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Good Citizen
Aug 12, 2008

trump trump trump trump trump trump trump trump trump trump
you guys are both thinking of papa Matheson

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Conrad_Birdie
Jul 10, 2009

ravenkult posted:

I think he's one of the greats. I Am Legend and Hell House are solid. Stir of Echoes is pretty good and so is What Dreams May Come.

e: wait is that the wrong Richard Matheson? It is, isn't it.

It’s his kid

Daddy Matheson is wonderful

His son wrote a lot of “micro horror.” Literal “short” stories that could be like a paragraph to two pages in length. A lot of it feels like the “oh I’m so clever” garbage that clogs up r/nosleep

Paddyo
Aug 3, 2007
Hell House was really good, but was another one of those books that introduces all of these neat ideas and mysteries only to leave them unresolved at the end.

High Warlord Zog
Dec 12, 2012
It's been so long since I've read it that I can't really disentangle Steven Spielberg's Duel and Matheson's original short story to say whether the story is good or not in and of itself (though Matheson did also do the screenplay), but Duel is fantastic, and if we're comparing Spielberg flicks, a better Horror/Suspense thriller than Jaws

remigious
May 13, 2009

Destruction comes inevitably :rip:

Hell Gem
I really enjoy Matheson the younger’s short stories. Digestible little morsels of weird ideas.

Oxxidation
Jul 22, 2007
finished The Loop by Jeremy Robert Johnson

JRJ is one of my favorite pulpy authors and the book is decent enough, but unfortunately i'd read Carrier Wave earlier this month, which is basically the same idea with much better execution

The Loop also tries to present some kind of class-based allegory that could have been fairly impactful but sort of jukes away from it to get back to a story about psychopathic octopus-cyborg hive minds, which somehow isn't as fun as it sounds

Gambrinus
Mar 1, 2005
Is "Carrion Comfort" by Dan Simmons worth sticking with? I enjoyed The Terror (did a very good job of making me feel very cold) but finding Carrion Comfort a bit underwhelming so far. Maybe I've just had enough of vampires after ploughing through The Passage trilogy earlier this year. That could have done with a severe amount of editing.

sephiRoth IRA
Jun 13, 2007

"Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality."

-Carl Sagan
I found it really cringy and stupid. Like I remember some of the details, but mostly that I just hated all the characters, and the writing, and the plot.

nate fisher
Mar 3, 2004

We've Got To Go Back
Read Simmons’ Summer of Night instead.

Conrad_Birdie
Jul 10, 2009
I read it during college and loved it but also looking back I realize the length and epicness was more exciting rather than the actual quality of the writing which is uhhhhhh p bad

High Warlord Zog
Dec 12, 2012

Gambrinus posted:

Is "Carrion Comfort" by Dan Simmons worth sticking with? I enjoyed The Terror (did a very good job of making me feel very cold) but finding Carrion Comfort a bit underwhelming so far. Maybe I've just had enough of vampires after ploughing through The Passage trilogy earlier this year. That could have done with a severe amount of editing.

For what it's worth, it's one of the few Simmons's books that sticks the landing.

Kestral
Nov 24, 2000

Forum Veteran
This is going to be a weird one, but are there any decent horror novels that evoke a similar feel to the Resident Evil games? There's a teen in my after-school D&D group who I've been gently encouraging to try reading for pleasure rather than just for school, and he's expressed an interest in horror broadly and wondered if there were any books like Resident Evil, since he apparently loves that series. I'm at a loss, having never played a RE game.

Len
Jan 21, 2008

Pouches, bandages, shoulderpad, cyber-eye...

Bitchin'!


Kestral posted:

This is going to be a weird one, but are there any decent horror novels that evoke a similar feel to the Resident Evil games? There's a teen in my after-school D&D group who I've been gently encouraging to try reading for pleasure rather than just for school, and he's expressed an interest in horror broadly and wondered if there were any books like Resident Evil, since he apparently loves that series. I'm at a loss, having never played a RE game.

There's RE novels

They're bad but I enjoyed them in middle school

Conrad_Birdie
Jul 10, 2009
Specifically what does he enjoy about the Resident Evil games???

PsychedelicWarlord
Sep 8, 2016


I'm reading Blackwater by Michael McDowell and loving it. I'm about 1/4 of the way through and really enjoying how it's less of a horror novel and more of a family saga with spooky vibes. The real horror is Mary-Love's control of her family and the struggle between her and Elinor is mostly domestic instead of supernatural.

