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"19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books"

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  "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> - 2018-05-02 17:28 -0500
    "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" Jack Bohn <jack.bohn64@gmail.com> - 2018-05-02 16:40 -0700
      Re: "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" D B Davis <g@crcomp.net> - 2018-05-03 03:21 +0000
    Re: "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" Moriarty <blues95@ivillage.com> - 2018-05-02 16:45 -0700
    Re: "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" "artyw2@yahoo.com" <artyw2@yahoo.com> - 2018-05-02 18:42 -0700
    Re: "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" David DeLaney <daviddelaney@earthlink.net> - 2018-05-03 05:22 -0500
    Re: "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2018-05-03 13:56 +0000
      Re: "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> - 2018-05-03 16:40 -0500
        Re: "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha <taustinca@gmail.com> - 2018-05-03 14:53 -0700
          Re: "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> - 2018-05-03 17:07 -0500
          Re: "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" Moriarty <blues95@ivillage.com> - 2018-05-03 15:10 -0700
            Re: "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> - 2018-05-03 19:04 -0500
              Re: "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" Robert Carnegie <rja.carnegie@excite.com> - 2018-05-04 04:49 -0700
            Re: "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> - 2018-05-03 19:46 -0500
              Re: "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" D B Davis <g@crcomp.net> - 2018-05-04 03:08 +0000
                Re: "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" Titus G <noone@nowhere.com> - 2018-05-04 15:56 +1200
                  Re: "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" D B Davis <g@crcomp.net> - 2018-05-04 05:44 +0000
                    Re: "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" Titus G <noone@nowhere.com> - 2018-05-04 19:38 +1200
                      Re: "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" D B Davis <g@crcomp.net> - 2018-05-04 19:41 +0000
                        Re: "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" Lawrence Watt-Evans <misenchantedpress@gmail.com> - 2018-05-04 23:51 -0400
                          Re: "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" D B Davis <g@crcomp.net> - 2018-05-05 14:12 +0000
                            Re: "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" Kevrob <kevrob@my-deja.com> - 2018-05-05 10:09 -0700
                              Re: "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" "Michael F. Stemper" <michael.stemper@gmail.com> - 2018-05-07 14:23 -0500
                  Re: "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" Peter Trei <petertrei@gmail.com> - 2018-05-04 06:47 -0700
          Re: "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" djheydt@kithrup.com (Dorothy J Heydt) - 2018-05-03 22:07 +0000
            Re: "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" William Hyde <wthyde1953@gmail.com> - 2018-05-05 14:11 -0700
          Re: "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" Juho Julkunen <giaotanj@hotmail.com> - 2018-05-04 16:48 +0300
      Re: "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books" David Johnston <davidjohnston29@yahoo.com> - 2018-05-03 20:21 -0600

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#491550 — "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books"

"19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books"
    https://best-sci-fi-books.com/19-best-science-fiction-horror-books/

I have read seven of these.  "Leviathan Wakes", "The Andromeda Strain", 
"The Girl with all the Gifts", "I am Legend", "I have no Mouth and I 
must Scream", "The War Of The Worlds", and "The Tommyknockers".

"World War Z" is in my SBR (strategic book reserve).

Lynn

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#491571

Not sure I'd classify _Hunger Games_, _Andromeda Strain_, _Leviathan Awakes_, or _War of the Worlds_ as horror; Welles rather than Wells asssociates that last with Hallowe'en.

My five read are _WotW_, "I Have No Mouth", _Frankenstein_, _AS_, and "Who Goes There?"


As they've snuck in Ellison's short story under the book title of its collection, might I suggest GRRM's "Sandkings" to make an even 20?

