FAVOURITES

[IanL]

So which book do you guys like best so far, and why?

[Nebuchadnezzar]

It's a toss up between The Source and Bloodwars. Both of the final battles rank among the most wicked battles I have ever read in a book.

[Lichloathe]

My vote goes to The Last Aerie. The one book that gives the greatest insight in the "social life" of the Wamphyri

[Goth Girl]

I still prefer the very first Necroscope book. It was how I discovered Brian Lumley's work, and also as I'm originally from the north east of England, I know most of the small towns and villages named in the book as Harry was growing up, so I immediately identified with the book. Now I'm hooked on anything Brian writes!

[L0rd]

A mix between The Source and Deadspawn. As in both we get to know the vampire world and in deadspawn we discover that even the very innocent can be corrupted and made to fall from grace.

[Potempkin]

Khai of Ancient Khem starts slow but picks up after the first few chapters to become bloody fantastic. It has some great imagery. (And you thought the Wamphyri were demented!)
Overall, Demogorgon just didn't have enough 'oumph' for me.
The Psychomech books were great fun and I will re-read them sometime.
I suppose The Lost Years books don't live as strong in my mind as the previous eight Necroscope books which are so solid it is difficult to pick a favourite amongst them, though The Source with its introduction to Starside/Sunside and line up of excellent characters is what made the series a real horror/fantasy classic.


[This message has been edited by Potempkin (edited 11-07-1999).]

[Mike C]

The three books that made up the Vampire World were incredible. I have trouble picking a favorite... It is almost like they are one large fantastic book. I couldn't believe how fast I was able to read through The Last Aerie. Somebody posted Wratha's Raiders weren't evil enough in the favorite character section... Could you imagine how thick the Vampire World books would have been if BL had included all of the sinister doings of a half dozen Lords? That would have been great, heavy reading but great!

[IanL]

A big hi!! to everyone on the new messageboard. Damn cool, huh? Thanks to all the replies to my message. So, I guess, all in all that Vampires rock, yes? And the Wamphyri rock the hardest of all. Tell me, did anyone think much of the two house of doors books. I thought they were pretty funky, and read them with nearly as much passion as the Necroscope+Vampire World books.

[Johnny Undead]

Ok, personally, I loved Necroscope 4 - Deadspeak the best.
Basically, you've got Harry going up against first Faethor, then taking on Janos - perhaps the best "living" undead so far..
The first book set the scene for me.. Introduced harry, the second gave us an insight into the Wamphyri culture and showed us the tracking and killing of a vampire.. The third was more insight, but the forth was E-Branch - now knowing what they have to do, and having done it before, going up against the best.
Yulian was still niave about his powers, even towards the end, where as Janos knows exactly what he's doing which makes him more fo a threat. Great book.

[Quail]

I've got to agree with Mike c that the Vampire world trilogy was the best and also agree with Potempkin that the lost years were the weakest so far.

[Rashagoth]

I fav and my first is Blood Brothers! The cost roads book. The lost years Like loved too! I loved/hated what was happening to harry and jakeness during though those books! I could help but thin any minute harry was going to rage on all the dog lords!

[IanL]

So, is it a bit of a thumbs down for the lost years books, then?

What I did like about them was the naming of the dog-lord Radu Lykan. Hopefully we all got that this was where the term lycanthropy was supposed to come from. This is where Brian Lumley really gets to me, the details and intricacies. You can just believe that shapeshifting into a werewolf was indeed named after the great Radu. Can anyone think of any other links Brian found with the world as we know it - the Drakuls for example. Discuss

[Lichloathe]

About Radu Lykan and his name. Well, lykos is the greek word for wolf aka lycanthropy (which has a greek origin lost in time). So Radu being a werewolf, Lykan was one of the great word games that Brian uses. So i don't think that lycanthropy was named (in the books of course) after Radu. Then again, only Brian knows what he had in mind when using the word game. However you take it, the result is great, just like the Drakuls (well here we have Dracula named after Drakuls for sure).
I didn't think that Lost years were that bad. It was a bit frustrating having Harry manipulated like that, but still it was good stuff. The "modernised" Wamphyri are not much to my liking i guess. But in the end, Radu gave them hell! Now he was a great character, in my opinion the strongest of all Lords so far presented. Maybe not the craftest one (like Faethor).

