Having spent more than my share of time at horror fiction message boards over the years, I've been involved, and eavesdropped upon, a great many conversations. A common one is the lament about how one's spouse does not appreciate the genre, or our passion for it. It's kind of understandable. People have notions about horror lovers like us. Most people don't know, can't comprehend, some of the amazing, great, brilliant things that have sprung from the horror well.
If you are a sufferer of this complaint, well, I have the answer for you. It's guaranteed to work. Well, almost guaranteed.
The answer is simple: Read to him or her.
Who doesn't like to be told stories?
If your partner is uninitiated in the marvels of horror, I don't recommend jumping right into Edward Lee or Richard Laymon. But that's up to you.
My suggestion would be to start with the classics. You cannot go wrong with Robert Bloch, Richard Matheson, Ray Bradbury. One of the first I read my wife was Bloch's delightful The Movie People, and she absolutely adored it.
And if you are a writer and want to practice up for those stressful live readings, there is no better way to prepare for them.
I've been reading to my wife, Clara, for quite a while now. I think I am enjoying it as much as she is. It's wonderful to re-live the great stories that have shaped my life, sharing them with the woman I love.
Here is, I believe, a complete list of the pieces I have thus far read to Clara. We are currently on the novel-length Heinlein book, Have Space Suit-Will Travel. They are listed below in no particular order. The asterisks are for ones she particularly enjoyed.
Stephen King: Batman and Robin Have an Altercation, The Last Rung on the Ladder
Paul Theroux: Low Tide*, Hayseed, Mr. Bones, Scouting For Boys*, A Christmas Card*, London Snow*
Robert A. Heinlein: The Long Watch, "It's Great To Be Back!", Starman Jones,*, Requiem, The Man Who Traveled in Elephants*
Harlan Ellison: All the Lies That Are My Life*, The Hour That Stretches, Daniel White For the Greater Good
Robert Bloch: The Movie People*, Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper
Richard Matheson: Button Button*, Big Surprise, The Last Day*, The Test
Karl Edward Wagner: Sticks
Joe R. Lansdale: Night They Missed the Horror Show, Hell Through a Windshield, Hyenas*
Jack Ketchum: The Box*, Those Rockports Won’t Get You Into Heaven
Isaac Asimov: The Bicentennial Man*
Murray Leinster: A Logic Named Joe*
Eric Frank Russell: Allamagoosa
Ray Russell: Mirror Mirror
Robert Cormier: A Bad Time For Fathers*
Ed Gorman: Scream Queen*
Brian James Freeman: Marking the Passage of Time
Norman Prentiss: In The Porches of My Ears
Shirley Jackson: The Daemon Lover
Robert McCammon: Nightcrawlers*
Peter Straub: Pork Pie Hat*
David Morrell: Black and White and Red All Over, Mumbo Jumbo
Chet Williamson: Offices, Return of the Neon Fireball, Figures in Rain*
Joe Bob Briggs: Why God Created Drive-Ins
F. Paul Wilson: A Day in the Life
C.M. Kornbluth: The Marching Morons*
Dan Simmons: The Counselor*
Lester Del Rey: Helen O'Loy
Lewis Shiner: Castles Made of Sand
Charles L. Grant: Coin of the Realm
William Kotzwinkle: Dream of Dark Harbor*
So many fantastic stories, and happily, we have plenty of time to add to the list. There are a lot of writers I need to get to, including Bill Pronzini, Richard Chizmar, Thomas Monteleone, Ray Bradbury, Joe Hill. Dozens more. I haven't had this much fun with books in ages.
If you are a sufferer of this complaint, well, I have the answer for you. It's guaranteed to work. Well, almost guaranteed.
The answer is simple: Read to him or her.
Who doesn't like to be told stories?
If your partner is uninitiated in the marvels of horror, I don't recommend jumping right into Edward Lee or Richard Laymon. But that's up to you.
My suggestion would be to start with the classics. You cannot go wrong with Robert Bloch, Richard Matheson, Ray Bradbury. One of the first I read my wife was Bloch's delightful The Movie People, and she absolutely adored it.
And if you are a writer and want to practice up for those stressful live readings, there is no better way to prepare for them.
I've been reading to my wife, Clara, for quite a while now. I think I am enjoying it as much as she is. It's wonderful to re-live the great stories that have shaped my life, sharing them with the woman I love.
Here is, I believe, a complete list of the pieces I have thus far read to Clara. We are currently on the novel-length Heinlein book, Have Space Suit-Will Travel. They are listed below in no particular order. The asterisks are for ones she particularly enjoyed.
Stephen King: Batman and Robin Have an Altercation, The Last Rung on the Ladder
Paul Theroux: Low Tide*, Hayseed, Mr. Bones, Scouting For Boys*, A Christmas Card*, London Snow*
Robert A. Heinlein: The Long Watch, "It's Great To Be Back!", Starman Jones,*, Requiem, The Man Who Traveled in Elephants*
Harlan Ellison: All the Lies That Are My Life*, The Hour That Stretches, Daniel White For the Greater Good
Robert Bloch: The Movie People*, Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper
Richard Matheson: Button Button*, Big Surprise, The Last Day*, The Test
Karl Edward Wagner: Sticks
Joe R. Lansdale: Night They Missed the Horror Show, Hell Through a Windshield, Hyenas*
Jack Ketchum: The Box*, Those Rockports Won’t Get You Into Heaven
Isaac Asimov: The Bicentennial Man*
Murray Leinster: A Logic Named Joe*
Eric Frank Russell: Allamagoosa
Ray Russell: Mirror Mirror
Robert Cormier: A Bad Time For Fathers*
Ed Gorman: Scream Queen*
Brian James Freeman: Marking the Passage of Time
Norman Prentiss: In The Porches of My Ears
Shirley Jackson: The Daemon Lover
Robert McCammon: Nightcrawlers*
Peter Straub: Pork Pie Hat*
David Morrell: Black and White and Red All Over, Mumbo Jumbo
Chet Williamson: Offices, Return of the Neon Fireball, Figures in Rain*
Joe Bob Briggs: Why God Created Drive-Ins
F. Paul Wilson: A Day in the Life
C.M. Kornbluth: The Marching Morons*
Dan Simmons: The Counselor*
Lester Del Rey: Helen O'Loy
Lewis Shiner: Castles Made of Sand
Charles L. Grant: Coin of the Realm
William Kotzwinkle: Dream of Dark Harbor*
So many fantastic stories, and happily, we have plenty of time to add to the list. There are a lot of writers I need to get to, including Bill Pronzini, Richard Chizmar, Thomas Monteleone, Ray Bradbury, Joe Hill. Dozens more. I haven't had this much fun with books in ages.
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