Jason's Reading (books by John Langan)

I did not enjoy this short story collection quite as much as I’ve enjoyed some of Langan’s other work. Horror is not really my genre of choice – although I am coming to appreciate more the way that the fantastical situations presented in a horror story shed an interesting light on human behavior – and I have typically appreciated Langan’s work because he uses novel (or at least less common) literary techniques. I didn’t notice that aspect as much in this collection, perhaps because there was less to notice or perhaps because I was either too caught up in the plot or not in the right headspace to notice it. …

More horror, this time in short story form. I especially enjoyed “Technicolor” (what a fascinating lecture!) and “The Wide, Carnivorous Sky”. I’m not sure if it’s the genre or just Langan, but it seemed like all of the stories used interesting literary techniques that I haven’t seen much of elsewhere; the writing style is at least as enjoyable as the plot. …

I’m not sure what to think of this book. It’s a horror novel – not my typical genre – that I read based on a friend’s recommendation. I doubt I’ll be reading more like it anytime soon, but I did enjoy Langan’s writing style, and the story, especially the tale told at the diner, was interesting. …