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Conrad_Birdie
Jul 10, 2009
Hey I can't remember if he's been brought up in this thread at all, but is Matt Cardin's stuff any good? I got an Amazon Giftcard for Xmas and I was gonna blow it weird/horror fiction. Got Wounds and the Penguin Ligotti collection sitting in the checkout and this Matt Cardin collection keeps coming up as recommended. It's pretty lengthy and the reviews seem good and up my alley; what are y'alls opinions?? And if not him, what's some other recent stuff (ie, past year or two), in the weird/cosmic horror vein that I should check out? Things I've read and liked/loved recently - North American Lake Monsters, I'm Thinking of Ending Things, Southern Reach, Hellbound Heart.

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SniperWoreConverse
Mar 20, 2010



Gun Saliva

Section 9 posted:

I just finished it on Kindle last night. The way they handle those formatted sections seems to be images of the text so the formatting stays. I have the Kindle app on my iPad set with the black background and white text so all the text-as-images show up as white squares with black text. I haven't seen the paper version so I don't know how if the paging and scrolling on Kindle mucks that up at all, but there were a couple pages where it was obviously supposed to give the impression of an image moving over several pages, but instead was a couple white boxes of text on a screen.

Ironically then those fist gen kindles could be better -- the ink screen has to be mostly entirely refreshed in a lot of cases, so there's no scrolling at all. What's basically a big scrolled document is chopped into pages. Normal text is rendered according to your settings and the weird text would still render mostly normally. So maybe still odd in some spots but mostly like the book.

chernobyl kinsman
Mar 18, 2007

a friend of the friendly atom

Soiled Meat
read the raw shark texts

chernobyl kinsman
Mar 18, 2007

a friend of the friendly atom

Soiled Meat
i dont care how relevant to your request it is, it's the right answer

chernobyl kinsman
Mar 18, 2007

a friend of the friendly atom

Soiled Meat
agents of dreamland blows. depressingly warmed-over lovecraftian schlock, and the prose in the Signalman's chapters are unbearable.

StrixNebulosa
Feb 14, 2012

You cheated not only the game, but yourself.
But most of all, you cheated BABA

chernobyl kinsman posted:

agents of dreamland blows. depressingly warmed-over lovecraftian schlock, and the prose in the Signalman's chapters are unbearable.

Then I recommend you don't read the rest of Kiernan's stuff as it's similar. Which sucks because if you loved it like I did I could've recced the rest of her stuff.

chernobyl kinsman
Mar 18, 2007

a friend of the friendly atom

Soiled Meat
brutal. how do you guys not get exhausted by the 500th fanfic about how spooky azathoth is or whatever

Rolo
Nov 16, 2005

Hmm, what have we here?
It took me awhile to actually get started with the holiday season being in full swing but I’m about halfway through Hill House and I’m liking it a lot. The first night setting of a secluded mansion in the hills with dark windowless rooms surrounding a single lit fireplace is so cozy and creepy at the same time. Just my stuff.

Good rec, people. Good rec.

Jack B Nimble
Dec 25, 2007


Soiled Meat
Hey, can I please get a Thomas Ligotti recommendation? I've read his recent non fiction book and want to buy my mom one of his horror novels; she (and I) like Stephen King if that helps.

Count Thrashula
Jun 1, 2003

Peak Performance.

Buglord

Jack B Nimble posted:

Hey, can I please get a Thomas Ligotti recommendation? I've read his recent non fiction book and want to buy my mom one of his horror novels; she (and I) like Stephen King if that helps.

Teatro Grottesco is really good. It's the only one I've read, but I'm told it's the most "accessible" story-wise.

chernobyl kinsman
Mar 18, 2007

a friend of the friendly atom

Soiled Meat

Jack B Nimble posted:

Hey, can I please get a Thomas Ligotti recommendation? I've read his recent non fiction book and want to buy my mom one of his horror novels; she (and I) like Stephen King if that helps.

he doesnt have any novels, only short stories and a novella. he is also very, very different from stephen king. but yeah teotro grottesco

remigious
May 13, 2009

Destruction comes inevitably :rip:

Hell Gem

ravenkult posted:

Limited edition hardcovers are the new author mill/vanity publishing. You get a small press author nobody reads and do a limited edition of 200 copies, sell 20 to their friends and family and you already broke even, the rest is profit.

I know it’s not a new idea, but it’s an idea that’s definitely back in style. My husband was in talks to get published with a small press, but that got axed because the publisher had some success with a limited edition hardcover recently and they want to keep that train going. I’m not salty or anything, I just think it’s an interesting phenomenon because there’s no way that I personally would shell out for a hardcover by an unknown these days.

Black Griffon
Mar 12, 2005

Now, in the quantum moment before the closure, when all become one. One moment left. One point of space and time.

I know who you are. You are destiny.


Simply cannot get over how loving good Sunbleached (NALM) was. That final line is just genuinely beautiful.

