Horror Aficionados discussion

So I stopped on into one of my usual used shops tonight. I had gone through these shelves many times, but tonight I stumbled onto something that seems to be quite the rarity!

Ronald Kelly's PITFALL!

I've come to realize that Kelly's old books are rather difficult to find, so I grabbed this one and ran to the counter right away.

But not before I also grabbed Tim Waggoner's PANDORA DRIVE.

I came home to add PITFALL to my list here, and the dang thing seems to be even harder to find than I initially thought, as it isn't even listed on the Goodreads network!

I looked him up on FF http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/k/r... Hadn't heard of him. I will take at look at my local used book store, see if she has any of his novels.

Have you read him before, Carl?

Nope, not yet. He's another one of the late 80's guys that slipped through the cracks of the flood of authors. He's come under re-evaluation and people are realizing a REALLY good author slipped through the cracks. He's now back with a book from Cemetery Dance which is getting greay advance press.

I've never heard of Ronald Kelly either, but I do see how a good writer could have been buried under all that crappy '80s horror.

Let us know if his books are any good.

I should correct what I said. I think I have read a short story by him, as I do have a few old Cemetery Dance issues with his name on the cover, but it has been years since I read those issues. I need to see which tales were his, as I am sure I read them.

That HELL HOLLOW that you read? I believe there is a paperback edition in the future, and I was planning to wait until that. He has a lot of good stuff being written about him, but even word of mouth won't get me to take a chance and spring for a ltd. Edition book.

I went to the library last night to see if they had Swan Song and/or Ghost Story. They didn't, but I found both at a used book store.

YIPPEE!

Ooo, since this got brought back up, I'll post last weeks purchases when I get home. I got a LOT of great stuff last week. And one I read a terrible review on from, I think, Jerrod.

I got a paperback of The Regulators by Stephen King and then just because it was in hardcover and I don't own it, CUJO. Both for a little over $5 cash and $5 in store credit

You people and your book buying. Tsk. Tsk. Rachel, I love The Regulators.

aaahhh book buying..such a powerful drug...

In another group we were talking about reading Desperation and The Regulators simultaneously. Should be confusing but fun :)

Yeah, they came out at the same time. There's a little bit of crossover between the stories, if I remember correctly. Desperation starts out scary but is sort of "eh" towards the end. Scariest is when that police officer is driving that young couple away and calmly says, "I'm going to kill you." I'd be like, "Pardon? What did you say? It sounded like you said you were going to kill me."

On sunny Saturday mornings in my neighborhood when kids are out riding their bikes and the men are washing their cars, I think of the carnage in The Regulators.

I have never read either but now own both

Desperation was the 2nd King I ever read. I really liked it, though it was a bit religious for me. I remember, I started reading it and couldn't put it down, just kept reading and reading. I was supposed to have been studying...

I listened to an abridged audio book of The Regulators. I remember each story mentioning the other, but still haven't figured out how they're related other than the evil. Maybe I missed something?

Anyway, I'd love to read both back to back... simultaneously might be difficult.

I can't remember if the evil presence crossed over into both stories...oh, wait a minute. I think I'm remembering this correctly. The little boy of one of them is the adult in the other? Something like that.

I'm only doing the simultaneous readings because my copy of Desperation is hardcover which I can't take to work (too heavy) and the Regulators is much more transportable.

I tried to read Desperation once, but couldn't get into it. Regulators sounds good, but I do not have my paws on a copy yet.

I understand. Desperation is slower and not as interesting as The Regulators. That Bachman is a much better write than King.

Paul wrote: "aaahhh book buying..such a powerful drug..."

--I so agree! I hit the ubs yesterday as well. Unfortunately, the one nearby has a pretty sad horror section.

I have Desperation, & The Regulators. I've read them both, & enjoyed them both. I don't think that their the same person, just the same name. But I could be wrong. Take a look at this site, at least I hope it works.

http://www.malakoff.com/skdr.htm

Click on the monkey to, it has more stuff.

This is what I found over the Christmas break:
Mine - Robert R. McCammon
Usher's Passing - Robert R. McCammon
Blue World - Robert R. McCammon
Bethany's Sin - Robert R. McCammon
Speaks the Nightbird Vol. II: Evil Unveiled - Robert R. McCammon
Tower Hill - Sarah Pinborough
Moon on the Water - Mort Castle
Mr. X - Peter Straub
Dark Hollow - John Connolly
The Hollower - Mary Sangiovani (read terrible reviews though)
The Chosen Child - Graham Masterton
The House That Jack Built - Graham Masterton
The Ferryman - Christopher Golden
Rockabilly Limbo - William W. Johnstone
Frozen - Jay Bonansinga
Four Dark Nights: The Circle/Pyre/Jonah Arose/the Words - Clegg, Little, Golden, Piccirilli


Some of them I expect to be great (McCammon's, obviously), some good (Masterton and the Four Dark Nights), cheesy fun (Rockabilly Limbo, though I need to read the first one, Rockabilly Hell, first), and other I am just curious about (Connolly and Pinborough). I wish I had checked reviews first and I probably would have grabbed the Ramsey Campbell and the store over the Sangiovani, but I fell sucker to the premise and the cover. Dang it.

At the thrift store tonight I found Ray Garton's Bestial and Douglas Clegg's You Come When I Call You. I am pissed that I didn't buy Jack Ketchum's Red because I thought I owned it; I don't. :/

WOW!!! I've been searching all over the world for that Clegg!!! Nice find!!!

That is the coolest title. Very menacing. It's the first time I've seen it anywhere. Still kicking myself about that Ketchum book. I could have sworn I own it. Maybe I just wasn't looking in the right place. We have books on so many shelves.

