MetroReading - Latest Comments

Re: Urban Gothic by Brian Keene

Stewie — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 21:36:32 -0000

Wow, I'm a douche! I didn't catch this until tonight when I was updating the backend of this blog. Usually I get emails of replies, but obviously I didn't get one on yours.

First, thanks for the kind words. They are definitely appreciated.

I agree that the gore and brutality are fantastic. Keene is definitely a child of Richard Laymon, and that's a great thing. One of my favorite aspects of his work is that his main characters may or may not make it to the end, and it goes against the grain of the protagonist. He will keep you on your toes in that regard.

I think in this particular book, I wanted more. The house had an untapped history that seems really compelling, and the hints at the mysteries it held were never really drawn out.

I'm hoping there is a sequel or, ideally, a prequel because this is one place Keene could definitely visit again.

I guess it's one of those things where you have a favorite author, you set the bar extremely high for their works, and when they don't reach it (in your opinion), it's more disappointing than any other author. Having read the majority of Keene's work, I know he's capable of more.

But, then again, I'm also quite aware that I may be just reading too much into it.

Either way, at the end of the day, I did enjoy the book and I am glad I read it. I think since the prior books I had read up until Urban Gothic were Rutting Season and Ghoul, two of which I loved, so that may have influenced my enjoyment.

Re: Urban Gothic by Brian Keene

Dick Grayson — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 03:18:46 -0000

This is actually one of my favorite Keene novels. It isn't the most original of his stories, but the unflinching gore and brutality more than make for it in my opinion. I was actually scared when reading it (only time thats ever happened).

Great review. Keep up the great work.

Re: Mr. Hands by Gary Braunbeck

Stewie — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:23:55 -0000

Hey, thanks for popping in! I assure you, it was my pleasure. Love your work.

Re: Mr. Hands by Gary Braunbeck

Gary Braunbeck — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:24:38 -0000

Thank you for the compliments! Made my day!

-- Gary B.

Re: Hunt at the Well of Eternity by James Reasoner

Stewie — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:33:29 -0000

ZOMG LATE REPLY!

Yeah, I agree that a story with an arc is definitely better handled by one author and I'm curious to see how it goes. I'm in the middle of the Repairman Jack series right now (I stupidly started the first one without knocking out my box), but when I go back to that shipment, the first I'm going to read is a Hunt book.

Re: Hunt at the Well of Eternity by James Reasoner

JamesFerguson — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 10:27:26 -0000

Good review that I only just read. I'll have to check out the series. I'm a little concerned that each book is written by a different author though. A story with an overlying arc is usually something that's better handled by one author.

Also, my Hard Case Crime books have been really hit or miss lately. I just finished The Last Match which was horrible but before that I read Guns of Heaven which wasn't bad.

Re: Delirium Drops Trade Paperback Line. Goes Digital.

Stewie — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 01:23:22 -0000

Ace, odd, again it didn't appear. I added your email to the 'white list' to see if this helps. For some reason, Disqus is seeing your comments as spam, methinks.

Anyway, for those reading along, here's what Ace wrote:

"Weird.

Like I was trying to say, it's not the limited editions as current that I'm worried about in any way.

It's more like I wonder if a book that might have been a limited edition with extra features, etc., will now be relegated to a basic e-book. Like a Special Edition DVD vs. a bare-bones one, for lack of a better comparison offhand.

I'm weighing that against my interest in seeing new authors published (which DB says this will help), and yet a concern that new authors who might have earned an LE by virtue of their writing will lose out and be “relegated” to an e-book because they lack the name or reputation for sales power in this new way of life.

I'm sure it was a difficult decision for Shane and his crew."

Okay, gotcha. I don't know. I think of it more that it may very well open the door wider for limited editions.

Shane is going to save money by going digital, thus allowing more money to maybe introduce more new authors, or more LEs from the established authors. (Or, in your analogy, more special editions).

I wish I hadn't deleted it, but in one of my emails from Delirium, it was mentioned how well "The Girl in the Woods" digital edition sold (I think it blew out 100 copies real quick), and that's such a fantastic sign.

I really believe ebook readers are the way of the future, and I have to be honest, before I bought one I wouldn't have thought it. But now that I own one, yeah, this is the future.

Re: Delirium Drops Trade Paperback Line. Goes Digital.

Stewie — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:39:21 -0000

Ace, for some reason your comment didn't come to the page again, but the Delirium founder posted a pretty good follow up to the original news here:

http://www.deliriumbooks.com/s...

I see no reason to worry about Limited Editions at this point, especially when the founder of the company is saying as much.

Re: Delirium Drops Trade Paperback Line. Goes Digital.

Ace — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:30:47 -0000

Yeah, I know. But I assume they'll eventually produce less.

And also, the e-book exclusives not only mean the end of some TPBs, but probably decrease the chances of authors' work becoming LEs, if you know what I mean.

