Sci-fi and Heroic Fantasy discussion

Welcome to spooky month.

I have been reading Strange Detective Mysteries. It's 1902 and someone has gathered HG Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle, Harry Houdini, Bat Masterson, and Nicola Tesla together to attempt to solve the murder of Edgar Allen Poe. What starts as an interesting historical crime graphic novel, quickly develops beyond that with the introduction of androids and time travellers.

I finished off end of September with my first book of Spooky Season, Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon. It's folk horror from 1973. The MC, his wife, and teen daughter have moved from New York city to a quaint and isolated New England village called Cornwall Coombe. They moved to escape the city pollution, crime, and stressful jobs to instead pursue artistic hobbies and get back to nature. It's written a lot like a pastoral novel portraying a sleepy, idyllic farming community, but with increasing hints of darkness and violence. It felt a lot like a retelling or tribute to a particular ancient myth (won't say which to avoid spoilers). Reminded me of Growth of the Soil in the themes in explores, and Naomi's Room with the mix of slowburn pacing with shocks of violence.

Just started a few pages of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia as my next spooky read. I'm super excited for a couple other spooky books this month, but I've decided to save them for a little later.

After finishing Strange Detective Mysteries, which was fun, but had some flaws in both the writing and art. I have started another graphic novel - Sherlock Holmes: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Holmes.

I'm still working through A Lion Among Men so can't start my spooky novels yet, but I can start a Lovecraft inspired graphic novel - Randolph Carter T01: La Ville sans nom by Simon Treins

And if anyone is looking for spooky reads, GR put up this list, and apparently you get a bonus reading achievement if you tackle one of them by the end of the year :)

https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/3...

Mexican Gothic is there so NekroRider made a good pick. I had that one and Dracul on my potential to-read this month.

That's a good list, Andrea! Thanks for sharing.

Finished the two volumes of Randolph Carter, this is a new series so I don't get to find out how it ends yet. Pretty decently weaves the Lovecraftian mythos around Randolph Carter, who is a character of Lovecraft's, but fills in some of his history as a member of the French Foreign Legion and the weird stuff he runs into while abroad.

Ok, I couldn't resist, the library had Bunnicula Strikes Again! by James Howe. I have fond memories of the earlier books in the series and since its spooky month thought this would be a fun, quick trip down memory lane.

Trying to finally finish The Blade Itself. love it, just been distracted. Finish Memories of Ice 3rd reread. Vamphyri by Brian Lumley, Between Two Fires Christopher Buelman, Couple of Conan pastiche, and something new to me

Next up is the graphic novel version of Fevre Dream. Finally getting into some real vampire territory.

Finished A Lion Among Men, I still haven't quite decided if I like these books or not :) Definitely don't read if you don't like reading about pitiful characters leading depressing lives.

Next book should be a quickie, continuing the Cirque du Freak series - Hunters of the Dusk by Darren Shan