Have you heard of E.F Benson? He was a student of James. (He'd go to the Christmas readings where James would read his ghost stories.) He's great, maybe even an equal
Lovin’ these recommendations -- I actually have a Palahniuk pile (no, that’s not a medical condition).
Chuck, thanks for recommending Mark Leyner’s ‘Et Tu, Babe’ btw. Any book that can make me genuinely laugh out loud has me enthralled and this one had me in like the first 4 pages.
Same here! I really enjoyed Leyner’s book as well—- encouraged to read more of his work. I hit a library book sale today and found some Chuck recommendations. Mostly on audio cd—where I found “Doomed” on disc. Ton of goodies and only spent a bit over $30.00. Found a bunch of first edition Chelsea Cain books, too! I’ve only read her memoir so far—-looking forward to reading her fiction work!
Sounds like you stumbled on some literary loot -- nice! I’m also in the same position with Leyner; It’s great going through the catalogue of persons work once you’re introduced to them.
I've never read Thurnley Abbey, but your summary reminds me of a Robert Redford film, The Discovery. Many of your points are explored. Redford portrays a man who scientifically proved the soul carries on in an alternate dimension by using tech he invented to see through a dead mind. The recording was irrefutable evidence of life after after death and once disseminated, the world began mass-suicides. I'd argue that what he filmed seemed hellish and nothing to aspire for. But people ending their life because they have a spare, well, is that really suicide if you know you're not going to die? I'd call it Multiverse Mutiny, but whatever. The film has an uncomfortable twist ending that redefines the entire movie, but the logic's still there.
It's shit like this that turns me on. I'm an atheist-multiverse-theory-whore. Give me more of the good shit!
My favorite ghost stories are the ones where the narrator ends up haunted by a ghost when he doesn’t believe in ghosts. (Your very own, The Lady, is a personal favorite). I attribute this preference to my own recognition that my disbelief in ghosts is more a defense mechanism than a reasoned worldview. I wonder if this story is one of the first to use that trope? At any rate, I find it to be the aspect of a ghost story most guaranteed to give me chills.
Other things I liked? He beat the shit out of that ghost! I loved he didn’t scream or cower. So many great sense details of shredding the skeletal figure before confronting his host. I think that fake out (it’s just a prop!) also adds to the chills.
About the Victorian porch, doesn’t the dragging out of the story add to the dread? As readers, we know we’re about to read a ghost story, we’re expecting some spook, so doesn’t each paragraph that delays that encounter heighten our sense that something is off? How would you recommend creating dread? (Or does anyone have a good contemporary example?)
Finally, yeah, the unanswered question is how many dudes has Colvin convinced to let him share their cabin? The abbey event happened years ago! For all we know, he’s always at sea, always traveling, always hoping to outrun the Thurnley Abbey spectre!
I'd imagine it was influenced by M.R James' stories. He started the modern ghost story; you might wanna check him out if you're into the above. Most of his protagonists tend to be scientific sceptic types
I loved how he beat the crap out of the ghost... I had goosebumps. The answer to what would you do if a 'Devilish' spirit creeped on you? I'd 100 percent punch it aswell.
There’s an amusement park where I grew up, Six Flags Over Texas, that every October used to let groups fundraise by volunteering to work 3 hour shifts in one of their temporary haunted houses. The volunteers would raise money for their group, and then be allowed in the park for free. Both my high school student council and Boy Scout troop took advantage of this opportunity. There would be multiple spooky scenes park goers would walk through. We’d be dressed similar to the dummies in the style of whatever theme the house was that year (clowns, aliens, etc.) Our job would be to jump and scream. Usually, the toughest one of the group screamed the loudest, ran to the back. But yeah, occasionally, someone would take a terrified swing at you before the laughing relieved realization it was all fake. I never got hit, there was a line we weren’t supposed to cross that protected us.
