Next Book Club Selection: Hound of the Baskervilles

Update: Well, maybe because I effectively worked the refs, but the consensus seems to be for Hound. So we will talk about that right around Halloween; I'll figure out the date later.

We might pair it with another short Sherlock story that has spookiness and moors in it. But definitely Hound, in the days before Halloween.

BTW, Hound should be free on Kindle. If you don't have a Kindle, you can download the Kindle software to your computer or tablet, and then download the free Hound to read there.

...

So I attempted a poll, which I did not know would only take the first 100 responses. That ruined the poll.

Until it stopped collecting answers, we had a four-way near-tie between four books: Sowell's Vision of the Annointed, Hoffer's True Believer (the interest in this was surprising, to me), Dracula, and Hound of the Baskervilles.

I think we should do either Dracula or Hound for a simple reason: It is October, Halloween approaches. I'm in the mood for this kind of book. Promise, we'll do either Sowell or Hoffer next.

Which of the two are you more interested in? I'm leaning towards Hound.

Posted by: Ace at 04:42 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Repressed sexuality thy name is Dracula.

Posted by: shibumi, RIP USA at October 15, 2015 04:40 PM (JkjdY)

2 Dracula has no plot.

Posted by: weft cut-loop at October 15, 2015 04:41 PM (JmGFJ)

3 >>>Dracula has no plot.

i'm kind of afraid i wouldn't be able to get through it. Feels like a book I would just keep putting down.

Posted by: ace at October 15, 2015 04:43 PM (dciA+)

4 Yeah, go for the Hound. That's creepier.

Dracula's been done to death.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at October 15, 2015 04:43 PM (Xo1Rt)

5 I vote for Hound.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 15, 2015 04:45 PM (GERXL)

6 I don't have a dog in the fight, but Hound.

Posted by: rebel flounder at October 15, 2015 04:46 PM (1DH1V)

7 Hound of the Baskervilles sounds like the best choice!

Posted by: Turd Ferguson, trying to be Ace's friend by agreeing with him at October 15, 2015 04:46 PM (VAsIq)

8 7th?

Posted by: Caitlyn Jenner at October 15, 2015 04:46 PM (E5UB0)

9 But Dracula has this:

http://37.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5bp2dLljC1rnmqv4o2_250.gif

SSFW

Posted by: Bandersnatch at October 15, 2015 04:46 PM (JtwS4)

10 9th?

Posted by: Caitlyn Jenner at October 15, 2015 04:46 PM (E5UB0)

11 Bela Lugosi's dead.

Posted by: Bauhaus at October 15, 2015 04:46 PM (VAsIq)

12 f*cksticks.

Posted by: Caitlyn Jenner at October 15, 2015 04:46 PM (E5UB0)

13 I like "Barackula".

It is the story of a mulatto Vampire who sucks the guilt out of white people and the intelligence out of black people and uses both to become king of the underworld.

Naw...nevermind. No one would believe that kinda stuff.

Posted by: Zombie Bram Stoker at October 15, 2015 04:47 PM (D0NZx)

14 Bitches, man. Bitches.

Posted by: derit at October 15, 2015 04:47 PM (jT+gh)

15 I love Hound of the Baskervilles. I think I must have read it three or four times. I was a young teen the first time I read it, and it scared me silly.

Posted by: grammie winger, Isa al-Masih for muslims too at October 15, 2015 04:47 PM (dFi94)

16
Cur votes Hound.

Because, duh. Look at my nick.

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at October 15, 2015 04:47 PM (u093l)

17 "Hound" is Sherlock Holmes. I'd go with that. You can cheat and watch one of the movie versions.

the early one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxH2kXib290

Posted by: mallfly at October 15, 2015 04:47 PM (qSIlh)

18 Ohhhhh this is difficult!

Um.

Um.

Um.

I'm going to go with Hound but I do love Dracula.

Decisions are hard!

Posted by: alexthechick - Hair rays activate! at October 15, 2015 04:48 PM (mf5HN)

19 Or we could read the mashup: Barkula.

Posted by: spongeworthy at October 15, 2015 04:48 PM (yp4UX)

20 *Spoiler Alert*

The Hound the of the Baskervilles is actually just Old Man Wyler, trying to scare off people for insurance purposes. And he would've gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for some pot-head kids!

Posted by: possibly a Scooby Doo episode at October 15, 2015 04:48 PM (VAsIq)

21 Puppies!

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at October 15, 2015 04:49 PM (iQIUe)

22
Or we could read the mashup: Barkula.

Posted by: spongeworthy at October 15, 2015 04:48 PM (yp4UX)

Dracupup

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at October 15, 2015 04:49 PM (u093l)

23 22

Or we could read the mashup: Barkula.

Posted by: spongeworthy at October 15, 2015 04:48 PM (yp4UX)

Dracupup

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at October 15, 2015 04:49 PM (u093l)

That dog just ain't gonna hunt.

Posted by: rebel flounder at October 15, 2015 04:49 PM (1DH1V)

24 Stay off the moor during the hours of darkness when the powers of evil are exalted.

Posted by: Mikey NTH - Debate Tailgate Supplies at the Outrage Outlet! at October 15, 2015 04:49 PM (hLRSq)

25 >>>But Dracula has this:

http://37.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5bp2dLljC1rnmqv4o2_250.gif

SSFW

...

visual poetry.

Posted by: ace at October 15, 2015 04:49 PM (dciA+)

26 Hound is shorter, if that bears on the question.

Posted by: Strictly from apathy at October 15, 2015 04:50 PM (8n+U+)

27 If we read Baskervilles I shall wear tweed.

Posted by: Bandersnatch at October 15, 2015 04:50 PM (JtwS4)

28 Any Sherlock of good by me. Even "The Giant Rat of Sumatra". Dracula is just Victorian porn.

Posted by: Uncle Jed at October 15, 2015 04:50 PM (OmBeX)

29 Oh. I didn't realize we were doing Dracula clips.

*nudges over my humble submission*

https://youtu.be/FmyKLvOhfNw

Okay FIIIIINNNEEE that's not technically Dracula but it is a vampiress!

Posted by: alexthechick - Hair rays activate! at October 15, 2015 04:50 PM (mf5HN)

30 I see we read the script for Dracula Untold, Dracula hasn't enough bats for my taste.

Posted by: Dr Spank at October 15, 2015 04:50 PM (tPytv)

31 Both are great books. Dracula is a bit longer, but either one is really worth reading. Baskervilles only has one weakness: not very much Sherlock Holmes in it, for a Holmes story. But it works well anyway.

I really, really recommend reading the original Dracula for everyone though. Its a very important piece of literature and tons of misconceptions about the book are out there (for example: Dracula wasn't killed with a stake through the heart).

