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Post by vaughan on Jul 8, 2009 16:41:33 GMT
I'm actually not sure if that's the same chap. This - according to the back cover - is his first novel, first published in 1965 (this edition, 1967).....
Still, looks interesting at least.
Publisher: Four Square (New English Library), Edition 1967, 251 pages.
You can't see it too well in the tiny scan - but the cover states: "The Daily Express Columnist's gripping novel of the future".
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Post by vaughan on Jul 8, 2009 11:38:58 GMT
Granada - 1979 - 251 Pages Hm - I seem to be the only one reading some of these novels.... I guess they're not really pulp (erm, no gore, no sex) - but they're good nonetheless. In searching for a cover scan for this title I came across two (for Amazon) lengthy reviews, one on amazon.com, the other on amazon.co.uk. Both were rather negative. So before getting to the details here, let me just make something clear..... When it comes to "entertainment", whether it be books, TV, or a movie, there is only one thing I demand - I want to be entertained. The word "entertained" would take a couple of pages to truly define - but for this post I'll simply say that "entertained" to me can mean many things, perhaps the entertainment made me think, perhaps it made me laugh, felt like crying, or got me excited. Or maybe it is just a fun way to pass the time. In short, I want to be entertained. Xeno entertained me. In fact I thought it was very good. The criticisms made of it are valid, and as I read the points made I found myself nodding my head. Where I differed from the reviews was in the conclusion. Did the problems detract from the big picture, or not? For me - not. Some of the criticisms made are basically people wanting the book to be something it's not - but is that the authors fault? Wild claims of being "the most stunning novel of global terror since Day of the Triffids" can easily be dismissed as the hyperbole of an over excited marketing fiend. It's all good. I will say, the story is bookended by two brief (less than a page each) pieces that seek to wrap things up. Perhaps it's a cheap trick - but for me the story had run its course. More would just be... more. Anyway - enough of all that. People are entitled to their opinion, and frankly there's no reason to defend this title at all. I only knew Jones from a film based on one of his books - Colossus(The Forbin Project). I've not read any of his other work, so I can't tell where this one fits in quality wise. Xeno tells the story of strange worldwide goings on. Planes are going missing mid flight, and then reappearing months later - the crew haven't aged, fuel is not depleted, and everyone is healthy. Then planes from the Second World War start to reappear..... Despite first signs, those returning aren't exactly "healthy". For instance, they have an insatiable hunger for raw liver... and soon, that little creature from the front of the book is breaking out from a cyst that grows on the body....... What are these little creatures? How can they be destroyed? What do they want? Who is snatching the planes? Now, it must be said, the novel doesn't set out to answer all these questions and tie up all the loose ends for you. This worked for me. As things start to break down, and realization hits that getting rid of these tiny creatures - in the wilds of the US - would be no easy task, the other reviewers claim that it would another "100-200 pages" to truly finish up is probably right - but would it have made a better story, or just a more complete one? This is a pseudo end-of-the-world story, and it's concerns are more personal. Most of the story is told from the perspective of the great people trying to understand and destroy the menace, not the world wide reaction and effect. The one flaw - but to be honest it just made me smile - is the handling of the Russians and their dogma. Okay - DF Jones goes a bit over-the-top, and given the current climate, it's all a bit laughable. But hey - this came out in the late 70's, so it can be forgiven. Colossus(The Forbin Project) has the same problem too. Okay - from a pulp perspective it comes up real short, but I'm hoping these is room on this site for a mention of books just slightly off the gruesome path we all love. I liked Xeno for what it is, and since it can be had cheaply, I'd say it's worth a punt.
