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What are you reading? — Page 51

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Haven’t read that one in a while. I remember it being a thriller of sorts.

I remember getting the novel Shadow Hunter, The comic book of Darth Maul, a lego set of Qui Gon and Maul, and the Phantom Menace DVD as a gift.

I want to reread some of the legends canon books but i’m finding the books are quite expensive, maybe if my library opens i can essay to read them all again.

Like all i have is the Allston X-wing books and, I, Jedi by Stackpole. And i need to get all the Stackpole books. Need to replace my Zahn trilogy from the original paperback print. Was reading heir to the empire and the binding came off. I have a bunch of vintage sci-fi paperbacks as well i have to replace all the time when they fall apart. My Lord of the rings set is done for, the Dolphin edition from the 1960s.

I’m way behind on my read through of the Disney Star Wars books, i want to read some of the books. But i’ve only been able to read the novelizations and some of the Marvel comics. Loved Last Jedi the book was great. Han Solo’s funeral was touching, should’ve been in the movie. Luke was also more fully fleshed out and his motivation made far more sense.

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I like the Dark Lord Trilogy even if i’m not the biggest prequel fan. I think its Labyrinth of Evil, Revenge of the Sith, and Dark Lord the Rise of Darth Vader.

I also remember liking the Coruscant Nights trilogy.

There are so many legends books. I’ve pretty much read them all except for the Medstar books could never really get into that, tried a couple of times.

Read all the Dark Horse comics as well except for Invasion. Since Luke is barely in it. Even though its related to the New Jedi Order.

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JadedSkywalker said:

I like the Dark Lord Trilogy even if i’m not the biggest prequel fan. I think its Labyrinth of Evil, Revenge of the Sith, and Dark Lord the Rise of Darth Vader.

I also remember liking the Coruscant Nights trilogy.

There are so many legends books. I’ve pretty much read them all except for the Medstar books could never really get into that, tried a couple of times.

Read all the Dark Horse comics as well except for Invasion. Since Luke is barely in it. Even though its related to the New Jedi Order.

Nice!

I’m just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe.

Star Wars has 3 eras: The eras are 1977-1983(pre Expanded Universe), (1983-2014) expanded universe, or (2014- now) Disney-bought version. Each are valid.

Important voice tool:
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/1472151/action/topic#1472151

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Power, Albert - Azerbaijan Tales

Three novellas, set in Azerbaijan during Soviet control.
“Matinee In Baku” luncheons with a forgotten film star, waiting in a word-of-mouth popular cafe. In walks an older man, scruffy, yet charged with a probing intensity. He soon rakes the slumbering embers of memory. Secrets from the actress’s past; also secrets of her own mother, an even more legendary actress.
Buried business, ugly business. One wants suppressed, another wants excavated.
“The Pit-Crypts Of Kish” carries ripples of the first story. A minor character from “Matinee” is part of an archeological dig at Qabala, along with three men, and a party apparatchik.
Faith and history run parallel, if unevenly.
The ending felt not so much unresolved as unfinished, with several shingles of narrative tacked on in a concluding act. I was dissatisfied.
“The Sanatorium At Chakhirshirincelo” makes for a murky finale, yet compelling and fulfilling.
The director of the institute wonders if he can release an inmate, accused of murder, back to her hometown. To help him decide, another apparatchik arrives.
Different voices, conflicting agendas, diverse recollections, all muddy the waters. Not one unreliable narrator, but a handful, force the reader to grope in darkness.
Power has a sure hand throughout, sitting us inside the director’s office, then drawing us deeper and deeper, down and down, into a labyrinth of underground passages, heavy with ancestral memory.
As a bonus, there is also a poem, of which I will not elaborate. This feels like a window, cracked open by the author, providing, ever so slightly, a glimpse of the muse.

