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Post by Douglas E Wright on Aug 12, 2010 7:51:09 GMT -6
Yesterday I just received an email saying my copy of John Little's 'Little Things' is on the way.
Like many here, I like collections and it got me to wondering, who's collections are memorable to you? (Or a short story in a collection.)
As I said earlier, I liked David Nickles & Edo Van Bekom's 'Rat Food' story along with Rick Hautala's Ms Henry's Bottles. However, there's not many collections that actually stand out for me. Other than Hemingway, Carver, Chandler, and a few stories by Kafka, there are a couple in the genre in which I write.
Nancy Kilpatrick's 'Cold Comfort' is one of those along with Edo Van Belkom's 'Death Drives a Semi.' These two immediately spring to mind. Especially Cold Comfort.
How about you?
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Post by ichorous on Aug 12, 2010 11:14:57 GMT -6
I am a big fan of the short story and I have lots of collections, some going back to when I belonged to the SFBC. They would print many Best ofs... (incl. Fredric Brown, Fritz Lieber and others) Right now I can think of 4 collections that are standing out for me- Clive Barker's Books of Blood (actually 3 volumes) Thomas Ligotti's The Nightmare Factory (gathers his first 4 collections in one volume) Michael Shea's The Autopsy and other stories, and Laird Barron's The Imago Sequence. I haven't read Laird's new collection yet otherwise it might be on the list too.
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Post by sweeper4football on Aug 12, 2010 11:29:24 GMT -6
I'm not into short story collections but I did buy/read Taste Of Tenderloin and really enjoyed it. I liked the fact it was all based in the same area and certain characters popped up in a few of the stories even though each story was different. I liked that :0)
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Post by markgunnells on Aug 12, 2010 15:22:43 GMT -6
Brian Hodge's collection Lies & Ugliness I think is a masterpiece. You guys must locate a copy. Also McCammon's Blue World is brilliant. I love King's short story work, and I think SKeleton Crew is his best collection. The Books of Blood are of course wonderful, my favorite being Volume I. Scars by Richard Christian Matheson is stellar. People are Strange by James Newman and Dragonfly by Brian Knight are also top-notch.
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Post by Douglas E Wright on Aug 12, 2010 16:26:07 GMT -6
I also have Laird Barron's newest collection on the way.
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dezm
New Member
Posts: 26
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Post by dezm on Aug 12, 2010 18:54:07 GMT -6
I also enjoyed Gene's Taste of Tenderlion. Also Ron Kelly's The Sick Stuff, and Kealan's 121 To Pennsylvania I dug quite a bit.
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Post by markgunnells on Aug 12, 2010 18:55:45 GMT -6
Of course I think Lansdale is a short story master. High Cotton and Bumper Crop are both great, but my personal favorite is the first collection of his I ever read, Electric Gumbo.
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Post by bloodlettingpress on Aug 12, 2010 21:45:12 GMT -6
I've always loved BY BIZARRE HANDS by Joe R. Lansdale. Every story in that collection is a classic!
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swa
Full Member
Posts: 112
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Post by swa on Aug 13, 2010 9:06:56 GMT -6
I love collections because it gives me a broader picture of what a short-story writer is capable of. Stories that just might have been good in an anthology, might become great when you see how they play off the author's other work.
I don't think you can go wrong with any Richard Matheson collection, but I'd go with NIGHTMARE AT 20,000 FEET if you made me pick.
THE OCTOBER COUNTRY by Ray Bradbury is a must.
DEATHBIRD STORIES and THE ESSENTIAL ELLISON by Harlan Ellison are fantastic.
And the BEST OF BEAUMONT, by Charles Beaumont is something any short story writer should read.
I could name about fifty more, but these are my favorites.
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Post by bookie on Aug 13, 2010 9:51:16 GMT -6
Off the top of my head (I am at work, so can't peruse my book cases)
Why Not You and I - Karl Edward Wagner In a Lonely Place - Karl Edward Wagner By Bizarre Hands - Joe Lansdale Proverbs for Monsters - Michael Arnzen Beneath the Surface - Simon Strantzas San Diego Lightfoot Sue - Tom Reamy The Throne of Bones - Brian McNaughton American Morons - Glen Hirshberg The Darkly Splendid Realm - Richard Gavin (really like what Dark Regions has been publishing lately)
Over half of my collection is comprised of collections and anthologies - when I first started collecting horror books about 15 years ago, other than King and Barker, that is what I collected.
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Post by bookie on Aug 13, 2010 10:16:57 GMT -6
Memorable short stories: The Dead Line - Dennis Etchison Tight Little Stitches in a Dead Man's Back - Joe Lansdale The Monkey's Paw - W.W. Jacobs Sticks - Karl Edward Wagner Stephen King stories - too many to name NEED HELP IDENTIFYING THIS STORY There is one story I read many years ago as a kid, this would have been late seventies, early eighties, that has stuck with me and I would love to track it down. I don't remember the title or the author. What I do remember - it was about a young woman who lives alone with her dog, the phone rings, and there is just silence on the phone but this "dead silence" scares the crap out of her, this silence is evil. Another thing I remember, she comes home one day and her dog has gone crazy (I think it chewed it's own paws) because the phone was off the hook and the silence from the phone caused the dog to go nuts. Also remember her walking outside and every phone she walks by starts ringing,, when she picks one up, the evil silence is there. If this rings a bell with anyone, please post! Also, this short story was printed in one of the women's magazines that used to print short stories back then, either Good Housekeeping or Redbook, or similar.
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Post by geneoneill on Aug 13, 2010 11:24:57 GMT -6
Michael Shea's collection is excellent, the title story one of my favorites. Laird Barron is an excellent writer also, his stuff all worthwhile. And many have mentioned Tom Reamy--only one collection here. Thanks to those who have read my short stuff and collections--appreciate the mention. Gene
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Post by markgunnells on Aug 13, 2010 15:39:31 GMT -6
Shit how could I have forgotten Bradbury? Maybe because he's so good he makes it seem effortless. Illustrated Man is still my favorite, maybe because it was my first exposure to his short fiction.
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Post by Douglas E Wright on Aug 13, 2010 16:06:17 GMT -6
Just got Laird Barron's Occultation. The first line in the first story is great. I have high hopes!
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Post by mmdh55 on Aug 14, 2010 13:24:57 GMT -6
A few of my favorites: The Imago Sequence by Laird Barron Blue World by Robert R McCammon The Autopsy and Other Tales by Michael Shea Prayers to Broken Stones by Dan Simmons Scars and Other Distinguishing Marks by Richard Christian Matheson The Essential Ellison: A 50 Year Retrospective by Harlan Ellison
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