Book: The Dead That Walk

Genre: Horror

Julia Rating: 10

Comments: The Dead That Walk is a short story book with zombie-esque shorts by authors like Joe Hill, Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft, Kim Newman and many many more wonderful authors.

“What’s this?” you ask, “Julia actually read a book about zombies?  What is the world coming to?”

I know, I know, I actually did read an entire book full of zombie short stories. When I went to Portland, Oregon for my birthday in December, I went to the awesome bookstore – Powells – and looked around for a fantastic book. To be honest, I was looking for The Living Dead, which has several of the same authors, but also includes Neil Gaiman and George R.R. Martin.  Anyway, I didn’t find that book, so I got The Dead That Walk and found out that a) I loved it and b) it didn’t give me nightmares.  So, maybe I’ve outgrown the whole nightmare part of zombies.

One really cool thing about this collection is that there are so many different types of zombie stories here.  There is a traditional, voodoo zombie story, there’s several brain eating stories, there’s a story which points up how humanity could be affected by the walking dead, without actually showing you any zombies.  Some of these stories are chilling in how much they point to man’s inhumanity to man, while others are actually very touching and sweet.  I think it was an extremely well put-together collection with a story for pretty much anyone.

Also, I’ve come to really enjoy short story collections.  They are nice if you want to take a little break from a full length novel you may be reading, or something to read on your lunch break.  Also, I don’t feel obligated to read them like I do with a short story magazine.  With a magazine, you’re going to get another one in a month or two, so you’d better be done with your current issue by then.  With a book of short stories, you can be leisurely, you can skip stories only to come back to them later.   It doesn’t matter.  There’s no rush.

So, if you like zombies or zombie stories, check out The Dead That Walk. If you buy it from the link I provide here, Amazon will pay me.

- Burn by James Patrick Kelly

- The Living Dead – an anthology featuring Joe Hill, Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, George R. R. Martin and more

- Zombie Haiku: Good Poetry For Your…Brains by Ryan Mecum

- Locke and Key #3 by Joe Hill also – Joe Hill’s novel Horns, which is not out yet, but I guess no one’s perfect.

- The Rookie by Scott Sigler and his novel EarthCore and his other novel Ancestor, which isn’t out yet . Apparently no one coordinated their book releases with my birthday.

- Personal Effects: Dark Art by J.C. Hutchins

- Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett

- Odd and the Frost Giants, The Facts In The Case Of The Departure Of Miss Finch and The Sandman Vol. 2: The Doll’s House by Neil Gaiman

Keep in mind, I haven’t read these books so I’m not reviewing them. I’m just letting you know what I would get me if I were… me.

Anyway, I’m in Portland right now.  So, I’m logging off to have some serious birthday fun.  Thanks for checking out my blog!  You readers o’ mine are the best present I can imagine getting this and every year!  But, if you feel a need to help me out – buy stuff from Amazon by clicking a link from my site. That way I get paid if you buy something! W00t!

Horror
For those friends and family members who like the thrill of fear crawling up their spines when they read:

- Salem’s Lot or The Shining or really anything by Stephen King
Salem’s Lot is a classic vampire novel (they don’t glitter) in which few survive and evil vampires overrun the town of Salem. The Shining is a freaky book that is WAY better than the movie and will send shivers up your spines. It’s a horror must read.

Because I’m such a King fan, I’ll recommend a few other books by him for your friends who love horror:
- It (I’m reading it right now and it’s scaring the crap out of me).
- Duma Key which I reviewed.
- Carrie which is an extremely disturbing story about a telekinetic misfit who kills most of her high school.
- Cujo – a tragic story about a rabid dog, a child and a mother.
Obviously Stephen King has written a ton, so just dive in.

- Edgar Allan Poe: Selected Works
This is a great compilation of Poe works. My favorite is The Masque of the Red Death. Extremely scary.

- Tales of H. P. Lovecraft
H.P. Lovecraft is the king of weird horror. It’s a compilation of H.P. Lovecraft’s short stories. I wouldn’t say his stuff scares me, but it’s pretty creepy.

- Infected by Scott Sigler
I’ve reviewed Infected previously and I still absolutely love it. The sequel is Contagious, which also absolutely rocks. I reviewed that one too. They are awesome books, horrific, extremely bloody and macabre.

- Crescent by Phil Rossi
I haven’t reviewed this one yet, but Crescent is a Sci Fi/Horror novel about a haunted space station which wants to consume every living inhabitant. It’s definitely rated R, so don’t get it for any young folk.

- Locke & Key by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
This is a graphic novel series about the Locke family who, because of the father’s horrific murder, have moved to the family home “Keyhouse”. They think they’ve gotten away from their past, but the ghost haunting the well of Keyhouse proves them wrong in a macabre and bloody scene.

I’ve reviewed the first Locke and Key novel and am in the process of reading the rest of them. Book 2 – Locke & Key: Head Games is a great extension to the story. I can’t wait to read more.