-- 
-Jack 

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#491585

Jack Bohn <jack.bohn64@gmail.com> wrote:
> Not sure I'd classify _Hunger Games_, _Andromeda Strain_, _Leviathan Awakes_,
> or _War of the Worlds_ as horror; Welles rather than Wells asssociates that
> last  with Hallowe'en.
>
> My five read are _WotW_, "I Have No Mouth", _Frankenstein_, _AS_, and
> "Who Goes There?"
>
>
> As they've snuck in Ellison's short story under the book title of its
> collection, might I suggest GRRM's "Sandkings" to make an even 20?
>

You said it in regards to _Hunger Games_ and _War of the Worlds_, the
only two of those topmost four read by me. Neither story says "Boo!" to 
me.
    "I Have No Mouth" (IHNM) seems merely twisted and sick. Is it wrong
for me to see some dark humor in IHNM? Regardless, IHNM seems more Alice
Sheldon than Shirley Jackson, to me. Speaking of Jackson, why isn't she 
on the list? ✍

Thank you,

-- 
Don

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#491574

On Thursday, May 3, 2018 at 8:28:45 AM UTC+10, Lynn McGuire wrote:
> "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books"
>     https://best-sci-fi-books.com/19-best-science-fiction-horror-books/
> 
> I have read seven of these.  "Leviathan Wakes", "The Andromeda Strain", 
> "The Girl with all the Gifts", "I am Legend", "I have no Mouth and I 
> must Scream", "The War Of The Worlds", and "The Tommyknockers".
> 
> "World War Z" is in my SBR (strategic book reserve).

I've read about half and most of the top 8. I heartily endorse the number one pick, Dan Simmons' "Carrion Comfort". It's got Nazis, vampires and Nazi vampires! It's also got the best closing line to a novel I have ever read. Period.

-Moriarty

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#491582

On Wednesday, May 2, 2018 at 6:28:45 PM UTC-4, Lynn McGuire wrote:
> "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books"
>     https://best-sci-fi-books.com/19-best-science-fiction-horror-books/
> 
> I have read seven of these.  "Leviathan Wakes", "The Andromeda Strain", 
> "The Girl with all the Gifts", "I am Legend", "I have no Mouth and I 
> must Scream", "The War Of The Worlds", and "The Tommyknockers".
> 
> "World War Z" is in my SBR (strategic book reserve).

They have Day of the Triffids, but not The Midwich Cuckoos. Hmmm. 
And maybe Starfish by Peter Watts

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#491596

On 2018-05-02, Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
> "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books"
>     https://best-sci-fi-books.com/19-best-science-fiction-horror-books/
>
> I have read seven of these.  "Leviathan Wakes", "The Andromeda Strain", 
> "The Girl with all the Gifts", "I am Legend", "I have no Mouth and I 
> must Scream", "The War Of The Worlds", and "The Tommyknockers".
>
> "World War Z" is in my SBR (strategic book reserve).

Hm. 

Want to read once they're in paperback: Boneshaker, Leviathan Wakes (which
 seems to have 'never gonna be in paperback, TPB is my niiiiche' stuck to it,
 like the last Thomas Covenant series), Blindsight (have Echopraxia but not
 read it yet), John Dies at the End (added to lis, in fact)

Have read: Who Goes There? (in at least two versions I think?), The Andromeda
 Strain (more than once), Jekyll & Hyde (I'm pretty sure), Frankenstein, No
 Mouth Must Scream YOLO, War o/t Worlds

Not gonna: Infected (I've already read _Worm_, thanks, Wildbow did this better
 than u), The Fireman, Day o/t Triffids, probably Hunger Games & seq., Girl
 with All the Gifts & seq., I Am Legend (I've absorbed some of it thru cultural
 osmosis long since), Tommyknockers (only Kings I've actually liked are Carrie
 & Firestarter, sorry), World War Z (no zombies unless there's something about
 them that makes them unusual at the VERY least, especially not if you've
 already killed off 90+% of living humans to get your story setting to work,
 that NEVER helps, much like turning into a giant snake), Carrion Comfort
 (never heard of it, straight horror isn't my thing)

Dave, so many books in the Wall, so little time

ps: at least I have a driveable car again
-- 
\/David	DeLaney	posting	thru EarthLink - "It's not the pot that	grows the flower
It's not the clock that	slows the hour 	The definition's plain for anyone to see
Love is	all it takes to	make a family" - R&P. VISUALIZE	HAPPYNET VRbeable<BLINK>
my gatekeeper archives are no longer accessible	:( / I WUV you in all CAPS! --K.

