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Post by Dr Terror on Nov 16, 2008 23:15:51 GMT
We used to have one of these threads on the old board; maybe it's time to reintroduce it. >> What used to happen and no not back when (the lords of trash ruled here ) - was that folks just started threads on books they were reading. You got to read their journey's through some well dodgy books.I loved that. Some were never finished - I was an insomniacs nightmare in my THE WOOD trilogy of posts times 10. Why dion't we do that anymore? why did we stop? That's the crux of the current dilemma I think and one I'm gonna write about some more. KC ( and only KC from now) I remember those days, KC, but as it doesn't happen very often I thought the return of this thread might be the next best thing.
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Post by Dr Terror on Nov 16, 2008 23:18:15 GMT
I doubt they'll be any worse than the pitiful attempts I used to write, HP.
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Post by killercrab on Nov 16, 2008 23:27:44 GMT
'the terror' - dan simmons >>
That's the new one set in the ice isn't it? Biggish book as usual from Dan. Used to read his work alot myself - we obviously have dovetailing taste. I saw you loved DEATH OF GRASS - brilliant! Lost where you posted your thoughts. I'd love to know about other similar vintage novels.
Reading BATS OUT OF HELL at the mo.
KC
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Post by benedictjjones on Nov 16, 2008 23:33:40 GMT
^don't think i've ever read any other dan simmons stuff, i saw a documentary about 'the terror' and 'the erasmus' and knew i had to read it!
i posted thoughts on 'the death of grass' in the sci-fi/fantasy scetion.
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Post by jkdunham on Nov 17, 2008 1:29:39 GMT
I'm in the process of trying to review a book - doing notes and such . Started to feel like work... Any tips out there for reviewing? Far be it from me to offer anyone tips on how to write a review, but for what it's worth; Don't try too hard and just be yourself. I know several times lately I've been reading something and thought; I should write something about this for Vault. Then life goes on and I never get around to it and, before you know it, you've finished the book, forgotten what it was you'd thought of to say, and it just seems too daunting to go back and start over. Other times I've started writing something, read it back, felt like a c*** and just scrapped it. I think the best approach is probably the one you mentioned earlier, KC - "folks just started threads on books they were reading. You got to read their journeys". Just a simple, honest blow by blow account a couple of chapters at a time, with your various thoughts and impressions as they occur to you. I'll be glad to exchange thoughts with you on Bats Out Of Hell if you're up for it.
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Post by killercrab on Nov 17, 2008 1:58:30 GMT
I know several times lately I've been reading something and thought; I should write something about this for Vault. Then life goes on and I never get around to it and, before you know it, you've finished the book, forgotten what it was you'd thought of to say, and it just seems too daunting to go back and start over. >>
Know what you mean. I never got around to my sixth Guy Smith review ( in a row) for SABAT : THE DRUID CONNECTION. I couldn't string anything approaching a take together on it now - worth a punt tho' as a read. There's always some point in a book where you think - damn that's a great bit of metaphor or something and promptly next morning it's gone. Typical. I should pick a new book and start a written journey. Sure to be summat on the disreputable bookshelf...
KC
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Post by Dr Terror on Nov 17, 2008 12:32:27 GMT
Bite! by Cliff Dyer It's 1973 and aging scientist Klaus Kreiger has developed a Super Serum and is on the run from both Eastern and Western powers who want to get their hands on it. The Prof has taken refuge in a seedy English hotel so unsurprisingly it's the commies who find him first. There's a struggle in his hotel room and Kreiger is taken prisoner. But in the struggle the batch of serum the prof has with him is spilled.
It's a growth serum; in Dyer's Xperiment X set at the end of WW2 Kreiger was a Nazi scientist who had part of his penis cut off. His serum is one that causes growth and he hopes to enlarge the remaining stump with it.
Anyway the serum soaks into the hotel bed and gets to work on the bed bugs that inhabit the mattress.
What follows is chapter after chapter of hotel guests being bitten to death by these ravenous biting bugs. There's a travelling salesman and his 'extra blanket', a honeymooning couple, a gay actor and rent boy, a rock star and groupies and also a couple of chambermaids get the bite. And not surprisingly amongst all the death there's loads of sex.
At first the hotel manager manages to cover up the deaths by hiding the bodies in the freezer and the chef serves them up as Sunday roast.
But before the cops figure out what's going on the last guest in the hotel room falls asleep whilst smoking and his cigarette starts a fire which burns down the hotel.
