|
Post by Jojo Lapin X on Apr 21, 2024 19:36:57 GMT
Not sure what to say about that AI effort You can say whatever you like! ChatGPT-4's feelings will not be hurt. It assures me it has none.
|
|
|
Post by Jojo Lapin X on Apr 21, 2024 17:05:38 GMT
so, who is going to write one to fill in that gap? ChatGPT-4, naturally! Here it is: In the quaint village of Eldridge Hollow, there stood an ancient manor, its walls steeped in history and mystery. The most peculiar feature was its eastern wall, which villagers whispered was haunted. They called it “The Haunted Wall.” The Haunted Wall Once, the manor was the heart of the village, its grand balls and lavish feasts the stuff of legend. But as time passed, the family dwindled, and the manor fell into disrepair. The eastern wall, facing the dark woods, became a canvas for the village’s fears. It began with the disappearance of Lord Eldridge, the last of the manor’s line. He vanished near the wall, leaving behind only a cryptic note that spoke of a secret within the stones. From that day, an unnatural chill emanated from the wall, and shadows danced along its surface at night, as if something—or someone—was trying to break free. The villagers avoided the manor, but curious outsiders would often venture near. Some claimed to hear whispers, others saw ghostly figures peering from the cracks. The bravest touched the wall, only to pull away in terror, speaking of visions of the past and a feeling of being pulled into the stone. One fateful night, a group of thrill-seekers camped by the wall, determined to uncover its secrets. As the fire’s glow waned, the wall seemed to come alive. It glowed with an eerie light, and the air filled with the sound of a heart beating, slow and deliberate. The bravest of the group, a young woman named Clara, stepped forward and placed her hand upon the wall. She closed her eyes and whispered, “Lord Eldridge, reveal your secret.” The wall trembled, and the stones shifted, opening a narrow passage. Clara, compelled by an unseen force, entered the passage. Inside, she found a chamber, and there, sitting at a desk, was the spectral figure of Lord Eldridge. He looked up, his eyes hollow yet piercing. “You have freed me,” he said, his voice a mere echo. “The secret of the wall is the secret of life and death, a portal between worlds. I was its keeper, and now, you shall take my place.” Clara, realizing the gravity of her fate, accepted the mantle. As dawn broke, the wall sealed shut, leaving no trace of the passage. Clara was never seen again, but sometimes, villagers report seeing a young woman’s silhouette on the wall, watching over Eldridge Hollow. And so, The Haunted Wall remains, a barrier between the living and the dead, its keeper ever vigilant, its secrets forever sealed within the stones.
|
|
|
Post by Jojo Lapin X on Apr 15, 2024 16:14:51 GMT
In the tradition of Robert Aickman:
|
|
|
Post by Jojo Lapin X on Apr 13, 2024 17:14:54 GMT
Why the surprise? It is, after all, an acknowledged classic. Other recommended Highsmith titles include THOSE WHO WALK AWAY and THE TREMOR OF FORGERY. In my younger days I have to confess I couldn't really appreciate this kind of crime fiction. Too highbrow literature. And a lot of acclaimed classics didn't age well. I was more into Ed McBain, Robert B. Parker, Mickey Spillane and other hard boiled and pulpish stuff. I prefered Ted Allbeury to John Le Carre (and mostly still do). Most of this has changed. "Highbrow" or not, Highsmith is very entertaining. Come to think of it, I suppose THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY does have a "highbrow" element to it, as it is clearly inspired by Henry James's THE AMBASSADORS.
|
|
|
Post by Jojo Lapin X on Apr 13, 2024 13:57:01 GMT
After watching the first episodes I bought the novel. I was quite surprised how much I liked it Why the surprise? It is, after all, an acknowledged classic. Other recommended Highsmith titles include THOSE WHO WALK AWAY and THE TREMOR OF FORGERY.
|
|
|
Post by Jojo Lapin X on Apr 9, 2024 19:52:14 GMT
I confess I am intrigued, especially once I got to the phrase "power bottom Frankenstein" whilst reading the blurb. Frankenstein is the doctor, you know, not the monster.
|
|
|
Post by Jojo Lapin X on Apr 9, 2024 9:25:15 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Jojo Lapin X on Apr 8, 2024 18:35:22 GMT
Thanks! Can't wait to read it! Smith seems to have nearly vanished from the market; some novels I haven't seen offered online for years. And they're annoyingly expensive, too. There are plenty of ebooks.
|
|
|
Post by Jojo Lapin X on Apr 2, 2024 18:33:13 GMT
Dear "cauldronbrewer": Some years ago, information you posted on this board allowed me to identify you. I found out we seemed to have some research interests in common. As I was organizing a series of small international conferences on a certain topic, I started toying with the idea of inviting you to one of them. You would think you were there because of your prominence in the field, but in reality it would be all about the Vault. I tried to imagine your reaction once I revealed the truth to you. Or perhaps it would be even better never to reveal it at all, and simply privately enjoy how my machinations caused the world to work quite differently from how everyone else imagined. But of course I never carried out this plan; it would, after all, have been insane. Or did I? Or will I? How can you know? Yours, Jojo Lapin X This now reads to me like something from Jerzy Kosinski's first "novel," STEPS, which I recently reread.
|
|
|
Post by Jojo Lapin X on Apr 1, 2024 20:12:10 GMT
Oh, and CRASH, the novel, inspired The Normal's "Warm Leatherette," later ingeniously covered by Grace Jones on an album that changed the world of music forever. CRASH, the novel, is just one of those one-of-a-kind phenomena. Like Brian D'Amato's BEAUTY, another novel I found totally absorbing back in the day and am now afraid of revisiting. As it happens, I recently reread BEAUTY, and it is still utterly brilliant. Recommended.
|
|
|
Post by Jojo Lapin X on Apr 1, 2024 18:47:29 GMT
It may have been. It was a plain black background and the arm was emerging from it. Sorry, no idea.
|
|
|
Post by Jojo Lapin X on Mar 29, 2024 13:47:29 GMT
The file where the title is in all lowercase appears to be correct, the one with every title word capitalized has the red font. Thanks!
|
|
|
Post by Jojo Lapin X on Mar 28, 2024 20:50:49 GMT
Or, there is already a version with the font color fixed out there if you want to check some of the usual places. I find three at Library Genesis. Which, if any, are corrected?
|
|
|
Post by Jojo Lapin X on Mar 27, 2024 20:09:32 GMT
How horrible. Maybe you can change that? No, the Kindle Android app does not allow you to do that. I also have one of those. On it, the red text shows up as an unreadable rasterized representation of pale gray.
|
|
|
Post by Jojo Lapin X on Mar 27, 2024 18:53:50 GMT
Phil Baker’s masterful biography The Devil is a Gentleman: The Life and Times of Dennis Wheatley I acquired the somewhat expensive Kindle edition of this, only to find the text is in red. I am not sure I can read that.
|
|