On Horror Novels

I was once asked what was so appealing about horror as a genre.  Granted, the person asking me was lumping all horror in together--novels, movies, television.  I don't do horror movies.  They tend to be slasher movies and are generally not appealing to me at all.  I have no interest in seeing who can survive the serial killer.  It's horror as a book genre that really speaks to me.

From a young age, I've had an absolute, never failing, incredible fascination in post apocalyptic and dystopian literature.  Both of those can easily walk hand in hand with horror.  I just picked up the second Dark Tower graphic novel at HFB Friday night.  I was able to resist the lure of picking it up, as I stayed out too late Friday and had all sorts of errands to run yesterday (none of which got accomplished, mind you).  This morning is/was a different story.  I sat down after I got out of the shower and flipped once through the pages, looking at the artwork, studiously avoiding the words.  I decided I could read the introduction, and this quote from it sums up my love of horror as a book genre: What deep and dark fears scribe Stephen is playing with here through his universal antagonist [the Crimson King].  What is it, we as collective humanity, really fear most? We dread this thin world of order and reason we inhabit will crumble and we'll be lost forever in a landscape of madness.  We fear worldwide Armageddon; the disintegration of society; the breakdown of the family unit; the loss of our personal sanity.

This is what speaks to me.  This is why we have super heroes, fairy tales, religion, laws, government... Because we have to have something to keep the wolf at bay.  When we are children, it is Captain America, X-Men, Batman, and Wonderwoman who safeguard our dreams.  Religion and laws are humanity's ways of ruling our own wolf.  Because, really the wolf at the door, howling in the night... It's just you and me.

At the end of the world, what are we going to become?  There is so much evidence of the nature of man, we see it during every natural disaster.  There are those who help their fellow man and then there are those who take advantage of the situation.  Multiply that by the rest of the world.  it's a frightening thought.  That's where the dystopian literature comes in--people are so afraid that they separate themselves (The Giver), or subjugate their own people with violence and sacrifice (Hunger Games).  So, that's it.  There is my fascination.  People can be so amazing.  People can also be so horrible.

Serenity: Those Left Behind

Forgive my insane love of all things Firefly.  I don't quite recall when I found out there were graphic novels... But, I have had my eye on obtaining them for some time.  So, imagine my delight when I come across the first volume in HPB.  I may have made an excited squee noise.  Don't judge me.

First off, I love the art.  It's phenomenal.  I can't find a thing wrong with the artists' depictions of each character.  Mal's face isn't quite as lovable, but that is neither here nor there.  I loved that it was all still Whedon's trademark snark and bite in the dialogue (yes I know, he wrote it).  I wasn't sure how well it would translate into text, but it did and I love it.

My only gripe is that it felt so short.  I know it's pictures and dialogue, but it took me several lunch hours to finish the first Dark Tower graphic novel, and I was tearing through that pretty quickly.  I would love for it to have a bit more content, but from what I read in reviews, that is a chief complaint of the three volumes in the series.  Sad panda.

I still plan on eventually obtaining the rest of the series (in hopefully excellent condition) along with Serenity: Better Days and Serenity: the Shepherd's Tale.  I'm looking forward to that one the most.  I'e been dying to know the details about the good shepherd for the longest time!

If you're reading this and have never heard of Firefly or Serenity, I urge you to get a free trial of Netflix and watch it.  You won't be sorry.   

Sherlock - SPOILERS!

Fair warning right now, I'm postin' some spoilers!  So, turn back now and whatnot.






So, I didn't get into Sherlock until recently and watched the entirety of two seasons in about two months.  I know that seems a little off for me, especially considering there are only six episodes.  I was watching them with a friend and plans changed and I got tired of waiting.  I kept forgetting I had one episode left.  Finally watched it last night...  I don't know how I quite feel about it.  I mean, everything was as wonderful as all the previous episodes.

The ending was quite touching, with John telling Sherlock not to be dead.  Of course, he isn't dead, as shown in the last scene.  I just hate having to wait for the next season to see how exactly they faked Sherlock's death.  Or was that his doppelganger?  And is Moriarty actually dead too?  I know that Moffat is saying there is something that everyone missed...  Well, I get that.  It's freaking Sherlock.  But, there isn't much recovering from a bullet through the brain pan, or jumping off a building.  I know Molly factors in, I just don't grasp how.  I could probably watch the whole thing again, but that would require taking it a part instead of being intelligently entertained, and where is the fun in that?

So, we wait. 

New Releases (Things that make me SQUEE!)

