Favorite Authors
Doctor Locrian
Whiler we're at it, who are some of your favorite authors. Recently, I
sent someone an extremely incomplete list of mine, and I'll include a
snippet of my thoughts on the matter:
My favorite writers are all dead with the exception of
Ligotti: Poe, Swift, Dryden, Pope, Rilke, Baudelaire, Beckett, Conrad,
Joyce, Lovecraft, Marvell, Donne, and of course, the greatest writer by
far in any genre I've ever read, William Shakespeare (this is to name a
few -- I love so many writers of generations past). There are good
writers alive today, but I don't have time to read them generally.
Ligotti is my one major exception. He is one of my favorite writers -
period. He is easily as masterful as Poe or Lovecraft on even their
best days, and I am thrilled to be alive at the same time that he is
producing his work (work, I believe, that will be read and loved for
centuries to come). He is certainly the only writer alive whose short
stories I am in awe of.
Doctor Locrian
mgc...@wpgate.smsu.edu
Here are some of my favorite authors, in no particular order. Not all of them
write/wrote fiction, either.
Thomas Ligotti (I agree with Doc that he will almost certainly be read and
studied well into the future; he should be, in any case)
Ray Bradbury
Robert Anton Wilson
Alan Watts
J.R.R. Tolkien
C.S. Lewis
Edgar Allan Poe
Soren Kierkegaard
Friedrich Nietzsche
Richard Bach
H.P. Lovecraft
T.E.D. Klein
Stephen Mitchell
Huston Smith
the Biblical authors
Theodore Roszak
There are many more, but it occurred to me for the first time as I was typing
this that even though I read constantly, it's hard for me to come up with more
than a small core group of favorite writers whose work I follow consistently.
For the most part my reading is ordered more around subject than author, e.g.
horror, existentialism, Christian apologetics, philosophy of religion, Zen,
meditation, etc.
Come on, everybody else! Jump in here!
Peace,
Matt Cardin
Truth is subjectivity.
--Kierkegaard
-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
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Flo...@valuserve.com
> Come on, everybody else! Jump in here!
Okay, lessee...
I'm not so sure about favorite authors, as it's often restricted to a
particular book/story or set thereof, but some faves include:
Harlan Ellison
Fritz Leiber
John Fowles ("The Magus")
Rabelais (haven't read all of "Gargantua," but I was amazed by how funny and
approachable he is)
Richard Matheson
W.B. Yeats
Lovecraft
Gene Wolfe
H.G. Wells
Ramsey Campbell's short stories, usually
Clark Ashton Smith
Angela Carter
Jim Carroll's "Basketball Diaries"
William Blake "Songs of Innocence and Experience"
Ursula LeGuin
Henri Alain-Fournier's "The Wanderer"
early Ray Bradbury
Manly Wade Wellman
Mark Twain
Isaac Bashevis Singer
Charles Dickens
Robert W. Chamber's "King in Yellow"
William Golding's "Lord of the Flies"
Neil Gaiman
twosheds
On Thu, 19 Feb 1998 09:02:15 -0500, Doctor Locrian <loc...@esad.com>
wrote:
>Whiler we're at it, who are some of your favorite authors.
Ligotti (for now)
Stephen King (go ahead, rip on the guy - but he knows how to tell a
story, which is more than I can say for Ann Rice, John Grisham, Tom
Clancy, et al.)
James Ellroy (possibly word-for-word the most talented living American
writer)
Shirley Jackson (an author whose short stories ought to inspire awe)
Richard Matheson
Cormac McCarthy
Gregory Mcdonald
Oh, yeah, and Lovecraft, I guess....
*twosheds*
loc...@esad.com
In article <34ef70cf...@news.sprynet.com>,
twos...@sprynet.com (twosheds) wrote:
>
> On Thu, 19 Feb 1998 09:02:15 -0500, Doctor Locrian <loc...@esad.com>
> wrote:
>
> >Whiler we're at it, who are some of your favorite authors.
>
> Ligotti (for now)
> Stephen King (go ahead, rip on the guy - but he knows how to tell a
> story, which is more than I can say for Ann Rice, John Grisham, Tom
> Clancy, et al.)
Not at all. King is quite good at his best, though usually I've found that he
has trouble sustaining a story (i.e. his plot breakdown at the end of _It_).
