On vacation out of town, of course I've got my huge book list, and here are just some of the paperbacks I hope to acquire - so wish me luck guys. See you in about two weeks!
A great list of books. Hope you find them. The Playboy Book of Horror and Supernatural is a must have. I'm only a little ways into it, but already I'm blown away by how well done the stories are.
Wow. I have almost all of these books, with almost the same covers. My copy of The Shaft has a different cover and my copy of Cold Hand doesn't have a cover.
I would seriously recommend reading The Shaft, like, yesterday. Sandkings is good, Brains of Rats is genuinely unsettling in that Etchison sort of way, and, really, you can't go wrong with any of these writers.
Oh, I've read BRAINS OF RATS - had the nice hardcover back in '91 or so, loved it, but I want that paperback! The Ellison and Chandler I've read too, but need these editions for the collection. Dying to read that Martin, which often goes for collector prices, and to read more Aickman!
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought it was the HB of Sandkings that was most desirable? Although anymore, I gotta assume most Martin is going pretty quickly. I still treasure my first edition HB of Fevre Dream; such great jacket art.
But again, seriously; The Shaft. I went in for the monster but came out with a Helluva lot more...
I've not yet read the novel version of The Shaft, but I have a copy of the issue of Weird Tales wherein it appeared in its original iteration as a short story. Fun read then, but I imagine the novel's even better. If I'm not mistaken, S.T. Joshi called The Shaft one of the best horror novels of the 80s.
If the 80's were a thing to loathe and feel fearful of, then yes, The Shaft may be one of the finest "horrific" novels of the 80's.
Not to crowd out this space, but that novel helped me to simultaneously come to terms with concepts and relationships that I had yet to feel, but cushioned and broadened the impact when it came.
I thought I was wondering into a monster tale by one of my favorite practitioners of "splatterpunk" and what that "meant", but Ooohhh no, that's not what you're going to get. Moments Ballard or Ellis wished they had scratched away to find under the rust of 80's veneer.
'Lest I remember the little novel that was too much for American audiences...maybe too real for what they're going into in order to get all their horror "jollies".
I have always wondered why this wasn't the novel to put Schow on the map. It's one of those rare and under-spoken of novels that hits you where it hurts and just goes ahead and holds onto that aching part and exorcises it from yourself.
Great fiction. Does what it needs to do. What else can I say?
I was actually at a used book store this week and saw the ValLewton book for $3 for no reason other than remembering that you too were looking for this, I decided I needed to have this in on my shelf asit must be worth reading...I know of Lewton's films of course but never would have thought to pick this title up before you mentioned it...
As a dear, dear fan of Robert Aickman I must say that cover is nothing short of appalling in context...stories meant to "scare you to death"? Hardly. I can't think of anything farther from mass-market cheese scares than Aickman's anxious, dreamy prose-poems. Definitely would be cool to find anything by him at all in the used sections, though, as it's few and far between! I'm not sure he's in print at all currently.
A great list of books. Hope you find them. The Playboy Book of Horror and Supernatural is a must have. I'm only a little ways into it, but already I'm blown away by how well done the stories are.
ReplyDeleteWow. I have almost all of these books, with almost the same covers. My copy of The Shaft has a different cover and my copy of Cold Hand doesn't have a cover.
ReplyDeleteI would seriously recommend reading The Shaft, like, yesterday. Sandkings is good, Brains of Rats is genuinely unsettling in that Etchison sort of way, and, really, you can't go wrong with any of these writers.
Good luck!
Oh, I've read BRAINS OF RATS - had the nice hardcover back in '91 or so, loved it, but I want that paperback! The Ellison and Chandler I've read too, but need these editions for the collection. Dying to read that Martin, which often goes for collector prices, and to read more Aickman!
ReplyDeleteCorrect me if I'm wrong, but I thought it was the HB of Sandkings that was most desirable? Although anymore, I gotta assume most Martin is going pretty quickly. I still treasure my first edition HB of Fevre Dream; such great jacket art.
ReplyDeleteBut again, seriously; The Shaft. I went in for the monster but came out with a Helluva lot more...
Nice cover on the paperback Aickman. I have hard cover copies of his COLD HAND IN MINE and PAINTED DEVILS, both with cover art by Edward Gorey.
ReplyDeleteI've not yet read the novel version of The Shaft, but I have a copy of the issue of Weird Tales wherein it appeared in its original iteration as a short story. Fun read then, but I imagine the novel's even better. If I'm not mistaken, S.T. Joshi called The Shaft one of the best horror novels of the 80s.
ReplyDeleteIf the 80's were a thing to loathe and feel fearful of, then yes, The Shaft may be one of the finest "horrific" novels of the 80's.
ReplyDeleteNot to crowd out this space, but that novel helped me to simultaneously come to terms with concepts and relationships that I had yet to feel, but cushioned and broadened the impact when it came.
I thought I was wondering into a monster tale by one of my favorite practitioners of "splatterpunk" and what that "meant", but Ooohhh no, that's not what you're going to get. Moments Ballard or Ellis wished they had scratched away to find under the rust of 80's veneer.
'Lest I remember the little novel that was too much for American audiences...maybe too real for what they're going into in order to get all their horror "jollies".
I have always wondered why this wasn't the novel to put Schow on the map. It's one of those rare and under-spoken of novels that hits you where it hurts and just goes ahead and holds onto that aching part and exorcises it from yourself.
Great fiction. Does what it needs to do. What else can I say?
^Oh, and there has never been a more vividly produced city under siege by ice and snow, in fiction. $.02
ReplyDeleteI was actually at a used book store this week and saw the ValLewton book for $3 for no reason other than remembering that you too were looking for this, I decided I needed to have this in on my shelf asit must be worth reading...I know of Lewton's films of course but never would have thought to pick this title up before you mentioned it...
ReplyDeleteAs a dear, dear fan of Robert Aickman I must say that cover is nothing short of appalling in context...stories meant to "scare you to death"? Hardly. I can't think of anything farther from mass-market cheese scares than Aickman's anxious, dreamy prose-poems. Definitely would be cool to find anything by him at all in the used sections, though, as it's few and far between! I'm not sure he's in print at all currently.
ReplyDeleteYeah no luck...
ReplyDelete