Neil Gaiman, likely stories and a question about the horror genre

Jen

Has anyone seen this, it's been on Sky Arts the last two weeks. I just watched the one with Johnny Vegas in and loved it! I didn't realise that there's two stories in one episode, when the credits rolled I thought that was the end. I've also watched Foreign Parts but I didn't get it.
Anyway the one with Johnny Vegas I found a little bit scary or unsettling which ever way you want to put it.

I love horror but besides Stephen King I can't seem to find any horror novels these days. Do people still write horror? Or is it all 'thrillers' which are more crime than horror? I've read all but one of James Herbert's novels and I'm not really a fan of King's style, I'm sad to say. He takes too long to get to the point and if I don't read it constantly (sometimes work intervenes) I will lose interest. Sadly. But that's just my opinion.
I seem to find other authors or other genres to read these days but I've always been a horror fan and I miss it. I can find short stories but no novels.

boredrobots

Oi! Yes, plenty of people still write horror :P Looooads of horror authors to check out!

boredrobots

Adam Nevill, Bentley Little, Brian Keene, Brian Lumley, Clive Barker, Dean Koontz, Graham Joyce, Grahmam Masterson, Joe Hill, Mark Morris, Peter Straub, Ramsey Campbell, Richard Laymon, Richard Matheson, Sarah Pinborough, Shaun Hutson, Simon Clark, Stephen Gallagher, Stephen Laws, Tim Lebbon, Gary McMahon, Simon Bestwick, Gary Fry, Alison Littlewood, Thana Niveau, Chuck Wendig, Jasper Bark, *cough*StevenChapman*cough, Paul Kane, Lynda E Rucker, Ania Ahlborn...list goes on!

Jen

I thought Dean Koontz as more thriller. Not fussed on some of them. I like a good horror but I guess reading literary fiction has made me appreciate good style too or I'm just a fussy bu****.

boredrobots

I like a good horror but I guess reading literary fiction has made me appreciate good style too

Ouch...

Neph

That Chapman bloke is pretty good!

I am finding a lot of stuff really samey and predictable. With Joe Hill I loved Heart Shaped Box and Horns but found N0S4RTU far too much like his dad's stuff (and I really don't like King), but will be giving THe Fireman a go at some point, don't like to give up too soon. Graham Masterson I love, Shaun Hutson too.

davidjenkins

Anne Rice is very literary and her early stuff is well worth a try it shaped the whole Vampire genre.

Jen

Sorry.. I didn't mean to be horrible, technically I write horror myself! I'm trying to explain myself and I did'nt mean to put it that way. I've read some horror novels in the past and it's disappointed me, too much telling I think and it didn't grab my attention. I always find it hard to explain without sounding like I think I can do better (because I don't know it I can!) I'm just talking as a reader not a writer.
I try and justify my thoughts of these few books I read by explaining that maybe because I've been reading books in a different genre that is more wordy or whatever it's put me off these other books. I think i'm just defending or making excuses.
I love James Herbert. I don't mind Stephen king, he's a great writer but I prefer something a bit more fast paced (to put it nicely). I read books by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and Elizabeth Kostova and Kate Morton then when I read some horror books the style isn't as good.
I think Shaun Hutson might have been one of the writers I wasn't fussed on and I guess reading one of two books I don't like puts me off as I had a moment where I couldn't find any I liked.
I liked Susan Hill.
I read a lot of Anne Rice in my teens and I'm going to read more soon. I loved her vampire chronicles, I have found as I've got older that my tastes have changed(still love vampires) but after reading Prince Lestat, I'm hooked again.
I guess that there's just only one James Herbert And not many as good as him.

Jen

I like a good horror but I guess reading literary fiction has made me appreciate good style too

Ouch...

Please don't take offense, I didn't mean to be harsh or critical. I am very opinionated and often speak/type before I think what I mean. I have a habit of coming on here- like now when my time is limited and then not really thinking through what I've written. This is only my opinion after all and I love the horror genre, I'm just so fussy

boredrobots

Tis ok, takes a lot more than that to offend a horror writer :P

Jen

Maybe my tastes have just changed over the years, sad really I love horror