So what new horror author did you discover this year?

Haggis · Dec 26, 2009

For me it was Robert McCammon. No, he's not new at all, but he was to me. It's amazing how quickly he's shot up the list of my favorite authors.

I was introduced to him by a friend, my sometimes co-writer Jbal who used to post here on AW. He sent me a copy of Speaks the Nightbird, which was not a horror story at all, but more of an historical thriller. After that, I bought Boy's Life, which is my absolute favorite read of the year, and very horrific. Naturally, I had to pick up the next one I saw, The Queen of Bedlam, which also turned out to be not a horror story, but rather a continuation of the story started in Nightbird. Now I'm reading Swan Song, another hefty book at about 800 pages (Nightbird was two volumes and Bedlam was about 650 words). In Swan Song, we're back to horror again, perhaps some science fiction, with a dystopian tale of life after the bomb.

So what new authors have you discovered this year? And why do you think they're worth reading?

They don't have to be newly published authors, just new to you. Let us know what flicks your bic.

FOTSGreg · Dec 26, 2009

My dear little spitbull chihuahua, You have got to read Scorpion, The Wolf's Hour, and McCammon's anthology of short stories that includes the classic Something Came By.

That last one will blow your fraggin' socks off.

Actually, I rediscovered Stephen King this year. There was another author earlier, but I can't remember their name right off.

And then there was me...

Deleted member 42 · Dec 26, 2009

I'm still slowly reading through a ~~syllabus~~ a list of King books MacCannister assigned.

I've just read Bag of Bones.

It's brilliant. Absolutely amazingly wonderful.

Haggis · Dec 26, 2009

FOTSGreg said:
My dear little spitbull chihuahua, You have got to read Scorpion, The Wolf's Hour, and McCammon's anthology of short stories that includes the classic Something Came By.

That last one will blow your fraggin' socks off.

Actually, I rediscovered Stephen King this year. There was another author earlier, but I can't remember their name right off.

And then there was me...

I've pretty much reached the end of finding any McCammon in my local Borders, so the rest I buy is gonna have to be on line. I'm so happy to hear he has a short story anthology, 'cause that will be next for sure. Thanks, Greg.

Medievalist said:
I'm still slowing reading through a ~~syllabus~~ a list of King books MacCannister assigned.

I've just read Bag of Bones.

It's brilliant. Absolutely amazingly wonderful.

King doesn't always get it right, but when he does you won't find many more who do it better.

Ken · Dec 26, 2009

... only read one horror story all this year. A short story by John Goodwin, entitled "The Cocoon," from 1946. Good read, and rather terrifying.

FOTSGreg · Dec 27, 2009

Somewhere I've got some really good, dark SF in one of those huge anthologies. Richard Matheson has a couple tales in it, but there's a few other really good ones by noted SF authors. Try Theodore Sturgeon's Killdozer (I think that's the author), it's much better than the movie they made of it. Then there's one, maybe by Matheson, about man searching for his wife after an alien invasion succeeds in taking over the planet. He eventually finds her, but the ending is far from pleasant. There's also one about an alien ship that lands and is surrounded and destroyed by the military and a couple other different versions of the same story all with equally good and horrific endings. Try The Cold Equations for a truly horrific "what if" situation that could be faced by an astronaut.

I could go on and on...

Jcomp · Dec 27, 2009

McCammon is quite good. I loved Boy's Life, Swan Song and his short story anthology Blue World. Something Came By is indeed classic. Picked up an earlier work of his, Mystery Walk, and didn't care for it, but he's more than earned a few passes. Glad you're discovering him Haggis.

I'm discovering Dan Simmons. Read The Terror which is a grim, full-bodied historical horror adventure. First book I've been compelled to read twice back-to-back in a long time. Now I'm reading Summer of Night and plan to eat up the sequel A Winter Haunting when I'm done. Then, if I like those as much as I anticipate, I plan to move on to Carrion Comfort.

Haggis · Dec 27, 2009

Jcomp said:
McCammon is quite good. I loved Boy's Life, Swan Song and his short story anthology Blue World. Something Came By is indeed classic. Picked up an earlier work of his, Mystery Walk, and didn't care for it, but he's more than earned a few passes. Glad you're discovering him Haggis.

I'm discovering Dan Simmons. Read The Terror which is a grim, full-bodied historical horror adventure. First book I've been compelled to read twice back-to-back in a long time. Now I'm reading Summer of Night and plan to eat up the sequel A Winter Haunting when I'm done. Then, if I like those as much as I anticipate, I plan to move on to Carrion Comfort.

Let us know if you like it, Mr. C. I'm continually looking for new writers to try out.

Deleted member 42 · Dec 27, 2009

I'm totally going to do a class on New England Novels that features King, among others.

Haggis · Dec 28, 2009

Medievalist said:
I'm totally going to do a class on New England Novels that features King, among others.

If not for the long commute....

jr7110 · Dec 28, 2009

FOTSGreg said:
My dear little spitbull chihuahua, You have got to read Scorpion, The Wolf's Hour, and McCammon's anthology of short stories that includes the classic Something Came By.

