Horror Aficionados discussion

Okay, time to kick it in gear for our July read. I was thinking of a Lovecraftian theme? Anyone on board with that? Any suggestions?

I have one Lovercraft book.....

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward

jennbunny wrote: "I have one Lovercraft book.....

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward"

Every summer I usually start off with something by Lovecraft. It helps put me in the mood for the warm evenings. "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" is a fine pick. I've been thinking of going back to "The Dunwich Horror" later this week...I have a massive anthology with all the works, but sometimes I think a smaller anthology with selected stories is best.Stewart Sternberg

Everyone should read this story. It is masterful. Whether it's the July read or not, put it on your list.

The Thing on the Doorstep

Just to let everyone know, the stories don't have to be by Lovecraft. They can be set in or inspired by the Cthulhu mythos from other authors like Clark Ashton Smith, Brian Lumley, Graham Masterton, Stephen King, Caitlin R. Kiernan, short story anthologies, etc.

On the same note, yeah, HP Lovecraft suggestions are great too! :)

The Imago Sequence and Other Stories

Oooh, good one, Scott!

I don't know much about Lovecraft. I think my rejection by D&D Master Brad Carlton at the mall where we worked during high school, he of the "Cthulhu saves" bumper sticker, ruined this genre for me for decades to come.

So I will bow out and let you experts pick a good one and I'll read along.

Good to know Stewart....I will get reading on it promptly. I have been wanting to for a while and just haven't gotten around to it.

Honestly outside of his books and other short stories I'm kinda stumped on what to suggest...

jennbunny wrote: "I have one Lovercraft book.....

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward"

I have an anthology with this in it, so I second this

Hi, I'm new to the group, but I do have a couple of suggestions for works in a Lovecraftian vein (other than works by the master): Fred Chappell's Dagon is a fine short novel and Resume with Monsters by William Browning Spencer is both fun and frightening. Colin Wilson wrote two Lovecraftian novels: The Mind Parasites and The Philosopher's Stone. But for those not familiar with Lovecraft, The Case of Charles Dexter Ward and At the Mountains of Madness: The Definitive Edition are his only two short horror novels (with The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, though dark, being more of an imaginary world fantasy).

Résumé with Monsters is excellent! Only book I have ever gotten up early before work so that I could read more of. (Highest recommendation.)

The Domino Men also struck me as vaguely Lovecraftian. Another really good one.

Scott wrote: "Résumé with Monsters is excellent! Only book I have ever gotten up early before work so that I could read more of. (Highest recommendation.)

The Domino Men also str..."

I'm happy to hear that someone else liked Resume with Monsters that much. I'll be sure to check out The Imago Sequence and The Domino Men as well.

Some really awesome suggestions here. I'm going to set up the polls sometime this coming Friday, just to let everyone know.

I love to re-read At the Mountains of Madness and Other Tales of Terror, The Shadow Over Innsmouth, and The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories. I have most of Lovecraft's books on my bookshelf.

I recently bought At the Mountains of Madness: The Definitive Edition and The Best of H. P. Lovecraft: Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror and the Macabre which I would love to read. I'd be down with any Lovecraft though :)

Looks like most, if not all, this post is restored. How odd is that? LOL I swear, Goodreads needs a new server or something.

Thanks for your comment in this clone thread, Jenny! This thread somehow got split into two.

Jason wrote: "Some really awesome suggestions here. I'm going to set up the polls sometime this coming Friday, just to let everyone know."

Jason, when will you be posting the poll for July? Just curious. no pressure. :)

I'm doing it tonight. :)

I had some extra time, so I just finished doing the poll. Suggestions are therefore closed! :)

You can vote here:

http://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/50...

And happy reading!

Here's a question for my HA group...I've got the Barnes & Noble collection, HP Lovecraft: The Complete Fiction edited by ST Joshi. I've started reading it and have been thumbing through his earliest works and have yet to get to his more popular stories. I wonder, is Lovecraft actually scary? Are contemporary readers truly spooked by his writing...or are his stories just quaintly creepy? I mean, I get that he's a historically important writer in the horror genre - I already see that he's got a unique vision...but what's the secret to enjoying his (rather wordy) writing?? Or will I find that patience pays off in his later stories?

It's hard to say, Kent, as I don't know what story you're on. But, yeah, his stories do get scarier the farther you go. His fantasy works, or dream cycle stories, are really bad, imo.

I just read my first Lovecraft story the other night (The Call of Cthulhu), and I was impressed at how scary it was.

Yeah, what Kent said.

Call of Cthulhu is scary, Courtney! It was my first Lovecraft, too.

To those new to Lovecraft, I wouldn't start where Lovecraft himself started. LOL. Those stories are just not that great. Try Call of Cthulhu, Rats in the Walls, The Colour out of Space, and The Hound. Those are some of my favorites, off the top of my head.

My first Lovecraft was The Lurking Fear and Other Stories. My high school library had a few of these editions including that one.

Looking at the table of contents of that book, I'd have to say that The Hound, From Beyond, The Temple, The Outsider, and The Lurking Fear are the best ones, IMO.

Seems like a good collection, though. They are earlier works, not all are his beginnings, but they are before Call of Cthulhu, anyway.

"Beyond the Wall of Sleep" was always one of my favorites.

I didn't like that one as much. I'll have to read it again, though. I don't remember it. I just remember thinking that it was good, but not great.

Jason, thanks! I will check out the stories you listed!

No problem, Kent!

I have read the bulk of Lovecraft's work, and yeah, a lot of it is spotty. He really does hit his stride later when he starts writing longer stories. His early stories are good in terms of ideas, but they do lack in terms of structure.

Even his later stuff is clunky and too verbose, but he makes it work for him at that point in his career. He really did seem to be obsessed with trying to emulate Lord Dunsany.

I like the fact that his work is taken more and more serious and there has been some serious study and discussion about his influence in modern horror instead of people as just seeing it as Pulp fiction.

I like the shorter stories the best. The longer works tend to really ramble (Dream-Quest...)

I've been off the board for a bit so I'm only catching up with things today. I like the Lovecraft theme but I'm not sure if I'll be able to find The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. And... I want to start reading Jim Butcher's Storm Front - maybe I'll read both if I find Lovcraft's book!

Dream-Quest was okay at first, but then became like pulling teeth and fingernails to finish it.

It also kind of ruined the whole creep factor regarding the ghouls...

Greg wrote: "I've been off the board for a bit so I'm only catching up with things today. I like the Lovecraft theme but I'm not sure if I'll be able to find The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. And... I want to st..."

Greg,

Not sure if you are looking for an electronic version of the novel or not, but if you still read books without batteries this edition contains The Case of Charles Dexter Ward as well as other stories: The Thing on the Doorstep and Other Weird Stories.

It's also in Waking Up Screaming: Haunting Tales of Terror.

And there are a couple stand-alone editions floating around.

I like the Lovecraft dream stuff, but some of it gets hard to follow. I don't know if "The Dreams in the Witch House" counts as part of his dream cycle, but I am rather fond of that story!

Should be interesting to discuss Charles Ward. I last read that about two (three?) years ago.

I read it last year again, but it's a good one so I'm looking forward to reading it again!

I actually own Waking Up Screaming: Haunting Tales of Terror. No searching for it! Oh happy day!

Oscar wrote: "I have read the bulk of Lovecraft's work, and yeah, a lot of it is spotty. He really does hit his stride later when he starts writing longer stories. His early stories are good in terms of ideas, b..."

I totally agree with this, Oscar. I'm always surprised how popular Lovecraft is, but then realize that I love his work too. lol

I think in the stories he did well, he tended to excel beyond his peers. Then again, if it wasn't for August Derleth (spelling?), we probably would have never even heard of Lovecraft.

"The Dreams in the Witch House" is part of the dream cycle.

I read "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" back in high school and again a year or two ago. I don't remember my first impression of it (except that, like with many Lovecraft stories, the last line stuck in my mind) but the re-read was hard going. It really gets bogged down in the middle somewhere...but it picks up again.

Rong311 wrote: "Greg,

Not sure if you are looking for an electronic version of the novel or not, but if you still read books without batteries this edition contains The Case of Charles Dexter Ward as well as other stories: The Thing on the Doorstep and Other Weird Stories."

Scott wrote: "It's also in Waking Up Screaming: Haunting Tales of Terror.

And there are a couple stand-alone editions floating around."

Thanks guys! :) But guess what? I have the story in my copy of At the Mountains of Madness and Other Novels of Terror so it looks like I'll be able to read it next month even though I've already started Storm Front!

Oh and to answer your question, Rong311, I still prefer reading books without batteries!