What are you currently reading?

[Girlystevedave]

If you enjoyed The Stand and want another tome to read, I'd say Swan Song is an interesting adventure. There are many debates on the two as the premise is similar and the writing style are also much alike. Of course there are key differences between the two authors and the two stories. I wish I could find the article, but McCammon stated that King was an inspiration to him and that he wanted to write an epic post apocalyptic novel like The Stand. The same with a vampire story (They Thirst) There is also a lot of discussion on which one is better. I enjoyed them both. If you enjoyed the writing style of McCammon it's an interesting journey. Much like any book of this size, it has its slow parts. Many lovable characters too.

I think I'm one of the few King fans who felt pretty underwhelmed by The Stand. But, in my defense, I really think it has something to do with me having read the entire Dark Tower series before it- which, I believe, made it hard for me to fall in love with the characters since Roland/Jake/Eddie/Susannah were my original ka-tet. Having read The Dark Tower first, The Stand just felt like a smaller and less interesting story of a group of strangers who come together for one purpose/goal. I do, however, want to read Swan Song because I'm excited to see McCammon's take on that type of adventure.

He's not as good as King (no one is), but when he's good, he's awesome (Boy's Life, Swan Song, Speaks the Nightbird...)


sk

Well, King is the master.
I must say that McCammon is the first author to come so close to King for me. Even though Boy's Life and Baal are the only two books I've read so far, there is just something about his storytelling that grabs me and makes me not want to let go.

[TravelinJack]

I think I'm one of the few King fans who felt pretty underwhelmed by The Stand. But, in my defense, I really think it has something to do with me having read the entire Dark Tower series before it- which, I believe, made it hard for me to fall in love with the characters since Roland/Jake/Eddie/Susannah were my original ka-tet. Having read The Dark Tower first, The Stand just felt like a smaller and less interesting story of a group of strangers who come together for one purpose/goal. I do, however, want to read Swan Song because I'm excited to see McCammon's take on that type of adventure.

He's not as good as King (no one is), but when he's good, he's awesome (Boy's Life, Swan Song, Speaks the Nightbird...)
sk

Well, King is the master.
I must say that McCammon is the first author to come so close to King for me. Even though Boy's Life and Baal are the only two books I've read so far, there is just something about his storytelling that grabs me and makes me not want to let go.

I do think you'll like Swan Song, if you were underwhelmed by The Stand. I'm very curious what your thoughts will be once you're able to get to it.

I hold McCammon at the same level as King. Had he the same fortune to have some movies adapted from his books, I think he could have made it just as big. As much as we hate to admit it, movies do boost popularity for writers. One of McCammon's greatest strengths is his ability to keep complicated simple. His prose is so easy to read and that takes a master. I hold both authors near and dear.

[TravelinJack]

There are also fun short stories in Blue World.

Love Blue World - a very underrated collection of hort stories.
But then, McCammon is an underrated author.
Unfortunately.
He's not as good as King (no one is), but when he's good, he's awesome (Boy's Life, Swan Song, Speaks the Nightbird...)
He did write a couple of clunkers though, like The Border...

sk

sk

Agreed - Blue World is a solid compilation. Some eerie stories too.

[TravelinJack]

All incredible stories. I finally started reading Boy's Life and ten pages in, I'm already hooked.

Yes!

Double yes!!

[Girlystevedave]

I do think you'll like Swan Song, if you were underwhelmed by The Stand. I'm very curious what your thoughts will be once you're able to get to it.

I hold McCammon at the same level as King. Had he the same fortune to have some movies adapted from his books, I think he could have made it just as big. As much as we hate to admit it, movies do boost popularity for writers. One of McCammon's greatest strengths is his ability to keep complicated simple. His prose is so easy to read and that takes a master. I hold both authors near and dear.

I ordered a used copy of Swan Song for less than five bucks from Abebooks last night, then realized it won't be here until June 29th. I'm seriously thinking of just ordering another copy from Amazon so I can start it as soon as possible. You know, once you get your heart set on reading one specific book, it's hard to dissuade that voice on your shoulder.

And you're right about his ability to keep complicated simple. His writing is done beautifully, yet it gets straight to the point without a bunch of useless details that make you say "get on with it already". I am really really glad I checked him out.



Boy's Life Spoiler - Do not click unless you've finished it. DON'T!

Spoiler:

Last night, just for the heck of it, I picked up Boy's Life and opened it to the pages that describe Rebel's death and Cory's decision to let Rebel be Carl's dog. It made me cry just as it did the first time around. I imagine it's one of those passages that will always get me no matter how many times I read it. So sad, yet touching.

