/lit/ - Literature

Is Chambers’ The King in Yellow worth picking up?

Last thread:
>>15767545

New poll suggestions welcome.

>>15793667
Does truly frightening literature require the use of non-conventional prose in order to not ruin the mood?

>>15793675
Last thread said yes but don't get the one published by Pushkin Press because it has a lot of boring Paris stories in it. Get the Out of the Dark one instead

It seems The Cipher is due for a repress later this year, seems every online store has it out of stock

>>15793994
Try Facebook marketplace.

>>15794015
I deleted that shit years ago.

>>15793675
King in Yellow isn't scary at all, its weird fiction more than horror and only 4 stories are worth it.

>>15793667
>Who's your favourite horror writer?
Started with Stephen King when I was a kid, then my father introduced me to Poe. To this day, he remains responsible for my best memories regarding horror. Pure class. Also a fan of Ligotti, I know he is a meme on lit, but “Teatro Grottesco” really amazed me.

>>15793684
I guess so. Books can not rely on actual imagery like movies, so I have to be immersed in the words for it to work.

>>15794206
>Poe
Which stories do I read of Poe's that have horror in them? I've mainly read the crime writing ones.

>>15794287
Try “Berenice”, “The Fall of the House of Usher” and “The Pit and the Pendulum”.

>>15794368
I'll just get his complete tales and poems next month. Thanks anon.

>>15794422
Nice, you won’t be disappointed!

https://linkto.run/p/0RLAEN5R
New poll, earlier this time so we have more input. Since there were no suggestions other than Clark Ashton Smith, I put in some classic horror writers.

>>15793675
The Repairer of Reputations was the only story that seemed remotely like Horror fiction. It was ok.

What was Ligotti even trying in Journal of J.P. Drapeau? What happened there at the end? Pls help

>>15794807
I just finished his first story and the killing is more implied than it is given for shock. I think his writing must all be like that.

>>15793684
It really depends on what horror the author wants to portray.

If an alien being that incomprehensible to man, then yes.

But you can probably write a serial killer torturing his victim in plain terms and it would be just as frightening if done right.

>>15793994
Have you read any of Kathe Konica’s other works? Would you recommend it?

>>15794206
I actually read Lovecraft and Poe before I read King.

My first King book was Needful Things. And to be honest, it wasn’t bad.

Say what you will about King but he really does good capturing small town dynamics and characters.

>>15793667
Is isn’t true The Frolic, the story you’re talking, was actually Ligotti trying to write a “conventional” story because he was afraid his other stuff wouldn’t get published?

>>15795218
That would make sense. There isn't much shock or gore in it, rather everything is set up for the ending which is obvious from the start when the psychotic, psychopathic character is introduced during dialogue. I need to read more of him. What's your favourite short story by him?

Thought I’d post this again:

2019 Shirley Jackson Award nominees:

NOVEL:

>The Book of X, Sarah Rose Etter (Two Dollar Radio)

>Curious Toys, Elizabeth Hand (Little, Brown and Co)

>Goodnight Stranger, Miciah Bay Gault (Park Row Books)

>Ninth House, Leigh Bardugo (Gollancz-UK/Flatiron Books-US)

>Nothing to See Here, Kevin Wilson (Ecco)

>Tinfoil Butterfly, Rachel Eve Moulton (MCD x FSG Originals)
NOVELLA:

>Into Bones Like Oil, Kaaron Warren (Meerkat Press)

>Late Returns, Joe Hill (Full Throttle)

>The Monster of Elendhaven, Jennifer Giesbrecht (Tor.com)

>Ormeshadow, Priya Sharma (Tor.com)

>This is How You Lose the Time War, Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone (Gallery/Saga Press)
NOVELETTE:

>Black Bequeathments, Simon Strantzas (Dim Shores)

>The Couvade, Joanna Koch (Demain Publishing)

>“Deeper, Darker Things,” Steve Dillon (Deeper, Darker Things and Other Oddities)