He doesn't overwrite, but he has had problems with not knowing when to wrap
things up. For my money, he is a better idea man than a novelist. I have
been most impressed, for instance, with his short fiction than with his longer
fiction. "The Shawshank Redemption," "Stand by Me," and "Misery" are all
examples of King at his best. In other words, he comes up with good plots and
characters for use in movies. At his best, Kubrick's "The Shining" comes out
of his work as a classic "based on a story by King masterpiece". At his
worst, "Maximum Overdrive" and his version of "The Shining," in which he is
given full rein to adapt his own story.
As for his current work, I don't know. I haven't read a novel by him in about
ten years (since I was a teenager), though I fully expect he has improved as a
novelist. I suppose when it comes right down to it, I enjoy short stories and
novellas more than novels as I grow older. Novels can have more intricate
plots, but I tire of the cinematic feel of the contemporary works. Ligotti
captures a format that I enjoy most -- evocation of atmosphere and
psychological/philosophical images and phrases that last long after I've
forgotten the central character's names from King's _The Stand_ (or even how
the interminable book ended).
> James Ellroy (possibly word-for-word the most talented living American
> writer)
> Shirley Jackson (an author whose short stories ought to inspire awe)
Oh, yes -- I agree wholeheartedly! More on Jackson later...
Doctor Locrian
loc...@esad.com
In article <6cnlsd$2lk$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>,
Flo...@valuserve.com wrote:
>
>
> > Come on, everybody else! Jump in here!
>
> Okay, lessee...
>
> I'm not so sure about favorite authors, as it's often restricted to a
> particular book/story or set thereof, but some faves include:
>
> Harlan Ellison
as to his best work?
> Fritz Leiber
> John Fowles ("The Magus")
> Rabelais (haven't read all of "Gargantua," but I was amazed by how funny and
> approachable he is)
> Richard Matheson
> W.B. Yeats
Ah yes! "The Second Coming" is my favorite. Unbelievable.
> Lovecraft
Of course...
> Gene Wolfe
> H.G. Wells
love him.
> Ramsey Campbell's short stories, usually
seconded - Campbell is great when he's good. When he's not...
> Clark Ashton Smith
> Angela Carter
> Jim Carroll's "Basketball Diaries"
> William Blake "Songs of Innocence and Experience"
One of the Masters and, I believe, the earliest truly Romantic poet (along
with Robert Burns, perhaps).
> Ursula LeGuin
> Henri Alain-Fournier's "The Wanderer"
> early Ray Bradbury
> Manly Wade Wellman
> Mark Twain
Ah yes. The man had a wit unparalleled.
> Isaac Bashevis Singer
> Charles Dickens
Agreed. _Tale of Two Cities_ being my favorite...
> Robert W. Chamber's "King in Yellow"
One of the most disturbing collections I've read... Someone should write a
comparison between some of these stories and Ligotti's (perhaps I will at some
point).
> William Golding's "Lord of the Flies"
Oh, YES! And it's never been given justice on the silver screen (nor, I
think, could it be given justice). Disturbing stuff.
> Neil Gaiman
_The Sandman_ is brilliant -- everything he touches turns to gold. He is one
of the best writers alive, undoubtedly (though I've lost touch with his work).
Dr. Locrian
Doctor Locrian
mgc...@wpgate.smsu.edu wrote:
>
> Here are some of my favorite authors, in no particular order. Not all of them
> write/wrote fiction, either.
>
> Thomas Ligotti (I agree with Doc that he will almost certainly be read and
> studied well into the future; he should be, in any case)
> Ray Bradbury
> Robert Anton Wilson
> Alan Watts
Ah yes, _Nature, Man, and Woman_ was incredibly enlightneing, though
I've not read him since I was in college.
> J.R.R. Tolkien
How could I have missed him? He is simply the Master of Fantasy (and,
indeed, one of the only fantasy writers who's work I like.
> C.S. Lewis
This is the other one.
> Edgar Allan Poe
Yup. My favorite stories: "Berenice" and "King Pest"
> Soren Kierkegaard
I need to read him!
> Friedrich Nietzsche
he gives me heartburn, but I love arguing with him...
