Nightmares and Dreamscapes discussion

There will be a buddy read for A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny beginning October 23rd. This is a stand-alone fantasy perfect for Halloween! Anyone can join, please remember to use spoiler tags!



All is not what it seems…

In the murky London gloom, a knife-wielding gentleman named Jack prowls the midnight streets with his faithful watchdog Snuff – gathering together the grisly ingredients they will need for an upcoming ancient and unearthly rite. For soon after the death of the moon, black magic will summon the Elder Gods back into the world. And all manner of Players, both human and undead, are preparing to participate.

Some have come to open the gates. Some have come to slam them shut.

And now the dread night approaches – so let the Game begin.

Love it! I'm in. I'll be finished 'The Devils Door,' by then.

I'm wrapping up Rosemary's Baby now. I'll be ready to go!

Awesome, TheresaW.

Five days to go.

Yay!

looking forward to it! :D

I’m in. I adore this book and have read it several times. I actually try to read it every year on October 1st since it has exactly 31 chapters and is meant to be read for each day of the month.

Felina wrote: "I’m in. I adore this book and have read it several times. I actually try to read it every year on October 1st since it has exactly 31 chapters and is meant to be read for each day of the month."

I couldn't stretch it out like that ... (teasing way too much teasing).

Just opened this today and read the first page, but I'll put it aside until the 23rd.

I just added it to my Kindle.

J. wrote: "I just added it to my Kindle."

I hope it suits you, J. I love this story.

Graeme wrote: "Just opened this today and read the first page, but I'll put it aside until the 23rd."

This is always my problem! I'm so tempted to start early, then I finish way ahead of time. Not this time! :) I just wrapped up a book yesterday and I refuse to start this one until tomorrow! Waiting is going to be difficult though ...

So glad y'all are joining Felina and J.!

I have started reading this morning. I've read just enough to get a feel for what's happening. What a fun book! There's no way I could read it as it's intended - one chapter a day. :)

Starting this one now, let's go!

Just a few pages in but I can already tell that I will love this. Loving Snuff's POV so much!

I'm in the middle of October 17. (view spoiler)[ I am cackling at the trading of body parts going on here! This is hilarious, I am having such a good time with this! (hide spoiler)]

TheresaW wrote: "There's no way I could read it as it's intended - one chapter a day. :)"

More of a guideline than a rule ... 😉😎😁

On the first page, Snuff notes, 'I like being a watchdog better than what I was before he summoned me and gave me this job.'

I'd love to know what he was prior to his role with Jack.

Sally wrote: "I'm in the middle of October 17. [spoilers removed]"

At 27% in.

(view spoiler)[“Has anyone the broken vertebrae of a hanged man?” came a deep masculine voice with a Hungarian accent, from somewhere far to the right. There followed a minute’s silence. Then, “I’ve some mashed ones here! Dunno how they got that way, though!” “Perhaps they’ll do. Send them along, please!” Something white and rattling flashed through the starlit air. (hide spoiler)]

Pure macabre hilarity.

I find it interesting how faction membership remains unknown by agreed tradition until later on and early interactions can be mutually supportive.

I'm up to October 20.

Graeme, (view spoiler)[Familiars are usually demons pressed into service to their master by contract or possibly tricked into it. There are a few "familiars" in folklore which are literally aspects of their masters. Odin's ravens come to mind for that type.

Or are you teasing some bon mot which we find out later? (hide spoiler)]

I've been reading with this link playing in the background for ambience.
https://youtu.be/71q1Y83B2_Q

Nup, its a genuine question. I'd like to know, but it's probably impossible to find out, unless there's a letter or note by the Author floating around somewhere.

But, my feeling is that Snuff has not always been a dog.

Jack and Snuff's origins remain hidden in mystery ... as far as I can tell.

I just finished Oct 22.
(view spoiler)[Running straight into the Dream Cycle was a pleasant surprise. The memory of my 12 year old self poring over a ten cent paperback of H.P. Lovecraft's short stories came swimming out of my past. (hide spoiler)]

Was there much literature prior to Lovecraft that incorporated interdimensional travel?

Graeme wrote: "Was there much literature prior to Lovecraft that incorporated interdimensional travel?"

The House On the Borderland: From the Manuscript, discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog, in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland. Set out here, with Notes comes to mind.

Gotta wonder about the influences for HPL. I note, you're a fan of the dream cycle, I'm very much the opposite. It just left me cold.

@Graeme I just got The King In Yellow by Robert Chambers who was definitely an influence on Lovecraft. I haven’t read it yet, too many going at the moment. It’s stories.

I'm landing somewhere between you 2 on the dream cycle. It's hard to explain, I didn't exactly enjoy reading it but felt like it had the desired effect. I wish it had been a little more descriptive visually maybe. I'll have to reevaluate on a reread.

