Bentley Little's 20th Anniversary Special Limited Edition of The Mailman

I gleefully clasped an indistinguishable brown box, and there was no dread to see the mailman. Inside, carefully packed was the book I had ordered many months ago from Cemetery Dance, Bentley Little's 20th Anniversary Special Limited Edition book, The Mailman.

A prominent horror writer known for his catchy novel titles, original sensational story plots, Bentley Little is also know for the novel Stephen King was carrying in 1999 when he was struck by a vehicle. He was not carrying The Mailman, but The House. Nevertheless, acquiring a signed hardcover limited edition is a splendid addition to my book collection in particular my horror collection. Little's 1990's books were only published as a softcover, and later published in hardcover as a book club edition and UK edition.

Cemetery Dance is selling two publishing states: signed hardcover limited edition of 1000 and deluxe signed lettered edition of 52 hardcover with tray case. Both editions are currently available.

The House Next Door

The House Next Door
By Anne Rivers Siddons

Anne River Siddons is a contemporary writer better known for her fictional novels set in the south. However, her second novel The House Next Door is an exceptional story for the horror genre. It is said to be one of Stephen King’s top ten favorite horror novels. Any book Stephen King mentions as noteworthy I heed and read.

There are so many haunted house novels on the shelves of bookstores waiting to be plucked, but with limited time, it is necessary to distinguish the remarkable from the trite. Indeed, The House Next Door is an original story with a shocking revelation. Envision a haunted house; labyrinth of dark passage ways, stain glass windows, dusty ornate Victorian furniture, creaky floors that moan in pain is the conventional image of a ghastly house that bring dread to its occupants. Fear creeps into the hearts of neighbors Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy cause by a beautifully modern constructed home on a lush greenwood plot. The house is alluring, bright, illustrating the promise of a foundation to start a family, to sustain a family, but the house preys on weaknesses to achieve its ultimate goal, bleeding the happiness out of people; soon that will not suffice its desires.

It is obvious that the story is dated circa 1970s. For instance, there are no mobile phones. Social norms are apparently different giving a snapshot of the life in an affluent society of do-gooders. Siddons draws the reader into the world of the Kennedys. Mrs. Kennedy, Col narrates, informing the couple’s status quo and their psychological lucidity that dwindles in the peering eyes of their coequals.

Throughout the story, I ponder what is the cause for the house to have a baleful presence. It is this constant inquiry and the unfolding of dreadfully sexually charged events in each part of the book that kept me reading. The end is surprising and alarming that ultimately answers my question.

In 2006, The House Next Door was adapted to a television movie for the Lifetime network. It has received mix reviews. I have not seen it, but as many novels adapted to film, there has been significant changes to the plot. It will be airing on June 29th, at 6 p.m. on Lifetime. 

Zombie

Zombie 
by Joyce Carol Oates

“Zombie” is just one of Joyce Carol Oates numerous enthralling novels. In 1995, it received the prestigious Bram Stoker Award for a horror novel.

Ever wonder what is the impetus for a serial killer? What makes the fiend tick? Oates takes the reader into the mind of a cold, calculated serial killer where a conscience does not exist but just a carnal desire to subjugate. Will Q_ P_ ever get his zombie?

Oates portrays a terrifying mind of a serial killer through creating a unique writing style, which aids to establish a multidimensional character. Quentin P. narrates in the first person voice recollecting his past savage crimes. He sometimes refers to himself in third person, evoking an eerie image of a man with a public persona. The language is colloquial and distinctive for the innumerable ampersands in place of the traditional “and”.  Readers should be warned there are graphic descriptions that will have you cringing.

It succeeds to petrify and haunt the mind, for its uncanny consonance with infamous sociopaths. There is a conspicuous similarity between the main character, Quentin P. and Jeffery Dahmer. They are both homosexuals from a well-to-do family, on probation, registered sex offender, and have a substance abuse problem. Most importantly they share the desire to create their own zombie through morbid techniques.

White Is For Witching

White Is For Witching
by Helen Oyeyemi

Dissimilar to other haunted house novels, it does not commence with a paranormal investigation, rather a disappearance of Miranda Silver (Miri). The story recounts the path of Miri’s life leading to her disappearance, which intertwines with an ancestral home that does not want to relinquish its grasp on the Silver women, clinching even to their demise and anyone who is not welcomed. There are creaks and whispers, a flicker of light then darkness; it will open to consume. Does it sate the desires and the needs?

