Casual Readers discussion

Please help keep this discussion active so it doesn't get deleted! Talk anything and everything horror here from favorite authors, books, published articles, etc.

alright!

Yes! Horror is my go-to genre. It's like chocolate candy for me: It's a guilty pleasure of which I easily consume more than I probably should.

Obviously Stephen King is THEE MAN in this genre, but some of the less well-knowns worth checking out in my opinion are: Ramsey Campbell, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Glen Hirshberg, Tim Lebbon, Adam Nevil, Richard Laymon, Brian Keene, Joe McKinney, Joe Schreiber, Joe R. Lansdale, Tom Piccirilli, and Joyce Carol Oates just to name a few of the more modern ones.

I tried to read A Choir of Ill Children and it freaked me out so much that I had to stop. The writing was awesome, from what I read. But it made me so uncomfortable that I couldn't go on. I want to try another book by him. Has anyone here read this book and if so what did you think?
A Choir of Ill Children Tom Piccirilli

Chuck wrote: "Yes! Horror is my go-to genre. It's like chocolate candy for me: It's a guilty pleasure of which I easily consume more than I probably should.

Obviously Stephen King is THEE MAN in this genre, bu..."

You have some great names in your list Chuck. I just finished Last Days by Adam Nevil a couple months ago, very eerie. Charles Grant is also one of my favorites, with his Oxrun series of books.

Jane wrote: "I tried to read A Choir of Ill Children and it freaked me out so much that I had to stop. The writing was awesome, from what I read. But it made me so uncomfortable that I couldn't go on. I want t..."

I haven't read that, but it sounds good.

Rick wrote: "Chuck wrote: "Yes! Horror is my go-to genre. It's like chocolate candy for me: It's a guilty pleasure of which I easily consume more than I probably should.

Obviously Stephen King is THEE MAN in ..."

Thanks. That sounds good too. Have you read ? I thought that was pretty spooky myself.

Chuck wrote: "Rick wrote: "Chuck wrote: "Yes! Horror is my go-to genre. It's like chocolate candy for me: It's a guilty pleasure of which I easily consume more than I probably should.

Obviously Stephen King is..."

Not yet, but I heard about it while reading Last Days. That's going to the front of my ever growing TBR list.

I typically only read Stephen King but I am beginning to expand my horror authors somewhat. I have read Joe R. Landsdale, Justin Evans, Clive Barker, Richard Laymon and Jack Ketchum.

Michelle wrote: "I typically only read Stephen King but I am beginning to expand my horror authors somewhat. I have read Joe R. Landsdale, Justin Evans, Clive Barker, Richard Laymon and Jack Ketchum."

I have got to read some Ketchum. I can't believe I haven't.

I pretty much, a lot of the time anyway, pick my horror books from the Bram Stoker Award Nominees & Winners. I'm trying to knock out the list.

http://www.horror.org/blog/?p=4232

http://www.horror.org/stokerwinnom.htm

http://www.horror.org/blog/?p=3211

Chuck wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I typically only read Stephen King but I am beginning to expand my horror authors somewhat. I have read Joe R. Landsdale, Justin Evans, Clive Barker, Richard Laymon and Jack Ketchu..."

I would recommend starting Ketchum with or
I have read others but these are certainly HORROR all the way.

Thanks Adam!

Adam wrote: " would recommend starting Ketchum with The Girl Next Door or Off Season
I have read others but these are certainly HORROR all the way. "

I'll do that. Thanks!

A CHOIR OF ILL CHILDREN will probably be next on my to-read list after SWAN SONG. I agree with Adam - even though I haven't read a ton of Ketchum, everything I've read so far has been top-notch. I'd recommend holding off on his book HIDE AND SEEK and moving on to OFF SEASON and OFFSPRING. The earlier book, H&S, while decent, seems like a warm-up for the others in hindsight.

Evans wrote: "A CHOIR OF ILL CHILDREN will probably be next on my to-read list after SWAN SONG. I agree with Adam - even though I haven't read a ton of Ketchum, everything I've read so far has been top-notch. I'..."

I would also check out . You can read that one in one sitting and it is very powerful. Not so much horror, but Ketchum writes in several genres successfully. Another great one was
This one is a western with a weird supernatural premise. Very cool. Like a Sam Peckinpah film.

Adam, I agree on the Ketchum selections. I read both Off Season and Off Spring. I found one more along the lines of horror than the other ... can't remember which was which now though. They're both good books.
The Girl Next Door is good but extremely disturbing I thought. It's supposed to based on actual events which make it even worse.
Just ordered Hide and Seek sine I haven't read it.

I have had my eye out for a copy of for awhile. I have heard great things about it.

Chuck wrote: "Rick wrote: "Chuck wrote: "Yes! Horror is my go-to genre. It's like chocolate candy for me: It's a guilty pleasure of which I easily consume more than I probably should.

Obviously Stephen King is..."

Thanks for suggestion The Ritual. Added to my TO READ list!

Michelle wrote: "Adam, I agree on the Ketchum selections. I read both Off Season and Off Spring. I found one more along the lines of horror than the other ... can't remember which was which now though. They're both..."

Hide and Seek was enjoyable. Lots of character work and nice build up. Very visual, when I think about that book I feel more like I am remembering a movie that I saw than a book that I read.