[Canker]

I think that the Vampire world series was the best ...though I enjoyed Deadspawn as well. Anything that has to do with the Vampire world I enjoyed. My alltime fav. monster has to be a werewolf and the whole Wolf-Vampire hybrid I thought was outstanding!!! So he might not have been the craftiest...nor the smartest...but I like Canker the best!!! After all feel at the Aerie...Canker and his pups held their own against an army...definitely tuff stock.

[Potempkin]

IanL,
I wouldn't say I'm giving Lost Years a thumbs down at all. I enjoyed both books. I liked Bonnie, Radu, the Drakuls, and the Ferencs. The hypnotism device to tell an important story without altering what was already known did seem a bit hokey.
A story focused on Harry Jnr rather than Snr would've been more welcome. It wouldn't have required tampering with the hero's memory and swearing everyone else to silence so we don't have to ask why none of these events were refered to in later years.
Other than that I'm grateful that Lumley still is as interested as his fans are in the Necroscope Mythos (or should that be the Wamphyri Mythos?).
Whatever tales he has to tell after the thirteenth book, I hope he'll occasionally make sly reference to elements from this epic, just so we know that the world he created still exists.

[Mike C]

IanL,
I wouldn't give The Lost Years thumbs down, they tied up some loose ends, gave some background, and most importantly fulfilled my Necroscope fix. I hadn't read any of BL's work for a while and out of the blue---NEW NECROSCOPE!!!! They may be the lowest point of the series, but I expect to re-read them because they are better than most other authors' best works.

As for other links to the real world... I have just read the first two books again... and the politics of the Soviet Union during the 70's & 80's was tumultuous for lack of a better word. BL nailed the uncertainty of a government that was powerful, yet knew it wasn't as strong as the rest of the world feared. I know that BL's works are fiction, but the rise and fall of the Soviet Leaders is much more interesting with the Necroscope spin. Just enough truth to keep it real.

[IanL]

Me too, Ehlana - just finished Invaders yesterday (damned good, that) and I reckon I'll go bug my mate soon to get Necroscope back.
Seeya.

[Mike C]

Ehlana & Ianl,
I am planning on re-reading the whole series before I start Invaders, I am halfway through the Source for the second time. The rest of my reading has been put on hold for a while (even my Database Management Text). I read the first three books so long ago, it's almost like the first time.

[Vormulac]

Lichloathe: I have to agree with you, Radu was/is one of the best Lords so far. I cheered for him instead of Harry through the Lost Years series ~chuckles~... I have a bad habit about doing that.. cheering on the Wamphyri.... it's just that Brian makes you feel for them, and/or pity them, especially Radu... considering what the Ferenczy brothers did to his sister, and all.....