> Richard Bach
> H.P. Lovecraft
> T.E.D. Klein
Where is he!??? Why doesn't he write more??? Ever read _The
Ceremonies_ (best Lovecraftian novel I've ever read).
> Stephen Mitchell
> Huston Smith
> the Biblical authors
Highly underrated -- the most influential literature of our time...
> Theodore Roszak
>
> There are many more, but it occurred to me for the first time as I was typing
> this that even though I read constantly, it's hard for me to come up with more
> than a small core group of favorite writers whose work I follow consistently.
> For the most part my reading is ordered more around subject than author, e.g.
> horror, existentialism, Christian apologetics, philosophy of religion, Zen,
> meditation, etc.
I understand. I'll write more later. Btw, on a COMPLETELY separate
note, Blue Oyster Cult is one of my favorite bands of all time, and I
have everything they've put out (the much mourned IMAGINOS is my
favorite album)... Whoa, pretty eerie, eh?
Dr. Locrian
mgc...@wpgate.smsu.edu
I agree with the positive assessment of King. I probably should have included
him on my own list of favorite authors, since I own copies of several of his
books. In a story in CINEFANTASTIQUE around six to eight years ago, I read a
comment about King's writing skills from screenwriter William Goldman, who
wrote the screenplay for the movie adaptation of MISERY. Goldman is generally
regarded as perhaps the greatest living screenwriter (BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE
SUNDANCE KID, MARATHON MAN, et. al.), and he's a respected novelist in his own
right. He commented that nobody in the writing business today is creating
better characters than Stephen King. He went on to say that the reason he
(Goldman) changed the foot-chopping scene in the book version of MISERY into
the ankle-breaking scene in the screen version is that the extra violence was
unnecessary. He thought it betrayed King's lack of confidence in his own
skills. (King admitted as much himself in DANSE MACABRE, where he wrote that
when he feels he is not able to terrify or horrify the reader, he will throw
pride to the wind and go for the gross-out).
I have to agree with Goldman's assessment of King's ability to create
believable characters. I almost feel that I actually know the characters who
populate IT and THE STAND.
Regarding your assessment of the ending of IT, I have to disagree with you,
Doc. I've talked to several people who agree with you that it falls apart,
that it becomes incoherent and is obviously a sign of King's inability to
consummate all the plot elements he had been juggling. In the words of one
friend, "So we have this huge buildup to the door, and when it's opened, we're
supposed to be impressed by a giant spider?" But it worked for me personally.
I thought King did a good job of indicating that the real horror was
metaphysical and the spider was merely a physical manifestation of a
nonphysical horror. Oh, well. Chocolate and vanilla.
Peace,
Matt Cardin
The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal tao, so I'll just shrug.
mgc...@wpgate.smsu.edu
> Btw, on a COMPLETELY separate
> note, Blue Oyster Cult is one of my favorite bands of all time, and I
> have everything they've put out (the much mourned IMAGINOS is my
> favorite album)... Whoa, pretty eerie, eh?
>
> Dr. Locrian
Un-friggin-believable is more like it! I was listening to IMAGINOS during my
drive in to work this morning. That album was my introduction to them,
actually. I bought it for a reason I can't remember during my senior year of
high school, the year it came out (1988). At a Wal-Mart, of all places
(remember how I discovered Ligotti in a supermarket?) It's my favorite of
their albums, too, and one of my favorite albums of all time. Having started
at the end of their musical journey (although I hear they have a new album
coming out maybe this year!), I worked my way back through their history and
at one point owned every album they'd ever put out, minus one of their live
ones. However, since I have a tendency to buy, sell, and trade books and
music, my B.O.C. collection is rather depleted at this point (stupid, huh?).
I know you're working on a Ligotti, FAQ, which I'm eagerly awaiting. Have you
checked out the B.O.C. FAQ? Lots of interesting info, especially on IMAGINOS.
Stuff I never knew. Also, after having tried to figure out the unintelligible
lyrics for eight years, it was a pleasure last year to discover them listed
online. I imagine you've already done it, but if you haven't, search for
B.O.C. on Yahoo! or something else and check out some of the sites with
lyrics.
Nice to be in contact with someone such as yourself, who's not only a Ligotti
connosseur but an initiate of the Blue Oyster Cult.
