What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

I'm a 21st century kind of guy with old-fashioned attitudes when it comes to certain topics. The only good monster is an evil monster, and the only good evil monster is a dead evil monster. I'm looking for books where people encounter supernatural beings and/or monsters, and the best response to the situation is "We have to kill it!" as opposed to "We have to have sex with it!"

To say that the paranormal romance genre has exploded in the last few decades is like saying bacon tastes good. True as far as it goes, but woefully inadequate at describing the sheer scale of the matter. I've got nothing against books that treat supernatural beings as people rather than irredeemable monsters. There are some great stories to be told using that premise, but that's not what I'm looking for. I'm looking for books with an old-school attitude, where it's monsters on one side and humanity on the other, and there ain't but room for one of 'em to survive.

Some examples of the type of book I'm interested in:

Vampire$ by John Steakley

The Bureau 13 series by Nick Pollotta

I don't care if it's serious drama/horror or comedy or a mix of the two. I don't care if the human side has its own supernatural operatives, as long as that's the exception rather than the norm. I'm just missing the good old days, when a man could kill a vampire without having to worry about the moral implications of the act. Is that so wrong?

How about Baltimore, or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire? I think the response of the characters in it is more "a scary monster! We need to run from it!" but at least the monsters are truly evil. It's like Canterbury Tales, in that it has a frame story and then smaller narratives throughout it, but from a literary horror perspective.

What about a monster that kills other monsters? I think the Nathaniel Cade series fits the bill otherwise - he certainly has no qualms about destroying other things like him.

Well, I guess I can't interest you in reading Twilight then?

It's Alive

I just finished a great one that is all about killing monsters, there's nothing pretty about this book, it is dark and dirty and jaw-dropping no-holds-barred amazing. Check out Blood Oranges by Kathleen Tierney A.K.A. Caitlin Kiernan.

The Strain trilogy by Del Toro. Trying to kill vampires. First book sets up and definitely no sex with them

You could try the Repairman Jack books by F. Paul Wilson.

The "Sandman Slim" books do both!

Not quite supernatural, but there's always It by Stephen King. The whole books is about them trying to kill that monster.

I am not a serial killer trilogy by Dan Wells.
Mostrumologist series by Rick Yancey.

How about the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare? They're demon slayers, but not entirely human themselves. There's also the Infernal Devices series, which is also demon slayers, but set in the 1800s.

For some real classics, have you read anything by H.P. Lovecraft

Thanks for all the suggestions, folks! Some I've heard of, some I haven't, but now I've got some good leads to check out.

Larry Correia's monsterhunter series Monster Hunter International, where they exterminate the monsters...well except for the troll they have that trolls the internet, trolling. heh.
Woops, didnt notice Bryan457 already had monsterhunter listed... Try the Laundry files by Charles Stross The Atrocity Archives

Dresden files by Jim butcher is a good one .

Blood Blade The skinners kick all kinds of supernatural butt in this series.

Lori Handeland has a series of monster hunters called Night Creature. Blue Moon is the first book. The U.S. Government has an entire branch devoted to finding--and exterminating--monsters. There is some romance in it--but the romance is usually between hunters, or hunters and civilians who then BECOME hunters. . . But they subscribe to your belief that "monsters are evil and should be exterminated."

I'm not sure of the etiquette...can I say that my books are about monster-hunting in Ancient Greece without tripping some 'self-promo' alarm?

Not sure if Peter is still looking for suggestions, but I didn't see Relic by Douglas Preston listed. It was also made into (IMO) a pretty good movie.

C. B.-as long as all you do is say that they match the parameters of the OP it's OK. Just no more than that.

lol..that is so freaking funny...ok, hmmm... Stephen King has one of those,

I'm with you on the whole paranormal romance genre: wildly overrated and vastly overpopulated.

The Passage by Justin Cronin. Seriously nasty beasts. Stephen King's The Mist and 'Salem's Lot. Richard Matheson's I Am Legend.

Gotta go with the original - Dracula.

I love the title of this thread.

Rampant

It's about killing monstrous unicorns.

The Hawk and Fisher series, while fantasy, is still about killing monsters. Swords of Haven: The Adventures of Hawk and Fisher. In addition to the 6 books of the "original" series, there is now a prequel and a book that is kind of an epilogue.