Too Much Horror Fiction
May 9, 2010 5:06 PM Subscribe
Too Much Horror Fiction: "Covering horror literature and its resplendent paperback cover art, mostly from the 1960s through the early 1990s. Mostly."
Skeleton Crew has The Mist though, which might give it a slight edge.
posted by Artw at 5:14 PM on May 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Artw at 5:14 PM on May 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
Nice to see a tip of the hat to Our Lady of Darkness by Fritz Leiber. It's a fine horror novel that gives a great sense of the city of San Francisco, and it's one of the better "Lovecraftian" stories (all the better because it evokes some of the cosmicness while avoiding all the trappings). And my copy has the very silly cover pictured in the link.
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:19 PM on May 9, 2010
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:19 PM on May 9, 2010
Ooh! Oh man. I've read too many of these. Those Karl Edward Wagner collections are fantastic, some of the best horror I've ever read and I've read lots.
posted by fleetmouse at 7:07 PM on May 9, 2010
posted by fleetmouse at 7:07 PM on May 9, 2010
This makes me feel slightlyless bad about getting bored and giving up partway through The Ceremonies, though Dark Gods sounds like something I'd very much want to read. I actually read Black Man with a Horn ages ago... so long ago the details are kind of hazy to me.
posted by Artw at 7:20 PM on May 9, 2010
posted by Artw at 7:20 PM on May 9, 2010
I don't know why someone thought it was neccesary to include a quote calling this book sexy. The picture conveys more sexiness than words ever could.
posted by Uppity Pigeon #2 at 7:22 PM on May 9, 2010
posted by Uppity Pigeon #2 at 7:22 PM on May 9, 2010
At risk of sounding kind of crass, this book was a favorite of teenaged kfb, and its appeal is...um...not limited to "the occult." I have a good idea what that stuff on the lower right hand corner is, is all I am saying here.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 7:52 PM on May 9, 2010
posted by kittens for breakfast at 7:52 PM on May 9, 2010
Ectoplasm?
posted by Artw at 8:05 PM on May 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Artw at 8:05 PM on May 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
This is great, thanks for posting it. Another shout-out for Night Shift.
How many school nights did I stay up late as a teenager, engrossed and amazed by these perfectly composed tales? How many times did I attempt my own versions, getting maybe six paragraphs in before realizing I might be a better fiction reader than fiction writer?
I guess that blogger knew me when I was in the eighth grade.
posted by marxchivist at 8:36 PM on May 9, 2010
How many school nights did I stay up late as a teenager, engrossed and amazed by these perfectly composed tales? How many times did I attempt my own versions, getting maybe six paragraphs in before realizing I might be a better fiction reader than fiction writer?
I guess that blogger knew me when I was in the eighth grade.
posted by marxchivist at 8:36 PM on May 9, 2010
His version of Ligotti's Songs of a Dead Dreamer is kind of cheesy-looking, but I suppose he's lucky to even own a copy. I have the trade paperback with the distorted face on the cover, and it's such an amazing collection.
A similar blog with a narrower focus is this one about Panther paperbacks.
posted by Syme at 8:54 PM on May 9, 2010
A similar blog with a narrower focus is this one about Panther paperbacks.
posted by Syme at 8:54 PM on May 9, 2010
This makes me feel slightly less bad about getting bored and giving up partway through The Ceremonies...
Agreed; The Ceremonies was a needlessly padded version of "Events at Poroth Farm". The only thing of interest I remember being added was a dhole. I do recommend Dark Gods, though (and rereading "Black Man with a Horn"). Also, Klein apparently liked to rewrite his stories, even after publishing; there are two significantly different versions of "Petey" in different anthologies. He even changed the route number of a highway that played a part in the story.
posted by kurumi at 11:38 PM on May 9, 2010
Agreed; The Ceremonies was a needlessly padded version of "Events at Poroth Farm". The only thing of interest I remember being added was a dhole. I do recommend Dark Gods, though (and rereading "Black Man with a Horn"). Also, Klein apparently liked to rewrite his stories, even after publishing; there are two significantly different versions of "Petey" in different anthologies. He even changed the route number of a highway that played a part in the story.
posted by kurumi at 11:38 PM on May 9, 2010
I had that very copy of Night Shift and I remember every story (well with his reminders)
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 1:04 AM on May 10, 2010
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 1:04 AM on May 10, 2010
Awesome post. Even better blog. The statements about Night Shift, the cover, the tales, echoed over here. Now when I get home I intend to search and see if I still have that original copy. Then I need to look up some of the other authors. Following that I'll see if can find a life.
posted by Hickeystudio at 4:25 AM on May 10, 2010
posted by Hickeystudio at 4:25 AM on May 10, 2010
I have a good idea what that stuff on the lower right hand corner is, is all I am saying here.