Behind closed eyes realize your sight,
Matt Cardin
loc...@esad.com
Well, we must agree to disagree about Stephen King -- I don't think he's a bad
writer, and I'm actually fond of some of his novels (such as _The Shining_),
but I don't think he's one of the best writers of our generation in any
respect.
I do highly respect William Goldman (my favorite of his is _Magic_ with
Anthony Hopkins and his dummy friend, Fats -- one of my top five most
disturbing movies), but Goldman is clearly a screenplay writer (I've read a
few of his novels, and he is mediocre at best). King's material, similarly,
is best suited for the silver screen, imo, because his plots and characters,
though sometimes well acted out, are never brilliant. I may be wrong; he may
have improved vastly with his new novels, serials, and short stories in the
last ten years, but whenever I pop open one of his books in a bookstore and
read a random page, it seems like the same old King to me (which isn't bad --
it's just not great).
My point is that I feel there are any number of writers out there that can and
do exceed King in both plot and characterization. I must disagree with
Goldman about his characters being the best in the business, as well. I have
never personally found a King character to be memorable unless it was heavily
revised and worked on by another writer (such as in Goldman's _Misery_ or
Kubrick's _The Shining_ -- in the latter, at least, the product was only like
the original in outline -- if King had had full control over these projects,
they would have been forgettable failures, imo. Also, both of these movies
had wonderful actors and acting [which Stephen King's version of _The Shining_
and King's _Maximum Overdrive_ {the worst movie I've *ever* seen, bar none}
definitely did *not* have]).
In regards to King's endings, I must point toward the classic example of a
terrible King ending -- _The Stand_. In the climax, as you recall, the bad
guy is blown up by the nuclear device set off with what appears for all the
world to be "the finger of God." This was not only a complete letdown after
struggling through so many meandering pages that should have been edited out,
it was an incredibly cheesy copout, imo, as if King didn't know what else to
do, so he went for the Deus Ex Machina solution. _It_ had a simlar feel to
me, as if he couldn't make up his mind as to how he could end the book, so he
decided on the pseudo-spiritual God-saves-the-day approach. There are
exceptions to his endings, of course, my favorite being _The Long Walk_ (which
I believe to be his best work [at least that I've read]). Most importantly,
I think, King doesn't know (in some of his novels) when to wrap things up even
when he manages to write a good ending.
Which brings me to my final point: the difference between Thomas Ligotti and
Stephen King is night and day. Perhaps Ligotti could never write a character
driven story in the style of King, but I am *certain* that King could *never*
write even a lesser story in the style of Ligotti. King is (sometimes) a good
writer, but Ligotti is a genius, imo. I think the couple of people who have
stated that they think Thomas Ligotti is pseudonym for Stephen King are dead
wrong -- even as Richard Bachman his novels were not so significantly
different from his work as "himself" in vocabulary and thought processes.
King, who thinks Samuel Beckett is "unreadable," doesn't live in the same
"haunted" world as Ligotti does, and I don't believe he ever will.
I know it all boils down to taste, and my literary tastes are wide and varied,
but I personally find it tedious to read over 1,000 pages of over twenty King
characters trying to love, insult, and/or kill one another when I find a
twenty page short story with only two characters by Thomas Ligotti so much
more rich and masterful and memorable (even if the character and plots are
peripheral to the atmosphere and philosophy behind it). King is a fine
writer, and I hope that many more of his stories are brought to film by good
sceenplay writers and directors, but we all have only so much time to live on
this earth, and there are many more authors that I would rather read than
Stephen King. Again, I understand that all of the above statements are
nothing more than my personal opinion, and I certainly know many highly
intelligent and tasteful individuals (such as yourself, Matt) who find more
value in King than I do.
Doctor Locrian
loc...@esad.com
In article <6cso1e$pmp$1...@nnrp2.dejanews.com>,
mgc...@wpgate.smsu.edu wrote:
>
>
> > Btw, on a COMPLETELY separate
> > note, Blue Oyster Cult is one of my favorite bands of all time, and I
> > have everything they've put out (the much mourned IMAGINOS is my
> > favorite album)... Whoa, pretty eerie, eh?
> >
> > Dr. Locrian
>
> Un-friggin-believable is more like it! I was listening to IMAGINOS during
my
> drive in to work this morning. That album was my introduction to them,
> actually.
