Dragon Tales

[Avante]

Went rummaging around today in Bakersfield, there are tons of thrift shops, junk stores in that city. Scored some CD's, tapes, and books. You can never have enought of those three.

I pick up this one book...Dragon Tales....which was an anthology of dragon stories by various authors, guys like...

David Drake
L. Sprague DeCamp
Orson Scott Card
L. Frank Braum

and some others. When I saw...L.Frank Braum, it was...hmmmm?...he's the guy who wrote the Wizard of Oz books. I've never read any of them but also didn't know he wrote other stuff.

In the books the scarecrow has a jack a lantern as a head. I had the books as a kid, yep, just looked at the pictures.

[sook]

The kid jokes have gotten out of hand, but I thought you were really asking for it since this is the "Dragon Tales" I thought you were referring to

[Avante]

The kid jokes have gotten out of hand, but I thought you were really asking for it since this is the "Dragon Tales" I thought you were referring to

Why not just talk about the topic? Do you like to read? Did you really think I know anything about that Dragon Tales, why do you?

I have a fantastic book about the great werewolf stories another about the great supernatural stories and authors. Great stuff! Bram Stoker didn't just write "Dracula" and Mary S y didn't just write "Frankenstein". While Edgar Rice Burroughds is famous for his Tarzan stories he also wrote those great John Carter on Mars books.

[Avante]

This anthology was the first place I read the short story "Bully and the Beast" by Orson Scott Card, and thus I'll always remember it fondly. It was a great mix of short stories. I enjoyed the Anne McCaffrey story at the end--I loved these books when I first encountered them and was glad to revisit this delight. Otherwise, each story had an interesting flavor: historical, silly, cunning, satirical, literary.

Started getting more into the short story/anthologies. I like to read as many different authors as I can, there is no better way. I have some stuff by Anne McCafferty but have yet to read her, the cover art on her books....outstanding!

[sook]

Why not just talk about the topic? Do you like to read? Did you really think I know anything about that Dragon Tales, why do you?

I have a fantastic book about the great werewolf stories another about the great supernatural stories and authors. Great stuff! Bram Stoker didn't just write "Dracula" and Mary S y didn't just write "Frankenstein". While Edgar Rice Burroughds is famous for his Tarzan stories he also wrote those great John Carter on Mars books.

I go through 100s of pgs of textbooks everyday, so I've lost my appreciation for good ol' fiction. Its quite sad really. The last book (series) I read was A Dance With Dragons, part of George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire," which has been turned into the HBO series: Game Of Thrones. That was like crack on paper though, finished all 5 of them in 3 weeks.

[Avante]

I first read Dracula as a teenager and it had a big effect on me. Stoker's suave monster fascinated me and sparked an interest in all things gothic and supernatural. After finishing the book for the first time I promptly ditched CS Lewis, bought some kohl eyeliner, decided to dress in black for the foreseeable future and devoted myself to studying Dracula. I don't think this book left my side for the following year.

Good-times.

Looking through my annotated notes in my copy from the 90s, the enthusiasm I had for Dracula is still clear - well, either enthusiasm for the book or an overexcited teenager with a pack of multi-coloured highlighters. The following quote, for example, is highlighted in green and underlined several times

Doctor, you don’t know what it is to doubt everything, even yourself. No, you don’t; you couldn’t with eyebrows like yours

Ha.

The book is of course about much more than a vampire but I didn't pick up on all of it at first (I was a pretty clueless teenager after all). Only after re-reading (and re-reading and re-reading) the book at a less frantic pace did I notice the sexism, the gender roles, the catholic themes, modernity vs supers ion and the 'foreignness' of Dracula.

My teenage self devoted some special highlighting and underlining time to the sexist parts of the book (highlighted in orange). There are tons of them and I've added insightful notes like 'vomit' and 'screw that'. I do still get a bit of sick in my mouth reading passages like:

I must hide it from Jonathan, for if he knew that I had been crying twice in one morning – I, who never cried on my own account and whom he has never caused to shed a tear – the dear fellow would fret his heart out. I shall put a bold face on, and if I do feel weepy, he shall never see it. I suppose it is one of the lessons that we poor women have to learn

Vom indeed.

I wasn't inspired to go off on some feminist trip but it did lead to more frantic reading of the Victorian age (no wikipedia in those days!) and a woman's role (or lack of) in society. I have concluded in my notes that in the Victorian era I had 3 options; 'virgin, wife/mother or '. I have eloquently added a couple of expletives and noted that chaste Lucy was far superior as a 'vampire bonking minx'.

I fell out of love with Stoker for a brief period and spent a year or so tearing my way through Antonia Fraser. I eventually realised that Stoker was just a product of his time though, and there was too much I loved about Dracula to stay mad for long.

Twilight fans - you should pay homage to Bram Stoker and pick up a copy of Dracula.

I read Dracula a long time ago and came away with Holywood as yet to capture what Stoker wrote. I have another book by him and a couple short stories in some anthologies, everything he writes is so chillingly cool. The perfect late night reading lamp author.

The book I will read (on line) and would love to own...The Monk...by Monk Williams, here we have classc gothic.

[Avante]

I go through 100s of pgs of textbooks everyday, so I've lost my appreciation for good ol' fiction. Its quite sad really. The last book (series) I read was A Dance With Dragons, part of George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire," which has been turned into the HBO series: Game Of Thrones. That was like crack on paper though, finished all 5 of them in 3 weeks.

I usually alternate reads, sci fi, a bio, western, sports, fantasy(sword & sorcery) then start over. Try to read a book a week.