Conrad_Birdie
Jul 10, 2009

PsychedelicWarlord posted:

I'm reading Blackwater by Michael McDowell and loving it. I'm about 1/4 of the way through and really enjoying how it's less of a horror novel and more of a family saga with spooky vibes. The real horror is Mary-Love's control of her family and the struggle between her and Elinor is mostly domestic instead of supernatural.

We love Blackwater and McDowell in this thread!!!

Kestral
Nov 24, 2000

Forum Veteran

Conrad_Birdie posted:

Specifically what does he enjoy about the Resident Evil games???

It's tricky to get good self-reflective descriptions out of teens sometimes, but my impression is that the appeal is fast-paced body horror with a military aesthetic. Zombie fiction would probably work too, although I can't think of much in that vein that's decent.

N-N-N-NINE BREAKER
Jul 12, 2014

Kestral posted:

It's tricky to get good self-reflective descriptions out of teens sometimes, but my impression is that the appeal is fast-paced body horror with a military aesthetic. Zombie fiction would probably work too, although I can't think of much in that vein that's decent.

Carrier wave, maybe?

StrixNebulosa
Feb 14, 2012

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

Kestral posted:

It's tricky to get good self-reflective descriptions out of teens sometimes, but my impression is that the appeal is fast-paced body horror with a military aesthetic. Zombie fiction would probably work too, although I can't think of much in that vein that's decent.

http://www.jonathanmaberry.com/joeledgerseries.cfm

Jonathan Maberry's Joe Ledger series might be his speed.

Conrad_Birdie
Jul 10, 2009

Kestral posted:

It's tricky to get good self-reflective descriptions out of teens sometimes, but my impression is that the appeal is fast-paced body horror with a military aesthetic. Zombie fiction would probably work too, although I can't think of much in that vein that's decent.

I found this series only “Eh, serviceable” but a teen video game fan might really dig em- The “Ex” series by Peter Clines. It’s superheroes vs zombies in the post apocalypse. Honestly kinda video game-ish in structure. There’s teams, and missions, and military action involved. There’s literally like a “boss” the heroes have to fight at the end of every new book.

World War Z if he hasn’t read that.

Annihilation if you want to throw him a curveball.

Paddyo
Aug 3, 2007

PsychedelicWarlord posted:

I'm reading Blackwater by Michael McDowell and loving it. I'm about 1/4 of the way through and really enjoying how it's less of a horror novel and more of a family saga with spooky vibes. The real horror is Mary-Love's control of her family and the struggle between her and Elinor is mostly domestic instead of supernatural.

Yeah, every other page in this thread has Blackwater chat. Eager to hear what you think about the whole experience after you finish the book.

Kestral
Nov 24, 2000

Forum Veteran
Thanks for all the recommendations, everyone :) My taste in horror leans in the "spooky ghost" and "cosmic" directions so I was rather adrift here. Fingers crossed we get another reader.

I really need to get around to Carrier Wave myself, especially since it's apparently getting an audiobook.

Idle Amalgam
Mar 7, 2008

said I'm never lackin'
always pistol packin'
with them automatics
we gon' send 'em to Heaven
While I originally found myself at odds with The Elementals, I was obsessed with Blackwater and genuinely felt sad when it ended, like I was seeing loved ones for the last time or something. I've since made my way through about everything else he's written and love his stories and the way he tells them.

Can I get recommendations on authors whose writing style and content is reminiscent of McDowell's?

ravenkult
Feb 3, 2011


Does anyone have any recommendations for something like John Dies at the End? Like, edgy, dirtbag loser type horror?

sephiRoth IRA
Jun 13, 2007

"Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality."

-Carl Sagan
The cipher for sure.

a foolish pianist
May 6, 2007

(bi)cyclic mutation

ravenkult posted:

Does anyone have any recommendations for something like John Dies at the End? Like, edgy, dirtbag loser type horror?

The Cipher ticks all three of those adjectives (edgy dirtbag loser) but it doesn't have the humor of the David Wong books. Ballingrud's Visible Filth fits as well.

EDIT:

Older Clive Barker might be what you're looking for, especially the Books of Blood stories.

gey muckle mowser
Aug 5, 2003

Do you know anything about...
witches?



Buglord

ravenkult posted:

Does anyone have any recommendations for something like John Dies at the End? Like, edgy, dirtbag loser type horror?

Skullcrack City by Jeremy Robert Johnson fits that bill, and I liked it better than John Dies at the End

Ornamented Death
Jan 25, 2006

Pew pew!

ravenkult posted:

Does anyone have any recommendations for something like John Dies at the End? Like, edgy, dirtbag loser type horror?

Most anything by Skipp and Spector with the caveat that their books meet your criteria but lack the humor of JDatE.

