Classic Horror Lovers discussion

Hi, Gary.

Thanks Lady Danielle & Recluse,

Gary

Hi all and welcome. I haven't stopped by in a while...not reading anything that could really be called horror. Mostly nonfiction and action books lately.

BUT, I'm sure I'll swing back around in time. LOL

Welcome, Gary!

Thanks, Jason.

Hello and welcome,Gary!

Hi Charlene,

Gary

Welcome, Mel.

Welcome, Mel!

Glad to hear it, Mel!

Welcome, Mel!

Hello and welcome, Mel!

Welcome.

Hi,

Doug Lamoreux. I write horror and read horror and mystery. Love Poe, Lovecraft, and of course the major classics Stoker, Stevenson, Shelley. And I love Richard Matheson and Ray Bradbury.

Welcome, Doug.

I like a lot of the same authors.

Welcome, Doug.

Welcome, Doug

Hello, Hugh, here.

When it comes ot favorite Classic Horror, I'd go with Poe and Shelley, maybe H.G.Wells, but The Invisible Man is really the only Horror Story he wrote, and most consider it Science Fiction (which is fine with me, but it reads like a horror story for me, reminiscent of a Lawrence Talbot Werewolf story).

I did have a question for people in this group. Is there any criteria to be met before something's a classic horror story. I'm reading Swan Song, and, surely this is not, generally in the same catagory as most of what is read here, more likely the same group as Stephen King, but it was written three decades ago.

I'm not suggeting Swan Song and Frankenstien should be in the same catagory, just curious about what qualifies to be considered a "Classic?"

1.Eric Orchard, I also go by Inkybat on Twitter.
2. M R James, Sheridan Le Fanu, Mary Shelley, E F Benson, Stoker.
3. I'm a huge fan of atmospheric horror, work that transports you to a creepy place rather than makes you feel disgust.
4. I'm a cartoonist! I'm working on a horror comic called Marrowbones which is influenced by Edward Gorey, Burton, Mignola and all things classic horror.

Welcome, Hugh.

Our main criteria for classic horror is that it was written and published prior to 1960. Anything after that is considered modern horror (even if it's early modern horror). If a book was published in the modern period but it has a classic horror style or sensibility, we consider it in the classic horror vein. So even though Stephen King is considered by some to be classic, he doesn't meet the criteria for this group. Does that make sense?

Welcome, Eric. Your comic sounds interesting. Let us know when it's available.

Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" wrote: "Welcome, Hugh.

Our main criteria for classic horror is that it was written and published prior to 1960. Anything after that is considered modern horror (even if it's early modern horror). If a ..."

Yes, it makes perfect sense. The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham published in 1959 is in, just under the wire, and, King and McGammon are out, early modern, but still modern. (Please guide me if I'm steering wrong?)

Thank you Lady D

That's correct!

Hello and welcome, Hugh and Eric.

Hugh, I recently read Day of the Triffids and loved it.
I also loved Swan Song. Have you read Boy's Life? If you like McCammon, you'll love it!

Charlene wrote: "Hello and welcome, Hugh and Eric.

Hugh, I recently read Day of the Triffids and loved it.
I also loved Swan Song. Have you read Boy's Life? If you like McCammon, you'll love it!"


I haven't read Boy's Life, but I'm really enjoying Swan Song. In the McGammon read line is Wolf's Hour, which is a re-read for me, but for the life of me I can only remember bits and pieces.

I'll fire up Boy's Life. It sounds good too.

I have all those McCammons on my to read list. I've heard good things about him.

I think Swan Song is one of the best books I've ever read. It is also rather brutal, and McGammon doesn't pull any punches, include gory and dark in there. Having said that, it's about the Apocalypse, not last years collegiat golf chapionships. Its not of bounds considering...but those bounds include a lot of very hard to read stuff. (hard in a good way...if you follow me.)

Curmudgeon wrote: "Charlene wrote: "Hello and welcome, Hugh and Eric.

Hugh, I recently read Day of the Triffids and loved it.
I also loved Swan Song. Have you read Boy's Life? If you like McCammon, y..."


Hugh, that's so funny. There is a new collection by McCammon available that features Michael Gallatin from Wolf's Hour. I am going to rereead it (Wolf's Hour) first and then venture into the new collection. I don't remember it much and I know I've read it before.

Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" wrote: "I have all those McCammons on my to read list. I've heard good things about him."

Lady, you are missing out. : )

Charlene wrote: "Curmudgeon wrote: "Charlene wrote: "Hello and welcome, Hugh and Eric.

Hugh, I recently read Day of the Triffids and loved it.
I also loved Swan Song. Have you read Boy's Life? If y..."


That is funny. I didn't know about the new series (well, I knew he had one, but I didn't know it was Gallatin). I'll probably be starting Wolf's Hour next week sometime. Swan Song is long and I may want to fit something lighter in between the two.

I found the collection of shorts featuring Gallatin.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Hunter-Wood...

