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Post by Craig Herbertson on Dec 31, 2010 12:07:29 GMT
And of course, Mr Royle's(for those who haven't read it - a character called John Mains gets horribly killed... ) There was a character named Johnny Mains in A Man of Ice and Sorrow by Simon Kurt Unsworth, but that may have been coincidental. des There's a Mains in a forthcoming story from Noose and Gibbet I hope. He doesn't get killed but he comes in for a bit of a hard time.
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Post by noose on Dec 31, 2010 14:01:21 GMT
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Post by weirdmonger on Dec 31, 2010 14:10:26 GMT
Des, my aim is to get a Guinness World record for a real person (me) to be killed and maimed the most in (published) horror fiction. SO if you can help out, much obliged!! Noose, "Reality is a running noose, one is brought up short with a jerk by death." from ‘The Avignon Quincunx’ by Lawrence Durrell (‘Constance’ 1982)
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Post by Steve on Dec 31, 2010 17:14:33 GMT
Never did get round to reading all those books that I meant to read in 2010. Managed to watch a few films but, things being what they are these days, they were mostly of the How To Train Your Dragon and Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs variety. All quite charming, you know, but not really anything we need concern ourselves with here. Somebody very kindly gave us their old telly because the kids were embarrassed to watch the miniscule, do I look f*ckin' HD ready?, steam-powered contrivance we used to have sitting in the corner. Hasn't made a great deal of difference to me though, I must say, as the only thing I ever watch is Come Dine With Me. I suppose what I'm really saying is I've got nothing for you. Lots cracking off on the personal front but this isn't the place for that. Anyway, here's a couple of pictures of us on holiday in Cromer this summer - it was one of those 'saw this and thought of you' moments as I'm sure you'll appreciate... Happy New Year to one and all. You're still beautiful and don't let any bastard try and tell you otherwise. P.S. Just thought of a pertinent highlight - daft bugger that I am - going into Waterstone's (always a slightly depressing experience these days) and coming face to face with old Spanky the cat leering at me from the cover of The Pan Book of Horror Stories. Never thought I'd see him on a British high street again in my lifetime. Sincere thanks to those who made it a reality. Time for a drink I reckon.
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Post by rolnikov on Dec 31, 2010 18:18:55 GMT
My favourite new(ish) novel this year was Viator by Lucius Shepard, about men sent to work on a ship that was deliberately run aground.
My favourite old novel was I think Isabelle by Andre Gide. A quite nasty take on writers and how they relate to people (or rather, subject matter).
My favourite collection would have been the Basil Copper one, but I'm not even halfway through it, so I'll save that for next time. Of the ones I did finish, Scott Edelman's zombie collection, What Will Come After was superb. Loved The Collected Connoisseur too.
For my favourite old collection I'll go for a little Penguin 60, Bartleby and Other Stories by Herman Melville. Made a big impression on me (and could easily have been drawn from the Copper book).
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Post by H_P_Saucecraft on Dec 31, 2010 20:08:39 GMT
Can't remember all the catagories, & I really should have read & watched more this year, but here goes:
Best Anthologies/Collections:
Joe Hill - 20th Century Ghosts
Pan Book Of Horror Stories - I haven't got the new edition yet, but will do soon, and Johnny certainly deserves a mention for all his hard work. Never thought I'd see it on the shelves in Waterstones & it's a great sight - well done Johnny. Can't comment on Back From The Dead yet, but I will get it.
Thomas Ligotti - My Work Is Not Yet Done/Teattro Grotesqueo/The Nightmare Factory vol.2 (Graphic Novel Version). Took a while to get into his work, but once I did, I was hooked - something definitely unnerving about it, though I can't put my finger on it, seems to have something in common with Lovecraft. The Clown Puppet (graphic novel version) is quite an unsettling tale.
Best Comics/Graphic Novels:
The Walking Dead War Of The Undead vol.1 Nemi vol.2
V For Vendetta Watchmen - Not sure why it took me so long to get to these - Brilliant!
Best Novels:
probably forget loads, but a mixture of old & new:
Brian Keene - Conqueror Worms, Urban Gothic, The Rising, City of The Dead, Dead sea. Fast proving to be another favourite author.
Graham Masterton - Ghost Music, Basilisk, Fire Spirit. Mr. M has still got it.
Tim Waggoner - Nekropolis & Dead Streets. I may even re-read these & do proper reviews at some point. a mix of various genres, with everything in there. Definitely Vault material. Looking forward to the third novel in the series.
