Reading Fantasy / Horror in September 2026

[AtramentousFlux]

My suggestions instead were ...

Thoughts?

Not The Stand? That's my go to recommendation.

 

[Hobbit]

Thanks, Atramentous. This was for a person new to horror & SK. I thought The Stand would be a little like IT and put them off King's other books - not because of the story, but because of the length.

 

[Hobbit]

Have any of you ever read Ramsey Campbell ? He's a Uk writer quite prolific and quite good or so ive found him to be . I've read several of his books , he's what you might call an either or writer meaning either you like him or don't there's no middle ground with him.
The Hungry Moon
Midnight Sun
Ancient Images
Cold Print

My favire sing short story by him Down There .

Yes: and Ramsey knows me (which sounds weird) - I've been lucky enough to meet him a few times.

 

[Cicero]

Yes: and Ramsey knows me (which sounds weird) - I've been lucky enough to meet him a few times.

I envy you that.

Ive recommend him to alot of people over the years of the books i've list my favorite on on that is The Hungry Moon. . I love the slow build up the atmospheric and creeping dread and the ending , Epic horror. And very definitely Lovcratain .

The short story that listed Down There that one has change my outlook on elevators and not in good way. That story scarred crap out of me !

 

[Westy]

Side note: I was asked by an ex-colleague today who wanted to try IT whether it was a good one to start with. (He's a historian who doesn't really read horror.)

My suggestions instead were: 'Salem's Lot (for traditional King horror), Four Past Midnight/Stephen King Goes to the Movies (for Shawshank Redemption, etc), Hearts in Atlantis, 11 22 63 & the Mr Mercedes series. Would've added The Dead Zone or possibly Needful Things, or Later, but I didn't want to give him too many.

Thoughts?

Depends on what genre they prefer - for horror/SK traditional agree Salem's Lot, Dead Zone or maybe Pet Sematary, definitely Different Seasons (for Shawshank alone), for his crime thrillers Billy Summers was great.

 

[Westy]

Have any of you ever read Ramsey Campbell ? He's a Uk writer quite prolific and quite good or so ive found him to be . I've read several of his books , he's what you might call an either or writer meaning either you like him or don't there's no middle ground with him.
The Hungry Moon
Midnight Sun
Ancient Images
Cold Print

My favire sing short story by him Down There .

Read quite a few back in the day but remember The Count of Eleven being quite good;.

 

[Cicero]

Depends on what genre they prefer - for horror/SK traditional agree Salem's Lot, Dead Zone or maybe Pet Sematary, definitely Different Seasons (for Shawshank alone), for his crime thrillers Billy Summers was great.

All great books Also The Eyes of the Dragon he's pretty good at fantasy too.

Book I would suggest Darker that You Think By Jack Williamson

 

[Hobbit]

Depends on what genre they prefer - for horror/SK traditional agree Salem's Lot, Dead Zone or maybe Pet Sematary, definitely Different Seasons (for Shawshank alone), for his crime thrillers Billy Summers was great.

Pretty much where I went, Westy. Don't want to scare them off (yet!)

Also The Eyes of the Dragon he's pretty good at fantasy too

Oddly, I really didn't like Eyes of the Dragon. It was probably the first King I didn't like. And I've tried The Talisman at least three times now...

 

[Randy M.]

Yes: it was not long after the car accident that nearly killed him. (Can you imagine what a loss that could have been?) And I am also quite behind on my SK reading. Last one for me was Fairy Tale, which started really well then got bogged down in the middle a bit before picking up at the end. (Bit like a Netflix series, really.)

Side note: I was asked by an ex-colleague today who wanted to try IT whether it was a good one to start with. (He's a historian who doesn't really read horror.)

My suggestions instead were: 'Salem's Lot (for traditional King horror), Four Past Midnight/Stephen King Goes to the Movies (for Shawshank Redemption, etc), Hearts in Atlantis, 11 22 63 & the Mr Mercedes series. Would've added The Dead Zone or possibly Needful Things, or Later, but I didn't want to give him too many.

Thoughts?

Those seem like good suggestions. It has late scenes that can turn off a new reader, but if he insists, you could point him to Grady Hendrix's breakdown of the novel: IT. Hendrix explicates how intentional King's events are, and how he foreshadows those events.

 

[Randy M.]

Have any of you ever read Ramsey Campbell ? He's a Uk writer quite prolific and quite good or so ive found him to be . I've read several of his books , he's what you might call an either or writer meaning either you like him or don't there's no middle ground with him.
The Hungry Moon
Midnight Sun
Ancient Images
Cold Print

My favire sing short story by him Down There .

Dark Companions

I've also read Ancient Images, Cold Print, Midnight Sun and The Grin of the Dark. If you like Lovecraftian, you really should read Grin. I keep thinking I'll read more by him -- Nazareth Hill has been sitting on my shelf for about two decades and I keep picking up something else; The Kind Folk is short, so I don't know why I haven't gotten to that; and The Overnight just looks like fun.

"Down There" is a good. One that gave me the creeps was "The Interloper" and "Macintosh Willy" isn't far behind on that.

 

[Cicero]

Dark Companions

I've also read Ancient Images, Cold Print, Midnight Sun and The Grin of the Dark. If you like Lovecraftian, you really should read Grin. I keep thinking I'll read more by him -- Nazareth Hill has been sitting on my shelf for about two decades and I keep picking up something else; The Kind Folk is short, so I don't know why I haven't gotten to that; and The Overnight just looks like fun.

"Down There" is a good. One that gave me the creeps was "The Interloper" and "Macintosh Willy" isn't far behind on that.

Im surprised he's never been adapted for film or television. I'd love see Jordan Peel Guillermo Del Toro or maybe Alex Proyaa or Ridley Scott give it go.

 

[blailock]

Yes: it was not long after the car accident that nearly killed him. (Can you imagine what a loss that could have been?) And I am also quite behind on my SK reading. Last one for me was Fairy Tale, which started really well then got bogged down in the middle a bit before picking up at the end. (Bit like a Netflix series, really.)

Side note: I was asked by an ex-colleague today who wanted to try IT whether it was a good one to start with. (He's a historian who doesn't really read horror.)

My suggestions instead were: 'Salem's Lot (for traditional King horror), Four Past Midnight/Stephen King Goes to the Movies (for Shawshank Redemption, etc), Hearts in Atlantis, 11 22 63 & the Mr Mercedes series. Would've added The Dead Zone or possibly Needful Things, or Later, but I didn't want to give him too many.

Thoughts?

Four Past Midnight is probably the perfect place for him to start.

 

[Raf]

Finished the next 2 books of Steve McHugh's Hellequin Chronicles series. "Born of Hatred" & "With Silent Screams".

Still reading this series. It is complicated with the entire pantheon of Gods and Goddesses and every other mythical creature you ever heard of. Throw in some "Realm Gates" that give some people access to a zillion other worlds and you have a world with definite Zelazny Amber vibes. Actually the MC reminds me a bit of the Corwin character.

Good story overall. Though it can get a bit wordy from time to time . Still the author writes great action scenes and throws in some quirky humor with MC and his 500 yr old best friend who happens to be a Werewolf.

I do like the author's "Assembly series" better than this world though. Waiting on the next book in that series. Publishes in late October, supposedly.

On to # 4. 7 books in this series & (I think) a follow up trilogy published later.

 

[Cicero]

Han anyone here read The Great White Space by Basil Copper ? Mirror Lovecrafts At the Mountain of Madness.

His toes Camera Obscura was adapted for Rod Serling's Night Gallery