Oyeyemi, composes a poetic story laced with similes and allegories, narrated from four perspectives, Miri, her lover Ore, her twin brother Eliot, and the omniscient house. Each character contributes to a lucid story, maintaining an individualistic perspective, creating distinctive and empathic characters especially Miri, who suffers from an unusual disorder, pica. The house casts a forbidding umbra with its omniscient capability. Back dropped in frigid Dover, England, fused with Caribbean folk tales of voodoo and a soucouyant, a creature portrayed as a decrepit woman by day, and by night, abandons its skin to roam the dark sky as a fireball in search of exuberant youths to drain their life essences, blood, initiates an eerie supernatural realm concurrent to the mundane qualities of the political back dropping of foreign affairs.

I would highly recommend “White Is For Witching”, for its darkly elegant prose and its gothic horror qualities of varied love, desire, and labyrinthine house. Lastly, read it for the grapple of life, Miri’s life.

Elsewhere by William Peter Blatty

Elsewhere

by William Peter Blatty

Blatty lionized for his blood-curling novel “The Exorcist” and its eventual motion picture, has a novella “Elsewhere” recently republished by Cemetery Dance Publication. It was initially published in Al Sarrantonio’s anthology “999”. A few days ago, I received my limited edition copy of “Elsewhere”, which is signed. Significant, for it is my only signed book by the wordsmith.

After reading a sundry of haunted house novels, there is obviously an underlining trite theme; a group of individuals investigate the authenticity of a house egregious reputation. Some novels surpass this cliché like Richard Matheson’s “Hell House”. Blatty’s “Elsewhere” is a haunted house novella, which commence with an investigation but transcends to an original haunted house story. Blatty similar to Shirley Jackson’s “The Haunting of Hill House” utilizes psychological horror to supplement the plot. What is really happening? There are foreshadows throughout the story.

Short Synopsis:

Joan Freeboard, a realtor is implored to sell an upstate New York mansion that is proclaimed to be haunted by the original owners who had an unkindly death. In order to make a sale, Freeboard devises a plan to prove that the house is not haunted through having an investigation with a renowned psychic Anna Trawley, literary writer Terrance Dare, and parapsychologist Gabriel Case. However, strange behavior and a case of déjà vu lead to the inconceivable.

Breathers, A Zombie's Lament

Breathers, A Zombie's Lament
by S. G. Browne

“Breather’s, A Zombie Lament” should not be pigeonholed into a category of zombie novels. It is a dark comedy, but also has the solemn of a classic zombie novel; there is gore, but more importantly there is gore with fierce humor. However, it does not minimize the carnage. I in particularly liked the breather’s recipes and haiku. Just one of the humorous haiku in "Breather's A Zombie Lament":

maggots feast on fat
subcutaneous buffet
sounds like Rice Krispies

(Browne. p.289)

In a philosophical note, Browne has the ability to write about zombies and cannibalism while encapsulating humanity’s salient problem, discrimination. Throughout the book, there is implicit correlation between zombies’ societal treatment and marginalized members of society such as racial discrimination against African Americans. For instance, what are zombies to do if they are not allowed to do everyday recreational activities? How can a zombie get a decent job without a social security number? Later in the book, Browne becomes explicit with an association with Rosa Parks among a few other exemplar figures and situations.

Unlike many novels, “Breather’s, A Zombie Lament” packs a punch ending that rivals classic dramatic endings with the ever so uplifting badinages.

Short Synopsis:

Andy Warner, once a husband and father, has a tragic accident. He wakes up an undead zombie. Andy must acclimatize to a societal position regarded as below human. He is forced to live in the cellar of his parents’ home. His only comfort is group meetings with other fellow zombies; there he finds love, a special elixir, and a new zest for life.

The first chapter for reading is available at S.G. Browne's blog.