[TravelinJack]

A really interesting read, an interview with McCammon: (a bit long)

Robert McCammon ("Rick" to his many friends and acquaintances) is gracious, soft-spoken and genteel---the perfect Southern gentleman. Not at all the image that might immediately come to mind about the author of such highly acclaimed horror novels as Swan Song, Usher's Passing, They Thirst, and Blue World. But Mr. McCammon has in recent years carved a niche for himself in the highly competitive world of horror fiction.

Robert McCammon broke onto the horror scene in 1978 with his first novel, Baal. That was immediately followed by what McCammon refers to as his "breakthrough novel," Bethany's Sin.

"I was living with my grandparents and doing advertising copy for a department store. A dead end, soul-destroying job. I had attended the University of Alabama, majoring in journalism, but there were no jobs in my field."

McCammon was born in Birmingham, Alabama, in the mid-1950s, and his post-college homecoming (and living with his grandparents) was less than he expected. He turned to writing as a creative outlet. He also admits to have been "impressed with Stephen King's work. Perhaps even inspired by it." His hobby paid off.

"I did quit my job after Bethany's Sin, to write full-time." And write he did. After Bethany's Sin he wrote The Night Boat and a full-blown modern vampire novel, They Thirst. Following the success of those two novels, Robert McCammon moved on to the "big leagues"---the hardcover market. Two novels followed, both published by Henry Holt: Mystery Walk (1983) and Usher's Passing (1984), an imaginative and original sequel to Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher."

Though hardcover publication was soothing to his writer's ego, McCammon found that it was no guarantee of success. Holt did not promote these novels at all and, though beautiful works, they languished and died in hardcover. It was then that McCammon discovered something about himself that many authors learn sooner or later.

"I realized that I was more concerned that my books be read than by the form in which they come out. That's why I am very happy at Pocket. They have given my books wide publication and they helped me find a whole new audience."

Indeed they did. When Pocket decided to gamble on Robert McCammon, both they, and he, did it in a big way. Swan Song (1985) was the major hit of McCammon's career---a successful novel that propelled him onto the bestseller lists. Swan Song is an apocalyptic novel about a horrible nuclear war and the evil that stalks the postwar landscape. This novel had a huge cast of characters from all walks of life, from presidents to paupers. These common, all-American types people McCammon's early works, but are never handled better than in Swan Song.

Another of the reasons for the success of Swan Song may be that with it, McCammon finally solidified his hold on his writing "voice" and his personal vision which was to come to infuse all of his subsequent work.

"I guess you could say my stories are about what characters do when faced with 'The Wall.' When an individual comes face to face with the crisis of their life---The Wall---they either go up or down. Many of my characters become bigger than they were, they grow.

"I try to offer my readers something more than mere entertainment. I give them a positive experience, a sort of reward for all the horror and unpleasantness that they had to read through to get to the end. I want the reader to feel good about himself when he closes the book, I want the audience to have learned something, or felt something."

Bestseller success was not a smooth road for Rick, despite the financial rewards and independence that came with high sales and a name that suddenly spells success. One thing he had to live with were the inevitable pitfalls of writing horror in The Age of Stephen King. McCammon feels that King's influence, which still dominates all horror fiction, is a double-edged sword.

"On the one hand, Mr. King really opened up the horror genre in this country, and that's good. But King's presence is so overshadowing today that anyone writing horror fiction is automatically compared to him.

"I admit that I was consciously influenced by King's work with my first few novels---and being compared to Stephen King is flattering, but sometimes the comparison just isn't valid."

Comparison to King is just one of the many barriers to be overcome when attempting a career in horror fiction, but it is one that can even carry over to individual works as well. Nor is this sort of comparison the sole domain of horror critics and reviewers.

"I remember when I was writing Swan Song, I told an acquaintance about the story, saying that it was about a nuclear holocaust and what happens to the survivors. That person's first remark was, 'Oh, like The Stand.' I thought to myself, 'Hey, wait a minute, there was no nuclear holocaust in The Stand ! Contrary to popular belief, Stephen King did not invent the apocalyptic novel."

About that all-purpose, generic item generally referred to as "the horror novel," McCammon reflects that being labeled a "horror author" is actually "more of a marketing ploy than a rule of literature. I think of myself as a cross-over author. To me, the story is more important than any sort of classification a publisher can put on it. I like to mix and mingle genre conventions, rather than stick to the tried and true, more traditional forms."

Read full article here *article does contain spoilers*: http://www.robertmccammon.com/interviews/how-to-89.html

[TravelinJack]

Boy's Life Spoiler - Do not click unless you've finished it. DON'T!

Spoiler:

Last night, just for the heck of it, I picked up Boy's Life and opened it to the pages that describe Rebel's death and Cory's decision to let Rebel be Carl's dog. It made me cry just as it did the first time around. I imagine it's one of those passages that will always get me no matter how many times I read it. So sad, yet touching.