I used to work in used books: it's the residue of the glue from a cheap price sticker. Most price stickers can be removed with a bit of paint thinner or lighter fluid; the cheapest stickers, though, have a plasticized backing that actually bonds to the plastification on the paperback and can't be removed without tearing the cover or wearing that part of the cover to white pulp.
Semen stains yellowish, not grey, and usually won't affect the cover of a paperback but can wreak havoc on inside pages. Glossy magazine pages can develop a sort of crust but that's easily rubbed off with the aforementioned lighter fluid or varsol. We actually had a varsol/isopropyl alcohol/distilled water solution that would do a great job on almost anything that could be removed from the cover of a book or interior pages of a magazine. Paper towel is generally fine but magazine pages are better cleaned with a chamois if the magazine is valuable for resale.
The used book trade is weirder than you think.
posted by Shepherd at 5:46 AM on May 10, 2010 [4 favorites]
I used to work in used books: it's the residue of the glue from a cheap price sticker. Most price stickers can be removed with a bit of paint thinner or lighter fluid; the cheapest stickers, though, have a plasticized backing that actually bonds to the plastification on the paperback and can't be removed without tearing the cover or wearing that part of the cover to white pulp.
Semen stains yellowish, not grey, and usually won't affect the cover of a paperback but can wreak havoc on inside pages. Glossy magazine pages can develop a sort of crust but that's easily rubbed off with the aforementioned lighter fluid or varsol. We actually had a varsol/isopropyl alcohol/distilled water solution that would do a great job on almost anything that could be removed from the cover of a book or interior pages of a magazine. Paper towel is generally fine but magazine pages are better cleaned with a chamois if the magazine is valuable for resale.
The used book trade is weirder than you think.
posted by Shepherd at 5:46 AM on May 10, 2010 [4 favorites]
Great blog, but -1 for not including Guy N. Smith's fabulously cheesy and bad Crabs books.
posted by JoanArkham at 6:25 AM on May 10, 2010
posted by JoanArkham at 6:25 AM on May 10, 2010
Night of the Crabs and Crabs on the Rampage sound pretty terrifying, but The Origin of the Crabs might be over-share.
Is Events at Poroth Farm collected anywhere?
posted by Artw at 9:40 AM on May 10, 2010
Is Events at Poroth Farm collected anywhere?
posted by Artw at 9:40 AM on May 10, 2010
Oh man. I read and reread that Night Shift edition until it fell apart. That cover brings back a ton of memories from junior high and high school.
posted by eyeballkid at 10:55 AM on May 10, 2010
posted by eyeballkid at 10:55 AM on May 10, 2010
This makes me feel slightlyless bad about getting bored and giving up partway through The Ceremonies
"T.E.D. Klein" sounds like the name of the robot from an '80s movie.
posted by ArmyOfKittens at 12:41 AM on May 11, 2010
"T.E.D. Klein" sounds like the name of the robot from an '80s movie.
posted by ArmyOfKittens at 12:41 AM on May 11, 2010
The newest entry is on Shaun Hutson's Slugs, a book I have never read -- and, with any luck, never will read -- but also the foundation of the magnificently terrible and NSFW Slugs: The Movie, the source of many running jokes/quotes for myself and friends circa the early 1990s. It is, of course, available on YouTube.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 4:51 PM on May 11, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by kittens for breakfast at 4:51 PM on May 11, 2010 [2 favorites]
Some people say Shaun 'The Godfather of Gore' Hutson was the inspiration for Garth Marenghi... these people are wrong. Shaun is a simply a god amongst men... look how Britiain's Hardest Man quails in his presence!
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 2:15 AM on May 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 2:15 AM on May 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
For anyone who read this post and thought Joe R. Lansdale's The Drive In sounded intriguing there's an interview about them with Lansdale here.
posted by Artw at 8:27 AM on May 16, 2010
posted by Artw at 8:27 AM on May 16, 2010
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Hmm... I was just saying on Twitter that I might give him a pass on his slam on novelisations as Alan Dean Fosters work might fall outside of his remit, but then there's that tagline, so now I don't know where to stand on that.
Also this is a lovely cover for Night Shift, much nicer than the one I had, and it remains a damn fine collection of short horror fiction. Peopl who are quick to dismiss King should give it a read, and if you still don't respect the guy then, well, you are lost to me I am afraid.
posted by Artw at 5:12 PM on May 9, 2010