>Luminous Body, Brooke Warra (Dim Shores)

>Pwdre Ser, Kurt Fawver (Dim Shores)

>“Taproot,” M. R. Carey (Ten-Word Tragedies)
SHORT FICTION:

>“How to Become a Witch-Queen,” Theodora Goss (Hex Life: Wicked New Tales of Witchery)

>“Kali_Na,” Indrapramit Das (The Mythic Dream)

>“The Truth About Josh Enloe,” Nick Straatmann (Parhelion)

>“The Well,” Mariana Enríquez, translated by Megan McDowell (issue 55.1 of The Southern Review)

>“Whistle, My Lad, and I Will Come,” Gina Ochsner (The Pink Issue of Fairy Tale Review)
SINGLE-AUTHOR COLLECTION:

>Collision: Stories, J. S. Breukelaar (Meerkat Press, LLC)

>Every Human Love: Stories, Joanna Pearson (Acre Books)

>Homesick, Nino Cipri (Dzanc Books)

>Mouthful of Birds, Samanta Schweblin, translated by Megan McDowell (Riverhead Books)

>Song for the Unraveling of the World, Brian Evenson (Coffee House Press)

>Wounds, Nathan Ballingrud (Saga Press)
EDITED ANTHOLOGY:

>Echoes: The Saga Anthology of Ghost Stories, edited by Ellen Datlow (Saga Press)

>The Mythic Dream, edited by Navah Wolfe and Dominik Parisien (Saga Press)

>The Twisted Book of Shadows, edited by Christopher Golden & James A. Moore (Twisted Publishing)

>The Unquiet Dreamer: A Tribute to Harlan Ellison, edited by Preston Grassmann (PS Publishing)

>Wonderland: An Anthology of Works Inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, edited by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane (Titan Books)
Has anyone here read any of these?

>>15795233
Honestly, Our Temporary Supervisor.

It’s a great political horror story that critiques capitalism.

>>15793720
The Paris romance stories are weird and not especially notable, but the 1870 one is excellent. Perhaps even the best of the collection.

>>15795244
Maybe we could link this in the thread or something. I haven't read any but looking to get more into contemporary horror, so if any anons know one that sticks out I will get it.

Speaking is Horror fiction awards. What would guys say are the best?

>Bram Stoker Award

>World Fantasy Award

>British Fantasy Award

>Shirley Jackson Award

>>15795244
>Shirley Jackson
LOL I just realised I bought a girl "Haunting of Hill House" when we were fucking. She's with a bf now but I wish I could still pound her. rip.

>>15793667
Favorite horror writer: toss-up between MR James, Ligotti, Blackwood, and Machen.

>>15795371
Blackwood is the only writer who legit scared me in The Willows and the Wendigo.

Here

https://youtu.be/OVsj3KzEH00

Listen to it at night in a dark room. Very atmospheric. Also great channel, you guys should check it out.

>>15795168
The frolic is his most conventional story, in fact its probably his only conventional story.

Would guys consider Thomas Ligotti to be a “postmodern” horror writer?

>>15795250
Are you socialist too? I saw he was one.

>>15795401
I look forward to his other stuff then.

>>15795492
You could call me that. I’m generally of the left. I wouldn’t consider myself a Marxist though, but I like some Marxist ideas (But I’ve also read Catholic thinkers).

Honestly my favorite leftist writer is Christopher Lasch.

But we’re getting off topic, let’s go back to horror.

>>15795299
Do you think she broke up with you for giving her that book?

>>15795517
We weren't going out. She said she enjoyed it but I doubt she read it all. She was a STEM major who liked to take art history on the side (who knows why) but very cute.

Sadly, she'd try to fuck me at 4am so II was limpdick half the time, being so exhausted. She probably didn't stay because of that.