I find it horrifying that this is the one album that is out of print, although
I know with IMAGINOS you either get it or you don't. However, I've found
among fans that this is often the favorite album (polling among them indicates
this by a wide majority).
On a happier note, it is great to discover yet another BOC fan with tastes
apparently parallel with mine (well, there is the Stephen King thing ;) ).
You listed Tolkien, didn't you, as one of your favorite authors? _The Hobbit_
was my favorite for years as a child, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy is
still a once a year read affair... Nobody does it better than JRR in that
genre -- or even close, for that matter...
>I bought it for a reason I can't remember during my senior year
of
> high school, the year it came out (1988). At a Wal-Mart, of all places
> (remember how I discovered Ligotti in a supermarket?)
Yeah, what is it with that place? I need to start shopping there more often!
Another of my favorites is SECRET TREATIES, especially "Astronomy" and
"Subhuman," both of which are highly influenced by Lovecraft, of course, and
both of which are quite beautifully written.
On a side note, BOC apparently has been a musical influence on Current 93 --
apparently they did a version of "This Ain't the Summer of Love" which I
*will* hear within the year (along with most of their other albums, I hope).
If you are reading this, David T, could you tell us more about this influence
on your work and whether you know if Ligotti has listened to them (or what,
for that matter, Ligotti likes in the way of music [with the exception, of
course, of your work]). I find all of these musical/literary connections
fascinating...
mgc...@wpgate.smsu.edu
Hey, Doc! Regarding B.O.C.'s IMAGINOS, you wrote:
> I find it horrifying that this is the one album that is out of print,
> although I know with IMAGINOS you either get it or you don't. However, I've
> found among fans that this is often the favorite album (polling among them
> indicates this by a wide majority).
I can understand why. It's the culmination of their entire musical journey,
in my estimation. Of course, to say is kind of like saying Sandy Pearlman IS
the heart of B.O.C., which surely isn't the case, but it seems he definitely
did provide their general vision, their direction, right from the start. I
used to have a great interview with him from 1988 about the release of
IMAGINOS in the magazine REALITY HACKERS, which is now MONDO 2000. If I can
find it, which may not happen, I'll try to get you a copy of it.
> On a happier note, it is great to discover yet another BOC fan with tastes
> apparently parallel with mine (well, there is the Stephen King thing ;) ).
Same here (except for the Stephen King thing). :-)
> You listed Tolkien, didn't you, as one of your favorite authors? _The
> Hobbit_ was my favorite for years as a child, and the Lord of the Rings
> trilogy is still a once a year read affair... Nobody does it better than
> JRR in that genre -- or even close, for that matter...
In the past few years I've moved into a new mode of reading books: I tend to
absorb them in small doses over long periods of time. This may sound crazy,
but I've been slowly, and I mean SLOWLY, working my way through the RINGS
trilogy again since February of 1996. It's rather interesting to just live
with an author for an extended period of time. When I have a moment, or a
few, I read a bit, sometimes more than others, and then leave it sitting for
awhile. Actually, this last "downtime" for my Tolkien reading has lasted for
quite awhile. Come to think of it, it's been months. Most of my pleasure
reading lately has been Ligotti. I left Sam and Frodo and the gang at
Theoden's funeral and haven't been to visit them for a long time. I think
it's time to get them back to the Shire so I can wrap this thing up.
Obviously, rereading the trilogy once a year sounds like an amazing feat to
me!
> Another of my favorites is SECRET TREATIES, especially "Astronomy" and
> "Subhuman," both of which are highly influenced by Lovecraft, of course, and
> both of which are quite beautifully written.
I love that album too. I especially like "Flaming Telepaths" and the ones you
mention. The drum beat to "Subhuman" is too cool.
> On a side note, BOC apparently has been a musical influence on Current 93 --
> apparently they did a version of "This Ain't the Summer of Love" which I
> *will* hear within the year (along with most of their other albums, I hope).
I've been reading all the Current 93 talk here in the group, and I must admit
I'd never heard of them until recently, right here. After checking out their
official web page and some of the ones dedicated to them, it seems I must make
at least a short foray into their territory. Do you know of any copies of the
original edition of IN A FOREIGN TOWN, IN A FOREIGN LAND that are still
available, with the hardback Ligotti text?
