| Author | Message | ||
     Rhysaurus (Rhysaurus) Username: Rhysaurus Registered: 01-2010 Posted From: 212.219.233.223 |
The best collection of short stories I've read for many years: *****http://postmodernmariner.blogspot.com/***** Any recommendations from you? | ||
| Weber_gregston (Weber_gregston) Username: Weber_gregston Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 194.176.105.56 |
Never Trust a Rabbit - jeremy Dyson Any Ray Bradbury or Cherles Grant collection. | ||
| Weber_gregston (Weber_gregston) Username: Weber_gregston Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 194.176.105.56 |
Charles D'oh | ||
| Nathaniel Tapley (Natt) Username: Natt Registered: 11-2009 Posted From: 78.146.213.182 |
Can they be anthologies, or just single-author collections? Collections: Alone With The Terrors (Ramsey Campbell); The Power Of Darkness (Edith Nesbit) Anthologies: Poe's Children (ed Peter Straub) | ||
| Coral (Coral) Username: Coral Registered: 10-2008 Posted From: 90.216.127.4 |
Try some of the peeps on here if you haven't already. We've got some excellent horror writers on this board. If you like weird and wonderful, try mr Des' Nemonymous books. It seems a bit stating the bleedin obvious, but mr Ramsey's short story collections are marvellous reading. Through completely shameless friend nepotism I think you should try the Black Book of Horror, very super indeed  | ||
| Nathaniel Tapley (Natt) Username: Natt Registered: 11-2009 Posted From: 78.146.213.182 |
Oh, and Steinbeck's The Long Valley is brilliant... | ||
| Weber_gregston (Weber_gregston) Username: Weber_gregston Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 194.176.105.56 |
Partial Eclipse - Graham Joyce - absolutely stunning collection | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.156.233.165 |
Complete Capote Shorts. | ||
| Weber_gregston (Weber_gregston) Username: Weber_gregston Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 194.176.105.56 |
I preferred his trousers... | ||
| Craig (Craig) Username: Craig Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 75.4.250.208 |
One is forced to list so many, it would be impossible to catalog - they'd include all the names chiseled in stone as masters of the short story - to pick would be futile.  | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 82.38.75.85 |
If we're talking about collections rather than anthologies, I'll embarrass a couple of RCMBers by citing my two favourites: Des' "Weirdmonger" Ramsey's "Alone With The Horrors"  | ||
| Chris_morris (Chris_morris) Username: Chris_morris Registered: 04-2008 Posted From: 12.165.240.116 |
Let me second the Primo Levi collection, which is amazing. The best collection I've recently read is Ludmilla Petrushevskaya's THERE ONCE WAS A WOMAN WHO TRIED TO KILL HER NEIGHBOR'S BABY, a collection of frightening, surreal, and allegorical fairy tales. Each one is unique and brilliant. | ||
| Patrick Walker (Patrick_walker) Username: Patrick_walker Registered: 01-2010 Posted From: 92.40.60.108 |
Said it before but I'll say it again: Ian McEwan's debut, First Love, Last Rights. Absolutely incredible and not what I was expecting at all. I recently enjoyed the S T Joshi edited anthology American Supernatural Tales, published as part of the Penguin Classics series. I discovered some absolutely wonderful stuff in there, such as Chambers' The Yellow Sign, O'Brien's What Was It?, Bloch's The Girl With The Hungry Eyes, Klein's The Events at Poroth Farm, Etchison's The Late Shift and Kiernan's In The Water Works. Needless to say, I spent an awful lot of money on second-hand online books immediately afterwards. | ||
| Rhysaurus (Rhysaurus) Username: Rhysaurus Registered: 01-2010 Posted From: 80.4.12.3 |
Sorry folks, I didn't clarify my original meaning properly... What I mean to ask was: what was the most recent single-author short story collection that blew you away... I've read many good collections in the past few years, but not many I felt compelled to blog about in the way I had to write about Primo Levi's collection. I agree that if I had asked you to name ANY short story collections that you think are great, the task would be too difficult. There would probably be too many of them. What I wanted was the title of the most recent one you've encountered that has set a standard for the next ones to come. Thanks! | ||
| Clive (Clive) Username: Clive Registered: 10-2009 Posted From: 81.104.165.168 |
The two most recent contemporary short story collections i have read have both been stunning. Beautiful, haunting wonderfully written tales that remind me why the short story is my favourite way to tell a story full stop. In ANY medium. I'm a bit knackered at the moment and need some kip so excuse me if i just quickly link to a couple of reviews for the time being. The Shieling by David Constantine - review by M John Harrison (perhaps my favourite living short story writer at the moment) http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/nov/07/david-constantine-stories-book-revie w In the Valley of the Kings by Terrence Holt http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/books/review/Giraldi-t.html | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 82.38.75.85 |
