Todd Mason mentioned Speaking of Horror: Conversations With Masters of the Field (1994) here. I’m a big fan of the horror writers interviewed in this volume so I immediately ordered a copy from AMAZON. But, in the order process, I discovered there was a second volume of interviews that was published in 2014. If you check out the list of writers included in these two volumes, you’ll find several whose thoughts about writing and the writing process will intrigue you. The Horror field has changed over the years and these writers address this issue, too. I learned plenty from reading these insightful interviews. You will too.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
VOLUME ONE:
Introduction
Illustrations
Robert Bloch
Ramsey Campbell
Dennis Etchison
Charles L. Grant
Tanith Lee
Thomas Ligotti
Brian Lumley
William F. Nolan
Manly Wade Wellman
Chet Williamson
F. Paul Wilson
Index
About Darrell Schweitzer
VOLUME TWO:
Joe R. Lansdale
Carrie Vaughn
Lisa Tuttle
Kim Newman
Fred Chappell
Elizabeth Massie
Brian A. Hopkins
Harry O. Morris
Sephera Giron
S.P. Somtow
Hugh B. Cave
Robert Weinberg
Gahan Wilson
Ramsey Campbell
David J. Schow
Graham Joyce
Brian Lumley
Peter Straub
I have the original edition of the first volume, and hadn’t seen the second edition’s cover, which is a clever throwback to the covers of the early issues of the MAGAZINE OF HORROR, Robert Lowndes’s magazine that was a steady if low-budget source of reprints and some original fiction throughout the ’60s and into the earliest ’70s.
Todd, I really like the “fangs” cover of VOLUME 2!
I noticed that Bloch’s was the only name omitted from the cover of Volume 1. Strange. Also, that Campbell was the only writer in both volumes. Hmm.
Nevertheless, both books are chock-filled with some of my favorite writers. I’ll be seeking out both books. Thanks, George.
Jerry, your thanks should go to Todd Mason who first alerted me to SPEAKING OF HORROR. I found SPEAKING OF HORROR, VOL. 2 on my own. Brian Lumley appears in both volumes as well.
As I note in my review, the Lumley is a micro interview in V1…it probably seemed fitting to go again. (I have had a copy of the Borgo edition of the first collection for some years, but haven’t picked up a copy of V2 yet…)
Todd, thanks again for the heads up on SPEAKING OF HORROR. Both volumes slipped past my radar! I enjoyed reading them as soon as AMAZON delivered them.
I’ve read more of the Volume 1 authors than the Volume 2. I like collections like this where authors talk about their work.
Jeff, I enjoy conversations where writer’s talk about their work (and how they do it), too!
Heard of every author except Sephera Giron. Never considered Carrie Vaughn a horror writer-always thought she wrote paranormal romances. Have to check these out.
In re Vaughn–the paranormal romance is akin to horror, at very least…and she’s written beyond both fields, as well. I am glad more women writers were interviewed for V.2.
Todd, I agree with you on the inclusion of more women writers.
Steve, the definition of “horror” is pretty elastic in these books. But all the writers have interesting things to say.
That sounds really good George – I usually love reading interviews with authors. Thanks for the tip!
Sergio, I enjoy books like SPEAKING OF HORROR. The writers’s insights are intriguing!
There have been a lot of these collections of mystery writers that I’ve read over the years too.
Some the crime-fiction volumes thus were in the mode established by sf/fantasy interviewer Charles Platt…though not him alone, as DS and Paul Walker were early collectors of their i/vs in book form as well…
Todd, I have those Charles Platt books around here somewhere.
Jeff, I have a half dozen interview volumes with mystery and SF writers. These are the first ones I run across with horror writers.
George, you should pick up Douglas Winter’s FACES OF FEAR and Stanley Wiater’s DARK DREAMERS…very much in the Platt mode.
http://socialistjazz.blogspot.com/2013/11/ffb-nonfiction-about-horror-fiction-and.html
Todd, I’m pretty sure I’ve read FACES OF FEAR. I’ll track down a copy of DARK DREAMERS. Thanks for the recommendations!
I’m beginning to realize that though you like mystery and science fiction/fantasy, your true love is horror. My, my. As you know, horror is mot my meat, so these I will skip.
Rick, I confess I’m a fan of intelligent horror like that of H. P. Lovecraft and Robert Bloch.
Oops. I accidentally invented and phrasing there, sure to catch on and “go viral” – mot my meat. Ha.
I’m not a real horor fan either, so finding your site unavailable because of “darabase error” all afternoon was a kind of horror for me, George!
Wolf, the server my blog resides on is still having “issues.” Patrick is working on the software part, but the hardware part is beyond our control.