Horror Aficionados discussion
If this is horror they should hang their head in shame!!
I am so done with Zombies and have been for quite awhile.
It seems more and more that people are just writing these books solely for money. And unfortunately people are still buying them up so it doesn't discourage putting out this type of drivel.
It seems more and more that people are just writing these books solely for money. And unfortunately people are still buying them up so it doesn't discourage putting out this type of drivel.
And yet Paul there are some real gems out there this month's January read High Moor is a great example...cracking dialogue, great characters, good story and a little dash of humour....
Hey, I think I saw that movie.I'm burned out on zombies, period. Also those "impulse rage" books where the seemingly quiet, sedate citizens of a town all of a sudden start beating/stabbing/stomping/shooting/eviscerating people for no discernible reason. *yawn*
I am reading a novel I'm enjoying, Dunston Falls, but the lack of proofreading is glaring. I believe it's a debut novel, and it shows-but still, proofreading is essential and continually having to pause and deal with the plethora of unnecessary commas and repetitious phrases interrupts the flow of the novel. I'll rate it, but not highly because of the lack of editing.
Zombies have become a fad just as vampires and werewolves had earlier...now you can't open a Kindle listing without finding 1000's of zombie books-I too became jaded. Still picking them up when free, sometimes when low-priced, but lately reading only what I find myself immediately drawn to.
What's so sad is that there are probably quite a few excellent zombie stories choking amid all the bad weeds of lame zombie books. Give them some sun so they can grow!
I don't see what the big deal is with proof reading..in Night of the Nazi Zombies (do I have to mention that book again!) there are some simple blatant spelling mistakes so if the author had the common sense to ask one of his mates to read and point out the mistakes...that would have been better than no proof reading at all....or am I being naive?
No, spelling mistakes are annoying and one should really proofread their work if they intend on publishing.I agree with Tressa that there are some really worthwhile zombie books out there being smothered by a lot of crap zombie books. It's hard to tell one from the other sometimes.
I'm too lazy to week such an overgrown zombie garden. Y'all weed and let me know what's ripe. A few mistakes are OK, but a book rife with errors and typos is not.
All the mis-spelling stuff, and grammatical stuff, isn't that what editors are for after an authro goes through their own work? The Editor goes over it again?
Any recommendations? I do try to source books for kindle and also the tree variety..either here in the UK or over the pond :) I recently bought
andafter 2 failed attempts ( I sourced from two suppliers in the UK but both emailed to say that the copy they had for sale had gone!!)...finally managed to obtain through abe books. I also like the look and feel of The Concrete Grove
and The Lamplighters
So in many ways I am wide in my scope from old established and recommended authors....up to the present new breed of online publishing sensations...
yes, a proofreader or an editor should have caught these-once or twice, maybe-I've seen published novels by established authors with an occasional mistake. But this is nearly every sentence, and it's really beginning to drag on me-even though I like the premise and am intrigued to see it play out. This one is not zombies, it's thriller/mystery/paranormal although so far we haven't seen the paranormal..
Unfortunately, it's not just zombie books you're seeing so many rushed-to-print books that someone has finished, typed END, and then uploaded it to Kindle without another person looking at it... I love zombie books (read and write them) but weeding throught them (like that analogy) has become a chore... never read the book you mention but won't add it to my TBR list...Armand Rosamilia
Undead Tales
Zombies definitely seem to be the new vampires these days. I didn't realize exactly how many zombie books were out there until I uploaded my debut horror short, Dead Man Walking, and started looking at other books for tag ideas. Wow! Totally saturated market.However, I told myself 2012 would be the year I'd bite the bullet and put my writing out in the sunlight and not allow myself any procrastinating excuses.
Hopefully, with my book being set in a prison, it will be different enough to stand out among the others.
Ohhh... and speaking of zombies being the new vampires, has anyone read Warm Bodies yet? It's a zombie book that has a zombie falling in love with a living girl. It's sitting on my bookshelf but I haven't read it yet. I think about it every now and then, but haven't been brave enough yet to actually try a zombie love story :P
Zombies are definitely hot hot hot, but they will cool way down sometime soon, is my guess. Then there will be the next fad... and then the next... and then, eventually, people will get sick of "all the fads", and paranormal romance and UF will start fading away. And maybe then real horror books will come back a little bit.Just my guess though.
I would love to see genuine horror resurface but I don't think paranormal romance or UF will ever go away. Once all the fads have been cycled through, the old ones will be new again, and it will just start all over.Personally, I like those two genres. I just hate that when one break-out novel appears, a billion clones pop up after it.
Marty wrote: "I would love to see genuine horror resurface but I don't think paranormal romance or UF will ever go away. Once all the fads have been cycled through, the old ones will be new again, and it will ju..."Re: the billion clones
Well, the publishers have to make money somehow, and in the new book economy, they're desperate.