I am a lazy, lazy blogger.  Sue me. 

Here's my list of things I am excited about:

1. New Vampire Weekend - They have a song about punctuation (Oxford Comma).  Does it now make sense as to why I love, love, love them?  I'm currently previewing their whole (new) album, and will likely download it shortly.

2. And the Mountains Echoed, Khaled Hosseini - I had no idea he was writing a new book.  I loved both Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns.  It's been so long since I read both that I cannot recall which I liked the best.  Hosseini is a phenomenal writer, and I think it's an absolute crime that there are only three books by him.

3.  The Rithmatist, Brandon Sanderson - Okay, we all know Sanderson is awesome.  I mean, Robert Jordan's window pegged him to finish WoT.  That's got to mean something, right?  Mind you, I've only read one short story by Sanderson, and I haven't gotten to his part of WoT yet, but I think he's pretty good.  The premise sounds good and I'm quite intrigued.  Sanderson does so very well at building a believable world (which says a lot coming from me, as I've only ever read Firstborn and I really wanted there to be more to it).

4. I travel by Night, Robert R McCammon - Holy Tardis! McCammon has returned to horror.  Thank God.  I did not like Speaks the Nightbird at all, and stopped following McCammon's work since I read it.  I keep meaning to return and finish Boy's Life and a few others.  Just haven't yet.  And, we do know I like vampire books--there really hasn't been a decent one in quite a long time.  Thanks Stephanie Meyer.

 

Things I'm Watching

What does a bookwhore do when she isn't reading?  Well, this particular BW happens to watch an insane amount of Netflix.  I never seem to get into shows when they're first on.  But, some of my favorite shows are ones that I am in the midst of catching up on, or rewatch constantly on DVD.

Currently, I'm in the midst of watching the BBC Sherlock (I know nothing about the American one), Doctor Who, HIMYM, 30 Rock, Torchwood, Parks & Rec, and Jekyll.  I think I either have one or two more episodes of Sherlock to watch until I am caught up.  Then I wait (impatiently) for the next season to come out.

Doctor Who...  Well, I am so behind on that--season 4 of the reboot.  And then started watching Torchwood because I thought I'd watching the first three seasons of DW over with the SMF, but I am much too impatient to wait, plus he has a queue of his own to deal with.  Plus, I am sure he has no desire to see me actively lust over David Tennant.  Whatever, don't judge me.  Torchwood turned out to be as engrossing as the Doctor is, so now I have to go back and forth. 

The others all come a long way behind, as I love Doctor Who!

Sin City

Now, I've seen the movie.  Loved it!  I know, I know.  All the die hard comic lovers out there cringe as I say that.  But, I didn't know it was a graphic novel before I saw it.  Plus, back then I wasn't really into the graphic novels.  I do regret that reading Sin City is NSFW.  Which sucks.  I almost took it yesterday...  Too many boobs!

I'm also loving the graphic novels.  I will say I liked 300 better visually.  The color in combination with the darkness does so much more for me than the black and white.  But, the black and white fits with Sin City so well that I cannot criticize it.  However, I will say I love, love, love what they did with the movie.  I've always loved the pictures that are black and white with a splash of color, kind of like the girl in the red dress in Schindler's List.

Listening to: stuff by a friend!  Exciting!
Watching: The Magic of Belle Isle

Book haul (7)

So, I'm feeling a little under the weather.  I went out last night in search of hot and sour soup...  I ended up at Half Price Books.  You know you have a serious thing for books when you pop into a bookstore while ill.  So, I picked up a few things.  I got excited, as I found the first five volumes of Witchblade...  Sadly, they were falling to pieces and I didn't get them.  But, that is what Amazon is for.  I found a nice hard cover version of Gunslinger Born, but I behaved. 

So, here is where I misbehaved:







1. The Good Earth, Pearl S. Buck - It's been on my list of things to read for awhile, so I snagged a copy for under $2. 

2. The Screwtape Letter, C.S. Lewis - Had a copy of this some time back, but I don't know what happened to it.  Can't have too much C.S. Lewis.

3. Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Milay, Nancy Milford - So, Edna St. Vincent Milay is one of my favorite poets.  She was quite a lady, so I'm looking forward to reading this.

4. Invisible Monsters, Chuck Palahniuk - My favorite title by Palahniuk.  My copy disappeared into the nether, so happy to have another on my shelf.

5. Serenity: Those Left Behind - I did a nerd purr when I found this.  I had completely forgotten about these.  So very glad I found it.  I really want the one that tells Book's story.