Just yesterday I purchased a five-pack boxed set of Lovecraft ... my first foray into his writings. The books were: At the Mountains of Madness (and other stories); The Dunwich Horror (and other stories); The Call of Cthulhu (and other stories); The Randolph Carter Tales; and Macabre Stories.
I love the Picture of Dorian Gray! I think it’s a really good illustration of what happens to you and your personality when you hang around the wrong people. Dorian was sub h a good person before he met Lord Henry. I take it as my cautionary tale to be careful about who your friends are or who you hang around and let influence you.
Just discovered your channel... What a treasure! Great content about subjects I absolutely love. I'm from Brazil and only recently this Frankenstein edition (with the illustrations by Bernie Wrightson) was first published here. Damn, what a piece of art. Reading it has been a totally new experience to me. Also, it's great to see Lovecraft as #1, he deserves this position! I find it impossible to accurately describe the experience of reading a work by Lovecraft. You just have to read it, experience it.
Poe has been a longtime favorite of mine. I discovered M.R. James last year, and he instantly became one of my favorite authors. He does creeping dread so well, and doesn't disappoint when he finally hits you with the spooks!
The Picture of Dorian Grey has been my favorite since I was a teenager. I love all of Oscar Wilde's writing, but this one is my favorite. I'm glad you finally got around to reading it.
Excellent list-a lot of old friends, and a few names I have yet to try. Thanks for the additions to my TBR. Subbed immediately, and I look forward to watching your future videos!
Thank you for the video. A great Top Ten for a genre I thought I'm not so much into, but I could find interesst for all the books you mentioned. Frankenstein I reread two times last year, to compare the 1803 to the 1834 version. And then I added "Frankissstein" by Jeanette Winterson to the mix, great experience. Enjoy your reading.
I've heard of most of these, but not The Great God Pan - it sounds amazing. Your copy of Frankenstein looks absolutely stunning, it's such a wonderful classic, one of my favourites that I read in Uni.
The Great God Pan is great. Really worth checking out. Yeah, I was pretty happy to find that copy of Frankenstein! The first edition of that version was published by Marvel comics back in the early 80s!
How did I not comment on your second video ever until now? Fantastic list, of course. You’ve introduced me to all of these great authors, and so many more. I should pick up a Machen collection that includes The Great God Pan once I’m done with this Book Buying Ban.
Oh I completed that 15 book challenge already. No problem! I’m glad you liked this dusty old video. My outfit was terrible! I’m glad I got that sorted.
Hi, Mike. I just discovered your channel and love it. You put out great content and now I am watching most of your videos in one sitting. I have already read most of HP Lovecraft's works, Dracula, Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Dorian Gray is gonna be my next read. It's cool that you read comics as well. I am looking forward to your future content. Best wishes from Germany!
This is such a powerhouse list and I really admire how you delivered on your pledge to come out with this video as soon as possible. Speculative fiction is such a fascinating realm in general and some of the best horror writers have dipped into science fiction and vice-versa. H.G. Wells' writings arguably has elements of both and he is someone I would like to explore a bit more at some point in time. I really need to read Sheridan Le Fanu and Algernon Blackwood as well, for I have heard of their writing, but have yet to read it. Edgar Allan Poe genuinely is a pioneer of horror fiction, even if he is viewed as the father of the modern mystery. Poe is best when he writes horror, for he has tried other areas, such as what is evident in MS. Found in a Bottle and has not done as well. His poetry is great, but a lot of these are either horror or odes (or both). Frankenstein and Dracula are classics for sure and I agree that the original works are the best versions, even if they have created great franchises since the 20th century. H.P. Lovecraft is frequently deemed the best horror fiction writer of all-time. I saw him at #1 on both lists that I have examined on the subject. I will say, though, that I have yet to find a work of his that I would say I was enthusiastic about. I will need to keep exploring, though. Thank you for sharing! -Josh
And thank you for making the effort! In this case, I actually own some version of all the books you list, but for those watching who don't - check them out, Mike has compiled an excellent selection of "must-read" horror titles. Looking forward to your fantasy and s-f recommendations, perhaps I'll be made aware of authors or books I haven't yet read.