Ornamented Death
Jan 25, 2006

Pew pew!

remigious posted:

I know it’s not a new idea, but it’s an idea that’s definitely back in style. My husband was in talks to get published with a small press, but that got axed because the publisher had some success with a limited edition hardcover recently and they want to keep that train going. I’m not salty or anything, I just think it’s an interesting phenomenon because there’s no way that I personally would shell out for a hardcover by an unknown these days.

Your example would seem to disprove ravenkult's point. Had the system worked as presented, the publisher would have done your husband's book as a LE and had him pressuring everyone you know to buy a copy.

Margins at any level of publishing are razor thin. If you're breaking even after 20 copies of an edition of 200, it's being printed on toilet paper bound with Elmer's glue between two used pizza boxes.

remigious
May 13, 2009

Destruction comes inevitably :rip:

Hell Gem

Ornamented Death posted:

Your example would seem to disprove ravenkult's point. Had the system worked as presented, the publisher would have done your husband's book as a LE and had him pressuring everyone you know to buy a copy.

Margins at any level of publishing are razor thin. If you're breaking even after 20 copies of an edition of 200, it's being printed on toilet paper bound with Elmer's glue between two used pizza boxes.

I see what you mean, I should have added that since the publisher is switching to the hardbound LE model, the types of books they are publishing is changing as well, which is why my husband’s book is getting passed on to someone else.

chernobyl kinsman
Mar 18, 2007

a friend of the friendly atom

Soiled Meat
im reading the gone away world and all the flashback stuff about being a subversive in college and whatever is really boring. its like cut-rate pynchon and vonnegut. when does it go back to the apocalypse

ravenkult
Feb 3, 2011


Ornamented Death posted:

Your example would seem to disprove ravenkult's point. Had the system worked as presented, the publisher would have done your husband's book as a LE and had him pressuring everyone you know to buy a copy.

Margins at any level of publishing are razor thin. If you're breaking even after 20 copies of an edition of 200, it's being printed on toilet paper bound with Elmer's glue between two used pizza boxes.

LEs start at 50$ per copy, so even being hyperbolic I'm not too far off.

nankeen
Mar 20, 2019

by Cyrano4747
i am horror

Ornamented Death
Jan 25, 2006

Pew pew!

ravenkult posted:

LEs start at 50$ per copy, so even being hyperbolic I'm not too far off.

At that price and with the numbers you quoted, you've only just paid the author. You're not even in the realm of close if you're talking about profit.

Now if you're talking about bumbling in to publishing, wasting a bunch of your own money to publish one book no one buys, then closing up shop and never talking about it again, then yes, you're not far off.

Edit: And to further drive home how off you are, LEs can start as low as $10 or $15 depending on binding, word count, limitation, etc.

No one makes a profit until something like 80% (or more) of the print run has sold.

Ornamented Death fucked around with this message at 00:21 on Jan 7, 2020

ravenkult
Feb 3, 2011


lol you think authors get an advance

Ornamented Death
Jan 25, 2006

Pew pew!

ravenkult posted:

lol you think authors get an advance

Stop working with Chizine I guess?

Also just to be clear, I'm specifically talking about LEs here. I know advances are rare when doing eBooks, TPBs, and whatnot.

Ornamented Death fucked around with this message at 03:08 on Jan 7, 2020

Ornamented Death
Jan 25, 2006

Pew pew!

In more interesting news, The Cipher is finally getting a paperback rerelease in September.

Count Thrashula
Jun 1, 2003

Peak Performance.

Buglord

Ornamented Death posted:

In more interesting news, The Cipher is finally getting a paperback rerelease in September.

Cool that should save me about $100

StrixNebulosa
Feb 14, 2012

You cheated not only the game, but yourself.
But most of all, you cheated BABA

Ornamented Death posted:

In more interesting news, The Cipher is finally getting a paperback rerelease in September.

Who's doing it? I want to prowl their website.

remigious
May 13, 2009

Destruction comes inevitably :rip:

Hell Gem

Ornamented Death posted:

In more interesting news, The Cipher is finally getting a paperback rerelease in September.

Yay! That’s been on my list for some time. I wonder why September though? That is so far away.

Count Thrashula
Jun 1, 2003

Peak Performance.

Buglord

StrixNebulosa posted:

Who's doing it? I want to prowl their website.

https://www.meerkatpress.com/books/the-cipher/

Cover looks pretty dope, imo

edit- September 2020 release

Count Thrashula fucked around with this message at 17:43 on Jan 7, 2020

StrixNebulosa
Feb 14, 2012

You cheated not only the game, but yourself.
But most of all, you cheated BABA

COOL CORN posted:

https://www.meerkatpress.com/books/the-cipher/

Cover looks pretty dope, imo

edit- September 2020 release

"2020 ugh that's a long time" and then I go wait

anyways thank you!! looking forward to spending less than 200$ on it so I can finally read it

Black Griffon
Mar 12, 2005

Now, in the quantum moment before the closure, when all become one. One moment left. One point of space and time.

