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Post by johnnymains on Dec 8, 2020 19:12:16 GMT
Didn't want to call it the Best or the Worst - coz 2020 has been on the whole, shite.
So without further ado
BOOKS:
BOY PARTS by Eliza Clarke - an absolute joy of a book. It's been called the 'female American Psycho' - but it's so much more
GO BACK AT ONCE by Robert Aickman - first half of this book was shite, beyond shite - the second half, the best writing Aickman has ever done and some of the finest literature ever written. A bizzare, puzzling book.
WOMAN'S WEIRD 2 - ed Mellissa Edmundson - a good follow up to the first book, loads of (to me) rare and obscure stories
MORDEW by Alex Pheby. One of those books that will become legendary, given time.
FILMS
PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE - film of the year for me. Doesn't put one foot wrong.
PALM SPRINGS - time loop film mixed with a rom com. It's the smooch version of EDGE OF TOMORROW - same ending as well. DA 5 BLOODS - Spike Lee back on form, a good salute to Chadwick Boseman
1917 - saw this on IMAX before lockdown. It was perfect.
THE LIGHTHOUSE - really enjoyed this one
TV
MYTHIC QUEST - from Rob McElhenney from IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA - this was a joy. Episode 5 could rank as one of the best stand alone tv episodes of all time.
THE GOOD LORD BIRD - Ethan Hawke in the best form of his life.
WORSE THAN LOCKDOWN:
TENET - my god, I'd have rather have rip my own eyes out than have to watch that again.
PERSONAL HIGHLIGHTS -
Working with Tartarus on UNHOLY TALES by Tod Robbins. Ray was amazing from the moment I approached him with the book till the day it came out.
Bringing Noose & Gibbet back from the dead, as it were.
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Post by Jojo Lapin X on Dec 8, 2020 19:57:12 GMT
GO BACK AT ONCE by Robert Aickman - first half of this book was shite, beyond shite - the second half, the best writing Aickman has ever done and some of the finest literature ever written. A bizzare, puzzling book. Your review intrigues me, and it is, after all, not every day a new Aickman novel turns up, so I gave in and ordered it. Remarkably, it appears there are still copies available. It seems the Aickman cult is not as big as I had assumed. |
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Post by johnnymains on Dec 8, 2020 20:04:57 GMT
JoJo - the first half is turgid. Didn't get on with it at all. Found myself hating every word I had to read. Then there is a massive sea change. I'm not remarkably well read or cultured - I just know what I like. And to me - the last half of the book soared. It didn't try to be clever, it was just a pleasure to read. Des Lewis had a different experience, he loved the first half as much as the second.
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Post by Jojo Lapin X on Dec 8, 2020 20:31:05 GMT
JoJo - the first half is turgid. Didn't get on with it at all. Found myself hating every word I had to read. Then there is a massive sea change. I'm not remarkably well read or cultured - I just know what I like. And to me - the last half of the book soared. It didn't try to be clever, it was just a pleasure to read. Des Lewis had a different experience, he loved the first half as much as the second. Most other people seem to think that it is "not Aickman at his best," which is what made me hesitate. (That and the fact that I vowed to stop buying physical books four years ago.) On the other hand, I imagine what people think is "Aickman at his best" varies considerably. I am very fond of "A Roman Question," a story that is hardly ever mentioned, let alone reprinted. |
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Post by johnnymains on Dec 8, 2020 21:18:47 GMT
Aickman not at his best is better than anyone will mostly write in their life - so, yeah...
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Post by weirdmonger on Dec 8, 2020 21:52:34 GMT
JoJo - the first half is turgid. Didn't get on with it at all. Found myself hating every word I had to read. Then there is a massive sea change. I'm not remarkably well read or cultured - I just know what I like. And to me - the last half of the book soared. It didn't try to be clever, it was just a pleasure to read. Des Lewis had a different experience, he loved the first half as much as the second. The first half of GO BACK AT ONCE contains a few chapters describing Perdita’s house party which is pure classic Aickman, to my mind. Des |
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Post by Dr Strange on Dec 9, 2020 0:46:47 GMT
BOOKS:
England's Screaming - Sean Hogan
In A Deep, Dark December - Paul Finch
The Christmas You Deserve - Paul Finch
FILM: Color Out Of Space
MUSIC: Lots of good stuff (Cmpny of Anmls - Iaras, Hibiscus Biscuit - Reflection of Mine, Kimono Drag Queens - Songs of Worship, The War on Drugs - Live Drugs, The Weeks - Twisted Rivers), but my absolute favourite release this year was Father John Misty's Anthem + 3 EP, which is all covers (two Leonard Cohen, a Link Wray, and a Cat Stevens). Exactly what I've needed to hear so often, listen to the title track here -
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Post by cauldronbrewer on Dec 9, 2020 2:47:05 GMT
COLLECTION: Masters of Horror, Vol. 1: Allison V. Harding, the Forgotten Queen of Horror
Weird tales by the hardworking author of “The Underbody.”
