tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post5064494567165398442..comments2024-03-06T11:11:48.095-08:00Comments on Too Much Horror Fiction: Blue World by Robert R. McCammon (1990): This Isn't Really Anything I Think I LikeWill Erricksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16285306262078600804noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-72273432007183446632019-07-02T04:21:35.135-07:002019-07-02T04:21:35.135-07:00Mccammon can outwrite King in his sleep.Blue World...Mccammon can outwrite King in his sleep.Blue World is awesome collection.I don't understand why Mccammon is constantly called poor man's Stephen King when he is way better writer in every sense of the word.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09620416338906941640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-24888188820191790232016-04-14T02:42:50.455-07:002016-04-14T02:42:50.455-07:00I know this thread is at least a year old now, but...I know this thread is at least a year old now, but I just want to thank the reviewer for taking a rare, critical look at McCammon. I've read (via unabridged audiobook, I admit) his Swan Song and They Thirst. I enjoyed both, and there were times I believed his writing was excellent. (Such occasions were not in the opening pages, however, nor the final pages, but here and there throughout the Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11034563698885834520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-57579790042670105122015-05-01T10:16:46.725-07:002015-05-01T10:16:46.725-07:00No need to apologize, Larry. I realize I'm in ...No need to apologize, Larry. I realize I'm in the minority when it comes to McCammon. Will Erricksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16285306262078600804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-74045748695716575362015-03-30T11:08:33.412-07:002015-03-30T11:08:33.412-07:00I loved "Blue World",as well as many oth...I loved "Blue World",as well as many other McCammon's works.<br />I think "Boy's Life" was nothing less than magnificent.<br />I will NEVER apologize for that.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02348827336052321156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-22017256228757444402011-04-11T18:13:37.677-07:002011-04-11T18:13:37.677-07:00Hey Jim,
Personally, i think BOY'S LIFE is wo...Hey Jim,<br /><br />Personally, i think BOY'S LIFE is worth slipping a few notches up in the pile TBR. It actually reminded me a lot of another of my favorites, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD; not in terms of plot or specific character, but in the sense of time and place.<br /><br />Also, if I'm recalling it correctly, the description of a young man's very first kiss was worthy of Bradbury inAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-4529523361507042652011-04-11T15:14:06.147-07:002011-04-11T15:14:06.147-07:00I don't dislike McCammon's work, but I don...I don't dislike McCammon's work, but I don't look at it as impactful. Swan Song is my favorite of his novels, but that was probably due to its similarity to The Stand, which is an all-time favorite. Others have ups-and-downs (They Thirst and Stinger come to mind) and a couple older ones like Baal and Bethany's Sin didn't impress me at all. Blue Rose fits in that "ups and Rob Hamiltonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-2594072984880612302011-04-08T13:33:15.718-07:002011-04-08T13:33:15.718-07:00Trey,
Yeah, I've only heard good things a...Trey,<br /> Yeah, I've only heard good things about BOY'S LIFE & as somewhat of a completest of that stage of McCammon's work & a longtime fan, I really should give it a shot. <br />Of course, with the ever increasing size of my TBR section on my shelves, there's a good chance that I'll have a paperback copy of THE FIVE alongside it by the time I actually get Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-47947048840368101632011-04-08T12:37:00.567-07:002011-04-08T12:37:00.567-07:00I can't fault the guy for choosing to go in a ...I can't fault the guy for choosing to go in a different direction with his work. Though as a fan of his genre work, I can certainly understand his agent's & publisher's frustrations with his decision. <br />I mean, it's sort of like a recording artist like Elton John suddenly decide that he's going to only do 19th century style chamber music from now on because that's Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-36772963594349671622011-04-07T21:03:36.069-07:002011-04-07T21:03:36.069-07:00I always thought he was a hack. Although looking a...I always thought he was a hack. Although looking at alist of his works I was suprised to find I had read one~ MINE. Which i can remember enjoying in a compact MISERY, kind of way. But there's the rub! His books always seemed to be cheap imitations of King's plots and themes. Even the the timing of their releases seemed suspect. And then there was the bad cover art! Yuck! It put the nail highwaykneeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00458606266831050852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-88156905211415657722011-04-07T18:45:30.551-07:002011-04-07T18:45:30.551-07:00Check out McCammon's STINGER, which reads like...Check out McCammon's STINGER, which reads like a $100 millon 50's sci-fi/biker/action/horror movieDerrick Fergusonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16781081269516018422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-33203802150514437472011-04-07T10:25:22.134-07:002011-04-07T10:25:22.134-07:00Thanks Will! Just checked out his site, and there...Thanks Will! Just checked out his site, and there's quite a few fascinating interviews. But personally, I most enjoyed reading the biographical "intros" for all his other books.