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at October 15, 2015 04:50 PM (39g3+)

32 Dracula. Everybody who knows Hound knows they know Hound, but everyone thinks they know Dracula, and they don't.

Posted by: Doctor Cynic at October 15, 2015 04:50 PM (Zls+j)

33 I vote for Arya Stark and the Hound ...

Posted by: Adriane the Literary Critic ... at October 15, 2015 04:50 PM (qOsoH)

34 Something Wicked this Way Comes

Posted by: Grump928(c) at October 15, 2015 04:50 PM (evdj2)

35 The Hound. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a pleasure to read.

Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at October 15, 2015 04:50 PM (5buP8)

36 BTW, if you haven't read "This Town" that insider's look at DC media and political culture, you should. It's enough to make you give up. The whole placed should be bulldozed.

It might make you a Trump voter, too, so read carefully and take lots of vitamin C.

Posted by: spongeworthy at October 15, 2015 04:50 PM (yp4UX)

37 If we read Baskervilles I shall wear tweed.

Posted by: Bandersnatch at October 15, 2015 04:50 PM (JtwS4)
============================

I shall smoke my pipe

Posted by: grammie winger, Isa al-Masih for muslims too at October 15, 2015 04:51 PM (dFi94)

38 btw, I downloaded Riders of the Purple Sage, Hondo, another Louis L'Amour... I'm having trouble reading them. They're so... dime novel.

I got Blood Meridian as a tonic but that's... eh, very revisionist obviously.

for the western selection i need something better-written than L'Amour or Zane Gray... maybe Lonesome Dove. Sure seems to have its fans.

Posted by: ace at October 15, 2015 04:51 PM (dciA+)

39 I remember seeing when I was a kid some brit pbs Dracula where Drac wd take young women into the cemetery, bend them over a tomb, and grind....

Gave me a tingle in my little pants.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at October 15, 2015 04:51 PM (iQIUe)

40 Dracula is a good read just to read one the original vampire story. That and Carmilla.

Posted by: brak at October 15, 2015 04:52 PM (xwPSp)

41 This choice is ruff.

Posted by: Turd Ferguson at October 15, 2015 04:52 PM (VAsIq)

42 I got Blood Meridian as a tonic but that's... eh, very revisionist obviously.

Besides being gruesome and pointless.

Posted by: Grump928(c) at October 15, 2015 04:52 PM (evdj2)

43 Hound of Music

Posted by: Caitlyn Jenner at October 15, 2015 04:52 PM (E5UB0)

44 I vote for the Hound. Believable and very scary. I love Conan Doyle.

Posted by: dreadpirateroberta at October 15, 2015 04:52 PM (z1kKI)

45 Lonesome Dove is great. Definitely worth it.

Posted by: brak at October 15, 2015 04:52 PM (xwPSp)

46 Everyone could get a Deerhunter cap.

Posted by: grammie winger, Isa al-Masih for muslims too at October 15, 2015 04:52 PM (dFi94)

47 Of course Dracula has a plot. Just because the form is epistolary doesn't make it plotless.

Posted by: Strictly from apathy at October 15, 2015 04:52 PM (8n+U+)

48 Something Wicked this Way Comes

Great story.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 15, 2015 04:53 PM (GERXL)

49 Dracula is just ... porn.

Posted by: Uncle Jed

I change my vote to Dracula!

Posted by: Turd Ferguson at October 15, 2015 04:53 PM (VAsIq)

50 Posted by: alexthechick - Hair rays activate! at October 15, 2015 04:50 PM (mf5HN)

https://youtu.be/FmyKLvOhfNw

Well worth the effort.

Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at October 15, 2015 04:53 PM (5buP8)

51 Okay FIIIIINNNEEE that's not technically Dracula but it is a vampiress!
Posted by: alexthechick - Hair rays activate! at October 15, 2015 04:50 PM (mf5HN)

*consults Style Guide*

Approved!

Posted by: Bandersnatch at October 15, 2015 04:53 PM (JtwS4)

52 Lonesome Dove is just great. It's pretty long, too, which--like, say, a movie review--is a good thing because it's a great yarn.

Posted by: spongeworthy at October 15, 2015 04:54 PM (yp4UX)

53 Although Cormac McCarthy's style is interesting. Sparse in the narrative. There's a mesa, you all know what a mesa looks like, so no need to get all describey.

Posted by: Grump928(c) at October 15, 2015 04:54 PM (evdj2)

54 Post #31, strongly seconded. Most longer Holmes stories have very little Holmes in them. (One of them is almost entirely about how creepy early Mormons were.)

Ace, my wife made it through Dracula just fine and liked it, and she doesn't read much for pleasure.

Posted by: Doctor Cynic at October 15, 2015 04:54 PM (Zls+j)

55 Something Wicked this Way Comes
Posted by: FenelonSpoke

*Looks around for Hillary!*

Posted by: Prince Ludwig the #Problematic at October 15, 2015 04:54 PM (awspb)

56 I suggest Hounds.
Although since it's also short I'd pair it with "A study in Scarlet" the first Holmes short story. It's really an interesting introduction to Sherlock Holmes.

Posted by: tsrlbke PhD(c), rogue bioethicist at October 15, 2015 04:54 PM (tM4uk)

57 for hot female vampires with a hot lesbian theme, try Hammer Film's 1970 "The Vampire Lovers."

Full vid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrlJ9Ejeulk

i saw this in a hotel room when I had female company and we were both surprised at how dirty it was for a 1970 movie.

Posted by: ace at October 15, 2015 04:54 PM (dciA+)

58 Dracula will surprise you. It's an interesting style - diaries, letters, newspaper clippings, etc. - and set at the dawn of the age of technology. It's pretty triumphalist, really. Charming in how it embraces the new. Americans come off looking good. Well written and effective.

Posted by: mputtre at October 15, 2015 04:55 PM (7oixw)

59 Dracula is interesting enough for awhile but really starts to drag towards the end.

Posted by: Mr. Healthy Penis at October 15, 2015 04:55 PM (LYCUN)

60 brak,

the Vampire Lovers that I just linked above is of course the Carmilla story.

Posted by: ace at October 15, 2015 04:56 PM (dciA+)

61 ...but everyone thinks they know Dracula, and they don't

Wynona Ryder's cleavage--what else is there to know?

Posted by: derit at October 15, 2015 04:56 PM (jT+gh)

62 Looks like I need to find that old copy of "Hound" that I know is on a shelf somewhere.

Still waiting for Call Of The Wild to get in the queue. Maybe when it starts snowing?

