Comments on: Dreadful Thoughts Story Club 5: The Monkey’s Paw

By: fústar

fústar — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:07:35 +0000

niall, It’s sitting in the middle of a pile of books I’m working my way through. Once I reach it I’ll take a deep breath, a stiff drink and plunge in. God help me.

By: niall

niall — Thu, 08 May 2008 21:41:32 +0000

He dropped the book on the coffee table with an exaggerated diffidence and, looking pointedly out the window, replied, “I don’t know where it came from originally, but the last man to read that copy of Galaxy 666 wished for death ere he had finished.”

By: fústar

fústar — Wed, 07 May 2008 10:11:24 +0000

No problem at all, S.

You weren’t the only no-show! It was a pretty quiet evening all round.

By: Sinéad

Sinéad — Wed, 07 May 2008 09:54:32 +0000

I only got back very late from a long weekend away and completely forgot about DT. Am so sorry. Will amend this and post some thoughts when I get some work finished.

Sorry F.

By: fústar

fústar — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:04:12 +0000

‘Night, Mr. Knickers. May your dreams be full of dread knockings at your door.

By: copernicus

copernicus — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:02:49 +0000

And with that charming image, exeunt copperknickers.

By: fústar

fústar — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:59:50 +0000

…and his screaming would be gurgly and strangled - due to his torn and smashed larynx.

The horror of reanimation has (of course) been taken up numerous times, but one of my favorites is the EC Comics story (I think it’s EC) where a wife wishes for her husband back alive and that he may never die again.

He comes back to life screaming in agony from his wounds (and, possibly, embalming) and she decides to end his suffering. No matter how much her axe chops and dissects him, however, his bits still live - writhing in mute agony!

Must find the source of this.

By: copernicus

copernicus — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:54:58 +0000

I suppose a good modern take would be to have the wish take place and then finish with Herbert’s perspective in the grave - opening his eyes, lighting a match and screaming. Then credits.

By: fústar

fústar — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:53:12 +0000

When the mother says “I forgot it was two miles”, I was thinking, yes, and six feet of grave!

Indeed. As if being horribly mangled and killed isn’t bad enough, you have to wake up (still mangled) under six feet of earth, crawl and wriggle your way out, and then walk two miles along a desolate windy road to bang at a door that doesn’t open in time.

Dude, that sucks.

By: copernicus

copernicus — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:44:47 +0000

I fucking fixed that “tow” to “two”. God I hate my laptop’s mousepad. If the heel of my palm is on the surface of computer within an inch of the pad, the cursor jumps around and changes get made to text!

O death where is thy sting??

By: fústar

fústar — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:44:08 +0000

And by not waiting to see what was at the door, he’s now cursed with the “knowledge” of what he’s done.

In his mind, then, he’s “killed” his son twice. Fuckin’ ‘ell!

By: copernicus

copernicus — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:42:43 +0000

When the mother says “I forgot it was two miles”, I was thinking, yes, and six feet of grave!

By: copernicus

copernicus — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:41:08 +0000

their agony is awful - the father is tempted to allow his son to be brought back, but he feels he has dragged his broken child from his grave and across two miles of dark and empty countryside.

And by not waiting to see what was at the door, he’s now cursed with the “knowledge” of what he’s done.

By: fústar

fústar — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:39:57 +0000

Night, Niall. Small crew on duty tonight (alas), but fun nonetheless.

By: copernicus

copernicus — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:38:27 +0000

Might turn in early for a change myself. It’s impossible to sleep in the morning its so bright.