The GMG SF/Fantasy/Horror Club

[DavidW]

The Mars books were the last KSR I read.  I was a fan up 'til then.  I remember the last book in particular (Green Mars?) being a joyless slog.

A friend told me the same, which is why I never read them!

[mn dave]

Don't worry, it's a Michael Moorcock novel, not goatse.cx.

I've read that one twice!  The only other Moorcock novel I've read is Behold The Man.

I read mostly Elric in his different incarnations. But, yes, I need to read Behold the Man for sure.

[DavidW]

Yes, I finished. Like vintage King all the way. A successful effort as far as I 'm concerned.

I finally finished it last weekend.  A kick ass novel!  If you mean like vintage as in like good, then yes.  If you mean as in stylistically... well I find early King to be pessimistic and late King to be optimistic including this novel.

I was half expecting the sequel might disappoint, but it didn't.

[mc ukrneal]

With Ender's Game finally coming to a movie theater near us, I have some real incentive to read the darned thing without bias. I keep putting it off.

Not bad. Movie could be good. I thought the sibling plot line was a bit flat. Not sure I will read the next in the series, but this one was entertaining enough.

[Fëanor]

With Ender's Game finally coming to a movie theater near us, I have some real incentive to read the darned thing without bias. I keep putting it off.

Am I the only person here who hates Orson Scott Card's banal and tedious plot lines and prose style??

[DavidW]

Not bad. Movie could be good. I thought the sibling plot line was a bit flat. Not sure I will read the next in the series, but this one was entertaining enough.

Cool beans.  Glad that you read it with an open mind, glad that you found some enjoyment out of it.  I should reread it, it has been a very long time.

[Fëanor]

... But, yes, I need to read Behold the Man for sure.

I read it many years ago, but I's say, Yes, you ought to read it -- unless you're a thin-skinned Christian.

[mn dave]

Classic sf and fantasy films you can watch on YouTube.

http://io9.com/classic-sci-fi-and-fantasy-films-that-you-can-watch-on-1491614177?utm_campaign=socialflow_io9_facebook&utm_source=io9_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

[DavidW]

I finally finished my Wheel of Time reread, though I cheated and used Leigh Butler's very detailed reread summary for A Crown of Swords through Knife of Dreams.  Will finally start the Sanderson/Jordan trilogy!  I've never read them before, hope that they are awesome and I feel satisfied with the conclusion.

[mn dave]

I finally finished my Wheel of Time reread, though I cheated and used Leigh Butler's very detailed reread summary for A Crown of Swords through Knife of Dreams.  Will finally start the Sanderson/Jordan trilogy!  I've never read them before, hope that they are awesome and I feel satisfied with the conclusion.

I'm making my with through GRR Martin's fantasy epic, taking my time.

[DavidW]

I'm making my with through GRR Martin's fantasy epic, taking my time.

I don't know if you watch South Park but recently they had a 3 parter making fun of GRRM, the series, and Black Friday.  it's been great!

[mn dave]

I don't know if you watch South Park but recently they had a 3 parter making fun of GRRM, the series, and Black Friday.  it's been great!

[mn dave]

FEVRE DREAM by George R.R. Martin was amazing and indeed one of the best vampire novels out there. Highly recommended.

Maybe I'll read A Storm of Swords soon.

[snyprrr]

I don't get thie literary bias in this Thread. Over the last hundred years, the medium of film has captured the imagination of SF/F/H fans more than anything (Fabio?), but here, not one mention of Cronenberg, or whateverm- and anytime I bring up 'Horror of the Blood Monsters' you all look at me like I got tree heds... why-I-aughta...

So, what has happened to the Horror film in the last, say, 15 years, since, say, 'Scream'? What's up with the slew of 'exorcist-possession' films- is that the only way they can scare people is through spiritual ambiguity (Jesus STILL hasn't made His debut in a Horror Film other than 'The Final Conflict')?

Why do you guys only talk about sci-fi-fantasy novels? waaaaah

Remember 1979? 'The Dark'? With William Devane? Were they NOT the days?

[mn dave]

I don't get thie literary bias in this Thread. Over the last hundred years, the medium of film has captured the imagination of SF/F/H fans more than anything (Fabio?), but here, not one mention of Cronenberg, or whateverm- and anytime I bring up 'Horror of the Blood Monsters' you all look at me like I got tree heds... why-I-aughta...

So, what has happened to the Horror film in the last, say, 15 years, since, say, 'Scream'? What's up with the slew of 'exorcist-possession' films- is that the only way they can scare people is through spiritual ambiguity (Jesus STILL hasn't made His debut in a Horror Film other than 'The Final Conflict')?

Why do you guys only talk about sci-fi-fantasy novels? waaaaah

Remember 1979? 'The Dark'? With William Devane? Were they NOT the days?

For me, it's because I'm more a book guy than a movie guy. Many horror movies suck in my experience.

I have mentioned horror lit in this thread however.

[mc ukrneal]

I finally finished my Wheel of Time reread, though I cheated and used Leigh Butler's very detailed reread summary for A Crown of Swords through Knife of Dreams.  Will finally start the Sanderson/Jordan trilogy!  I've never read them before, hope that they are awesome and I feel satisfied with the conclusion.

I had read the first 4-5 books or so, but then it took so long for each book that I decided to wait for the series to be completed (I started forgetting who was who). I never dreamt it would be so long and now I wonder if it is worth reading at all. I really enjoyed the first couple of books, but then it really started bogging down. Not sure if I will ever go back to them.

[mn dave]

11 Scariest Horror Movies of All Time
by Martin Scorsese

Not bad. Maybe the '80s The Thing was #12.

[Brahmsian]

Some terrific ones in there.  The Exorcist, The Entity, The Shining, Psycho.  All top shelf.

Some in there I haven't seen.

[Bogey]

Out of the 11, only Psycho is worth another visit for me.

[snyprrr]

11 Scariest Horror Movies of All Time
by Martin Scorsese

I'm sorry, but that's a very cliched list. EEEEEveryone picks 'Dead of Night' and 'The Haunting' and 'Isle of the Dead'- Scorsese  is just name-dropping here- "look what a smarty pants I am"- I mean, he's almost begging us to guess which one he's going to remake ("Turn of the Screw" is my guess). And he picks every black-and-white he can think of- must have cut some Val Lewton to keep the list short...

Sorry, those are just standard, easy picks- probably played first year USC film curriculum.

EEEverybody picks 'The Changling' and thinks they're cute for it. Not that it's not worthy, or has been a classic since it was released (it has).


What scares YOU, MN Dave?? Fairly mundane stuff scares me, like living a life with no meaning- waking up old and alone- brrrrrrrr, yea, that's scary!!!! Eternal damnation also seems like a big scary, but it certainly is difficult to get people to believe in it!! I've really turned a corner with the spiders though!!!