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Post by slugbeast on May 5, 2010 9:03:00 GMT
Hello everybody, its a little weird going onto a forum for the first time. I used to write book reviews for the now defunct andcream.com magazine. I did that for two years before its heart stopped beating. Its bones are still there, but everyone involved has moved on. I'm busy helping to look after my three young sons (number 4 in 3 months time), and find gainful employment. My first exposure to horror was watching The Omen, at the age of 7, 31 traumatized years later, I am still running from the demons. As regards horror novels, I consider The Day Of The Triffids to be one of the most haunting stories ever written.
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Post by steppedonwolf on May 5, 2010 9:08:37 GMT
Welcome aboard, Slugbeast. Ah, The Omen. Great film. My ex-girlfriend's house featured in that (the scene where Damien goes to church for the first time and freaks out) - all set around Guildford cathedral. So whenever I see that I get freaked out for different reasons... Day of the Triffids - great work. And very influential. It's set the template for the modern post-apocalyptic tale, without a doubt - but has never been bettered. Enjoy your stay, sir!
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Post by ian on May 5, 2010 9:16:23 GMT
Welcome to BHN sir. Apart from Day of the Triffids, could you recommend and other novels?
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Post by slugbeast on May 7, 2010 22:44:59 GMT
Hello Ian, 'If you could see me now', by Peter straub was quite good. And most of what Lovecraft wrote made my skin crawl.
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Post by williemeikle on May 8, 2010 14:43:00 GMT
Hello Ian, 'If you could see me now', by Peter straub was quite good. And most of what Lovecraft wrote made my skin crawl. "If You Could See Me Now" is the great neglected Straub book. Everybody talks about Ghost Story or Koko, but I think IYCSMK is in many ways better for having been an earlier, tighter, work. Personally I've found many of Straub's later books to suffer a bit from the same kind of bloat that King suffers from... writing big books because that's what the publisher wanted, rather than how long the story could stand. Floating Dragon is a case in point... loved the concept and a lot of the execution, but there was just too much of the characters whining about their problems getting in the way of the plot IMHO. Anyway, in a round about way, welcome to the forum...
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Post by slugbeast on May 8, 2010 22:11:48 GMT
Its interesting what you say, as regards the tight text, and conversely; bloated text. You are right, 'Carrie' is short and brutal, and near enough everything king ever did afterwards, I find myself skim reading, in order to get to the good bits. I personally think that short stories are a more natural way of telling stories. Although not strictly a horror writer, Ray Bradbury's stories are short, but only because his use of language is so precise. I am from Ireland, and horror and ghost stories are woven tightly into that culture. My Grandfather could tell short stories that would prevent me from sleeping for weeks. I think short stories and oral story telling are at the root of all story telling. Which is why many writers feel they have to pad out their stories, they make a simple idea flabby and boring. Add to this the fact that I am only any good at writing short stories, and its easy to see why I extoll the virtues of short stories. And thanks for welcoming me to the forum.
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Post by ian on May 16, 2010 18:32:39 GMT
What do you think of Guy N Smith?
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Post by slugbeast on May 19, 2010 21:30:00 GMT
Hello Ian, G.N Smith is really prolific. I am afraid I have only read; The Graveyard Vultures, Thirst, Satan's Snowdrop, and Sexy Secrets of Swinging Wives Part 1. I enjoyed these books, and apart from 'Sexy Secrets', I still have them in my possession. Books find me, which is why I have only read a few by Guy Smith. What do you, or indeed anybody else reading this, think of Dennis Wheatley?
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Post by steppedonwolf on May 20, 2010 9:17:15 GMT
Hello Ian, G.N Smith is really prolific. I am afraid I have only read; The Graveyard Vultures, Thirst, Satan's Snowdrop, and Sexy Secrets of Swinging Wives Part 1. I enjoyed these books, and apart from 'Sexy Secrets', I still have them in my possession. Books find me, which is why I have only read a few by Guy Smith. What do you, or indeed anybody else reading this, think of Dennis Wheatley? I enjoyed DW when I was younger, and I can see that Guy was heavily inspired by him. The astral projection in the Sabat books come straight out of the Duke de Richlieu books - Strange Conflict is the best one, even better than Devil Rides Out. But Guy's Sabat puts a new spin on them, especially with the wasteland of Armageddon... Interestingly, giant crabs make an appearance in Unchartered Seas...
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