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Post by vaughan on Jul 7, 2009 21:01:32 GMT
Okay - so it doesn't really fit here, but thought I'd mention I got this for 40p today: I don't read a lot of Sci-Fi, but I liked the story as it reminded me of much more recent Radio play I'd recorded (62Y5). A drug to prolong life and restore youth. Suddenly - and dramatically - the scientists' dream comes true. But from its discovery develops a world crisis. The population explosion causes widespread famine. Morals degenerate increasing rates of suicide, divorce and crime. The only solution lies in brutal restiction of population growth. Euthanasia is practised on a large scale and abortion becomes legal for all. Then a new menace presents itself. The drug has been forbidden in the Communist countries. Will they now strike for global domination as the free world crumbles under the influence of the drug? Has the neurosis spread too far?
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Post by vaughan on Jul 7, 2009 15:13:44 GMT
I did find a thread on the old site about this one..... so nothing really to add: I just picked this up for 40p, so that wasn't too bad! Henry S. Whitehead – The Shadows Carl Jacobi – Carnaby’s Fish Donald Wandrei – The Painted Mirror Clark Ashton Smith – The Double Shadow Robert Bloch – One Way To Mars Arthur Machen – Out Of The Picture Everil Worrell – The Canal C. M. Eddy jnr. – Deaf, Dumb And Blind Robert S. Carr – Spider-Bite John Metcalfe – Brenner’s Boy Anthony Boucher – Mr. Lupescu Mary E. Counselman – Seventh Sister John Martin Leahy – In Amundsen’s Tent Alan Nelson – Man In A Hurry Howard Wandrei – The Last Pin Not read any of these, but with that cover it looked too interesting to pass up.
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Post by vaughan on Jul 3, 2009 14:09:21 GMT
Hm - I have Hands of the Ripper and the Second Hammer Film Omnibus.
However, they're in a box - in storage - in another country.
And shamefully, I've never read them....
They'd all be irresistible buys though.
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Post by vaughan on Jul 2, 2009 15:07:54 GMT
And I was just about to call the police and make a complaint.
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Post by vaughan on Jul 2, 2009 4:29:20 GMT
Futura: First Published 1975, reprint 1981. 320 Pages.
As you all know, I am just getting back into reading horror novels. Looking through a bookstore recently I came across a copy of Damon - talk about memories coming flooding back!
I had read this in the past. I'm not sure when, maybe on its original publishing date, maybe on the reissue date. The cover is different from my memory - I recall the same picture, but the color scheme was different, purple and yellow rather than red and yellow..... still, maybe I'm wrong.
Anyway, seeing it was a "heart skips a beat" moment, I'd entirely forgotten about the book until I saw it in the store. Now it was time to settle down and re-read it.
And so I did.
Damon tells the story of a young boy, aged four years of age, who is affected by strange episodes of catatonia and seizures. Initial medical examination reveals nothing wrong, at which time he is referred to experts. Their first discovering is that he's psychic, and can read minds.
The novel is written from the point of view of the adults involved, with Damon reacting to his situation. The points of view primarily include his mother, his nurse, and most importantly his psychiatrist. And it's no easy task when Damon can read minds and has an alter ego!
What's interesting about this book is two things. Firstly it's quite technical, meaning there is a lot of discussion about the medical terms and practices used. The author maintains realism, but clearly recognizes that most of us won't understand what he's talking about - so he takes the time to make sure we can keep up with discussion (and conversation with the parents, who fill in for us with all the stupid questions). Secondly the author gives us a bit of a course in psychiatry, again to make sure we understand what motivates the characters.
Possession? Schizophrenia? Physical problem? All are alternatives, and all are investigated throughout the novel - with a conclusion that will, perhaps, leave some people gagging for more information.
I thought this was a good read. There is a jarring change of tone toward the end of the book that successfully instills in the reader the emotions of the lead characters. Good writing.
Having said all of that, it's quite accessible, and shouldn't be too daunting. It's not a quick read - took me 12 hours or so and I really went at it. But it's a worthwhile journey.
As it happens I didn't remember much from it, though I'd read it those years before. I've been reading quite a bit lately, and I'd say this was one of the most literary novels I'd read. Cline clearly was aiming for something other than pure pulp. I've not read anything else by him though......