Just discovered your channel today, and I'm starting to watch most of your videos. I agree those books rank among the best in the field, and I'll check that Wrightson's illustrated Frankenstein. Greetings from Perú, South America.
Great to see Lovecraft at the top. Dreams from the witch house will always be my favourite I think. I occasionally see Brown Jenkin from the corner of my eye...
Wow that's almost exactly the list i would have made with the exception of M.R. James because i havent been able to get the book (I live in Panama and have to order from the US almost everything). I will add to your list an honorable mention: Ambrose Bierce weird tales, they are fantastic. Great video
This is great! Love your opinions and commentary. Have you read any Stephen King? Would love to hear your thoughts and commentary on his more popular books.
I should have said it was the first non-children’s book I read. If memory serves I read it right after Frog and Toad are Friends. It was my Mom’s copy and she was always a bad influence!
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 🤣 Nice! Ok that makes more sense! My dad was my reading influencer. He didn't actually read that much but he was a huge science fiction and fantasy guy. His rule was in bed at 9pm and you can either sleep or read until 9:30. When I ran out of Little Golden Books to read, I took books from his shelf! I still have his copies of Lord Of The Rings!
What's your favourite Hp Lovecraft story? Mines Pickman's model. The colour out of space is a close second because I love the ending depiction when part of the alien shoots off into space (also the body horror aspect creeps me out thanks to my imagination).
You should check out this great ghost story, The fire in fortitude! By Melissa Scott, It blew my mind, part two had me up all night, it is a complete page turner, you should check it out. The legend of Beebledosh is about to take the world by storm.
I'm beginning to think M.R. James is the best of them all. No author understands the inner workings of nightmare logic better - see "Oh, Whistle and I'll Come to You, My Lad", "Martin's Close", "Count Magnus", etc.
The Blackwood Discrepancy, (a Holmes story as yet not written?), stems from the modern publisher's shenanigans to set that particular edition apart from others from other publishers. Public Domain Shuffle, basically. Also, the use of "weird" on the front cover will draw in the Weird Fiction audience, whereas "strange" won't.
Old video and ur probably not going to see this but where did u get ur leather bound copy of dagon and the other hp lovecraft book, they look incredible and I have no clue where to find them
If you are asking about Dagon and Other Macabre Tales, that set there on my shelf is the Arkham House set. Those books are not leather bound actually, they are just missing their dust jackets. That set can be tricky to find, though you can get them on EBay. Thanks for watching this video. It was only the second one I ever did.
How is it possible to win The National Book Award for fiction and then fall completely off the charts? That's what happened to Walter Wangerin Jr. who won for The Book of the Dun Cow, with the hero drawn from Chaucer. The book is a fantasy and the horror is somewhat mitigated by a happy ending. The author then followed it up with a sequel The Book of Sorrows which has an ending that was probably too horrifying for the fantasy fans who devoured the first book. Wangerin then made it into a trilogy with Peace at the Last in which he tried to create a happy ending based on Chaucer? but it hasn't yet worked for me. I hope that my third reading of the ending will finally convince me. Anyway Vaughn Manor desperately needs the first two books in the trilogy!
Variations allow filmmakers to make a version that is theirs alone, allowing them to protect copyright and merchandising profits. It's all only about money. Disney perfected this. Read the original Pinnochio if you like horror and want to see what he did. Or ask why Winnie the Pooh is all American voices? Or how come Disney's PETER PAN gets to profit from a work J M Barrie bequeathed entirely to the London Children's Hospital ...
