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Post by dem bones on Dec 19, 2009 11:15:47 GMT
You know the type of thing. The books, stories, magazines, comics, TV, films, sites, blogs, that gave you the most enjoyment, personal highs & lows, etc., etc. What floated your boat? what put a dirty great torpedo through it? Is horror fiction thriving, doing OK or totally washed up? As ever, best book(s) & Co., can be from any year, not just 2009 - as long as you read and loved them in the last twelve months, they qualify.
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Post by allthingshorror on Dec 19, 2009 19:43:31 GMT
2009 has been a very strange year - I've learned some harsh lessons, and I've had to hit the ground running - but the highs of the last couple of months have been stellar. Here are thoughts on the year old stuff and new stuff:
Best 'new' anthology: Hellbound Hearts edited by Paul Kane and Marie O'Regan
Best Small Press: Mortbury Press
Best Collection: The Windscreen Weepers - Joan Aiken
Best Magazine: The Paperback Fanatic
Best 'old anthology': The 14th Pan Book of Horror Stories ed. by Van Thal
Best Novel: Comedy of Terrors by Elsie Lee and Richard Matheson
Best Film: District 9 or The Orphanage, can't decide....
Worst 'new' anthology: Poe - edited by Ellen Datlow
Worst collection: Bull Running For Girls by Alyson Bird
Worst Novel: The Mark of Satan by Ann Loring
Worst Film: Transformers 2
Personal Highlights: Continued work with Justin and his cracking PF, Finding Conrad Hill, discovering the truth about 'Alex White', working for Pan Macmillan, getting the anthology put together (so much work!) and everything Pan related. Oh and getting I am Legend personally signed to me by Matheson.
Greatest meet: John Holmes and Basil Copper. Legends
Worst Highlight: Well, let's just say it was pretty grim, but in hindsight it's helped me get the head down and achieve what I have.
Saddest loss of 2009: Forry Ackerman and Rob Holdstock.
Award for most most interesting Vault member: Andy Decker. Is there no end to this man's wealth of knowledge?
Award for 'worse than a drug dealer' - goes to The Vault! This place sucks you in, and before yo know it, you're buying books about bikers, and skinheads and westerns and even the odd sci-fi book. Dem, hats off to you - let's hope that 2010 sees more gems being uncovered and fawned over!
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Post by andydecker on Dec 19, 2009 19:43:57 GMT
2009 was a blur. And not in a good sense. Ah well! Bought a few nice books, hurray for internet shopping, bought some nice dvds. Books: This is the year where horror kept disappearing in ever more niches and got buried by the Paranormal Romance. The only classic new horror I bought were new books by Edward Lee. Also bought the collected Stories of C.A.Smith, the Nightshade Edition. Wonderful books. Got a lot old stuff I mostly read on the Vault (or the PF) about. Too much to list ;D Highlights are some Brian Ball in the NEL edition, a couple of Guy N. Smith including Bamboo Guerillas  Can´t wait to read this. Comics: After collecting american comics since a teenager I mostly stopped. DC and Marvel lost me, also 4 USD for a comic is too much. .Still have the 2000AD subscription, which had some very good stuff. I admire a lot of writers, but John Wagner is in the top three. I don´t like Pat Mills, but his Defoe is fun. Even bought the trade. On the american front I just buy Dark Horse. the Howard stuff is still good, the Hellboy universe is a lot of fun, better than a lot of novels. Movies: There was nothing which compelled me to pay for a cinema tickett. So it was pay tv and dvds only. I must stop reading blogs. Blogs like Tomb it may concern or Arbogast on film compelled me to watch italian giallos, Paul Naschy and Hammer movies. On the modern front, I really liked REC, the original. Biggest disappointment was Mother of Tears (which I couldn´t see earlier), which was a mess and couldn´t even be saved by a naked Asia Agento. Worst new tv series I watched was the british Merlin, which the makers should be ashamed of. Really good is Supernatural, which is getting ever better (and suprisingly gory) and even if I hate Paranormal Romances, True Blood the tv series was a bit uneven, but fun. And of course Dexter. Concerning crime tv, shortlived american Life was a must see, and they finally started Burn Notice, which is also a lot of fun. Maybe because it is so unashamdly retro, or because of Bruce Campbell. Magazines: The only stuff I sometimes bought was the german edition of Warhammers White Dwarf. The best magazine I got was Justin´s Paperback Fanatic. A treasuretrove for everyone who is interested in british paperbacks. He sure send me ordering A pleasure was also reading the Vault. Many posts steered me on many books I didn´t knew anything about, and it also was a lot of fun to contribute. It sure made 2009 more interesting  |
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Post by Steve on Dec 20, 2009 18:24:46 GMT
'Blur' sounds about right. My grasp on the passage of time these days is shaky at best. I think this was the year in which I was finally reunited with most of my books and stuff (everything that hadn't either been sent to a car boot or unceremoniously - possibly ceremoniously, I don't know if she still has the coven - just binned). Anyway, I was happy about that. I even managed to get back on me financial feet sufficiently to be able to afford to fill a few gaps in the collection. Now if only I had time to read some of them. As far as new stuff goes I've got up to speed with the Black Books - keep 'em coming, Charles! - and was also happy to find a copy of Craig's book, School (review to follow next year sometime). Oh, and a few nice Wordsworths - don't ask me which ones but they were/are all worthwhile. Looking forward to what 2010 has in store Wordsworth-wise. Magazines: there is really only one, isn't there? Good to see it going from strength to strength this year. Best for the future to Justin and all concerned. Also very nice to see Rog managing to get a new FC out. I've spent much of my 2009 downtime watching horror films. Hammer and other old British stuff earlier on and then Universal, Val Lewton and the like more recently. Basically reliving the old 'late night horror double bill' days of my youth (probably a mid-life thing). Tried some newer stuff but found it very much of a mixed bag. What have I seen? Oh yeah, watched the latest 'Coffin Joe' film, Embodiment Of Evil, is it? Did nothing for me at all. Dead Snow was sort of semi-recommended to me but I found that largely disappointing as well sad to say. Watched a load of recentish zombie films the other week - Romero's Diary Of The Dead was well below par I thought (saved only by the deaf Amish farmer who should have got his own film); Flight Of The Living Dead shows an admirable disregard for logic but otherwise should really count itself lucky to have gone straight to DVD; Last Of The Living is a low-budget zombie slacker comedy from New Zealand which is pretty much what you'd expect. My conclusion then - they don't make horror films like they used to, do they? I've been meaning to watch REC because that's supposed to be good but haven't got round to it yet. Will make a concerted effort to watch it over Christmas and hopefully end the year on a positive note (nobody liked Mother of Tears, did they? Saw that last year I think and actually enjoyed it - worryingly though I don't even remember Asia Argento naked. I really must be getting old). All things considered I suppose it's not been such a bad year. 2009 and still discovering old books that I never knew existed thanks to the likes of Vault and Paperback Fanatic. Who'd have thought it? All the best for 2010 to the Ghosts of Vault Past, Present and Yet To Come. |
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Post by dem bones on Dec 21, 2009 9:15:10 GMT
ghosts of Vault past. we've certainly had a lot of them. some stuff i liked Peter Saxon's Satan's Seed and Brian Ball's Devil's Peak were as rewarding as i'd hoped they would be from reviews on here, likewise Mannix's non-fiction The Hell Fire Club. W. J. Lomax's A Football Mystery, included in Wordsworth's The Sexton Blake Casebook, is a treasure. Possibly the most pleasant surprise was Suckers, Anne Billson's dark tale of vampire yuppies on the Isle of Dogs. Ken Macaulay's The Nuclear Nazi's couldn't quite live up to its cover but it's a splendidly deranged pulp romp, great fun to write about. Also enjoyed Sam Holroyd's Tibbs' House and Richard Harrington's Hellfire Today (putting me in a minority of one). On the other hand, i don't know what i was expecting of Baldwin Hills' Simon, King Of The Witches, but it sure wasn't what i got. Bet the film's a trip, mind. Anthologies: The Fifth Black Book Of Horror was my favourite since the debut. Stephen Jones' Mammoth Book Of Wolf Men (a bit sneaky - it's Mammoth Book Of Werewolves with a new story). Mark Valentine's The Werewolf PackThe word on the block is that Lady Probert has had to splash out on an extension to the East Wing to accommodate his Lordship's head but, at risk of inflating it further, Catacombs Of Fear and The Faculty Of Terror (2007, but new to me) were the most enjoyable single author collections i read. Stories: if i had to pick one to sum up how i feel about the 'scene', then Mark Samuels' The Cannibal Kings Of Horror is the one. Thanks to Sev, i also got to experience Cornell Woolrich's masterpiece of paranoia Graves For The Living. As mentioned, 5th Black Book Of Horror was stuffed full of ghoulish goodies; John Llewellyn Probert's Two For Dinner