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#491616

Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> writes:
>"19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books"
>    https://best-sci-fi-books.com/19-best-science-fiction-horror-books/
>
>I have read seven of these.  "Leviathan Wakes", "The Andromeda Strain", 
>"The Girl with all the Gifts", "I am Legend", "I have no Mouth and I 
>must Scream", "The War Of The Worlds", and "The Tommyknockers".

Wouldn't the top 19 (and perhaps the top 40) be H.P. Lovecraft?

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#491632

On 5/3/2018 8:56 AM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
> Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> writes:
>> "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books"
>>     https://best-sci-fi-books.com/19-best-science-fiction-horror-books/
>>
>> I have read seven of these.  "Leviathan Wakes", "The Andromeda Strain",
>> "The Girl with all the Gifts", "I am Legend", "I have no Mouth and I
>> must Scream", "The War Of The Worlds", and "The Tommyknockers".
> 
> Wouldn't the top 19 (and perhaps the top 40) be H.P. Lovecraft?

Huh ?

Lynn

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#491634

Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote in
news:pcfvkg$t2p$1@dont-email.me: 

> On 5/3/2018 8:56 AM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
>> Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> writes:
>>> "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books"
>>>     https://best-sci-fi-books.com/19-best-science-fiction-horro
>>>     r-books/ 
>>>
>>> I have read seven of these.  "Leviathan Wakes", "The Andromeda
>>> Strain", "The Girl with all the Gifts", "I am Legend", "I have
>>> no Mouth and I must Scream", "The War Of The Worlds", and "The
>>> Tommyknockers". 
>> 
>> Wouldn't the top 19 (and perhaps the top 40) be H.P. Lovecraft?
> 
> Huh ?
> 
Are you under the impression that Lovecraft didn't write horror?

-- 
Terry Austin

Vacation photos from Iceland: 
https://plus.google.com/u/0/collection/QaXQkB

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
    -- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.

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#491636

On 5/3/2018 4:53 PM, Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha wrote:
> Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote in
> news:pcfvkg$t2p$1@dont-email.me:
> 
>> On 5/3/2018 8:56 AM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
>>> Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> writes:
>>>> "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books"
>>>>      https://best-sci-fi-books.com/19-best-science-fiction-horro
>>>>      r-books/
>>>>
>>>> I have read seven of these.  "Leviathan Wakes", "The Andromeda
>>>> Strain", "The Girl with all the Gifts", "I am Legend", "I have
>>>> no Mouth and I must Scream", "The War Of The Worlds", and "The
>>>> Tommyknockers".
>>>
>>> Wouldn't the top 19 (and perhaps the top 40) be H.P. Lovecraft?
>>
>> Huh ?
>>
> Are you under the impression that Lovecraft didn't write horror?

Nope.  But I have never read an H. P. Lovecraft book (that I remember) 
nor do I have any familiarity with same.  Neither apparently has the 
list maker.

Lynn

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#491638

On Friday, May 4, 2018 at 7:53:26 AM UTC+10, Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha wrote:
> Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote in
> news:pcfvkg$t2p$1@dont-email.me: 
> 
> > On 5/3/2018 8:56 AM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
> >> Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> writes:
> >>> "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books"
> >>>     https://best-sci-fi-books.com/19-best-science-fiction-horro
> >>>     r-books/ 
> >>>
> >>> I have read seven of these.  "Leviathan Wakes", "The Andromeda
> >>> Strain", "The Girl with all the Gifts", "I am Legend", "I have
> >>> no Mouth and I must Scream", "The War Of The Worlds", and "The
> >>> Tommyknockers". 
> >> 
> >> Wouldn't the top 19 (and perhaps the top 40) be H.P. Lovecraft?
> > 
> > Huh ?
> > 
> Are you under the impression that Lovecraft didn't write horror?

Perhaps it's the narrower category of "Science Fiction Horror" that he's unaware of HPL's contribution to? 

"The Colour Out of Space" certainly fits.

Why 19 anyway?

