What are you currently reading?

[RonClinton]

Man that's unfortunate, he truly has a magnificent voice. I'll be looking for some of those collections, I appreciate the response Ron

You bet. Btw, if you're after more of his crime fiction than his horror stuff, his Cemetery Dance collection BAD DOG -- subtitled "Collected Crime Stories" -- is the way to go.

[Chuggers]

FLDA was collected in one of his collections, either BAD DOG or FUTILE EFFORTS, can't recall which, but unfortunately there isn't an omnibus that collects his noirellas, and I'm not even sure the others (four? five?) ever received a reprint. Unfortunately, and like too many authors, once they pass on and there's no one around to champion their work, new releases tend to grind to a halt, and that seems to have left his noirellas orphaned with just their original appearance. A shame, because they're great. What missed potential for Tom and his career and his readers...just when he had finally found his voice in crime fiction, with a number of really praise-worthy releases, he was stricken down...very sad on a number of levels. Plus, in my limited interactions with him, he was a helluva nice guy.

Man that's unfortunate, he truly has a magnificent voice. I'll be looking for some of those collections, I appreciate the response Ron

[RonClinton]

That's interesting Ron, I'm currently reading Fuckin' Lie Down Already by T. Piccirilli and it's brutal and grim and I'm loving every second. I've not read much else by him but that's changing immediately. Did they ever collect those "noirellas" in physical copies?

FLDA was collected in one of his collections, either BAD DOG or FUTILE EFFORTS, can't recall which, but unfortunately there isn't an omnibus that collects his noirellas, and I'm not even sure the others (four? five?) ever received a reprint. Unfortunately, and like too many authors, once they pass on and there's no one around to champion their work, new releases tend to grind to a halt, and that seems to have left his noirellas orphaned with just their original appearance. A shame, because they're great. What missed potential for Tom and his career and his readers...just when he had finally found his voice in crime fiction, with a number of really praise-worthy releases, he was stricken down...very sad on a number of levels. Plus, in my limited interactions with him, he was a helluva nice guy.

[Chuggers]

Starting Stephen Gallagher's new one from Sub Press, THE NEXT THING YOU SEE WHEN YOU DIE, which reminds me a bit of Tom Piccirilli's "noirellas" (noir novellas) -- as he called them -- used to write and which I loved. But I'm only a few pages in...we'll see if Gallagher reaches that high-water mark. I do recall enjoying his (more supernatural but still crime-focused) PS novella WHITE BIZANGO (and I've read and largely enjoyed some of this other novels and collections), so expectations are high.

That's interesting Ron, I'm currently reading Fuckin' Lie Down Already by T. Piccirilli and it's brutal and grim and I'm loving every second. I've not read much else by him but that's changing immediately. Did they ever collect those "noirellas" in physical copies?

[RonClinton]

Starting Stephen Gallagher's new one from Sub Press, THE NEXT THING YOU SEE WHEN YOU DIE, which reminds me a bit of Tom Piccirilli's "noirellas" (noir novellas) -- as he called them -- used to write and which I loved. But I'm only a few pages in...we'll see if Gallagher reaches that high-water mark. I do recall enjoying his (more supernatural but still crime-focused) PS novella WHITE BIZANGO (and I've read and largely enjoyed some of this other novels and collections), so expectations are high.

[Ben Staad]

Started on this one and it's enjoyable enough. I have the feeling this was an authors pet projects, written as shorts, and then compiled into one fairly cohesive novel.

I like the Western setting and I'm getting through it fairly quickly as a before bed read. There have been some well written lines and paragraphs that had me re-reading them. A thoughtful tale so far and easy reading.

I'm not reading this yet but I saw somehow recommend it so I'm giving this a try:

Frederic S. Durbin: The Country under Heaven

Louis L'Amour meets H.P. Lovecraft in this thrilling western epic about a former Civil War soldier wracked by enigmatic visions . . . Set in the 1880s, the story follows Ovid Vesper, a former Union soldier who has been having enigmatic visions after surviving one of the Civil War's most gruesome battles, the Battle of Antietam. As he travels across the country following those visions, he finds himself in stranger and increasingly more dangerous encounters with other worlds hidden in the spaces of his own mind, not to mention the dangers of the Wild West. Ovid brings his steady calm and compassion as he helps the people of a broken country, rapidly changing but, like himself, still reeling and wounded from the war. He assists with matters of all sorts, from odd jobs around the house, to guiding children back to their own universe, to hunting down unnatural creatures that stalk the night -- all the while seeking his own personal resolution and peace from his visions. Ovid's epic journey across the American West with a surprising cast of characters blends elements of the classic Western with historical fantasy in a way like no other.

I'm not familiar with the author so I'm just rolling the dice on this one. Wish me luck.

[RonClinton]

Finally finished Grendel and Other Creatures From the Dark by Tony Richards.

Grendel wasn’t a bad collection, but it didn’t have the pop that Richards’ earlier work had.

Next up, starting a reread of The Stand.

B

That’s good to know. I like Richards’ work — was a fairly big fan back in the day — so I’m sure I would’ve picked up this collection at some point. Maybe now I’ll just give it a pass, and reread one of his earlier collections one of these days. Plus, I still have his THE HOWLING TERROR, a collection I picked up on the publishers sale while back, to read.

[brlesh]

Finally finished Grendel and Other Creatures From the Dark by Tony Richards.

Grendel wasn’t a bad collection, but it didn’t have the pop that Richards’ earlier work had.

Next up, starting a reread of The Stand.