A Series For The Horror Lover In You

My heart filled with glee after I discovered Wordsworth Editions. It is a UK publishing company, which sells affordable books. I am thrilled that Wordsworth Editions has a series of books for horror enthusiast, like me. The series is entitled Tales of Mystery and The Supernatural. Thus far, there are 52 books in the collection, and today I have received my first book from it, Sweeney Todd or The String of Pearls by Anonymous. 

My intention is to collect the entire series. It may seem to be a simple plan, but some of the books are quite difficult to find, because the publishing company is based in the UK. Most of the books are out of stock on Amazon, so I will have to buy it from an Amazon Seller or on EBay. However, the books that are in stock on Amazon are eligible for special offers, which is the 4-for-3 promotion.

Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House

The Haunting of Hill House

by Shirley Jackson

Last week I reread Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House for a book group discussion. It was the first time that I participated in a book group and reread a book; both experiences were illuminating. Members’ different perspectives enabled me to view the book in many dimensions. For instance, it never occurred to me that just maybe the house was not haunted, Eleanor Vance, the protagonist might just be, in layman's terms, crazy, and the other denizens of Hill House, deceitful.

Another interpretation, Hill House is haunted and targets Eleanor, the most vulnerable inhabitant. As for me, I agree with the latter, but it is a moot issue. The validity, I would argue is the third person omniscient narrator that describes Dr. Montague intent of his research at Hill House, which would absolve him of any disingenuous behavior. Nevertheless, Eleanor also narrates the story. Lastly, the treacherous library scene, and the words Eleanor utters before the tragic end, demonstrates there was a paranormal event-taking place at Hill House. The disputable interpretations of The Haunting of Hill House substantiates it is a brilliantly written psychological horror. Reading attentively (for me a reread) reveals repletion of foreshadowing and correlations among characters.

Short Synopsis:

Dr. Montague, an erudite man pursues to validate his premise of uncovering supernatural phenomena through conducting research in an infamous haunted house called Hill House. He seeks out individuals with paranormal abilities to aid in his quest. Cold spots, loud banging, and mumbling voices are just a few of the abnormal events that occur at Hill House.

The Book of Lists: Horror (Stephen Kings Favorite Horror Novels)

Saturday I went hiking and Sunday, I went to the bookstore; it was the ideal weekend. In the bookstore, I stumbled across a book called The Book of Lists: Horror. Of course, I picked it up off the shelf, thumb through it, and decided to buy the 410-page paperback dedicated to lists, in particularly horror. I have noticed lists captivate many people online. I immensely appreciate a fine list. To enrich my knowledge of a particular genre, I search for specialized book lists. Most book lists contain books exemplary to the genre. For me, it is a great way to discover books that I may have overlooked throughout the years.

The Book of Lists: Horror lists not only horror literature, but also almost anything related to horror. For instance, it lists the top six grossing horror movies, top ten horror-themed rock ‘n’ roll songs, ten horror cocktails and how to make them (Bloody Mary, Vampire, Zombie, Werewolf, Frankenstein, Exorcist, Mummy, Devil’s Tail, The Hemorrhaging Brain, and Headless Horseman), and etc.

The literature section, chapter two, titled “For the Love of God, Montresor! The Literature of the Dread” contains some remarkable lists by prominent writers such as Bentley Little, Poppy Z. Brite, Jack Ketchum, Ramsey Campbell, Thomas Ligotti, Tim Lebbon and more. The lists encompasses topics about locations, surprising horror writers, revealed horror writers' pseudonyms, one hit wonders, apocalypses, original book titles and much more.

Sample List from The Book of Lists: Horror

Stephen King’s Ten Favorite Horror Novels or Short Stories

1. Ghost Story by Peter Straub
2. Dracula by Bram Stoker
3. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
4. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
5. Burnt Offerings by Robert Marasco
6. Casting the Runes by M. R. James
7. Two Bottles of Relish by Lord Dunsany
8. The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen
9. The Colour Out of Space by H. P. Lovecraft
10. The Upper Berth by F. Marion Crawford

Left: One of the many waterfalls I saw while hiking. Photo taken by me.