The problem with writing about Zombies is it's hard to not write about the obvious and clique "Zombie" you gotta spice it up somehow if thats even possible.I myself am in the works of a Western/Horror booko that involves the undead with a take on Zombies but im not going to get into the whole Zombie ideal because i dont want it to be just another ole zombie tale so its more or less just thrown in.
Bottom line..Zombies arnt for everyone and if you cant right a good Zombie tale then u mine as well be one yourself!
I looked at the sample available on Amazon, and I looked at the "publisher's" website. The publisher has only books by this author. i.e., it ain't a real publisher, it's him.The story is written in the omniscient point of view and is almost solely in the passive voice. Both are no-nos. The knowledgeable reader would know that it was not submitted to an editor, and that this person was an indie author with little command of the craft. This "Look Inside" sample was available to you, too, so you knew what you were getting into.
I admit that the premise is interesting, but a good premise does not a novel make. You need a story. A story arc, a beginning, middle and end. A climax and resolution.
I would never read a book in this genre (Zombie) and even if I did, as soon as I read one paragraph I would know that it was gonna suck.
And by the way, a writer does not crank out some garbage, and then expect an editor to fix it. You must do the very best you can from the standpoint of grammar, punctuation, spelling and story line, and then show it to the editor.
Michael E. Henderson
Trev wrote: "Night of the Nazi ZombiesBelow is my review of the above...has anyone else read..am I alone in my despair certain elements of horror writing today???
Yet another book of pure horro..."
Getting Out of Jersey, did the same. The grammatical/spelling errors just ticked me off. I almost went through with a red pen to make corrections. I still don't know if they were zombies or vampires...really!!!? I gave it 2 stars i think, because of the entertainment value and "what could have been." It really should have 1.5 stars for entertainment value.. i think. Luckily, i did not buy this or i would be kicking myself. It was a win off the GR giveaways. Maybe i should send it back for proofreading.. :(
"Unfortunately with the advent of the ebook and print on demand any fool who fancies himself an author can get into the business without an editor, proofreader, or publisher."Yes, and that makes it even harder for newbies like me to be treated seriously. There are way too many people out there that don't realize indie publishing doesn't translate into sloppy publishing.
I'm hoping that self-publishing is just a fad for those not committed to making a serious effort and they hurry up and wander off to the next get-rich-quick scheme. It's sad that a few bad ones can spoil the indie adventure for those of us that are serious.
Michael wrote: "I looked at the sample available on Amazon, and I looked at the "publisher's" website. The publisher has only books by this author. i.e., it ain't a real publisher, it's him.The story is written ..."
I thought World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War was very good. I would never limit myself by ruling out entire genres like that.
Alondra wrote: "Trev wrote: "Night of the Nazi ZombiesBelow is my review of the above...has anyone else read..am I alone in my despair certain elements of horror writing today???
Yet another book ..."
No, send it back marked up with an invoice for your services.
I could be asking for it here, but give this zombie collection a try. Be warned, it's pretty graphic, but there are a trio of talented writers here - and me too. 
And to be up front, here's a link to an excerpt from my contribution, Night of The Jikininki, about the zompocalpyse as experienced by a samurai, a bandit, and a condemned child murderer in a feudal Japanese prison.
http://emerdelac.wordpress.com/2010/1...
Michael wrote: "Alondra wrote: "Trev wrote: "Night of the Nazi ZombiesBelow is my review of the above...has anyone else read..am I alone in my despair certain elements of horror writing today???
Y..."
I heard that!!
My back-from-the-dead novel Risen was published about ten years ago. No zombies, but people come back from the dead with murderous intent. A couple of years ago, I got the rights back and issued it as an ebook. I commissioned a cover showing a hand rising out of a body of water. Unfortunately, given the current Zombie Mania, that cover still screamed "Zombies!" to most people.
So now I've reworked the cover and dropped the whole "risen from the dead" aspect from it. I just couldn't crack the problem that anything that visually suggests "back from the dead" also--especially these days--implies "Zombies!"
But...I lose what I thought was the book's main selling point.
Oh, well.
Personally, I'm burnt out on zombies, too. Although I have to say, the movie Pina made me think that a zombie musical could work! Check out the dance routine during the closing credits!
Jan wrote: "My back-from-the-dead novel Risen was published about ten years ago. No zombies, but people come back from the dead with murderous intent. A couple of years ago, I got the rights back and issued ..."
I read your book before I read Brian Keene's The Rising. I loved both quite a bit and could never find a copy of your book after I'd read the copy my library had. It disappeared for the longest time! Glad to hear you brought it back. I'm to have to get a copy!
Maybe zombies are overused in horror stories. When quantity rises over quality, usually we will find this kind of book. I haven't read it yet, though.
Hey, just think. Soon zombies will sparkle...
