[Murony_Pyre]

Druidic, Do you get the Centipede newsletter? Today's had an interesting list of Michael Cisco's top 20 horror novels. Some "usual suspects" on there but some hidden gems to be had, too. Even though I can't read Cisco's novels (listening to him read them is a great help I've found), I can still appreciate his short stories and these recommendations of his.
On Cisco himself for a moment: There is something about his own novels that make my eyes swim on the page and (so far) I have not found them to be engaging for me, somehow. I have reasoned that perhaps this is because they are very much in his particular voice and I can't get into his head through them for any extended period of time to really hear him at novel length. This is probably the reason I love his short stories which are excellent; some examples which spring readily to mind include his stories "Modern Cities..." which was a clear stand-out for me in Cinnabar's Gnosis and "The Thing in the Jar" which was an exceptional example of experimental horror writing.
Another possibility is that I have not found an environment conducive to the type of mental concentration necessary to read him; don't laugh, I have found this to be the case with various writers/individual books in the past: you need a place to sit where it can all properly sink in.
On McCarthy: I'd also forgotten about Outer Dark which I have here and have been meaning to read. Up to the top of the 'to read' pile it goes (along with everything I haven't yet read by Tony Burgess and Ben Marcus' The Flame Alphabet.
On John (JDATE): It is worth reading and sleazily ends openly-wide openly-for a sequel or sequels. There are 3 books in the series now right? Does the latest end firmly? Does David die at the end? actually don't answer that last.
On Nick Cave "Ass, Proposition, BM" (Not the S&M porno of the same name): Nick Cave is clearly a multi-talented gentleman, but I too think he did the right thing with regard to Blood Meridian. I tried to read "Ass" based on R.B. Russell's recommendation, and found the narration, which is all in dialect, to make it perfectly impenetrable for me. This added to the fact that it is also not exactly a novella, make me quite sure I will never read it. Could anyone who has read it attempt to sway me into a second attempt? I'm talking 'pep-talk' talk here.
On Blood Meridian: The Movie (which, I actually couldn't care less is ever made):
I'm not crazily into the Cohen's but do enjoy their work for what it is (sounds snotty, I know) and greatly enjoyed their No Country for Old Men which perfectly did the movie justice and in so doing gave Tommy Lee Jones at least one movie he can be proud of before he dies. They would, perhaps, be a good choice for Blood Meridian . John Goodman would make a passable Judge Holden and in so doing practically reprise his role as the Cyclops in "Oh Brother Where Art Thou"