It is one of the coolest titles for a book for sure.
That Ketchum is in shops now, so if worse comes to worse it should be easy to snag, just pricey.

the Clegg book I read a few years ago and really liked it.

Damn. This is all making me crave a visit to my own local used book store. Actually, there's a few of them around here, but I don't think you'd find half of the list above in any of them.

Hey Carl, I have Found You, which is a sort of sequel to The Hollower, which I have on my wish list. I try to ignore reviews...

I also have You Come When I Call You if you'd want to swap...

Carl wrote: "It is one of the coolest titles for a book for sure.
That Ketchum is in shops now, so if worse comes to worse it should be easy to snag, just pricey."

I got RED on Bookmooch

Jason wrote: "Damn. This is all making me crave a visit to my own local used book store. Actually, there's a few of them around here, but I don't think you'd find half of the list above in any of them."

I live in western Ky. People around here don't read (unless it is a recipe for cooking Meth!)

LOL. We have several good used bookstores here. Red might be there next time we go. Not sure if anyone who shops there knows what a jewel Jack Ketchum's books are.

Carl,

"Dark Hollow" is the second in his Charlie Parker series ( Every Dead Thing, is the first one ) A great series about a PI with a troubled past (imagine that ) that takes place around Portland, Maine. Connolly instills a lot of supernatural into his stories. Good stuff.

William wrote: "Carl wrote: "It is one of the coolest titles for a book for sure.
That Ketchum is in shops now, so if worse comes to worse it should be easy to snag, just pricey."

I got RED on Bookmooch"

I find some cool stuff on BookMooch now & again. You should friend me there William, same name.

Bibliocrates wrote: "Hey Carl, I have Found You, which is a sort of sequel to The Hollower, which I have on my wish list. I try to ignore reviews...

I also have You Come When I Call You if you'd want to swap..."

Have you read THE HOLLOWER? Or are you saying that is the one on your wish list? If you need HOLLOWER, I would gladly swap you for YOU COME...!

Lee wrote: "Carl,

"Dark Hollow" is the second in his Charlie Parker series ( Every Dead Thing, is the first one ) A great series about a PI with a troubled past (imagine that ) that takes place around Portlan..."

I saw that, but I wanted to read a Connolly anyways, so I grabbed it. Is it a necessity to read the first one first, or is this a series and order isn't the most important part?

I remember seeing Ronald Kelly's stuff back in the day, never read him. Recently read an interview with him in (CD, I think?) and sounds interesting. I LOVE haunting used bookstores...which reminds me, I need to stop by the one near me. I got a ton of credit there...

We used to have 3 used book stores, but they closed up. Now I have to go to Greensboro for a used book store, or Winston Salem to the fleemarket.

Carl wrote: "Bibliocrates wrote: "Hey Carl, I have Found You, which is a sort of sequel to The Hollower, which I have on my wish list. I try to ignore reviews...

I also have You Come When I Call You if you'd w..."

I was saying The Hollower was on my wishlist. I'll gladly send You Come... but Id like to read it first.

I was at a work-related event where some authors were in attendance (horror convention) back in early October and Mary SanGiovanni was there with others doing a signing and I had NO idea...I would've brought my copy of The Hollowers...duh. Clegg's You Come When I Call is excellent...but then again, pretty much ALL his horror novels are fantastic.

Bibliocrates wrote: "Carl wrote: "Bibliocrates wrote: "Hey Carl, I have Found You, which is a sort of sequel to The Hollower, which I have on my wish list. I try to ignore reviews...

I also have You Come When I Call Y..."

That sounds good to me!!! Let me know when you are ready. I'll have to read THE HOLLOWER soon then.

Carl wrote: "Lee wrote: "Carl,

"Dark Hollow" is the second in his Charlie Parker series ( Every Dead Thing, is the first one ) A great series about a PI with a troubled past (imagine that ) that takes place ar..."

hmm......with the problems of Charlie's profession it has on his wife & young daughter, I think their best read in order. IMHO...

I've really enjoyed everything I've read Clegg's so far.

AH I love used book stores..my favorite here is one called Twice Told Tales. full of twists and turns and stacks and stacks of books plus 5 cats who , apparantly own the store! Perfect 2 of my favorite things together.

That store sounds like fun, Paul. I am of the opinion that more cats should be walking around all stores. We need one for the library.

I couldn't agree more..cats own the world anyway.
The owner rescues the cats from the shelter and she has 3 locations. She has done this since she firts opened the store 20 years ago so I imagine she has rescued quite a lot!

There's a used book store in a nearby town from where I live that has a dog. He just sits there and stares at everyone, or lets you scratch him behind the ear.

I don't go there too often, though. They don't put their books in alphabetical order, which, if you're looking for something specific, makes it frustrating!

Oh yeah. Cats rule everything they see and imagine. Just ask one! -grin-
I have 5 now, all rescues. It's a fun household here!

It's my dream to open up a used book shop someday and when I do you can be sure to find cats there!

I'm down to one cat and he's a little spaz! I adopted him last December. My son saw him, put his hand near the cage, got licked, the cat started pawing at the keys in his hand... it was love at first sight. He's the most hyper kitty I've ever had!

Paul wrote: "AH I love used book stores..my favorite here is one called Twice Told Tales. full of twists and turns and stacks and stacks of books plus 5 cats who , apparantly own the store! Perfect 2 of my fav..."

I love places like that, Paul. There used to be a small place I'd go to pretty regularly and the owner kept this cat (a big old Persian) with him when he worked. I'd BS with the guy for hours...