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Various (Editor: Parry, Robert) - Ghosts Of The Chit-Chat

Parry does an excellent job showcasing not only the bright names, but the lesser known, as well.
There is an overall history of the club, members, influences, quirks.
Also a biography for each of the eleven writers.
M.R. James and the brothers Benson are represented, and most horror readers will be familiar with their stories.
The draw for many will be those forgotten members.
H.R.W. Tatham’s “The Phonograph Bewitched” offers a vintage recording device that appears to record with a will of its own.
Maurice Baring has two haunted tales, a room for the night, and a religious artifact.
Gerald Warre Cornish perished too young in the Somme. An excerpt from his “Beneath The Surface” gives a painfully tantalizing glimpse of lost potential.
Kudos for Mr. Parry for researching and unearthing these gems; this must have been a labor of love.

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I’m reading Dune for the first time to prepare for the film’s release in October.

“Remember, the Force will be with you. Always.”

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jedi_bendu said:

I’m reading Dune for the first time to prepare for the film’s release in October.

I am currently halfway through Children of Dune.

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At the moment I’m reading The Color Out of Space by H.P. Lovecraft. It’s for a class, but I’m glad to be experiencing Lovecraft for the first time.

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Anakin Starkiller said:

At the moment I’m reading The Color Out of Space by H.P. Lovecraft. It’s for a class, but I’m glad to be experiencing Lovecraft for the first time.

Sounds like a wonderful class! Welcome to the wacky somewhat racist world of H.P. Lovecraft. Enjoy!

I’m just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe.

Star Wars has 3 eras: The eras are 1977-1983(pre Expanded Universe), (1983-2014) expanded universe, or (2014- now) Disney-bought version. Each are valid.

Important voice tool:
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/1472151/action/topic#1472151

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I remember reading that the added bonus of Lovecraft’s works is that they’re readily available online since they are all public domain.

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Duffy, Steve - Finding Yourself In The Dark

Diverse assortment of hauntings and unmarked boundaries.
“Chambers Of The Heart” is from Olivia’s viewpoint. Perched uneasily at the edge of 40, looks beginning to fade, working another trifling job. Her employer finds himself in a spot of trouble, and she is caught.
Found footage, in this case, an old tape, reveal death dealings in “The Last House On Mullible Street.” Old men recall youthful indiscretions, the Blitz, and trespassing.
“The Clay Party” might best be appreciated by those who have a taste for the Donner Party.
“A Day At The Hotel Radium” sees the refugee arrive at a safe oasis, a shelter of serenity. This reads like a child’s fairy tale … up to a point.
Two or three stories are unresolved. Individuals caught in sea fog, cut off by the tide, displaced from the “normal” world, the busy normal world, still perceived in the distance.

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Just added Howard Kazanjian: A Producer’s Life. I’m really looking forward to reading it and not just because of the contributions of Marcia Lucas. I always enjoyed seeing Howard in the old behind the scenes documentaries as his stories about Blue Harvest were always so fun. It’s going to be interesting I’m sure reading more about him as Jonathan Rinzler was a true genius at writing and his genuine affection for the subjects he wrote about always came through. I’ll be sure to share any interesting details on the forum if anyone wants to hear about it.

“Heroes come in all sizes, and you don’t have to be a giant hero. You can be a very small hero. It’s just as important to understand that accepting self-responsibility for the things you do, having good manners, caring about other people - these are heroic acts. Everybody has the choice of being a hero or not being a hero every day of their lives.” - George Lucas

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Been reading We (by Yevgeny Zamyatin) for class. It’s pretty good. Not sure I can have it done for Monday, though.

