noirist
Crab On The Rampage
Posts: 13 
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Post by noirist on Feb 22, 2014 19:28:10 GMT
Hello everyone, My name is Sarah, a.k.a noirist. I am 26 and live in Dorset with my boyfriend, and our scatty Pug. I greatly enjoy horror books and films of all kinds, so I decided to join here. I am looking forward to finding out about new authors to try out and chatting with you all. Here are some photos of my horror/weird fiction etc etc  There are two more cubby holes with horror (Stephen King, few Dean Koontz, Resident Evil game novelisation books) and murder mysteries (mainly Agatha Christies) on the upper right but my camera's battery died before I could take another photo of them.  I keep them 2 deep so there is another row of books behind the ones you see here. The black one with the hard to read title is called "Satan in the Suburbs" and apparently Boots (the chemist) was the publisher???! ("Boots Library")  My collection of the Wordsworth Editions "Tales of Mystery and the Supernatural." My favourite of all (so far!) being "The Casebook of Carnacki The Ghost Finder"by W. H. Hodgson.  My plushie Boo stands floats guard.  None of the shelves are in any order whatsoever. "Mouth Open, Story Jump Out" is an anthology of short horror stories from the Carribean (if I remember correctly) which I read as an 11 year old (it is for children) and haunted me for the longest time.  The yellow box in the back is the Constable anniversary edition of Dracula.  The few horror cinema (and a few others) books that I have.  The book that I am greatly enjoying reading right now. I hope you liked my photos of my humble collection. I bought and am waiting to recieve from ebay sellers "The Devil's Coach-horse" by Richard Lewis and "The Isle of Whisperers" by Hugh B. Cave If you have any recommendations for me, they are most welcome. Thanks, and hope to chat with you all soon.  -Sarah |
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Post by algernon on Feb 22, 2014 22:20:39 GMT
Hi Noirist (Sarah). Welcome :-)
I have some of the Wordsworth Editions "Tales of Mystery and the Supernatural" too. In my opinion they are a good way of collecting some good classic authors and their work, as well as finding new authors / stories.
My favourite supernatural fiction authors are Ramsey Campbell (his short stories are particularly outstanding and he has written some excellent novels too) and Algernon Blackwood. If you enjoy the older form of supernatural short stories (like many covered by the Wordsworth Editions) then I would definitely recommend that you try and read some Algernon Blackwood. There are numerous collections usually available on Ebay or Amazon.
Happy reading :-)
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Feb 23, 2014 14:27:14 GMT
That set of shelves is looking spot on Sarah. I'm a big fan of MR James among other things. Sure you'll get lots of suggestions from the folks here. The Wordsworth collection has been highly praised.
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Post by erebus on Feb 23, 2014 16:19:32 GMT
Welcome aboard. Hope you find much happiness here.
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Post by cauldronbrewer on Feb 23, 2014 17:03:26 GMT
I always enjoy looking at the photos people post here of their bookshelves, just like I always enjoy looking at people's books when I visit their homes. For example, I noticed that your edition of Robert Westall's Ghost Stories has an orange and black spine whereas mine has a blue spine. And, look, there's a copy of Spooky Tales (edited by an uncredited Mary Danby) peeking out from behind Dark Forces. The Carcosa edition of Murgunstrumm and Others is a beautiful book, and an entertaining one, too (I especially like the title novella). My copy is one of the most prized books in my collection. If you like that one as well as "supernatural sleuth" stories such as Hodgson's Carnicki tales, then I'd recommend another Carcosa author, Manly Wade Wellman. If you can't afford the Carcosa editions of his work (I managed to find a relatively cheap copy of Lonely Vigils but have never found an affordable copy of Worse Things Waiting), I'd recommend the Planet Stories edition of Who Fears the Devil? and Haffner Press's The Complete John Thunstone. Some other favorites, in case they haven't crossed your path: Fritz Leiber, Robert Bloch, Mary Danby, Basil Copper, Shirley Jackson, Alison Prince, Chris Priestley, Sarban, Thomas Tryon, T.E.D. Klein, Arthur Machen, Joseph Payne Brennan, R. Chetwynd-Hayes, and Dorothy Haynes. I think there are threads for all of them here--in some cases, multiple threads. I'd second the recommendation of Blackwood, but with a caution: when he's on, he's outstanding, but when he's off, he's almost unreadable. |
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Post by Jojo Lapin X on Feb 23, 2014 18:51:16 GMT
I always enjoy looking at people's books when I visit their homes. I shall use this as an excuse to share one of my great insights. I always felt there was something vaguely creepy about even the most luxurious hotel rooms. One day I realized that staying in a hotel room is like visiting the home of somebody who owns no books. Except for a copy of the Bible. |
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Post by jamesdoig on Feb 23, 2014 20:21:26 GMT
My name is Sarah, a.k.a noirist. I am 26 and live in Dorset with my boyfriend, and our scatty Pug. I greatly enjoy horror books and films of all kinds, so I decided to join here. I am looking forward to finding out about new authors to try out and chatting with you all. Here are some photos of my horror/weird fiction etc etc The prize for best title must go to Mouth Open, Story Jump Out. Nice to see Gifford's Horror Movies there - I've still got the copy I had as a kid, though it's much battered and torn these days. |
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noirist
Crab On The Rampage
Posts: 13
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Post by noirist on Feb 23, 2014 22:34:52 GMT