<br /><br />TreyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-634191351125285782011-04-07T06:59:09.684-07:002011-04-07T06:59:09.684-07:00McCammon gave up writing for almost 10 years due t...McCammon gave up writing for almost 10 years due to frustration with his publishers who wanted to keep him in the horror genre, while he wanted to grow out of it. There are interviews with him about it on his website.Will Erricksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16285306262078600804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-7643793472980054922011-04-07T03:12:45.239-07:002011-04-07T03:12:45.239-07:00Hey Jim,
You know, BOY'S LIFE was the last co...Hey Jim,<br /><br />You know, BOY'S LIFE was the last complete novel of his I read. When GONE SOUTH came out, I snapped it up without even bothering with the synopsis on the back, and for the life of me I just couldn't get thru it (ironic, after defending McCammon's readability in my above post). <br /><br />That was a LONG while ago; I should probably give it another chance. But Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-89708645258554819182011-04-06T13:34:03.295-07:002011-04-06T13:34:03.295-07:00Trey,
I'm almost ashamed to admit as a Mc...Trey,<br /> I'm almost ashamed to admit as a McCammon fan, that I haven't yet read BOY'S LIFE. Nor MINE or GONE SOUTH either for that matter. Something that I'll definitely have to remedy one of these days. Especially BOY'S LIFE.<br />I own copies of each of them, but they've been sitting on one of my bookshelves forever...<br /><br />As for his most recent novels, I&#Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-34091704840845855432011-04-05T19:29:27.886-07:002011-04-05T19:29:27.886-07:00I, too, offer a dissenting view as I really enjoy ...I, too, offer a dissenting view as I really enjoy what I've read of McCammon's books - especially his lurid, b-movie-style early work. <br /><br />First off, he's a high-concept writer, in the best sense of the word: a werewolf fighting for the allies during WW2 (WOLF'S HOUR), 'Salem's Lot in LA (THEY THIRST), Nazi ghosts raising a haunted U-Boat for revenge (NIGHT BOAT),Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-82692132081385803332011-04-05T17:41:15.736-07:002011-04-05T17:41:15.736-07:00I haven't read any of his Blue World stories y...I haven't read any of his Blue World stories yet, but I did really enjoy two of his newer novels Speaks the Nightbird and The Queen of Bedlam. Those are both more historical detective fiction than horror fiction, however. Coincidently I was considering giving Usher's Passing and Baal a try after finding them on Amazon earlier today. <br /><br />Looking back I know I read Mystery Walk William Malmborghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04261043345510784469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-31368470750018583072011-04-05T17:26:13.206-07:002011-04-05T17:26:13.206-07:00Allow me to be the dissenting view here.
I fell i...Allow me to be the dissenting view here.<br /><br />I fell in love with McCammon's work way back during his "early period" with BETHANY'S SIN in the late '70s. And then became even more enamored with him with the publication of his foray into the vampire novel THEY THIRST. An urban take on 'SALEM'S LOT, if you will.<br />I bought/read/collected everything by him fromAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-25034612521659726202011-04-05T16:02:25.750-07:002011-04-05T16:02:25.750-07:00I almost purchased that paperback, but my funds we...I almost purchased that paperback, but my funds were limited, so I decided on two cheaper Lovecraft paperbacks instead. I regret nothing.lazlo azavaarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08947137317385572671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825351661748594023.post-20142980288975229732011-04-05T15:17:24.432-07:002011-04-05T15:17:24.432-07:00Ironically, I was about 13/14 when I read Blue Wor...Ironically, I was about 13/14 when I read Blue World. I think your review just proves my point -- that my memories of the books are kinder in retrospect. I got a detention for reading Swan Song in 6th grade when I should have been paying attention to the finer points of fulcrums and simple machines in science class. :( It's cool to see Blue World turn up on your blog. I had that same Martin Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14265623440686160715noreply@blogger.com