Another Monday: Thoughts on the Power of Reading Part 2

I am currently finishing up one horror book, with my eye on dozens more. Prior to that, I had taken a grand look at screenwriting books. Yes, I am a writer who likes to read. There is a power to that, where you can learn more than you would ever think possible. What should you read? What should you write? Those are questions few—even The New York Times Book Review—can answer. You should explore the novel. The novel isn’t dead—there is something big to the modern novel.

But I wonder if the modern horror novel is falling away. As I speak, horror comics are taking hold, thanks in part to comic writers like Steve Niles (30 Days of Night, a good graphic novel). But the horror novel has stalled. Yes, we still have Stephen King and Clive Barker, but Robert R. McCammon has stopped writing them, Anne Rice has found her religion, and many writers hate being labeled horror writers (namely Dean Koontz).

I’m not sure if the horror novel is dead. But I do know sitting down with a good book is still a possibility. Even if we had 20 years of no books being published, there would be millions of books to read, and one person could take a few millennia doing it non-stop.

I love reviewing books because they each provide a glimpse into the spirit of another. I am not trying to be spiritual there—but it’s fun exploring the imagination of a writer. I suggest you start buying books again. I am not saying spend thousands of dollars ever year, but we do need to support these storytellers. Without storytellers, where would we be?

I was talking about the horror novel. Well it’s safe to say the modern fantasy novel is alive and strong, the modern literary novel is published in great numbers by many writers like John Updike and Paul Auster, and even science fiction is still growing strong. Remember, as long as writers have ideas, the power is in their hands. It’s us, the readers, who are in for a ride.

The power to all this is simple: Stephen King can scare you; John Updike can wow you; modern thriller writers like Dean Koontz, Elmore Leonard, and David Morrell are going strong; dead writers can make you think; and they all have a certain power.

…Or maybe they don’t.

Maybe it’s just another Monday-type day where you grown at the bills, paperwork, and laundry. That, I see, is another story. Maybe you should read instead.