The book you are referring to by Robert R. McCammon was only published under the title "Scorpion" in France - anyone who is interested in locating the book should look it up under it's original title "Stinger" - and it is an incredible book, right up there with "Wolf's Hour". My favorite Robert McCammon book is "They Thirst", where the entire city of Los Angeles is turned into vampires. It is epic.

Ray Garton is another fantastic horror author - his 1980's book "Live Girls" is a classic of the vampire genre.

Haggis · Dec 28, 2009

jr7110 said:
The book you are referring to by Robert R. McCammon was only published under the title "Scorpion" in France - anyone who is interested in locating the book should look it up under it's original title "Stinger" - and it is an incredible book, right up there with "Wolf's Hour". My favorite Robert McCammon book is "They Thirst", where the entire city of Los Angeles is turned into vampires. It is epic.

Ray Garton is another fantastic horror author - his 1980's book "Live Girls" is a classic of the vampire genre.

Thanks, jr, and welcome to AW. :welcome:

I'm not familiar with Ray Garton, but I'll take a look at him too. Thanks for the info.

jr7110 · Dec 28, 2009

Haggis said:
Thanks, jr, and welcome to AW.

I'm not familiar with Ray Garton, but I'll take a look at him too. Thanks for the info.

Thanks for the welcome - this is a great, informative site! Ray Garton is definitely worth looking into - I think you will really enjoy his work!

slcboston · Dec 28, 2009

Only new author I discovered this year - to me or otherwise - is one of our locals.

But it'd just make her blush if I called her out by name, so I shall merely say I'm looking forward to reading more from her. Probably soon to be in my local bookstore.

Haggis · Dec 28, 2009

slcboston said:
Only new author I discovered this year - to me or otherwise - is one of our locals.

But it'd just make her blush if I called her out by name, so I shall merely say I'm looking forward to reading more from her. Probably soon to be in my local bookstore.

Go ahead, sheep-camel. Make her blush.

slcboston · Dec 28, 2009

Nah... I embarrass enough people around here as it is already

slcboston · Dec 28, 2009

And I take that back. I did read one other horror author this year, and it was someone I wasn't aware wrote books in addition to the other horror things he does. I read Clive Barker's Mister B Gone and found it highly enjoyable.

And that's about where I stopped with him, because looking over the other selections from him my local library has, they didn't pique my interest. So kind of a "one hit wonder" for me so far.

HorrorWriter · Dec 28, 2009

Haggis,

I didn't discover any "new" horror writers this year, but I discovered one who passed away in 2001. According to Stephen King, "if you missed him, you missed a treat."

The deceased author is Richard Laymon. He wrote THE TRAVELING VAMPIRE SHOW which won the the Stoker award in 2000 for best novel.

Good stuff. He also wrote DARKNESS, TELL US, which is great so far.

He has over 30 novels and I'm looking forward to reading them all.

soapdish · Dec 28, 2009

Haggis, you actually introduced me to Jack Ketchum this year. I can't remember where you mentioned him, but in some post, in some thread, you mentioned The Girl Next Door and then the next thing I knew I was looking it up at my local library. I would like to read more Ketchum but for some reason my library doesn't have very many of his books. Next Amazon gift card I get--I'm all over that.

In the meantime, I did a quick library website search for McCammon and Garton, per the accolades posted here, and I don't see much McCammon, but I do see lots of Garton. I am so excited to potentially discover some new authors. Thanks guys.

HorrorWriter · Dec 28, 2009

Soap,

You may want to read Jack Ketchum's, RED also. Great book. And there's a straight-to-video movie as well. I think Tome Sizemore is in it.

kaitie · Dec 29, 2009

Joe Hill. Amazing. Better than his father, I'd say.

dgrintalis · Dec 29, 2009

I read Joe Hill for the first time this year as well. Good stuff. I also read Ketchum this year. I liked The Girl Next Door, but did not like Off Season - I could not get into the characters enough to care that terrible things were happening to them.

EFCollins · Dec 29, 2009

I discovered a local this year as well, courtesy of Haggis and Trish's Nightmare thing. Richard Satterlie, hereabouts known as NeuroFizz (Or Fizzy). Puppy sent me his "Something Bad" and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Excellent book. Very inventive. "Imola" is next on my list to read from him. (Thanks Pup.)

Haggis · Dec 29, 2009

EFCollins said:
I discovered a local this year as well, courtesy of Haggis and Trish's Nightmare thing. Richard Satterlie, hereabouts known as NeuroFizz (Or Fizzy). Puppy sent me his "Something Bad" and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Excellent book. Very inventive. "Imola" is next on my list to read from him. (Thanks Pup.)

De nada, amiga.

Do yourself a favor and read Agnes Hahn first. Imola is based on that book, and though Imola can stand on its own, it's better, I think, having the other read first.

EFCollins · Dec 29, 2009

*nod* Will do. I'll just pick them both up at once, that way I won't have a shitfit when one is done and I don't have the other.

Yeah... I were fun to be around while the Harry Potter series was being published. I'm impatient like that sometimes.

So what new horror author did you discover this year?

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