Richard Matheson's Button, Button: Uncanny Stories (The Box)

Button, Button: Uncanny Stories

by Richard Matheson

Revered Richard Matheson is well known for his novella I am legend, which has recently again dawned our motion picture multiplexes, starring Will Smith. It is not the only literary work of Matheson to make it to the big screen. I can think of at least two other films based on Matheson's novels. The first to thought, Hell House and the second is What Dreams May Come starring Robin Williams. In 2009, another motion picture, starring Cameron Diaz will be added to Matheson's credit, based on a short-story Button, Button. Renamed to The Box, the movie will be release in theaters late March. In addition, Button, Button was also adapted to an episode of The Twilight Zone. Only eleven pages long, it might be a surprise that this very short story will soon be a movie. Keep in mind it is not the quantity but the quality that is salient. It is a unique and intriguing story.

Teaser Synopsis: A surprising gift with a peculiar offer, sometimes if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. A couple gets an offer too sweet to resist, money, but someone will have to pay the price with life.

I have never been an enthusiast of anthologies or short-story collections. Although I must admit, I own quite a few anthologies. Button, Button: Uncanny Stories a short-story collection, is an instant gratification book. Each story is engaging by the first page, but I have my favorites, which are Mute, Dying Room Only, and Clothes Make the Man. After reading Matheson's Button, Button: Uncanny Stories, I am inclined to start reading more short stories.

Stephen King's N.

N.

by Stephen King

For all the Stephen King fans, short-story collection Just After Sunset will be available on November 11 2008. N., one of the short stories, is accessible before the release of the book in a series of 25 graphic video episodes. The episodes are available for download on itune, but you will have to pay for it. On the other hand, view it below on my blog or go to www.NisHere.com

Synopsis:
“The original series tells the story of a psychiatrist who falls victim to the same deadly obsession as his patient—an obsession that just might save the world!”


Note: This has been available since July 28th. Synopsis quoted from (http://www.simonsays.com/specials/stephen-king-nishere/questions.cfm)

Horror Another 100 Best Books

Horror Another 100 Best Books

Edited by Stephen Jones & Kim Newman

A couple of months ago, I posted Horror 100 Best Books. I finally got my hands on the sequel Another Horror 100 Best Books. Of course, I wanted to share this list with all the devoted horror enthusiast on the web. However, I recommend borrowing or buying a copy to thoroughly enjoy. Further delving into the book, you might stumble across your favorite author writing an explanatory essay about one of the books listed. Alternatively, get it for the list of recommended readings.
Again, this is not a definitive ranking of the best horror novels but should be approached as a guide.  

The List:

1. The Revenger's Tragedy by Cyril Tourneur

2. Pikovaia Dama/The Queen of Spades by Aleksandr Pushkin

3. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

4. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë 

5. Rekopiz Znaleziony w Saragossie/ The Manuscrit Found in Saragossa by Jan, Count Potocki

6. New Grub Street by George Gissing

7. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

8. The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells

9. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

10. The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" by William Hope Hodgson

11. Le fantôme de l'Opéra/ The Phantome of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

12. Fantômas by Pierre Souvestre and Marcel Allain

13. The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H. P. Lovecraft

14. They Return at Evening by H. R. Wakefield

15. Creep, Shadow! by A. Merritt

16. The Trail of Fu Manchu by Sax Rohmer

17. The Devil Rides Out by Dennis Wheatley

18. The Haunted Omnibus edited by Alexander Laing

19. The Edge of Running Water by William Sloane

20. L'Étranger/The Stranger by Albert Camus

21. Sleep No More: Twenty Masterpieces of Horror for the Connoisseur edited by August Derleth

22. Lost Worlds by Clark Ashton Smith

23. Jumbee and Other Uncanny Tales by Henry S. Whitehead

24. Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural edited by Herbert A. Wise and Phyllis Fraser

