparently Universal Studios tried to get Bloch to cancel publication of the novel, which of course he refused to do. :D
Marie-Therese wrote: "...Jeanette Winterson's new book, 'Frankisstein'..."How is Winterson's more recent work? I loved her late 80s/early 90s books (I'm old), and kind of lost touch after. Then checked out a book from 2000 and wasn't so excited.
Mimi wrote: "Tim Psycho 2 sounds incredibly entertaining, look forward to your review."I just finished, and it's, um... almost worth the time?
Bill wrote: "How is Winterson's more recent work? I loved her late 80s/early 90s books (I'm old), and kind of lost touch after. Then checked out a book from 2000 and wasn't so excited. ."Apologies, Bill, for the delay in response-the summer heat is so enervating that I just can't keep up lately!
Anyway, I looked through my reviews and inventory and I guess most of what I've liked by Winterson lately has been essay collections (she's quite a good essayist). I haven't even heard of the book Mimi mentions ('The Daylight Gate') so, apparently, I haven't kept up on her fiction. But 'Frankisstein' was just nominated for the Booker longlist so it must have some merit and I have a soft spot for fresh interpretations of Mary Shelley's tale. (Lori Sheck's A Monster's Notes is one of my favourite books.)
Tim wrote: "Mimi wrote: "Tim Psycho 2 sounds incredibly entertaining, look forward to your review."I just finished, and it's, um... almost worth the time?"
Do tell! Like Mimi I thought this sounded intriguing and rather fun.
Marie-Therese wrote: "Do tell! Like Mimi I thought this sounded intriguing and rather fun. "Warning, there are some spoilers that explain some of my issues, but I have hid them.
Norman is a big problem in this one. One thing that made the original work so well, both the movie and the book, was that we cared about Norman. He was surrounded in his mind by events spiraling out of control and he was doing what he thought was best. He was interesting, and even knowing the twist, his actions remained sympathetic. Here the characters are damn near unlikeable. Norman had aspects of a voyeur in the original, but in the sequel is a flat out rapist with more than a touch of necrophilia added for shock value. All the other characters are assholes, and much like the slasher movies of the 80s, I just sat there waiting for them to be picked off (view spoiler) There’s really no one to root for or sympathize with in this one except for Norman’s doctor and even he comes off having issue from the start (view spoiler)
It also feels like Bloch was planning for the book to go one direction, then realized he needed to pull of something clever to shock the readers. (view spoiler)
There's also many random scenes that just try to make you hate all the Hollywood characters. I'm all for unlikeable characters in horror novels and such, but here he's just trying to push it out malice. Everyone introduced from Hollywood (with the exception of the scriptwriter, because of course the writers are still good guys) are unpleasant, from the sleazy directors, crooked producers and actresses who will do anything to get a shot. One character in the book is there for a grand total of 8 pages, and the only use from a plot point they serve is to answer the phone and say another character isn't home. We still get a vivid scene of her filming a porno, because even as a failed actress, she's going to "live the Hollywood dream."
As I progressed through the book, I found myself liking it less and less. By the time it was over, there was only one thing I feel like I can still praise. It has an almost Scream-like meta quality to it, as Bloch is very aware that people associate the story with the film instead of his book and is playing up on that. Cinematic conventions are there throughout the book, and it’s not hard to imagine the camera angles even as he’s describing how a scene plays out. It also plays with what the slasher genre was becoming and acts of something of a critique against it (something that does seem a touch hypocritical as characters voice how you shouldn’t sympathize with violent characters, when the first book had you trying to do just that).
Tim wrote: "Warning, there are some spoilers that explain some of my issues, but I have hid them."Oh my! Thanks for this thorough reply to my question, Tim. Sounds like this is best avoided as everything you've detailed would turn me off too.
Best thing I've read recently with an LH slant: Sofia Samatar's Tender: Stories.Also fun, but not up to the Samatar's lofty standards:
Brian Hauser, Memento Mori: The Fathomless Shadows
Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Signal to Noise
Especially enjoyable if you have a soft spot for vintage media.
I recently reread two short stories by Edgar Allan Poe:"The Masque of the Read Death"
"The Pit and the Pendulum"
I'm about halfway through Sara Gallardo's Land of Smoke and am loving it. Gallardo's imagery is intensely poetic and there is a slightly surreal feel to most of her stories but there is also something more old-fashioned and nobler, something that reminds me of classic Spanish literature. Some of her stories showcase a big, sweeping, grand imagination attuned closely to nature-one that seems to me in some ways very specifically South American (the horses, the plains, the soldiers and outlaws who wander the latter in search of the former); others are more intimate and introspective, featuring narrators who are generally all too aware of their flaws and foibles but powerless to change them. Violence is omnipresent but so is beauty and the inscrutable power of nature.
I'm also reading Steven King's Danse Macabre, which is honestly not all that interesting so far. I don't know if I'm finding it dull because I already know most of what King's expounding on or because he's just not an author whose horror I've ever enjoyed, but I'm finding this a slog. I was expecting more discussion of horror literature, I guess, and so far it's been mainly film and radio, neither of which interest me. I'll admit to skimming all of the personal reminiscence stuff-I just don't find King's childhood and youth interesting enough to read about in depth. Your mileage may well vary.
I'm currently reading Damage by Rosalie Parker. Disappointed.
