30 Day Challenge? What 30 Day Challenge?

Alright. Time to pick up where we left off.

Day 13: Your Favorite Book(s)

 I've recently gotten into classic horror, and just classic literature in general. I feel like some books have been around so long, they'd think it's rude if you didn't read them. The vernacular used in some books can be difficult to understand depending on what era they were written in. To some it's moon speak, but I like the challenge.


H.P. Lovecraft started me on my classic horror kick. This is appropriate, as most horror writers that came after him have been influenced in one way or another by his work. My little anthology, Tales of H.P. Lovecraft, includes most of the classics ("The Shadow Over Innsmouth", "The Call of Cthulhu", "The Dunwitch Horror", etc.), but there are still several I'd like to read that weren't included.
Among others are Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley and The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo. The latter was translated from French, and inspired one of Disney's darkest animated films.


As far as modern literature goes, if I had to pick a favorite I'd say that it's Lunar Park by Bret Easton Ellis (the guy that did American Psycho). The first time I read it it gave my brain a swift kick in the crotch. In my opinion the best stories combine realism with fantasy and humor with horror and tragedy. This book does it seamlessly. I've also just finished Snow Crash by Neal Stevenson, which was thought provoking but left a bit to be desired as far as the actual story went. Still a good read though.


What I would like now is a straight-up fantasy that doesn't even take place in the "real world". A story with actual magic and adventure would be a nice change of pace. A long time ago I read the Black Jewels trilogy by Anne Bishop, which is like an Anne Rice novel on steroids. It was pretty much what I'm looking for now, if a bit more screwed up.