Peace,
Matt Cardin
The name that can be named is not the eternal Name, so call me Ishmael.
loc...@esad.com
In article <6d4ngp$2cm$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>,
mgc...@wpgate.smsu.edu wrote:
> Hey, Doc! Regarding B.O.C.'s IMAGINOS, you wrote:
>
> > I find it horrifying that this is the one album that is out of print,
> > although I know with IMAGINOS you either get it or you don't. However,
I've
> > found among fans that this is often the favorite album (polling among them
> > indicates this by a wide majority).
>
> I can understand why. It's the culmination of their entire musical journey,
> in my estimation. Of course, to say is kind of like saying Sandy Pearlman
IS
> the heart of B.O.C., which surely isn't the case, but it seems he definitely
> did provide their general vision, their direction, right from the start. I
> used to have a great interview with him from 1988 about the release of
> IMAGINOS in the magazine REALITY HACKERS, which is now MONDO 2000. If I can
> find it, which may not happen, I'll try to get you a copy of it.
>
Many thanks!
<snip>
> > You listed Tolkien, didn't you, as one of your favorite authors? _The
> > Hobbit_ was my favorite for years as a child, and the Lord of the Rings
> > trilogy is still a once a year read affair... Nobody does it better than
> > JRR in that genre -- or even close, for that matter...
>
> In the past few years I've moved into a new mode of reading books: I tend
to
> absorb them in small doses over long periods of time. This may sound crazy,
> but I've been slowly, and I mean SLOWLY, working my way through the RINGS
> trilogy again since February of 1996. It's rather interesting to just live
> with an author for an extended period of time. When I have a moment, or a
> few, I read a bit, sometimes more than others, and then leave it sitting for
> awhile. Actually, this last "downtime" for my Tolkien reading has lasted
for
> quite awhile. Come to think of it, it's been months. Most of my pleasure
> reading lately has been Ligotti. I left Sam and Frodo and the gang at
> Theoden's funeral and haven't been to visit them for a long time. I think
> it's time to get them back to the Shire so I can wrap this thing up.
>
> Obviously, rereading the trilogy once a year sounds like an amazing feat to
> me!
>
Actually, I usually start with _The Hobbit_ and work slowly through three to
six months, absorbing the trilogy a little at a time (eerily as you described)
while I read other literature in between.. Lately I've begun to read three to
five books at the same time, reading a bit of one and putting it down to read
a bit of another. This may, actually, not be the best way to truly get the
most out of what I'm reading, but the fact remains that I've been using this
bizarre method for quite some time now. Major exception: over the last year
I have been focused on William Faulkner's novels (though I am, by necessity,
reading them slowly). Faulkner, btw, is certainly my favorite novelist of
those that I've read. It is an amazing fact that you can open _The Sound and
the Fury_ to almost any, random page, point at a random sentence, and be sure
that this sentence will be incredible, moving, and/or thought provoking. He
is in my top five writers of all time.
> > Another of my favorites is SECRET TREATIES, especially "Astronomy" and
> > "Subhuman," both of which are highly influenced by Lovecraft, of course,
and
> > both of which are quite beautifully written.
>
> I love that album too. I especially like "Flaming Telepaths" and the ones
you
> mention. The drum beat to "Subhuman" is too cool.
I love the bass especially on that one. Another favorite: "Mistress of the
Salmon Salts (Quicklime Girl)" from TYRANNY AND MUTATION.
>
> > On a side note, BOC apparently has been a musical influence on Current 93
--
> > apparently they did a version of "This Ain't the Summer of Love" which I
> > *will* hear within the year (along with most of their other albums, I
hope).
>
> I've been reading all the Current 93 talk here in the group, and I must
admit
> I'd never heard of them until recently, right here. After checking out
their
> official web page and some of the ones dedicated to them, it seems I must
make
> at least a short foray into their territory. Do you know of any copies of
the
> original edition of IN A FOREIGN TOWN, IN A FOREIGN LAND that are still
> available, with the hardback Ligotti text?
I know for a fact that Mr. Tibet is reading this newsgroup, so I would
definitely post a query to his attention asking where to pick up a copy and
how much it will cost. You are one of the three people I know, Matt, that
*must* own this collaboration. The last two stories are, to me, some of
Ligotti's best work to date, and I still can hear the sounds of the absurd
cart grinding on the pavement through TL's Town near the Northern Border (and
hear Tibet's wonderfully hypnotic quotations from Ligotti's text).
