Literary Horror discussion
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What Else Are You Reading?
The original story of "Snow, Glass, Apples" was very good, but I haven't seen the comics adaptation.Midsommar was an excellent film. The Lighthouse might be excellent but not sure, I didn't understand it.
I loved Midsommar. The Lighthouse, not so much.
I loved both. Really, thematically not that different. Toxic masculinity for the lose.
I'm reading Junji Ito's Uzumaki. I began reading graphic novels a couple of months ago and am surprised at how quickly they pulled me in.
I'm reading Ashes and Entropy, pulled off Janie and Whitney's best-of lists. Kind of uneven so far, but the Nadia Bulkin and Max Booth stories are pretty good.Just finished:
Unica Zurn, The House of Illnesses
[unhinged, dreamlike narrative, with Zurn's hallucinatory drawings]
Ewald Murrer, The Diary of Mr. Pinke
[another set of surreal tableaux, also with odd and beautiful drawings]
Jeremy de Quidt, The Toymaker
[the darkest opening chapters in a YA novel that I know of! the rest is good but doesn't live up to the promise of the opening]
Jeff Lemire, Gideon Falls #1
I recently finished Kim Sagwa's Mina which may be the most disturbing book I've read recently. It's undoubtedly the most brutal. While I'm very squeamish about imagery (especially film, where I have a rather low tolerance for explicit violence), I usually have no problem reading descriptions of violence; this book provided one of the first scenes in decades that I just could not read, that I felt physically sick and anxious reading and had to skip over. The scene (view spoiler) is crucial to the plot but the level of detail just felt, not precisely gratuitous, but overwhelming and almost sadistic on the part of the author. The novel on the whole is impressive, with long stretches of pure dialogue that are almost virtuosic in their ability to carry so much of the plot without further exposition, and Sagwa's critique of the relentless superficiality and stress of upper-class South Korean life and the soul-crushing effect of that lifestyle on its youth is pointed and effective, but I'm not sure I'd recommend this to any but the hardiest readers.
Had to recover from the above so I chose to read Italo Svevo's novella The Nice Old Man and the Pretty Girl This was a wonderful tonic: wry and gentle and beautifully paced (not precisely leisurely but rather sedate). Not the least bit horror-related but well worth reading.
Bill, you have chosen an interesting variety of books, several of which I want to read. Marie-Therese, you got me interested in Mina, but (view spoiler) is the one subject that thoroughly disturbs me. I may have to skip it.
I am about to start The Dark Domain and Picnic at Hanging Rock.
I'm currently reading Jon Padgett's The Secret of Ventriloquism, which I'm sure many people in this group have already read. So far I'm pretty impressed with this collection. I particularly liked the story 'Origami Dreams', which hits my sweet spot in weird tales with its nested and circular narrative, blurred borders between dream and reality, and slight metafictional touch. In general I've been getting burned out on collections, having read so many lately that are violently hit or miss. So it's good to encounter one that is mostly hits so far, with even the lesser stories still pretty good. Other recent reads:
And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe - a Bill Hsu Recommendation™ - this leaned a little too much into 'dark fantasy' territory for me, which I think may not really be my thing. The figurative language tends to be a little over the top for my liking. I like how Kiste plays with traditional fairy tale tropes, though.
Cruise of Shadows - the most recent English translation of Jean Ray's short fiction collections from Wakefield Press - I liked it more than Ray's first collection Whiskey Tales, but so far none of his stories have rivaled the greatness of Malpertuis. The next Ray collection is due out in a couple of months, though, so maybe that will be the one to fully win me over. Jordan West assures me there is at least one tale in one of the future collections that is as good as Malpertuis, so fingers crossed.
The Open Curtain - a rather traditional narrative by Evensonian standards, though still gets weird toward the end. Not sorry I read this (and thanks, Janie, for the rec), for I think it's a significant work in Evenson's oeuvre from the standpoint of his personal growth as a writer. It felt like a book he needed to write, and as such, I also felt I needed to read and absorb it, if only to gain deeper insight into his other writing.
(Janie-- I'll be looking forward to reading your impressions of Grabiński's book. He's been on my tbr list for years, and that book in particular. Also curious about Picnic - I watched the TV adaptation and enjoyed it but have no idea how faithful it is to the book.)
(Bill-- second the Zürn and the Murrer - glad you enjoyed both!)
(Marie-Therese-- sounds good about the Italo Svevo novella. Saw it in your feed and was intrigued by the fact that Woolf published it.)
S̶e̶a̶n̶ wrote: "I'm currently reading Jon Padgett's The Secret of Ventriloquism, which I'm sure many people in this group have already read. So far I'm pretty impressed with this collection. I particularly liked t..."
