Beach Scene Desktop Wallpaper

An aberrant of relatively warm weather between the cold and snow in February must be homage with a quick stop at the beach, precisely Long Beach, New York.

Pathway To The Ocean
Birdie Prints
Click on image obtain larger image 2560 X 1600.

Glass Soup by Jonathan Carroll

Glass Soup

by Jonathan Carroll

I enjoyed reading “The Ghost In Love” so much that I bought another Jonathan Carroll novel, “Glass Soup”. I did not know prior to reading “Glass Soup” that some of the characters were from his previous novel called “White Apples”. Nevertheless, “Glass Soup” is comprehensible without reading the prequel and sated my desire for a striking imaginative fantasy.

Similar to Carroll’s most recent novel “The Ghost In Love”, “Glass Soup” explores the concept of life and death. Cosmic equilibrium is contended for between good and evil. Bring back her beloved Vincent from death, Isabelle has inadvertently initiated Chaos’ ability to think and become a formidable contender creating nefarious adversary John Flannery. Tipping the balance dependence on whether Isabelle Nuekor’s and Vincent Ettrich’s child Anjo, is born in land of death.

Broximon, an infinitesimal man that can fit into a manila envelope and Bob, a polar bear that is God are just two of Jonathan Carroll’s surreal characters, but Carroll’s main characters are multidimensional serving to establish realistic characters. An aspect that manifests realism is that almost all of the main characters have committed adultery or has character flaws, but these moral imperfections are only an aspect that constitutes being human. In addition, Carroll’s witty humor pervades throughout the book. For example, Carroll conveys nemesis John Flannery despicable lascivious persona when he writes, “John Flannery was writing in his journal when the doorbell rang. He stopped, capped the silver fountain pen, and read what he had just written: Up close, most women’s pussies look like a piece of chewed gum” (p. 245).

I will most certainly look forward to another Jonathan Carroll novel.

The Ghost In Love: A Novel by Jonathan Carroll

The Ghost In Love: A Novel 

by Jonathan Carroll

"The Ghost In Love” is more than a mere ghost story regarding love. Jonathan Carroll creates an unpredictable story that tackles the subject of destiny and identity using unconventional circumstances that will make you laugh and discern that those are some profound prose that can motivate the most cynical human being. Love is a principal component, but not the cliché, I would do anything for you, rather how love can guide you to happiness. A clandestine confabulation between man and best friend (dog) conducted in a secure atmosphere (refrigerator), the angel of death appearing on a plate of bacon and eggs, and cancer floating around as a pink substance looking for its assignment seems preposterous, but Jonathan Carroll has a talent for making outlandish circumstances realistic.

Synopsis:

Ben Gould, a man that should have died has come back with extraordinary abilities that seem more like a neurosis, which has overtaxed his relationship with girlfriend German Landis. Ben must find a way to put his life back together, but he must contend with his nemesis, someone we have all probably contended with throughout life. With his ghost Ling, dog Pilot, ex-girlfriend German, and death survivor Danielle Voyles, Ben is the evolution of humanities quirk to that pesky problem called death. 

I am rushing to buy another Jonathan Carroll novel.

Happy Holiday!

Courtesy of my new macro lens. 

Bookmarks' Best Books of 2008

Occasionally I will buy Bookmarks' magazine to find my next entertaining read. I like to travel with a book review magazine; it helps when I lack the concentration for a novel. The only gripe I have is there should be more reviews for the science fiction section. For the closing of 2008 Bookmarks has compiled a list of their staff's favorites, which were reviewed earlier in the year. 
The List:
Fiction