The last single-author collection which I felt really passionate about was a self-published one I came across by accident on eBay! I was searching "weird horror" to see what I came up with, and came across a writer called Tim Jeffreys who sells some audio CDs (professionaly produced, with real actors and superb artwork covers) and a couple of Lulu-published books of his shorts on there (check out seller jakemoz if you'd like to take a look). The best way I can describe his work is that it's as unique and unusual as our very own Des' work, but Tim really does have his own unique voice, he's not copying Des in any way. In fact, when I asked him if he'd heard of DF Lewis, he hadn't! (sorry Des) I've raved about his writing to lots of people - only problem is, no-one has ever come back to me and said "yes, I agree - he's good". So I might be the only person in the world who thinks he's brilliant! Anyway, if you do fancy checking him out, I'd recommend the book (also on audio, I think) "The Garden Where Black Flowers Grow" and the CD "The Secret Season" in particular. He was doing some cheap, no-frills sampler CDs too at one point with some of his best stories on. BTW I don't know the guy, never met him - I've only corresponded with him a little since discovering him on eBay. So I've no vested interest in selling his work on eBay! I just think he's an amazing writer who really should be professionally published, that's all. PS: Shortly after I read "The Garden Where Black Flowers Grow", I also read Jeremy C Shipp's collection "Sheep and Wolves". Now, "Sheep and Wolves" is superb as an example of weird shorts, but I remember thinking to myself that Jeffreys' work was even better than Shipp's, the latter, of course, being a professional writer. | ||
| Coral (Coral) Username: Coral Registered: 10-2008 Posted From: 90.216.127.4 |
Of course he's good,Caroline,we published him  | ||
| Clive (Clive) Username: Clive Registered: 10-2009 Posted From: 81.104.165.168 |
Thanks for the heads up about Tim Jeffreys. I'm always on the lookout for new interesting weird fiction writers and he certainly fits the bill. I googled his site... http://timjeffreyswriter.webs.com/ ...and there is much of interest there. I think i'll order his book soon. Also of interest was the artists there as i am a photographer/artist myself. Looks good. incidentally, if anyone is interested, i keep a blog for some of my photography (and when i get round to posting some, writing) here... http://unsettleddust.wordpress.com/ | ||
| Coral (Coral) Username: Coral Registered: 10-2008 Posted From: 90.216.127.4 |
"WOOD" is fantastic. Love it. Sorry OT there! | ||
| Protodroid (Protodroid) Username: Protodroid Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 109.79.109.122 |
DEMONS BY DAYLIGHT. Can't remember who wrote it, but you can see the author find his voice story by story, as if his brain was a glass-sided ant farm. Though maybe he'd disagree. | ||
| Matthew Fryer (Matthew_fryer) Username: Matthew_fryer Registered: 08-2009 Posted From: 90.195.182.241 |
Gary Fry's "The Impelled and other head trips" was the last collection that grasped me by the lapels. | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 82.38.75.85 |
Coral - re Tim Jeffreys, yes, we did publish him in TTMC! In fact, I'll be doing so again in a few months as I've accepted one of his stories, "Two Cards on the Table", for the last Pantechnicon. Clive - glad you like the look of Tim's work and his site. I'd forgotten he'd updated his site - looks good now. And, yes, the artists he chooses do some great stuff too. David Whitlam's work, in particular, appeals to me. Your photos on your site look great - especially "Wood", as Coral says. I love that! | ||
| Des (Des) Username: Des Registered: 06-2008 Posted From: 86.157.25.236 |
Caroline, thanks for you references earlier on. You are, I guess, one of the few people who have read 'Werdmonger'! I find it impossible to name anthologies - because I have different moods. For example I'd put Rhys himself and his three mighy Tartarus collections in a category of Story Collections that have blistered me over the years. And Mark Samuels' White Hands collection. Latterly, Quentin S Crisp, Mark Valentine, Simon Strantzas, Gary Fry... And Ramsey's Grisly Things. | ||
| Des (Des) Username: Des Registered: 06-2008 Posted From: 86.157.25.236 |
And, of course, Joel Lane. | ||
| Matt_cowan (Matt_cowan) Username: Matt_cowan Registered: 04-2008 Posted From: 68.249.106.207 |
My top two favorite short story collections are: 1. Alone with the Horrors by Ramsey Campbell (This is my favorite book, novel, collection or otherwise.) - Favorite stories therein: "The Scar", "The Chimney", "The Brood","The Ferries","Down There", "Just Waiting" and "The Other Side". 2. Count Magnus and Other Stories by M.R. James - favorite stories therein:"The Mezzotint", "The Ash Tree", "Number 13", and "Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad". | ||
| Huw (Huw) Username: Huw Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 220.138.164.249 |
Some of my favourite single author collections of recent years: The Two Sams by Glen Hirshberg Basic Black by Terry Dowling The White Road by Ron Weighell Masques of Satan by Reggie Oliver Trujillo by Lucius Shepard Ghosts and Other Lovers by Lisa Tuttle Ghosts of Yesterday by Jack Cady | ||
| Rhysaurus (Rhysaurus) Username: Rhysaurus Registered: 01-2010 Posted From: 212.219.233.223 |
Um... thanks folks, all good recommendations... but I really just wanted to know the most recent short story collection that blew you away, rather than any short collection that might have blown you away over a period of any number of years... Just one title. Sorry! I know that some of you did answer my question in exactly that way, but some didn't... Not that it's wrong that you didn't, of course; you're free to do as you wish. So thanks again anyway! Regards! | ||
| Gary Fry (Gary_fry) Username: Gary_fry Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 129.11.77.197 |
Jammy Prescient's fine collection NOT FAR FROM NOW, first published in 2011, was excellent. | ||
| Rosswarren (Rosswarren) Username: Rosswarren Registered: 11-2009 Posted From: 86.166.251.196 |
You Are The Fly by James Cooper How To Make Monsters by Gary McMahon Islington Crocodiles by Paul Maloy These three I keep dipping back into. 'In Fetu' in particular is an amazing piece of work. |