Damon was something of a treat I'd been keeping for a special moment. I recalled it being 'good', without being able - in any way - to quantify what 'good' was. I was right too, it IS good.
So - I recommend Damon. A decent read. The only down side, perhaps the climax. But I won't ruin that for those eager for the journey themselves.....
Nice.
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Post by vaughan on Jul 2, 2009 1:27:25 GMT
True.
I expect what you're saying is true. And if you look at the years after Monster Mag, they were probably wise. VCR's became prominent around that time, and the government panicked about the "Video Nasty" scare and hit us with the Video Recordings Act of 1984. Publics interest had fully formed against these "indecent" materials by 1984, but clearly it was happening years prior to that. Monster Mag got caught up in it, I guess the mindset, I mean).
Anyway, local newsagents where I was took that banner quite seriously, although I found one that didn't care (or couldn't read).
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Post by vaughan on Jul 1, 2009 22:59:49 GMT
Yeah - he's been selling those for ages, basically he's scanned his collection and stored them as PDF files, then sells the lot for around a tenner.
If I had a scanner that was large enough to do the job, I'd scan my own copies and put them up on the net for free - no need to charge people for such things. As it stands there is no substitute for the real thing for collectors anyway.
I don't know, I consider that guy a bit of a shyster, but I'm sure he has what he claims to have.... I just don't think he should be making money out of it. He has never offered any proof he has the legal right to do what he's doing (and yes, I've asked).
Shame, I've never seen a scanner large enough to do a Monster Mag - most of the issues are oversized....
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Post by vaughan on Jul 1, 2009 22:32:03 GMT
I did mention this elsewhere, but I didn't have a stampede of responses..... Okay I had none. However, I thought maybe - just maybe - my post had gotten lost. Anyway - I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of some members on the board, and find I can give a little back. So I offer up a copy of Guy N. Smiths Cannibals! Good condition if you're a collector, but it'd be nice for someone to have simply so they can read it rather than look at the wonderful cover. Anyway - a trade would be nice, but mostly I just want to send out some Pulp fun to someone, so if you don't have anything to trade don't worry - the book is yours. I have another copy of this, so am retaining that for my steadily growing collection (I have all of 20 books now - don't laugh!) Thanks all!
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Post by vaughan on Jul 1, 2009 22:26:29 GMT
There is no question which was best, I've already told you, it was Monster Mag. A member of the board is interviewing Dez soon, perhaps he can provide clarity on the banning of issue 2. My understanding was because of the cover - it's a scene from Frankenstein Meets the Monster from Hell, with a hand being sewn on the creature as Cushing grips a bloody thread in his mouth.... Curiously they used the same image as the poster for a later issue, and that went through okay. As stated elsewhere on the board, I am the proud owner of a copy of Issue 2 - mine is German. You can find French issues too if you look hard enough. I seem to recall Italian issues perhaps - but might be wrong on that point. Definitely French and German though (confirmed by my having the German one). Issue 2 is NOT cheap though, I recall paying something around 80 euros for it. Did HOH have a release in other European countries? I seem to think Monster Mag was printed abroad and shipped in - hence when issue 2 was shipped in it was snatched by our wonderful border control and destroyed in its entirety (in the English language). I don't know if HOH was printed abroad or not....
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Post by vaughan on Jul 1, 2009 17:08:20 GMT
Sadly I don't have a single copy here for me to reference - this is my recollection only. I guess I could maybe find a couple copies online somewhere......
My comment was mostly about distribution, and the ability to purchase them. Reading Monster Mag today is quite interesting, in that it was poorly edited, and it was largely full of press releases mascarading as reviews (or so it seems to me). Whether one considers that "adult" or not is mute really - it was certainly of its time.
