21st Century Ghosts - Joe Hill discussion

A little questionnaire fun... ;)

1) What was your first experience reading Joe Hill?
2) How many of his books have you read?
3) Read any of his Locke & Key series?
4) If you ran into him on the street, what would be the first thing out of your mouth?
5) If you had your way, what would you want Joe to write about next?
6) Do you have any special "Joe Hill" memorabilia or memories?
7) Who is your favorite Joe Hill character and why?
8) Which is your favorite Joe Hill story?
9) If you could be a character in any Joe Hill story, which story would you choose and who would your character be? (Doesn't need to be an existing character...)
10) Which Joe Hill book would you recommend for someone brand new to his writing?

So since I started this... I'll get the answer ball rolling too. ;)

1. Heart-Shaped Box
2. 4 - HSB, Horns, 20th Century Ghosts, and Gunpowder
3. Not yet!
4. "OMG I LOVE YOU."
5. I'd love to see his take on zombies. :D
6. I have an ARC of Horns that Kathy had signed for me... and memories of the time I almost got to go to his signing but was prevented by a stupid blizzard. :(
7. Ig Perrish. I love his conflicted nature... and the fact that he didn't even know he was.
8. So far, Horns is my favorite!
9. Hmm... I think I would probably be Arthur's protector in Pop Art.
10. I'd recommend Horns. It's just fantastic. I loved it. :D

1. Heart Shaped Box
2. 7 - HSB, Horns, 20th Century Ghosts, the first 4 Locke & Key books. Plus a couple of odd short stories.
3. Yes, see above.
4. "Dude, aren't you Owen King's brother?" (Bet he wouldn't expect that)
5. I'd love to see him write something Dark Tower related. Not with Roland and the ka-tet, but his own characters in that world.
6. Just his books. That set of graphic novel hardcovers looks pretty sweet lined up together though.
7. Kinsey Locke. Part punk girl, part girly-girl, she's got spark and smarts.
8. Horns, though lots of good choices.
9. Bode Locke. Might be scary, but I love the potential for exploring new wonders and magics.
10. I'll go with Horns too. HSB was a good start, but Horns is the more solid story.

#5 HELL YES. That would be soooooo cool. Oh man.

A little questionnaire fun... ;)

1) 20TH Century Ghosts
2)20TH Century Ghosts, HSB, Horns, most of Locke & Key (missing the newest one, Gunpowder, short stories in various collections.
3)Yes
4)Love your books? I think I said something equivalently geeky when I met him.
5) I would like to see a longer take on a zombie story. I've enjoyed his zombie short stories.
6) My copies of HSB, Horns, Gunpowder and 20th Century Ghosts are all signed. Got lucky when he came to a nearby library last year. I also have the "Head" Key.
7) Bobby Conroy in "Bobby Conroy Comes Back From The Dead". I related to this character.
8) See above :)
9) I don't know...probably the medical receptionist in Horns. She voiced what I often thought working in that environment.
10) I always pick 20th Century Ghosts. I think it provides many different flavors of Joe Hill.

Ooooo fun.

1. Heart Shaped Box
2. HSB, Horns, 20th G and the first 2 L&K's. Currently working on the third.
3. Yes...ummm see above.
4. Probably nothing u less I happened to have my books with me in which case I would ask him to sign them. Or I'd ask him to sign my Nook or Kindle.
5. Of course zombies.
6. I have a signed copy of Gunpowder which I haven't read yet.
7. I like the little brother in th L&K's. Can't remember his name.
8. HSB easy.
9. I have no idea.
10. Depends. If they like horror I always suggest HSB but if they're more main stream I'd probably suggest the L&K's.

This is cool!

1. Heart Shaped Box
2. HSB, Horns, 20th Century Ghosts & Gunpowder
3. Not yet, but I have them all.
4. Well, I did meet him at a booksigning and I just told him that I was a huge fan and even told him about this group! :)
5. I am really hoping he will continue the Gunpowder series. He said he was when I met him, but haven't seen anything yet.
6. I have a picture w/ him where I am wearing horns that light up. They were a promotional item from his Horns booksigning.
7. I like Ig Parrish (Horns) and Judas Coyne. (HSB)
8. Pop Art (20th Century Ghosts) and Twittering From The Circus of the Dead (The New Dead: A Zombie Anthology). I'm sorry, I can't decide between these 2.
9. I'm not sure. I was kind of crushing on Judas Coyne a bit. So maybe his girlfriend...though I can't remember her name.
10. As far as which book of his I would recommend to someone....if the person has read and is a definitely fan of horror it would be Heart Shaped Box. If they aren't a big horror fan it would be 20th Century Ghosts, which is just such a wonderful mixture of different genres.

