What have you been reading?

[zombiehorror]

I know we used to have a "reading" thread but it must have been general discussion, or at least it isn't coming up in a search for me.

Recently finished The Unauthorized Story of Walt Disney's Haunted Mansion and Hammer Films: An Exhaustive Filmography; just started
In All Sincerity, Peter Cushing.

Released in 2014, The Unauthorized Story of Walt Disney's Haunted Mansion, is a fairly short read but it is pretty in-depth with a lot of behind the scenes develope information.  I do with they would have discussed the rumor that Maila Nurmi originally read the part of Leota but nothing was mentioned.

Hammer Films: An Exhaustive Filmography, this one released in 1995 is a complete overview of all of Hammer's output.  So if you don't wanna read synopsis of comedies, war dramas, etc. you'd best skip.  Included is all the typical movie info as well as short snippets of period reviews and a modern review of the films. The reviews are fair overall but many may take offense at some of our beloved horror classics getting looked at without rose colored glasses.  There are also quotes from actors/actresses, producers, directors, writers and even composers at different times throughout the book; not to mention what was happening within the Hammer organization at the time of a given production as well.

[Big Bad Wolf]

Food for the Dead: On the Trail of New England's Vampires by Michael E. Bell. A fantastic look into a little-known part of American history: New England had its own vampire panic in the 19th century.

[Count_Zirock]

Well, there was this thread.

[zombiehorror]

Well, there was this thread.

Ha-ah, missed that thread, probably got overlooked because of the holidays; although I really should have caught that this a.m.

[typhooforme]

Actually, it's re-reading, but it's been so many years, it's like reading the stories for the first time.  Got this 1956 paperback with DR LAO and several other good fantasies chosen by Ray Bradbury.  Good stuff, every single thing between these covers!

[typhooforme]

And just finished this one recently--excellent horror (published by Arkham House):

[Wich2]

THE EVERYDAY LIFE OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN (some Lincoln every February)
Scary Monsters' current MONSTER  MEMORIES (an annual event!)
TOD BROWNING'S DRACULA (Rhodes - exhaustive!)
THE PENGUIN BOOK OF GHOST STORIES (good collection)

-Craig

[Bogey]

I am assuming I can sneak in a sci-fi classic that I am now reading.

From 1948:



Absolutely brilliant.  But then again, the rest of the free world already knew this.

[Mike Scott]

I am assuming I can sneak in a sci-fi classic that I am now reading.

"AND SCI-FI" wouldn't fit on the banner. 

[Bogey]

The chapters switch between the years 2132 and 1779.  Should be an interesting trip.

[ChristineBCW]

Resurrecting an old thread here...

In the year since this thread's last entry, I've read THE STRAIN trilogy and John Russo's RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD.

I watched THE STRAIN's first TV episode and, the next day, I saw the first book on a routine library run.  I picked it up, gobbled it up and drove around to the branches that had Books 2 and 3 afterwards.  Quick reads, and fairly interesting up to the last one, which was a bit of a letdown.  O rmaybe I was burned out. 

The worst thing was that I couldn't watch the TV series!  The book was too fleshed-out (er, so to speak) and each episode too tedious - especially since I knew the ending.  That was The Real Problem.  "Don't read the book if you're watching the TV series, too."  See the TV series THEN read the book would have been the better choice.

The only problem with the book was that action sequences are tough to describe.  A 10-second battle takes 3 pages.  Ugh.  Written text versions of battles are, well, too slow if they try to add "glistening edges to swords" and "ragged stakes that tore thru bloody hands". 

John Russo's RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD was apparently written soon after NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD was a verified success, and it's a pretty interesting read, too - quick, straightforward.  It deals with a different cast of characters being trapped in another house, and this time with a roving band of thugs that present a greater life-death challenge than the zombies.  Recommended for NIGHT OF LIVING DEAD aficionados.

[the_last_gunslinger]

John Russo's RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD was apparently written soon after NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD was a verified success, and it's a pretty interesting read, too - quick, straightforward.  It deals with a different cast of characters being trapped in another house, and this time with a roving band of thugs that present a greater life-death challenge than the zombies.  Recommended for NIGHT OF LIVING DEAD aficionados.

I have a double volume that contains John Russo's novelization of "Night of the Living Dead" as well as the sequel, "Return of the Living Dead," I purchased from Cemetery Dance Publications. It's signed by Russo, so that's pretty cool. He actually helped co-write the movie, "Night of the Living Dead" and it was he who decided to make it a zombie flick, so that's nice. I actually didn't care much for his writing, though. A little too bland, lacking style and written overtly simplistically. Still a nice piece to my collection, though. And you're right. It was a nice, quick read.

[Count_Zirock]

Russo's best work is a novel called "Heart Stopper." He directed a film based on it, starring Tom Savini. It's an interesting take on vampires, and the movie is surprisingly good.

Still reading Kim Newman's "Anno Dracula: Johnny Alucard," the fourth book in that series. I really don't have the time to read that I used to. Fortunately, Newman's working on a fifth book in the series. He's also writing an "Anno Dracula" comic book for England's Titan Comics (publisher of the "Doctor Who" comics) that will tell stories set between the various novels.

Sent from my HUAWEI Y336-A1 using Tapatalk

[ChristineBCW]

I was accepting (acquiescent?) of Russo's style in RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD because I understood it was a screenplay translated quickly into a novel format.  I also knew the poorly-translated action sequences were practically full-lifts from screenplay 'margins', so, fine.   I always thought it'd have been an interesting 2nd Film in the series, right before the Shopping Mall film (DAY OF).

I might take a look for your recommended HEART STOPPER; I bailed on vampire books after Anne Rice put a stake thru all that could have been interesting for me.  She had interesting ideas (oldest vamps practically statues) but not enough.  THE STRAIN was the first adventure 'back' into vampire reading and, sadly, once again cleansed me of further desire for series.  At least.

[Lazarus]

The Tale of an Empty House: and other ghost stories

Collection of Ghost stories by E.F. Benson

SO.  DRY.