Doctor Locrian
William Allison
In article <6d6k61$doo$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>,
loc...@esad.com writes:
>
> I know for a fact that Mr. Tibet is reading this newsgroup, so I would
> definitely post a query to his attention asking where to pick up a copy and
> how much it will cost. You are one of the three people I know, Matt, that
> *must* own this collaboration. The last two stories are, to me, some of
> Ligotti's best work to date, and I still can hear the sounds of the absurd
> cart grinding on the pavement through TL's Town near the Northern Border (and
> hear Tibet's wonderfully hypnotic quotations from Ligotti's text).
>
> Doctor Locrian
The best price I've seen on FTFL in the US is $55, what I paid for
mine. That was from David Wynn at Mythos Books (dw...@ldd.net).
I just heard from him a few minutes ago and he still has two left,
and despite the book being OP, he's still only asking $55 each.
Hope this helps someone land a copy...
Bill
Dr. Nick
I agree with your criticisms of Stephen King. What about Ramsey Campbell?
I'd have thought that most of the contributors to the Ligotti newsgroup
would be at least familiar with Campbell's work. Campbell's short stories,
particularly from Night Visions 3, various 70s-80s anthologies, and the
mid-period collections Dark Companions, Dark Feasts, The Height of The
Scream, etc., are probably some of my favourite works of horror fiction. Do
any of you have favourite Campbell Stories? Of the top of my head I'll cite
"The Hands" and "Missed Connection"; in another moment I might give you any
other coupkle of titles. I think many of Campbell's stories hit with an
impact that Ligotti rarely attains, but like Ligotti, he is also something
of a unique talent which does not make nice compromises for the glutted
mainstream horror market. And then of course there's Robert Aickman, another
author of brilliant distinctive horror stories (modern classics in my
opinion).
William Allison
Dr. Nick
William Allison wrote in message <6d9arr$jl8$1...@nntp.epix.net>...
>Not to mention Terry Lamsley...
>
>Bill
I haven't read much of Lamsley's stuff, maybe a couple of stories in those
Best of the Year horror anthologies. From what I've read, I can't really say
his writing strikes me as particularly memorable, though he does seem to try
to write a good story which is more than I can say for D.F. Lewis, who from
what I've read must be basking in a glow of undeserved hype for, from what
I've read, seems a rather contrived and mediocre brand of "quirky" short
story. By the way, if anyone would be so kind as to explain what if anything
DF's story "Splints" in the Narrow Houses (I think that's what it's called)
anthology was about, please explain away. Otherwise I'll probably just
forget about that writer all together.
loc...@esad.com
Dr. Nick wrote:
>
> I agree with your criticisms of Stephen King. What about Ramsey Campbell?
> I'd have thought that most of the contributors to the Ligotti newsgroup
> would be at least familiar with Campbell's work. Campbell's short stories,
> particularly from Night Visions 3, various 70s-80s anthologies, and the
> mid-period collections Dark Companions, Dark Feasts, The Height of The
> Scream, etc., are probably some of my favourite works of horror fiction. Do
> any of you have favourite Campbell Stories? Of the top of my head I'll cite
> "The Hands" and "Missed Connection"; in another moment I might give you any
> other coupkle of titles. I think many of Campbell's stories hit with an
> impact that Ligotti rarely attains, but like Ligotti, he is also something
> of a unique talent which does not make nice compromises for the glutted
> mainstream horror market. And then of course there's Robert Aickman, another
> author of brilliant distinctive horror stories (modern classics in my
> opinion).
Dr.,
Thank you very much for your message. Yes, Campbell is an exceptional
horror writer, although his short stories never resonated with me as
Ligotti's have (it has actually been a number of years since I read
them). I find Campbell to be dense and highly intelligent in anything
he writes, but there is something about his voice that distances me from
the work as a whole. Of course, I know this is simply a matter of taste
and that he is undoubtedly one of the greatest living horror writers (at
the very least).
As for Aickman, as was mentioned sometime ago on the newsgroup, I am
embarrassed to say that I've never read one story by the man, although I
truly want to (as his work has been compared to Ligotti's many times).
