What are you reading?

[DungeonMonkey]

I just finished reading a collection of ghost and horror stories by Ambrose Bierce. It included a biographical sketch of Bierce, who sounds like he was a real piece of work (mean-spirited, drunkard, liar). I don't regret reading the collection, but someone who is less interested in horror and weird fiction would likely be better served by reading fewer of these stories. One of the more interesting ones was a story penned in 1899 about an intelligent machine (robot), which I was not expecting. Another interesting one was An Inhabitant of Carcosa, which I think is its origin.

[squeen]

I love re-reading "A Night in the Lonesome October" by Zelazny this time of year. It's a mash-up of the classic horror genre with many borrowed famous characters done in a fresh way. It's told from the perspective of an animal familiar, and has at it's heart a Cthulhu Mythos plot.

Light and so well written, with evocative language and a slow reveal. A long-time favorite of mine.

[grodog]

I started re-reading David Gerrold’s War Against the Chtorr series last night, with the first novel, _A Matter for Men_.

Giving me some ideas for Delta Green scenarios

Allan.

[Philotomy Jurament]

I started re-reading David Gerrold’s War Against the Chtorr series last night, with the first novel, _A Matter for Men_.

I enjoyed those books. Did he ever finish the series? I think I read up through A Season For Slaughter, but that was years ago.

[benjoshua]

I read the book American Lion by Jon Meacham, about president Andrew Jackson. I really enjoyed this book, not because it related every detail about Jackson, but because it was an excellent overview. The book won a Pulitzer. Jackson was the seventh President of the United States from 1829 to 1837, a pivotal era in American history, and he did so much to shape both America and the presidency that we take for granted today. He wielded his veto power much more often than his predecessors, for example. He helped shift the focus of governing from congress to the president. He and his supporters founded the Democratic Party. One of his main platforms was removing corruption in the capital.

Jackson's personal story is incredible. He had no parents or siblings before he was full grown. He defeated the British in New Orleans against a much bigger and better armed force, losing only 13 men while the British lost almost 300! His wife died three weeks after he was elected to the presidency. While he was president, an assassin walked right up to him with two loaded pistols and both failed to fire, the odds of that happening being 125,000 to 1!

There was much to not like about Jackson. He supported slavery and arranged for the removal of indians to lands west of the Mississippi. He saw himself as fighting for all Americans, but it seemed more like he was fighting for his own ideas. Andrew Jackson was quite the conundrum.

[Flambeaux]

Finally finished the Conan collection I had been reading intermittently over the last several years. Reread Murder Must Advertise; still delightful.

Not sure if I'm going to tackle the Kull the Conqueror collection next or head for some non-fiction in Odysseus Unbound or The Jason Voyage.

[bobjester]

I have a collection of horror short stories by Ambrose Bierce, but of the stories I've read so far (about 1/3rd through the total) were centered around the horrors of the Civil War, and none of them were fantasy or science fiction/fantasy based.

I finally started "Mornings on Horseback" by David McCullough. I had misplaced the book for several months, preventing me from starting it.

Just in time too, as I start a new full-time job next week. Lets see how much I get read after full 8 hour days, 5 days a week now!

[Welleran]

I have sort of held on to my Halloween reading and started in randomly reading some non-HPL stories from some of my Arkham House books. Last night was Sticks by Karl Edward Wagner and Return of the Sorcerer by CAS. The latter was especially cool as I recently watched the Night Gallery episode with Vincent Price based on it. Good stuff.

[Wheggi]

Upmost Savagery: The Three Days of Tarawa by Col. Joseph H. Alexander, USMC (Ret.)

A fantastic study of the Battle of Tarawa. I’ve been a bit obsessed with this subject ever since I started playing D-Day at Tarawa (Decision Games), and the book helped me to realize two things:

First, the Battle of Tarawa was absolutely brutal. A terrifying, nightmarish situation, the cost of human life on this tiny island was staggering, both for Japanese and American forces. If a filmmaker ever wanted to make another fierce movie about a WWII amphibious operation aka Saving Private Ryan, this would be the fight to film.

Second, the game D-Day at Tarawa does a wonderful job of working the unique components of the fight into the game’s mechanics. From the troubles caused by the reef during the neap tide to the savage hand-to-hand combat to the rein-filtration of Japanese troops during the night, the game captured the historical accuracy and retain player agency. Great stuff.

- Wheggi

[Welleran]

I’m most of the way through Devil’s Tor by David Lindsay. It’s interesting but nowhere close to A Voyage to Arcturus for weirdness. Also, it could’ve used a heavy edit... too wordy and long.

[JCBoney]

Upmost Savagery: The Three Days of Tarawa by Col. Joseph H. Alexander, USMC (Ret.)

A fantastic study of the Battle of Tarawa. I’ve been a bit obsessed with this subject ever since I started playing D-Day at Tarawa (Decision Games), and the book helped me to realize two things:

First, the Battle of Tarawa was absolutely brutal. A terrifying, nightmarish situation, the cost of human life on this tiny island was staggering, both for Japanese and American forces. If a filmmaker ever wanted to make another fierce movie about a WWII amphibious operation aka Saving Private Ryan, this would be the fight to film.

Second, the game D-Day at Tarawa does a wonderful job of working the unique components of the fight into the game’s mechanics. From the troubles caused by the reef during the neap tide to the savage hand-to-hand combat to the rein-filtration of Japanese troops during the night, the game captured the historical accuracy and retain player agency. Great stuff.

- Wheggi

Strange. I just watched a vid on YT from Navy SEAL Jocko Willink and he was talking about Tarawa. Apparently the Marine landing craft lodged on coral reefs and the Marines had to wade ashore about 800 or so yards... massive casualties there. So, the Navy instituted the concept of UDTs to deal with underwater obstacles.

[ghendar]

Read Mother of Toads by CAS. I need to read more CAS

[benjoshua]

I finished the novel by N. K. Jemisin, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, and it was excellent! Time magazine came up with a list of the Top 100 Fantasy books of all time (https://time.com/collection/100-best-fantasy-books/), and this book made the list. I'm not sure I agree with the list, especially since nothing by Michael Moorcock or Roger Zelazny made the list. Anyway, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, was original, mature and a real page-turner. I'm looking forward to reading the next two books in the trilogy.

[Welleran]

Read Mother of Toads by CAS. I need to read more CAS

That is a true statement for most people.

[ligedog]

Just finished Earth’s Last Citadel by CL Moore and Harry Kuttner - a dying Earth type story from 1943. Full of interesting ideas like a lot of pulp era SF (weird aliens, tech and societies) but not the most compelling protagonists. Since it was 1943 there are a pair of nazis and a pair of allies but they are basically just pulp archetypes with those labels applied. Today it could be the outline of a 3 volume series but it was a different time then.