Books I Read in October 2024

Besides some stories which I wrote about in my previous post, I read only one book and one comic book collection this month, as Dracula took up most of my reading time. 

Dracula Deluxe Edition by Bram Stoker with illustrations by Edward Gorey (Sterling Publishing, now Union Square & Co., 2021) 

Dracula is a gothic horror masterpiece but it’s not perfect. After a fascinating first four chapters, it really slows down and doesn’t pick up again until the mid-point. Even then long-winded passages still pop up throughout. I’m glad I read it though as it was a fascinating read and the bad outweighed the good. A more detailed review to come next month. 

Hellboy: The Crooked Man (2024)

I was going to read a collection of the original Swamp Thing stories but then two things happened. First, I watched the new Hellboy movie, Hellboy: The Crooked Man. I read a few of the comics a long time ago and while I liked the series, I never kept up with it. I thought the first Hellboy movie was okay but didn’t grab me like the comic and I never watched the next two movies. 

I really enjoyed the new film. It's low budget, but the story drew me in. Atmospheric horror and witchcraft in the haunted hills of 1950s Appalachia. Nice use of songs and I really liked Jack Kesy’s portrayal of Hellboy. The movie reminded me a lot of Manly Wade Wellman’s John the Balladeer stories which are some of my all-time favorite weird fiction stories. Soon after watching the movie, I ran across a used copy of the first omnibus, so I grabbed it.

Hellboy Omnibus Volume 1: Seed of Destruction by Mike Mignola and John Byrne (Dark Horse Comics, 2018) 

This omnibus collects Seed of Destruction, Wake the Devil, and “The Wolves of St. August,” “The Chained Coffin,” and “Almost Colossus.” Each story is a winner, and I had forgotten how much I like Mignola’s atmospheric artwork. Now I need to get the rest of the collections. 

I'm going to try and stick with a vampire theme for next month, but we'll see what happens.

Three Werewolf Stories from the Pulps

I’m reading Bram Stoker’s Dracula this month and while I’m enjoying it, it’s slow moving and a bit long winded in places. I needed to take a break and these three pulp werewolf stories hit the spot. 

“Wolves of Darkness” by Jack Williamson from Echoes of Valor III (Tor, 1991) and The Werewolf Megapack (Wildside Press, 2013, e-book). First published in Strange Tales, January 1932. 

I’ve been a fan of Jack Williamson ever since reading The Legion of Space in my school days. This is my first time reading one of his horror stories. 

A man gets called back to his hometown and finds it to be overrun by wolves that may be more than wolves. A pulpy mix of horror and sci-fi. This started and ended strong but felt stretched out in the middle. I also lost interest when the sci-fi elements were introduced as they didn’t hold up as well as the horror elements. But I liked how everything played out and how the story gives an explanation for the origins of werewolf and other monster lore. 

“The Whisperers” by Hugh B. Cave from Murgunstrumm and Others (Crossroads Press, 2011, e-book version). First published in Spicy Mystery Stories, April 1942. 

Strange things start happening after newlyweds purchase an old house with a tragic past. They learn that terrible things happened after the previous owner began hearing whispering in the basement. The husband decides to investigate. As this first appeared in Spicy Mystery Stories there are lots of descriptions of the wife’s body and of the couple embracing, but it’s all pretty tame by today’s standards. On the other hand, this was a very dark and well-done horror story that still holds up. 

Neither this story nor the previous one uses any of the common werewolf tropes found in most fiction and film. I found that a little disappointing with Williamson’s story, but this story was strong enough without them. Update: My friend Patrick Ijima-Washburn pointed out that these stories came out before modern werewolf lore, a lot of which comes from the 1941 film The Wolf Man, was quite set in stone. Good point, Thanks Patrick!

I learned about pulp author Hugh B. Cave years and years ago, but this is my first time reading anything by him. I still have a collection of his pulp detective stories that I bought from my favorite but now long defunct bookstore, The Science Fiction and Mystery Bookshop in Atlanta. I think it’s time to start reading it.

“The Compleat Werewolf” by Anthony Boucher from The Compleat Werewolf and Other Stories of Fantasy and Science Fiction (Carroll & Graf, 1990). First published in Unknown Worlds, April 1942. 

After a German language professor learns that he is a werewolf he decides to use his new powers to win over the love of his life. Things don’t go as planned. This one is different from the previous two as it’s a story that mixes adventure and humor and it does so flawlessly. I was really drawn in by Boucher's writing. I lost count how many times I laughed out loud, and the story was a page turner from the humorous start to the exciting finale. 

This is my first time reading Boucher and I’m really looking forward to reading more. This is another book that I picked up from The Science Fiction and Mystery Bookshop years and years ago and now just getting around to. Hmm. I’m beginning to notice a pattern here.

This was a nice mix of stories. One very pulpy, one very dark, and one loaded with humor and adventure. 

Now back to Dracula. 

