Grady Hendrix Knows “How to Sell a Haunted House!”

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I was never interested in attending a book signing until I learned Grady Hendrix was coming to Chicago. It was five years ago that his book, “Paperbacks from Hell,” rekindled my love of ’80s pulp and has had me scouring the shelves of local thrift stores and used bookstores ever since. I’ve also enjoyed his own works of horror fiction which include “My Best Friend’s Exorcism,” “The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires,” and “The Final Girls Support Group.” Hendrix’s books are often more humourous than frightening but his knowledge of horror tropes is undeniable and makes for a fun read nonetheless.  I had heard that his promotional book tours were every bit as colorful as he was and quickly reserved a space on the Exile in Bookville website. 

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Andrew Neiderman’s PIN: An Above Average Paperback from Hell

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Most of the vintage horror paperbacks in my collection are a lot more fun to look at than they are to read. I should know. I plowed through as many as I could last year before landing myself in a reading rut; fatigued from an overdose of absurd plotlines and bad writing. Lately, I’ve had more success with modern novels while peppering a few old pulpy Paperbacks from Hell in-between. My latest choice, PIN by Andrew Neiderman (1981), proved a pleasant surprise. Despite featuring many of the fantastical elements of your typical ‘80s horror paperback, there are interesting psychological twists as well. Consequently, PIN is more sophisticated than many in its genre.

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The Horror/Thriller Books I Read in 2021

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My New Year’s Resolution for 2022 was the same one I had for 2021 – Read more books! You see, despite having a small library in my apartment, I’d been neglecting them in favor of zoning out in front of the TV. On the rare occasions I cracked one open, I’d find myself dozing after just a few pages. Clearly, my frenetic job coupled with social media had zapped my attention span and it was high time I did something about it. So, this time last year, I signed on on Goodreads and challenged myself to read twenty-five books in 2021. Spoiler alert: I didn’t succeed. The official number of books I completed was eighteen garnering me 72% on Goodreads. But hey, that’s still passing, right? Not surprisingly, most of them were horror or thriller stories and the ones I’ll be focusing on today.

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Horror Paperback Covers “Skeleton” Edition!

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Always like to start the new year with a horror paperback post. The movement started by Grady Hendrix’s “Paperback from Hell” back in 2017 has continued to gain momentum as more people seem to be interested in vintage (specifically ‘70s to mid-’90s) horror paperbacks than ever before. In fact, Valancourt Books has even begun reprinting some which I’d love to see usher in a new era of horror paperbacks with cover art comparable to the ones I grew up with. Can you imagine a whole new generation of killer kids, mutants, demons, and skeletons with eyeballs?  Having just finished reading William W. Johnstone’s “Sweet Dreams,” I can honestly say these books are as outlandish as their covers. And speaking of which, I’ve been scanning mine as I go, hoping to use them for upcoming projects. I thought it might be nice to post them for your enjoyment as well. Today’s theme is “Skeletons,” which I suspect might end up with “Part 2” eventually. Although most horror PB publishers used skulls and skeletons in their cover art, none did so with the fervor of Zebra Books. In fact, their skeletons did just about everything. To quote Grady Hendrix, “Lazy bones? We think not. Zebra Books and other horror publishers showed us that if they put their minds to it, skeletons could do anything from lead a pep rally to earn an advanced degree.” See for yourself…

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“Prophecy” (1979) – Book vs the Movie!

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Last month, Prophecy (1979) finally made its way to Blu-ray thanks to the good people at SHOUT/Scream Factory in honor of the film’s 40th Anniversary. Despite my already owning a copy on DVD, I anxiously ordered a copy – mostly for the “extras.” I’ve talked about my love for this film before and, despite it being chided by critics (it currently sits at 27% on Rotten Tomatoes) I think it’s a solid monster movie with a great cast and an old school effects. During one of my vintage horror paperback hunts, I managed to find a copy of the film’s novelization. Since both the book and the screenplay were written by David Seltzer (author of “The Omen”) I didn’t expect there to be much deviation between the two stories. Considering how many times I’ve seen the movie, however, I was eager to learn any further insights the book may bring. But before I get things rolling, I do have to warn anyone who hasn’t seen the movie or book (or read my previous “Book vs Movie” post on The FOG) this blog is loaded with SPOILERS. 

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Horror at the Library Book Sale…Continued!

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Continuing on with my recent horror paperback finds. In case you missed the last one, there’s a great site called Book Sale Finder that lets you know all the big ones taking place in the US throughout the year. These books are from two such sales as well as a Chicago bookstore called  Bucket O’ Blood as well as eBay. They aren’t going to get any cheaper than a local sale so take advantage of that site! Here’s the final rundown of my latest haul…

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