However, it seems to me it was aimed at an adult audience. This is supported by the "adults only" banner, and the fact that several stores wouldn't sell a youthful me a copy. I never had that problem with HOH.
And well, Monster Mag even had its second issue banned from the UK..... I never took HOH very seriously to be honest - maybe that's why I've never felt compelled to collect them. Which is not to say it isn't good, I just felt Monster Mag was far superior, and I hold it in higher regard, personally.
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Post by vaughan on Jul 1, 2009 15:41:44 GMT
My memories of these days were thus:
Monster Mag was adults only, and you had to find a newsagent who didn't care - which was harder to do back then. From issue 3 onward it had an "ADULTS ONLY" stripe across the title on the front cover.
HOH you could get anywhere, and they sold to kids and adults alike. It was much more tongue-in-cheek in its outlook.
While I recall HOH from those days, I've never felt compelled to collect them again, while Monster Mag is still a huge favorite.
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Post by vaughan on Jul 1, 2009 15:25:38 GMT
Paperjacks: 1986, 166 Pages
After the disaster that was "The Confessional" I immediately (as in as soon as the Confessional book hit the carpet) grabbed another book to start.
Phew! And was it ever a relief!
The Happy Man tells the story of the Ripley family, happy in their San Diego suburban lifestyle. Living among like minded professionals, the border to Mexico just three miles off, fast cars and...... new neighbours.
The new neighbours are the Marsh's. Father, Mother, and son.
They're just a bit wealthier than everyone else, yet they're easy going, happy, and in complete control. Bit by bit they insinuate their values onto the community, perverting your bog standard suburban lifestyle into something far more.... personal. Their mentor? Marquees De Sade..... Juliet.
I really enjoyed this one. It was a bit unique from my experience, but I'd say it's a cross between American Psycho and a late Ballard novel. It had horror elements, but there are several themes underlying it: self-worth, the nature of suburban lives, and the needs of man are quite interesting - without interfering with the fictional plot that rolls out, it never gets heavy handed.
Indeed, this book is a breezy read, told entirely in the first person (Charles Ripley) and includes a couple of shocks along the way.
I'm still too lazy to hook up my scanner (is that really important to people here?) but the cover is nice too - a photograph of two hands - and a knife and fork cutting through an eyeball.....
Higgs apparently wrote one other book - Doppelganger. I'll keep my eyes out for that.
Excellent read this.
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Post by vaughan on Jul 1, 2009 15:14:32 GMT
Leisure Horror: March 1990, 361 Pages Firstly let me apologize for going missing from the site for a few days - especially after only having joined very recently. However I do have an excuse. You see, someone tried to kill me. It was a struggle over a few days, but finally I managed to win out. But it was a close run thing. My attacker was a guy by the name of Jack Olesker, and his choice of weapon was a book called "The Confessional". This promised sooooooo much. Look at that cover! It's clear from the blurb that it's about a possessed CONFESSIONAL - how can you go wrong with that?!?!? Well let me tell you - start by having NOTHING happen for 92 pages. Chat chat chat, introduce characters - a LOT of characters. Then, have the first "incident" introduced, and promptly forgotten for another 50 pages. Next you continually break up the text by switching between characters for no good reason. It never moves the plot along, and we don't learn anything new, but as long as the characters keep spewing out, it'll make the book longer. Then have some wildly over-the-top sequences that read as though they came from another book entirely. I can only surmise the action sequences were part of the original outline, and the author filled in the gaps once he found a publisher. Then ruin the end by having a character turn into a clairvoyant - and have someone die in such a ridiculous way, it makes you laugh. Okay, maybe there are too many spoilers there - but honestly this book stank (I'll probably get in trouble now and find it's someones favorite!) I can usually read a book in a day, but I found myself finding other things to do while going through this. I'm one of those that can't stop half way through a book, once started I have to finish. And finish I did - thank goodness. At times I felt as though I was fighting for my life though. This book was AWFUL. And I don't recommend it.
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