COLLECTION (CHILDREN’S): Gilray’s Ghost (John Gordon)
Thanks to Vault members for pointing me toward this book!
ANTHOLOGY (ORIGINAL): Terror Tales of the Home Counties (Paul Finch, editor)
My first foray into the Terror Tales series.
ANTHOLOGY (REPRINT): The Women of Weird Tales (Melanie Anderson, editor)
Highlights include first-ever reprints of stories by Everil Worrell and Greye La Spina.
Honorable mention: Fighters of Fear: Occult Detective Stories (Mike Ashley)
ANTHOLOGY (SERIES): The British Library—Tales of the Weird
So far, I’ve read Glimpses of the Unknown, Doorway to Dilemma, Queens of the Abyss, Evil Roots, From the Depths, and parts of The Platform Edge
NOVEL: A Head Full of Ghosts (Paul Tremblay)
Yet another book I found through the recommendations of Vault members.
Honorable mentions: My Best Friend’s Exorcism and We Sold Our Souls (both by Grady Hendrix)
NOVELLA: The Barrow Will Bring What It May (Margaret Killjoy)
The second in a series about a group of anarchists who fight demons.
SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL: Bone Silence (Alastair Reynolds)
The conclusion to the Revenger trilogy.
FANTASY NOVEL: The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerizing Girl (Theodora Goss)
Another conclusion to a trilogy; features characters from “The Great God Pan” and The Jewel of the Seven Stars.
GRAPHIC NOVEL: Gideon Falls, Volumes 1-4
A priest, a police officer, a mental patient, a psychiatrist, and cosmic horror.
NONFICTION: Monster She Wrote (Lisa Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson)
An outstanding look at women horror writers, from the Gothic era to the present
Honorable mention: Satanic Panic (Paul Corupe & Kier-la Janisse, editors)
FILM: Antrum: The Deadliest Film Ever Made
A “documentary” about a cursed 1970s horror film.
TELEVISION SERIES: The Mandalorian
An entertaining space western, and a huge step up from The Rise of Skywalker.
MUSIC ALBUM: Diamonds (The Birthday Massacre)
The latest from my favorite Canadian goth/darkwave band.
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Post by andydecker on Dec 9, 2020 22:29:02 GMT
Levity? Nice idea. Not a lot of that this year. A big thank you to the denizens of the Vault for their kindness, messages and gifts. It is more appreciated then you know. And qualifies for most of the levity I got. Due to a project I have to read a lot of old stuff, which sounds like more fun than it is. Michel Parry, Evangeline Walton, John Carnell. Christopher Evans. Evans rekindled my interest in New Worlds Magazine and Moorcock. So I finally got a few issues of New Worlds and some Science Fantasy. Also tried to complete my Brian Aldiss collection. Same goes for Ramsey Campbell. I bought exactly one new horror novel. Graham Masterson's House of a Hundred Whispers. Maybe the genre will rise again in a few years. COLLECTION: The E. F. Benson Megapack Frederick Cowles: The Horror of Abot's Grange Robert Aickman: Dark Entries
NOVEL: The first four books of Gaunt's Ghosts and Magos 1 by Dan Abnett as translated audiobooks. Maybe it is the narrator, which is very good, but Abnett does this so incredibly well. I can't get enough of his work at the moment. COMICS: Mostly bought digital reprints, when they were on bargain sales. I re-read the original Hellboy and some of the sequels. Koshei the Deathless is fun and a better fantasy than a lot 900 pages trilogies. Still have to read the end of BPRD. Also read some translated French books. Game of Masks and Miss October are recommended. A historical about the reign of Napoleon and a crime series of 1950s Hollywood. Still have a subscription of 2000AD in print. A weak year. Dread has lost most of his bite. A lot of the other series are derivative and uninspired. A few I absolutly loath. Again Dan Abnett saved the day. Brink, The Out and Lawless have become a must-read. TELEVISON SERIES: Netflix' Freud was okay, but nothing could really merit my attention. NONFICTION: Wedgwood: The King's War. A complicated topic, but still fascinating. |
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Post by helrunar on Dec 10, 2020 2:51:25 GMT
Memorable books I read in 2020:
At the start of the year I was reading Lady Cynthia's 3rd Ghost Book and I find this note in my journal, which I had also posted on a thread here:
Elizabeth Taylor's tale "Poor Girl" shows superior writing and psychological depth. It seems to be a rare case of a haunting from the future, rather than the past. At least, that was how I connected the dots left for the reader to ponder at the end of the story. A governess with a shabby-genteel background finds difficulty in handling her precocious young pupil Hilary... and then one day, the schoolroom is filled with that strange, heavy perfume which proves not to be the result of the house-maid dousing herself with cheap scent. Further difficulties ensue... poor girl.