I had no idea Game of Thrones was a literary saga, thanks!

[sook]

I usually alternate reads, sci fi, a bio, western, sports, fantasy(sword & sorcery) then start over. Try to read a book a week.

I had no idea Game of Thrones was a literary saga, thanks!

The 3rd book especially, is wayy better than the show. I don't want to be one of those obnoxious book readers that puts the show down, but people that deny themselves the content of the books are really missing out.

[Avante]

Are you referring to William Monk? He/She has a great series of books.William Monk takes on several professions during the course of his series, from police inspector to private inquiry agent to superintendent with the Thames River Police.

The author is actually a Woman. Imagine that. Her name is Anne Perry.

Monk Williams is an old NFL running back, haha!!!!!!!!! Matthew "Monk" Lewis is who I was talking about, he's considered one of the fathers of the gothic novel with "The Monk" being a gothic classic.

[Avante]

The 3rd book especially, is wayy better than the show. I don't want to be one of those obnoxious book readers that puts the show down, but people that deny themselves the content of the books are really missing out.

I have never seen a movie match the book, never. It would be nice if the powers that be stuck to the book. Frankenstein a great example of a movie being nothing like the book other than the obvious.

[sook]

I have never seen a movie match the book, never. It would be nice if the powers that be stuck to the book. Frankenstein a great example of a movie being nothing like the book other than the obvious.

Yea, tis true.

[Avante]

Your sure are trixie Avante. I'll have to check that one out.

You into H.P.Lovecraft? Him, Robert E. Howard and A. Merritt about as good as weird gets. Another great author is Britians Michael Moor who writes the Elric stories.

[DJR210]

I'm sure your sexual interests love this .

[Avante]

I'm sure your sexual interests love this .

Aren't you getting bored with that yet, I sure am, dude, let it go ok? It's boring the out of everyone, ok? Nobody really gives a about something that hapened over 40 years ago ok little man?

[Avante]

ok I'm freaked out now.

Nothing to be freaked out about. Lovecraft is one of the truly great supernatual authors ever, he's right there with Poe. The Elric of Melniborn stories are highly thought of, and should be made into movies, yes Michael Moor is the author.

Here ya go

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Moor

[DJR210]

Aren't you getting bored with that yet, I sure am, dude, let it go ok? It's boring the out of everyone, ok? Nobody really gives a about something that hapened over 40 years ago ok little man?

Oh, I'm sure the victims would disagree.

[Avante]

Oh, I'm sure the victims would disagree.

I'll go slowwwwwwwww....

Little man do you have any idea at all about what you are talking about? What part about.....bar hookers...don't you understand? Dude. I was forgotten the second I said good bye. Those girls make it with thousands of guys, ok? Are you telling me you really didn't know that?

Little guy, let it go, ok? It's getting really really boring, alright? You really that hard up to bug people?

Now, ever thought about actually talking about the topic, do you know anything about this?

It really is amazing how so few here know anything at all about what I'm talking about, wow!

[DJR210]

I'll go slowwwwwwwww....

Little man do you have any idea at all about what you are talking about? What part about.....bar hookers...don't you understand? Dude. I was forgotten the second I said good bye. Those girls make it with thousands of guys, ok? Are you telling me you really didn't know that?

Little guy, let it go, ok? It's getting really really boring, alright? You really that hard up to bug people?

Now, ever thought about actually talking about the topic, do you know anything about this?

It really is amazing how so few here know anything at all about what I'm talking about, wow!

No need to get mad at me, you're the one who did it

[Avante]

No need to get mad at me, you're the one who did it

We all did it little guy and nobody really gave a , ok? Dude, are you really this ingg dumb? You really don't understand any of this do you?

[Avante]

This really is amazing.

Avante....I was in the Navy, made it with some bar girls like sailors do.

The Club....you animal you, you pedophile, you sex fiend, you pervert, you freak, you..... hahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!! ..are you people really that ing dense, wow! You honestly don't have an older brother, an uncle, etc who was over there? It really is like talkig to a bunch of dumb kids. I can't believe just how...DUH!...you little s are.

Here I am a guy who can talk about a mul ude of things in detail and bar hookers is what you wanna talk about, hahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The with the great H.P.Lovecraft, lets talk about some bar girl back around 1970, hahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who had ed a thousand guys before I came along and a few thousand after I left.

[IrisHockey]

This really is amazing.

Avante....I was in the Navy, made it with some bar girls like sailors do.

The Club....you animal you, you pedophile, you sex fiend, you pervert, you freak, you..... hahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!! ..are you people really that ing dense, wow! You honestly don't have an older brother, an uncle, etc who was over there? It really is like talkig to a bunch of dumb kids. I can't believe just how...DUH!...you little s are.

Here I am a guy who can talk about a mul ude of things in detail and bar hookers is what you wanna talk about, hahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The with the great H.P.Lovecraft, lets talk about some bar girl back around 1970, hahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who had ed a thousand guys before I came along and a few thousand after I left.

such nervous laughter.

[The Reckoning]

lovecraft is one of my favorites and really defines true horror.

and that's humanity's fear of the unknown. it's our basic fear. why we're scared of the dark, etc. we're terrified of what we can't perceive. what happens when all the laws of nature are thrown out the window? true terror.

[Blake]

Scored some CD's, tapes, and books. You can never have enought of those three.

Lol hoarder

[DJR210]

We all did it little guy

"Jeffrey Dahmer's actions were perfectly acceptable because there are hundreds if not thousands of serial killers!"

[Blake]

We all did it little guy and nobody really gave a , ok?

Damning statement. Plead the 5th next time, dumb ass.