25. The Opener of the Way by Robert Bloch

26. Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake

27. Carnacki the Ghost-Finder by William Hope Hodgson

28. Darker Than You Think by Jack Williamson

29. Tales of Horror and the Supernatural by Arthur Machen

30. Nineteen Eighty-four by George Orwell

31. House of Flesh by Bruno Fischer

32. Fancies and Goodnights by John Collier

33. The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson

34. The Third Ghost Book edited by Lady Cynthia Asquith

35. The Body Snatcher by Jack Finney

36. The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

37. The Hunger and Other Stories by Charles Beaumont 

38. The Blind Owl by Sadegh Hedayat

39. The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham

40. A Scent of New-Mown Hay by John Blackburn

41. A Stir of Echoes by Richard Matheson

42. The Weirdstone of Brinsingamen by Alan Garner

43. Tales of Terror edited by Charles Higham

44. Some of Your Blood by Theordore Sturgeon

45. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

46. The Case Against Satan by Ray Russell

47. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

48. The Collector by John Fowles

49. Who Fears the Devil? by Manly Wade Wellman

50. A Wrinkle in the Skin by John Christopher

51. Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin

52. The Playboy Book of Horror and the Supernatural edited by the Editors of Playboy

53. Pages from Cold Point by Paul Bowles 

54. Outer Dark by Cormac Mccarthy

55. The Book of Skulls by Rober Silverberg

56. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon

57. The Night Stalker by Jeff Rice

58. Blood Sport by Robert F. Jones

59. Nightshade by Derek Marlowe

60. Peace by Gene Wolfe

61. The Year of the Sex Olympics: Three TV Plays by Nigel Kneale

62. Our Lady of Darkness by Fritz Leiber

63. The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan

64. Darkness Weaves With Many Shades by Karl Edward Wagner

65. The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter

66. Sweeney Todd by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler

67. The Collected Stories of Elizabeth Bowen by Elizabeth Bowen

68. Dark Forces: New Stories of Suspense and Supernatural Horror edited by Kirby McCauley

69. Tales from the Nightside by Charles L. Grant

70. The Thirst by Robert R. McCammon 

71. The Face That Must Die by Ramsey Campbell

72. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

73. Pet Sematary by Stephen King

74. Clive Barker's Books of Blood Volumes One, Two, and Three by Clive Barker

75. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind

76. Finishing Touches by Thomas Tessier

77. Strange Toy by Patricia Geary

78. The Dark Decent edited by David G. Hartwell

79. Misery by Stephen King

80. The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

81. Prime Evil edited by Douglas E. Winter

82. By Bizarre Hands: Stories by Joe R. Lansdale 

83. The Grotesque by Patrick McGrath

84. Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons 

85. From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell

86. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

87. Lost Souls by Poppy Z. Brite

88. The Course of the Heart by John Harrison

89. Flicker by Theodore Roszak

90. X, Y by Michael Blumlein

91. Skin by Kathe Koja

92. Throat Sprockets: A Novel of Erotic Obsession by Tim Lucas

93. The Off Season: A Victorian Sequel by Jack Cady

94. The Nightmare Factory by Thomas Ligotti

95. A Sight for Sore Eyes by Ruth Rendell

96. Reprisal by Mitchell Smith 

97. A Haunting Beauty by Sir Charles Birkin

98. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

99. Feesters in the Lake & Other Stories by Bob Leman

100. More Tomorrow & Other Stories by Michael Marshall Smith

Psychological Horror

A Winter Haunting

by Dan Simmons

I own quite a few Dan Simmons' novels. For years, I intended to read Carrion Comfort (considered to be a vampire classic). When The Terror was publish, I purchased it planning to enjoy a good read. I actually started reading The Terror, but the heavy hardcover was a deterrent. Thus, A Winter Haunting is the first Dan Simmons novel that I have read.

Picking up A Winter Haunting at a bookstore, I did not realize that it is a sequel to Summer of Night; there was no indication in the synopsis. I read the entire book without the slightest clue that there was a prequel. I am not sure whether I will read a Summer of Night now or ever, but I will certainty read more Simmons' novels.

A Winter Haunting is a cleverly written suspenseful psychological horror. Dale Stewart, an English college professor has hit a snag in his life when he commences an affair with a graduate student, Clare Two Heart. On sabbatical, Dale travels to his childhood hometown of Elm Haven to seek solace. He rents the home of a decease childhood friend Duane McBride, who is narrating the white-knuckle winter events.

Although the story is slow paced, and I would rather there have been less flashback of Dale's romance with Clare, the adage, patience is a virtue is quite true for A Winter Haunting. Simmons uses Henry James' short story The Jolly Corner to establish a certainty of reality within his own story then breaks it all down. Are there really ghosts? The evocative prose supplies the mind's eye with classic horror scenes, simply, CGI free. Con: The esoteric, cryptic messages was annoying but engaging at times. 

