Fun facts about horror literature.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

Bram Stoker's dracula was not killed by sunlight, garlic, a wooden stake, or holy water, but by a cowboy from Texas wielding a bowie knife.

Demogorgon, known to Dungeons and Dragons nerds as a tentacled two-headed baboon beast prince of demons, enjoys a brief mention in Melville's Moby Dick.

Edgar Allen Poe was a plagiarist. Early in his career he plagiarized a non-fiction book about snails.

Frankenstein spoke fluent French. Enjoyed classical music. And smoked fine Cuban cigars.

Howard Phillips Lovecraft once killed a man in a drunken, barroom fight.

Stephen King's middle name is "Susan."

[IndianaJones]

1. Stephen King is more along the lines of horrific literature. nt.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. How many of his books have you read?

[IndianaJones]

3. more than 10 less than 30. nt.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

4. So if you think he's so bad...

why on earth have you read more than ten?

[IndianaJones]

5. Youngster I guess. Haven't read any for quite some time.

I graduated to the literary genius of Dean Koontz.

[Downtown Hound]

7. Sorry man, but Stephen King makes ten of Koontz

I understand many of the criticisms about King: he tends to rehash the same plot, he's long winded, often times his books are incredibly boring until the last third or so, but Koontz at his best has never come even close to what King has accomplished with some of his books. Koontz will one day be forgotten. But I have a hunch that Stephen King will be remembered for a long time.

[redqueen]

9. Kuntz is the Collins of horror. n/t

[IndianaJones]

10. Collins is the King of....whatever. nt.

[redqueen]

13. hahahahah... what?

[IndianaJones]

14. whatever she writes. what is it? romance? bah. nt.

[redqueen]

16. Yup!

Sorry if I offended you... I just don't like Koontz very much at all.

Trash / treasure and all that! :hi:

[IndianaJones]

17. I don't like Koontz either. Just threw out the name of a book machine that wrote horror.

He came to mind quick.

[redqueen]

20. Heh... for obvious reasons.

:)

[Dr. Strange]

18. Wait, what does that mean?

Kuntz is the Collins of horror

Barnabas Collins? Michael Collins?

[redqueen]

19. Susan... the prolific romance writer. n/t

[Dr. Strange]

23. Ah!

So, Koontz is the Kinkade of horror literature.

Although, I just read Odd Thomas and I have to say, it's a pretty decent book. (But it's the only Koontz book I would say that about...for now.)

[hotforteacher]

25. Ooooooh!!!!

I LOVED Dark Shadows!!

[Rabrrrrrr]

11. So, if hasn't read enough, he can't have an opinion on King's badness -

but if he read enough to realize King is bad, then he's a jerk for reading so many, and perhaps even lying about not liking King?

:shrug:

Reminds me of a friend who used to say, if someone said they didn't like a band, "Really? You don't like them? Then name three of their songs, or I won't consider your opinion valid."

[IndianaJones]

15. Tommyknockers is high art dude. nt.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

21. I'm thinking of something King once said about his own critics.

Something to the effect of "If you don't like my books, why do you keep reading them?"

[Downtown Hound]

6. Here's a cool one

When Shirley Jackson was doing research for "The Haunting of Hill House," she began to seek out old, creepy mansions to give her inspiration. One day she found one, one that fit her ideas about what she thought the house should look like. When she started doing research on the house, she found out that it was once owned by her great grandfather.

Eerie!

[unpossibles]

8. Frankenstein or his creation?

;)

Sorry. I love that book and it's a mild pet peeve of mine that the "monster" has been given both Franstein's name and the label of monster. The real monster in the book is the doctor, in some ways, and society in others.


my own addition:
Robert E. Howard (the author of the Conan series) was a good friend of Lovecraft's and they often shared ideas.

[Dr. Strange]

12. Some more...

Richard Matheson wrote "I am Legend" while naked and slathered in bacon grease.

Anne Rice originally intended for Lestat to be an umpire. The final story resulted from a spelling error in the summary she sent to her publisher.

The earliest horror story is believed to be a story by Agnes Cthulhu. It was a story about a horrible beast she called Lovecraft, who would stick it's appendages in its mouth and then into its victim's ears.

The Bram Stoker award is given to horror authors on the condition that within two years they sacrifice a virgin to one of the Greek gods.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

22. Oh that's good stuff.

Some of mine are actually true, and with a little bit of luck people will get confused when they find out which.

[Dr. Strange]

24. All of mine are true...

And by true, I mean made up.

I know Stephen's middle name isn't Susan.
And I think that the only time Frankenstein ever enjoyed classical music was on Young Frankenstein, or maybe SNL.
Not sure about the others though...