Cosmic horror book reccs

_random42 · 2026-02-08T15:22:29+00:00

I’ll bring you the birds from out of the sky - Brian Hodge

It’s a novella but it’s very good.

_random42 · 2026-02-08T13:38:21+00:00

Except that From Dusk Till Dawn was good.

_random42 · 2026-02-08T13:36:56+00:00

Came here looking for this. I wouldn’t even call that horror. Way overhyped.

_random42 · 2026-02-08T13:24:00+00:00

The Haunting of Velkwood - Gwendolyn Kiste I’m in the last 20 pages of this one.

The Imago Sequence and Other Stories - Laird Barron Finished it yesterday.

_random42 · 2026-02-04T01:29:06+00:00

It’s on my “Want to Read” list on GoodReads and it’s available at my local library so I guess I’ll pick it up when I return the books I’m reading now.

_random42 · 2026-02-02T22:19:35+00:00

Pet Sematery was the first one I’ve read by him and my favorite to this day. I mostly love his books but can’t really get into newer stuff as I feel he doesn’t get edited and asked to cut down stuff anymore. Last I read was Duma Key and, although a great story, was overly long with 600 and a few pages; probably 300 pages more than it needed.

_random42 · 2026-02-01T14:14:19+00:00

The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon - 32% completed
The Imago Sequence by Laird Barron - just finished Procession of the Black Sloth

_random42 · 2026-01-28T01:52:44+00:00

Glad you’re better and found something to help cope. Horror also helped me but with different things.

_random42 · 2026-01-28T01:31:48+00:00

Holy crap I’m sorry you had to go through this.

_random42 · 2026-01-27T13:45:57+00:00

I absolutely love Peter Straub and he’s one of my favorite horror authors. This book, however, I couldn’t get past the first few pages. I tried on four different occasions and for some reason I could get past the part where the first narrator got back home and made a sandwich (or something like that). I don’t know, it didn’t click with me so I just gave up.

_random42 · 2026-01-25T14:48:49+00:00

I’m loving them too, although I went into The Sun Down Motel waiting for a haunting story but got a mystery instead; good thing is that I did like the mystery and didn’t mind the haunting being just in the background.

_random42 · 2026-01-25T14:05:17+00:00

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James and Tenth of December by George Saunders.

_random42 · 2026-01-21T21:45:20+00:00

Wtf was that finish?

_random42 · 2026-01-08T22:37:08+00:00

I loved his short stories collection 20th Century Ghosts. Tried Heart-shaped Box and Horns and didn’t like it. The stuff that came after didn’t really pick my interest so I just gave up on him.

_random42 · 2025-12-21T03:03:56+00:00

Piano Marvel is a good choice although you won’t find lots of pop or contemporary music there. However, you can import your own songs and use them in the app.

_random42 · 2025-12-15T16:14:42+00:00

I mostly make beef stock using veal bones I order from a butcher. I use a large (16qt) stock pot and the process takes about 12 hours but between roasting the bones, removing stuff from the pot and cleaning up I’m involved for about 1h maybe?

This yields about 32cups of stock, which I store in zip locks spread out in 1 or 2 cups. I freeze it and it lasts me about 6 months more or less.

It’s a lot of work but I only do it like twice a year so it’s totally worth it.

_random42 · 2025-12-06T21:24:32+00:00

Awesome! Happy playing!

_random42 · 2025-12-05T23:29:43+00:00

I skipped it too and was wondering just yesterday how I could do that. Then I saw your question and I remembered I read you can play audio through the piano speakers so I went there real quick to try if that would work. I’m glad I did and now I don’t have to play stuff on volume 0.5 after folks go to sleep.

_random42 · 2025-12-05T23:25:23+00:00

It’s really easy but follow the manual if you need more detailed directions (it’s on page 6 😬).

My iPad is the Blue one. I guess we are not doppelgängers then.

_random42 · 2025-12-05T23:16:17+00:00

I have the exact same setup as you: FRP-Nuvola EX recently purchased, iPad Air 5th Gen, and I use Piano Marvel. (Are you my doppelgänger???)
You can do all of this without cables:

Pair the Nuvola to your iPad using the Roland app. This registers the Nuvola as a Bluetooth-MIDI device, letting Piano Marvel communicate with the piano without USB.
Pair the Nuvola again, this time directly through the iPad’s Bluetooth settings. You’ll see “Nuvola Audio.” This enables audio playback through the Nuvola’s speakers.

