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.