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Asamatsu, Ken - Inverted Kingdom: Tales Of The Hidden Gods 2

The opener, “The Horror In The Kabuki Theatre” is the longest and most challenging work in this collection. Challenging because it is filled with names I was not familiar with. Aside from the artist Hokusai, most were playwrights and performers, along with a producer or two. The story explains how evil or misguided souls misused the theater to crack a fissure into another reality, allowing older gods a foothold back into this world. Fans of HPL will recognize this all too well. And hey! The titles seems like a riff on “The Horror IN The Museum.”
“Taste Of The Snake’s Honey” is a decadent stroll into drugs, slavery, debauched sex, and jaded attempts to relieve excruciating ennui. Our protagonist inherits his father’s international trading firm, as well as his father’s long time Shanghainese partner. All is permitted, including the corpse.
I imagine all cultures share certain taboos. Such as, no matter how cheap the rent, living next to the cemetery may not be wise. Or, once family members exhibit deteriorating symptoms, do not tarry departure. Of course, many horror franchises rely on individuals ignoring warnings, as does our hero in “Summoned By The Shadows.”
He is an overworked, unlucky taxi driver. As his wife spirals, he clutches the hope things will improve, that they will save enough money to move. Just a little more time.

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I have given up on the Stand and am now reading the book Hench

I’m just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe.

Star Wars has 3 eras: The eras are 1977-1983(pre Expanded Universe), (1983-2014) expanded universe, or (2014- now) Disney-bought version. Each are valid.

Important voice tool:
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/1472151/action/topic#1472151

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I want to get into more rewarding reading but right now all i have time for is comic books. I’m reading IDW archives of the original Star Wars Newspaper comics i have the two Williamson volumes and am looking to add the Russ Manning one.

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I’m reading Carrie by Stephen King for the first time.
Is good.

“Remember, the Force will be with you. Always.”

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Boot, Andy - Fragments Of Fear

A reference book I reread every handful of years. Each time, I scribble a lengthy to-view list, watch a half dozen, lose my list, then shift viewing to something else in my scatter-brained obsessions.

Personal, opinionated survey of English horror cinema up to 1995.
From Tod Slaughter to Hammer to Norman Warren. From inept duds to box office hits, from the gruesome to the sublime. I calculate this book breezes over 300 titles.
Studded with black and white photos, this sweeps across decades, studios, and creators.
Mr. Boot is a cheeky reviewer, yet one gathers he has actually seen these films to closing credits, and has a genuine fondness for them.

Creation Cinema was an imprint I used to chase after. Now I’m down to a fistful of books.
Lesson learned: never loan books. Not to family, not to coworkers, not to cute classmates.

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I’m reading both the books on the making of return of the jedi, the one from the 80s and the one by Rinzler. And i’m going to reread the novelization, and the comic book adaptation and listen to the radio drama.

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Berguño, George - The Sad Eyes Of The Lewis Chessman

Choice collection of stories at an irresistible price.
Note must be made, however, that of the nine stories, five had previously been published in Ex Occidente’s The Exorcist’s Travelogue.
“Billy Goat Blues” takes place in the far Shetland. An aged narrator, older, perhaps wiser through soured experiences, recalls his terrifying investigation of the poet, the prosecutor, and the murderer.
“The Bannað” reads like a Norse myth, or something between myth and sad memory. Of promises, of paradise, of oaths and honor, and the encircling aftermath.
“The Dogs Of Valparaiso” weaves between philosopher and interrogator. Connecting them, first one, then the other, are the unwanted. Strays. Dead eyed, homeless dogs. Neglected, limping across the cityscape. A staring guilt on those whose concern is minimal.

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Marsh, Richard - The Beetle

How could I have lived this long without having heard of, let alone read, this Victorian crackerjack?
And this is a superb page-turner! Part thriller, part shocker, in its day a massive bestseller, outselling Stoker’s Dracula at one point, this novel is riddled with Victorian anxieties.
Fear of immigrants, of new cults, fear of the New Woman, of rising class strife. Darker still, the fear of the “other”, in this case a relation to the scarab.
Four narratives, one following the other, tell the horror of the sinister visitor from the East, single mindedly pursuing an influential politician while threatening an upper class maiden.
Each section overlaps and adds narrative, yet clouds the mystery. In addition, with each section the pace ratchets higher. The last part is a galloping, exciting chase.
The edition I read, Broadview Press, contains a wealth of extras about the New Woman, the Victorian fascination with Egypt, and the unease that was so pervasive throughout the fin de siècle.
A thumping good read! This makes me curious about other Marsh titles.