>>15794368
>Berniece
There's an old PC click-and-go adventure game from 1995 called The Dark Eye. You play through three of Poe's murder stories two times each, once as the murderer and once as the victim. It's dated, but unique as hell and a pretty neat experience if you're into that kind of thing. Creepy clay puppet characters, acting and narration by William S Burroughs, all weirdly gripping despite the limitations. The murderer's perspective in Bernice is still really vivid to me. It's the only time a video game has made my skin crawl. LITERATURE

>>15795594
>5.4/10
>Gamespot

Explain anon, why's the rating so low?

>>15795601
Because Gamespot thinks the pinnacle of gaming is Call of Duty: Warzone.

>>15795601
>5.4
>From one review
Not that you should care, but the player score is higher. If you think you'd like a weird old game then you probably would and if you wouldn't then you probably wouldn't.

>>15795639
>>15795642
Where do I play it? Can't find anything on steam.

>>15795656
I want to keep the game talk to a minimum for the thread's health, but you can find it here:
>https://oldpcgaming.net/the-dark-eye-review/
You'll have to download the ISO. Also has more pics and info so you know what you're in for. It's rough, but it's about as /lit/ as horror games get.

>>15795668
Thanks anon.

>>15793675
Anon from the last thread here, I would agree with this >>15793720 .

Just in terms of his horror stories, I would say they're worth reading. I mean, they're freely available and comparatively short, so you won't exactly be loosing much if you don't like them.

>>15793682
What's it for?

>>15797164
New subreddit banner

>>15797164
Choosing which authors are chosen to be the thread theme.

>>15795256

A good way of finding contemporary horror is Best of anthologies that come out every year.

I think the currently the best ones are Ellen Datlow’s Best Horror of the Year and Best Weird Fiction of the Year.

>>15797243
Yeah I’ve reall all the Dark Screams anthologies. I’m glad I got them from the library though becase the shit : not shit ratio isn’t very good.

Datlow edited an anthology called Haunted Nights that had some good stuff, iirc:
All Through the Night by Elise Forier Edie was the best
The Devil and the Deep was a really bad collection she did, I think there was only one or two passable stories. I think it turns out badly when they solicit stories based on a theme.

I think as I get drawn back into horror this year I’m going to try and avoid these types of anthologies though, something about the way bad authors pop up repeatedly in different collections just makes it feel like I’m reading from the same stable of the editor’s friends and business associates

>>15795401
Conversations in a Dead Language is pretty straightforward too

I recall reading Ligotti's Songs of a Dead Dreamer years ago but I cannot remember a single story within it. Perhaps I should revisit it

>>15797420
It is his weakest collection, honestly.

>>15797420
It's his first collection so he's still finding his style.

>>15797299
It's really just marketing. Anthology editors try to get writers who they think will sell more copies (See, Laird Barron and Ramsey Campbell).

>>15793667
Is at Eminem

>>15797676
No

Hello Horror anons
I do dark/spooky photography but I am out of ideas and looking for inspiration.
Please recommend me some most picturesque Ligotti or any horror work.

>>15798242
>looking for good material in a general

>>15798242
The red tower in Teatro grottesco
Shadow at the bottom of the world in grimscribe
Nethescurial also from grimscribe

>>15798242
Last Feast of Harlequin is also pretty explicit about happens.

Testro Grottesco (the story) might also be interesting to do.

>>15798251
Kek

>>15798552
>>15798740
Thank you

Hodgson is possibly the best the genre has to offer. House on the Borderland really got under my skin, started reading it late in the evening and closed it halfway through to sleep. Woke up in a sweat at 3 AM from bad dreams I can't recall and knew I had to finish it. What a trip that was.

>>15799306
>Hodgson is possibly the best the genre has to offer.
His ideas are great, but the actual stories are really boring.

>>15799306
Is it true The Night Land has great concept but it's writing style makes it unbearable to read?

>>15797470
Which collection should I start with?

>>15795380
'Muh feet are fire, muh feet are fire!"