Like, I can't quite say it how I mean, but it seems like on the downside, you have to really be good or established to get an LE now, otherwise you get relegated to the e-book and not get the chance for an in-depth treatment. But, on the upside, a book that might have been rejected entirely now might get an e-book.

Re: Delirium Drops Trade Paperback Line. Goes Digital.

Stewie — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 08:55:31 -0000

According to the article, the LE line isn't changing, so you have nothing to worry about. :)

Re: Delirium Drops Trade Paperback Line. Goes Digital.

Ace — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:29:58 -0000

I have mixed feelings on this one. Not because of the whole e-reader thing, I don't have one. But there's the collector side of me that likes buying the LEs because they aren't just your ordinary book (including special features and stuff; I may sell someday, but that's not why I buy), and there's the reader/writer side of me, that agrees with Stewie that this has the potential to put more good books into more people's hands.

Re: Delirium Drops Trade Paperback Line. Goes Digital.

Stewie — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:31:41 -0000

I think at this point, for Delirium at least, it sounds as if they either go this way or they release less books. If they need to do it to survive -- or introduce us to more authors -- I'm all for it.

Would HCC do it? I don't know. In this economy, I couldn't say for certain if they would or not. I would venture no, though, as Dorchester Publications (which HCC falls under) has a pretty big catalog, so I don't see the need for it.

It wouldn't surprise me at all, however, if they started offering digital downloads in the near future.

I'd still remain in the HCC club, though. I love those covers.

Re: Delirium Drops Trade Paperback Line. Goes Digital.

JamesFerguson — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:07:11 -0000

I understand where they're coming from, but as a non e-book reader I guess I'm a little annoyed that they're doing away with their printed stuff altogether (and I've never even heard of the company.) I'm just concerned that other companies will follow suit. I can see offering both at the same time, but to make such a huge jump is a big deal.

Do you think Hard Case Crime would do such a thing?

Re: Appropriate Timing.

Stewie — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:00:44 -0000

That would be awesome if they did it next season, too. Shoot, it's not like King doesn't have a library to work with.

Re: Appropriate Timing.

Chris — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:49:32 -0000

It was an awesome idea for an episode.

"Thank you, Stephen King, we'll see you in court."

I'd love for them to do it again next season.

Re: The Stand

JamesFerguson — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:49:03 -0000

Agreed on Mother Abigail. I think HBO would really do The Stand justice if they did something like what they did with Band of Brothers. That would be more than enough time to tell the story and do it well.

Re: The Stand

Stewie — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:16:17 -0000

I'm sorry, James. I completely missed this.

I enjoy the mini-series for what it is (and they could not have picked a better Mother Abigail), but I would like The Powers That Be to return to it someday, and remake it as a season like series. It certainly deserves it.

Re: The Stand

JamesFerguson — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:05:45 -0000

"He had talked to her that day and she had just decided to watch the TV version of The Stand straight through one day. People, this is impressive as the miniseries runs about 6 hours."

This is also impressive because the mini-series sucks hard. It was tough to sit through and to have that kind of commitment to something so awful (made from something so great) is commendable.

Re: Watchmen

Stewie — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:20:06 -0000

I'm glad it was you telling me I didn't get it, Frank. Anyone else I would not have taken seriously.

In all honesty, I can get behind the "super heroes suck sometimes" story. I can actually get behind the whole story. Ironically, this would have made a helluva novel (non-graphic), I think. I'll probably really dig the movie, too.

But as a comic, I don't think it works.

Re: Watchmen

JamesFerguson — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:54:07 -0000

I'm sorry you didn't like the Funnybook. Watchmen is a super hero story about how super heroes suck sometimes. It's not about fighting bad guys. Instead it deals with their lives and how it's not all fun and games.

Maybe you just didn't get it.

Re: Rosemary’s Baby

Stewie — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 03:41:28 -0000

I may give them a spin. I was with another, similar, program, but the lack of participators was frustrating.

Re: Rosemary’s Baby

Ace — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:12:05 -0000

Marisa just joined something called Paperback Swap that you might (or might not) like. You list books you're willing to ditch, other people ask for them, you mail them, you get credits. You spend the credits on other people's books. Not for collectors, but for fun little readers seems OK to me.

Re: The First Quarry

Stewie — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:09:03 -0000

Thanks, bro!

I' had been watching Battlestar Galactica on the Zune on the Metro lately, but I'm back into the reading.

Re: The First Quarry

Ace — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:29:12 -0000

What'd you stop taking the Metro? Or just stop reading on it?

Nice write-up! Missed this!

Re: Bloody Sam: The Life and Films of Sam Peckinpah

Stewie — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 23:06:38 -0000

Hey Chuk! Much thanks for the recommendation (even though it wasn't the right one I picked up :) ).

I saw, and really dug, THE GETAWAY, and PAT GARRET AND BILLY THE KID are definitely on my want list, considering who's in them.