I forgot about my pic with him, Kathy :)

You have one too, Rachel? Cool!!!!

Yep. It's in my profile.

I don't think I'd ever seen that picture, but it's great! What fun! Aren't the horns the best! :)

1) What was your first experience reading Joe Hill?
Heart Shaped Box
2) How many of his books have you read? 3
3) Read any of his Locke & Key series?
No but they are on my radar to buy.
4) If you ran into him on the street, what would be the first thing out of your mouth? I'd be speechless.
5) If you had your way, what would you want Joe to write about next? A post-apocalyptic novel.
6) Do you have any special "Joe Hill" memorabilia or memories? Reading my first book by him.
7) Who is your favorite Joe Hill character and why?
Jude from Heart Shaped Box. I like the way Joe Hill
brings him from point A to point B in terms of the
growth of the character.
8) Which is your favorite Joe Hill story?
Heart Shaped Box
9) If you could be a character in any Joe Hill story, which story would you choose and who would your character be? (Doesn't need to be an existing character...) Jude from Heart Shaped Box
10) Which Joe Hill book would you recommend for someone brand new to his writing? Heart Shaped Box

1) What was your first experience reading Joe Hill?
Heart-Shaped Box, didn't even know I owned it, it was in a box of selections-of-the-month I'd gotten from one of those mail clubs, and forgotten to send back, so 6 months later when I found 'em, I was like, ooh, cool I'll keep this one, and gave most of the others away. Didn't know at the time he was SK's son, but I could 'hear' the familiar type of voice in his writing, and when I looked it up, I wasn't surprised
2) How many of his books have you read?
3 - HSB, Horns, and 20th Century Ghosts. Plus Throttle and In the Tall Grass short stories w/ SK
3) Read any of his Locke & Key series?
No, but they've been on my wishlist for ages!
4) If you ran into him on the street, what would be the first thing out of your mouth?
I don't know if I'd be able to say anything. Guess if I literally ran into him, I'd probably say sorry, then be too nervous to say anything else :)
5) If you had your way, what would you want Joe to write about next?
I like what's been mentioned above, zombies, or a non-zombie post-apocalyptic, or especially Chris' answer to this one, the DT story with his own characters and take on the world... Mmmm yea!
6) Do you have any special "Joe Hill" memorabilia or memories?
No, just my books. Almost went to a signing he did up near Cleveland or somewhere up there last year, but couldn't get a sitter, and kid was way too young to stay quiet for that long so missed out.
7) Who is your favorite Joe Hill character and why?
Jude from HSB, I liked him a lot. I'm with Kathy that I was crushing on him too :)
8) Which is your favorite Joe Hill story?
I'm no good at picking favorites. I've liked them all a tremendous amount so far, each for their own reasons
9) If you could be a character in any Joe Hill story, which story would you choose and who would your character be? (Doesn't need to be an existing character...)
A character in his DT story that I wish for ;)
Barring that, I'd say Anna from HSB, or Marybeth, Anna because I related to her easily, minus the whole trauma and dying thing, and Marybeth because I could relate to her too, and I liked her attitude
10) Which Joe Hill book would you recommend for someone brand new to his writing?
Ha! Again with the favorites. I'd recommend any of 'em, they're all good

1) What was your first experience reading Joe Hill? Heart Shaped Box
2) How many of his books have you read? 3 books, Locke & Key comics and some short stories.
3) Read any of his Locke & Key series? Yes, just need the last installment.
4) If you ran into him on the street, what would be the first thing out of your mouth? "What did you study at Vassar?"
5) If you had your way, what would you want Joe to write about next? Good question. I like all the ideas mentioned above. I'd like to see something old and ancient with a very different twist to it.
6) Do you have any special "Joe Hill" memorabilia or memories? Just my collection of books by him.
7) Who is your favorite Joe Hill character and why? I don't have a favorite. I like them all.
8) Which is your favorite Joe Hill story? I loved Heart Shaped Box or Button Boy.
9) If you could be a character in any Joe Hill story, which story would you choose and who would your character be? (Doesn't need to be an existing character...)Too many that I love. Perhaps someone from Heart Shaped Box.
10) Which Joe Hill book would you recommend for someone brand new to his writing? Any of his short stories.

Nice lists....

Looking back at mine, I see that I can update my #6 (memorabilia) answer, to a signed edition of 20th Century Ghosts....

Chris wrote: "Nice lists....

Looking back at mine, I see that I can update my #6 (memorabilia) answer, to a signed edition of 20th Century Ghosts...."

