New horror

[holyzombiejesus]

Anything good come out over the last year or so? Adam Nevill has a new one due although it sounds like more or of a novella.

I might be wrong but horror seems to have become a bit niche again now. Not even that tired old hack Susan Hill is writing her tedious spooky shit any more. There haven't been any crossover hits lately, have there? Michelle Paver wrote a couple of good ones a few years back and Andrew Michael Hurley's stuff did quite well but can't think of anything else.

[Jerzy Bondov]

Tell Me I'm Worthless by Alison Rumfitt is the most recent really good horror novel I've read; it's almost a year old. Extremely fucked up and very trans; Glinner thread readers will recognise thinly veiled versions of some favourite bigots.

[holyzombiejesus]

Read something called The Creeper by A.M.Shine. Enjoyed it although some of the writing was really bad. Good plot though - a creepy professor gets two ex students to go to an isolated town in Ireland to investigate the legend of 'the creeper'. Apparently, the same guy wrote something called The Watchers which has got some recommendations.

Currently reading Wylding Hall which is about some folk band (very Heron/ Fairport type stuff) in the 70s who go off to a country house to record their second album, and then shit happens.

Also thinking of getting 'Our Share of Night' by Mariana Enriquez. I really liked her collection of horror short stories 'Things We Lost in the Fire' so very tempted but it's over 700 pages long so a lot to commit to if it's not very good. Was sure I saw mention of it on here but can't find any trace now.

[BlodwynPig]

In the Absence of Murdock by Terry Lamsley, which features in the compendium "House of Fear" - a collection of 'haunted house' stories (which includes an Adam Nevill story -  is Florrie - that I think appears in one of his short collections).

The Lamsley story, though, is sublime and utter terrifying and odd. The absence of a real coda makes it more horrific - dash - eerie. Terror in brevity.

[holyzombiejesus]

Anyone read anything by Victor Lavelle? Reading The Ballad of Black Tom at the moment. It's a re-working of the H.P. Lovecraft story 'The Horror at Red Hook', set in 1920s Harlem. It's really good and wondered if his original stuff was worth reading.

[holyzombiejesus]

Just finished The Green Man of Eshwood Hall by Jacob Kerr. New thing, published by Serpents Tail. Not very good unfortunately, although could have been much better with a bit of tinkering. Reads alot like a children's book, albeit one with several bits of violence. Supposedly part of a series which might explain why it's a bit stingy with the plot and rather than having a narrative arc, it's more like a little bump. Nice cover though.

[dry_run]

Just finished the latest Adam Nevill. I don't know if it was his best slightly strangely written in places and maybe moved things too quickly. But I loved the concept and story and it achieved the rare horror feat of nailing the ending. I had a real f**k yes! moment towards the end.

Spoilers, not for plot, but for a explanation Nevill gives at the end about the book's creation.

Spoiler alert

It's written as a hybrid novel/screenplay. This is the reason for the length and pace. It also means he never writes any internal dialogue in it, because you wouldn't get that in a movie. So it's a bit of a writing experiment, similar to the 'no characters ' approach of Wyrd.

I didn't notice it really aside from some bits of writing which slightly jarred and the feeling that things moved a bit fast sometimes. It was fun to race through and I loved the story so maybe that means it worked. But I also slightly feel I'd have enjoyed it more if I'd had this story with the full Nevill novel treatment.

[close]

From the last couple of books I think ANev's greatest skill is trapping his characters by circumstance and then slowly tightening things in an amazingly unsettling way. The 'novel a year' output is maybe making him a bit formulaic now, but the ideas are strong and I'm happy to be a fan.

Will check out some of the recent recommendations above.

[holyzombiejesus]

Just finished the latest Adam Nevill. I don't know if it was his best slightly strangely written in places and maybe moved things too quickly. But I loved the concept and story and it achieved the rare horror feat of nailing the ending. I had a real f**k yes! moment towards the end.

Spoilers, not for plot, but for a explanation Nevill gives at the end about the book's creation.

Spoiler alert

It's written as a hybrid novel/screenplay. This is the reason for the length and pace. It also means he never writes any internal dialogue in it, because you wouldn't get that in a movie. So it's a bit of a writing experiment, similar to the 'no characters ' approach of Wyrd.

I didn't notice it really aside from some bits of writing which slightly jarred and the feeling that things moved a bit fast sometimes. It was fun to race through and I loved the story so maybe that means it worked. But I also slightly feel I'd have enjoyed it more if I'd had this story with the full Nevill novel treatment.

[close]

From the last couple of books I think ANev's greatest skill is trapping his characters by circumstance and then slowly tightening things in an amazingly unsettling way. The 'novel a year' output is maybe making him a bit formulaic now, but the ideas are strong and I'm happy to be a fan.

Will check out some of the recent recommendations above.

Ooh, I've got that ready to read tonight. Am off work tomorrow too.

[Jerzy Bondov]

The Vessel really stressed me out. I convinced myself it was going one way

Spoiler alert

old lady takes over little girl's body

[close]

but it didn't, it took a turn I loved.

[dry_run]

but it didn't, it took a turn I loved.

Spoiler alert

Sheila getting involved was an airpunch from me.

[close]

[Artie Fufkin]

The Vessel really stressed me out. I convinced myself it was going one way

Spoiler alert

old lady takes over little girl's body

[close]

but it didn't, it took a turn I loved.

Gonna make a start on this later today.

[BlodwynPig]

Spoiler alert

Sheila getting involved was an airpunch from me.

[close]

Yes, very good ending - very 'filmy', which makes sense given the screenplay origins. Certainly way off his best though. Hoping for a return to the unrelenting darkness next time out.

