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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!!!
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Apr 24, 2021 22:17
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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.
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Apr 25, 2021 15:56
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PsychedelicWarlord posted:Just finished Blackwater and ahhhhhhhhhhh. I think I could have read 800 more pages about the Caskeys. That’s the general consensus yeah
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May 3, 2021 06:21
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You okay?
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May 7, 2021 01:14
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Ariza posted:Sorry, yeah I'm ok! Sunglasses emote was meant to be silly, bad taste. Just trying to deal with another friend shuffling off and I realized horror is how I best understand horrible things. I’m really sorry at the loss of your friend. My sympathies are with you, and I also understand relating to bad things happening through horror. You’re not alone. We’re a bunch of weirdos here with ya. For actual recommendations I would suggest a collection of Thomas Ligotti’s short stories. A lot aren’t explicitly about self-harm but there’s a sad, existential dread to many of them.
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May 7, 2021 16:43
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Gilded Needles is definitely a bit of a slow burn - McDowell’s writing is characteristically wonderful so it’s still a delight to read - but about 2/3 of the way through the book there is a moment of explosive violence that comes out of no where. I had to read the passage a couple times because it’s just totally unexpected and vile and mean and darkly funny, just like some of those moments of violence in Blackwater. And now I’m all revved up for the final section of this book.
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May 26, 2021 05:20
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I’m currently reading the Valancourt Book of World Horror Stories Vol. 1. It’s really great so far. All the stories I’ve read have been of a better-than-average quality, some truly great. I believe all the authors represented in the volume are being translated into English for the first time, which is really cool, but also frustrating when I discover a writer whose work resonates with me but I have no other way to read more of their work unless I learn a new language. But yeah, big recommend this anthology. I ordered like five other books from Valancourt last week to prep for the spooky season. Can’t wait.
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Sep 8, 2021 07:28
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Been reading so many horror novels from Valancourt Press in celebration of the spooky month…currently onto the main event, Michael McDowell’s “Cold Moon Over Babylon.” About one hundred pages in and it is, characteristically, spectacular. It is simply a joy to read McDowell’s prose. He was so gifted.
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Oct 14, 2021 03:50
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Folks I just got to THAT THING happening a little over halfway into Cold Moon that is just loving wild. God bless Michael McDowell. Nobody did it better. I was hootin and hollering and pumping my fist and couldn’t believe what I was reading!
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Oct 15, 2021 01:39
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Alright now that I’ve finished it I think Cold Moon Over Babylon may be my favorite McDowell. What a perfect little mean story
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Oct 19, 2021 04:39
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Paddyo posted:I felt so bad for the blueberry farmers. What a lovely loving lot in life. Yeah it’s so loving mean McDowell was brutal
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Oct 20, 2021 01:11
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Franchescanado posted:Just finished reading At The Mountains of Madness. Another Lovecraft story that I think is only okay. His insistence on "academic" prose and taxonomy and hypothetical ideas about ancient civilizations in favor of actual story got pretty grating, but I did like the overall tone of an arctic exploration gone wrong. Elementals was my first McDowell, and it’s a great, quick, spooky read and a perfect intro to McDowell’s style.
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Oct 20, 2021 17:11
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This might be silly but I’m having trouble finding a reasonably priced copy of Between Two Fires rn and it’s not in the NYPL library system (wtf)… does anyone in this thread want to sell me their copy, or have an extra they can send my way? All the talk in this thread makes me want to read it really badly!
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May 25, 2022 23:03
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Xiahou Dun posted:O, you don't have PM's. I was wondering why you never messaged me. Yeah sorry I meant to tell you that but I’ve also been training for a new job this week so I’m all over da place. Hey that’s really awesome of you! Let me get back to you this evening. I’ll give ya an email address and we can figure it out.
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Jun 1, 2022 17:50
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Xiahou Dun posted:I have a silly cut-out e-mail that I use for this stuff already : [username]sa@gmail You’re wonderful! I’ll email tonight!
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Jun 1, 2022 19:47
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Thank you Xiahao Dun for sending me a copy of Between Two Fires!!! I cannot wait to read it!
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Jun 8, 2022 15:35
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Imo Blackwater is plenty horrific and gothic and revolting and don’t let it also being a soap opera dissuade you from reading. One of the best written novels, start to finish, that I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. Incredible character writing, and so much of it still lingers in my mind a year+ later
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Jul 14, 2022 00:30
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Neat! I’ll probably check that out!
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Sep 28, 2022 04:52
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Are there any Michael McDowell audiobooks? Blackwater seems like it’d be awesome on a long road trip. Soap opera Southern gothic family epic?
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Oct 14, 2022 00:10
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Wounds seems like a great pick too
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Oct 15, 2022 00:08
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Without giving much away: No. The titular story is. The rest is Clive Barker-esque wild romps through hell. Butcher’s Table is one of the greatest horror stories I’ve ever read.
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Oct 15, 2022 02:34
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Brian Evenson’s short story collections
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Dec 2, 2022 04:43
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Finished up Ballingrud’s The Strange this morning. Thread is right, definitely more horror-adjacent than straight horror, tho there’s definitely some cosmic horror-esque implications towards the end that make my brain wrinkle. But otherwise a beautiful, sad, incredibly written little book. Cannot recommend it enough. Just don’t go in expecting normal horror Ballingrud, but if you love the quality of his prose and writing and the breadth of his imagination I cannot see how this would disappoint at all.
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Jul 31, 2023 14:01
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Interested in reading something else from him. Camp Damascus had some beautiful prose in it but I found the resolution of the story (mostly the second half of the book) a letdown.
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Oct 20, 2023 01:41
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Blackwater is a masterpiece
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Mar 19, 2024 00:29
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