Horror 100 Best Books

Even though I am a horror veteran enthusiast, there is always more that I can discover about the genre. Close to ten years ago I bought Horror 100 Best Books edited by Stephen Jones and Kim Newman; a long time has past, but I still find myself skimming the pages to find another worthy horror book to read. The book is the collaboration of renowned horror authors writing about their favorite horror (meaning anything that is disturbing, aberrant) novel.

I would recommend horror fans to purchase or borrow this book, for there are more reading recommendations. The list is not a definitive ranking of the best horror novels but should be approached as a guide.

Note: This is an old edition, which was published in 1998.  The most recent edition was published in 2005.  

The list:

1. The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe

2. The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare

3. The White Devil by John Webster

4. Calbe Willimas by William Godwin 

5. The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis

6. The Best Tales of Hoffman

7. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen 

8. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

9. Melmoth the Wanderere, by Charles Maturin

10. The Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg

11. Tales of Mystery and Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe

12. Twice-Told Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne 

13. The Black Spider by Jeremias Gotthelf

14. The Wandering Jew by Eugéne Sue

15. The Confidence Man by Herman Melville 

16. Uncle Silas by J. Sheridan Le Fanu

17. Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Rober Louis Stevenson

18. She by H. Rider Haggard

19. The King in Yellow by Rober W. Chambers 

20. The Island of Dr Moreau by H. G. Wells

21. Dracula by Bram Stoker

22. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

23. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

24. The Jewel of Seven Stars by Bram Stoker

25. Ghost Stories of an Antiquary by M. R. James

26. The House of Souls by Arthur Machen

27. John Silence by Algernon Blackwood

28. The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton

29. The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson

30. The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce

31. Widdershins by Oliver Onions

32. The Horror Horn by E. F. Benson

33. A Voyage of Arcturus by David Lindsat

34. The Trial by Franz Kafka

35. Something About Eve by James Branch Cabell

36. Medusa by E. H. Visiak

37. The Werewolf of Paris by Guy Endore

38. The Last Bouquet by Marjorie Bowen

39. The Cadaver of Gideon Wyck by Alexander Laing

40. A Second Century of Creepy Stories by Hugh Walpole

41. The Dark Tower by C. S. Lewis

42. Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo

43. The Outsider and Others by H.P. Lovecraft

44. Out of Space and Time by Clark Ashton Smith

45. Conjure Wife by Fritz Leiber

46. Night Has a Thousand Eyes by Cornell Woolrich 

47. The Lurker at the Threshold by H. P. Lovecraft & August Derleth

48. Deliver Me from Eva by Paul Bailey

49. And the Darkness Falls by Boris Karloff

50. The Sleeping and the Dead by August Derleth

51. Track of the Cat by Wlter Van Tilburg Clark

52. The Sound of His Horn by Sarban

53. Lord of the Flies by William Golding

54. I am Legend by Richard Matheson

55. The October Country by Ray Bradbury

56. Nine Horrors and a Dream by Joseph Payne Brennan

57. Psycho by Robert Bloch

58. Quatermass and the Pit by Nigel Kneale 

59. Cry Horror! by H. P. Lovecraft

60. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

61. The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick

62. The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosinski

63. The Crystal World by J. G. Ballard

64. Sub Rosa by Robert Aickman

65. The Green Man by Kingsley Amis

66. The Compleat Werewolf by Anthony Boucher

67. Grendel by John Gardner 

68. The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty 

69. The Sheep Look Up by John Brunner 

70. Worse Things Waiting by Manly Wade Wellman

71. Burnt Offerings by Robert Marasco

72. 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King 

73. Deathbird Stories by Harlan Ellison

74. Murgunstrumm and Others by Hugh B. Cave

75. Sweetheart, Sweetheart by Bernard Taylor

76. All Heads Turn When the Hunt Goes By by, John Farris

77. The Shining by Stephen King

78. Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg

79. The Wolfen by Whitley Strieber

80. The Totem by David Morrell

81. Ghost Story by Peter Straub 

82. The Land of Laughs by Jonathan Carrol

83. The Cellar by Richard Laymon

84. Red Dragon by Thomas Harris 

85. The Keep by F. Paul Wilson

86. The Dark Country by Dennis Etchison