-Moriarty

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#491650

On 5/3/2018 5:10 PM, Moriarty wrote:
> On Friday, May 4, 2018 at 7:53:26 AM UTC+10, Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha wrote:
>> Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote in
>> news:pcfvkg$t2p$1@dont-email.me:
>>
>>> On 5/3/2018 8:56 AM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
>>>> Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> writes:
>>>>> "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books"
>>>>>      https://best-sci-fi-books.com/19-best-science-fiction-horro
>>>>>      r-books/
>>>>>
>>>>> I have read seven of these.  "Leviathan Wakes", "The Andromeda
>>>>> Strain", "The Girl with all the Gifts", "I am Legend", "I have
>>>>> no Mouth and I must Scream", "The War Of The Worlds", and "The
>>>>> Tommyknockers".
>>>>
>>>> Wouldn't the top 19 (and perhaps the top 40) be H.P. Lovecraft?
>>>
>>> Huh ?
>>>
>> Are you under the impression that Lovecraft didn't write horror?
> 
> Perhaps it's the narrower category of "Science Fiction Horror" that he's unaware of HPL's contribution to?
> 
> "The Colour Out of Space" certainly fits.
> 
> Why 19 anyway?
> 
> -Moriarty

My guess is that the list maker likes to assign numbers other than 10 or 
20 or 100 to his lists.  You can email him and ask if you want to.  He 
and I have exchanged a few emails in the past.

Lynn

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#491688

On Friday, 4 May 2018 01:04:48 UTC+1, Lynn McGuire  wrote:
> On 5/3/2018 5:10 PM, Moriarty wrote:
> > On Friday, May 4, 2018 at 7:53:26 AM UTC+10, Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha wrote:
> >> Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote in
> >> news:pcfvkg$t2p$1@dont-email.me:
> >>
> >>> On 5/3/2018 8:56 AM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
> >>>> Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> writes:
> >>>>> "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books"
> >>>>>      https://best-sci-fi-books.com/19-best-science-fiction-horro
> >>>>>      r-books/
> >>>>>
> >>>>> I have read seven of these.  "Leviathan Wakes", "The Andromeda
> >>>>> Strain", "The Girl with all the Gifts", "I am Legend", "I have
> >>>>> no Mouth and I must Scream", "The War Of The Worlds", and "The
> >>>>> Tommyknockers".
> >>>>
> >>>> Wouldn't the top 19 (and perhaps the top 40) be H.P. Lovecraft?
> >>>
> >>> Huh ?
> >>>
> >> Are you under the impression that Lovecraft didn't write horror?
> > 
> > Perhaps it's the narrower category of "Science Fiction Horror" that he's unaware of HPL's contribution to?
> > 
> > "The Colour Out of Space" certainly fits.
> > 
> > Why 19 anyway?
> > 
> > -Moriarty
> 
> My guess is that the list maker likes to assign numbers other than 10 or 
> 20 or 100 to his lists.  You can email him and ask if you want to.  He 
> and I have exchanged a few emails in the past.

It could be word count.

I think at Harry Potter's school, essays are written 
on continuous scroll, with length specified in feet 
(i.e. 12 British inches).  My next thought is "scrolls
probably come in set lengths" and then "but there's magic
so maybe they don't", but I don't remember examples
of the last.

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#491653

On 5/3/2018 5:10 PM, Moriarty wrote:
> On Friday, May 4, 2018 at 7:53:26 AM UTC+10, Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha wrote:
>> Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote in
>> news:pcfvkg$t2p$1@dont-email.me:
>>
>>> On 5/3/2018 8:56 AM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
>>>> Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> writes:
>>>>> "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books"
>>>>>      https://best-sci-fi-books.com/19-best-science-fiction-horro
>>>>>      r-books/
>>>>>
>>>>> I have read seven of these.  "Leviathan Wakes", "The Andromeda
>>>>> Strain", "The Girl with all the Gifts", "I am Legend", "I have
>>>>> no Mouth and I must Scream", "The War Of The Worlds", and "The
>>>>> Tommyknockers".
>>>>
>>>> Wouldn't the top 19 (and perhaps the top 40) be H.P. Lovecraft?
>>>
>>> Huh ?
>>>
>> Are you under the impression that Lovecraft didn't write horror?
> 
> Perhaps it's the narrower category of "Science Fiction Horror" that he's unaware of HPL's contribution to?
> 
> "The Colour Out of Space" certainly fits.
> 
> Why 19 anyway?
> 
> -Moriarty