I have that Nazi zombies movie on my "horror classics" boxed set lol a horror book that was rubbish to me? Haunting of hill house by Shirley Jackson
Jason wrote: "Hey, just think. Soon zombies will sparkle..."I shall never sparkle, what a disgrace lol
Jason wrote: "Hey, just think. Soon zombies will sparkle..."Bahaha indeed sparkly maggots :P
Mod
Maggots: Spring brings hope to the living as armies of flies wage war with the zombie menace!
The Liquification: As the zombies are reduced to puddles of rancid goo, a new horror rises as summer approaches!
The Stank: The ultimate horror reeks!
Jason wrote: "Hey, just think. Soon zombies will sparkle..."egads, not that! the horror... the shame!
Jason wrote: "Hey, just think. Soon zombies will sparkle..."I heard the CW was doing a teenaged type TV show surrounding zombies, so you may not be too far off.
I've never read many zombie books myself but my fiance eats them up. I loved Dead Sea but I think that's about the only one. Have myself doing several reading challenges this year for 2012, and one is a Zombie challenge. Going to read a self published book where we met the author at Texas Frightmare (fiance read it when I brought it home and said it's pretty good)
Also have some free ebooks and a few paperbacks laying around I havent read
Aw, that big cat looks like my childhood cat named Morris.
I am also quite sick and tired of zombies and vampires. The undead stories have all been told, I feel.
Tressa wrote: "What's so sad is that there are probably quite a few excellent zombie stories choking amid all the bad weeds of lame zombie books. Give them some sun so they can grow!"It may take a while but I think that, as with all things, the good stuff will be noticed and rise above while all the dreck will sink. This especially applies to books that are rushed out as ebooks by impatient, unprofessional authors.
The flowers may choke for a time but if they're good, they'll have their time in the sun.
Sorry if that sounds all pollyanish and poetic. Back the bitchfest.
Tim wrote: "Tressa wrote: "What's so sad is that there are probably quite a few excellent zombie stories choking amid all the bad weeds of lame zombie books. Give them some sun so they can grow!"It may take ..."
I completely agree, and live in hope.
I do get fustrated sometimes that I've found a few people who won't give new horror a chance because there are so many bad ones out there.
As for the proofreading, any author has to get the book as good as they possibly can, and then give it to a few different people to edit, proof read and generally pull apart.
Mark, absolutely! It's exactly those reasons that many readers will not touch a book written by an independent author. The authors that are doing that kind of thing are making things that much worse for the authors who are spending the proper time editing, proofing, etc..The forums in Amazon abound with these types of complaints.
I have a confession to make. Please don't throw me from the group. I love zombie stories. They have been my favorite since I was a small girl. The stumbling gate the cries of BRAINSsssssssssss just gets me going.
If I can't convince my current BF to take me to the newest zombie movie I find another. I just love them. Zombieland I have almost worn the disc down. I can't explain it I just really like zombie stories.
Renee wrote: "I have a confession to make. Please don't throw me from the group. I love zombie stories. They have been my favourite since I was a small girl. The stumbling gate the cries of BRAINSsssssssssss ju..."
Renee, you're in luck. I was recently a guest judge for the Aus Horror Writer's Assoc. Of the 50 or so books/Novellas I read, the majority were of the pretty vampire kind... and very forgettable. However a few of the stand-outs were.... Zombie tales! They were really good, and always with something in each to make them different and fun!
Renee, I'm with you, I love zombies too. I have found a few zombie gems out there.
Horror Aficionados
Books mentioned in this topic
Darkness Calls: A Collection of Short Stories - Volume One (other topics)Risen (other topics)
Night of the Nazi Zombies (other topics)
Deadcore (other topics)
Night of the Nazi Zombies (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Colson Whitehead (other topics)Michael E. Henderson (other topics)
Below is my review of the above...has anyone else read..am I alone in my despair certain elements of horror writing today???
Yet another book of pure horror rubbish! What is it about so many horror writers today that they just do not get it...they need to have as a fundamental a decent story and that is just not present here in Night of the Nazi Zombies. I actually enjoyed the start, boys own for sure but nothing wrong with that...D Day is imminent and our heroes have a very hard landing on French soil ahead of the main invasion fleet. The task of Lieutenant Harvey and Sgt Smith is to attack and preserve bridges so that our lads can make successful inroads into France part of the great push to Berlin....and then they run into some deranged Zombies...and that's the end of the story as the remainder of the book is devoted to descriptions of repelling the attacks of blood thirsty Zombies...woa what a story...how well thought out...you should hang your head in shame for writing such puerile rubbish (how did I ever finish) The grammar is atrocious...do these so called "books" (and I use the term loosely) never get proof read?? I love horror but writing of this nature does more to damage the reputation of this genre and in my opinion should never be published!!