87. In a Lonely Place by Karl Edward Wagner

88. The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers

89. The Arabian Nightmare, by Robert Irwin

90. The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks

91. The Ceremonies by T. E. D. Klein

92. Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock

93. Who Made Stevie Cry? by Michael Bishop

94. Song of Kali by Dan Simmons

95. Damnation Game by Clive Barker

96. Hawksmoor by Peter Ackroyd

97. A Nest of Nightmares by Lisa Tuttle

98. The Pet by Charles L. Grant

99. Swan Song by Robert McCammon

100. Dark Feasts by Ramsey Campbell

Biting into another vampire novel, and it is oh so good!

Fevre Dream

by George R. R. Martin

There are a plethora of vampire novels out there sitting on the shelves of bookstores and libraries, and it is a difficult task to distinguish between the humdrum and phenomenal. Lately I've been googling noteworthy vampire novels. I wanted to get past the the obvious great vampire novels like Stoker's Dracula, King's Salem's Lot, Rice's Interview with the Vampire, and Simmons' Carrion Comfort. After some searching, I discovered science fiction writer George R. R. Martin's vampire novel Fevre Dream. 

Fevre Dream is an outstanding vampire novel.  The story is unique and wonderfully written capturing the steamboat era's opulence, and abject imperceptibility in conjunction with slavery. From the first chapter Martin seizes my attention. There is no such thing as slow pace in this novel. The suspense is unbearable; I could not read fast enough!

Without revealing too much, the vampires in Fevre Dream are unique. They are an entirely different species. Martin explains the primordial history of the vampire, which makes reasonable sense. The book has a strong undertone theme of morality. The plot is found on an analogous correlation between master/slave and predator/prey. Simply, societies hierarchical system is questioned. Two powerful vampires struggle. Joshua wants to change the way his people live, and Damon sees nothing wrong with the old days even though the red thirst is conquered. Abner, a man of integrity is Joshua's only hope.   

If you're a horror enthusiast, this should be on your list of "to read" books (on the top). I loved it so much, I bought the signature edition. 

To the left is the signature edition, which is limited to 448 copies.

There are always two sides to a story (maybe more).

The Dracula Tape

by Fred Saberhagen

Bram Stoker published his renowned epistolary novel Dracula in 1897.  It is been adapted into numerous films, and personally my favorite is Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula. Since Dracula, there has also been a multitude of vampire novels, and the vampire has not been confined to one persona. Vampires has taken the role of villain, victim, and hero.  

In 1975 Fred Saberhagen published a rebuttal novel to Stoker's Dracula called The Dracula Tape. Saberhagen's version of Count Dracula is admirable; he is a victim to misunderstanding and circumstance that are beyond his control. 

Dracula divulges his side of the story into a tape recorder in the car of Mina Harker's descendants. Saberhagen establishes Dracula as a misunderstood protagonist through recounting the events of Dracula's quest to make London his new home and imploring the rationalization of his version of events. For example, Lucy was on the verge of death not because Dracula drank her blood but rather because of Van Helsing performed three blood transfusions.  

The Dracula Tape is an interesting way to reintroduce Dracula as a virtuous man.  However, I cannot say I fully enjoyed reading it. Throughout the book Saberhagen included lengthy quotes from Stoker's book to substantiate his assertions.  Thus, the book contained lackluster writing. On the upside, the ending was a surprise. The only creative feature of the book was telling the side of Dracula. Nevertheless, if you are interested in discovering the many facets of Dracula and vampire literature it is worth the couple of reading hours. Other novels of Saberhagen Dracula series is quite good such as An Old Friend of the Family.

Duma Key

by Stephen King

I went to Florida last week, and I took along Stephen King's Duma Key, which is his most recent publish novel.  It took me a while to read through Duma Key.  The lengthiness of the book, which is a little over 600 pages was not the cause of my slow reading pace, and most definitely the contents of the novel was not the reason but rather my lack of focus.  It was a perfect book to read during my vacation located close to the beach, because the story takes place in the Florida Keys and many of the scenes have an eloquent description of the beach and its sunrise. Stephen King was able to make a tranquil environment of the beach into a place of peril.    