Here is my review of one the stories:
The Monument
Rosalie Parker
A revenge tale. I'm not big on revenge stories.
Grace and Travis are a couple who is in the process of divorce, because Travis found out that Grace was seeing another man, named Marcus. Marcus and Grace knew each other in school.
Grace and Travis are both on the mortgage, so both live in the house.
Grace meets up with Marcus occasionally in the village. One day in the village, Grace meets two friends from childhood see hasn't seen in years.
Grace's two friends point out that they had made a pact: they were to meet at a spooky monument by a church twenty years from the date of the pact, and that the person who fails to do so would be punished.
The two friends were at the monument at the appointed date, but Grace was not. Grace doesn't remember what's the penalty for missing the meet up.
Grace goes to the spooky monument. Travis arrives and says,
"‘Have you remembered what will happen to you, Grace, after the promise you failed to keep?’...‘I’ve spoken to Tina and Natasha. Shall I remind you what was agreed if you broke your word?’
Travis inflicts violence on Grace.
I disliked the ending of the story.
Rosalie Parker, in her previous short story collection, at times wrote like the reincarnation of Robert Aickman.
Now I read something that's closer to Splatterpunk.
2.5 stars.
I've read so far the first two stories in Tragic Life Stories by Steve Duffy:https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/sho...
For each one, I rated 4.5 stars. I am really enjoying the book.
Randolph wrote: "Tell us what you're reading!" I am reading "The Windsome Tree" by Eileen Albrizio. It's amazing! The Windsome Tree: A Ghost Story
A few selections from my recent reading that might be interesting to the group...I revisited some stories in Ramsey Campbell's Cold Print. A lot of this doesn't date so well, but highlights include "The Inhabitant of the Lake", "Before the Storm", "The Faces at Pine Dunes", and of course the title story.
Daisy Johnson's novel Everything Under was rather disappointing, after her earlier collection Fen. There are certainly interesting ideas (mysterious disappearances, identity confusion, glimpses of fantastic creatures), but I found to be a slow, murky read.
Kenji Nakagami's stories in Snakelust remind me somewhat of my favorite harsh southern writers. Psychological horror, random violence, and some black, black humor.
I just finished Hell! Said the Duchess: A Bedtime Story which is, without a doubt, one of the strangest books I've ever read.
Tim wrote: "I just finished Hell! Said the Duchess: A Bedtime Story which is, without a doubt, one of the strangest books I've ever read."Hmm, care to elaborate?
The book was published in the 1930s and it starts out a comedic police procedural and ends with something bordering a cosmic horror story. It's actually rather funny early on, with several eccentric characters and some comedic takes on the upper class. Then we get a series of very sexual murders (some details are rather shocking given the time of publication), which comes off a bit conflicting given the light hearted tone shown before. (view spoiler) Yeah... like I said, it's a bit odd
Robert wrote: "The Windsome Tree: A Ghost Story"A few months ago, I received a message from another GR user, suggesting that book as a monthly read. The user didn't respond when I asked for more information.
Curious, isn't it?
If it were The Darksome Tree I might consider it.
How about The Darksome Goose? It's the season after all.
Or perhaps The Goose That Laid the Darksome Egg...
Robert wrote: "The Windsome Tree: A Ghost Story"So Robert, what did you think? Should we read this? Why is the tree "windsome"? Does it (umm) break wind? That would be pretty "unique", as claimed by the other GR user who lobbied me to make this a monthly read.
Tim wrote: "I just finished Hell! Said the Duchess: A Bedtime Story which is, without a doubt, one of the strangest books I've ever read."Yeah, it's a real oddity. It never quite seems to settle into any one thing which lessens its power a bit but it is entertaining and, ultimately, even rather disturbing. Well worth reading, I think.
Marie-Therese wrote: "Tim wrote: "I just finished Hell! Said the Duchess: A Bedtime Story which is, without a doubt, one of the strangest books I've ever read."Yeah, it's a real oddity. It never quite ..."
I honestly think the fact that it was so light hearted and silly despite the rather gruesome murders described makes the last section all the more shocking. (view spoiler)
Finished reading NOS4A2, by Joe Hill, excellent read, a modern day horror classic, here is my reviewhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Bram Stoker award longlist for 2019 is out:http://www.thebramstokerawards.com/fr...
As usual, from the names I do recognize, the nominees are all over the place. Reminder: if you're grumpy about the Stoker nominees, do share your more deserving favorites at
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
I just finished NOS4A2. I thought it was a fun and enjoyable read. Now I'm currently reading Salem's Lot. I'm very excited to see how it turns out, I've heard a lot of good things.
Randolph wrote: "The problem with annual awards is you HAVE to pick something every year whether there is anything worthy or not."Sure, but you can say whether this was a good year, or not. So Randolph, is there something from 2019 you deem worthy?
Literary Horror
Books mentioned in this topic
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Let the Right One In (other topics)
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Let the Right One In (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Iain Banks (other topics)John Ajvide Lindqvist (other topics)
Stephen King (other topics)
John Ajvide Lindqvist (other topics)
Stephen King (other topics)
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I suspect the reason most people here haven't heard of Sean O'Brien previously is because he's best known as a poet (with at least eight collections of poetry to his name). I had no idea he'd written a short story collection, much less one that could be classified as "horror" or weird fiction/dark fantasy. I definitely need to check this out. Thanks for the rec, Bill!