- Pseudopod CDs
No Horror fan’s collection of books would be complete without a subscription to Pseudopod(which is free). Barring that, get them one of the cds of this fantastic podcast of short fiction. I happen to love all three of the podcasts in the Escape Pod/Pseudopod/Pod Castle network, but Pseudopod is what any horror fan needs to accompany them through their journey through short fiction. (I don’t get paid to recommend these guys, I just love them and the short stories they provide really are awesome.)

Fantasy
For those friends and family members who would be more at home digging around in a dragon’s cave, these are my recommended reads:

- Hogfather or any other books by Terry Pratchett
I reviewed the Hogfather in a previous post.  This is a perfect book for Christmas, since it sort of pokes fun at Santa Claus and hints at the possibility that the jolly old elf may be have come from rather sinister beginnings.   Also, it has the character Death from the Discworld series in it, who is always a good read.  Honestly, I’m fond of anything by Terry Pratchett, so getting any book that strikes your fancy for your friends or family (or even yourself – it’s okay to get a gift for yourself) by Sir Terry is an excellent idea.

- Hood (The King Raven Trilogy, Book 1) by Stephen Lawhead
I only recently finished this book. If you have a fantasy fan who enjoys historical fiction or the Robin Hood tales, Hood is a great book for them. It’s a pretty slow moving, but enjoyable book about the beginnings of Robin Hood.

- Stardust or Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite authors. His books (in my humble opinion) are a MUST in any fantasy fan’s bookshelf. He has published many books and been involved in a few films, so he really has an abundance of material for your fantasy fan library. The reason I picked Fragile Things and Stardust is:  Fragile Things is a book of short stories with an introduction for each story, which is kind of fun.  Stardust is one of the few books I’ve encountered that everyone I know who has read it, liked it.

- The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King
Stephen Kingis not only the master of horror, but the master of fantasy as well. Seriously. Check out the Darktower series or The Eyes of the Dragon.

- Dead Until Dark (The Sookie Stackhouse Series) by Charlaine Harris
These are the books behind HBO’s True Blood Series. If you have a friend who like vampire love stories, but is not into glittery vampires, and likes the real, burn in the sunlight kind, this series is for them. I’ve reviewed Dead Until Dark – the first in the Sookie Stackhouse series.

- Playing For Keeps by Mur Lafferty
I reviewed Playing for Keeps in a previous post. It’s an over-all fun, action packed, superhero story that really gets you rooting for the underdog.

- Watership Down by Richard Adams
Amazing classic story. Most people may not believe that a story about talking rabbits can be serious and intense, but Watership Down is just that. If you or your friend/family member hasn’t read it, definitely do so.

- Podcastle CDs
Pod Castle is a fantastic fantasy podcast that your friend/family member should be subscribed to (it’s free). But, if they are not subscribed, buy the CDs from Poddisc.com and get them hooked. (I am not sponsored by anyone in the Pod Castle/Pseudopod/Escape Pod network, I just happen to really like them.)

I hope these books/book-like items cover all bases on your friends and family who are fantasy fans!

If you have any suggestions of books I should read or recommend, let me know!

Also, remember that if you shop at Amazonfrom the links I provide, I get a little commission if you buy something, so help a sister out!

Book: Duma Key

Genre: Horror

Julia Rating: 10

Comments: As you can tell, I am a Stephen King fan.  I believe that Duma Key is the most recent King novel and I loved it.  It was a slow starter, but I think it was worth it.  There is tons of foreshadowing in this one, it was incredibly suspenseful… making you wonder who was going to die and when through the majority of the book.  

There were factors of Carrie in this one – not just that it’s about a telepathic-type story.  Throughout Carrie there are newspaper articles, but throughout this book there are emails interspersed.

The story is about a man named Edgar Freemantle – a construction executive/millionaire – who suffers a traumatic brain injury when his truck is crushed by a defunct tractor.  He becomes estranged from his wife and, under direction from his psychologist, moves to Duma Key in Florida.  There he discovers a painting ability he never knew he had.  As the ability grows, things start happening – both on the Key and off that make Edgar believe he can paint things into existance. 

Little does he know – there is a force on the Key that becomes more powerful the more he develops his ability… and that’s all I’m going to tell you. 

If you want to read Duma Key, buy it off my website – It’ll send you directly to Amazon, but I will get a little commission off of your purchase.

So now, to H.P. Lovecraft.  I know that he is one of the premier men of weird fiction (which includes horror, sci fi and fantasy), and Stephen King even said he is “the Twentieth Century’s greatest practitioner of the classic horror tale”.  However, I have not found an H.P. Lovecraft story that really struck me as frightening or anything but… well… weird. However, I found an H.P. Lovecraft spin-off that I really enjoyed.

So, unfortunately I don’t have any recommendations on this one.  He’s a very interesting writer and I’ve actually found his bio to be more interesting than the stories he wrote, but that’s just me.
 

I’m not here to tout the man and his accomplishments – I’m obviously an avid fan of his writing.  I simply see in Bradbury’s work something that is taking hold in many “modern” circles (can I say that?  Ray Bradbury’s still alive…)  What I see is that many writers are mixing and matching genres.  You can see it in the Sci Fi/Horror Novel Infected by Scott Sigler.  Stephen King writes Horror stories that are also Fantastic – as seen in The Shining or The Talisman.  Stephen King should probably be on my classic horror novelist list, since he pretty much redefined horror as we know it, but he’s not as old as Ray Bradbury and isn’t dead like the other authors on my list, so let me suffice it to say that I deeply admire Mr. King’s prolific writing career and will be reviewing his latest novel later in the month.