Like in many Stephen King novels the characters and specially the protagonist are well developed.  The novel starts of quite slow paced, but those who are patient will be rewarded. At first, minor supernatural occurrences take place that pique curiosity, and then a bolt from the blue, a paramount ghastly occurrences happens.  Afterward there is a constant contend against the strange force from Duma Key. 

Synopsis:

The novel is narrating through the protagonist perspective, who is Edgar Freemantle. Freemantle struggle physically and emotionally after a calamitous accident.  He is propelled to start a new life, and that new life starts on Duma Key.  However, strange phenomena transpire as he starts a new vocation as an artist.  

Duma Key is so intriguing that after the conclusion, I still wanted to read more about Freemantle.  

Easton Press' 13 Horror Classics

Easton Press never list their entire collection titles, but I own the 13 Horror Classics collection. And since I am in a listing mood, here it is Easton Press's 13 of the greatest works of horror ever published from the 19th century. 

1. Tales of Soldiers and Civilians by Ambrose Bierce

2. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

3. The Monkey's Paw & Tales of Mystery and the Macabre by W. W. Jacobs

4. Ghost Stories of an Antiquary by M. R. James

5. In a Glass Darkly by Sheridan LeFanu 

6. The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

7. At the Mountains of Madness by H. P. Lovecraft

8. The Birds and Other Stories by Daphne Ou Maurier

9. Tales and Mystery & Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe

10. Frankenstein by Mary Shelly 

11.  The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyell and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

12. Dracula - Bram Stoker

13. The Island of Dr. Moreau by H. G. Wells

Happy Birthday Edgar Allan Poe.

Today, to remember the great American writer Mr. Poe, I went to the Poe Museum in the historical district of Richmond, Virginia. The museum boasts a large collection of Poe related materials such as rare first editions, hand written letters by Poe (Poe has a beautiful penmanship), and personal belongings such as clothes and a walking stick to list a few.

The museum is located in an Old Stone House that was establish in 1922. It is comprise of five separate areas, one of which was close due to construction. One must first enter the gift shop in order to view the rest of the compound. Admission of $6.00 is paid at the gift shop register. After paying, a sticker which states Poe Museum and has the prominent image of a raven is given that must be placed in visible sight. Then an informative green handout is given. It contains a map that is helpful for your self tour.

The museum has a lonesome atmosphere, for my husband and I were two out of the three visitors. Nevertheless, the museum is worth viewing for a Poe enthusiast. What makes the visit worth it to me is the rare first edition books, the beautifully written letters by Poe himself, and the Raven Room that exhibits illustrations created by James William Carling for the publication of The Raven in 1882.

Above are photographs of the Enchanted Garden. The first photograph is the bust of Poe that is the shrine for museum visitors. The second photograph is just one angle of the Enchanted Garden. The Garden was created to commemorate Poe's love of Gardens. Photography is prohibited in the museum.

Christmas gift = Bookish gift

I received two books as a Christmas gift this year. Well as you all know, (my small audience) I love books. My clever gift giver smiles and states, "It's a book about books". The first thing I did was open it, Nancy Pearl Book Lust: Recommended Reading For Every Mood, Moment, And Reason and flip to the science fiction, fantasy and horror section. I was gravely disappointed by Pearl's statement about horror. She comments, "Of all the genres, I have to say that horror is my least favorite...". Why? Horror is an extensive genre that encompasses almost anything that jolts the heart. It can be more than literature about supernatural beings that haunts your dreams. HWA has a great article titled: What is Horror Fiction? It is certainly worth reading for all believers that horror is a lackluster genre and also for the horror aficionados.

What is Horror Fiction?

Most of the horror fiction books that Pearl recommended I have already read, but there are two that I have not, which are William Hjortsberg's Falling Angel and Barabara Hambly's Those Who Hunt the Night. I have ordered them on Amazon, but Those Who Hunt the Night was not in stock, so I had to buy it used. If those are good, I will read more of Nancy Pearl's recommendations. As for my new Book Lust Journal, I have been jotting down books I have read for years.