Posted by: Chi at October 15, 2015 04:56 PM (wxDT3)

63 Dracula? That story's got teeth.

Posted by: Turd Ferguson at October 15, 2015 04:56 PM (VAsIq)

64 I've read Dracula, so Hound I guess.

Going to see Brad Thor again in three weeks.

Posted by: Jane D'oh at October 15, 2015 04:56 PM (FsuaD)

65 I'm reading Blacula now. In chapter four he attends a #BLM rally where he joins them in sucking the blood out of whitey.

Posted by: Max Rockatansky at October 15, 2015 04:57 PM (D/1P4)

66 I vote for Hound, but I would probably do a read-along with Dracula as well.

Posted by: Barb the Evil Genius at October 15, 2015 04:57 PM (0MJkC)

67 for hot female vampires with a hot lesbian theme, try Hammer Film's 1970 "The Vampire Lovers."

Now whom could that possibly appeal to?

Posted by: Bandersnatch at October 15, 2015 04:57 PM (JtwS4)

68 tsr,

i wouldn't mind pairing Hound with another but 1, I've read study in scarlet a bunch of times and I suspect other people have too; everyone reads the first one when they sit down to read Holmes.

2, it's not spooky. is there another spooky Holmes one that goes better with Halloween?

Posted by: ace at October 15, 2015 04:57 PM (dciA+)

69 Release the Hounds!!

Posted by: BuckIV at October 15, 2015 04:58 PM (mE/ao)

70 Just got a freebie Kindle version of Hound. Gonna start reading it to my daughter tonight...

Posted by: JEM at October 15, 2015 04:58 PM (o+SC1)

71 It's a tax day, so Wesley Snipes, so Dracula ... logical

Posted by: Jean at October 15, 2015 04:58 PM (ztOda)

72 i want to read something with moors in it

Posted by: ace at October 15, 2015 04:58 PM (dciA+)

73 Hound of the Baskervilles.

Posted by: RoadRunner at October 15, 2015 04:58 PM (XrGnJ)

74 30 of the best horror books : http://tinyurl.com/oj5j3kf

Posted by: Dr Spank at October 15, 2015 04:58 PM (tPytv)

75 not othello moors, like heath moors

Posted by: ace at October 15, 2015 04:58 PM (dciA+)

76 and yet Conan Doyle believed his wife could communicate with the dead.

Posted by: mallfly at October 15, 2015 04:58 PM (qSIlh)

77 is there another spooky Holmes one that goes better with Halloween?

Posted by: ace

Sherlock Holmes and the Case of Where Are My Pants? I Know I Put Them Right Here.

Posted by: Turd Ferguson at October 15, 2015 04:58 PM (VAsIq)

78 the Hound... probably result in a discussion of the "me-too's' that are appearing, and the fact that Doyle's estate no longer has a strangle hold on the character...

Posted by: macleod at October 15, 2015 04:58 PM (Qf5bp)

79 I've read "Dracula" several times, After decades of cheesy, dumb vampire movies up that present stupidity by Stephanie what's her name, I can do without vampires-sexy ones, romantic ones, funny ones-Just crawl into your coffins and stay there.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 15, 2015 04:58 PM (GERXL)

80 2, it's not spooky. is there another spooky Holmes one that goes better with Halloween?

Posted by: ace at October 15, 2015 04:57 PM (dciA+)

Oh, you're looking for something spooky for Halloween? How about Dreams From My Father?

Posted by: Jane D'oh at October 15, 2015 04:59 PM (FsuaD)

81 Moors code?

Posted by: Turd Ferguson at October 15, 2015 04:59 PM (VAsIq)

82 42 I got Blood Meridian as a tonic but that's... eh, very revisionist obviously.

McCarthy lost me with his last book. My wife bought it for me, and I couldn't make it through the first chapter. It was like falling into an emotional black hole. Made doubly disturbing b/c that scenario could so easily play out.

Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at October 15, 2015 05:00 PM (5buP8)

83 Just got a freebie Kindle version of Hound. Gonna start reading it to my daughter tonight...

How old is she? Its kind of nightmare fuelly for little kids.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at October 15, 2015 05:00 PM (39g3+)

84 Here's some of the Hound's victims on the moor ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZy5pVx_Nm4

Posted by: Adriane the Literary Critic ... at October 15, 2015 05:00 PM (qOsoH)

85 My vote The Hounds!

Posted by: Seems Legit at October 15, 2015 05:00 PM (Xa4vS)

86 I'm reading Blacula now. In chapter four he attends a #BLM rally where he joins them in sucking the blood out of whitey.

-
They call it reparations.

Posted by: The Great White Snark at October 15, 2015 05:00 PM (Z1sOT)

87 It's Moops!

Posted by: George Costanza at October 15, 2015 05:00 PM (1DH1V)

88 "Hound" is better written.

Dracula is ok but sort of a chore.

I've read "hound" twice and enjoyed it both times. I wouldn't mind doing it again.

Posted by: Comrade Arthur at October 15, 2015 05:00 PM (h53OH)

89 Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Missing Sock

Posted by: Grump928(c) at October 15, 2015 05:01 PM (evdj2)

90 Oh, you're looking for something spooky for Halloween? How about Dreams From My Father?

Posted by: Jane D'oh
----------------------------------------------------------------
Or Hard Choices.

Posted by: Caitlyn Jenner at October 15, 2015 05:01 PM (E5UB0)

91 Ace,

Elmore Leonard wrote at least a couple of westerns that are pretty good, and not your dime novel fare. I can't remember the titles but easy to find on Amazon, I think.

Posted by: El Lurko at October 15, 2015 05:01 PM (CEvum)

92 I have both Dracula and The Hound in the Readers Digest Condensed version. I inherited the entire set of Readers Digest condensed books. I think it's about 80 volumes. Each volume has 4 to 5 books in it. I've read a couple of the same condensed and full versions and I've got to say you don't really miss much if anything.

Posted by: Max Rockatansky at October 15, 2015 05:01 PM (D/1P4)

93 Scarlet Band is pretty spooky and suspenseful, but its a pretty short Holmes story. Baskerville is full of suspense, misty moors scary monsters, and creepy people. Its plenty Halloweeny, if you don't think horror = slaughter porn like Saw or Rob Zombie films.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at October 15, 2015 05:01 PM (39g3+)

94 So, it's not moors the pity?

Posted by: derit at October 15, 2015 05:02 PM (jT+gh)

95 Or Hard Choices.
Posted by: Caitlyn Jenner

That was supposed to be the name of my next book, but I let Hildawg have it.