Back to Ray Bradbury.  Here is an author who helped redefine the genre when Horror was not a genre at all, and I thank him for that. 

What are your thoughts?  Any comments on Ray Bradbury, his work?  What’s your favorite Ray Bradbury book and why?  I expect your reports tomorrow morning, bright and early. LOL.

As always, please remember that this blog is a labor of love – but is something I’d eventually like to make me some money, so if you want to buy a book at Amazon.com , please use the links provided on my blog, or use the Amazon.com link provided right here.

Week 1 – New Books: October 1st – 11th
- Infected: A Novel by Scott Sigler
- Devil Bones by Kathy Reichs
- Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (not a new book – but a new HBO tv show: TrueBlood is based upon this book.
- In the Woods by Tana French

Week 2 – Classics: October 12th – 18th
This is not a book review week, but a discussion of classic horror writers
- Ray Bradbury
- H.G. Wells
- Bram Stoker
- Edgar Allen Poe
- H.P. Lovecraft

Week 3 – Odds & Ends: October 19th – 25th
- The Darkest Evening of the Year by Dean Koontz
- Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
- Acceptable Risk by Robin Cook

Week 4 – Supernatural/Very Creepy: October 26th – 31st
- Duma Key by Stephen King
- Strange Candy by Laurell K. Hamilton
- World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks*
- Deadly Night by Heather Graham (as yet unreleased)

*Just so you know how far I’m going for you, you must know that zombies terrify me. The rest of these novels will give me a little zing – a bit of suspense, maybe a sick feeling in my stomach, World War Z will most likely make me paranoid all month.

**Another “just so you know”, I will put links to the posts in this post as I go, so if someone stumbles upon this mid horror month, they can track.

9/24/08: Revision to book list: I changed from The Shack: Special Edition by William P. Young to Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris. This is because as I read The Shack, I find that it’s more theological than anything else.  Sorry about the mix up.

10/31/08: I ran out of time in reading Deadly Night by Heather Graham, so I read and reviewed The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.

- An Embarrassment of Riches by Gerald Hansen - I’m almost done with this one.  Gerald asked me to review it and he was also nice enough to send me a copy of the book.  So far I would say I quite like it.  It’s not the kind of book I normally read as it’s not Sci Fi/Fantasy or Mystery, but my love for Irish culture and my childhood Gaelic classes came in handy (don’t ask me why I took Irish Gaelic at school).

- Daughter of the Drow by Elaine Cunningham - I stole this from my boyfriend during our move.  I love it so far and he accuses me of loving it only because the society is run by women.  Not so!  I swear!  That’s not the only reason I love it (lol).

- The Merlot Murders by Ellen Crosby - I bought this as an audio book, so I can listen to it in the car.  So far I love Ellen Crosby’s amazing imagery.  It makes me want to go out to Napa (California wine country) and sample wine all day.

- 2008 Writer’s Market Deluxe Edition - I think it’s pretty obvious why I bought this one.

- Problogger by Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett - This is an excellent reference guide.  I follow the Problogger blog and the book gives a very complete insight along with great tools.

- Needful Things by Stephen King - I lost this in the move.  I’m sure it’s somewhere, but I’m in the middle of it.  Maybe I lost it intentionally because I’m not that enamored with it.  It’s extremely, painfully slow.

In Line:

- I’m Not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti - A friend of mine said this book was weird so I would like it.  I’m not sure what that’s supposed to mean – but I intend to find out.

- Dexter in the Dark by Jeff Lindsay - This is my next audio adventure!  Yay!

The Author: Stephen King

Julia Rating: 6 out of 10

My Comments:
This was a decent novelette. It did get a little boring and sometimes I find Mr. King’s need to put a sex scene or something about sex in almost every one of his books annoying, especially when it’s not really applicable to the story. Also, this is kind of an “under siege” type of book, and it gets a little bit boring at points. The story keeps you going in true Stephen King style, however it’s a little slower than I’m used to.

The basic idea is that a young family in Maine are split up (father and son in the grocery store and mother at home) when a strange mist comes into town, bringing all sorts of terrible monsters along with it. No one knows where it came from, but it’s ripping their world apart literally and the father and son have to fight for survival. It’s well written (of course) and is gripping and interesting.

The ending was… different. I liked it, but it’s not the sort of ending I usually like. I don’t want to spoil it here, but if you’d like to comment and want a spoiler, I’ll give one to you.

A note on the movie: I have to put this in here. If you are interested in this story, DO NOT go see the movie. The movie is terrible. This applies to all those people who say “Oh, I’ll just go see the movie”. My boyfriend is that kind of guy and he hated it too. Just don’t do it. Life will go on.

Also, don’t judge this book by its movie. The book is about 4 trillion times better than the movie. AND, if you’ve seen the movie, the book doesn’t end that way. The ending of the movie sucked. The ending of the book was decent.