I'm up to October 27.

I have a thought about the unseen player.
(view spoiler)[Did Drac fake his death in order to kill off his competition quietly? If he is using a fourth tomb; that would explain why the pattern is off. I'm guessing that the actual location is "the dog nest" (hide spoiler)]

Graeme wrote: "Gotta wonder about the influences for HPL. I note, you're a fan of the dream cycle, I'm very much the opposite. It just left me cold."

The influence with which I think you would be fairly familiar was his pen pal and fellow pulp author, Robert E. Howard.

I think that the Cthulhu Mythos is stronger than the Dream Cycle because the Mythos was an expression of Lovecraft's nightmares, while the Dream Cycle was literally his dreams. That's kinda sad.

I've made it to October 30. I am on pins and needles and have been absolutely charmed by this story.

J. wrote: "The influence with which I think you would be fairly familiar was his pen pal and fellow pulp author, Robert E. Howard. ..."

There's definent cross-pollination occurring with a number of Cthulian mythos elements in REHs Conan stories. I can't speak for the rest of REHs work as I lack familiarity with it.

Sally wrote: "I've made it to October 30. I am on pins and needles and have been absolutely charmed by this story."

Awesome.

Alright guys, I’m not going to be able to read this. I can’t find it. I know I put it in a secret place to keep it safe and forgot where that place was. Lame!

I have always wanted to read the original books that are referenced in the book. Can you all give me the names? I’ll add them to my reading plan and be ready for this next October. I’ll read it with my little boy.

24%, Oct 16th. You can feel events building like an electric charge in the air.

Sally wrote: "I've made it to October 30. I am on pins and needles and have been absolutely charmed by this story."

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts once you've finished.

Felina wrote: "Alright guys, I’m not going to be able to read this. I can’t find it. I know I put it in a secret place to keep it safe and forgot where that place was. Lame!..."

When I was a child, I had a $2 note - a small fortune at the time sufficient to buy 10 comic books. I hid it in a figurine, then lost the figurine...

(Then again, I do have a number of older sisters....)

I've finished. I'll post a review after I've digested the book.

Graeme wrote: "Nup, its a genuine question. I'd like to know, but it's probably impossible to find out, unless there's a letter or note by the Author floating around somewhere.

But, my feeling is that Snuff has ..."

Snuff's true form is in the climax.

Felina wrote: "I have always wanted to read the original books that are referenced in the book. Can you all give me the names? I’ll add them to my reading plan and be ready for this next October. I’ll read it with my little boy."

The novels which I recognized:
Dracula
Frankenstein
The Hound of the Baskervilles
and a little bit of Peter Pan

The short stories:
The Whisperer in the Darkness, Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath, Celephais, and The White Ship all by H.P. Lovecraft

Movies:
The classic Universal Monster movies, especially The Wolfman.

J. wrote: "Snuff's true form is in the climax..."

I'll pay special attention to it.

J. wrote: "The classic Universal Monster movies, especially The Wolfman..."

Larry Talbot is lifted directly from that role, I think.

J. wrote: "Felina wrote: "I have always wanted to read the original books that are referenced in the book. Can you all give me the names? I’ll add them to my reading plan and be ready for this next October. I..."

Thank you!!!

I just finished! That ending was batshit bananas and exactly what I wanted! I know I missed so many easter eggs throughout, my knowledge of classic horror is bad and my memory is worse. But even if I had never read a single story sprinkled throughout this book I would have loved it. The fact that I got some of the main ones made it even better.

Thanks for suggesting this one Graeme! Definitely a new favorite for me.

Glad you loved it, Sally. Just about to dive back into it in 5 minutes time.

I've been so happy to see so many of my goodreads friends reading this, this month; as it is a yearly tradition since I met my husband (it's been a tradition for him for longer).
I should've realized you all were doing a buddy read! I take the long approach and do one chapter a day in October. It's hard to be slow, but when it's your 9th time through, it's possible. We're reading it as a family. My boys (5 and 3) are still a little young to understand all the amazingness that is this novel, but it's still fun nonetheless.
So I just finished October 26.
My favorite chapter is October 17th- as some have mentioned earlier. Its so comical to have characters (view spoiler)[ throwing parts and yelling out the parts they need. I love it so much (hide spoiler)] Even though I've read this so many times, I still pick up on things and like Felina- I'd like to read some more of the books that this is inspired from.

I'm kinda following poor Dr. Watson at the moment, he kinda gets abused by the Great Detective as he is constantly getting injured one way or another...

Like falling out of the druid's tree onto (silver lining) mistletoe...

I can see reading a chapter per day after having read it already. Virtually impossible for the first time though right?! I love that your family shares this tradition, makes me happy! Thanks for sharing, and I vote we make October 17 an international holiday for all!