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Just read Ramsey Campbell's The Doll Who Ate His Mother and The Parasite. Only read Campbell's short fiction up until now so I was curious to see how his novels would compare. Doll was interesting for the ambiguity of the supernatural element and the fact that the whole thing read more like a crime novel, with the intrepid gang of amateur sleuths out to catch the killer. Parasite meanwhile was interesting in the way the inventive prose was at odds with the commercial plotting. And after the multiple viewpoints in Doll it was interesting to compare the use of a single POV in Parasite. Also enjoyed the New Age/occult elements, with all the references to the Golden Dawn. I thought the story's pacing was a bit off but after reading the afterword it turned out that Campbell wrote the book at his agent's prompting in order to have a bestseller and so ignored a lot of his natural instincts as a writer then made a lot of cuts to try and salvage the story. Consequently he isn't happy with the way the novel turned out. Actually, he was more critical of it than I was.

Anyway, I enjoyed both books enough that I want to read some more of his novels.

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Justice League of America: That was Now, This is Then. Written by Roger Stern. Illustrated by John Byre and Mark Farmer. An immensely powerful alien named Titus arrives on Earth claiming to be a god and challenging the deities from the world's religions to fight him. When no gods accept his challenge it is up to the Justice League to stop him. But can mere mortals defy a being with the power of a god? And why does Titus claim to know the Justice League when no one has any memory of him? The story cuts between the present day and a mission by a previous incarnation of the League as the truth is revealed. Stern delivers non-stop thrills with only the briefest of moments for quiet reflection, this is very much a case of showing character through action. As such there are no real surprises; the villain is villainous and the heroes are heroic, albeit with distinguishing traits -- Superman is nobility personified, Green Arrow cocky and impetuous, The Atom wisecracking but pragmatic. The dialogue feels a little clunky in places but behind the awkward one-liners and the super-powered fisticuffs Stern works in themes of religious tolerance, the abuse of power and the nature of faith and prayer. If you really want to start reading stuff into it he even touches on the varieties of godhood -- monotheism, polytheism and pantheism. Not bad for a story which is just an extended punch-up.

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I'm a big fan of Burke also. His Dave Robicheaux stuff is excellent and chock full of local flavor. Clete is probably my favorite character in that series. His non-Robicheaux books are excellent, as well.

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Recently picked up the Thin Man Press edition of A Wave of Dreams, by Louis Aragon. This is a very early piece of Surrealist writing, dating from the 'sleeping fits' period when the Paris group were experimenting with trance states. It's as bizarre as you might expect, but also weirdly ecstatic, full of the excitement of the first flush of Surrealist exploration. What really makes the edition is the CD of settings of extracts read by Alex Walker, to music and soundscapes by Tymon Dogg and Alex Thomas. Especially recommended to fans of the Industrial and ambient genres - samples at the foot of the page here:

Thin Man Press

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As far as his non-Robicheaux stuff s concerned I've only read a handful of short stories. Looking forward to reading more.

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I just finished reading Houses That Kill by Roger de Lafforest (1974).

The book is non-fiction (well, unless you're a hardboiled skeptic). It's about the paranormal in architecture and deals with how certain buildings may create an aura of menace or seem to attract an inordinate amount of tragedies and unexplained phenomena. de Lafforest approaches the topic from both the scientific and the esoteric/occult sides of the argument. He also addresses how certain "wrong" angles may create a "dissonance" in the atmosphere or affect one's mental or physcial health in a negative way -- shades of HPL's "Dreams in the Witch-House".

I've been looking for a book on this topic for years and was delighted to finally find one that goes far beyond the basic principles of feng shui or sacred geometry, like the golden ratio, and into something far more sinister and outré.

At times, certain descriptions or tales remind me of the mad architect from the first Ghostbusters movie, Ivo Shandor, the occultist who designed a skyscraper to be an "occult battery" -- truly a fascinating book.

http://pics.librarything.com/picsize...4d414f4541.jpg

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Good on you, New Nonsense! Houses That Kill has long been a favourite of mine, both for its eccentricity and its unique approach to the phenomena of haunted houses.

Richard

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Thanks for mentioning this title, Kevin and Richard. Sounds most interesting! This title is quite difficult to obtain but I noticed that the book was published in French and this version is still in print. I might consider purchasing it in the future.

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Been reading some James Sallis.

Cypress Grove and Cripple Creek are about a city detective turned small town deputy. The novels take all the hardboiled cliches -- troubled yet compassionate detective with ridiculously impressive qualifications and life experiences (psychotherapist, former convict and ex-special forces soldier) who is forced out of retirement and uncovers murder and intrigue -- then shoves the tired tropes into the background while the hero concentrates on telling anecdotes about his past and how he is settling into the small town.

Also read Drive. A stunt driver turned getaway driver is double-crossed while working his latest heist and has to stay one step ahead of the crooks who want him dead. All while the narrative keeps flip-flopping between the present day and the events that led to him becoming a wheelman.

Also reread Sallis's The Long-Legged Fly about New Orleans PI Lew Griffin. Griffin works various missing persons cases over the course of four decades while falling in love, committing murder, being hassled by cops for being black and hassled by activists wanting him to aid the civil rights movement. In fact back in the '90s when I first read this I remember seeing copies in Forbidden Planet stocked under 'Black Fiction' despite Sallis actually being white.

All the novels contain sparse prose with a poetic streak accompanied by philosophical musings and the occasional wisecrack. Good fun.

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Was recently given a copy of Arthur Machen's "Selected Letters". The letters are mostly short, chatty notes to friends but, even in an informal context, it seems the man was incapable of writing a dull or clumsy line. It's the kind of book you pick up to dip into, and don't emerge for an hour.