Hi guys... long time since I've posted on this forum. Nice to see some familiar faces still around!

 

Just finished reading "The Illustrated Man" by Ray Bradbury. I've never read any Bradbury before and it was excellent! I'll be moving on to "Martian Chronicles" next, then back to some omnibus H.P.L. me'thinks!

I'm making my way through Omnibus 1 right now! Finished The Dreams in the Witch-House then also read The Statement of Randalf Carter as it's only very short on the way to work. Guess I'll be starting The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath on my way home tonight!

Just bought the 3 Krondor books in Feists epic dynasty but just turned the first few pages in Salems Lot which I've never read before or any other King book except one.

 

Planning to take my time on it and not expecting too much as don't want to over hype it in my mind.

Hey Silver, I almost called one of my cats "Jenkin", after the familiar in DitWH, but settled instead on "Fritz" or "Fritzy" (not after the Robert Crumb creation, which would have been cool, but in honour of author Fritz Lieber).

 

I've been meaning to get back into HPL for some time now. I've been reading (or should I say re-reading) Ramsey Campbell's "Cold Print", which is easily one of my favourite short story compilations next to "Fruiting Bodies", trying to ease myself gently back into the outré mood!

 

I think I'll stick with Ray Bradbury for the moment though. REALLY enjoyed "Illustrated Man", and since I discovered that RB's best friend is stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen (one of my absolute childhood heroes) I have a new-found respect for the man!

 

Nice when things you enjoy all seem to link together and cross-reference.

 

Just bought the 3 Krondor books in Feists epic dynasty but just turned the first few pages in Salems Lot which I've never read before or any other King book except one.

 

Planning to take my time on it and not expecting too much as don't want to over hype it in my mind.

 

I'm not a great Steven King fan, but I really enjoyed "Salem's Lot". If you find you enjoy it, you might want to try and find the short story "Jerusalem's Lot" (I think it was in the "Night Shift" collection, but don't quote me). All very HPL...

I've got the special edition of Salems Lot and it has a couple of short stories and alternate endings at the back, Jurusalems Lot is in there.

 

Never thought to much about King and kinda of un-fairly dismissed him for most of my reading life due to some of the crappy made for tv movies there is but after reading The Drawing of The Three (Dark Tower 2) on holiday while I was bored last week and absolutely loving it I decided I'd start looking into the world of King before cracking on to the Dark Tower.

I find King hit and miss. Diffinately not a fan but some of his stuff is pretty good. I've never read the dark tower stuff though that so many people seem to love.

 

Shroom, Jenkin would have been an amazing name for your cat, is he/she brown?

Yeah, HH. I can’t think of a good King-made-for-TV film. I can understand why you might have been put off reading him. I’ve never read any Feist, although whenever he comes up in conversation he’s always highly recommended by friends of mine. Have you read much by him? Is he any good? Where would you recommend I start if I was to give him a go? I think my only exposure to Feist was playing “Betrayal at Krondor” PC game for 15 minutes what seems like a million years ago (1994’ish?)…

 

As far as Brown Jenkin goes: a small white-fanged furry thing… no larger than a good-sized rat…nuzzling people curiously in the black hours before dawn".

 

Yes Silver, my tom-cat ticks all the boxes. Brown (well, tabby brown), the nuzzling, sharp toothed bearded face, the evil hand-shaped paws… erm…, suckled like a vampire on witches blood… well all boxes apart from the latter bits. Some of them, anyway.

 

Think tabby Plush Cthulhu ™, but cuter!

Edited June 25, 200817 yr by BadMushroom
clarification

Feist is great, maybe gone on a bit to long with it but still enjoyable.

Start with Magician, Silverthorn and a Darkness at Sethanon then defo probably the Krondor books (not read myself but just bought) then Prince of the blood and the Kings Bucaneer, Serpant War next then Conclave of shadows then the Dark War books, then you've got the Empire books and 3 one off's Jimmy the Hand, Murder at Le Mut and some other.