B

[RonClinton]

Currently reading Ronald Malfi's novella collection THEY LURK. I read his other novella collection, GHOSTWRITTEN, a short while ago, and with both these collections I'm reminded what a talented and somewhat underrated author Malfi is...when he's good (which is almost always), he's really good. One of my biggest eBay sales regrets is selling a matching-number set of all his signed/numbered Dark Fuse small-HC novellas (most of which are now collected in THEY LURK) many years ago...wish I could go back and change that stupid move.

[RonClinton]

Yes, I love these kind of eerie, off-kilter, something's-not-quite-right-but-can't-pinpoint-precisely-what kind of reads -- when they're done well, which is all often not the case. I can only think of a few examples of books of that type that work...hopefully this'll be one of them. I'm about 25% of the way in, and I'm not sure it's going to meet the entire challenge...it starts off strong, but there's been an introduction of a kind of prosaicness that is either there to lull the reader into complacency before introducing more overt eeriness or, alternatively, steering the book in a more standard-fare horror direction. I hope it's the former.

Aaannd WE USED TO LIVE HERE was the latter. Actually, that's not particularly fair...I wouldn't call it standard trope horror (though it has its moments), but just that it was ultimately a disappointment, a work of wasted potential on a premise that promised so much and just didn't deliver for a variety of reasons. It had a couple of goosebump-inducing moments (which are few and far between these days, to say the least, after reading horror for many decades, so I'll give it that), but it just could've been so much better. 5 or 6 out of 10, not particularly recommended.

[Ben Staad]

Thanks for the review. I hadn't read that author either.

Best of luck on the re-read of The Long Walk. It's been awhile since my last read of that but I think it's held up well as a story.

Just finished reading the Thunderstorm LE of L.P. Hernandez's "Only Gods No Chaos", a first-time author and read for me. Really enjoyed this collection. All of the stories were good and a few were great. My favorites were: Cemetery Joe, Hesitation Cuts, and Offerings to an Old God. Hoping to read another book by Hernandez sometime soon.

Am now reading the Centipede LE of Stephen King's "The Long Walk". Has been in my TBR pile forever and with the movie coming out soon, figured now would be a great time to give it a read. Been forever since I read this as a part of the Bachmann books.

[sholloman81]

Just finished reading the Thunderstorm LE of L.P. Hernandez's "Only Gods No Chaos", a first-time author and read for me. Really enjoyed this collection. All of the stories were good and a few were great. My favorites were: Cemetery Joe, Hesitation Cuts, and Offerings to an Old God. Hoping to read another book by Hernandez sometime soon.

Am now reading the Centipede LE of Stephen King's "The Long Walk". Has been in my TBR pile forever and with the movie coming out soon, figured now would be a great time to give it a read. Been forever since I read this as a part of the Bachmann books.

[mhatchett]

Yes, I love these kind of eerie, off-kilter, something's-not-quite-right-but-can't-pinpoint-precisely-what kind of reads -- when they're done well, which is all often not the case. I can only think of a few examples of books of that type that work...hopefully this'll be one of them. I'm about 25% of the way in, and I'm not sure it's going to meet the entire challenge...it starts off strong, but there's been an introduction of a kind of prosaicness that is either there to lull the reader into complacency before introducing more overt eeriness or, alternatively, steering the book in a more standard-fare horror direction. I hope it's the former.

Weird Western, Civil War, I'm in LOL!! I love this forum for all the great book tips and news. I can't believe I've been here for 14years. Guys, thanks for making this such a great space!

[brlesh]

I'm not reading this yet but I saw somehow recommend it so I'm giving this a try:

Frederic S. Durbin: The Country under Heaven

Louis L'Amour meets H.P. Lovecraft in this thrilling western epic about a former Civil War soldier wracked by enigmatic visions . . . Set in the 1880s, the story follows Ovid Vesper, a former Union soldier who has been having enigmatic visions after surviving one of the Civil War's most gruesome battles, the Battle of Antietam. As he travels across the country following those visions, he finds himself in stranger and increasingly more dangerous encounters with other worlds hidden in the spaces of his own mind, not to mention the dangers of the Wild West. Ovid brings his steady calm and compassion as he helps the people of a broken country, rapidly changing but, like himself, still reeling and wounded from the war. He assists with matters of all sorts, from odd jobs around the house, to guiding children back to their own universe, to hunting down unnatural creatures that stalk the night -- all the while seeking his own personal resolution and peace from his visions. Ovid's epic journey across the American West with a surprising cast of characters blends elements of the classic Western with historical fantasy in a way like no other.

I'm not familiar with the author so I'm just rolling the dice on this one. Wish me luck.

I’ve never heard of Durbin either, though that synopsis sounds very interesting.

B

[Ben Staad]

I'm not reading this yet but I saw somehow recommend it so I'm giving this a try:

Frederic S. Durbin: The Country under Heaven

Louis L'Amour meets H.P. Lovecraft in this thrilling western epic about a former Civil War soldier wracked by enigmatic visions . . . Set in the 1880s, the story follows Ovid Vesper, a former Union soldier who has been having enigmatic visions after surviving one of the Civil War's most gruesome battles, the Battle of Antietam. As he travels across the country following those visions, he finds himself in stranger and increasingly more dangerous encounters with other worlds hidden in the spaces of his own mind, not to mention the dangers of the Wild West. Ovid brings his steady calm and compassion as he helps the people of a broken country, rapidly changing but, like himself, still reeling and wounded from the war. He assists with matters of all sorts, from odd jobs around the house, to guiding children back to their own universe, to hunting down unnatural creatures that stalk the night -- all the while seeking his own personal resolution and peace from his visions. Ovid's epic journey across the American West with a surprising cast of characters blends elements of the classic Western with historical fantasy in a way like no other.

I'm not familiar with the author so I'm just rolling the dice on this one. Wish me luck.