My father, however, loved volunteering to scare people. Almost every night in October he would go. He told me about secret passages that if someone screamed a lot early on in the house, he would creep to the end to scare them again. Or sometimes get close behind them and whisper, “don’t turn around.” I wouldn’t be surprised if he had to dodge a few fists
A group of us teenagers decided to go on a search for demons. On the 27th day of Ramadan. During this day, the myth goes that all demons are locked in hell. Off we go, in the middle of the night, weaponized with knives and holy books. We found an unmarked grave in the middle of nowhere. We ran all the way back home... it even sobered some of us who were high on weed. Looking back, was it haunted? Or was it a grave of someone murdered? An honor killing? Especially when at the way home, two adult men holding sickles chased and caught us, then questioned what we're doing there. At that moment, I knew ghosts aren't a real threat but, humans are.
Wil, for my “bachelorette party,” my sister and I went to Cedar Point during Halloweekends. They had this scare area you had to go through to get to the rides we wanted. You had to buy a pass if you didn’t want to be jumped at. Of course we didn’t buy the pass, and go figure, my sister couldn’t stop making eye contact with the scarers and we were screaming every other step! Haha it was hilarious. I’m smacking her arm like stop looking at them!! And she’s like, I can’t help it!!!!!!! Ahhhh…we ran.
Also, I am the girl at the haunted house who will push down children if they are in my path to escape from a man with a chainsaw!! True story. Can’t handle it. Never could. Was climbing my dad at the haunted house when I was a kid and that chainsaw man came out. My legs just go when they hear one still to this day.
And if we’re sharing story recommendations, have you ever read C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce? It’s been a while since I read it, but if memory serves it’s an excellent existentialist conception/allegory of a traditional Christian afterlife. (The premise of the allegory is the spirits of the damned can vacation back to earth or heaven whenever they choose; the book is a bunch of observed dialogues/scenes that show why damned spirits would choose not to take those vacations). And yes, it’s either terrifying or encouraging, in that it reverses the reasonable approach to hell as God being a giant dick and instead - reveals it’s all of us who are the satisfied-with-self-alone dicks).
But seriously, for another post, I’d be curious to hear what research, if any, you did for Damned/Doomed/Fight Club 3? And your approach to research for a novel, in general. Is it all mining your life and story seeding at parties? Or do you ever have to spend months at the library to make the world of your characters authentic?
Chuck have you heard/read E.F Benson's The room in the tower? When you mentioned "the chorus" and the writing chapters like songs; this is a perfect example "Jack will show you your room, I have given you the room in the tower" It's meaning changes no matter how many times it's repeated and is fantastic dread building. Personally think it works even better as an audiobook. It's on the same YouTube channel
I had never heard of this author or story before and see it has some things in common with a story I've been working on for a while (can't quite get the gears of it to mesh up just right) that is about what happens after death and includes characters who have been in a rebranded purgatory for a while and a demon on work release who is an agent at the equivalent of the DMV of the afterlife. I think it has potential and hope to share it if there is a second call for stories.
It was pretty great. I enjoyed the way it's done, with the quotes.
As usual, when reading a ghost story, i suspect everyone to be a ghost.
I enjoy the old time descriptions, don't know if that's a old time habbit but the book under the pillow was cool.
the use of "wagon lit" was a nice touch also (don't you guys have a word for it ?)
I use to have fun with this concept of french word used in english, like inventing New ones (i'm french) and had good laughts about it. Like someone who keep a short beard is called "barbe de trois jours" here, so we said something like "he was looking great with his barbe de trois jours" (pronounced with english accent, like déjà vu. ) Another exemple was "demie molle" for a semi-hard érection...
I Saw the use of a train for transportation as a metaphor for one way journey, no way to make a u turn or even a turn actually. You're on the rails, full steam ahead.
As i was reading the story, i imagined that my plot would have been that the narrator is a ghost and the train takes him to an Abbey, a place that was chosen for him to hunt. There he'd discover, spending time with living people and ghosts without noticing at first that he probably is one.
Have you heard of E.F Benson? He was a student of James. (He'd go to the Christmas readings where James would read his ghost stories.) He's great, maybe even an equal
if you haven’t you really need to read house of leaves. one of the best
Lovin’ these recommendations -- I actually have a Palahniuk pile (no, that’s not a medical condition).
Chuck, thanks for recommending Mark Leyner’s ‘Et Tu, Babe’ btw. Any book that can make me genuinely laugh out loud has me enthralled and this one had me in like the first 4 pages.