Posted by: Bill Clinton at October 15, 2015 05:02 PM (awspb)

96 On the subject of vampires: I wrote a short story about a vampire who sucks diabetics' blood on Halloween because it's like candy to him. Free on Amazon. Totally hilarious, if you think the idea of a diabetic-sucking vampire is hilarious.

http://tinyurl.com/op4dtnj

Posted by: Doctor Cynic at October 15, 2015 05:03 PM (Zls+j)

97 Another vote for Hound

Posted by: Jason at October 15, 2015 05:03 PM (LPFUF)

98 >>>i saw this in a hotel room when I had female company and we were both surprised at how dirty it was for a 1970 movie.<<<

Good thing you skipped the herbal Viagra lest you end up like Lamar Odom.

Posted by: Fritz at October 15, 2015 05:03 PM (3tjn4)

99 Blacula actually is a good film, I recommend it.

Incidentally if you want, you can read the excellent mashup (before there was a term) by Loren Estelman called The Adventure of the the Sanguinary Count. Combines both, with Holmes telling the true story of what happened.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at October 15, 2015 05:03 PM (39g3+)

100 I've already read Hound five or six times.

I'd be good with seven.

Posted by: Randy Westerfeld at October 15, 2015 05:03 PM (zp6Kj)

101 Def Hound for me. Do we have to do a political book next? That's all we talk about here. We should do Art of the Deal next instead.

Posted by: L, Elle at October 15, 2015 05:03 PM (2x3L+)

102 76 and yet Conan Doyle believed his wife could communicate with the dead.
Posted by: mallfly at October 15, 2015 04:58 PM (qSIlh)

Houdini tried to set him straight without success.

Posted by: Max Rockatansky at October 15, 2015 05:04 PM (D/1P4)

103 The only time I've read the Hound of the Baskervilles at 11yo, enjoyed it more than any SH novels.

Posted by: Aristotle at October 15, 2015 05:05 PM (n15Ja)

104 Well, maybe because I effectively worked the refs

Wait .. aren't you the ref?

Posted by: Grump928(c) at October 15, 2015 05:05 PM (evdj2)

105 Close it up. We're past 100. Hound wins.

Posted by: L, Elle at October 15, 2015 05:05 PM (2x3L+)

106 okay, consensus seems to be for Hound. We'll do Hound. I'll figure out the exact date later, but it will be in the vicinity of (or on) Halloween.

If anyone can suggest another short Sherlock story with a spooky feel and hopefully some moors, let me know. We can maybe add that one as an optional pairing choice.

Posted by: ace at October 15, 2015 05:06 PM (dciA+)

107 Yeah Conan Doyle got heavy into mysticism at the end, he totally bought that those little girls had photographed faeries. Poor guy, I'm glad his legacy is his writing instead.

He wrote a lot of great stuff other than the Holmes books. They were kind of his pulp novels, stuff like The White Company and Tragedy of the Korosko were much better.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at October 15, 2015 05:06 PM (39g3+)

108 I read Dracula years ago and it's pretty good. It's a bit melodramatic, but really good.

Posted by: Dack Thrombosis at October 15, 2015 05:06 PM (4ErVI)

109 We are talking Bram Stoker's Dracula, right?

That's a damn good read. Can't figure out how it loses out to a lame-o Sherlock story.

Posted by: Circe O'Valle at October 15, 2015 05:06 PM (IXi7i)

110
Decisions are hard!

Posted by: alexthechick - Hair rays activate! at October 15, 2015 04:48 PM (mf5HN)

I believe the AoSHQ Style Guide requires you change your nic to barbie alexthechick.

Posted by: Jane D'oh at October 15, 2015 05:07 PM (FsuaD)

111 FUN FACT: The Moors invented the clock and were pretty spooky.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero) at October 15, 2015 05:07 PM (8ZskC)

112 Yay! Hound wins. I've always wanted to read that. Instead, I've settled on RDJ and the Sherlock movies.

Posted by: L, Elle at October 15, 2015 05:07 PM (2x3L+)

113 by the way, NO SPOILERS. I literally do not know the story of Hound of the Baskervilles, at all. Never saw it, never read it, never read the Wikipedia digest of it.

The only sense in which I "know" it is from general cultural collective consciousness and the "The Baskervilles HOUND" episode of the Sherlock show (which I imagine changed the details of the Hound).

Posted by: ace at October 15, 2015 05:08 PM (dciA+)

114 Juan Williams is dumber than a box of rocks. Bless his heart.

Posted by: Jane D'oh at October 15, 2015 05:08 PM (FsuaD)

115 OK, I smashed my old Kindle and haven't replaced it. Now I will.

Which version should I get?

Posted by: Bandersnatch at October 15, 2015 05:08 PM (JtwS4)

116 I think we should do either Dracula or Hound for a simple reason: It is October, Halloween approaches.

Well, if that's the criterion, then I vote for the movie Halloween. I want to do 80s Jamie Lee Curtis.

Posted by: pep at October 15, 2015 05:08 PM (LAe3v)

117 Pretty sure it's the Moops.

Posted by: Dr Spank at October 15, 2015 05:09 PM (tPytv)

118 107 Yeah Conan Doyle got heavy into mysticism at the end, he totally bought that those little girls had photographed faeries. Poor guy, I'm glad his legacy is his writing instead.

Reserve your pity for those who do not believe in faeries.

Posted by: Circe O'Valle at October 15, 2015 05:09 PM (IXi7i)

119 I'm reading Blacula now. In chapter four he attends a #BLM rally where he joins them in sucking the blood out of whitey.

Posted by: Max Rockatansky at October 15, 2015 04:57 PM (D/1P4)

BLM=Bureau of Land Management?

Posted by: EFG at October 15, 2015 05:09 PM (C+qQ0)

120 Embarrassed to say that I have not read either of them. Picking up Hound after work.

Posted by: Cheri at October 15, 2015 05:10 PM (oiNtH)

121 Hounds for me

Posted by: All Hail Eris at October 15, 2015 05:10 PM (dGXW9)

122 New surprise ending.

Obama ate the Hound.

Posted by: Max Rockatansky at October 15, 2015 05:10 PM (D/1P4)

123 Okay, no spoilers, but I ate the dog.

Posted by: Pres'nt Obama at October 15, 2015 05:10 PM (VAsIq)

124 You know what's scary? We'll be in the belly of the beast (DC) on Halloween for a yuuuge wedding.

And there *will* be political types there.

Posted by: Jane D'oh at October 15, 2015 05:10 PM (FsuaD)

125 With all the bracken and the heather and the fog don't forget the fog to give it that extra creep factor. (though fog really only works in a visual medium).

