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Horror fiction


TrumanB

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What are your favourite horror authors? It's one of my favourite genres.

I will just name some for the start:

- E. A Poe ( probably the most significant one, a true classic of literature in general )

- H. P. Lovecraft ( the greatest author of the genre of the 20th century, if you haven't heard for Cthulhu there must be something wrong with you! )

- Algernon Blackwood ( my favourite author of short stories, truly brilliant and somehow underestimated compared to the other greats )

- Shirley Jackson, M.R. James, Stephen King etc.

Currently, I'm reading Pet Sematary by Stephen King, I was told that this is probably his best work. His writing has its flaws but no one can deny his imagination and skill to create gore.

 

I think of this topic as a place where we can recommend good horror stuff. For example, I still haven't touched Clive Barker and I'm a shame of it!

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p.s. Now I see that there is Movies, Music, Books & Television Shows

Admin, maybe it's better to move the topic to that sub forum.

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My favorite author is Dean R. Koontz. Lightning is my favorite novel. Been waiting in vain for the movie for 30 years... <_<

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Clive Barker's early stuff was great. As was Stephen King. I like Pet Sematary, but I loved the "Gunslinger" series. Anne Rices "Vampire" series is pretty awesome.

My favorite short novel was "The Skin Trade" by George R.R. Martin. 

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50 minutes ago, TrumanB said:

 His writing has its flaws but no one can deny his imagination and skill to create gore.

"It" was the only book I couldn't finish and the only movie I would never watch. Not because it scared me. But because of what happens to kids. 

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19 minutes ago, sci-nerd said:

My favorite author is Dean R. Koontz. Lightning is my favorite novel. Been waiting in vain for the movie for 30 years... <_<

If there were a movie it would probably be awful. Just like Watchers, great book but horrible movie.

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2 minutes ago, SecretSanta said:

If there were a movie it would probably be awful. Just like Watchers, great book but horrible movie.

True! Most great novels make horrible movies! They always cut away the best stuff, or show it in a bad way!

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I don't know I think the original "Jaws Movie" and the book were great....Of course that was the only book Benchley ever wrote that I actually read..Never cared much for King...As far as horror authors go I don't have one..I use to follow a lot of the small press horror publications like the stuff Cemetary Dance publishes...There were a few others like Bloodletting Press etc..

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Talking about best titles I strongly recommend IN THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS by H.P.L, the best horror novel that I read so far. There is also a good film inspired by it ( In the mouth of madness ) but a lot different.

 

Regarding King, film Shining IMO is much better than the book.

Edited by TrumanB
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4 minutes ago, Alien Origins said:

I don't know I think the original "Jaws Movie" and the book were great....Of course that was the only book Benchley ever wrote that I actually read..Never cared much for King...As far as horror authors go I don't have one..I use to follow a lot of the small press horror publications like the stuff Cemetary Dance publishes...There were a few others like Bloodletting Press etc..

I recall i read jaws after seeing the movie many times and thought, hum book was good but i liked movie better,

I loved both the deep book and movie.

 

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13 minutes ago, the13bats said:

I recall i read jaws after seeing the movie many times and thought, hum book was good but i liked movie better,

I loved both the deep book and movie.

 

Yeah that got me interested in sharks at the time and I read everything I could get my hands on. Use to know quite a bit about sharks but as old age has sit in I have forgotten some of it.

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Did anyone read Thomas Ligotti? I read on one blog that he's the best contemporary horror writer, on the Lovecraft's path...

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It looks pretty underground. I prefer reading classics for now.

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2 hours ago, TrumanB said:

Did anyone read Thomas Ligotti? I read on one blog that he's the best contemporary horror writer, on the Lovecraft's path...

 

1 hour ago, Alien Origins said:

Brian Lumley might be close behind him but he's small press horror.

https://www.brianlumley.com

Ligotti is great, (start with Songs of a Dead Dreamer and Grimscribe) but Lumley is fantastic. His Necroscope series has a fantastic take on vampires and his collections of short stories are some of the most Lovecraftian inspired fiction you can find. Not to mention his Dream Cycle books that take place in Lovecraft's Dream World and the Titus Crow series, while probably deserves its own thread. Plus House of Doors and Maze of Worlds, The Pyschomech Trilogy.... Man, I forgot how much I like Lumley

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9 hours ago, TrumanB said:

It looks pretty underground. I prefer reading classics for now.

Believe you would like it....Small Press Horror publications are some of the best horror fiction on the market....And if your into collecting this type of literature some of them can bring big bucks!

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9 hours ago, Imaginarynumber1 said:

 

Ligotti is great, (start with Songs of a Dead Dreamer and Grimscribe) but Lumley is fantastic. His Necroscope series has a fantastic take on vampires and his collections of short stories are some of the most Lovecraftian inspired fiction you can find. Not to mention his Dream Cycle books that take place in Lovecraft's Dream World and the Titus Crow series, while probably deserves its own thread. Plus House of Doors and Maze of Worlds, The Pyschomech Trilogy.... Man, I forgot how much I like Lumley

Yeah. I have several of his Necroscope series books.

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5 hours ago, Alien Origins said:

Believe you would like it....Small Press Horror publications are some of the best horror fiction on the market....And if your into collecting this type of literature some of them can bring big bucks!

Well...maybe in 50 years but I don't think I'll live that long.

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6 minutes ago, TrumanB said:

Well...maybe in 50 years but I don't think I'll live that long.

No...Apparently your new to this small press horror publications....Your not going to get rich but these are not books you go to the local bookstore and buy. I guess thats what I was getting at....For instance Kielan Patrick Burke's chapbook "You In" there were only 300 copies of this book published and I have one of the 300! Look into it...Google Cemetery Dance, Subterrean Press etc...

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I live in a different part of the world. Ordering these books, paperback, would cost me a lot. Are there kindle editions?

But thanks anyway for the recommendations, I appreciate it. Maybe one day I'll be able to spend on them.

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Love Lovecraft, MR James and William Hope Hodgeson. Also Barker and most of King's short fiction, at least the Night Shift-era stuff. If Lovecraftia's you're thing, I highly recommend T.E.D. Klein. Criminally underproductive but he out-master's the master.

Lumley from what I've seen is ok but the man does not grasp the concept of the spoiler.

 

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Right now I'm reading Pet Sematary. King is really doing a good job, gradually raising eeriness.

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19 hours ago, Oniomancer said:

Love Lovecraft, MR James and William Hope Hodgeson. Also Barker and most of King's short fiction, at least the Night Shift-era stuff. If Lovecraftia's you're thing, I highly recommend T.E.D. Klein. Criminally underproductive but he out-master's the master.

Lumley from what I've seen is ok but the man does not grasp the concept of the spoiler.

 

I mentioned Lovecraft to someone once and they were like...oh...I don't believe in going against someone's free will. 

*headdesk*

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1 hour ago, GlitterRose said:

I mentioned Lovecraft to someone once and they were like...oh...I don't believe in going against someone's free will. 

*headdesk*

Good thing you didn't ask them if they liked Kipling.

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