Two Envelopes And A Phone > Recent Status Updates

One story left - so far, ‘Pigeon Blood’ is my favourite. Last chance to top it.

Two stories in - the second one, ‘Red 71’ was, for me, better than the lead-off entry, Next is the one Pronzini said is his favourite, in the Introduction: ‘Parlor Trick’. I thought I might read another short story book right after this, or in tandem with this, but I’m reconsidering that idea…I may yet do that, perhaps with some Fredric Brown; if not, the Colin Wilson novel, I think. Late October decisions…

The big green truck made everything crazy, for a while there…

Awright, well, this was never lousy - but it has gotten so much better as it has progressed. The worry was that we were just doing a variant of The Exorcist - which I loved (the book), and I didn’t need The Exorcist done over again. It has evolved wonderfully; it’s like mash-up of The Exorcist, Incarnate by Ramsey Campbell, and even Seltzer’s The Omen, with this line-up of characters in jeopardy.

I didn't know the sub-genre of this one, going in, but it turns out it's demonology/possession stuff. A little slow, but I am invested - and when it gets weird and phantasmagoric, I do get unsettled. Good mid-October read.

So, after John Farris, it’s time for this - and I will be pairing it off with a Horror short story book. I’m leaning towards a book called Polar Horrors: Strange Tales from the World’s Ends as the companion for Seven Slayers…but I’ve got other options. Maybe Minor Hauntings, or In a Lonely Place, or Menace of the Machines…?

This has been sulking on my shelf, unread, for way too long a time. I’ve been tempted repeatedly by newer acquisitions - but no more! I did love Farris’s All Heads Turn When The Hunt Goes By, and Wildwood was pretty entertaining. The premise for this is (finally) intriguing (was always intriguing, I just ignored it).

'The Man Who Wanted To Be Invisible' was almost like a Wodehouse story - great to happen upon a bit of humour in this collection. I was also reminded of the 'invisible man' sketch in the movie Amazon Women on the Moon.

That takes care of the story that became the title of the whole book, 'The Doctored Man'. It was similar to a novel I read recently, The Man With Six Senses by Muriel Jaeger - and they are actually from around the same time. I guessed at the twist in Renard's tale, but I still had a good time with it. Everything left in the book seems to be a lot shorter: ten stories or essays from page 188 to 266 (plus Afterword).

Have unwittingly stumbled into an Aquatic Horror theme recently, with Clickers, Dead Calm, and now a story in this book, 'The Cantatrice'. Works for me. Only two stories in, but this seems to be a solid collection; Renard has become a favourite, now that I'm up to a fifth book by him.

Alright, so that's the first tale done, 'Monsieur D'Outremort, Gentleman Physicist' - rather creepy. I think this will be more great work from Renard, sort of a mix of Horror/SF, and a few essays. I'll be bouncing between this and Solar Pons until both books are done - just loving my short-story binge - but after that, I think it will be time for a Horror novel again.

Sailing right along. I have reached a section that is not in the movie at all - except as quick backstory - and it's funny, because just as was thinking about the film Open Water, and how it's just a bit similar to Dead Calm (particularly the novel), this novel became almost exactly like Open Water. And then, suddenly, that got turned upside-down, with a weird deception revealed! Interesting reading experience.

Unsurprisingly, some things got changed for the movie version. But it’s still somewhat similar. Enjoying it.

The next story is 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"! I don't know much about it, plot-wise, but of course I know there's a headless horseman. This should be a treat.

Short stories have really got a hold on me, but I shall use this novel to break their spell, at least temporarily. I tend to like the films of Philip Noyce, including the Dead Calm movie, and now I am curious to see how different the novel is.