 

I've read all books except Murder at La Mut and the some other one plus the Krondor (about to read them though) and Empire books.

 

There's bascically loads mate and spread over something like 100 odd years so most book series can be read on there own merit but it's nice to read them in order and get to know people's entire history as you can read about names and deeds and not know anything about them.

 

People to look out for in the books are Pug, Tomas, Jimmy the Hand, Erik VonDarkmoor, Talwin Hawkins, Nakor and Oscar of Olasko to name but a few but to give you an idea of the scope Pug and Tomas are something like 150 at the point I'm at and there a couple of the younger ones...

 

It's basically immense and very enjoyable but but be prepared to turn a lot of pages once you step into Midkemia

Edited June 25, 200817 yr by Helmet Head

That's utterly superb HH! Many thanks mate. I've added Magician to the top of the pile of moldering tomes that currently inhabit the rickety coffee-table that is currently passing for a night-stand in my bedroom.

 

Coming up to summer break soon, so I should make some decent in-roads.

 

How goes Salems Lot?

Slowly, not by fault of the book just really taking my time with it and only reading when the sun dipps below the horizon and the TV is no longer a distraction.

 

Much better that way at least there's achance it might scare me a bit now.

You need to read more dark tower. books 2 and 4 are my favourites, and number 7, is well... I didn't like it, but then I released I spent more time thinking about the end of things in that than any other book i've read.

 

I'm currently reading the nightwatch trilogy - it's a bit shit to be honest - it's ok, and things seem to come together at the end of each book, but it's still a bit shit - perhaps the translation fro the russian is the issue there me thinks.

 

I'm tempted to return to some HPL now with all the talk! Still I'm getting over my honeymoon adn am quite tired right now!

Hope you had a great Honeymoon, Tops!! You've got every right to be knackered... heh!

 

Didn't realise that Nightwatch was in book form. I've seen the two of the movies (and found them a bit jarring, but enjoyable). Are the book based on the films, or is it a separate storyline?

THe films are based on the books - the books fill in a lot of the "missing" stuff that make it easier to understand. I saw night watch in 3 different states of consciousness, and it still made no sense.

Glad you enjoyed the honeymoon Tops.

 

I'm also glad I'm not the only one who found Nightwach hard to understand the first time I saw it!

 

I'm still reading Lovecraft, on Omnibus 2 now in the middle of The Moon-Bog.

I've read a couple of Salvatore's Lone Drow books.

Drizzt is awesome, thing is, I cant find the books in the right order,

not that it matters, you can pick up anywhere & catch on.

Point is: I've been enjoying them, on the odd occasion I find one.

Found a graphic novel/comic last week, that was awesome.

 

Finished The Lot, thought it was terrific, really good.

The vamps aren't brilliant but as books go it was a good un and the 2 shorts at the end were cracking ah Mr Lumley turns up in one and the story about Jerusaloms Lot was excellent and Lovcraftian...belter

 

On to the Stand now in my continuing feast of King...

"Belter"! LOL! A great way to describe a good book!

 

'Fraid 'Magician' will have to wait for a bit.

 

I've just bought Jack Vance's 'Dying Earth' (started reading it 'by accident' whilst visiting Barter Books in Alnwick). Anyone else read this? I'm only three storys in so far and it's absolutley brilliant!

 

Never read Mr Vance before. I can see that I'm going to have to invest in a whole load of his books...

 

On the subject of Mr Lumley cropping up in unusual places, I was watching the Pilot Episode for "Rough Magik" - A Cthulhu based BBC series that unfortunately never got off the starting blocks - staring Paul Darrow (Blake's 7 fanatic, me), and there was a bit set in the Falkland Islands with soldiers. 'Private Lumley' was the only squad-soldier named! Heh!

I read the first 2 tales of the dying earth when I broke my ankle all those years ago... TBH I didn't enjpy them that much... You should speak with Michelle as that's more her thing