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

Netherland by Joseph O'Neil

Lush Life by Richard Price

Dear American Airline by Jonathan Miles

Last Night at the Lobster by Steward O'Nan

Now You See Him by Eli Gottlieb

The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff

The House on Fortune Street by Margot Livesey

Zeroville by Steven Erickson

Sway by Zachary Lazar

The Hearts of Horses by Molly Gloss

So Brave, Young, and Handsome by Leif Enger

The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich

The Theory of Clouds by Stéphane Audeguy 

Trespass by Valerie Martin

The Bad Girl by Mario Vargas Llosa 

The Gathering by Anne Enright

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

Telex from Cuba by Rachel Kushner 

Fieldwork by Mischa Berlinski

Signed, Mata Hari by Yannick Murphy

The Commoner by John Burnham Schwartz

The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng

Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin

Say You're One of Them by Uwen Akpan

The Boat by Nam Le

The Forgery of Venus by Michael Gruber 

Slip of the Knife by Denise Mina

Winter Study by Nevada Barr

The Legal Limit by Martin Clark

One for Sorrow by Christopher Barzak (planning to read soon)

An Autumn War by Daniel Abraham

Nonfiction

Soldier's Heart by Elizabeth D. Samet

The Good Rat by Jimmy Breslin

The Fortune Cookie Chronicles by Jennifer 8. Lee

Apples & Oranges by Marie Brenner

The Eaves of Heaven by Andrew X. Pham

Counselor by Ted Sorensen

Little Heathens by Mildred Armstrong Kalish

Journals by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.

Agent Zigzag by Ben Macintyre

The Forger's Spell by Edward Dolnick

Retribution by Max Hastings

This Republic of Suffering by Drew Gilpin Faust

The Slave Ship by Marcus Rediker

The Day of Battle by Rick Atkinson

A Land So Strange by Andrés Reséndez

Your Inner Fish by Beil Shubin

Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku

The New York Times' 100 Notable Books of 2008

Soon another year will past. 2009 is just around the corner. Reflecting on 2008, compilations of outstanding books are emerging. This week's The New York Times’ Book Review (Holiday Books) has a compilation of 100 Notable Books of 2008, fiction and nonfiction. I feel rather indifferent, but also discomfit, for I have not read any of the books on this list. After perusing the list, though I do read books outside the genre of horror, fantasy, and science fiction, I do not have an inclination to go visit the nearest bookstore to buy many books from the list. Two books in the fiction category did stand out. While in Barnes & Noble, I skimmed through “Dear American Airlines” by Jonathan Miles, which I thought was witty but did not buy it due to expensive purchases relating to my limited edition book collecting tendencies. The one book that did pique my interest in the compilation is with no surprise related to the supernatural with a philosophical twist, “The Sacred Book of The Werewolf” by Victor Pelevin, translated by Andrew Bromfield. Here is the list. In addition, compilations of the The New York Times' best books for the past ten years are accessible.

Collector's Edition of The Tales of Beedle the Bard

When I arrived home from a long day, my doorman handed me a wonderful package. It was evident from the smile on the box that it was from Amazon. My preorder of J.K. Rowling’s Collector’s Edition “The Tales of Beedle the Bard” is finally here in my hands. I could not wait to rush upstairs to open my book dose for the day.

It was well packages to not shift around in the box. The book was plastic wrapped then covered with a soft paper slipcase. The disguised wizard textbook that contains “The Tales of Beedle the Bard” is marvelously built. The front cover, back cover, and spine feels like it is made out of leather. The front cover is impressed with the title and an illustration by J.K. Rowling. The fake pages of the textbook are made of slabs of wood, painted gold and page lines are carved to create a realistic look. Inside on the right, “The Tales of Beedle the Bard” is stored in a burgundy velvet bag, and to the left is a side pocket, which holds an envelope containing 10-printed illustration by J.K. Rowling. The book looks very similar to the handwritten book J.K. Rowling auctioned at Sotheby except for the lack of tattered page edges, and the bookmark is not green but blue. I am very satisfied with my purchase of the Collector’s Edition; all I need now is a reading copy.

Click "Read more..." to view the 10-printed illustrations, which is not available with the standard edition or original and photographs of my copy.