Good call on this one. The ability to touch readers and invoke real emotion like that without 'trying' to do it is fascinating. That is pretty much tops for any writer, I'd imagine. Subtle and small moments of magic create a much larger impact.

[webstar1000]

So picked up Hyperion... finding it VERY hard to read. I am on page 30 or so when the Priest is starting his story. Will this get better? Or... is this read going to continue to be so difficult? Thanks all


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[biomieg]

I haven't read Hyperion but I believe that these are some of Simmons' toughest books... are you a sci-fi fan? Because they are probably even harder to get through if you're not really into SF (or at least that was my impression from reading other people's thoughts).

[TravelinJack]

I have heard the same about Hyperion, but don't have first hand experience with it.

[jsmcmullen92]

So picked up Hyperion... finding it VERY hard to read. I am on page 30 or so when the Priest is starting his story. Will this get better? Or... is this read going to continue to be so difficult? Thanks all


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It was one of the hardest reads I had done when I read them. That said though I recommend you work through it. The story telling is amazing and after you finish the first 2 books there is such a reward. I enjoyed the hell out of it.

[Joe315]

Just finished Station Eleven and now debating if I want to get sub press' limited edition.

[webstar1000]

So picked up Hyperion... finding it VERY hard to read. I am on page 30 or so when the Priest is starting his story. Will this get better? Or... is this read going to continue to be so difficult? Thanks all


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It was one of the hardest reads I had done when I read them. That said though I recommend you work through it. The story telling is amazing and after you finish the first 2 books there is such a reward. I enjoyed the hell out of it.

So keep going eh?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jsmcmullen92]

So picked up Hyperion... finding it VERY hard to read. I am on page 30 or so when the Priest is starting his story. Will this get better? Or... is this read going to continue to be so difficult? Thanks all


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It was one of the hardest reads I had done when I read them. That said though I recommend you work through it. The story telling is amazing and after you finish the first 2 books there is such a reward. I enjoyed the hell out of it.

So keep going eh?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah I think it's worth it

[webstar1000]

So picked up Hyperion... finding it VERY hard to read. I am on page 30 or so when the Priest is starting his story. Will this get better? Or... is this read going to continue to be so difficult? Thanks all


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It was one of the hardest reads I had done when I read them. That said though I recommend you work through it. The story telling is amazing and after you finish the first 2 books there is such a reward. I enjoyed the hell out of it.

So keep going eh?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah I think it's worth it

Ok thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Girlystevedave]

Started this behemoth of a book. 816 pages!

[TravelinJack]

Woohoo! Great plug by King too.

[peripheral]

I'm mid-way through Brian Evenson's slender novel Last Days. It's my first foray into Evenson's work and it is just blowing me away. Disturbing, horrific, sparse and direct prose which keeps the pace fast. I absolutely love it so far.

(Peter Straub writes the introduction to the new edition - it contains spoilers, so leave it until after).

[Heather19]

Started this behemoth of a book. 816 pages!

Ok, you've been raving about him for awhile now. I really need to start one of his books. I think I have Boy's Life and Swan Song. When I finish up the ones I'm reading now I'll have to give one of them a go.

[Girlystevedave]

Ok, you've been raving about him for awhile now. I really need to start one of his books. I think I have Boy's Life and Swan Song. When I finish up the ones I'm reading now I'll have to give one of them a go.

Heather, I'm obsessed.
But seriously, you really should check him out. I've yet to read Swan Song (although I've already ordered it), but Boy's Life is incredible.

[Heather19]

Ok, you've been raving about him for awhile now. I really need to start one of his books. I think I have Boy's Life and Swan Song. When I finish up the ones I'm reading now I'll have to give one of them a go.

Heather, I'm obsessed.
But seriously, you really should check him out. I've yet to read Swan Song (although I've already ordered it), but Boy's Life is incredible.

You sound like me with Blake

[Girlystevedave]

I was actually thinking that when I posted!

[webstar1000]

So picked up Hyperion... finding it VERY hard to read. I am on page 30 or so when the Priest is starting his story. Will this get better? Or... is this read going to continue to be so difficult? Thanks all


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It was one of the hardest reads I had done when I read them. That said though I recommend you work through it. The story telling is amazing and after you finish the first 2 books there is such a reward. I enjoyed the hell out of it.

Ok so I'm about a 100 pages in now and it's sure picking up steam. Starting to enjoy it more and more.... does the upward slide continue?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jsmcmullen92]

It's a slow burn through to a good climax

[webstar1000]

It's a slow burn through to a good climax

Every page is getting better and an easier read I am finding. Will keep on going... thanks man for the push!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk