Shadowland by Peter Straub. Only about 30 pages in, but I'm enjoying it already.

Much better than that fiasco by R.L. Stine.

I read SHADOWLAND a long time ago a thought it was pretty good.
http://i819.photobucket.com/albums/z...92011_0000.jpg
Just finished this today. Excellent. Some truly creepy stuff, especially the last story, "The Lovely House" by Shirley Jackson, loaded with dreamlike eccentricity and not unlike that line from "Hotel California": You can check out anytime you want but you can never leave. Highly recommended.

Life to the Dead
 

It's based on the black plague era "zombie like" parasitic infection that may have lead to the whole idea of zombies in the first place. I've heard recently that the idea of flesh eating mindless humans comes from the memory of people that were infected with a type of parasitic fungus that controls the body and brain in order to feed itself and find new hosts. It kind of makes sense because 14th century London was a very unsanitary place where people didn't know anything about germs and the whole idea of demon possession was popular. One demon, known as Eurynome, came from that era and was called the eater of corpses.

http://m.npr.org/story/141832947?url...ling-parasites

http://www.amazon.com/Life-Dead-Seth...0002862&sr=8-1

With the power out from Saturday til today i had plenty of time to read so i finished Joe Hill's 20th Century Ghost's and read about halfway through Gord Rollo's Valley of The Scarecrow

What did you think of 20TH Century Ghosts.

Ive heard Shadowland is one of the best horror novel of the 19th century. Also heard its a tough read as Straub likes to put kinda spin you around so to speak.
Let us know how it was please.

I loved it. The stories are amazing. Joe Hill is really good.

yes he is. Heart-shaped Box is still one of my favorite books.

Reading a few more stories out of THE CALL OF CUTHULHU by H.P. Lovecraft: "The Festival" and almost through "He." For some reason these two stories have a different feel to them than the previous ones in this collection. Not sure if it's the strong sense of autobiography oozing from the bizarre nostalgia or superior mastery of the storytelling but --- for me at least --- they are truly gripping and creepy.

I still need to read that and Horns

I loved Heart-Shaped Box. To be honest, I'm starting to like his writing more than his father's. They're both terrific though.

Can't believe I missed this-that is one of my all time faves definitely Straub's best-you will love it.

Right now I'm switching back and forth between World War Z by Max Brooks and Cat on the Scent by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown.

Just picked up the new (and huge) Stephen King tome, 11/22/63.

http://www.amazon.com/11-22-63-Steph...1387033&sr=8-1

Oh yah, I'd love to read that!

Definitely gonna get that.

A collection of stories by S. Baring-Gould. He wrote some pretty far out horror stories. He has some imagination.

jack ketchum-Off season,fuckin awsome
just finished Richard Laymon-Endless night,was really good too now im half way through the third in the Frankenstein series from Dean Koontz love the short chapter suspense in those books makes it hard to put em down

I loved Off Season. Endless Night is one of the few Laymon books i havent read it. Good to know it's a good one.

are all laymon books good,that was my first and was impressed,i also just picked up another one called "among the missing"im yet to read

Havent read that one yet either. The only ones of his i didnt like were The Woods Are Dark and Resurrection Dreams. My favorites are The Traveling Vampire Show, Island, Savage, Funland, and In The Dark. But there are others of his that are also very good as well like The Beast House Series.

Looks great! Let me know what you think - I'm always looking for recs.



I liked 20th Century Ghosts - Some stories are definitely stronger than others, and I think that he creates better vignettes than he does full-out stories, but for the most part, the stories kept my interest.

I loved Heart-Shaped Box and highly recommend to people who are looking for a good, solid ghost story.

Haven't ready Horns yet - Anyone on here read Horns?


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I'm currently spending my reading time juggling A Dream of Perpetual Motion by Dexter Palmer and All-New Tales, a short story compilation edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio (Ok, but not great - There's been one story that I've truly enjoyed so far and it was one of Gaiman's: "The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains," which was a fantastic folk tale - I think he truly shines with these).

the only straub iv read is "in the night room"with stephen king,didnt like it so havnt botherd reading any others.was that just a one off or something straub seems to be liked by alot of people.or is it just my taste.

ive started reading living dead girl for second time round, i recomend it very short book, quite disturbing.

I'm about 2/3 of the way through (Shadowland) and I must say it's quite amazing. The scope of the book, and the issues it touches on are extrodinary. It's mythic, really. Along the way of telling the story of a group of boys who went to a creepy boy's school in the 60s, and then their lives years later, as adults, he touches on the nature and philosophy of magic, archetypes and fairy/folk tales, also taking some side trips into WWI. He also creates compelling, unique characters that you're interested in, and care about.

Some people might find it a bit sprawling, but I love all the places it goes.

Hope it can hold up till the end.

A Special Place by Peter Straub

Wanted to kinda get warmed up with his writing before starting Shadowland so i picked this up. More of a novella than a book or short story I thought it was pretty good n disturbing in its depravity of human nature. More importantly i enjoyed his style of writing and how he likes to jump ahead in timelines. Cant wait to start Shadowland now.

Has anyone ever heard of or read Ramsey Campbell's work? Friend of mine was almost offended that i had never heard of him so now being intrigued I wanted to know any opinoins on his work or what his best stories/books are. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

It does. It is spectacular and I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried my eyes out-it touches you immensely on an emotional level.

Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

Heat Wave by "Richard Castle"

havnt read any ramsy campell but i have heard hes good too,

half way through john sauls "in the dark of night"seems good so far,i like john sauls classic type stories,a family moves to a new town and something creepys goin on or a family moves into a new house and something starts haunting them.keeps for an easy enjoyable read

Ramsey Campbell is an interesting one... His writing style is sort of drunken stream-of-consciousness, which leads to an odd, confusing, unsettling reading experience at times.

I really liked his short story "The Scar," though I haven't ready a whole lot else because of the above - You sort of have to be in the mood for it, if that makes any sense. My boyfriend can't stand how he writes, so I think that readers may be torn.

Honestly, I recommend picking up Alone with the Horrors: The Great Short Fiction of Ramsey Campbell - It's a good short story collection of his "best" works. You can find it used pretty cheap and then decide if you like it or not. That's what I did.

Here it is on Amazon if you're interested: http://www.amazon.com/Alone-Horrors-...2409082&sr=8-1

sounds interesting,i like that sort of stuff sometimes. iv got the mammoth book of horror the best new horror authers with a short story of his in it,looking forward to it

Cool - What story is it? And what's the anthology? I'm always on the lookout for good short story collections.

Seems to be an entire series:


http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss...ammoth+book+of

its called "The mammoth book of the best of best new horror"intro from ramsey campell storys Brain Lumly,Michael Marshal Sith,Ramsey Campell,Christopher Fowler,Harlan Ellison,Paul J Mcauly,Neil Gaiman,Terry Lamsley,Caitlin R Kiernan,Peter Straub,Tim Lebbon,Kim Newman,Elizabeth Hand,Joe Hill,Mark Samuels,Lisa Tuttle,Clive Barker,Glen Hirshberg,Simon Kurt Unsworth,Stephen king

its like the best storys out of 21 volumes of best stories or something so should be good,havnt heard of alot of those aurthors either so mite find some new favourites:D

Thank you very much Chrono, cant wait to read some of his work. Whether that be for the good or the bad. Either way it sounds interesting.

Ramsey Campbell is amazing but I suppose I'm biased.

I am currently enjoying 13 Broken Nightlights by Barry Napier

just finished "in the dark of night"by john saul,awsome,definatly the best john saul iv read

just finished a short story out of that book by tim lebbon,anyone else read any of his stuff,it was such a good story,a bloody savage supernatual story with no happy endings.

Been meaning to read Tim Lebbon for awhile. Been hearing he's good. I'll have to at some point. I just started reading Under The Dome by Stephen King.