In no particular order this past year I have read, amongst others--
Jim Holdaway & Peter O'Donnell, Modesty Blaise (in the Titan Books reprints which I am so fortunate as to own)
L. M. Boston, An Enemy at Green Knowe (1964), The Treasure of Green Knowe (1958), The Stones of Green Knowe (1976)
Simon Raven, First Born of Egypt (novel sequence)
Theodore Roszak, Flicker
Doreen Valiente, The Witch Ball
Marilyn Ross, The Foe of Barnabas Collins (not all that memorable but there were a few giggles)
Rosemary Sutcliff, The Flowers of Adonis
Sylvia Townsend Warner, Kingdoms of Elfin
Rosemary Edghill, Failure of Moonlight
Memorable films:
Carol (Todd Haynes, circa 2015)
Island of Lost Souls (1932)
Mad Love (1935)
H.
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Post by Swampirella on Dec 10, 2020 3:53:30 GMT
Nothing really stands out for me in 2020 as far as memorable new books. I think what I enjoyed the most was a few dozen London Mystery Magazines downloaded from the Archive and read in January and February.
John Tantalon's "North Edinburgh Nightmares" was fairly good, but spoiled by many typos and missing words (formatting issues ?).
Memorable cinema movie: Jojo Rabbit.
Memorable new & old tv series: Endeavour Season 7, Law & Order SVU Season 21.
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Post by Dr Strange on Dec 14, 2020 21:22:45 GMT
FILM: Antrum: The Deadliest Film Ever MadeA “documentary” about a cursed 1970s horror film. Thanks for pointing me towards this; I think I enjoyed the "documentary" intro a bit more than the film itself, but well worth a watch. |
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Post by humgoo on Dec 31, 2020 6:22:15 GMT
Anthologies - Vault Christmas Bedside Companion on Ice. Top-notch stories, illustrations, photos, intros and comments. Like the Calendar, it introduces you to wonderful writers and tales, some new, some undeservedly forgotten. A great variety of material. Will have a very hard time if one has to pick a fave from it. Novels - Cliff Twemlow, The Pike. People won't believe how good it is. You have to read it to believe it. - Theodore Roszac, Flicker. Almost 600 pages flew by, as if it were just 128 pages. - Michael Fessier, Fully Dressed and in His Right Mind. Ultimate oddballish novel (or longish story). Somehow listed as one of "The Thirteen Best Non-Supernatural Horror Novels" by KEW. Non-fiction - R.B. Russell, Past Lives of Old Books and Other Essays. New essays besides reprints of those published on Wormwoodiana, my fave being "N.F. Brookes: International Man of Mystery", about a bookshop in Brighton run by a (rumoured) ex-spy, who disappeared one day and left the shop deserted (bookshop memories galore, with delicious quotes from Drif's). - Simon Garfield, The Wrestling. Featuring News of the World (27 February 1972 edition), which felt morally obliged to tell people professional wrestling is "planned in advance" because, like, people really don't know.
Zines - Ghosts & Scholars #38 and #39. For a moment I was worried. "Will it be as good as before?" I shouldn't have. A poor man's heaven during the plague time?
Thanks to all Vault members for their reading tips, good wishes, gifts and kindness. Wish you all a most healthy and bookish new year.
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Post by pulphack on Dec 31, 2020 16:19:09 GMT
Afternoon all... no excuses, just haven't been on line much and nothing really to post of any relevance. What a very odd year it's been, good to see everyone about here still around, though many of those we love - personally and artistically - have moved on.
Just wanted to say that even having nowt to say have enjoyed much of what has been posted here - and I'm looking at you, Steve, in particular for your wit and interests in the 'old ways' (even of many of them have been reimagined from bits and pieces by the Victorians and later). 'True' ghost books are always interesting in a number of ways.
So a happy new year to all and hope it improves for us all... and for everyone, really...
We're entering the Aquarian Age, apparently (though I've been reading for years that we entered it several times in the last century and a bit, so make of it what you will), and that's supposed to herald seismic change.
Oh joy...
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Post by helrunar on Dec 31, 2020 17:20:10 GMT
Gosh, PulpHack. Thanks! Here's looking at you and yours and hoping for a Happy New Year against all odds!
cheers, Steve
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