I Just Bought.... (Horror)

**Rotting Zombie** · May 21st, 2012, 09:41 PM

Okay, I am going to cheat a bit because the last Horror book I bought was a couple of weeks ago, but what I did buy was Ghoul by Brian Keene.

**Bob Gray** · May 21st, 2012, 10:16 PM

I really enjoyed that one, in fact I believe they finally release the film version of Ghoul on the Chiller Network.

**Randy M.** · May 22nd, 2012, 01:37 PM

Haven't read Keene yet. Dark Hallow sounds interesting, but I just haven't dived in yet.

As noted in the "I Just Bought..." fantasy thread, I recently picked up

Deadfall Hotel by Steve Rasnic Tem
The Croning by Laird Barron
The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Tales of Terror by Robert Louis Stevenson (replacement copy; a Barnes & Noble book edited by Stefan Dziemianowicz which includes some of Stevenson's short stories like "The Body Snatcher" and "Olalla")
Anno Dracula by Kim Newman (replacement copy)

And recently received (over a month after the initially proposed shipping date), Walk on the Wild Side and Where the Summer Ends, collected horror stories of Karl Edward Wagner.

Randy M.

**Bob Gray** · May 22nd, 2012, 01:51 PM

Originally Posted by Randy M.

Haven't read Keene yet. Dark Hallow sounds interesting, but I just haven't dived in yet.

As noted in the "I Just Bought..." fantasy thread, I recently picked up

Deadfall Hotel by Steve Rasnic Tem
The Croning by Laird Barron
The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Tales of Terror by Robert Louis Stevenson (replacement copy; a Barnes & Noble book edited by Stefan Dziemianowicz which includes some of Stevenson's short stories like "The Body Snatcher" and "Olalla")
Anno Dracula by Kim Newman (replacement copy)

And recently received (over a month after the initially proposed shipping date), Walk on the Wild Side and Where the Summer Ends, collected horror stories of Karl Edward Wagner.

Randy M.

Tell me how Deadfall Hotel is, I've never read any of Tem's work but have always heard great things about it.

**Randy M.** · May 22nd, 2012, 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by Bob Gray

Tell me how Deadfall Hotel is, I've never read any of Tem's work but have always heard great things about it.

Hi, Bob.

Here's a link to what I said in the "Reading in May 2012" thread:

http://www.sffworld.com/forums/showt...ndy#post682974

Randy M.

**Bob Gray** · May 22nd, 2012, 04:07 PM

Originally Posted by Randy M.

Hi, Bob.

Here's a link to what I said in the "Reading in May 2012" thread:

http://www.sffworld.com/forums/showt...ndy#post682974

Randy M.

So not his best work but worth the time to read it.

**Randy M.** · May 23rd, 2012, 07:46 AM

Originally Posted by Bob Gray

So not his best work but worth the time to read it.

Deadfall Hotel is the first book I've read by Tem, so I don't know if it is or isn't his best, but I was pleased with it in spite of reservations. I probably find extra reason for pleasure because, for me, it pings off Bradbury's Something Wicked ... and so is something of a companion novel.

I have it in mind to read one of Tem's story collections before the summer ends but I'm not sure if I'll get to it or not. If I do, I'll post here about it.

Randy M.

**Barnes** · May 23rd, 2012, 07:56 AM

Keene is great for your quick & easy horror fix, I haven't read much of his new stuff in the last couple of years but I really enjoyed his Zombie books, Ghoul, Dark Hollow & Ghost Walk were all good, my fav would be The Conqueror Worms .

**Bob Gray** · May 23rd, 2012, 08:13 AM

Originally Posted by Barnes

Keene is great for your quick & easy horror fix, I haven't read much of his new stuff in the last couple of years but I really enjoyed his Zombie books, Ghoul, Dark Hollow & Ghost Walk were all good, my fav would be The Conqueror Worms .

For me, he ranks right up there with King and Simmons.

**Barnes** · May 23rd, 2012, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by Bob Gray

For me, he ranks right up there with King and Simmons.

I've not been impressed by 90% of Simmons books, The Terror being the exception, which was Excellent.

I'm not sure exactly what Horror mean these days.

I'd put Robert R McCammon up there with King.

**Bob Gray** · May 29th, 2012, 11:21 AM

Originally Posted by Barnes

I've not been impressed by 90% of Simmons books, The Terror being the exception, which was Excellent.

I'm not sure exactly what Horror mean these days.

I'd put Robert R McCammon up there with King.

Have you read Simmons' Song of Kali, Carrion Comfort, or Summer of Night?

McCammon is okay, didn't care for the fact that Swan Song was a direct rip-off of The Stand though.

**Snikt5** · May 29th, 2012, 04:17 PM

Originally Posted by Bob Gray

Have you read Simmons' Song of Kali, Carrion Comfort, or Summer of Night?

McCammon is okay, didn't care for the fact that Swan Song was a direct rip-off of The Stand though.

Maybe but Swan Song is also superior. I love King but McCammon just beats him for me. Besides isn't King's, "Under the Dome" a rip off of McCammon's, "Stinger?"

**Barnes** · May 29th, 2012, 05:38 PM

Originally Posted by Bob Gray

Have you read Simmons' Song of Kali, Carrion Comfort, or Summer of Night?

McCammon is okay, didn't care for the fact that Swan Song was a direct rip-off of The Stand though.

Haven't yet read Song of Kali or Carrion Comfort but they are both on my future to read pile.

I put down Summer of Night, I hoped it would be like McCammon's Boys Life but I just couldn't get through it. I also couldn't finish Drood & Flashback.

I have to say I enjoyed Swan Song more then The Stand, and I think you have to read each book on it's merit, someone else could probably argue The Stand was a rip-off of an earlier post-apocalyptic horror.

**Bob Gray** · May 29th, 2012, 06:55 PM

Originally Posted by Barnes

Haven't yet read Song of Kali or Carrion Comfort but they are both on my future to read pile.

I put down Summer of Night, I hoped it would be like McCammon's Boys Life but I just couldn't get through it. I also couldn't finish Drood & Flashback.

I have to say I enjoyed Swan Song more then The Stand, and I think you have to read each book on it's merit, someone else could probably argue The Stand was a rip-off of an earlier post-apocalyptic horror.

Look, don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Swan Song somewhat but just didn't think it was close to as good as The Stand and too much of a rip-off of it. All writers today rip-off old ideas but just not to the extent that McCammon did in Swan Song. Boy's Life was good too but not as good as Summer of Night, IMO. I hope me saying this won't keep you from reading those Simmons books, it's just my opinion and I can't expect anyone to agree with me.