Comedy option: Have you heard of Edward Lee?

ravenkult
Feb 3, 2011


Ornamented Death posted:

Most anything by Skipp and Spector with the caveat that their books meet your criteria but lack the humor of JDatE.

Comedy option: Have you heard of Edward Lee?

I'm okay with the humor missing, but not much into gore/violence.

Paddyo
Aug 3, 2007

Idle Amalgam posted:

While I originally found myself at odds with The Elementals, I was obsessed with Blackwater and genuinely felt sad when it ended, like I was seeing loved ones for the last time or something. I've since made my way through about everything else he's written and love his stories and the way he tells them.

Can I get recommendations on authors whose writing style and content is reminiscent of McDowell's?

I've been brainstorming on this myself after getting sucked into McDowell. In my mind one of the things that sets him apart from other authors in the genre is the way the setting plays such a huge part in his stories. The climate, culture, economy, and history of the deep South provide so much context to his characters and plots, and adds a ton of nuance that creates this awesome atmosphere.

The only other horror author who I can really think of who regularly uses the setting in a similar way is Stephan King.

ravenkult
Feb 3, 2011


It's not horror, but a generational novel I liked was Barkskins. Maybe it'll scratch some of that itch?

a foolish pianist
May 6, 2007

(bi)cyclic mutation

gey muckle mowser posted:

Skullcrack City by Jeremy Robert Johnson fits that bill, and I liked it better than John Dies at the End

Skullcrack City owns and really matches the tone of JDatE

ravenkult
Feb 3, 2011


I own and read a couple of pages of that but set it down again, don't remember why. I'll pick it back up tonight and report back.

Ornamented Death
Jan 25, 2006

Pew pew!

ravenkult posted:

I own and read a couple of pages of that but set it down again, don't remember why. I'll pick it back up tonight and report back.

It really is the best answer to your question.

Fitzy Fitz
May 14, 2005




Paddyo posted:

I've been brainstorming on this myself after getting sucked into McDowell. In my mind one of the things that sets him apart from other authors in the genre is the way the setting plays such a huge part in his stories. The climate, culture, economy, and history of the deep South provide so much context to his characters and plots, and adds a ton of nuance that creates this awesome atmosphere.

The only other horror author who I can really think of who regularly uses the setting in a similar way is Stephan King.

I haven't gotten to Blackwater yet, so maybe I'm wrong about how it's written, but have y'all check out some classic southern gothic lit? It's basically what you're describing, minus the supernatural.

High Warlord Zog
Dec 12, 2012

ravenkult posted:

It's not horror, but a generational novel I liked was Barkskins. Maybe it'll scratch some of that itch?

Seconding this. Very weak ending though which soured me on it for a while. It seemed like Proulx had no idea what to do with the characters who take the story up to the present day. But in retrospect it's incredibly strong for most of it's length, and being mostly made up of fairly self-contained episodes, the crap ending doesn't diminish the good parts that much.

High Warlord Zog
Dec 12, 2012
Outside of horror I'd also recommend Eowyn Ivey's The Snow Child and To The Bright Edge of the World. Supernaturally inflected historical fiction with strong senses of place, the former trends kind of cosy, but the latter dips it's toes into spookier waters (and there are a couple of horror adjacent set-pieces in this that blindsided me in a similar way to many of the poo poo's going down moments from Blackwater did).

High Warlord Zog fucked around with this message at 23:55 on Apr 29, 2021

Ariza
Feb 8, 2006

ravenkult posted:

I'm okay with the humor missing, but not much into gore/violence.

A couple people suggested it before this caveat, but I must say you should not read Cipher. It's awful, awful people being loving awful, but the things that happen are pretty gory. I still think about it and it makes me feel sad.

Fitzy Fitz
May 14, 2005




I'm about halfway through Carrier Wave and it's mostly just made me feel sad

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Oxxidation
Jul 22, 2007

High Warlord Zog posted:

Seconding this. Very weak ending though which soured me on it for a while. It seemed like Proulx had no idea what to do with the characters who take the story up to the present day. But in retrospect it's incredibly strong for most of it's length, and being mostly made up of fairly self-contained episodes, the crap ending doesn't diminish the good parts that much.

the ending was the culmination of the ecological devastation that had been happening in the background of all the personal drama going on through the last several centuries of narrative. proulx knew exactly how to end it - with the barkskins' final descendent desperately trying to assure herself that there must still be a way for them to undo the damage they've caused, as the seas quietly continue to rise

barkskins is the best environmentalist novel i've read and probably in my top five books overall

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