We’re halfway through the Week and…
I’ll be honest, I’m really not sure how Wednesday has turned up so quickly, given that the last couple of days have gone so slowly. I’ll take it though, just a few more days until the weekend :o)
Yesterday was a day in the office and I had a book in my bag all ready for the bus ride there and back. That was the plan anyway… What actually happened was that I overslept and had to take a train instead. Have you ever tried reading on the rush hour train? Yeah…
And if that wasn’t bad enough, I fell asleep on the bus going home; not the best day for reading then ;o) And that means today’s post is one about the little bits and pieces that I’ve managed to read/listen to over the last couple of days. Hope you don’t mind…
‘More Sinned Against’ – Karl Edward Wagner
Page Count: 15 Pages
I’ve had a copy of Karl Edward Wagner’s ‘In A Lonely Place’ sat on my shelf for far too long now and I thought I’d dip into it and pick a story, at random, for a read. For a little context, I’ve read some of Wagner’s ‘Kane’ tales but the only horror story, of his, that I’d read was ‘Sticks’ (which is amazing, you should read it).
I settled on ‘More Sinned Against’, a tale of occult revenge taken by an aspiring actress on the man who led her to ruin. The ending was executed well and definitely left a lasting impression. What I got the most out of though was the ‘no punches pulled’ exploration of Candace’s fall and where it took her; a horror more grounded in reality but no less powerful than the revenge that Candace ultimately takes. If this is the standard of the rest of the tales, I have high hopes for my future visits to ‘In A Lonely Place’.
‘A Stranger Among Us’ – Michael Peters
Page Count: 21 Pages
A stranger observes the home of David and Janine from across the street. Bathed in darkness, the man makes no movements. He simply watches.
Beset by a dark secret long kept dormant, David and Janine's seemingly happy marriage will be tested by this stranger.
There wasn’t a lot that I enjoyed about watching ‘Insidious Tales’ but ‘Stranger’ was an entry that came pretty close; close enough that when I saw that it was based on a short story I thought I’d have a read for myself. I wish I’d just stuck with the short film to be honest…
What is a very suspenseful tale on screen is somehow a rambling, drawn out conversation on the page; topped off by a revelation that wants to be shocking but just feels tacked on and disjointed. ‘Stranger’ had some context that made the unfolding plot work; ‘A Stranger Among Us’ needed some of that to bring the plot out.
‘Doombound’ – David Annandale (Black Library)
Run Time: 23 Minutes
In the cursed city of Shadespire, two Stormcast Eternals Liberators, Darras Sunblade and Erak Grimwatch, seek a way to rejoin their comrades in Severin Steelheart's company. However, the twisting and ever-changing maze of the dead city thwarts them at every turn - and Grimwatch has his own troubles as flashes of another life take him.
Mortal danger stalks them, as a warrior of the Khorne Bloodbound, also suffering visions of an impossible past, seeks to take their skulls for his bloodthirsty god....
My ‘chemo-brain’ memory being what it is… I’d actually listened to ‘Doombound’ a few months ago but had forgotten all about it. I found it on Audible, the other day, and thought I’d give it another try.
The good news is that just because I’d forgotten about it, doesn’t mean that ‘Doombound’ is a forgettable experience. It isn’t. ‘Doombound’ has all ingredients needed for a listen that really took me into the worlds of the Mortal Realms. An engaging tale backed up just the right ‘soundscape’ to make me feel like I was there. Also, nice work from Annandale with the timing of the reveal and where that leaves certain characters.
The only problem I had (and it’s a very small one) is that perhaps ‘Doombound’ was a little too good at showing us just how convoluted and deadly the city of Shadespire can be. I got lost a few times myself, trying to keep track of which bit was set where. I couldn’t tell you if that was a deliberate thing from Annandale but for me, if an audiobook is only 23 minutes long, I don’t want to spend too much time trying to keep up. ‘Chemo-brain’ though, it could just be that it was the wrong time for me to have a listen. I suspect your mileage will vary.