I can hear the crunching of the boots whilst walking the paths.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at October 15, 2015 05:10 PM (Xo1Rt)

126 >>>Elmore Leonard wrote at least a couple of westerns that are pretty good, and not your dime novel fare. I can't remember the titles but easy to find on Amazon, I think.

okay might check him too... i'm on a huge western kick. I'm reading these, um, frankly dreadful books by Max Braun, the "Luke Starbuck" series, in which the hero goes through the west and meets and kills all the real-life famous gunmen (Billy the kid, etc.) Well, if he doesn't actually kill them, he's right there, and part of it all.

for some reason I downloaded them all without actually making sure they were any good so now I guess I have to read them all, and the first one's just terrible, terrible.

Posted by: ace at October 15, 2015 05:10 PM (dciA+)

127 *fist bumps Max Rockatansky*

Posted by: Pres'nt Obama at October 15, 2015 05:10 PM (VAsIq)

128 Dracula has no plot.

i'm kind of afraid i wouldn't be able to get through it. Feels like a book I would just keep putting down.

Posted by: ace

---

Not that crazy about Stoker. The Jewel of Seven Stars was deadly dull.

Posted by: Caitlyn Jenner at October 15, 2015 05:11 PM (E5UB0)

129 Wasn't the sequel The Dog Who Didn't Bark?

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at October 15, 2015 05:11 PM (Xo1Rt)

130 BLM=#BlackLivesMatter

Posted by: L, Elle at October 15, 2015 05:11 PM (2x3L+)

131 If you want a detective story with moors and spooky Gothic stuff you could read "The Moonstone". It's generally considered the first detective novel, predates Doyle by a few decades IIRC.

Posted by: brak at October 15, 2015 05:11 PM (xwPSp)

132 Before there was Twilight, there was Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, and the Count Saint-Germain series.

Posted by: Adriane the Literary Critic ... at October 15, 2015 05:12 PM (qOsoH)

133 Hound should be free on Kindle -- and you don't need a Kindle to read free kindle books. You can download the app for free and read on any old computer or tablet.

Posted by: ace at October 15, 2015 05:12 PM (dciA+)

134 I recommend trying some other L'Amour books, Ace. Try "Quick and the Dead" or "The High Lonesome" before you give up on him. His early writing really is pulpy because it WAS pulp, written fast and to the point for pulp editors to pay him and then later put into book form with little change.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at October 15, 2015 05:12 PM (39g3+)

135 Slightly on-topic--read Nordlinger's "Children of Monsters" on a car trip. It was good. I like Nordlinger's style.

Posted by: Turd Ferguson at October 15, 2015 05:12 PM (VAsIq)

136
I'm pretty scary.

I've got this weird stain right around your bunghole area

so people don't know whether you sat in something or crapped your pants or what.

And they start treating you weird.

Posted by: The Gown of the Baskervilles at October 15, 2015 05:12 PM (0cMkb)

137 11
Bela Lugosi's dead.

Posted by: Bauhaus at October 15, 2015 04:46 PM (VAsIq)

Listened to this on my way in to work this morning. Helps me cope with the cholita chicks texting as they swerve down the freeway.
Hound.

Posted by: kathysaysso at October 15, 2015 05:13 PM (fMQoG)

138 >>>I recommend trying some other L'Amour books, Ace. Try "Quick and the Dead" or "The High Lonesome" before you give up on him. His early writing really is pulpy because it WAS pulp, written fast and to the point for pulp editors to pay him and then later put into book form with little change.

i like good pulp, but what i've read so far isn't really good pulp... I'll go back to Hondo, I'm sure, but... it's so stock and uninspired.

Posted by: ace at October 15, 2015 05:14 PM (dciA+)

139 I don't suppose we'll ever get to my book choice? My favorite book is One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.

Posted by: Joe Biden at October 15, 2015 05:14 PM (VAsIq)

140 I read Dracula ages ago so this works for me. (It was ok, but I hate the 'story told through letters' thing..)

Posted by: Lea at October 15, 2015 05:14 PM (lIU4e)

141 i'm on a huge western kick - ace

The Sister Brothers.

Posted by: kathysaysso at October 15, 2015 05:14 PM (fMQoG)

142 Another option for westerns is Elmer Kelton although I don't enjoy his writing nearly as much.

And of course Loren Estleman has written quite a few. Check out any of his series with Page Murdock for a more gritty type. The first couple of Robert B Parker's westerns were good too: Appaloosa and Resolution.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at October 15, 2015 05:14 PM (39g3+)

143 Pulp? Ew, gross.

Posted by: Orange Juice Critic at October 15, 2015 05:15 PM (VAsIq)

144 But I need a new Kindle anyway.

*flees work*

I'll check back later and see if anyone recommends which kind to get. TIA.

Posted by: Bandersnatch at October 15, 2015 05:15 PM (JtwS4)

145 133
Hound should be free on Kindle -- and you don't need a Kindle to read free kindle books. You can download the app for free and read on any old computer or tablet.

Posted by: ace at October 15, 2015 05:12 PM (dciA+)

It is indeed, thanks for the tip.

Posted by: George Costanza at October 15, 2015 05:15 PM (1DH1V)

146 Halloween. It was the start of the year in our old Celtic lands where we'd be waiting... In our houses of wattles and clay... The barriers would be down, you see. Between the real and the unreal. And the dead might be looking in, to sit by our fires of turf... Halloween. The festival of Samhain. The last great one took place 3,000 years ago and the hills ran red... With the blood of animals and children.

Posted by: Grump928(c) at October 15, 2015 05:15 PM (evdj2)

147 You can mock me for believing in faeries all you want, but your country made one president. Who's the crazy one now?

Posted by: Sir A.C. Doyle at October 15, 2015 05:16 PM (awspb)

148 I've read both. Stoker's writing style seems a little stagey today (he was in the theater in his day job, after all), and the entire story is told via long letters from one character to another. In contrast, Doyle was a very crisp writer, much more modern in how he works the action into the dialog.

Both are still effective novels, though in different ways. The drawback to either is that they have both been done as films and TV adaptations, over and over.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at October 15, 2015 05:16 PM (qqk3Y)

149 Which version should I get?

Posted by: Bandersnatch at October 15, 2015 05:08 PM (JtwS4)

Voyage - because you have the option to use either the screen to change the page or buttons on the side.

Posted by: kathysaysso at October 15, 2015 05:16 PM (fMQoG)

150 I'll go back to Hondo, I'm sure, but... it's so stock and uninspired.

Well L'Amour suffers from being the guy that pretty well set the standard so reading his books is going to seem familiar because... everyone copied him later. A bilion TV and movie westerns were rip offs of L'Amour. Its like people who watch Citizen Kane and don't get why its such a big deal. Yeah, now it isn't as impressive. But from that first shot to the end it was mind blowing when it came out.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at October 15, 2015 05:16 PM (39g3+)

151 133 - Thanks!