Same here! I really enjoyed Leyner’s book as well—- encouraged to read more of his work. I hit a library book sale today and found some Chuck recommendations. Mostly on audio cd—where I found “Doomed” on disc. Ton of goodies and only spent a bit over $30.00. Found a bunch of first edition Chelsea Cain books, too! I’ve only read her memoir so far—-looking forward to reading her fiction work!
Sounds like you stumbled on some literary loot -- nice! I’m also in the same position with Leyner; It’s great going through the catalogue of persons work once you’re introduced to them.
I've never read Thurnley Abbey, but your summary reminds me of a Robert Redford film, The Discovery. Many of your points are explored. Redford portrays a man who scientifically proved the soul carries on in an alternate dimension by using tech he invented to see through a dead mind. The recording was irrefutable evidence of life after after death and once disseminated, the world began mass-suicides. I'd argue that what he filmed seemed hellish and nothing to aspire for. But people ending their life because they have a spare, well, is that really suicide if you know you're not going to die? I'd call it Multiverse Mutiny, but whatever. The film has an uncomfortable twist ending that redefines the entire movie, but the logic's still there.
It's shit like this that turns me on. I'm an atheist-multiverse-theory-whore. Give me more of the good shit!
Let's play Scrabble.
Oh, a squirrel!
[Stop talking, asshole.]
Oops, sorry.
Cool story. Thanks, Chuck.
My favorite ghost stories are the ones where the narrator ends up haunted by a ghost when he doesn’t believe in ghosts. (Your very own, The Lady, is a personal favorite). I attribute this preference to my own recognition that my disbelief in ghosts is more a defense mechanism than a reasoned worldview. I wonder if this story is one of the first to use that trope? At any rate, I find it to be the aspect of a ghost story most guaranteed to give me chills.
Other things I liked? He beat the shit out of that ghost! I loved he didn’t scream or cower. So many great sense details of shredding the skeletal figure before confronting his host. I think that fake out (it’s just a prop!) also adds to the chills.
About the Victorian porch, doesn’t the dragging out of the story add to the dread? As readers, we know we’re about to read a ghost story, we’re expecting some spook, so doesn’t each paragraph that delays that encounter heighten our sense that something is off? How would you recommend creating dread? (Or does anyone have a good contemporary example?)
Finally, yeah, the unanswered question is how many dudes has Colvin convinced to let him share their cabin? The abbey event happened years ago! For all we know, he’s always at sea, always traveling, always hoping to outrun the Thurnley Abbey spectre!
I'd imagine it was influenced by M.R James' stories. He started the modern ghost story; you might wanna check him out if you're into the above. Most of his protagonists tend to be scientific sceptic types
Good audio book! The story did a good job building tension at the abbey. Loved how he handled the "ghost." lol
Will listen tonight after the rug rats are asleep!! Keep your fingers crossed for me; one is teething. 😬
I loved how he beat the crap out of the ghost... I had goosebumps. The answer to what would you do if a 'Devilish' spirit creeped on you? I'd 100 percent punch it aswell.
There’s an amusement park where I grew up, Six Flags Over Texas, that every October used to let groups fundraise by volunteering to work 3 hour shifts in one of their temporary haunted houses. The volunteers would raise money for their group, and then be allowed in the park for free. Both my high school student council and Boy Scout troop took advantage of this opportunity. There would be multiple spooky scenes park goers would walk through. We’d be dressed similar to the dummies in the style of whatever theme the house was that year (clowns, aliens, etc.) Our job would be to jump and scream. Usually, the toughest one of the group screamed the loudest, ran to the back. But yeah, occasionally, someone would take a terrified swing at you before the laughing relieved realization it was all fake. I never got hit, there was a line we weren’t supposed to cross that protected us.
My father, however, loved volunteering to scare people. Almost every night in October he would go. He told me about secret passages that if someone screamed a lot early on in the house, he would creep to the end to scare them again. Or sometimes get close behind them and whisper, “don’t turn around.” I wouldn’t be surprised if he had to dodge a few fists
The only haunted place story I have.
A group of us teenagers decided to go on a search for demons. On the 27th day of Ramadan. During this day, the myth goes that all demons are locked in hell. Off we go, in the middle of the night, weaponized with knives and holy books. We found an unmarked grave in the middle of nowhere. We ran all the way back home... it even sobered some of us who were high on weed. Looking back, was it haunted? Or was it a grave of someone murdered? An honor killing? Especially when at the way home, two adult men holding sickles chased and caught us, then questioned what we're doing there. At that moment, I knew ghosts aren't a real threat but, humans are.