McCammon will also be releasing the newest book in the Matthew Corbett series during late spring.
It's called Providence Rider.

Thanks for the link, Charlene.

Oh man!
One of my favorite things to do on GR is scroll down my list of friends to see what they are reading.
I just discovered Jeff Strand (a fabulous horror writer, btw-check out Dweller) is reading, RIGHT NOW, The Providence Rider!
The release date isn't until May.

Good to see you here, Hugh. I'm glad that you're enjoying Swan Song. It is a favorite of mine!

I didn't like "The Stand" but I like this. His description of (view spoiler)[ The Apocalypse hitting (hide spoiler)] is full of really frightening images, I was blown away (if you'll pardon the expression. It's really good.

I know how you're feeling. : )

Eric wrote: "1.Eric Orchard, I also go by Inkybat on Twitter.
2. M R James, Sheridan Le Fanu, Mary Shelley, E F Benson, Stoker.
3. I'm a huge fan of atmospheric horror, work that transports you to a creepy pl..."

Eric (and all James readers) -

We were very proud to present an M.R. James story this week on Pseudopod:

Episode #275 - and so we bring you a story by an undisputed master of the genre...

Some young scouts scoff at the stories about a desolate field with a well, and 3 strange figures...

It's "Wailing Well" by M.R. James, read for you by David Thomas Moore.

much love to algernon blackwood & m.r. james but has anyone ever read any hans heinz ewers, he has been kind of lost due to affiliation with the nazxi era, but this guy was a master. His story: "The Spider" can be found in a few anthology (one that was compiled as authors that influence Lovecraft. If you can find the hardto find : Strange Tales, you won't be disappointed.

Side Real Press are producing some beautiful new editions of Ewers work.

1. Hey, I'm Louise.

2. My favourite horror writer (so far) would have to be M.R. James (I read "Oh Whistle and I'll come to you, my lad" when I was staying on my own in a hostel room full of empty beds...did not sleep at all that night). Also Sheridan le Fanu, Bram Stoker, Robert Louis Stevenson, and all the other usual suspects that pop up in almost every 'gothic/ghost anthology' ever. One of the highlights of my most recently read collection though (Best Ghost Stories) would have to be 'The Screaming Skull' by Francis Marion Crawford.

3. I've think the main appeal of horror for me is the atmosphere, I just love it. The stories are generally quite predicatable and 'cheap thrill-y' but it takes some damn good writing to make an animate bedsheet so completely terrifying.

Welcome, Louise. Sounds like we have very similar reading tastes!

Thanks. Don't run into many people who have the same taste for gothic fiction so will definitely be haunting this place for reccomendations beyond the obvious 'Edgar Allan Poe' or 'Dracula'(though having said that I do need to read more Poe, his complete short stories have been sitting on my shelf far too long).

One of the things I love about this group are the members who are in the know about classic/gothic horror.

Louise wrote: "Thanks. Don't run into many people who have the same taste for gothic fiction so will definitely be haunting this place for reccomendations beyond the obvious 'Edgar Allan Poe' or 'Dracula'(though ..."


Read Clark Ashton Smith or the wonderful tale called the Beetle by Marsh

Thank you. Have added them both to my wishlist. Any particular Clark Aston Smith book I should go for or am I fine just picking up the first collection I find?

Louise wrote: "Thank you. Have added them both to my wishlist. Any particular Clark Aston Smith book I should go for or am I fine just picking up the first collection I find?"

Not a bad plan-If you read Kindle on PC or device, excellent collection here for $2 (Amazon)
The Ultimate Weird Tales Collection - 133 stories - Clark Ashton Smith (Trilogus Classics) by Clark Ashton Smith (Kindle Edition - Jan 17, 2011)

You could also try The Tsathoggua Cycle: Terror Tales of the Toad God (Call of Cthulhu Fiction) by Clark Ashton Smith and Robert M. Price (Jan 1, 2005)

Thanks. I'm a strictly ink and paper gal (even if I could afford an e-reader) but might check out a couple of stories online if they're out of copyright before searching for a cheapy paperback. Have more than enough on my shelf to get through first anyway but shall bear both those names in mind. Thank you :)

As for ereaders, you can use kindle PC app, Nook PC app or Calibre reader for free. I especially like Calibre because of multi-formats and search capabilites; Site here-calibre-ebook.com

I do have a Color Nook, but do most of my ereading on the PC.

1.Ben
2.From the real old school - Irving, Blackwood, Bierce, Chambers. Mid 20th century - Leiber, William Sloane, and the horror/mystery-subgenre novels of Joel Townsley Rogers and Fredric Brown.
3.Spooky, creepy and eerie is almost always preferable to gory, nasty, and in-your-face.
4.Bradbury was my gateway author to everything else in this genre.

Thanks for tip on J. T. Rogers-some of his work here:
http://www.ramblehouse.com/jtrogers.htm