Frankenstein deals with God as an Absentee landlord, which was prevalent in the thinking of many during that era. If he does interact, he blames the creatures for their shortcomings even though he made them that way, similar to the later work 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐼𝑠𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑟. 𝑀𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑢. The conversation in Frankenstein of Victor and the monster is a fine piece of work: "I expected this reception," said the dæmon. "All men hate the wretched; how, then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things! Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy creature, to whom thou art bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us. You purpose to kill me. How dare you sport thus with life? Do your duty towards me, and I will do mine towards you and the rest of mankind. If you will comply with my conditions, I will leave them and you at peace; but if you refuse, I will glut the maw of death, until it be satiated with the blood of your remaining friends."
Just yesterday I purchased a five-pack boxed set of Lovecraft ... my first foray into his writings. The books were: At the Mountains of Madness (and other stories); The Dunwich Horror (and other stories); The Call of Cthulhu (and other stories); The Randolph Carter Tales; and Macabre Stories.
I love the Picture of Dorian Gray! I think it’s a really good illustration of what happens to you and your personality when you hang around the wrong people. Dorian was sub h a good person before he met Lord Henry. I take it as my cautionary tale to be careful about who your friends are or who you hang around and let influence you.
Just discovered your channel... What a treasure! Great content about subjects I absolutely love. I'm from Brazil and only recently this Frankenstein edition (with the illustrations by Bernie Wrightson) was first published here. Damn, what a piece of art. Reading it has been a totally new experience to me. Also, it's great to see Lovecraft as #1, he deserves this position! I find it impossible to accurately describe the experience of reading a work by Lovecraft. You just have to read it, experience it.
Poe has been a longtime favorite of mine. I discovered M.R. James last year, and he instantly became one of my favorite authors. He does creeping dread so well, and doesn't disappoint when he finally hits you with the spooks!
I love M. R. James. My appreciation for his work just keeps growing over time.
Great list! Machen's Great God Pan is my favourite. And every year around Halloween I embark on an M.R. James binge.
Thanks so much!
I wrote a instrumental 2 the Great God Pan.
The Picture of Dorian Grey has been my favorite since I was a teenager. I love all of Oscar Wilde's writing, but this one is my favorite. I'm glad you finally got around to reading it.
Excellent list-a lot of old friends, and a few names I have yet to try. Thanks for the additions to my TBR. Subbed immediately, and I look forward to watching your future videos!
Thank you for the video. A great Top Ten for a genre I thought I'm not so much into, but I could find interesst for all the books you mentioned. Frankenstein I reread two times last year, to compare the 1803 to the 1834 version. And then I added "Frankissstein" by Jeanette Winterson to the mix, great experience. Enjoy your reading.
I've heard of most of these, but not The Great God Pan - it sounds amazing. Your copy of Frankenstein looks absolutely stunning, it's such a wonderful classic, one of my favourites that I read in Uni.
The Great God Pan is great. Really worth checking out. Yeah, I was pretty happy to find that copy of Frankenstein! The first edition of that version was published by Marvel comics back in the early 80s!
Thanks for the recommendations. Will definitely look for some of these.
Michael! Didn’t know you were doing this! Awesome list and well presented - congratulations!
Thanks so much!
How did I not comment on your second video ever until now? Fantastic list, of course. You’ve introduced me to all of these great authors, and so many more. I should pick up a Machen collection that includes The Great God Pan once I’m done with this Book Buying Ban.
Oh I completed that 15 book challenge already. No problem! I’m glad you liked this dusty old video. My outfit was terrible! I’m glad I got that sorted.
Hi, Mike. I just discovered your channel and love it. You put out great content and now I am watching most of your videos in one sitting. I have already read most of HP Lovecraft's works, Dracula, Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Dorian Gray is gonna be my next read. It's cool that you read comics as well. I am looking forward to your future content. Best wishes from Germany!
Thanks! I really appreciate you watching! You have magnificent taste in literature, obviously! I hope all is well with you in Germany.
I survived “The Island of Dr Moreau” in the theater with Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer. That was a horror.
The horror... The horror...