Posted by: Cheri at October 15, 2015 05:16 PM (oiNtH)

152 >>>Which version should I get?

the kindle paperwhite 2 is pretty much their state of the art one. it's great.

the only one that is "better" is the Kindle Voyage, which is like $80 more, and only has two additional features: 1, it has something like 300 ppi density, so it's very sharp. But the paperwhite is like 212, so it's not such a *huge* difference.

The Voyage also has a feature that supposedly automatically changes its backlighting to be the right lighting for the room you're in. I don't know how well this works, as I've never tried it. Also, the Paperwhite has a manual light adjustment. I'd imagine the automatic thing probably works and saves a second here or there but I don't know if it's worth the extra eighty clams.

Posted by: ace at October 15, 2015 05:17 PM (dciA+)

153 Halloween. The festival of Samhain. The last great one took place 3,000 years ago and the hills ran red...

Posted by: Grump928

Is Vic here? He can fill us in on the details.

Posted by: Turd Ferguson at October 15, 2015 05:17 PM (VAsIq)

154 If you want a good discussion in a western themed book I would recommend the Oxbow Incident. It applies to one of your pet peeves ace.

Posted by: Max Rockatansky at October 15, 2015 05:17 PM (D/1P4)

155 129 Wasn't the sequel The Dog Who Didn't Bark?
Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at October 15, 2015 05:11 PM (Xo1Rt)

------------------------

I believe that was "The Dog With the Cat Tattoo".

Posted by: Soona at October 15, 2015 05:17 PM (Fmupd)

156 The Adventure of the Speckled Band is another October-appropriate Holmes story, with plenty of Sherlock included.

Posted by: Lester Rips at October 15, 2015 05:17 PM (KAF7x)

157 or I don't know if it's the Paperwhite 2 -- whatever the most recent Paperwhite is. The main one they sell.

Posted by: ace at October 15, 2015 05:18 PM (dciA+)

158 Dracula.

Renfield is the perfect example of MSNBC throne sniffers.

Dracula shows you the relationship between the exploited dupes and their masters and basically stipulates only thing can stop them: Jesus.

Posted by: Circe O'Valle at October 15, 2015 05:18 PM (IXi7i)

159 Which version should I get?

Posted by: Bandersnatch

Don't get the one that has the shoulder thing that goes up.

Posted by: Carolyn McCarthy at October 15, 2015 05:18 PM (VAsIq)

160 Voyage - because you have the option to use either the screen to change the page or buttons on the side.
Posted by: kathysaysso at October 15, 2015 05:16 PM (fMQoG)

See, I bought the paperwhite and it annoys me that it doesn't have the buttons on the side because I keep getting fingerprints and stuff on the screen. I do not like that!

But I will probably wait until mine dies before I get another one...

Posted by: Lea at October 15, 2015 05:19 PM (lIU4e)

161 >>>Halloween. It was the start of the year in our old Celtic lands where we'd be waiting... In our houses of wattles and clay... The barriers would be down, you see. Between the real and the unreal. And the dead might be looking in, to sit by our fires of turf... Halloween. The festival of Samhain. The last great one took place 3,000 years ago and the hills ran red... With the blood of animals and children.

i love that movie, and that soliliquy.

Posted by: ace at October 15, 2015 05:19 PM (dciA+)

162 Yeah, Conal Cochran was uber creepy.

Posted by: Grump928(c) at October 15, 2015 05:20 PM (evdj2)

163 I'm old-school, so I call it "Hallowe'en".

Posted by: Turd Ferguson at October 15, 2015 05:21 PM (VAsIq)

164 Halloween III?

Posted by: Dr Spank at October 15, 2015 05:21 PM (tPytv)

165 Sweeeet! The games afoot and all that jazz

I also suggest Dracula

And Frankenstein

Frankenstein is awesome and makes me want to see the Alps

Ultimate MoMee? Swiss coffee and chocolate on lake something something?

Need a good POTUS first or I do g feel safe for international travel

Posted by: ginaswo at October 15, 2015 05:21 PM (qxNrP)

166 Yep. Season of the Witch.

Posted by: Grump928(c) at October 15, 2015 05:21 PM (evdj2)

167 How about "A Night in the Lonesome October" by Zelazny? It also has a dog, along with Holmes... and Dracula... and maybe even Cthulhu!

It was nominated for a Nebula back in '94, before sci-fi was overrun by people who pee their pants to make political statements.

Posted by: JR at October 15, 2015 05:22 PM (bKxJO)

168 I suppose it's late and tedious to recommend some nice Melville, like, oh, I don't know, MOBY DICK!!!!!

Posted by: pep at October 15, 2015 05:22 PM (LAe3v)

169 the kindle paperwhite 2 is pretty much their state of the art one. it's great.

Thanks. I've ordered it.

Posted by: Bandersnatch at October 15, 2015 05:22 PM (JtwS4)

170 i'm kind of afraid i wouldn't be able to get through it. Feels like a book I would just keep putting down.