He likes 96 dystopian books:
    https://best-sci-fi-books.com/96-dystopian-science-fiction-books/

Lynn

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#491663

Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 5/3/2018 5:10 PM, Moriarty wrote:
>> On Friday, May 4, 2018 at 7:53:26 AM UTC+10, Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha wrote:
>>> Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote in
>>> news:pcfvkg$t2p$1@dont-email.me:
>>>
>>>> On 5/3/2018 8:56 AM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
>>>>> Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> writes:
>>>>>> "19 Best Science Fiction Horror Books"
>>>>>>      https://best-sci-fi-books.com/19-best-science-fiction-horro
>>>>>>      r-books/
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I have read seven of these.  "Leviathan Wakes", "The Andromeda
>>>>>> Strain", "The Girl with all the Gifts", "I am Legend", "I have
>>>>>> no Mouth and I must Scream", "The War Of The Worlds", and "The
>>>>>> Tommyknockers".
>>>>>
>>>>> Wouldn't the top 19 (and perhaps the top 40) be H.P. Lovecraft?
>>>>
>>>> Huh ?  
>>>>
>>> Are you under the impression that Lovecraft didn't write horror?
>>
>> Perhaps it's the narrower category of "Science Fiction Horror" that he's unaware of HPL's
contribution to?
>>
>> "The Colour Out of Space" certainly fits.
>>
>> Why 19 anyway?
>>
>> -Moriarty
>
> He likes 96 dystopian books:
>    https://best-sci-fi-books.com/96-dystopian-science-fiction-books/
>

_Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said_ (PKD) appears on the list. It was
recently read by me. It was my fondest hope for it to be The One, the
most dystopic of them all, according to me. 
    Alas, it turns out that _Cloud Atlas_ (Mitchell) is actually the
worst of them all. It's meta-dystopic with a crapsack supernatural. Even
after you die its dystopic claws don't let loose. It makes Alice Sheldon
look positively Pollyannish in comparison.

 ✍

Thank you,

-- 
Don

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#491667

On 04/05/18 15:08, D B Davis wrote:
snip
> 
> _Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said_ (PKD) appears on the list. It was
> recently read by me. It was my fondest hope for it to be The One, the
> most dystopic of them all, according to me.

Was the real world as described in "A Scanner Darkly" a contender?

>      Alas, it turns out that _Cloud Atlas_ (Mitchell) is actually the
> worst of them all. It's meta-dystopic with a crapsack supernatural. Even
> after you die its dystopic claws don't let loose. It makes Alice Sheldon
> look positively Pollyannish in comparison.

David Mitchell is one of my all time favourites. I have read all his 
novels and most are five stars. The "crapsack supernatural" continues. 
It doesn't impose or dominate but has still upset some of his literary 
critics. It was hardly mentioned at all in "The Thousand Autumns...." 
and arrived late in "The Bone Clocks" about which I read the criticism. 
"Slade House" is all horror in "crapsack supernatural" but is a much 
shorter book. (Although the novels all stand alone, I think they would 
be better appreciated if read in publication order.)

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#491676

Titus G <noone@nowhere.com> wrote:
> On 04/05/18 15:08, D B Davis wrote:
> snip
>>
>> _Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said_ (PKD) appears on the list. It was
>> recently read by me. It was my fondest hope for it to be The One, the
>> most dystopic of them all, according to me.
>
> Was the real world as described in "A Scanner Darkly" a contender?
>
>>      Alas, it turns out that _Cloud Atlas_ (Mitchell) is actually the
>> worst of them all. It's meta-dystopic with a crapsack supernatural. Even
>> after you die its dystopic claws don't let loose. It makes Alice Sheldon
>> look positively Pollyannish in comparison.
>
> David Mitchell is one of my all time favourites. I have read all his
> novels and most are five stars. The "crapsack supernatural" continues.
> It doesn't impose or dominate but has still upset some of his literary
> critics. It was hardly mentioned at all in "The Thousand Autumns...."
> and arrived late in "The Bone Clocks" about which I read the criticism.
> "Slade House" is all horror in "crapsack supernatural" but is a much
> shorter book. (Although the novels all stand alone, I think they would
> be better appreciated if read in publication order.)