[holyzombiejesus]

Not new horror at all but has anyone read any of the 70s and 80s stuff that Valancourt republishes?

https://www.valancourtbooks.com/paperbacksfromhell.html

[Artie Fufkin]

Gonna make a start on this later today.

The Vessel - Adam Neville
Forgot to mention that I've now read (listened) to this.
Not sure if it was the narrator, but not one of my favourite Neville's, tbh.
There were a couple of really nice atmospheric bits,

Spoiler alert

he tunnel of junk, the actual reveal of the vessel,

[close]

but overall a bit mweh
Gonna make a start on Wylding Hall next, I think. Someone mentioned it above.

[Misspent Boners]

Would highly highly recommend a book called Between Two Fires that I've not long received (the epic tale of Medieval horror, not its namesake about Putin)

Only got it on Friday but was gripped from the beginning, and am now halfway through

A disgraced Knight, an alcie priest and a young girl who can see angels make their way through plague-ridden France on a kind of warped roadtrip

At times it really feels like Dark Souls: the novelisation, and also reminded me of Berserk as well

Don't think I've been quite so pulled in by a book for a long time and it's a lush feeling, wonderfully written and genuinely quite chilling in places

[Jerzy Bondov]

I haven't read that, but I have read The Necromancer's House by the same author (Christopher Buehlman) and thought it was excellent. Will add it to the list.

[Deliciousbass]

Would highly highly recommend a book called Between Two Fires that I've not long received (the epic tale of Medieval horror, not its namesake about Putin)

Seconding this! Great read.

[holyzombiejesus]

Gonna make a start on Wylding Hall next, I think. Someone mentioned it above.

Did you like it?

Currently reading Looking Glass Sound, the new one by Catriona Ward. Possibly my favourite of hers but not too much in the way of horror so far.

[Noodle Lizard]

Would highly highly recommend a book called Between Two Fires that I've not long received (the epic tale of Medieval horror, not its namesake about Putin)

I got this on your recommendation. Medieval Fantasy France but they're saying things like "goddamn this shit is ass".

(it's alright so far)

[Artie Fufkin]

Did you like it?

Currently reading Looking Glass Sound, the new one by Catriona Ward. Possibly my favourite of hers but not too much in the way of horror so far.

Haven't started it yet.
I'm 2/3's through my current book.
It's not horror, so in case you are interested I will spoiler it :-)

Spoiler alert

The Rabbit Factor, Antti Tuomainen

[close]

[holyzombiejesus]

Currently reading Looking Glass Sound, the new one by Catriona Ward. Possibly my favourite of hers but not too much in the way of horror so far.

The last third of this is soooooo bad.

[Jerzy Bondov]

Yeah didn't get on with Looking Glass Sound at all sadly. Easily my least favourite of hers.

[holyzombiejesus]

Yeah didn't get on with Looking Glass Sound at all sadly. Easily my least favourite of hers.

I liked the first third, maybe half but that final third honked big time.

[Artie Fufkin]

Hidden Pictures - Jason Rekulak

Just started this, and enjoying it so far.
Ex-addict becomes a nanny to a kid who has an invisible friend who makes him draw weird shit.
The use of the drawings in the book works well, I think.
Yeah, so far, so good.

[dry_run]

A vote for Between Two Fires. Really enjoyed it and have some of the set pieces firmly repeating in my head. Normally this sort of story ends up stretching over 3 novels so I also appreciated that it was all contained in one whilst still giving a pretty epic feeling.

Not sure it was super scary but he managed to write some pretty wild stuff that in places made me go urgh out loud.

[Jerzy Bondov]

Slowly circling around Between Two Fires, I just read Those Across the River which is Buehlman's debut and thought it was great, quite hard to stop reading despite being fucked up and disturbing. This guy's got the goods.

[holyzombiejesus]

1. Any decent new stuff out? Market seems saturated with 'cosy horror' about women called Sally who move in to an old house in a vain attempt to say their marriage.

2. John Langan's The Fisherman has just been reissued by a UK publisher so it's much easier and cheaper to find now.

3. Please rank Adam Neville's novels. Ta.

[Deliciousbass]

Read Revenge by Yoko Ogawa last week and have been dwelling on it since. Hard to place genre-wise but I reckon most here would enjoy it.

She writes in a very plain Raymond Carver-esque style, which makes the sinister and grotesque stand out by contrast. It never strays into extreme violence or the fantastical, but I also wouldn't say it's fully grounded in reality.

READ IT IT GOOD

[holyzombiejesus]

Ritual is more quaint than scary - although it does have a great ending.

I would maybe put Last Days (especially the first quarter) at the top of the list, then No One Gets Out Alive, Apartment 16 and House of Small Shadows, in that order. I was about to start Under a Watchful Eye but got sidetracked by Ghoster, which is excellent despite the 'young 'un speak'. Half way through that one.

The only other Nevill I have read is his short story "Where Angels Come In", which is a superb taster for things to come (written in 2005).

Started Banquet For The Damned earlier and, so far at least, it seems pretty bad. Just read a line that went "Kerry's long blue eyes open. Pebbles of sweat cool on her forehead."
2 of the protagonists are in a rock band and their dialogue is pretty bad, and they seem quite clichéd and silly. They keep Marlboro reds tucked in their t-shirt sleeves!
Hope it improves. Just seen that this is his first book and there was a 6 year wait until his 2nd so it's not surprising it's a bit clunky.

[BlodwynPig]

I kept Banquet til last as I thought it would be like you described. In the end I enjoyed it tremendously - I don't think there is a book I haven't enjoyed of his yet.