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Post by lobolover on Feb 18, 2009 22:07:21 GMT
I never actualy heard of Rolt, but have heard of Burrage, so thats why I'd like to get me hands on him (his works, man, who dost thou take me for? )
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Post by unholyturnip on Feb 19, 2009 0:07:46 GMT
lol Rolt was one of the second wave of Jamesian writers. Good pals with Robert Aickman too apparently, although their styles are very different. As mentioned, Rolt's method is much closer to M.R. James', however Rolt isn't concerned with antiquarians and history as much as James. His horror was always in the industrial, in technology. Railways, canals, that sort of thing. His subject area makes him quite unique in that respect.
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Post by cw67q on Feb 25, 2009 15:56:56 GMT
Hello,
Rolt & Burrage got my vote.
Rolt's "Sleep no More" is easily one of the finest collections of ghost stories ever written. But (if you are listening Wordsworth) be sure and include the two extra stories included in the old Sutton Pocket Classics & Ash-Tree Press editions.
Burrage, is a great personal favourite. Sure at times he can be overly sentimental, but a selection of his best tales (which could easily stretch to around thirty contenders and include some of the sentimenties) would be a wonderful book.
I'm a bit disappointed to see Wakefield top the list. His work is good, if patchy, but IMHO not really in the same league as the other four authors. That said I'd happily snap up any pb I saw on the shelves.
I didn't vote for Walpole, but he surely deserves more than 1 vote, his best stories are very effective ("Mrs Lunt", "the Snow", "the Tarn", "the silver mask" etc).
That leaves Machen. I'd put Machen right at the top of the heap of authors in this genre, with only very few rivals. But unlike the other authors on this list his work is relatively easy to find in pb, though perhaps at a price band above the wordsworth range. Machen would grace any publishers catalogue. But at this point in time another Machen reprint is less pressingly needed than a readily available volume from any of the other authors.
Though lets face it, I'd be delighted to see any of these authors readily avialable in affordable editions.
BTW I haven't posted here before, so "hello" everyone.
Cheers - Chris
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Post by dem bones on Feb 25, 2009 19:18:35 GMT
Hi Chris
Very much agree with the reasoning behind your selections, and i must admit, i'm surprised at Hugh Walpole's poor showing in the poll to date (only a few days to go until it closes at the end of the month!). Had Machen not been so readily available, it's likely he'd have walked away with it, but you're perfectly right, most of us should be able to find a battered Machen paperback with a little effort, but you can't say the same for the others.
I'm a big fan of Wakefield, his early work in particular, but i gave him and Rolt my votes as i believe they've been arguably the worst served for affordable reprints in recent decades. As I type, Rolt has come from way behind to draw neck and neck with him. That certainly gives things some spice. We might need a photo-finish after all!
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Post by lobolover on Feb 25, 2009 22:27:50 GMT
Im yet to read Rolt, but having read "They return at evening" (and done a review for it no one seems to notice , like Ill be posting my rambles and selections thereabouts anytime soon, if you act like this ) and I must say I find it can stand on the same level as "Ghost stories of an atniquary" if not higher. He's nasty, he's evil, and that's why we lov him. And I realy dont know, but I think Machen didnt write that many realy good stories. Pan, of course, Tale of the Black Seal and White Powder AND Tale of the Dark Valley (which NO ONE ever mentions and always disregards, only praising the other two), Red Hand, Inmost Light, Shining Pyramid........and thats all I know. I heard about "Children of the Pool" and "N", but, are these any good?
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Post by Johnlprobert on Feb 26, 2009 0:13:37 GMT
My not voting for Walpole is purely selfish as I have the big blue Tartarus Press volume of his stuff
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Post by ishtarian on Feb 26, 2009 5:02:31 GMT
Difficult choice, this. But, as Walpole hasn't received a great deal of attention, I've gone with both W's, in this case... besides, Rolt's Sleep No More has seen fairly recent release in paperback (albeit lacking the two stories mentioned), while the others seem to crop up a fair amount in various anthologies....
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Post by cw67q on Feb 26, 2009 11:55:47 GMT
Hi Demonik,
I have come to appreciate Wakefield more than I did on first encounter. But I'm in a minority in thinking the later collections "the Clock Strikes 12" & "Strayers from Sheol" are better collections than the earlier books. Which isn't to say that "Return" & "Old Man's beard" aren't worthwhile books.
One thing I've never understood though is why "the Red Lodge" is held generally held in such high regard. It does have a great closing line, but other than that it falls very flat for me. I prefer a fair few of Wakefield's other tales.
Ishtarian, is it the Sutton pb of Rolt that you mean? Or has there been another since then? The two extra stories were included in the Sutton (unless there have been some extra-extar tales since then that i've missed :-))
Best - Chris
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Post by cw67q on Feb 26, 2009 11:57:06 GMT
Wow, judging from that smiley I'm much funnier than I thought I was - chris
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Post by lobolover on Feb 26, 2009 15:44:06 GMT
Eh? What exactely falls flat on you? The encroaching menace, the inhuman creatures form the lake, or the suicide inducing pond ?
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Post by cw67q on Feb 27, 2009 8:55:32 GMT
Hi lobolover, >Eh? What exactely falls flat on you? The encroaching menace, >the inhuman creatures form the lake, or the suicide inducing >pond ?
I'm not sure why it doesn't work for me. It has all the ingredients of a good tale, but [extended run away out of control cake metaphor deleted, trust me you'd be glad] just doesn't hold my interest. It reads to me as peculiarly lacking in atmosphere.
I like many of Wakefield's stories much more, including a few other "haunted house" tales which he was generally very good at writing.
As I said above though: great last line.
cheers - chris
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Post by unholyturnip on Feb 27, 2009 18:43:00 GMT
Wakefield isn't good enough at under-statement to pull a story like The Red Lodge off. His more overtly weird stuff is great, but he can't do the Jamesian thing (nor do I think that was his intent - Wakefield is more unashamedly trashy than James).
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Post by wordswortheditions on Mar 1, 2009 10:14:13 GMT
Right, the voting polls are now closed!
Thanks for the votes, we'll combine them with our email votes etc and let you know who the winners are in the week.
We'll also do the prize draw for the Amazon vouchers this week so will announce the winner shortly.
Thanks again!
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Post by dem bones on Mar 1, 2009 11:09:33 GMT
Hope you had plenty of response from elsewhere .... preferably with the same authors coming out on top of the pile! As far as the voting on here, Wakefield was always a good bet for first (or second, depending on how the Machen fans voted). Pleasantly surprised that Rolt saw off the challenge from Burrage, although i hope all five authors are in Wordsworths plans in the long term. Provide Derek and his friends have no objections, I can't see what harm it would do if we continue to make recommendations on a new thread once the results have been announced, and if wordsworth were to start one for us, so much the better! Wakefield is more unashamedly trashy than James. .... and the better for it, IMO. He brings something nastier - sadism and, at times, misogyny - to the party. He even gets some decent jokes in.
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Post by wordswortheditions on Mar 1, 2009 12:53:45 GMT
Provide Derek and his friends have no objections, I can't see what harm it would do if we continue to make recommendations on a new thread once the results have been announced, and if wordsworth were to start one for us, so much the better! That sounds great, if they're all in the same place then we're less likely to miss any!
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