Shaun Hutson - Epitaph - Varation on the buried alive theme, involving vengeful parents. Bloody good.
George G. Gilman - Edge No.4: Killer's Breed John Sayles - Pirahna Peter McCurtin - Operation Hong Kong Nick Sharman - Childmare Crow 1: The Red Hills
Best TV:
I don't watch much tv (not much worth seeing), but these stood out -
Ashes To Ashes series 3 - Great, but agree with pulphack here, it seems like it was originally meant to go in a different direction. A shame the Martin Summers thing was never tied up.
Psychoville Halloween Special - looking forwards to series 2
A History Of Horror with Mark Gatiss - Just a shame it stopped at the end of the 70s.
Best Films:
Mother - Korean effort from last year, concerning a retarded young man, framed or not for murder. well worth seeing (from director of Memories of Murder & The Host)
Rape Squad aka Act Of Vengeance - 70s exploitation, even though I have my misgivings about it, as it comes across a fairly anti-male in places, it's still good overall - a bit like a filmed NEL 70s novel.
A Serbian Film - I don't buy the Director's assertion that it's about the treatment of the Serbs by their government, but I don't think it's shock for shock's sake either. I believe there is a point to it, I just can't put my finger on it. It's certainly a grim & depressing experience & I'm not sure I'll watch it again, but it's one of those films that get under your skin & nagg at you for another viewing.
The Devil Made Me Do it - Great Vault friendly comedy from New Zealand, about a stuntman following in his Dad's footsteps & trying to break a jump record. foulmouthed & definitely un-pc .Recommended.
The Boxer's Omen - Mental Shaw Brothers film from 83, everything is in here, including the kitchen sink.
Vampire Girl Vs Frankenstein Girl - Japanese madness. Ever seen a pair of hands with eyes in the centre launched from a bra as weapons? you will have after this.
Triangle - What a headfuck! but brilliant with it. don't want to spoil it, so I just suggest you see it.
Dead Snow - Nazi Zombies make a comeback, Norwegian style.
Django - 60s spaghetti western classic, starring Franco Nero, with a novel hiding place for a machine gun. was there ever a novelisation of this one?
Happy New Year Everyone
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Post by killercrab on Dec 31, 2010 20:51:27 GMT
Django >>
Probably my favourite spag ( Steve will probably know if it was novelised).
I've read a shedload of books from horror to historical and frankly I can't remember them all from this year. Notable books ,
THE RESURRECTED - Guy N Smith CITIES OF THE DEAD - Michael Paine THE CASE OF CHARLES DEXTER WARD - H P Lovecraft THE HAND OF DRACULA - Robert Lory VIKING'S DAWN - Henry Treece THE HORNED HELMET - Henry Treece THE HUNGRY MOON - Ramsey Campbell THE SKULL - Shaun Hutson
'appy New Year Vaulters...
KC
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Post by robertmammone on Jan 1, 2011 3:41:36 GMT
bit blurry on timelines, but i think the best stuff i read this year was vols1-6 of Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol (discovered by chance when i came across some old issues in someone's comic cupboard) and the three volumes of Sandman Mystery Theatre i picked up. Morrison is very hit and miss for me, but I love his Doom Patrol to pieces. One of the rare examples where the surreal bent works and didn´t feel forced. So many great ideas on the page. Sandman Mystery Theatre is as different as imaginable, but also well done. Matt Wagner is good with those period pieces. Right - Worst Anthology: Lovecraft Unbound ed by Ellen Datlow. For the life of me I just couldn't get into this book - and maybe I'm missing something that all the other bloggers/reviewers seem to get - they gushed all over the shop for this anthology. I got Datlow´s Poe and had much of the same reaction. After a very clever tale by Newman I stopped reading fast. Maybe I am being unkind but if you desperatly need to read the author´s note to understand what the story has to do with Poe except a few catchrases sprinkled into the narrative something is off. It more often than not came away as literary fanwank. In the vein of: in Poe´s tale xxx there is a comb mentioned on page 4 which I could never forget and drove me to write this story. After this experience I skipped on the Lovecraft. Even if I like pastiches if they are good, I have no tolerance anymore for stories where young HPL discovers something frightening on a stroll through the city which sets him to writing or any such fare. Any writer who does this should get a visit form the cliche-police and a stern reprimand. I also bought Cthulhu´s Reign edited by Darrell Schweitzer which I also got stuck in. Guess this would qualify for the Worst Cover. This just spell´s "We don´t care any longer and why should you?" Cthulhu Reigns. Sigh. Can I have my money back? Awful, awful collection, with one or two shining moments. God, I need to speak to my therapist again about this one.