Pages within "The Tales of Beedle the Bard"

Front of the envelope, which contains the 10-printed illustrations

Front of disguised wizard textbook

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - A Short Story and A Movie

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Many books when adapted for the motion pictures, has subtle changes, sometimes-vast changes. When short stories are adapted for the motion picture, it is highly likely that there will be vast changes.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald is about 26 pages. Consequently, it is expected to have many aspects in the film that was not present in the book. Although the movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button starring Brad Pitt will not be release in theaters until December, around Christmas time, viewing the trailer demonstrates detail contrasts.

The first distinction between the short story and the movie is the physical appearance of Benjamin Button at birth. Granted that books have more leeway than the movies, the book describes Button as an old man with a long grey beard whose legs hang from the hospital’s baby crib. However, in the movie, Button is small as an average baby but appears to be a septuagenarian with aged wrinkled skin. Another distinction that immensely changes the story is Benjamin Button’s cognitive ability. In the book, when born Button’s has the intellectual level of a wise elderly man, but in the movie, Button’s intellectual level is of a normal infant.

The short story has a theme that while Button gets younger so does his intellectual ability correspond with his physical changes; he is finally in harmony physically and intellectually, and eventually is socially accepted. Fitzgerald short story demonstrates that Button had an entire life experience, as would a normal person even though he has had an aberrant beginning. Thus, there is a major theme difference between the short story and the movie. Lastly, in the book, Button’s father never leaves him on a stranger's doorsteps. In my perspective, it is essential for Button to be raised by his relentless father who has a mindset that his child is average, because it illuminates the second half of Button’s life with congruity. Nevertheless, I am going to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in theaters December, because well, I am curious.

Leash, Bone, and Acquired book before release date

I had to do a few errands today. One of them was to buy a new leash and bone for my mother's dog, Tiffany. Tiffany is an American Pit Bull with the sweetest temperament. I insist, she thinks she is a Chihuahua. She shies away from aggressive dogs. Even a teacup Yorkshire terrier can have her shaking like a leaf. Demonstrating Pit Bulls are not innately aggressive, but people make them aggressive. 

Anyway, after going to PetSmart, I stopped next-door to Borders. There I saw a new horror anthology edited by Peter Straub. The anthology Poe's Children, represents horror writers that do not write stereotypical horror gore, but share aspects of the eminent Edgar Allan Poe's dark literature. The book includes 24 short stories with some heavy weight horror authors such as Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Joe Hill, Ramsey Campbell, and David J. Schow. When I went to enter my new book into my digital library, I realized this book is not supposed to be available until October 14. This is the first time; I was able to get a book before the release date. I know it is not extraordinary, but to me, it is very cool.

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.

Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book

by Neil Gaiman

I have read the Harry Potter series and the Twilight Saga. Yet, I must admit children books are not on my foremost list of books to read, but Neil Gaiman’s latest novel is a children’s book called The Graveyard Book, which meant I had to read it.

How is it possible for a baby or child to survive without human tending? There are circumstances that feral animals such as wolves and monkeys have embraced children, nurturing them as their own. Fictional stories, The Jungle Book and Tarzan of the Apes have romanticized this notion, as it has enthralled children and adults. Neil Gaiman an admirer of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book has written his own version of unpredictable nurturers.

After a cold-blooded murder of his family, a baby is thrust into the world without a soul. With the killer on the hunts to eliminate the entire family, the baby soon to be name Nobody Owens (nicknamed Bod) needs protection. Denizens of a graveyard amalgamate to support Bod, and welcome him to his new home, the graveyard. The support of the supernatural provides Bod with supernatural abilities, but he is still vulnerable.

Gaiman weaves a world of not only ghost, but also of an intricate supernatural realm. Each chapter of The Graveyard book is entertaining, revealing subtle information that illuminates about the characters and the main plot. Fantasy, and supernatural enthusiast should definitely read Neil Gaiman's new book.

A. Lee Martinez's Too Many Curses

Too Many Curses
by A. Lee Martinez 

Too Many Curses is A. Lee Martinez's fifth and most recent novel. Like all his novels except The Automatic Detective, which is the only Martinez's book that I have not read, Too Many Curses is what I would call a comical fantasy. Reading an interview, I discovered Martinez does not intentionally try to write comically, and this is seen in his writing style. The humorous aspects flow naturally with his story; it is never trying. 