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Post by Johnlprobert on Nov 17, 2008 12:58:29 GMT
That synopsis is the single funniest thing I have read in ages. there's no hope for me - I MUST have that book!
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Post by bushwick on Nov 17, 2008 12:58:55 GMT
I know several times lately I've been reading something and thought; I should write something about this for Vault. Then life goes on and I never get around to it and, before you know it, you've finished the book, forgotten what it was you'd thought of to say, and it just seems too daunting to go back and start over. >> Know what you mean. I never got around to my sixth Guy Smith review ( in a row) for SABAT : THE DRUID CONNECTION. I couldn't string anything approaching a take together on it now - worth a punt tho' as a read. There's always some point in a book where you think - damn that's a great bit of metaphor or something and promptly next morning it's gone. Typical. I should pick a new book and start a written journey. Sure to be summat on the disreputable bookshelf... KC true facts! i've been very slack, not writing things up as soon as i've read them. going to revisit a few i've read and cobble some notes together. shit, if we just keep posting reviews of PULP FICTION the site will be full of NEW CONTENT and everything will be OK!
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Post by andydecker on Nov 17, 2008 19:23:15 GMT
Among other workrelated things I try to finish Shackleford´s Eve of Midsummer and Gurney´s Evil under the water.
Also found some cheap E.C.Tubb non Dumarest, but I fear they will go straight to the shelf. Too much to read, too little time.
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Post by H_P_Saucecraft on Nov 20, 2008 1:04:24 GMT
Just finished The Rage - Jack Ramsay. I think Dem got it right when he described it as a 'quiet nasty'. It's relatively bloodless, yet kept me reading without ever losing interest. Lambert Diggery has to rank as one of the most ludicrous names going. Meanwhile, journalist Andrew Stern shows himself as an irredeamable bastard, whom you can't help rooting for - his methods may be underhand, but he's actually after the truth (is he sure he's a journalist? ;D ), much to diggery's consternation. He also seems to be a bit of an alcoholic. When Stern wakes up in a police cell about to be done for driving under the influence, disorderly conduct & dognapping (he has a demented daschund in the boot), his response is " It's got rabies you know" "maybe I'll use that as my defence" A moment of unintentional humour in there as well, since i missed a full stop & read the line as "In the kitchen he bent to open the fridge and behind him the dog growled 'shuddup' " which had me laughing uncontrollably. I now can't the idea out of my head of a demented daschund telling it's owner to shut up. Add some sex, have the dog drink & swear & go on a killing spree & there may well be a pulp novel in it. As I'm crap at writing, does anyone want to run with that? Anyway back to the novel. Another highlight is a car & rabid labrador chase, which has to be read, I won't give any more highlights, as not to spoil it. Well I'm not sure I'd call it a review, but I've enjoyed it anyway. Next up: A Time Of Predators - Joe Gores Dave
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Post by dem on Nov 20, 2008 8:40:59 GMT
Well I'm not sure I'd call it a review, but I've enjoyed it anyway. Next up: A Time Of Predators - Joe Gores Dave It's a review as far as i can tell! I deliberately didn't post on your A Time Of Predators thread, Dave, as i'm still hoping one of the other guys has a copy, but from the cover and blurb it certainly has all the traits of a really horrible NEL exploitation job. His shorter piece, You're Putting Me On, Aren't You?, put me in mind of a dirtier, self-consciously hip Robert Bloch so my guess is you're in for a treat.
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Post by fullbreakfast on Nov 20, 2008 16:47:53 GMT
Anyway the serum soaks into the hotel bed and gets to work on the bed bugs that inhabit the mattress.. Genius. At first the hotel manager manages to cover up the deaths by hiding the bodies in the freezer and the chef serves them up as Sunday roast. As you would, really! Loved the synopsis but there's something I have to know...does the demented Dr Krieger manage to get his todger back??? I realise he was an evil Nazi and all that but somehow I can't help feeling sorry for his predicament.
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Post by H_P_Saucecraft on Dec 3, 2008 23:46:18 GMT
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Post by bushwick on Dec 4, 2008 10:34:35 GMT
I've only read "City Infernal", which I was disappointed with. Seemed to be aimed at teenage Marilyn Manson types, bit too 'modern' for me. Would definitely read more of Lee's books though as some of them are meant to be pretty near-the-knuckle, so to speak.
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