Mina sounds great. Will snag my library's copy today, yesssss.S̶e̶a̶n̶ wrote: "I'm currently reading Jon Padgett's The Secret of Ventriloquism, which I'm sure many people in this group have already read. So far I'm pretty impressed with this collection."
Hmm, I read this a few years ago, don't think it left much of an impression. Maybe I should revisit a story or two. Padgett has a story in Ashes and Entropy, which I was rather grumpy about.
After I recommended the Kiste collection, I started doubting whether it was your thing! Ah well. I was a bit disappointed in Open Curtain as well, after being blown away by Altman's Tongue.
Bill wrote: "After I recommended the Kiste collection, I started doubting whether it was your thing!"No worries. I still read the whole collection and at least enjoyed some of it, so don't regret the time investment.
"Hmm, I read this a few years ago, don't think it left much of an impression. Maybe I should revisit a story or two. Padgett has a story in Ashes and Entropy, which I was rather grumpy about."
With this collection I actually think it's a case where the greatest effect comes from absorbing the whole, though there are a few individual stand-outs, as I noted in my review. I just really dig connected collections, and as I've lamented before, don't come across them nearly enough, especially ones that are done well to my taste.
S̶e̶a̶n̶ wrote: "Bill wrote: "After I recommended the Kiste collection, I started doubting whether it was your thing!"No worries. I still read the whole collection and at least enjoyed some of it, so don't regret..."
I really enjoyed this collection. I found it to be very surreal and pleasingly disturbing. I love the word "skeletonized." :)
As for current reading, I tried my best to get into Picnic at Hanging Rock, but something about the writing annoyed the heck out of me. Might the word be "twee?" I had to dnf.
I enjoyed _Picnic_ more than I expected to but I know what you mean - the voice was somehow simultaneously stiff and arch
Janie wrote: "I really enjoyed this collection. I found it to be very surreal and pleasingly disturbing. I love the word "skeletonized." :)As for current reading, I tried my best to get into Picnic at Hanging Rock, but something about the writing annoyed the heck out of me. Might the word be "twee?" I had to dnf. "
Yes to skeletonized!
My general inclination is to turn away from any writing that can be described as 'twee' so I definitely empathize. Maybe check out the TV series, though. There was also a film adaptation in the 70s, though I haven't seen it.
Zach wrote: "I enjoyed _Picnic_ more than I expected to but I know what you mean - the voice was somehow simultaneously stiff and arch"Yes, that is a good description of the tone. Kudos on sticking with the book and enjoying it anyway. Impatience is my middle name.
S̶e̶a̶n̶ wrote: "Janie wrote: "I really enjoyed this collection. I found it to be very surreal and pleasingly disturbing. I love the word "skeletonized." :)As for current reading, I tried my best to get into Picn..."
I would be open to watching rather than reading the story. I see that the series is available on Amazon Prime.
I read it on a flight back from Australia, so I have to admit circumstances conspired to force me to stick with it (it definitely sags in the middle)
I just finished Kathe Koja's Velocities: Stories, which was very well-written but never really enthralled me. Working on Michael Swanwick's The Iron Dragon's Daughter now because I've been going through the turn of the century New Weird stuff and it's an outlier, but it feels very YA-ish so far, which is not my thing.
Sounds like it's time for the next book on your list. It's better to be enthralled than to find a book to be merely tepid.
Yeah - I'm only about 15 pages in and am hoping this is more of a prologue than the meat of the story, but if it doesn't pick up very soon I'll be moving on. I'm trying to be better about that in general - life's too short.
You're right, and there are many worthy books out there. Best of luck!
Thanks! I'm with Sean, the Grabinski's been on my list for ages and I look forward to seeing what you think about it (although I've been on a bit of a buying spree recently and need to dig my way out of the backlog before getting anything new)
Heh. I am going to be a bad influence and tell you to just buy it. I am halfway through the book and have been consistently enthralled by the dark and bold stories.
I'm currently reading Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell by Paul Kane, which has to be one of the weirdest crossovers in literary history: Sherlock Holmes meets Hellraiser. It's honestly kind of amazing (though I will not go so far as to truly say "good"), because the author manages to balance these seemingly contradictory series fairly well, and puts so many nods to the Hellraiser films and Holmes stories that even being fairly well versed in both, I know I'm missing references.
(view spoiler)
Tim wrote: "I'm currently reading Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell by Paul Kane, which has to be one of the weirdest crossovers in literary history: Sherlock Holmes meets Hellraiser..."Wow! That sounds either horrible or amazing. From what you're saying, it may be the completely unlikely amazing?