Posted by: ace at October 15, 2015 04:43 PM (dciA+)

~~~

I'm late to this party, and the Hound sounds good to me, but Dracula is really very good. Scared the crap out of me the first time I read it. I liked Frankenstein too--both are much better than any of the movies.

Posted by: IrishEi at October 15, 2015 05:22 PM (E6RIJ)

171 Bob Woodward is coming out with yet another book about Watergate with this latest one focused on Alexander Butterfield and the Nixon secret taping system.

This guy has milked Watergate to the nth degree yet has the most corrupt and despicable administration currently in office. I guess those cocktail party invites are more important.

Posted by: Cheri at October 15, 2015 05:22 PM (oiNtH)

172 Yeah, Conal Cochran was uber creepy.

Posted by: Grump928

And nothin's creepier than Uber.

Posted by: New York Taxi Union at October 15, 2015 05:22 PM (VAsIq)

173 Are we going to have a AoShq Halloween Party?

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at October 15, 2015 05:22 PM (iQIUe)

174 True Grit is an excellent western.

Posted by: mustbequantum at October 15, 2015 05:23 PM (MIKMs)

175 some nice Melville, like, oh, I don't know, MOBY DICK!!!!!

In fairness, it's way more likeable than Billy Budd.

Posted by: Grump928(c) at October 15, 2015 05:23 PM (evdj2)

176 >>>See, I bought the paperwhite and it annoys me that it doesn't have the buttons on the side because I keep getting fingerprints and stuff on the screen. I do not like that!

one of the models, maybe the voyage, might have physical buttons (in addition to touch button capability).

maybe the base kindle -- the $70 one -- still has physical buttons? but no backlighting (which is a very, very cool feature).

Posted by: ace at October 15, 2015 05:23 PM (dciA+)

177 And remember morons, don't go alone into the Moors at night

The Moors

*im sorry the correct answer is Moops*

Posted by: ginaswo at October 15, 2015 05:23 PM (qxNrP)

178 How can you say Dracula has no plot?

It has a great plot. Added to that it's the first and best Dracula book ever!

Go back to your sparkley Twilight vampires.

Posted by: Circe O'Valle at October 15, 2015 05:23 PM (IXi7i)

179 I suppose it's late and tedious to recommend some nice Melville, like, oh, I don't know, MOBY DICK!!!!!

Posted by: pep

Melville? I would prefer not to.

Posted by: Turd Ferguson at October 15, 2015 05:24 PM (VAsIq)

180 12 best Sherlock Holmes stories handpicked by creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
http://tinyurl.com/o7q3spo

Posted by: Dr Spank at October 15, 2015 05:24 PM (tPytv)

181 the new paperwhites have this sort of textured surface which is supposed to feel like the grain of real paper. (It kinda sorta does, a little.)

But that textured surface is also better as far as not picking up smudges and fingerprints.

Posted by: ace at October 15, 2015 05:24 PM (dciA+)

182 What's a good horror movie on Netflix? I mainly watch comedies/comic book based series, etc, never really checked out the Horror section.

Posted by: Randy at October 15, 2015 05:24 PM (2cS/G)

183 177
And remember morons, don't go alone into the Moors at night

The Moors

*im sorry the correct answer is Moops*

And the moobs are right out.

Posted by: pep at October 15, 2015 05:24 PM (LAe3v)

184 @156

Hey, Lester:

I think the Adventure of the Speckled Band is the best!

Posted by: Randy Westerfeld at October 15, 2015 05:25 PM (zp6Kj)

185 And the moobs are right out.

Posted by: pep

Get yourself a Mansier.
---
It's a Bro!

Posted by: Turd Ferguson at October 15, 2015 05:25 PM (VAsIq)

186 Nude Horror Thread

Posted by: Grump928(c) at October 15, 2015 05:26 PM (evdj2)

187 Trailer park sock off.

Posted by: Lincolntf at October 15, 2015 05:26 PM (2cS/G)

188 That Speckled Band Holmes story is on The Moors too isn't it?
If not it should be

Posted by: ginaswo at October 15, 2015 05:26 PM (qxNrP)

189 I'd almost forgotten - grandpappy winger visited Dracula's castle in Romania shortly after the fall of communism and the long-awaited death of Ceausescu. I think I have a souvenir around here somewhere.

Posted by: grammie winger, Isa al-Masih for muslims too at October 15, 2015 05:27 PM (dFi94)

190 "Do you see it, Watson! Do you see it?"

Posted by: Randy Westerfeld at October 15, 2015 05:27 PM (zp6Kj)

191 And the moobs are right out.
Posted by: pep
----------------------------------
Wardrobe malfunction. Sorry.

Posted by: Caitlyn Jenner at October 15, 2015 05:28 PM (E5UB0)

192 i misstated a few things.

the new Kindle is called the "All New Kindle Paperwhite," not the Paperwhite 2.

The All New one has 300 ppi just like the voyage.

The Voyage has two features the All New Paperwhite doesn't -- adaptive lighting, and physical buttons.

Both sound useful to me. i'd like the physical buttons too. But the Voyage starts at $200, and that's without the 4G (which is another 60 or 70).

In truth, you don't really need hte 4G, at all, but i like getting it so just in case I have no wireless, I can download any book i want, like if i'm at an airport. (Though most airports will have some wireless you can jump on.)

Posted by: ace at October 15, 2015 05:29 PM (dciA+)

193 Adventure of the Devil's Foot has some pretty spooky aspects to it as well.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at October 15, 2015 05:31 PM (39g3+)

194 All Hallow's Eve you infidels.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at October 15, 2015 05:31 PM (Xo1Rt)

195 the new Kindle is called the "All New Kindle Paperwhite," not the Paperwhite 2.

Yes, I kind of freaked myself out because immediately after I ordered it I re-checked this thread and saw Paperwhite 2.

But then I re-checked Amazon and it said "all new" and it had a little "hey this is new" icon on it, so I felt better.

Still, thanks for the update.

Posted by: Bandersnatch at October 15, 2015 05:32 PM (JtwS4)

196 I thought Blacula had Pam Grier's tits?

Posted by: Uncle Jed at October 15, 2015 05:34 PM (OmBeX)

197 My vote is for Hound. You could pair it with Sabine Baring-Gould's Book of the Werewolf, or collection of ghost stories. B-G's wrote an influential book on Dartmoor, inspired HP Lovecraft and his (grand?) son was a prominent member of the Sherlock society. Werewolf is free for kindle

Posted by: tms at October 15, 2015 05:37 PM (gQHeD)

198 Here's a truly terrifying short story from the magazine Cosmopolitan, of all places! http://tinyurl.com/pnc6nsk

Posted by: Grimaldi at October 15, 2015 05:43 PM (umuHV)

199 " That Speckled Band Holmes story is on The Moors too isn't it? If not it should be"

Not on the moors, but on an isolated estate in the countryside.

Posted by: Lester Rips at October 15, 2015 05:45 PM (KAF7x)

200 A Night in the Lonesome October, by Roger Zelazny.

You're welcome.

Posted by: Jason M at October 15, 2015 05:45 PM (A+9q9)

201 Loved Hound. Never read Dracula. But I've been wanting to read Frankenstein which has a great reputation for literarary quality (including Byron's likely involvement, at least as an editor). Also I think Frankenstein would probably have real, current horror resonance in our time of fetal part sales, modern medicine with all its wonders and horrors, "genetic engineering" etc I'm not a Luddite but when the Chinese start creating chimera human-manatee there is something gravely, horribly wrong.