October Reading Plans

After breaking through my reading slump with some Conan pastiche short stories last month, I jumped into Dracula by Bram Stoker this month. It’s been on my to-read list for a long time, and I figured this October was the right time to finally get to it. I have the deluxe edition with illustrations by Edward Gorey which I picked up during a Barnes & Noble 50% off hardcover sale a few years ago. I’m enjoying it so far although it’s slowed down a little after a strong start. Here’s a stack of some other books and comics I may or may not get to this October.

I always enjoy the book pics that Graeme over at Lord Samper’s Library posts on his blog, so I thought I would do something similar. Give him a follow if you’re not already doing so as he also posts lots of great book, film, and television reviews:

Lord Samper's Library (lordsamperlibrary.blogspot.com)

The stack:

Damnable Tales: A Folk Horror Anthology selected and illustrated by Richard Wells

I picked this up recently when I saw that it had a couple of short stories that I’ve been looking for, “Pallinghurst Barrow” by Grant Allan and "Randall's Round” by Eleanor Scott. It includes lots of other great authors as well including Robert Aickman, Shirley Jackson, and M.R. James. 

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

Bradbury is one of my favorite authors. This has been on my to-read list after reading his collection The October Country and his book The Halloween Tree which goes over the history of Samhain and Halloween. 

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson 

Another one of my favorite authors. I’ve been wanting to read this ever since watching the filmed versions, The Last Man on Earth with Vincent Price and The Omega Man with Charlton Heston.

A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny

One of my favorite books from another one of my favorite authors. It’s a tradition for many people to re-read it every October. I first read this in 2020 and re-read it in 2021 and 2022. I’m not sure if I’ll get to it this year. 

The Books of Blood I-III by Clive Barker 

Barker is an author I’ve been meaning to read more over after reading and enjoying The Hellbound Heart, the basis for the first Hellraiser film. 

Roots of the Swamp Thing by Len Wein, Bernie Wrightson, and Nestor Redondo

I’ve been a Swamp Thing fan ever since reading Alan Moore’s run in my university days. I found this collection at Half Price Books last year and had to pick it up. 

Dracula: Vlad the Impaler by Roy Thomas and Estaban Marato

Another Half Price Books find. I’ll read it once I’m finished with Dracula. This collects issues originally published by TOPPS Comics in the 90s. I found this in the reduced section for a couple of bucks. 

Will I get to everything in the stack? Probably not. But as usual, we’ll see what happens! I hope that you’re reading something good this October. 

Short Stories and Comics I Read for Cimmerian September, 2024

My original plan for Cimmerian September was to read Conan: Blood of the Serpent by S.M. Stirling and then some of the Conan paperbacks that I’ve collected over the last few years. Unfortunately, I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump lately and it didn’t help that I couldn’t get into Blood of the Serpent. It took me three weeks just to get through the first few chapters. I haven’t given up on it yet but I’m finding the first part really, really slow paced. So, I came up with a new plan. 

At the beginning of the year, I read “Conan: The Shadow of Vengeance” by Scott Oden and I loved it. Here’s a link to my post that includes a review:

We Learn by Writing: Books I Read in February 2024

I figured now is a good time to read the other Conan stories by other authors featured in the Heroic Legends series. These stories were just what I needed. 

“Conan: Lord of the Mount” by Stephen Graham Jones (Titan Books, 2023)

I enjoyed the two horror novellas I read by Stephen Graham Jones, so I was looking forward to this. It grabbed me right from the start. Fast paced, action packed, and Conan pretty much felt like Conan.

 

“Conan: The Child” by Brian D. Anderson (Titan Books, 2023)

Action, twists, and interesting characters. Written in a contemporary style while still feeling true to the character of Conan. Even though I could see where things were heading, this was a really fun read. Brian D. Anderson is an author new to me and this story makes me want to check out his other work. Scott Oden's story and this one are my favorite of the Heroic Legends Conan stories published so far.

“Conan: Lethal Consignment” by Shaun Hamill (Titan Books, 2023)

A young Conan is hired as a guard on a ship. Even early in his career I would have expected Conan to be more confident than he’s depicted here and some of the modern vocabulary took me out of the story. Other than that, it was a quick fun read. 

“Conan: Terror from the Abyss” by Henry Herz (Titan Books, 2024)

Conan and Bêlit face a Lovecraftian horror from the deep. A fast-paced story with an abrupt ending. The strengths of this story lie in its great descriptions and use of vocabulary. Conan praying to Crom felt very out of character though. 

“Conan: The Halls of Immortal Darkness” by Laird Barron (Titan Books, 2024)

I’ve heard good things about Laird Barron and have a few of his books but until now I haven’t read anything by him. After being bitten by a snake and having a weird vision, Conan is hired by a mysterious woman and an old man. As much as I liked the writing, I wasn’t sure what to make of this story until I got to the end, which really won me over. I really need to get around to reading more of Laird Barron.

