Monster book recs.

[trachea]

Given the current popularity of vampire romances (a la Twilight) and the fact that I recently read Toby Barlow's Sharp Teeth (it was kind of an entertaining crime novel but also disappointing -- I guess I expected too much from a novel-length poem about werewolves in LA), I'm feeling a craving for some good monster books. I've read the obvious

Comments

[mlknchz]

Jonathan Nasaw's "The World on Blood", then there's F. Paul Wilson's "They Thirst", and also "The Tomb". If you can find them, "Tengu" by Graham Masterton, and "Stinger" by Bob McCammon. Whitney Streiber's "The Wolfen" is also worthwhile.

[dryride]

Didn't McCammon also write, "They Thirst?"

[mlknchz]

You are correct.

DAMNED BRAIN betraying me again!

[trachea]

Thank you! I'm going to check out The World on Blood immediately -- my library system claims to have it, although apparently it's "in transit" (which might mean it's lost).

I also looked up the others, so they're on my to-read list (except The Wolfen, because Barlow temporarily ruined me for urban werewolf gang stories).

[neddy_s]

I didn't care for it myself, but a lot of people seem to like Bareback (Benighted in the US) by Kit Whitfield.

[trachea]

Why didn't you like it? The plot description left me feeling wary, so I'm looking for a reason to read it (or not).

[neddy_s]

Hm, two things I guess. First, I don't seem to have found the conceit (that almost everyone is a werewolf and those that aren't are second-class citizens) as fascinating, or the implied analogy with other outcast/othered groups as profound, as a lot of people seemed to. Second, I personally don't like stories in which the whole world (in this case clearly the character's world as it's in first person) is dismal and depressing--I only read depressing books when I feel there is information in them that I need to know (I read this book because it had been recommended to me)--so that's purely a matter of taste.

[dryride]

"Darker Than You Think" and "Some of Your Blood" come to mind for me immediately.

[trachea]

Thank you! I got Darker Than You Think from the library, although Some of Your Blood is on permanent moratorium while I figure out how to get hold of a copy.

I can't believe I forgot this

[dryride]

"The God of the Razor" by Joe R. Lansdale.

Let me know what you think of DTYT. I love older horror/sf/f as you'll see a lot more experimentation of genre since that was before the tropes had been established.

I blame Hugo Gernsback for that.

Re: I can't believe I forgot this

[trachea]

As far as I can tell The God of the Razor doesn't even exist in the UK which is frustrating since the description on Amazon intrigued me.

Can't wait to read DTYT. The first paragraph alone is pretty great.

[3g0]

do mutants count? Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban comes to mind.

[trachea]

Yes, mutants count, but the only copy in the library system is marked missing. Curses.