Yeah, I think I have a fan girl crush on him.

1) What was your first experience reading Joe Hill?

I picked up Heart Shaped Box when it was released. It was the most thrilling book I had read in ages. I could only pick it up during the daytime, and even then I was looking over my shoulder the whole time.

2) How many of his books have you read?

All of his books, none of the graphic novels unfortunately.

3) Read any of his Locke & Key series?

:(

4) If you ran into him on the street, what would be the first thing out of your mouth?

Joe - your books are perfect!

5) If you had your way, what would you want Joe to write about next?

Judas Coyne - the early years!

6) Do you have any special "Joe Hill" memorabilia or memories?

A permanently increased pulse after Heart Shaped Box.

7) Who is your favorite Joe Hill character and why?

Adored Vic McQueen. She's perfect. I wonder who could play her in a film?

8) Which is your favorite Joe Hill story?

Heart Shaped Box and the inflatable boy from Pop Art.

9) If you could be a character in any Joe Hill story, which story would you choose and who would your character be? (Doesn't need to be an existing character...)

I would love to be more like Judas Coyne.

10) Which Joe Hill book would you recommend for someone brand new to his writing?

Heart Shaped Box.

I am glad I am not the only one who was a little paranoid with Heart Shaped Box!

Just don't read it around Valentine's Day... where every box is heart-shaped. ;)

1) 20th Century Ghosts.
2)) 3 books: Horns, 20th Century Ghosts, Locke and Key vol. 1
3) Welcome to Lovecraft but I already bought Head Games.
4) "All hail spawn of the King!"
5) Something ocean related. Horrors that lurk below. Perhaps something mid-world related :)
6) No, sorry.
7) Ig Perrish. I like how he handled the whole book. He took revenge when he needed to but showed mercy or even improved lives when it was deserved.
8) Horns!!! But NOS4A2 is great so far!
9) Maggie from NOS4A2. I don't want to be her but I'd like her life! Cool Powers, awesome job! Minus the side effects of course...
10) Horns! Locke and Key is a light commitment though so maybe that!

1) What was your first experience reading Joe Hill?

2) How many of his books have you read?
I have read 2 of his books if your not including the two volumes of Locke & Key I have read.
3) Read any of his Locke & Key series?
Yes I love it I think it's my second favorite comic of all time after .
4) If you ran into him on the street, what would be the first thing out of your mouth?
(spoiler alert here) "You killed Maggie " :(
5) If you had your way, what would you want Joe to write about next?
Oh probably zombies or maybe something with a more sci-fi element like a time travel book. Either way I would hope it has a female protagonist...and I would also hope for a lesbian romance but that may be too much awesome in one book :P
6) Do you have any special "Joe Hill" memorabilia or memories?
Not really though I did find it rather funny when just after watching some Firefly I got to the bit in NOS4A2 with Firefly references.
7) Who is your favorite Joe Hill character and why?
Oh probably Maggie or Bode. Maggie because I just want to hug her and make everything better and her scrabble tiles are awesome and Bode because I love his curiosity and his drawing for school in vol 1 was awesome.
8) Which is your favorite Joe Hill story?
That's hard by probably Horns or Locke & Key though it is very close between all his stuff.
9) If you could be a character in any Joe Hill story, which story would you choose and who would your character be? (Doesn't need to be an existing character...)
Well that's hard cause all his characters go though hell. Um I would be a member of the Locke family if possible I think.
10) Which Joe Hill book would you recommend for someone brand new to his writing?
Horns because you can get though it surprisingly quickly and hay the movie is coming out soon so that's motivation to read it.

This isn't the thread for a NOS4A2 discussion, and you should be marking for spoilers. I've removed the inappropriate posts from this thread. Feel free to repost in the correct thread with spoiler tags.

Oops! Sorry I wasn't thinking!

No problem - just don't want to spoil anyone who doesn't expect to see a reaction post for a specific book here. :)

I understand! No problem. I just didn't even think about it.

Just read Heart Shaped Box ( yay I have read all his novels now) and although I still loved it and gave it 5 stars he has definitely improved over the years. Heart Shaped Box took me allot longer to get into and I feel Craddock cloud have maybe been developed more.

I saw him at ComicCon over the weekend. Twice. Once for NOS4A2 and once for Locke & Key.

L&K is finally getting a show after so many false starts. If you search on Netflix, you can already add it to your queue. I'm not sure how it will translate to the screen, but I am super excited about the new comic additions. The first issue is called Nailed It! I have it, but haven't read it yet.

Joe and his wife Gillian adopted twin boys this week. From the photos they look very close to newborn. :-D

Happy 50th birthday, Joe!