There’s one story that I didn’t get to, “Conan: Black Starlight” by John C. Hocking. It takes place between his two books Conan and the Emerald Lotus and Conan and the Living Plague, both which are included in Conan: City of the Dead, which was published this year. I ordered a copy this month but it’s one of the books that I didn’t get to.

I did get to the Conan the Barbarian comic though:

Conan the Barbarian Vol. 2: Thrice Marked for Death written by Jim Zub, art Doug Braithwaite, coloring by Diego Rodriguez, and cover art by Roberto De La Torre. (Titan Comics, 2024)

Volume 2 collects issues 5-8 of Titan’s Conan the Barbarian comic. While haunted by memories of Bêlit, Conan joins a group of thieves for a heist. Of course, things don’t go as planned. Jim Zub continues to write a great Conan and the art by Doug Braithwaite is impressive, especially his splash pages.

That finishes up my Cimmerian September. I may read some spooky stuff for October but I’m not making any definite plans as I hardly ever stick with them. We’ll see what happens.

Cimmerian September

Cimmerian September is a reading event in which people read Conan stories, either Robert E. Howard’s originals, pastiche versions, or comics. Since I recently finished reading the original stories, I figured now would be a good time to dive into some of the pastiche novels that I’ve collected over the last few years. 

First up is Conan: Blood of the Serpent by S.M. Stirling from 2022. This is a prequel to Howard’s last Conan story, “Red Nails.” The book includes Howard's story and has some great illustrations by Roberto De La Torre who has done artwork for the new Conan comic from Titan. I'm also planning on reading the new book by John Hocking, Conan: City of the Dead. It includes two books, Conan and the Emerald Lotus from 1995, and its new sequel, Conan and the Living Plague. The original edition of Emerald Lotus goes for high prices so it's nice that it's included in this new edition. After these, who knows? I have lots to choose from as you can see below.

Here are Bantam editions and a Tor edition of The Road of Kings by Karl Edward Wagner:

Two from Ace by Andrew J. Offutt:

Three Tor editions by Sean A. Moore:

Four Tors by John Maddox Roberts:

If you have any suggestions for which Conan pastiche I should read next, please let me know!

Books I Read in July and August 2024

Only one book a month as the reading slump continued. This is the least I’ve read in a long time. I think I finally broke through as I started reading some Sherlock Holmes stories. On to the two books.

Psycho by Robert Bloch (The Overlook Press, 2010. First published in 1959)

I watched Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho and a few of his other films years and years ago. A few months ago I started watching his films from the beginning. I’m taking a break from them now but wanted to read Bloch’s original book before re-watching Psycho. The book really gets into the head of Norman Bates. Parts of it are a little dated but it was a suspenseful read, even with knowing the major plot points from watching Hitchcock’s film adaptation.

The Carter of La Providence by Georges Simenon (Penguin Classics, 2014. First published in 1931)

This is the second book in the long running Inspector Maigret series. In this one Maigret investigates after a body is found by a canal in the French countryside. The story is okay but where it really shines is with the atmosphere as Maigret traipses through the gloomy countryside in the pouring rain. As it’s an early book in the series, Simenon is still getting a handle on the character. Will be reading more. 

September Reading Plans 

Besides continuing with The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, I’m planning on reading some Conan pastiche for a reading event called Cimmerian September. I have plenty of books on the shelf to choose from and I’ll post some pics. We’ll see what happens though as I never do well with reading events. 

Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy

My reading slump continues. I haven’t been reading much but I have been watching stuff. I just finished a rewatch of Sergio Leone’s Dollars Trilogy, aka The Man with No Name Trilogy even though Eastwood's character is named in each film, a marketing gimmick dreamed up by American distributor United Artists.

Leone is one of my favorite directors and this loose trilogy includes some of my favorite spaghetti westerns. You can really see Sergio Leone growing as a director with each film. Watched on Blu-ray as I’m slowly rebuilding my physical media collection. It’s nice to have a library of my favorite films and I love watching the extras that are included. 

A Fistful of Dollars (1964)

Yojimbo as a western with Clint Eastwood in the starring role. Loved the soundtrack, the direction, the way the shots were framed, all the close-ups, and how they all moved the story forward. 

For a Few Dollars More (1965)

After A Fistful of Dollars, Sergio Leone ups his game story-wise, direction-wise, and final shootout-wise with For a Few Dollars More. I loved seeing Clint Eastwood paired up with Lee Van Cleef. I still prefer A Fistful of Dollars over this one though. 

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966)

Extended version. I really like how Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach play off of each other. There were lots of scenes where Leone just lets the camera tell the story and I loved it. It’s a long movie but all the sweeping vistas, the character moments, the twists and turns, as well as the direction and that amazing soundtrack from Ennio Morricone, held my attention throughout. From the character introductions to the final shootout, a spaghetti Western masterpiece that includes a strong anti-war message. 

For future viewing: Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), which has been on my to-watch list for quite a long time.