seems to have gone down well with just about everyone, but i thought his De Vermis Infestis was as good if not better. Rosalie Parker's grim miniature In The Garden was another standout in a splendid collection, and great to see Richard Stains making it (back) into print. I'm currently reading Filthy Creations #5 and it's possibly a surprise for Noah Brown but i rate his deeply unpleasant A Surprise For Sara as among the best pure horror stories of 2009. Who else? Franklin Marsh's Amicus in miniature The Late Bus and the return of Gregory Pendennis livened up the undead Filthy Creations section of the board. i would love to see his work collected. Of the oldies, Startling Mystery Stories and Magazine Of Horror rekindled my love affair with pre-WWII pulp lunacy and i seem to have spent much of the year dipping in and out of Richard Dalby's Mammoth Ghost & Christmas books, only now appreciating just how great they are. Obsessions of 2009. The aforementioned Startling Mystery Stories and Magazine Of Horror. The curse of Beyond magazine: The extraordinary output of Everest paperbacks: Francis Dashwood and The Hellfire Club (this year's Body-Snatchers): 'sixties Aus paperbacks and the gorgeous cover artwork of Frank Bernier (thanks to James Diog). Dennis Wheatley of the year was Sapper! Didn't really have to think too hard about magazine of '09 or, indeed, the 00's. Justin Marriott's Paperback fanatic. Hadn't read a copy of Fortean Times in years, but the one dated December 2009 with Dennis Wheatley on the cover was triffic. And, yes, very pleased to see Filthy Creations is back. Publisher of the decade is another easy one - Wordsworth editions. A big kiss to Robinsons for their many mammoths (including the last great Peter Haining antho's ( True Hauntings and Haunted Houses) and continued support way beyond the line of duty. Respectful bows to Charles Black at Mortbury Press and Gary Fry at Grey Friars. TV. The Wire. Everything else just looks acted. Favourite sites, blogs etc. Aside from the usual suspects - Groovy Age, Trash Fiction (even if it's not been updated in years, i still find stuff i've not read before), Hal Astell (ditto), Bear Alley..... - this year, i've been turned on to Mystery File (thanks, Andy Decker), Spectre Library, Blakiana, Sexy Witch and Perpetua (a gorgeous Ronald Searle tribute). What i'm most looking forward to in 2010. Actually, i'm not looking forward to 2010, not at all, but the Wordsworth edition of Varney the Vampire is due January! |
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Post by The Lurker In The Shadows on Dec 21, 2009 16:23:36 GMT
I've had hardly any time for reading, this year, but of what I have managed to squeeze in, I thoroughly enjoyed "Shades of Darkness" (Ash Tree Press), in particular the late Michael Cox's MRJ tribute "In Vitro", and "The Five Quarters" (Ash Tree again) by Steve Duffy and Iain Rodwell, and of course "The Fourth Black Book of Horror" (Mortbury Press), and I'm sure the Fifth, when my copy arrives, will be equally brilliant in this consistent series. Magazine-wise, my lack of pennies has restricted my purchases, but another great "Filthy Creations" was welcome, and it was nice to see some fiction again in the pages of "The Ghosts and Scholars Newsletter", with the winners of the Complete-The-Unfinished-MRJ-Story, and a new tale from Chico Kidd. On telly, I know it was actually 2008, but it was very late on, so "Crooked House" was a winner - well, how can anything mixing Amicus anthology, a Ghost Story For Christmas, and a dash of R. Chetwynd Hayes go amiss? And "Psychoville" had some pleasingly dark moments. Worst telly - was "Demons" this year? Utter pish! As far as film goes, I enjoyed both "Drag Me To Hell" and "The Orphan" at the kinematograph, and the finally released "Trick r Treat" at home - another anthology, with intermingling tales taking place on Halloween. "Paranormal Activity" was also good in places, though the end didn't work for me. (I should also admit to enjoying "Lesbian Vampire Killers", which I expected to be garbage - I'd seen Horne and Corden's sketch show - but which was a fun romp. Might have been the visuals, though... ) |
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Post by killercrab on Dec 21, 2009 23:14:16 GMT
On of the vaults ghosts clocking in! Last book read ( and probably fave of the year) was Stephen King's CARRIE - it's funny but I never got around to it back '75. My bad - it's brilliant. Most probably know the story but this book really has ALOT of power - better than the film. Fave mags are a tie between PAPERBACK FANATIC and LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS. Sorry I'm a Hammer fan - what can you do? Justin - apologies for not getting any b/w art through yet for the horror fanzine. News - Terry Sharp is coming back as an online daily web comic . Those who bought THE FACELESS will know who Terry is - for those who don't , he's a Brit horror film director who fights satanists in 1960's London with the help of Elspeth Sasdy. The original graphic novel is available on Amazon. We decided to web it first because in these tough times books aren't always the best option. It's going to run as a daily 4 panel strip for as long as we can manage. Oh and for Dem - Elspeth is most definitely back! Have a great Christmas guys!! ade adriansalmonart.blogspot.com/ |
