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The past week Vampires Stole My Lunch Money by Mick Farren has been living in my CD player. Every time it ends I just hit play again.

I've also watched the expanded version of the Hobbit this week and I enjoyed it more than the original version. I wasn't impressed with the Hobbit when I first saw it at the cinema, with the exception of a couple of scenes I don't think it captured the feel or tone of the book at all. In my opinion it was bloated and overlong, yet somehow the new longer version has me interested.
It has occurred to me that it isn't an adaption of the Hobbit book after all but an adaption of the appendices to the Lord Of The Rings with some scenes from the hobbit book to flesh it out. Looking at it from that angle I found it a more satisfying watch.
When all three films are released I would still like an edited down version with all the extra stuff cut it so it resembles the book more closely but that is never going to happen outside of you-tube!

Looking forward to An Adventure In Space And Time tonight but might have to watch it on I-player as I might be out. What's worse is that it is my birthday on Saturday and I might be expected to go out for a birthday meal with the girlfriend. If I said I wanted to stay in and watch Doctor Who instead it would probably be as well received as a cup of cold sick and a dog shit sandwich! That'll have to be another I-player job on Sunday morning!

I came across them mulling over whether or not to bother with trying H.P Lovecraft. I'm intrigued but I also read somewhere about him espousing a white supremacist perspective, which comes through in his work. Does this really come across, because the idea completely puts me off wanting to delve into any of his books.

I wouldn't say 'white supremacist', although he clearly had a few misgivings about the Asians. There are maybe two instances in the whole ouvere where I thought 'ah yes, bit racist, that.' And that's it. I can imagine how someone reading about Lovecraft might get a skewed perspective on what his writings might be like but it honestly isn't an issue unless you're of an exceedingly sensitive state of mind, in which case you probably shouldn't be reading any pre-1950s fiction.

Get the 'Penguin modern classics' editions of The Call of Cthulhu and other weird stories,' (2002) 'The Thing on the doorstep...' (2002) and 'The dreams in the Witch house...' (2005), edited by S.T Joshi. Between the three books you'll have every single Lovecraft story (bar one) but best of all each tale has an introduction which explains where Lovecraft got the idea, what/who he was inspired by, what it might have inspired in turn, and has a wealth of notes and annotations. It's all fascinating reading in its own right and invaluable in putting the stories in context; both the horror/pulp genre of the time and Lovecraft's jazz age New England, as well as the man's own worldview.

Those are the versions of the Lovecraft material that I currently own and I find the notes and annotations to be as interesting as the stories themselves. Just out of interest what is the story that is missing from these collections? I've probably got it elsewhere but would be interested to know what it was!

[D-DAY - The Battle for Normandy]

D-DAY - The Battle for Normandy by Anthony Beevor.

I'd not read much about the actual battle for Normandy before (though plenty about D-DAY and a new a little boys own stuff about CAEN and FALAISE).

It's heart wrenching stuff with the level of slaughter prompted often by nothing more than sheer incompetence on the parts of the Generals.  Monty, in particular, comes over as a complete and utter twat.

Beevor is a great writer. If you've not read Stalingrad or The Fall of Berlin 1945 I can definitely recommend them. Beevor is very good at keeping his views balanced and realises that everyone loses in war.

I'd like to put a second recommendation in for the Beevor Stalingrad book. Read it a few months ago and was absorbed in it. It is the only one of his books that I have read so would be interested in his others.

Wow. I managed to purchase The House on the Borderland from the Kindle store for only...0.00p! That's what you call a bargain!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0083Z2VII/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1384966365&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX110_SY165

Hope you enjoy it, it's one of my top ten reads ever. It will be interesting to see what you make of it. I definitely prefer it to Lovecraft but enjoy his work too.

[The House on the Borderland]

The House on the Borderland

The original novel is one of the finest works of weird literature ever - pure, distilled Hodgson. 'The Night Land', his epic, sprawling treatment of similar themes, is even better, though nothing like as concise or accessible.

I tried looking for a copy of the original novel in my library, but couldn't locate one. It seems to be out of print or hard to find. 

That said, I'll still keep looking. Hodgson's life was a tragic and fascinating one, it's a shame he never got the same recognition as his contemporaries.

The book is readily available on Amazon, where there are many different versions to choose from, there are used ones for as little as 86p (plus p&p!!). I have two different copies of this myself I love it so much!

As far as I am concerned The House On The Borderland is the greatest example of weird literature bar none and I have been enthralled by it since I first read it back in the early eighties. The comic adaption is okay but doesn't reach the heights of the original novel and because of that I would suggest you read the novel first.

Saw this earlier and I must say it has made my day! Though I must say, in complete contrast to NapalmKev, I think the TV series was far superior to any of the films. To each their own!

Just ordered one of these as it looks excellent. As I am an impatient sort may I ask how long it will be before I get my hands on it?
Cheers

As there is one place left I think I will go for it and do something for the 4th!

I know the store says 5 days for postage on busy periods (and then it'll be a couple of days delivery on top of that) but has anyone got there stuff yet?

I've never ordered off the store before so don't know if I should expect a dispatch notice or if the books will just turn up.

I've used the on-line store quite a few times and the books just turn up around five days after ordering. There is no dispatch notice.

Apologies! Screwed up the last post, it should have just read:

A lot of Richard Corbens stuff needs reprinting, especially this and Den. I was lucky enough to pick up a copy of The Last Voyage Of Sinbad about twenty two years ago for the princely sum of £1.99!! That was in the old Comic Showcase in London which is sadly no more.

[The Last Voyage of Sinbad]

The Last Voyage of Sinbad by Richard Corben & Jan Strnad;

http://nexuswookie.wordpress.com/2013/10/25/the-last-voyage-of-sinbad-by-richard-corben-jan-strnad-review/

Absolutely magical stuff!

A lot of Richard Corbens stuff needs reprinting, especially this and Den. I was lucky enough to pick up a copy of The Last Voyage Of Sinbad about twenty two years ago for the princely sum of £1.99!! That was in the old Comic Showcase in London which is sadly no more.

It's on my birthday list (as long as its a reasonable price), that an Book Of Scars.

It's out of print therefore a good price may be hard to come by. The best I saw was a hardcover version on Amazon for £25.00 and even that is quite a bargain because the paperback version can cost anything upto £45.00. I was lucky enough to nab my copy for a tenner from eBay, I think my advice would be to keep an eye out for any copies over there. One might turn up for a good price sooner or later. As I stated in my review, a reprint is long overdue.

A favourite for me is prog 86, the first prog of the combined 2000ad and Starlord. For my money this prog is where the 2000ad golden age really began, when the best of the two comics combined.