Peaceable Kingdom - I'm going to suggest that for the September read. Keep forgetting about that one!

Awesome! You guys are getting me all psyched up--I LOVE IT! Bring on some Ketchum!

I have a book from Barnes and Noble that has a lot of collected works from Lovecraft. Haven't had the time to get in to it yet.

Lovecraft - some great stuff and some terrible stuff, but that's just one man's opinion.

I agree Jason. He's hit or miss for me. I do recognize the influence he had on the horror genre, but I always liked Poe better.

There is no beating Poe.

Haven't read Lovecraft, but don't plan to, either. Most Lovecraft-inspired stuff leaves me cold, but that's just my personal taste. Poe, Bradbury, Matheson, Lansdale, Laymon, Ketchum...more my style. Ancient giant monsters underneath the earth just don't keep me up at night, but to each their own. I respect the legacy that Lovecraft's work has established.

I've never gotten into Lovecraft either. As has been noted though, he's been a huge influence on the horror genre. I've also read a few inspired works that I didn't think were that great. I would like to learn more about him though, and see if that makes any difference. But I'm in no hurry. I do love classic horror though, so maybe one day.

Just got Hide & Seek today! Looking forward to reading it ... eventually.

Let us know what you think

Chuck wrote: "I've never gotten into Lovecraft either. As has been noted though, he's been a huge influence on the horror genre. I've also read a few inspired works that I didn't think were that great. I would l..."

Which Lovecraft have you tried, Chuck? I haven't read much by him, but the ones I have read were pretty effing scary. I've heard his shorter stories are better than his longer ones.

I loved both The Call of Cthulhu and The Rats in the Walls.

Courtney wrote: "Chuck wrote: "I've never gotten into Lovecraft either. As has been noted though, he's been a huge influence on the horror genre. I've also read a few inspired works that I didn't think were that gr..."

No, I haven't read any. I have only read tribute-like stuff. But I'll certainly check out whatever you recommend. Thanks a lot!

I've wanted to read The Rats in the Walls.

Courtney wrote: "Chuck wrote: "I've never gotten into Lovecraft either. As has been noted though, he's been a huge influence on the horror genre. I've also read a few inspired works that I didn't think were that gr..."

I haven't read Lovecraft for years, but I enjoyed reading him. Pickman's Model was a fun short story.

I'm not much of a horror fan, usually sticking to Stephen King and Dean Koontz (though I don't think Koontz's stuff always counts), but I'm currently reading a collection of Lovecraft. I won a tribute collection from the giveaways, so I figured I should read the real thing first. I really enjoyed The Rats In The Walls, but am currently being blown away by At The Mountains Of Madness. Its a long one though--almost a hundred pages.....

Just got my Lovecraft collection today, it's the Barnes and Noble complete and unabridged collection. One of the things I love about this book is that it has little notes at the beginning of each story that can add a little more depth and insight. We're still in the never ending process of moving and although my books were the first thing I wanted to have here, they're the most to move so it's pretty slow going.

And heavy too! That was the biggest problem I ran into when we moved.

Yeah, I'm going through my stuff to see what I can live without and the books are one thing that I can't so they're all making their way here :)Mine seem to be mostly hard backs too.

Richard Laymon is a beast! his books are terrifying!!!
I have read many books but his have truly scared the
cr*p out of me.

I've only read The Midnight Tour by Laymon. It was creepy but I found it laden with sex and that always dampens the horror for me. I have a couple more of his to try.

I've read a little bit of Laymon. He was definitely a bit of a perv. I wonder what that says about me, lol: ISLAND was a solid four-star read for me.

The ending was GREAT!

Thanks Chuck. I think I have Island on my Kindle.

Michelle wrote: "Thanks Chuck. I think I have Island on my Kindle."

Awesome. I find Laymon's writing to be really fluent, too. I've only read a couple of his books but they were both really easy reads. You could read ISLAND in a few hours easily.

I can't believe took so long for me to read ... I think it's me and not the book. It was a good book but the action didn't seem to pick up until after the half-way point.

Chuck wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Thanks Chuck. I think I have Island on my Kindle."

Awesome. I find Laymon's writing to be really fluent, too. I've only read a couple of his books but they were both really easy r..."

I might read that next ... should finish one of the many others that I'm "currently reading" though I guess. As far as reading Island in a few hours ... I doubt it, for me at least. We'll see how it goes though :)

Michelle wrote: "Chuck wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Thanks Chuck. I think I have Island on my Kindle."

Awesome. I find Laymon's writing to be really fluent, too. I've only read a couple of his books but they were both..."

Island is a pretty thick book. It took me a few days but very well worth the read. It will throw you off the edge of expection

Adam wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Chuck wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Thanks Chuck. I think I have Island on my Kindle."

Awesome. I find Laymon's writing to be really fluent, too. I've only read a couple of his books b..."

Thanks Adam. I didn't think it was that "thick" of a book but that just encourages me more really ;)

Michelle wrote: "Adam wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Chuck wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Thanks Chuck. I think I have Island on my Kindle."

Awesome. I find Laymon's writing to be really fluent, too. I've only read a couple o..."

Maybe I should have chosen my description more carefully, Michelle. ;)

Adam,
Just looked up Island on Amazon and it is a pretty big book ... over 500 pages. So you're description is pretty accurate after all :)

I know, its just with Laymon things can be um misconstrued.