In an effort to post on a more regular basis and also create discussions and/or controversy, I will post a list of everything that I read each month. Then I will pick the best and worst (more like "favorite" and "least favorite"...but that isn't fun or offensive enough) and write a little about both.
Pretty simple. Lets get started.
Books read this month (16!!)
1. Westlake Soul by Rio Youers
2. The Big Meat by Carlton Mellick
3: Frenzy by Rex Miller
4. Secret Wars by Jonathan Hickman (graphic novel)
5. The Hawkline Monster by Richard Brautigan
6. Broken Shells by Michael Hicks
7. They Feed by Jason Parent
8. Splatterpunk Forever! (anthology)
9. Welcome to the Show (anthology)
10. Monsters of Any Kind (anthology)
11. Body of Christ by Mark Matthews
12. Little Black Spots by John FD Taff (collection)
13. Triple Axe by Scott Cole
14. Kill for Satan! by Bryan Smith
15. The Best of the Scream Factory (compilation)
16. On This, The Day of the Pig by Josh Malerman
Hmm...how should I do this, good news or bad news first? I think you're supposed to do bad news first right? Ok, here goes.
Worst: Frenzy by Rex Miller
I've had this one on my list for a really long time but just couldn't find an affordable copy. The rarity/high value of a book always adds some mystique, even though I wouldn't consider myself a collector. The book started off strong. Splatterpunk greatness: Great action/gore scenes, and an enigmatic antagonist. The book's plot was moving along at a fast clip, and then it devolved into a police procedural and almost abandoned the first person killer viewpoint altogether. Don't get me wrong, the police procedural parts were actually fun in their own way. The dialogue between the detectives was witty and hilarious. I just thought that if the two halves would have been mixed together from the beginning, it would've been a much stronger novel. It's almost as if Miller didn't know what type of book he wanted to write, but he knew he was good at both, so he didn't decide. Again...not a bad book, just my least favorite of these 16.
Best: The Best of the Scream Factory by Peter Enfantino, Robert Morrish, and John Scoleri
This is a compilation of the best essays from indie magazine THE SCREAM FACTORY which had a print run from 1988 to 1997. I just love the brutal honesty of the writers. By nature, book lovers are docile, gentle creatures. But these guys love the genre too much to allow you to read something that they deem subpar. Their passion for the genre virtually leaps off of the page. Everything is extensively researched without being stuffy or academic. For example, there is an article strictly on werewolf fiction. I will bet that even the most jaded werewolf fiction fan will find at least 5 books in this article that he/she has never even HEARD OF. An added bonus is that the book is HUGE. Multiple people at my workplace thought I was reading an encyclopedia. In a way, they were right; it's an encyclopedia of AWESOME. If you liked Grady Hendrix's PAPERBACKS FROM HELL, this is like PFH's cooler, smarter older , but uglier brother (this isn't a knock on the book...more of a compliment to PFH). It's a limited edition from Cemetery Dance, so they aren't exactly giving it away ($75...ouch, I know). But look at it this way: You paid $25 for PAPERBACKS FROM HELL, and this book is at least 5X bigger and better. If you love the genre and want to learn more about it, or you want to impress people at parties with your knowledge of horror sci-fi novels, or you found $75 in your couch and you're wondering which Michael McDowell book to read first...You need this book!
Written by Jason Cavallaro
twitter: @pinheadspawn
Pretty simple. Lets get started.
Books read this month (16!!)
1. Westlake Soul by Rio Youers
2. The Big Meat by Carlton Mellick
3: Frenzy by Rex Miller
4. Secret Wars by Jonathan Hickman (graphic novel)
5. The Hawkline Monster by Richard Brautigan
6. Broken Shells by Michael Hicks
7. They Feed by Jason Parent
8. Splatterpunk Forever! (anthology)
9. Welcome to the Show (anthology)
10. Monsters of Any Kind (anthology)
11. Body of Christ by Mark Matthews
12. Little Black Spots by John FD Taff (collection)
13. Triple Axe by Scott Cole
14. Kill for Satan! by Bryan Smith
15. The Best of the Scream Factory (compilation)
16. On This, The Day of the Pig by Josh Malerman
Hmm...how should I do this, good news or bad news first? I think you're supposed to do bad news first right? Ok, here goes.
Worst: Frenzy by Rex Miller
I've had this one on my list for a really long time but just couldn't find an affordable copy. The rarity/high value of a book always adds some mystique, even though I wouldn't consider myself a collector. The book started off strong. Splatterpunk greatness: Great action/gore scenes, and an enigmatic antagonist. The book's plot was moving along at a fast clip, and then it devolved into a police procedural and almost abandoned the first person killer viewpoint altogether. Don't get me wrong, the police procedural parts were actually fun in their own way. The dialogue between the detectives was witty and hilarious. I just thought that if the two halves would have been mixed together from the beginning, it would've been a much stronger novel. It's almost as if Miller didn't know what type of book he wanted to write, but he knew he was good at both, so he didn't decide. Again...not a bad book, just my least favorite of these 16.
Best: The Best of the Scream Factory by Peter Enfantino, Robert Morrish, and John Scoleri
This is a compilation of the best essays from indie magazine THE SCREAM FACTORY which had a print run from 1988 to 1997. I just love the brutal honesty of the writers. By nature, book lovers are docile, gentle creatures. But these guys love the genre too much to allow you to read something that they deem subpar. Their passion for the genre virtually leaps off of the page. Everything is extensively researched without being stuffy or academic. For example, there is an article strictly on werewolf fiction. I will bet that even the most jaded werewolf fiction fan will find at least 5 books in this article that he/she has never even HEARD OF. An added bonus is that the book is HUGE. Multiple people at my workplace thought I was reading an encyclopedia. In a way, they were right; it's an encyclopedia of AWESOME. If you liked Grady Hendrix's PAPERBACKS FROM HELL, this is like PFH's cooler, smarter older , but uglier brother (this isn't a knock on the book...more of a compliment to PFH). It's a limited edition from Cemetery Dance, so they aren't exactly giving it away ($75...ouch, I know). But look at it this way: You paid $25 for PAPERBACKS FROM HELL, and this book is at least 5X bigger and better. If you love the genre and want to learn more about it, or you want to impress people at parties with your knowledge of horror sci-fi novels, or you found $75 in your couch and you're wondering which Michael McDowell book to read first...You need this book!
Written by Jason Cavallaro
twitter: @pinheadspawn
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