This sounds like an excellent story!! Unpack it!
It’s universal! Idiot kids go searching for something which they know would be better to avoid! I wrote my (also true) version of that story this past Halloween: https://wildalton.substack.com/p/the-halloween-memories-i-didnt-share
You think so! Knowing right now, I would just butcher it with the 2 cents worth writing skills I have.. I'll do it anyway.
Wil, for my “bachelorette party,” my sister and I went to Cedar Point during Halloweekends. They had this scare area you had to go through to get to the rides we wanted. You had to buy a pass if you didn’t want to be jumped at. Of course we didn’t buy the pass, and go figure, my sister couldn’t stop making eye contact with the scarers and we were screaming every other step! Haha it was hilarious. I’m smacking her arm like stop looking at them!! And she’s like, I can’t help it!!!!!!! Ahhhh…we ran.
Also, I am the girl at the haunted house who will push down children if they are in my path to escape from a man with a chainsaw!! True story. Can’t handle it. Never could. Was climbing my dad at the haunted house when I was a kid and that chainsaw man came out. My legs just go when they hear one still to this day.
Those kids should have been faster! That maniac behind y’all had a chainsaw!
And if we’re sharing story recommendations, have you ever read C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce? It’s been a while since I read it, but if memory serves it’s an excellent existentialist conception/allegory of a traditional Christian afterlife. (The premise of the allegory is the spirits of the damned can vacation back to earth or heaven whenever they choose; the book is a bunch of observed dialogues/scenes that show why damned spirits would choose not to take those vacations). And yes, it’s either terrifying or encouraging, in that it reverses the reasonable approach to hell as God being a giant dick and instead - reveals it’s all of us who are the satisfied-with-self-alone dicks).
But seriously, for another post, I’d be curious to hear what research, if any, you did for Damned/Doomed/Fight Club 3? And your approach to research for a novel, in general. Is it all mining your life and story seeding at parties? Or do you ever have to spend months at the library to make the world of your characters authentic?
Chuck have you heard/read E.F Benson's The room in the tower? When you mentioned "the chorus" and the writing chapters like songs; this is a perfect example "Jack will show you your room, I have given you the room in the tower" It's meaning changes no matter how many times it's repeated and is fantastic dread building. Personally think it works even better as an audiobook. It's on the same YouTube channel
Sounds fascinating. I will look for it. Thank you. On Youtube?
Certainly is: same reader as Thurnley Abbey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Jzx03yfEy0&t=49s&ab_channel=BitesizedAudioClassics
I love the post so much I almost feel like I don't need to read the story...
I had never heard of this author or story before and see it has some things in common with a story I've been working on for a while (can't quite get the gears of it to mesh up just right) that is about what happens after death and includes characters who have been in a rebranded purgatory for a while and a demon on work release who is an agent at the equivalent of the DMV of the afterlife. I think it has potential and hope to share it if there is a second call for stories.
I would make Colvin a ghost. He goes to this man's room and we discover that he too is an apparition
It was pretty great. I enjoyed the way it's done, with the quotes.
As usual, when reading a ghost story, i suspect everyone to be a ghost.
I enjoy the old time descriptions, don't know if that's a old time habbit but the book under the pillow was cool.
the use of "wagon lit" was a nice touch also (don't you guys have a word for it ?)
I use to have fun with this concept of french word used in english, like inventing New ones (i'm french) and had good laughts about it. Like someone who keep a short beard is called "barbe de trois jours" here, so we said something like "he was looking great with his barbe de trois jours" (pronounced with english accent, like déjà vu. ) Another exemple was "demie molle" for a semi-hard érection...
I Saw the use of a train for transportation as a metaphor for one way journey, no way to make a u turn or even a turn actually. You're on the rails, full steam ahead.
As i was reading the story, i imagined that my plot would have been that the narrator is a ghost and the train takes him to an Abbey, a place that was chosen for him to hunt. There he'd discover, spending time with living people and ghosts without noticing at first that he probably is one.
Thanks for sharing it Chuck, it was interesting.