This is such a powerhouse list and I really admire how you delivered on your pledge to come out with this video as soon as possible. Speculative fiction is such a fascinating realm in general and some of the best horror writers have dipped into science fiction and vice-versa. H.G. Wells' writings arguably has elements of both and he is someone I would like to explore a bit more at some point in time. I really need to read Sheridan Le Fanu and Algernon Blackwood as well, for I have heard of their writing, but have yet to read it. Edgar Allan Poe genuinely is a pioneer of horror fiction, even if he is viewed as the father of the modern mystery. Poe is best when he writes horror, for he has tried other areas, such as what is evident in MS. Found in a Bottle and has not done as well. His poetry is great, but a lot of these are either horror or odes (or both). Frankenstein and Dracula are classics for sure and I agree that the original works are the best versions, even if they have created great franchises since the 20th century. H.P. Lovecraft is frequently deemed the best horror fiction writer of all-time. I saw him at #1 on both lists that I have examined on the subject. I will say, though, that I have yet to find a work of his that I would say I was enthusiastic about. I will need to keep exploring, though. Thank you for sharing! -Josh
Thank you! I appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment!
And thank you for making the effort! In this case, I actually own some version of all the books you list, but for those watching who don't - check them out, Mike has compiled an excellent selection of "must-read" horror titles. Looking forward to your fantasy and s-f recommendations, perhaps I'll be made aware of authors or books I haven't yet read.
Thanks!
Thank you for the recommendations!📚
You are very welcome! Thanks for watching!
Just discovered your channel today, and I'm starting to watch most of your videos. I agree those books rank among the best in the field, and I'll check that Wrightson's illustrated Frankenstein. Greetings from Perú, South America.
Greetings Jose! Thanks for watching!
Great to see Lovecraft at the top. Dreams from the witch house will always be my favourite I think. I occasionally see Brown Jenkin from the corner of my eye...
Interesting to see how your delivery has changed in just 1 short year. I've really been enjoying your videos.
Thanks! I’m really weird in the early videos! It seems like I was replaced by a sedate alien who says uhhhh a lot. I really should redo this one.
Dracula is about more than vampires. Like sexual discovery of the era, social mores of the era. Very very deep book.
Great selections and some beautiful editions.
Thanks!
Awesome video. I do need to read Frankenstein and Dracula. Really interesting and enjoyable list. I subscribed too. Great job.
Thanks a lot, I appreciate it!
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 Your very welcome Michael, I'm so pleased that I subscribed to your channel.
Wow that's almost exactly the list i would have made with the exception of M.R. James because i havent been able to get the book (I live in Panama and have to order from the US almost everything). I will add to your list an honorable mention: Ambrose Bierce weird tales, they are fantastic. Great video
Wow, thank you! This was only my second video, so I really appreciate your kind words.
Great list
The painting used in the movie version of The Picture of Dorian Gray can be seen at the Chicago Art Institute
I wonder if it is still aging?
This is great! Love your opinions and commentary.
Have you read any Stephen King? Would love to hear your thoughts and commentary on his more popular books.
I actually have a Stephen King video in mind! Thanks!
Blackwood, Machen, & H.P. Lovecraft all 3 great writers. I have read and reread all 3 authors.
I've either read or have most of these! Great list 👍
Thanks! I appreciate that. Thanks for watching!
Dracula was the first book you read!? How did that happen!?
Really good list Michael! Welcome to BookTube! ❤
I should have said it was the first non-children’s book I read. If memory serves I read it right after Frog and Toad are Friends. It was my Mom’s copy and she was always a bad influence!
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 🤣 Nice! Ok that makes more sense! My dad was my reading influencer. He didn't actually read that much but he was a huge science fiction and fantasy guy. His rule was in bed at 9pm and you can either sleep or read until 9:30. When I ran out of Little Golden Books to read, I took books from his shelf! I still have his copies of Lord Of The Rings!
The Great God Pan is generally published as a stand-alone novella. Anthologies and collections often eschew it for that reason.
What's your favourite Hp Lovecraft story?