I know who you are. You are destiny.


I have no idea what any of you are talking about, I always just jump at the chance to read something people are excited for, but; is there any reason to not just buy the e-book?

MockingQuantum
Jan 20, 2012



Black Griffon posted:

I have no idea what any of you are talking about, I always just jump at the chance to read something people are excited for, but; is there any reason to not just buy the e-book?

TBB has a lot of anti-ebook curmudgeons. I say that with love. In any case, I'm in favor of the book becoming more available period, so it's a win all around. Koja also has a collection due out in April of this year so I'm guessing The Cipher getting reprinted is probably following on the coattails of that, since it's the same publisher.

Count Thrashula
Jun 1, 2003

Peak Performance.

Buglord
I would switch to an ereader but I hate reading on a screen. I guess I could get a Kindle Paperwhite but I'm a dirty commie who doesn't want to give Amazon the money for all my ebooks :/

Black Griffon
Mar 12, 2005

Now, in the quantum moment before the closure, when all become one. One moment left. One point of space and time.

I know who you are. You are destiny.


Yeah, getting a paperwhite has... changed me.

but nah, I get the point and I'm totally on board with avoiding e-books if it's not one's boat, but it kinda sounded like there was no alternative except paying 200 bucks or something.

StrixNebulosa
Feb 14, 2012

You cheated not only the game, but yourself.
But most of all, you cheated BABA

MockingQuantum posted:

TBB has a lot of anti-ebook curmudgeons. I say that with love. In any case, I'm in favor of the book becoming more available period, so it's a win all around. Koja also has a collection due out in April of this year so I'm guessing The Cipher getting reprinted is probably following on the coattails of that, since it's the same publisher.

Oh my gosh this is the first time I've ever been called a curmudgeon! Thank you!

Also yes yep I know ebook readers are comfy and awesome now, but do they smell like books, or have the feeling of turning pages? No they do not.

Black Griffon
Mar 12, 2005

Now, in the quantum moment before the closure, when all become one. One moment left. One point of space and time.

I know who you are. You are destiny.


Absolutely not. But also, I'm genuinely running out of space for books and there's still gonna be a while until I can get a place of my own to stack 'em wherever I want. And I'm terminally unable to get rid of old books.

remigious
May 13, 2009

Destruction comes inevitably :rip:

Hell Gem
I do a ton of my reading in the bath tub, so I’m firmly a paperback person for that reason alone. Also wall to wall full bookshelves is my aesthetic :)

Black Griffon
Mar 12, 2005

Now, in the quantum moment before the closure, when all become one. One moment left. One point of space and time.

I know who you are. You are destiny.


That's the dream. But with a paperwhite, I can also read in the bathtub!

I don't have a bathtub though...

Ornamented Death
Jan 25, 2006

Pew pew!

Black Griffon posted:

I have no idea what any of you are talking about, I always just jump at the chance to read something people are excited for, but; is there any reason to not just buy the e-book?

I bought the ebook years ago so I could read the book. Now I'm excited that I'll get to have a copy on my shelf.

The Polish Pirate
Apr 4, 2005

How many Polacks does it take to captain a pirate ship? One.

COOL CORN posted:

I would switch to an ereader but I hate reading on a screen. I guess I could get a Kindle Paperwhite but I'm a dirty commie who doesn't want to give Amazon the money for all my ebooks :/

Buy a used Kindle and then get all your e-books from the library. It's what I do, and Amazon gets none of my bucks.

Read Whisper Man on the rec of someone who said it was really scary. It was not. Outsider by King did a much better job of having creepy people outside of windows.

a foolish pianist
May 6, 2007

(bi)cyclic mutation

remigious posted:

I do a ton of my reading in the bath tub, so I’m firmly a paperback person for that reason alone. Also wall to wall full bookshelves is my aesthetic :)

The new paperwhites are waterproof, which is super cool.

Flaggy
Jul 6, 2007

Grandpa Cthulu needs his napping chair



Grimey Drawer

COOL CORN posted:

I would switch to an ereader but I hate reading on a screen. I guess I could get a Kindle Paperwhite but I'm a dirty commie who doesn't want to give Amazon the money for all my ebooks :/

I have an old one I can send you bub. I got it for free and so can you! I use the Kindle App on an Ipad because its easier than carrying the multiple books around that I am currently reading.

Flaggy fucked around with this message at 16:36 on Jan 9, 2020

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Count Thrashula
Jun 1, 2003

Peak Performance.

Buglord

Flaggy posted:

I have an old one I can send you bub. I got it for free and so can you! I use the Kindle App on an Ipad because its easier than carrying the multiple books around that I am currently reading.

You're a good friend, Flagman

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