Category: auld author

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Auld Author – The Bad Place by Dean R Koontz- by Hugh Cron

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Okay, this is a weird one.
I have a story about a story that has fuck all to do with the story.
Please bear with me.
I’d like to write about Dean R Koontz’s ‘The Bad Place’.
As I have said before, with any of these that I do, I want to tell you more why the book has stayed with me rather than all the technical stuff. I have read six or so of Mr Koontz’s books and have enjoyed them. He does have a tendency to use
children and dogs within his plots. (The dogs, I can forgive – Kids not so much!)
But this book stands out due to it being so random. Here comes the story within a story, well sort of. Years back I read something that stated Bobby Darin had said that he could write anything. Someone, a DJ, I think gave him the line ‘Splish Splash, I was taking a bath’ and well, we know the rest. The reason that I mention this is, I reckon (Wrongly, I might add!!) that Mr Koontz was bet that he couldn’t get these topics into a story.
Telekinesis.
Inter-Planetary travel.
Vampirism.
And hermaphroditism.
By fuck he did!
I give you ‘The Bad Place.’
What a bonkers but entertaining book!!
And I don’t want to spoil anything but I do need to give you one line.
When the MC knows that the evil guy was coming for him, he tried to warn his pal. They were both in a unit for Special Needs. He told his friend, ‘There’s a bad thing coming’ and the wee soul replied, ‘What, poached eggs?’
May sound like fuck all but it makes me laugh every-time I think on it!!
Koontz isn’t my favourite horror writer, I prefer King, Laymon and to me, the best ever, the late great James Herbert. But for something so inventive that, in my mind, has a link to Bobby Darin, I would suggest that you have a look at this book. It is by far, the most inventive book that I have ever read.

Hugh Cron

Hugh

auld author, Short Fiction

Auld Author – Katherine Mansfield by Leila

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The Collected Short Stories of Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923) is available on Kindle for next to nothing. She was from New Zealand and is yet another scribe whom TB scythed early.

I’m rather tired of reading “a person of his/her times.” Who isn’t? Goddam unfounded superior attitude in my mind. Anyway, all times are pretty much the same–bullshit and power rule and people must conceal their true selves or risk expulsion from their tribes. Social media is just another form of the grapevine. Anyway, Katherine Mansfield was attracted to women and was smart enough not to make that lead news in the nineteen-teens and twenties, yet she was brave about such in her work.

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Auld Author – Mark Frankland – The Cull–Hugh Cron

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This book means a lot to me.

Fuck knows how long ago it was when I read it.

It’s reasonably local as it is based in Dumfries which is around sixty miles from my door. I’ve spent many a time there through work.

This story touches on drug use and the dealers whose types I’ve had to deal with. It also explains a bit more on how young professionals got hooked on heroin early eighties. They used it to come down from the eccies so that they could continue their professions.

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Auld Author – The Physician by Noah Gordon by Diane

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Just like most of our visitors and writers, I couldn’t even begin to count the number of books I’ve read. My first real favourite was Heidi, which I read over and over and from that point on I never stopped reading. I’ve read some brilliant works, and I have read some dross. I have this thing where I’ve started, so I’ll finish, but I am slowly weaning myself out of that mindset. There are only so many years in a life after all and too many good books.

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Auld Author – Savage by Richard Laymon – by Hugh Cron

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I do love to upset a ‘Woke’

I’d actually like to punch one but you don’t see them, all you do is read their opinions – Cowardly fucks!

I have stated that you need to go with the flow with any of these that I have written as I don’t analyse, look back, do an in-depth synopsis…All I want to do is tell you why the story has stayed with me.

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Auld Author – A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith – By Leila

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“They learned no compassion from their own anguish. Thus their suffering was wasted.”

Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

There was a good film of the same name based on Betty Smith’s autobiographical novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, which came out shortly after the book was published in 1943. But as it went during the days of the Hays Code of “decency,” much of the book could not be filmed due to content that the movie people figured viewers would be offended by. This involved a wildly over-sexed female character, pedophiles, alcoholism, antisemitism, children pulled from school to work after sixth grade, suicide, racism and persevering only for the sake of survival, for no greater aim than to prolong the misery. Some of those topics (especially the gentle father’s self destruction via the bottle) were addressed passingly while others were let alone.

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Auld Author – The Bamboo Doctor by Stanley S. Pavillard by Diane

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We often talk about getting lost in a book. It’s a beautiful idea. That someone’s prose is so convincing, so overwhelming that you lose touch with reality. One of my favourite authors of all time, the late great Sir Terry Pratchett, could make you believe. I was in awe of the Great A’Tuin, amused by the Unseen University and disgusted by the sluggish flow of the river Ankh through the capital city. But, much as I loved those books and the sites and sounds of the Discworld – how beautiful is the Rimfall?-I couldn’t honestly say I was lost in them.

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Auld Author – The Library Of The Dead by Glenn Cooper by Hugh Cron

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As always, don’t expect an in-depth character review or story synopsis. I try, with these, to tell whoever wants to read, what has stayed with me and to a lesser extent, why.

I’m writing this review just after I’ve written the review for ‘The Bad Place’. This story is also a bit random and that is why it came to me. It is unique and very entertaining.

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Auld Author – Meat by Joseph D’Lacey – by Hugh

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I’ve decided to do a few of these. Now if you think they will be deep and meaningful with an in-depth synopsis you are reading the wrong review.

I will try to take these another way – I want to go off the cuff, not look back at plot and technique but simply to tell you why these have stuck with me. I will give you as much info as I can about the book, but it will be at the best, a bit sketchy. Fuck, a few of these I’ve read over twenty years back! That’s the point!!

…It is why they have stuck with me that I want to explore. And if they tweak your interest – So be it.

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