>>15799678
Grimscribe

Anyone read this blog?
http://toomuchhorrorfiction.blogspot.com/?m=1

any anons read this? the movie was good and gave me nightmares

Rebecca Du Maurier technically horror?

>>15800578
Not really, but I’ll check it. I’m looking for a good horror blog.

>>15800583
He seems to be a popular writer. Movie was quite decent.

>>15800583
I’ve heard a lot of people say the final third/act book takes a dip in quality.

>>15801311
Yep, her two of her stories were made into some of the famous horror films, Don’t Look Now and The Birds.

>>15802131
It’s a blog that mostly reviews books from the horror boom of the late 60’s to the early 90’s.

>>15802185
>horror boom of the late 60’s to the early 90’s
Never knew there was one. Why'd it happen? Any theories?

>>15802173
Ah, that's a shame. I wanted to see if the black metal band part would be more interesting than a bunch of VIKANGS in the movie. Also the fact the old lady has goat legs sounds interesting, not sure if that's supposed to be a metamorphosis or if she's another species from mythology.

>>15802185
Sounds good to me

im a fantasy fag and never readed horror books, where should i start?

>>15802586
Start with a classic and then move on from there. Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus," 1818 text. It's not really scary but for the day it was deemed the scariest story amongst her writing circle/friend group. I think she was only a teenager when she wrote it too, quite amazing.

>>15802619
Scary or not, it is a beautiful story and a must-read

>>15802665
Recommend any other Romantic authors that could be "horror"? I can't think of any on the top of my head atm

>>15793667
I'll eventually be getting around to adding horror related stuff, this was already planned, since so many members already have horror listed in their lists in the /sffg/ group. That may have help with recommendations. It's not particularly a high priority so I'll make a post here about it at the same if these threads still exist.

>>15802699
We're looking for more dedicated posters, so thanks anon. /sffg/ is alright but I would like more dedicated discussion of horror, since it's a very vast and versatile genre. Speculative fiction is an umbrella term that probably just ends up being too broad to be worthwhile.

>>15802699
There's also 10 horror charts for books in the relevant mega here: https://mega.nz/folder/JrhSyY6S#7qmTPol52TnmpFOdbag7RQ

>>15802723
I'll add that to the next thread's post, if I'm the first one to post. Usually I have this open so I can see when it naturally archives. Thanks anon.

>>15802690
My father gave me this anthology, which includes some horror tales by non-horror writers (such as Joseph Conrad) plus “The Turn of the Screw”. It was basically my introduction to classic horror. Here is the list in portuguese, but I’m sure all the tales have an English translation:

W. W. Jacobs – A Mão do Macaco
Aleksei Konstantinovitch Tolstói – A Senpaiília do Vurdulak: Fragmento Inédito de Memórias de um Desconhecido
H. G. Wells – O Cone
Henry St. Clair Whitehead – Os Lábios
Giovanni Papini – A Última Visita do Cavalheiro Doente
Ruben Darío – A Larva
Joseph Conrad – A Fera
Pedro Antônio de Alarcón – A Mulher Alta (conto de terror)
Ambrose Bierce – A Janela Vedada
Henry James – A Volta do Parafuso
Jack London – O Chinago
Pierre Louÿs – A Falsa Esther
Villiers de L’Isle Adam – A Tortura pela Esperança
Jules Verne – Frumm-Flapp
Achim von Arnim – Melück Maria Blainville, a Profetisa Particular da Arábia
Walt Whitman – Morte na Sala de Aula
Theodor Storm – A Casa de Bulemann
Lamed Schapiro – Halá Branco
George Sand – Esperidião
Horácio Quiroga – O Travesseiro de Penas
Edgar Allan Poe – Os Fatos no Caso do Sr. Valdemar
Guy de Maupassant – Uma Vendeta
Léon Bloy – A Fava
Hugh Walpole – O Tarn
Bram Stoker – A Selvagem
Georges Rodenbach – O Amigo dos Espelhos
Eça de Queiroz – A Aia
Vsévolod Mikháilovitch Gárchin – A Flor Vermelha
Fitz-James O’Brien – O Que Foi Aquilo? Um Mistério
Thomas Hardy – Bárbara, da Casa de Grebe
Edith Nesbit – A Casa Mal-Assombrada
Arthur Conan Doyle – O Cirurgião de Gaster Fell
Robert Louis Stevenson – O Rapa-Carniça