Similar to Martinez's other comical fantasies, the characters are all unique, and his protagonist is the underdog with many idiosyncrasies that do not always attribute to the classic hero, in this circumstance heroine. Nessy, a kobold with dog like features (can be similar to Germanic mythological kobold, but also differs) is lowly housekeeper for Margle, a diabolical wizard that meets an unfortunate end, which leaves Nessy to protect and maintain the inhabitance of his castle. The inhabitances of the castle are Margle's foes that he has cursed into bizarre forms and monsters he has created and collected. For instance, Margle's brother Yazpib is a gooey substance of teeth and eyes in a glass jar. Almost all Margle's cursed adversaries have their own story to tell, and participates with Nessy to fight the forces contending to destroy the castle and the creatures within it.

Though I enjoyed reading Too Many Curses, and thought that the many characters within the story were interesting, Nessy I believed lacked depth until the end. I did not seem to care about her well-being as much as I cared for other supporting characters like Sir Thedeus, the bat. Nevertheless, it was a good magical story with imaginative characters, but my favorite A. Lee Martinez book is still Gil's All Fright Diner. If you are a fantasy fan that appreciates humor then you should read A. Lee Martinez's books. 

Another humorous writer I recommend is Christopher Moore especially his novel A Dirty Job

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.

Nightmare Before Christmas Bookends

It’s September 17th, and you know what that means, there are only 44 days until Halloween and stores are ready, supplied for demand. I have a fondness for this ghoulish holiday. Stalking across my neighbors’ threshold, wearing a sinister witchy costume, filling my plastic pumpkin with an ample supply of candy is reminiscent of my childhood. The colorful costumes, the glow of jack-o’-lanterns, the dry corns hanging, the brisk cool air, and the ground ablaze with dry leaves commences my holiday spirit. I have digressed from the topic, which is The Nightmare Before Christmas bookend set, but the movie evokes Halloween nostalgia. In addition, as a Tim Burton admirer, I love the claymation film, and Danny Elfman’s songs and score contributes to the enchantment of the film.

Anyhow, I consider myself lucky; I purchased the last set of bookends and candleholders. After some (Velma) snooping, I found out that these items availability at the Disney store are limited. It is not even selling on the Disney online store. The Nightmare Before Christmas bookends are of the Mayor’s car. The headlights actually lights up as well as the back hanging lanterns.



The Nightmare Before Christmas bookends now supporting my Easton Press 13 Classic Horror collection.


(front of car) side and front view


(back of car) back view


(back of car) right side view


(back of car) left side view

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. 

Reading on your iPhone

If you are an iPhone user, and love reading, you will be delighted with version 2.0 apps. A long time ago, I was a PC user, but after my hard drive crashed, and I lost irreplaceable files, I switched to an Apple and never looked back. The only thing that I miss about a PC is Microsoft Reader. Nevertheless, I was still able to use Reader with my Hewlett Packard phone. After giving up my HP phone for an iPhone, I soon started to miss my digital reading device on the train, or while stuck in traffic.

Now iPhone has different apps that can read electronic books. The free application eReader only read books bought or uploaded from their online eBookstore. Their site does provide a few free books. Another application BookShelf cost $9.99. It supports uploading your own electronic books in various formats such as.txt, .html, .fb2, .pdb, .prc, and, .mobi. However, both apps lack the ability to read .lit format, which is a Microsoft Reader format. Anyway, I am on a budget and I do not want to buy an app to read public domain books, which is not compatible with the .lit format (University of Virginia Library has many free electronic ebooks in .lit, pdb and html). Searching for an app that would read .lit, I found Stanza. Right now Stanza is free on Beta version. Their website LexCycle, has a free library of public domain books that can be uploaded to the iPhone once downloaded to a Mac. Furthermore, there is no restriction where to obtain electronic reading material. Stanza’s supports numerous formats.