_A Scanner Darkly_ (PKD) isn't mentioned in the OP's linked list of 96 
Dystopian Science Fiction Books. Perhaps my followup confuses you? Allow
me to explain. Sometimes "bad" means "good:"

    In slang usage, the adjective "bad" means "good," as we
    mentioned in a post we wrote some time ago about the
    influence of African-American slang on English.

    The surprising thing about this use of "bad"-apart from
    the reversed meaning-is that it's not recent. It dates
    back to the 19th century, as we'll explain later. ...

    https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2015/12/bad.html

    So "bad" means "good" and "worst" means "best" in my followup.
And "crapsack" is a superlative. :0) 

✍

Thank you,

-- 
Don

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#491684

On 04/05/18 17:44, D B Davis wrote:
> Titus G <noone@nowhere.com> wrote:
>> On 04/05/18 15:08, D B Davis wrote: snip
>>> 
>>> _Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said_ (PKD) appears on the list. It
>>> was recently read by me. It was my fondest hope for it to be The
>>> One, the most dystopic of them all, according to me.
>> 
>> Was the real world as described in "A Scanner Darkly" a contender?
>> 
>>> Alas, it turns out that _Cloud Atlas_ (Mitchell) is actually the 
>>> worst of them all. It's meta-dystopic with a crapsack
>>> supernatural. Even after you die its dystopic claws don't let
>>> loose. It makes Alice Sheldon look positively Pollyannish in
>>> comparison.
>> 
>> David Mitchell is one of my all time favourites. I have read all
>> his novels and most are five stars. The "crapsack supernatural"
>> continues. It doesn't impose or dominate but has still upset some
>> of his literary critics. It was hardly mentioned at all in "The
>> Thousand Autumns...." and arrived late in "The Bone Clocks" about
>> which I read the criticism. "Slade House" is all horror in
>> "crapsack supernatural" but is a much shorter book. (Although the
>> novels all stand alone, I think they would be better appreciated if
>> read in publication order.)
> 
> _A Scanner Darkly_ (PKD) isn't mentioned in the OP's linked list of
> 96 Dystopian Science Fiction Books. Perhaps my followup confuses you?
> Allow me to explain. Sometimes "bad" means "good:"
> 
> In slang usage, the adjective "bad" means "good," as we mentioned in
> a post we wrote some time ago about the influence of African-American
> slang on English.
> 
> The surprising thing about this use of "bad"-apart from the reversed
> meaning-is that it's not recent. It dates back to the 19th century,
> as we'll explain later. ...
> 
> https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2015/12/bad.html
> 
> So "bad" means "good" and "worst" means "best" in my followup.

Yes, that was my understanding when I read your post. Sorry for my 
confusing reply. That was an attempt at humour in the sense that for 
Dick, the protagonist in Scanner, there could be no worse (or best :-)), 
dystopia, than his own paranoia.

  And
> "crapsack" is a superlative. :0)

Yes, that is how I interpreted it. And I think that the later Mitchell's 
can be read and enjoyed by those who enjoy nonsensical crapstack 
supernatural as well as those seeking Lit er Hateur. The "The Thousand 
Autumns....." qualifies for many genres.

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#491733

Titus G <noone@nowhere.com> wrote:
> On 04/05/18 17:44, D B Davis wrote:
>> Titus G <noone@nowhere.com> wrote:
>>> On 04/05/18 15:08, D B Davis wrote: snip
>>>>
>>>> _Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said_ (PKD) appears on the list. It
>>>> was recently read by me. It was my fondest hope for it to be The
>>>> One, the most dystopic of them all, according to me.
>>>
>>> Was the real world as described in "A Scanner Darkly" a contender?

<snip>

>> _A Scanner Darkly_ (PKD) isn't mentioned in the OP's linked list of
>> 96 Dystopian Science Fiction Books. Perhaps my followup confuses you?
>> Allow me to explain. Sometimes "bad" means "good:"
>>
>> In slang usage, the adjective "bad" means "good," as we mentioned in
>> a post we wrote some time ago about the influence of African-American
>> slang on English.
>>
>> The surprising thing about this use of "bad"-apart from the reversed
>> meaning-is that it's not recent. It dates back to the 19th century,
>> as we'll explain later. ...
>>
>> https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2015/12/bad.html
>>
>> So "bad" means "good" and "worst" means "best" in my followup.
>
> Yes, that was my understanding when I read your post. Sorry for my
> confusing reply. That was an attempt at humour in the sense that for
> Dick, the protagonist in Scanner, there could be no worse (or best :-)),
> dystopia, than his own paranoia.