>>15802338
Basically, it started when three books became best sellers; The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty, Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin, and The Other by Thomas Tryon.

Two out of those three books were made into hugely successful and influential films that we still talk about today.

After that, more publishers published horror novels because for the first time it was a lucrative market.

Once Stephen King came around (Along with Clive Barker), horror became a huge business. While a lot of pulpy crap was published, a lot of experimental stuff was also published (Ramsey Campbell comes to mind, this was the only period he was published by major publishers).

But by the early 90’s it was just too saturated with crap to continue. Only the major guys like King and Barker were able to be still be published by big companies.

A lot of the other authors became a part of the small presses, and a lot small presses that specialized in horror popped up. It’s basically still in that state today.

>>15802586
Might want to try Clive Barker. He mixes a lot of fantasy with horror. Check out his Books of Blood collections.

>>15802720
Also, horror might not always fall under the speculation fiction genre as there’s plenty of horror fiction about things that can happen in real life (serial killers, cults, etc.).

I would say we still call it horror general but let’s welcome any type of “dark” fiction.

>>15803141
Also check “The Hellbound Heart”, the novella that spawned the Hellraiser franchise.

>>15803150
Could Thomas Harris’ Hannibal series be considered horror? And since were talking about it, what are some good serial killer books?

Just got these today. I have Lovecraft's Necronomicon from the same publisher as Eldritch Tales. What stories do people recommend?

>>15803212
Yes I’d consider the Hannibal books to be horror.

Serial killer books that are good. Try Psycho by Robert Bloch, it’s the basis for the Hitchcock film.

>>15803374
I mean if you have read the Nerconomicon already then you can pretty much read any Lovecraft story you want.

For Poe, I’d start with the The Tell-Tale Heart.

>>15803470
>The Tell-Tale Heart
Read it years ago and came to the conclusion that it was a crazy unreliable narrator. Has anyone ever heard that interpretation before? I think I was a bit of a pleb at the time so it might not be as cool as I thought it was. Basically, I thought his guilt was manifested in hallucinations and psychosis, then ratted on himself out of paranoia.

How’s A Drifting Classroom? I feel like some horror manga lately.

>>15803548
>Horror manga
If you haven't already, pick up Ito's Uzumaki, Smashed or Tomie.
>How's A Drifting Classroom
Idk, never heard of it 'til now. Hope another anon can tell us.

>>15803548
There seems to be three 'perfect editions' published by Viz Media. Can someone check them out? I will buy them if they turn out to be kino.

>>15803566
I’m big into Ito, wanted to spread out a bit.

>>15803650
Wakusei closet is really good if you like sci-fi horror but cutesy art

>>15799594
Yes, somewhat. He spends at least 5 pages in just telling the reader that in his dream he went into his future body and lived those experiences. All in archaic prose (subsequently spawned Lovecraft's style). He reads like an amateur early 20th century writer desu, even Hp is better but Hodgson was very creative and had extraordinarily dark imagination.

>>15803548
Talking about comics/manga, has anyone read Jeff Lemire's Gideon falls? It was said to be inspired by twin peaks and received some rave reviews.

>>15803548
I have the first two parts of the drifting classroom perfect edition and I like them a lot. The only horror manga I’ve found besides Junji Ito that I’ve really enjoyed.

>>15799588
Yes, the style is taxing, especially Night Land, but worth it.

>>15802586
Here you go.