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Post by Steve on Jan 1, 2011 4:21:29 GMT
Django >> Probably my favourite spag ( Steve will probably know if it was novelised). Don't believe so, no. I don't know what sort of release Django got in the US but it was effectively banned over here for many years as you probably know. I don't suppose any publishers would have bothered commisioning a novelisation under the circumstances. That's only supposition on my part but I've certainly never heard of one. The only Sergio Corbucci film I can think of which got the tie-in treatment was The Mercenary/A Professional Gun.
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Post by Johnlprobert on Jan 1, 2011 8:36:39 GMT
I got Datlow´s Poe and had much of the same reaction. After a very clever tale by Newman I stopped reading fast. Maybe I am being unkind but if you desperatly need to read the author´s note to understand what the story has to do with Poe except a few catchrases sprinkled into the narrative something is off. It more often than not came away as literary fanwank. In the vein of: in Poe´s tale xxx there is a comb mentioned on page 4 which I could never forget and drove me to write this story. I gave that a miss after I heard less than good things about it. A very good Poe tribute antho is Evermore from Arkham House.
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Post by Johnlprobert on Jan 1, 2011 8:37:26 GMT
Cthulhu Reigns. Sigh. Can I have my money back? Awful, awful collection, with one or two shining moments. God, I need to speak to my therapist again about this one. Another one I can give a miss to, then!
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Post by andydecker on Jan 1, 2011 12:50:20 GMT
VIKING'S DAWN - Henry Treece THE HORNED HELMET - Henry Treece I never heard about him. Is this straight historical fiction or more youth orientated? As I looked him up he wrote celtic novels before the first fantasy writer ever heard the word celtic.
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Post by cw67q on Jan 1, 2011 13:14:22 GMT
Honourable mention to JAmes Doig's "Australian Ghost Stories" (Wordsworth) which I have just started in the last week. Really terrific start to the book, if you are redaing this JD is your earlier Australian Gothic collection still available? neither amazon nor the book depository had it when I looked today. But the first third of so of the wordsworth has left me looking for more. Thanks Chris! Both Australian Gothic and Australian Nightmares are available from Equilibrium Books, which is a pod publisher in Western Australia: www.equilibriumbooks.com/store.htm Postage is the usual pain, unfortunately - I'd send you a copy but I've none left. I'm just finishing off a 3rd collection to make a set. Thanks James, I'll look into these. It is a pity that more PoD publishers haven't got mutaul printing arrangements on different continents I'd have thought it was something that could be worked out. I think some of the companies seem to print in both europe and the US. Best wishes - Chris
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Post by jamesdoig on Jan 2, 2011 1:37:35 GMT
It is a pity that more PoD publishers haven't got mutaul printing arrangements on different continents I'd have thought it was something that could be worked out. I think some of the companies seem to print in both europe and the US. Yes, it is a pity, and a pain - distribution is almost non-existent. I went for Equilibrium because Neil Cladingboel, who owns it, is a good guy and a horror fan who writes and publishes quite a lot, but he strictly adheres to his business model. I know the US dealer, Mark Ziesing, wanted copies of Australian Gothic because there was some demand for it, but he couldn't negotiate the dealer rate he wanted. I ended up swapping a few copies for some small press books I was after. But Neil gets involved in formatting, proof-reading, cover design, marketing etc. In fact he managed to sell 30-odd copies of Australian Gothic to Monash University for a unit they have on gothic lit. I think POD suits the vintage anthology/collection where the idea is to give some deserved exposure to long-dead authors, certainly I've no problem with it - Ramble House does pretty well with that model. Of course, for original material it's very much a last resort.
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Post by killercrab on Jan 2, 2011 2:18:51 GMT
These two are young adult books - but that doesn't mean they are childish - far from it. Henry Treece has written full adult fiction covering celtic legend - The Green Man I really want for instance. He's a great storyteller and doesn't shirk from violence - just don't expect Hutson detail. He's my *literary *find* of last year!
KC
Yesterday at 3:51pm, killercrab wrote:
VIKING'S DAWN - Henry Treece THE HORNED HELMET - Henry Treece
I never heard about him. Is this straight historical fiction or more youth orientated? As I looked him up he wrote celtic novels before the first fantasy writer ever heard the word celtic.
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