Horror aside but speaking of man fiction am currently reading, and completely enthusiastic about Le Carre's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. A great novel about many things, including manhood, loyalty and living in times of great change.

Posted by: Ex NYC Peasant at October 15, 2015 05:48 PM (k8tEg)

202 Apropos: How old do your kids have to be to be able to watch "The Shining?" (if you'd like to sleep with only your wife in the next 6 months)?

Posted by: Ex NYC Peasant at October 15, 2015 05:55 PM (k8tEg)

203 Posted by: Ex NYC Peasant at October 15, 2015 05:55 PM (k8tEg)

42

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at October 15, 2015 05:59 PM (Xo1Rt)

204 @202
Replace "The Shining" with "Alien"

Posted by: Grimaldi at October 15, 2015 05:59 PM (umuHV)

205 And there's also Smiley's People and another one that could be considered connected. They're about Smiley and Karla.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at October 15, 2015 06:01 PM (Xo1Rt)

206 If your kids climb into bed with you (other than morning wakeup) you're raising them wrong or the wife is and you're acquiescing.

Stop that sort of stuff right off the bat unless you want to create Modern Men and Women.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That at October 15, 2015 06:03 PM (Xo1Rt)

207 @205 Yes I'm already planning those.
Great, great stuff. I'm reminded of that line by Kurt Vonnegut when asked why he stopped writing "science fiction" he answered it was because critcs kept mistaking the Sci Fi drawer for a urinal. Same with "espionage" books. A lot of great and neglected writing that really holds up well over time.

Posted by: Ex NYC Peasant at October 15, 2015 06:08 PM (k8tEg)

208 Clive Nolan and Oliver Wakeman (son of Rick Wakeman) did a brilliant short rock opera of "Hound of the Baskervilles."

Posted by: RKae at October 15, 2015 06:08 PM (XnfnS)

209 @206 not to worry we keep that to a minimum. Generally lock em in the garage overnight. Raises men.

Posted by: Ex NYC Peasant at October 15, 2015 06:09 PM (k8tEg)

210 Hound!!

Posted by: Sat sherlock at October 15, 2015 06:19 PM (nycWw)

211 Like most have said, Dracula is a gripping, fast-paced yarn at the beginning when Harker is in Dracula's clutches at the castle. Then it becomes a bit of a slog when the action moves to England. Hound is good but you should know that Holmes is actually absent for almost half the story. Pair the Hound with the Holmes short story "The Musgrave Ritual." It showcases Holmes early career and is a good, taut mystery.

Posted by: Lamont Cranston at October 15, 2015 06:24 PM (Rtyzj)

212 Definitely Hound of the Baskervilles. I haven't read in too many decades and this gives me an excuse to revisit the story. It was my first Holmes story and I still recall the thrill it provided to a youngster on a dark and stormy New England night.

And thanks for staying with the book selection. They are a lot of fun.

Posted by: JTB at October 15, 2015 06:30 PM (FvdPb)

213 Man oh man did I hate The Sisters Brothers. Lonesome Dove would be a good choice but Dead Man's Walk, the first book in that series, is a lot shorter. Another one to consider is The Big Sky by A.B. Guthrie. A little slower than the McMurtry books but great stuff.

Posted by: Richie at October 15, 2015 06:38 PM (U4aSL)

214 I would draw your attention to the curious incident of the Ewok in the night-time.

Posted by: sherlock holmes at October 15, 2015 06:54 PM (m1pMI)

215 As a namesake to the homeowners in the book, Hound has my choice. My great-great Grandfather shortened the name at Ellis Island.

Posted by: dfbaskwill at October 15, 2015 07:00 PM (MVitU)

216 If you want a companion Holmes story to go with Hound, here's another vote for the Speckled Band. It relies more on 'atmosphere' than many of the others.

Posted by: JTB at October 15, 2015 07:12 PM (FvdPb)

217 For future consideration, I would prefer Frankenstein (that's Frahnk-en-steen!) over Dracula. It is more literary.

Ace, If you want a good L'Amour western, try "Flint". It is one of my favorites. I also like the entire Sackett series.

Posted by: JTB at October 15, 2015 07:16 PM (FvdPb)

218 Frankenstein is better than Dracula, which has a good ending and beginning but too little vampire in the middle.

Holmes is always worth picking up.

Posted by: waelse1 at October 15, 2015 07:49 PM (qRRDl)

219 Also for Holmes, several appropriate for Halloween would be The Adventure Of The Devil's Foot, The Disappearance Of Lady Frances Carfax and The Adventure Of The Musgrave Ritual.

Posted by: waelse1 at October 15, 2015 08:12 PM (qRRDl)

220 The Sign of the Four is a good one as well. Although, The Speckled Band seriously freaked me out when I was a kid. The Hound of the Baskervilles is pretty much the quintessential scary Holmes story, though. Frankenstein and Dracula are pretty much "meh." Nobody believes that crap!

Posted by: Retired Spook at October 15, 2015 08:27 PM (pfyoH)

221 Elmore Leonard is one of my fave authors and I'm reasonably certain I've read all of his works.
Check out "Forty Lashes Less One" for a good western read.
Also "Valdez is Coming" which was made into a movie.
I agree some of his early westerns were pulpy, but that was what the market was then and as always, ya gotta establish your creds before you can deviate from the expected norm

Posted by: JT at October 15, 2015 08:42 PM (jZ2GJ)

222 You could also throw in a Poe story like The Pit and the Pendulum.

Posted by: waelse1 at October 15, 2015 08:42 PM (qRRDl)

223 Dean Koontz did a five (?) book series on
Frankenstein and I was pleasantly surprised at what a fresh take on an old classic it was.

Posted by: JT at October 15, 2015 08:45 PM (jZ2GJ)

224 John Steakley wrote a book called "Vampires".
The movie "John Carpenter's Vampires" was based on it.
While I haven't read a lot of vampire books, I thought it was excellent.
If you've seen the movie, don't let that deter you from reading the book, as some of the storyline and the ending are different.

Posted by: JT at October 15, 2015 08:54 PM (jZ2GJ)

225 Hound, definitely. For shorter stories, The Musgrave Ritual is good as well, and Poe's The Black Cat is one of my favorites.

Posted by: Vashta Nerada at October 15, 2015 10:13 PM (Qvgg/)

226 I cast my vote for "The Hound of the Baskervilles" with "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" as back up. The latter sets it's tone of unknown dread at the begining with this exchange between Holmes and the young lady who has called very early in the morning at 221-B Baker St.:

(Holmes) "...I observe that you are shivering."

"It is not cold that makes me shiver," said the woman in a low voice...

"What, then?"

"It is fear, Mr. Holmes. It is terror."

By the way, for anyone looking for a good Holmes/Dracula mashup, I would recommend Saberhagen's "The Holmes/Dracula File". It also stars the Giant Rat of Sumatra!

Posted by: John F. MacMichael at October 16, 2015 12:52 AM (7l5rv)

227 I'm a big Sherlock Holmes fan, but on the whole, I think Dracula would be a better choice. Hound is a fairly simple who done it, with not much to discuss, really. Dracula is harder to read for modern readers, since much of it consists of journal entries, but has more to offer the reader.

Posted by: Brent Glines at October 16, 2015 12:19 PM (xhUMe)

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