What's top of your reading list?

[delboy]

I'm reading Fabric Of The Cosmos by Brian Greene at the moment. It's basically a layman's (ha!) journey through the world of physics from Newton onwards. It's not always easy, especially as there's no dialogue (although there are pictures), but the knowledge it imparts is stunning and totally thought provoking. For the first time ever I think I understand a smattering of Einstein's Special Theory Of Relativity and a little bit about quantum mechanics. Both are guaranteed to f@#k up your mind big time. The universe is far more amazing than I realised.

I finally finished Let The Right One In (read a few other books in tandem, I must admit). I must also admit I found it hard going. There were a couple of stunning sections in there, but overall it just didn't gel with me. Having said that, I know Caz loved it - so horses for courses.

I just bought King's latest set of short stories too - Just After Sunset, or something. Looking forward to that, although I notice The Cat From Hell is in there, which I recall reading eons ago in an anthology of short stories, so (a) I might have read some of the others, too, and (b) I know they're not all going to be good...

Regards,
Del

[Rev. Austin]

I read Just After Sunset fairly recently, and enjoyed it, but not as much as Everything's Eventual, his second most recent collection of short stories. 

I've almost finished Best New Horror 19, and have to admit I was/have been a little disappointed by the stories.  There doesn't seem to be as much variety among the themes as past years' collections, but this is offset by some truly ace stories.

Also halfway through Neuromancer by William Gibson.  I keep finding myself switching off, which is funny since it's all about jacking on to experience the matrix.  ha and indeed ha.

[Caz]

  I read one of the stories in 'Just after sunset' the other day. It centres around a guy who survived the attack on the world trade centre, I won't give anything away about the story. There's some brief description of the torment that the people trapped in those buildings went through, fictional I know but probably very real, and of all the words I've heard and the footage I've seen this story brings home how awful it was for them.

The power of the written word.

[LeeThompson]

Critting two friends novels, reading subs for an anthology. I have a pile of new mag's I'm sifting through-- Cemetery Dance Peter Straub issue (I love that guy), F&SF, Shroud 6, Asimovs. Gary Braunbeck's Far Dark Fields. Tom Piccirilli's The Nobody. I think that's it. My memory is horrible. LOL.

Lee

[Ed]

Wow, that's quite a workload, Lee - good job you enjoy reading, isn't it?

[LeeThompson]

LOL. Yeah, that's not the workload, Ed. That's the fun stuff. My own novel is the real work. Everything else is just pure pleasure. I'm less busy than I was a month ago though, so it's nice to get a bit of a breather. I use to crit and help a lot of newer writers. But I burned out on it, overwhelmed because I didn't have time to read for fun, or make strides with my own work. I'm relaxing now. It feels wonderful.

[Rev. Austin]

I'm coming to the end of Neuromancer, by William Gibson.  It's very impressive, considering it's supposed to be the novel that invented the words/terms 'cyberspace' and 'virtual reality', but a little too sci-fi for me.  I think I'm going to get back onto Chandler after this; I miss hearing Marlowe's voice 

[Dragoro]

Im in the process of rereading The Shining by King and also Bloodmoon by Gaylon Barrow.

[desertwomble]

I'm working through 'The Woman in Black' by Susan Hill.

Great little book for learning how to do spooky atmosphere.

DW

[KatYares]

Getting ready to start reading Peter Struab's Mr X.  Been a long time since I've read anything by him.

[Woody]

mustn't have my stuff here, ed keeps it.

[Woody]

mustn't have my stuff here, ed keeps it.

[KatYares]

Getting ready to start reading Peter Struab's Mr X.  Been a long time since I've read anything by him.

Peter Straub is ok, most of the time. I wouldn't recommend Ghost Story, but Mr. X, albeit convoluted, is an incredible piece of writing, IMO.

However, if you like less complicated pieces I would recommend any of the Straub/King collaborations such as Talisman and Black House.

Actually I own most of Straub's early works and did like Ghost Story.

I have both Talisman (which I loved) and Black House.  Personally I think Black House is boring, the long descriptions seemed to go on forever - took me weeks to get through it. 

I made it about ten pages in on Mr X last night before being interrupted, hopefully will get to read more tomorrow.  Tonight, I have to be babysitting Grandma. 

[delboy]

I must reread Ghost Story. Recall really enjoying it when I first read it, and I remember reading that Stephen King was highly influenced by it when it came to large casts of characters in his novels, starting with Salems Lot. I also picked up a copy of The Hellfire Club from the library the other day for just 25p, so I'm looking forward to that, too. Mystery, by Straub, remains amongst my favourite books, and KoKo was great as well. I think I have Full Circle/Julia and If You Could See Me Now in a box in the garage, too. Great stuff!

I'm still working my way through the wonders of the universe and quantum mechanics in Brian Greene's Fabric Of The Cosmos. It's tough going but some of the revelations are mind bending. As a bit of light relief I took another look at King's On Writing. Not sure it was a wise move. A few things in there made me realise that too much water has passed under the bridge and I'm one of the people that he was scared of turning into as a young writer - still dreaming of making it and still tweaking one of several unfinished manuscripts (usually whilst drunk) at fifty years of age, kidding oneself that there were writers who didn't make it until that age... It's a great and inspirational book, but the reality is pretty tough to hear.

Del

[Ed]

King had the multiple advantages of starting at a very early age, at a time when there was a proper market for short stories. He had an academic career, which left him plenty of time to write, and a wife who during times when he had no work and sat at home typing instead, paid the bills.

He made the big time, but for every Stephen King out there there are thousands of mid list and bottom of the list writers who either scratch a meagre living at their craft, or merely subsidise the earnings from their 'proper' career with the occasional sale.

That's just the way it is. I resigned myself to the facts a long time ago, but that doesn't stop me enjoying the writing process, the learning and everything else. It's a hobby to me. One that might pay dividends one day (hopefully) but that's not the main reason I do it.