Yesterday was a day in the office and I had a book in my bag all ready for the bus ride there and back. That was the plan anyway… What actually happened was that I overslept and had to take a train instead. Have you ever tried reading on the rush hour train? Yeah…
And if that wasn’t bad enough, I fell asleep on the bus going home; not the best day for reading then ;o) And that means today’s post is one about the little bits and pieces that I’ve managed to read/listen to over the last couple of days. Hope you don’t mind…
‘More Sinned Against’ – Karl Edward Wagner
Page Count: 15 Pages
I’ve had a copy of Karl Edward Wagner’s ‘In A Lonely Place’ sat on my shelf for far too long now and I thought I’d dip into it and pick a story, at random, for a read. For a little context, I’ve read some of Wagner’s ‘Kane’ tales but the only horror story, of his, that I’d read was ‘Sticks’ (which is amazing, you should read it).
I settled on ‘More Sinned Against’, a tale of occult revenge taken by an aspiring actress on the man who led her to ruin. The ending was executed well and definitely left a lasting impression. What I got the most out of though was the ‘no punches pulled’ exploration of Candace’s fall and where it took her; a horror more grounded in reality but no less powerful than the revenge that Candace ultimately takes. If this is the standard of the rest of the tales, I have high hopes for my future visits to ‘In A Lonely Place’.
‘A Stranger Among Us’ – Michael Peters
Page Count: 21 Pages
A stranger observes the home of David and Janine from across the street. Bathed in darkness, the man makes no movements. He simply watches.
Beset by a dark secret long kept dormant, David and Janine's seemingly happy marriage will be tested by this stranger.
There wasn’t a lot that I enjoyed about watching ‘Insidious Tales’ but ‘Stranger’ was an entry that came pretty close; close enough that when I saw that it was based on a short story I thought I’d have a read for myself. I wish I’d just stuck with the short film to be honest…
What is a very suspenseful tale on screen is somehow a rambling, drawn out conversation on the page; topped off by a revelation that wants to be shocking but just feels tacked on and disjointed. ‘Stranger’ had some context that made the unfolding plot work; ‘A Stranger Among Us’ needed some of that to bring the plot out.
‘Doombound’ – David Annandale (Black Library)
Run Time: 23 Minutes
In the cursed city of Shadespire, two Stormcast Eternals Liberators, Darras Sunblade and Erak Grimwatch, seek a way to rejoin their comrades in Severin Steelheart's company. However, the twisting and ever-changing maze of the dead city thwarts them at every turn - and Grimwatch has his own troubles as flashes of another life take him.
Mortal danger stalks them, as a warrior of the Khorne Bloodbound, also suffering visions of an impossible past, seeks to take their skulls for his bloodthirsty god....
My ‘chemo-brain’ memory being what it is… I’d actually listened to ‘Doombound’ a few months ago but had forgotten all about it. I found it on Audible, the other day, and thought I’d give it another try.
The good news is that just because I’d forgotten about it, doesn’t mean that ‘Doombound’ is a forgettable experience. It isn’t. ‘Doombound’ has all ingredients needed for a listen that really took me into the worlds of the Mortal Realms. An engaging tale backed up just the right ‘soundscape’ to make me feel like I was there. Also, nice work from Annandale with the timing of the reveal and where that leaves certain characters.
The only problem I had (and it’s a very small one) is that perhaps ‘Doombound’ was a little too good at showing us just how convoluted and deadly the city of Shadespire can be. I got lost a few times myself, trying to keep track of which bit was set where. I couldn’t tell you if that was a deliberate thing from Annandale but for me, if an audiobook is only 23 minutes long, I don’t want to spend too much time trying to keep up. ‘Chemo-brain’ though, it could just be that it was the wrong time for me to have a listen. I suspect your mileage will vary.
Sorry to hear you had to take the rush hour train. For the last 7 years my commute has been 10min :-D I'm pretty spoiled. Is chemo-brain an on-going thing, or does it come and go?
ReplyDeleteI will do anything to avoid the rush hour commute but sometimes, I sleep in :o)
DeleteAnd chemo-brain is pretty much a permanent thing now, just varies in intensity. It could be worse!