Mines Pickman's model. The colour out of space is a close second because I love the ending depiction when part of the alien shoots off into space (also the body horror aspect creeps me out thanks to my imagination).
That’s a tough one. Probably Whisperer in Darkness. Not everything works in that story but it still creeps me out.
Could you list the books in the comments section? Thanks 👍
You should check out this great ghost story, The fire in fortitude! By Melissa Scott, It blew my mind, part two had me up all night, it is a complete page turner, you should check it out. The legend of Beebledosh is about to take the world by storm.
The Great God Pan Edition you have is beautiful! Have you watched the web series?
Web series? I didn’t even know there was one! Worth checking out?
Excellent selections!
Thanks! I appreciate you watching! I just checked out your channel. Look at all those cool videos! Fantastic!
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 Thank you! I like your channel also, though I just found it this morning. I'll be watching more.
I'm beginning to think M.R. James is the best of them all. No author understands the inner workings of nightmare logic better - see "Oh, Whistle and I'll Come to You, My Lad", "Martin's Close", "Count Magnus", etc.
Have you read Holmes vs DRACULA by Loren D. Estleman? Fun book.
I have not! I’m going to have to hunt down a copy!
👍
The Blackwood Discrepancy, (a Holmes story as yet not written?), stems from the modern publisher's shenanigans to set that particular edition apart from others from other publishers. Public Domain Shuffle, basically. Also, the use of "weird" on the front cover will draw in the Weird Fiction audience, whereas "strange" won't.
Interesting! Weird draws an audience. How strange.
Are there 2 Volumes to that annotated version of Lovecraft?
There are, yes.
Nosferatu (1979) is the closest thing to an adaptation of Dracula 12:00
Old video and ur probably not going to see this but where did u get ur leather bound copy of dagon and the other hp lovecraft book, they look incredible and I have no clue where to find them
If you are asking about Dagon and Other Macabre Tales, that set there on my shelf is the Arkham House set. Those books are not leather bound actually, they are just missing their dust jackets. That set can be tricky to find, though you can get them on EBay. Thanks for watching this video. It was only the second one I ever did.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 yes I realised my mistake after commenting alhtough I personally really like how they look without the dust jacket
No 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' again?
I never considered it Horror, scary as the Hound was.
How is it possible to win The National Book Award for fiction and then fall completely off the charts? That's what happened to Walter Wangerin Jr. who won for The Book of the Dun Cow, with the hero drawn from Chaucer. The book is a fantasy and the horror is somewhat mitigated by a happy ending. The author then followed it up with a sequel The Book of Sorrows which has an ending that was probably too horrifying for the fantasy fans who devoured the first book. Wangerin then made it into a trilogy with Peace at the Last in which he tried to create a happy ending based on Chaucer? but it hasn't yet worked for me. I hope that my third reading of the ending will finally convince me. Anyway Vaughn Manor desperately needs the first two books in the trilogy!
Variations allow filmmakers to make a version that is theirs alone, allowing them to protect copyright and merchandising profits. It's all only about money. Disney perfected this. Read the original Pinnochio if you like horror and want to see what he did. Or ask why Winnie the Pooh is all American voices? Or how come Disney's PETER PAN gets to profit from a work J M Barrie bequeathed entirely to the London Children's Hospital ...
Where is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?
That’s a good question! Who made this dumb video anyway!?
Frankenstein deals with God as an Absentee landlord, which was prevalent in the thinking of many during that era. If he does interact, he blames the creatures for their shortcomings even though he made them that way, similar to the later work 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐼𝑠𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑟. 𝑀𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑢.
The conversation in Frankenstein of Victor and the monster is a fine piece of work:
"I expected this reception," said the dæmon. "All men hate the wretched; how, then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things! Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy creature, to whom thou art bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us. You purpose to kill me. How dare you sport thus with life? Do your duty towards me, and I will do mine towards you and the rest of mankind. If you will comply with my conditions, I will leave them and you at peace; but if you refuse, I will glut the maw of death, until it be satiated with the blood of your remaining friends."