>>15802180
The Birds as in the Hitchcock film? Wow! Had no idea

>>15793667
I do not care for Ligotti.

>>15803374
Wear gloves or the pages will tear.

>>15804892
We are not even talking about Ligotti.
Also, Brainlet.

>>15804892
Agreed

>>15804897
Like cotton gloves or plastic ones? The pages don't seem that thin.

>>15804892
Filtered>>15805328

>>15795244
Ok that’s enough times though

Is Kafka deemed as horror at all? My friend said The Trial is the scariest thing they've read.

>>15805911
Maybe as weird lit.

>>15805911
I'm fine with Kafka being considered Horror.

He was a big influence on Ligotti.

>>15803535
That's the general conlcusion by most people.

Do you guys think we'll get a Collected Stories and Poems after Ligotti has died?

>>15806127
There's a Collected Short Fiction ebook on b-ok that someone put together. It has everything (including original and revised versions of stories) except Conspiracy Against the Human Race and a few poems that are only in the Dutro edition of Teatro Grottesco ($500 used so I guess no one wants to buy it and copy them down lol).

>>15806127
I hope not; he needs to be forgotten

>>15806153
>Dutro
Sorry, meant Durtro, the press owned by David Tibet from Current 93, which originally published the book. The poems were removed from the paperback version you can get today.

Reminder to access the poll before the next thread: https://linkto.run/p/0RLAEN5R

Current results (pic rel).

>>15806180
Can you not shill a youtube channel in the next one? Idk why but it’s very agitating

>>15806197
Only if it calms down your autism. Shhh, shh, there, there.

>>15806157
Why?

>>15805911
I'd say academically not, but he is generally hard to pin down to any genre or movement, and also there is the still existing bias against genre literature in general. But you could definitly say that he has horror elements.

We have a tie in the poll atm. Please vote!

>>15806180
Do note that this poll collects your personal data as well without permission, including your almost exact geographical location for public viewing by everyone.

>>15807219
Use a VPN idiot.

Thinking about getting Michael McDowell's The Elementals. Only heard of it because he wrote the beetlejuice screenplay. Is it any good?

Also, any other recs for 70s/80s mass market paperback horror?

>>15803135
>The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
I'm convinced The Exorcist would be considered a classic work of literature even outside of horror fiction if it hadn't been almost immediately eclipsed by the film. It's a fucking great book and it never got to have a life of its own after being boxed into the "source material for that one movie" category. If Blatty wasn't already such a cinephile, I'd feel sorry for him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOT75GB64Hw

>>15804892
>he insists on himself

>>15808227
Tbh, I never recommend it, I recall it being very slow. Maybe because I was already familiar with the movie and there was a lot of material centered on whether or not they could/should do the exorcism when I knew full well they would do it the whole time.

>>15808249
What does that even mean, Petah?

>>15808227
>With Irving Finkel
I don't trust people with such surnames.

>>15806180
Make a poll for a book club, who cares what author is in the op.

>>15808271
The actual exorcism only occurs in the last 5% of the book, so if you're in it for that you'd be disappointed. The majority of it is about characters struggling with their own existential/spiritual dread and the apparent godlessness of the world around them. That's mostly original to the book since the film can't flesh that out the way the book can with internal thoughts and prose, so I'd still recommend it. Father Karras is one of my favorite characters.

>>15808310
I don't know why. The subject sounds like it would be right up their alley.

>>15808346
We're supposed to discuss the works in the OP. We did it last time but I think ppl spoke so much about Ligotti they're not doing it now.

>>15807822
>Thinking about getting Michael McDowell's The Elementals
It has a great idea but actual development leads nowhere. Feels like he didn’t know what to do with the monsters and the characters and everything just sort of happens.

>>15808346
The book clubs don't go well, yet people continue to try. The idea is liked far more than the actual reading, which makes sense, this is /lit/ after all.

>>15808668
thank you for the honest assessment

how about the second question?