<snip>

That's a great PKD paranoia aphorism. Given how it apparently fell into
the hole in my memory, it looks like it's time for yet another re-read 
of _Scanner Darkly_. (That's how re-reads happen in /my/ world. YMMV.)
    Fair warning. This thread's about to take a turn for the worse. 
Decent folk will find little of wholesome value beneath this point.



    Still with me? Hitchcock movie fans owe it to themselves to see the
2012 biopic _Hitchcock_. The biopic tells the story of how Hitch makes
the movie about the eponymous _Psycho_ (Block).
    Early on Hitch decides to purchase all available copies of the Block
in order to deny people the opportunity to read it for themselves. Both 
the Block and the movie are based upon a sick, twisted, piece-of-work 
named Ed Gein. [1] You need to know a little about Gein before we
proceed so you may want to take a quick peek at his Wikipedia bio if you
never heard of Gein before.  
    In the biopic Hitch hosts a kaffeeklatsch presser to announce his 
intentions for _Psycho_ the movie. He passes around some Ed Gein crime 
scene photos. A general consensus of disgust registers on all of the 
faces in the room. They hate it. But, as Hitch wryly notes, "They can't 
take their eyes off of it, can they?"
    That's sort of how dystopic literature grabs me. It's hard for me to
take my eyes off of it.  
    Joss #himtoo Whedon tells viewers to "bring your own subtext" when 
they watch a Whedon movie. It seems that PKD more-or-less tells readers 
to "bring your own paranoia" when you read his dystopic fiction.

Note.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Gein
   
✍

Thank you,

-- 
Don

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#491746

On Fri, 4 May 2018 19:41:37 -0000 (UTC), D B Davis <g@crcomp.net>
wrote:


>    Fair warning. This thread's about to take a turn for the worse. 
>Decent folk will find little of wholesome value beneath this point.
>
>
>
>    Still with me? Hitchcock movie fans owe it to themselves to see the
>2012 biopic _Hitchcock_. The biopic tells the story of how Hitch makes
>the movie about the eponymous _Psycho_ (Block).
>    Early on Hitch decides to purchase all available copies of the Block
>in order to deny people the opportunity to read it for themselves. Both 
>the Block and the movie are based upon a sick, twisted, piece-of-work 
>named Ed Gein. [1] You need to know a little about Gein before we
>proceed so you may want to take a quick peek at his Wikipedia bio if you
>never heard of Gein before.  
>    In the biopic Hitch hosts a kaffeeklatsch presser to announce his 
>intentions for _Psycho_ the movie. He passes around some Ed Gein crime 
>scene photos. A general consensus of disgust registers on all of the 
>faces in the room. They hate it. But, as Hitch wryly notes, "They can't 
>take their eyes off of it, can they?"
>    That's sort of how dystopic literature grabs me. It's hard for me to
>take my eyes off of it.  
>    Joss #himtoo Whedon tells viewers to "bring your own subtext" when 
>they watch a Whedon movie. It seems that PKD more-or-less tells readers 
>to "bring your own paranoia" when you read his dystopic fiction.
>
>Note.
>
>1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Gein

A nitpick and a bit of literary trivia:

It's Bloch, not Block.  Lawrence Block, the mystery writer, spells it
with a K, but Robert Bloch used an H.

As for the trivia:  Bloch wrote _Psycho_ based on early newspaper
accounts of Ed Gein's crimes; he didn't have most of the gruesome
details.  I sometimes wonder what he (and later Hitchcock) would have
produced had Bloch known all that sick stuff before writing his novel.




-- 
My webpage is at http://www.watt-evans.com
My latest novel is Stone Unturned:  A Legend of Ethshar.
See http://www.ethshar.com/StoneUnturned.shtml

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