Any suggestions as to what collection I should purchase by him? Again,
thank you for the message!
Regards,
Dr. Locrian
loc...@esad.com
In article <6d8583$qs4$1...@nntp.epix.net>,
wall...@epix.net (William Allison) wrote:
>
> The best price I've seen on FTFL in the US is $55, what I paid for
> mine. That was from David Wynn at Mythos Books (dw...@ldd.net).
> I just heard from him a few minutes ago and he still has two left,
> and despite the book being OP, he's still only asking $55 each.
>
> Hope this helps someone land a copy...
>
> Bill
Bill,
Many thanks -- I'm sure this information will be well appreciated. Chat with
you soon...
mgc...@wpgate.smsu.edu
> The best price I've seen on FTFL in the US is $55, what I paid for
> mine. That was from David Wynn at Mythos Books (dw...@ldd.net).
> I just heard from him a few minutes ago and he still has two left,
> and despite the book being OP, he's still only asking $55 each.
>
> Hope this helps someone land a copy...
I will most definitely be contacting Mr. Wynn. Thanks a heap for the
information.
Matt Cardin
sun...@sirius.com
> In article <6d8583$qs4$1...@nntp.epix.net>,
> wall...@epix.net (William Allison) wrote:
>
> > The best price I've seen on FTFL in the US is $55, what I paid for
> > mine. That was from David Wynn at Mythos Books (dw...@ldd.net).
> > I just heard from him a few minutes ago and he still has two left,
> > and despite the book being OP, he's still only asking $55 each.
> >
> > Hope this helps someone land a copy...
It's available for $48 (not including S&H) from Middle Pillar at
http://www.middlepillar.com. I've ordered CDs from them before, and they're
very reliable.
Same with Soleilmoon ($47.99) at http://www.soleilmoon.com. First-time buyers
have to buy it through their paper catalog, though, but it's a nifty catalog.
Later,
Ben
np: lustmord, "heresy (part 2)"
William Allison
In article <6dfrdm$th6$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>,
sun...@sirius.com writes:
>
> It's available for $48 (not including S&H) from Middle Pillar at
> http://www.middlepillar.com. I've ordered CDs from them before, and they're
> very reliable.
>
> Same with Soleilmoon ($47.99) at http://www.soleilmoon.com. First-time buyers
> have to buy it through their paper catalog, though, but it's a nifty catalog.
>
> Later,
> Ben
Funny, I looked at it as "a book that came with a CD", while these folks
have it cataloged as "a CD that comes with a book". It never dawned on
me that music dealers would have copies... :-\
Bill
Biddler
>It's available for $48 (not including S&H) from Middle Pillar at
>http://www.middlepillar.com. I've ordered CDs from them before, and they're
very reliable.
Anything--rumors, even?--about a trade edition, or a paperback, of this book? I
would be shocked if there weren't plans for a cheaper edition down the road . .
. but stranger things have happened. I don't really think TL is obscure at this
point. He has a pretty considerable following for this genre as evidenced by
reprinting his first three books in "The Nightmare Factory." And that one won
awards. His popularity is definitely on the increase, so unless these stories
are thoroughly avant-garde and obscure (and from comments I've seen, that does
NOT seem to be the case) there is a wider audience available. I'm looking
forward to reading it (though I bet I'll start wondering what that music sounds
like).
Rob
Adam K Rixey
I'd say check from Soleilmoon (www.soleilmoon.com). They're prompt
with delivery, have always have good service, and since they're the
American distributor for World Serpent material, I've _never_ seen it
any cheaper. According to their most recent catalog, they have it for
$45.99.
(I'm new to Thomas Ligotti, quite literally...I just got The Nightmare
Factory a few days ago and am so far enjoying it immensely. Ended up
ordering through Amazon, after trying five local bookstores who didn't
have anything.)
- AkR - ny...@andrew.cmu.edu -- http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/~nyarl -
"I do this to pass the hours. Only to pass the hours." -- Ligotti
Miss Kat
In article <19980304003...@ladder03.news.aol.com>, Biddler
<bid...@aol.com> writes
>Anything--rumors, even?--about a trade edition, or a paperback, of this book? I
>would be shocked if there weren't plans for a cheaper edition down the road . .
paperbacks. Please don't forget this is a _very_ small press indeed...
--
Miss Kat