Thanks for the welcome, everyone. algernonHello! Thanks. Yes, the Wordsworth Editions really introduced me to Victorian/older horrors that I had never tried before, and I went on to buy some more books by some of the authors whose work I really enjoyed, such as Richard Marsh and A.C. and R.H. Benson. I have enjoyed quite a few short audiobook stories by Ramsey Campbell. I should try to find some more. I have "Tales of the Uncanny and the Supernatural" (Spring Books edition - unfortunately without the DJ) by Algernon Blackwood, but I haven't read that one just yet. >w< @craig Herbertson Thank you! Yes, I already have been adding some titles to my Wants/To Look Out For list already! erebusThank you. @cauldronbrewer I am impressed you knew it was Spooky Tales just by the font! Yes, I loved the title story Murgunstrumm. I love a bit of fast paced action, in horror! "Worse Things Waiting" Carcosa edition was actually on ebay about 2 maybe 3 weeks ago, but at the time I could not spare the money for it.  I'm not sure if it sold, but I haven't seen it relisted, anyway. Now, I kick myself for not just buying it! Thanks for the info on the other publishers. I have "Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror" by Chris Priestly, but have not heard of - or atleast don't have many stories by - the other authors you mentioned, so thanks! @jojo Lapin X I can't imagine not having my books. My worst fear, apart from my loved ones being harmed of course, is losing all my books in a fire. All the ghosts and monsters in horror don't equal that, to me! jamesdoig"Mouth Open, Story Jump Out" by Grace Hallworth is really good if you can find it, which I don't think would be too hard. This (not my own photo) is the copy that I have. |
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Post by Shrink Proof on Feb 25, 2014 21:29:37 GMT
I always enjoy looking at people's books when I visit their homes. I shall use this as an excuse to share one of my great insights. I always felt there was something vaguely creepy about even the most luxurious hotel rooms. One day I realized that staying in a hotel room is like visiting the home of somebody who owns no books. Except for a copy of the Bible. Actually I had a similar hotel room insight years back, but rather than books it was about albums (you know...records...those big round black things we used to have...). With the arrival of widespread hotel room wi-fi the lack of access to music has gone. So now I no longer have to resort to entertaining myself by taking the Gideons Bible down to Reception and telling them that I think the last guest left this behind.... |
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Feb 26, 2014 8:27:31 GMT
I shall use this as an excuse to share one of my great insights. I always felt there was something vaguely creepy about even the most luxurious hotel rooms. One day I realized that staying in a hotel room is like visiting the home of somebody who owns no books. Except for a copy of the Bible. Actually I had a similar hotel room insight years back, but rather than books it was about albums (you know...records...those big round black things we used to have...). With the arrival of widespread hotel room wi-fi the lack of access to music has gone. So now I no longer have to resort to entertaining myself by taking the Gideons Bible down to Reception and telling them that I think the last guest left this behind.... At the first polite opportunity, usually when the host has left to make a cup of tea, I race to the book shelves. I do this to the point of rudeness but book lovers understand. Once years ago I was at the offices of a very good friend of my ex. i was supposed to be there to get a job and she had one of those small bookshelves with interesting books on it - not for reading, only for show. It is one of the great regrets of my life that i didn't ask her for the first edition of a Burroughs books, worth a small fortune, that I saw sitting on the shelves. I went back a week later and it was gone. Still hurts... |
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Post by Dr Strange on Feb 26, 2014 15:07:27 GMT
I shall use this as an excuse to share one of my great insights. I always felt there was something vaguely creepy about even the most luxurious hotel rooms. One day I realized that staying in a hotel room is like visiting the home of somebody who owns no books. Except for a copy of the Bible. Actually I had a similar hotel room insight years back, but rather than books it was about albums (you know...records...those big round black things we used to have...). With the arrival of widespread hotel room wi-fi the lack of access to music has gone. So now I no longer have to resort to entertaining myself by taking the Gideons Bible down to Reception and telling them that I think the last guest left this behind.... Even better, tell them you think the owner will definitely want it back because it's been signed by the author... |
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Feb 26, 2014 16:51:14 GMT
Actually I had a similar hotel room insight years back, but rather than books it was about albums (you know...records...those big round black things we used to have...). With the arrival of widespread hotel room wi-fi the lack of access to music has gone. So now I no longer have to resort to entertaining myself by taking the Gideons Bible down to Reception and telling them that I think the last guest left this behind.... Even better, tell them you think the owner will definitely want it back because it's been signed by the author... |
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Post by dem on Feb 27, 2014 8:44:16 GMT
Hi noirist/ Sarah
Thank you for registering, and i hope you have a fun time with us. Perhaps the most dreadful things about Vault is that it is one cruelly long, ever-expanding recommendations list .....
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noirist
Crab On The Rampage
Posts: 13
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Post by noirist on Feb 28, 2014 21:45:24 GMT
Hi noirist/ Sarah Thank you for registering, and i hope you have a fun time with us. Perhaps the most dreadful things about Vault is that it is one cruelly long, ever-expanding recommendations list ..... Thank you. Having a list of books and new authors to look out for when I go "charity shop hopping" as I call it, is exciting for me. |
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My plushie Boo 
I'm not sure if it sold, but I haven't seen it relisted, anyway. Now, I kick myself for not just buying it! Thanks for the info on the other publishers.