Whitney wrote: "Tim wrote: "I'm currently reading Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell by Paul Kane, which has to be one of the weirdest crossovers in literary history: Sherlock Holmes meets He..."It is absolutely one of the weirdest reads of the year for me. That said, Kane did an impressive job in making it feel like a proper novel, rather than just an oddity.
I started Nino Cipri's Homesick: Stories. The first three stories are really clever and funny, with surprising (and sometimes unsettling) twists on familiar tropes like poltergeists and superheroes.
I'm currently reading Larry by Adam Millard. It's a comedic take on the classic slasher cliches, where a killer hunts a certain camp, always sparing one girl and so on... but this killer has been retired since the 70s and decides to come out of retirement in to 2010s, but old age has caught up with him and chasing these damn kids on his lawn is a bit tougher than it used to be.
Scott wrote: "Hellblazer by Garth Ennis Omnibus"I remember enjoying some of Ennis' early run on Hellblazer. But 1300+ pages! Whew.
A few items I read recently that might be of interest to this group:Max Barry, Providence
Audrey Szasz, Invisibility: A Manifesto
I'm in the middle of
S.D. Stewart, A Set of Lines
This is quite a collaborative enterprise involving LH denizens. S.D. is S̶e̶a̶n̶, the layout is by Nathanimal. Also, Nate D made the illustrations. The slippery, dream-like narrative is told in spare, quiet prose, with odd, intriguing motifs that slide in and out of our unreliable view. Isolation, loss of memory, and the resulting uncertainties are ongoing concerns; I can definitely relate.
Bill wrote: "Scott wrote: "Hellblazer by Garth Ennis Omnibus"I remember enjoying some of Ennis' early run on Hellblazer. But 1300+ pages! Whew."
I'm actually flying through it. I read most of the issues when they first came out, but it's been a long time. I should be finished soon.
While not precisely "horrific", Aoko Matsuda's Where the Wild Ladies Are is based around Japanese tales of the supernatural and features a wide variety of yūrei and yōkai (ghosts and monsters). Matsuda has a light touch and her stories are frequently humorous and deliciously quirky but all have a strong feminist and non-conformist element as the characters (whether ghost or human) try to make their way through a world that shuts down their individuality and either actively persecutes or pointedly ignores them. Barriers between the human and the ghost realm are very porous in this book of slightly linked stories and it can sometimes be difficult to ascertain just where a character stands at first. This isn't a drawback though, as it gives the narratives a complexity they might otherwise lack. I do think this book is probably best appreciated by a reader who already knows a little bit about Japanese ghosts and their lore, but it's so much fun and so gently thoughtful that I'd hate to limit its audience, so I'd recommend it to anyone who liked Convenience Store Woman, Kitchen, or similar books.
Marie-Therese wrote: "While not precisely "horrific", Aoko Matsuda's Where the Wild Ladies Are is based around Japanese tales of the supernatural and features a wide variety of yūrei and yōkai (ghosts and monsters). "Your description makes that sound like a delightful read. I’ll need to add that to my “to look into” list.
Not horror, but I started reading A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, which I’m really not enjoying. I figured I was almost guaranteed to like it as both a sci-fi and fantasy fan, but Carter’s personality really annoys me. Little, but constant things, like his continuous insults of the alien dog creature. Sure keep calling it an ugly evil brute, the alien puppy just saved your life. He’s a good boy. >:(
I just finished Haunted Castles: The Complete Gothic Stories. While some stories were definitely stronger than others, I really enjoyed the book.
Janie wrote: "I just finished Haunted Castles: The Complete Gothic Stories. While some stories were definitely stronger than others, I really enjoyed the book."I loved that collection.
Scott wrote: "Janie wrote: "I just finished Haunted Castles: The Complete Gothic Stories. While some stories were definitely stronger than others, I really enjoyed the book."I loved that collec..."
The ironic twists worked well.
Janie wrote: "I just finished Haunted Castles: The Complete Gothic Stories. While some stories were definitely stronger than others, I really enjoyed the book."I also enjoyed this collection a great deal, which surprised me as I found his more famous exorcism novel The Case Against Satan a real drag.
I liked The Case Against Satan, but I liked Haunted Castles much more.
Janie wrote: "I just finished Haunted Castles: The Complete Gothic Stories. While some stories were definitely stronger than others, I really enjoyed the book."So, fun note about that collection: when I was a kid I used to watch TCM (and during some of my earlier years AMC when they actually only played movies) during October because that was my only way to watch horror movies at the time. One of the films that scared the hell out of kid version of me was called Mr. Sardonicus. flash forward to 6(?) years ago when I picked up this collection based on Guillermo del Toro’s name alone... started reading that first story and realized what was and was absolutely delighted. Got a permanent spot in my collection just for that.