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Post by dem bones on Dec 21, 2009 23:42:12 GMT
you're not quite as ghostly as some, ade, but always good to hear from you. The blog is very striking. love the illustration of Ralph Bates! jeez, The Faceless seems like years ago (which, obviously it was but it seems much longer). It's still the only graphic novel i ever bought! Last i remember, lovely Elspeth was coming to fight Satanists in Whitechapel. Tell her i'm still up for a romantic pint in The Hungerford Arms if she's feeling dangerous. Happy Christmas and all good things to you and yours in 2010. |
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Post by Dr Terror on Dec 25, 2009 13:27:30 GMT
The books I enjoyed most this year were collections, all by Vault members:
Lurker's
They That Dwell in Dark Places
Lord P's
The Catacombs of Fear
Coffin Nails
Paul's
Ghost Realm
Stains
Groaning Shadows
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Post by pulphack on Dec 30, 2009 15:43:57 GMT
better think about restocking on Amazon, ade, as reading this just before xmas reminded me that i never did get round to buying it, and a quick hunt showed just one left... which arrived today and i'm looking forward to it!
2009 was an odd year. after 2008 being personally horrid and also seeing work collapse (partly because of, etc), 2009 was hard in a good way. got my first day job since 1985 and then got a new contract offer, so spent at least six months working all day then also all night to get both things sorted. financially back on the feet, but a bit knackered.
so not much time for anything much else, really. partly why i wasn't on here much, either.
best internet stuff is here (because we don't take it seriously even though we love it - btw, why is fanboy culture in all genres so bloody po-faced?) and the orient message board, which is ridiculous and remarkably sane at the same time.
best magazine is still PF, though When Saturday Comes runs it close on a good month.
best books this year were League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen Cenutury:1910, and The Black Dossier (the latter being a couple of years old but only just caught up on). also good to discover One Eye Grey (but still haven't got your stuff, ben!). also read The Unforgiven, about Don Revies Leeds that would go well alongside The Damned Utd for the David Peace fans on here. and finally got my hands on Alida Baxters 70's trilogy Flat On My Back/Up To My Neck/Out On My Ear, which were published by Star in the mid-seventies. i read them at about 12, drawn by the Bill Tidy covers and the illustrations within (i was and still am a big lover of The Fosdyke Saga). i remembered enjoying them, but not much else. they are pretty funny: she was a womens mag journo with a sense of humour who wrote about her early life growing up post-WWII in Soho (the first book), her marriage (the second) and her return to London and the seventies (the last), fascinating snapshots of the times and still funny.
best movie i saw this year was The Men Who Stare At Goats. also got my hands on the complete Edgar Wallace Mysteries series of 60's Brit B flicks. nice...
can't say anything about new writing as i don't like and don't read it. do i, caroline... no, only joking with you. would like to say that i'd like to see Des around here more often though. we may have disagreed about a lot of things, but i respect his work and insight and think he adds immensely to these pages. maybe not quite the place to mention it, but there isn't anywhere else appropriate.
the breadth of stuff talked about here makes it the best place to discuss 'popular' culture of a certain type. hopefully i'll be adding a bit more this coming year.
all good things for the coming year, people.
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Post by dem bones on Jan 18, 2010 10:04:11 GMT
would like to say that i'd like to see Des around here more often though. we may have disagreed about a lot of things, but i respect his work and insight and think he adds immensely to these pages. i'm not sure he'll log in today, so he wouldn't see it in the usual 'Happy Birthday' section, but it's more meaningful here, with that quote. Happy Birthday, Des ! |
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Can´t wait to read this.