Vormulac
~~~~~~~~~~
AKA Heavenly Evil

[This message has been edited by Vormulac (edited 11-30-1999).]

[shaithis@rocketmail.com]

Well, I was introduced to Lumley through Necroscope, so I have always thought Necroscopes 1 & 3 were amazing! However, then when I ran out of Necroscope books I starting looking for other stuff of his.

Khai of Ancient Khem quickly became my most praised novel of all time! (Dang it is TOR or Ganley ever gonna publish this one in HC?) It is just great!

Then of course The new Mythos Omnibus books came out here in Canada for the first time..and I was introduced to Titus Crow. My gawd I think that may have taken top ranking.

So realistically it's either a Necroscope novel, Khai of Khem, or one of Titus Crow's adventures. I can't decide.

[Scarlet oHorror]

the first 5.........
absolutely rockin......

------------------
~*Scarlet*~
aka The Bloody Vampyre
Hell hath No Fury...

[Garblin]

Im undecided myself on which one was the best. How can you choose one when their all AWESOME http://www.brianlumley.com/ubb/smile.gif

------------------

[Krynus]

Can't I just wrap the whole series up into one title and pick that? *sigh* if I must pick a book then it would be The Source, introducing Karen, Shaithis, and the others. Outstanding.

[topol_sheap]

Hi again!

I guess my fav would be the 1st one I read about 10 years ago....

Necroscope III: THe Source.

What a way to get introduced to lumley... really freaked me out (at that time). I was only 13 and I loved every minute of it, I could put it down. My parents weren't very pleased that I was reading such fiction. Also at this time I was reading the likes of stephen King and James herbert (I can really identify with Rats and Lair as I was brought up in and around the epping forest area), but have stopped reading their fiction now as there are bigger and better things to get my teeth into these days.

I have always been an avid reader, but bri's work does keep you glued, and evberythign else there after becomes a chore to read...

Thanks for listening (reading) to me rant

TP

[Emaleth]

The Last Aerie, but I would also have to add the other two in that part of the series as well, they must be good since I am on my 4th ride!

Hopefully I will be able to get the E-branch series started soon, if the book is in today. :) Looking forward to it.

[SHAITAN]

It really is so hard to pick a favorite. They all had their ups and downs. The Last Aerie had the best battle, Blood Wars had a great story line, the Lost Years tied up some loose ends(although I wish B.J. lasted as a character;she was something else). The only thing I can say that I didn,t like was the whole story of Johnny Found. He wasn't a true vamp. Although, the decline of Harry in that book was the best......Like I said I can't pick a favorite;they are all great.....

[Wallaby]

I would possibly say Deadspawn, you get a better insight into the rages and pasions that drive the Wamphyri through the eyes of a character that your heavily involved in - absolutely fantastic.

Also all three of the Vampire World books are brilliant - and once again you get a better feeling of what drives the Wamphyri through them.....

[Pybob]

<font color=660044>Sure, I love the original Necroscope... but the Psychomech trilogy still do alot for me (missing line et al... lol).

Either way, just reading any BL book warms the dark crevices of my stoney heart on a cold Sun-Up on Star-Side...

[perky]

Necroscope was my favorite until Bloodwars came out. Nothing even comes close!

For books that are not in a series: Demogorgon

[Icky]

My favorite books in the Necroscope series are The Lost Years.. I cant quite explain why.. I also loved Blood Brothers since it is an entire novel written in Lumley's Vampire World style (you will notice when he writes of events in the World of the Gate his style is quite different from when he writes of Earthly events). I am currently reading Psychomech and it is AMAZING!!! I will have to add it to my favorites list when I am done with it.

[Necroscope Nick]

My favorite was Necroscope, because I loved reading about Harry's origin and how he mastered the MC.

A close second would be Deadspawn. I thought it was cool how when he finally died everyone knew it and the golden darts were released, only to come into play in other novels.

------------------
~~~what will be has been~~~

[Lady Jade]

I would have to say that Bloodwars was my favorite. Even though it was sad near the end when Nestor died, he knew that his end was soon in coming. Plus, it showed the basic structure of an aerie and most of the things that go on in them.

[Canker]

Yeah I have to agree with Lady Jade. The whole series that occurred in Starside/Sunside were my favorite. The whole concept of a source planet of the vampire infection that has occurred here was incredible. From what? Deadspeak/Deadspawn with the tale of the runaway Lords to the whole battle thru Bloodwars. I've read them over and over again and probably will read them again once I'm done Defiles. :)

[deadkeoghpal]

The first two are my favorites, because of the gloomy nature of them. I was at a pretty gloomy point in my life at that time, so the sympathetic wahoo was so forceful. Not to say the others aren't plenty gloomy themselves, but the first two have that extra measure.
IanL, personally, I loved the House of Doors books.

[Katie]

I've had to think long and hard about this one. I can't just come in and say "all of them", now can I.

I think I've got to go with The Source. All of a sudden I get to experience this "other world", fantastic stuff.

Other than that I'd have to go with any of the Dreamland Series. I just love Hero and Eldin they are wonderful characters. The Dreamlands is a place I hope I go to when I fall asleep.

------------------
Katie

[SpOOkshow]

I think my favourite book was the original 'Necroscope', with the next 4 following in close behind.

Having said that, Titus Crow in 'The Burrowers Beneath' hit an old Mythos spot for me too...