Also, I’ll join the voices that didn’t care for The Case Against Satan either. Found it... meh.
I am reading Dark Blood Comes from the Feet. This was the nomination that came in a close second for this month's group read. I just finished the first two stories. They're really good, reminiscent of Angela Carter's style. I think we're going to be hearing much more of Emma J. Gibbon in the future.
The Shirley Jackson award nominees for 2019 have been announced:https://www.shirleyjacksonawards.org
Of the novels, I've read the Etter (ok, couldn't get excited). Was considering the Kevin Wilson (I liked his earlier collection and novel), but I couldn't finish reading the blurb before nodding off.
I've read the novella nominee by Giesbrecht; fun but hardly essential.
I've read three of the single-author collection nominees, two with this group! (Literary awards don't mean anything, anyway.) I really enjoyed the Cipri collection, though I understand Marie-Therese was less enthusiastic. We've also read the Schweblin and the Evenson collections here.
Bill wrote: "The Shirley Jackson award nominees for 2019 have been announced:https://www.shirleyjacksonawards.org
Of the novels, I've read the Etter (ok, couldn't get excited). Was considering the Kevin Wilson (I liked his earlier collection and novel), but I couldn't finish reading the blurb before nodding off.
I've read the novella nominee by Giesbrecht; fun but hardly essential.
I've read three of the single-author collection nominees, two with this group! (Literary awards don't mean anything, anyway.) I really enjoyed the Cipri collection, though I understand Marie-Therese was less enthusiastic. We've also read the Schweblin and the Evenson collections here."
I just finished Curious Toys, a novel nominee. It was OK-started off much better than it developed. I found the premise (child murders at a 1920s Chicago amusement park with Henry Darger somehow along for the ride) better and more interesting than the execution. As with Hand's last novel, Wylding Hall, I just feel she has all these intriguing ideas but very little grasp of how to put them together in a really cohesive, compelling way. This book felt too diffuse, the historical bits (movie stars and studios) felt kitschy and tacked on, and the dialogue honestly sucked for the most part (bad enough to throw me out of the story sometimes). I just don't get it. Hand is a pro, she's been around a looong time but she seems to be almost devolving. Anyway, I wouldn't recommend this one to anyone here.
The Etter book was "interesting" *cough* It was clearly heartfelt and there was lots of genuine weirdness but it never really took off for me and it was a slog to finish it.
As Bill noted, I liked the Cipri but not quite as much as he did (partly I think because I read most of the best stories in it elsewhere first) and I liked the Schweblin and Evenson too. The Giesbrecht novella was fun and well done. I have Wounds: Six Stories from the Border of Hell and plan to read it soon-I've been really impressed by what I've read of Ballingrud's work previously. I also have Ormeshadow and should get to that before the awards are handed out.
Any of those books you would suggest for July's monthly read, Marie-Therese?
The Shirley Jackson award winners for 2019 have been announced:https://www.shirleyjacksonawards.org
There's a video of the awards "ceremony".
As usual I'm most interested in the single-author collections. I'm happy to see Brian Evenson win this year, though he's won plenty of awards already! Of the nominees, I was rooting for the Cipri. Schweblin has done better work, and Breukelaar's Collision is worth a look, but (in my opinion) flawed. I'll probably check out the Joanna Pearson collection soon.
Don wrote: "Night Film, brilliant readhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
I really enjoyed this book, too.
I'm currently working through The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2019 Edition. It's a rather pedestrian collection so far, relatively little that actually seems "dark" or horrific. I'm about 3/4 through and the highlights have been "Sick Cats in Small Spaces", a beautifully sustained story set deep in the Australian outback by Kaaron Warren, " Faint Voices, Increasingly Desperate" a very imaginative and timely take on Nordic mythology set in contemporary Vienna by Anya Johanna DeNiro, "Raining Street", a dark allegory of loss by J.S. Breukelaar, "Honey" by Valya Dudycz Lupescu, "The Governor" by Tim Powers and the almost novella-length "The Black God's Drums" by P. Djèlí Clark. DeNiro and Lupescu are both new to me authors and I plan to search out more by them.
I've also been moseying very slowly, one tiny tale at a time, through Maurice Level's Thirty Hours with a Corpse: and Other Tales of the Grand Guignol. This a collection of very brief stories somewhere between contes cruels and Grand Guignol shockers. Read in succession, they're a bit disappointing, but one at a time they're like little literary amuses bouches-tasty, easily digestible, piquing the appetite for something more substantial.
Literary Horror
Books mentioned in this topic
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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)
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Stephen King (other topics)
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Umm Randolph, you're reading "Cardinal Black", which appears to have been published in 2019. Should I avoid it?