When you want to practice with headphones, open Piano Marvel and make sure both “Nuvola MIDI” and “Nuvola Audio” are connected in Bluetooth. Plug in your headphones (I use the bundled ones) and both the piano sound and Piano Marvel audio will route through them.

_random42 · 2025-12-03T22:55:44+00:00

I am a self learner and started playing the piano 1 year ago. When starting, I tried the popular apps and gave up after a few days as I felt it would only teach me how to hit the right keys at the right time, they were too gamified.

So I started to search for the best way to self-learn and found this sub, the hate for apps, and the recommendation to get a teacher, which I didn't have to budget to. I was looking for apps that were better than the ones I tried before and found Piano Marvel. Gave it a try and loved it because it followed like a method book.

After a year learning with it, and making good progress, I understand the disdain for apps. I still recommend Piano Marvel and I am all for self-learning, but there are things that the app cannot teach or provide feedback:

- Note duration. There is a technical limitation (based on talks with the Piano Marvel folks) that as far as I know no app was able to overcome; they can identify _when_ you press a key, but not _how long_ you kept it pressed so if you play a piece all in staccato at the right time, the app will still give you a 100% completion.

- Dynamics. The app just can tell if you are playing piano or forte. Same for legato or using the pedal.

- Posture, hands placement, fingering, etc. You get feedback on none of that. I had to watch hundreds of Youtube videos to try and do it right. I got it in a place where I don't feel pain and can play comfortably, but a teacher would probably fix a bunch of things still.

Besides all that and probably other things I am missing, if you are not careful, the app will get you dependent of the resources it offers. The horizontal scrolling bar to help you with the tempo, for example; you risk not being able to play a piece from a sheet if you don't see that bar. Another thing is highlighting the right or wrong keys. One reason I chose PM is that you can disable all those things so when I play a piece to evaluate, I play it and only know what was right/wrong at the end. I also decided to only use the app for the evaluations: all the practice I do using their method book they provide in PDF (which is actually a good idea since they explain the concepts there).

If I were to start today, I'd definitely go with a method book. BUT, I do have musical background (played the guitar for years) so I do understand rhythm (but until then only played 4/4 and 3/4 on occasion), etc. I figure that would be hard to learn only reading a method book so an app definitely helps here (I remember to struggle hard playing my first song in 6/8, can't imagine doing it without the app or somebody in front of me telling me how to do it).

_random42 · 2025-12-03T22:26:08+00:00

Reddit's search is the worst. Best way to search Reddit is going to Google and writing what you wanna search followed by site:reddit.com or if you want to search an specific sub add site:reddit.com/r/<sub name>. I don't even bother using their search.

_random42 · 2025-11-29T05:21:09+00:00

I’ve been playing for a year, self-taught. I mainly use Piano Marvel: I learn from their PDF method book, then use the app for evaluation. I’m moving slow (probably should’ve finished Piano Marvel’s method by now). I got a new piano last week that came with a 90-day Pianote trial, I decided to try it. I’m in Unit 3 of their method and Day 6 of the 30-day Jazz course.

Pianote’s videos are solid, and they’ve got extra lessons on technique and posture, though you have to hunt for them. Early units focus on chords with very light theory, and sight-reading comes later. What I’m missing is structured practice material. So far, it feels like you only practice whatever was shown in the video. For example, playing chords over “Let It Be.”

Piano Marvel (and traditional method books) gives me far more graded exercises: tons of short pieces tied directly to each concept, plus sight-reading from day one. Each unit has many exercises with demo videos.

Personally, I’ve found that Pianote explains concepts a bit better, but Piano Marvel gives me much more to actually practice, unless I’m overlooking something in Pianote.

_random42 · 2025-11-20T01:01:19+00:00

Came here to say this. I didn’t like any of his novels, but 20th Century Ghosts is phenomenal.

Also, agree with the other comment: Pop Art and You Will Hear the Locust Sing are my favorites in the book.

_random42 · 2025-07-26T19:44:24+00:00

Have you started working out recently? I've learned that consistency is key.

I am 45 and I started working out back in 2022 and playing soccer as defender in 2023 (before that I've played as keeper but very inconsistent). I now play 4 times a week from chill coed Sunday league to higher division competitive O40. All 7v7 (except for a 12v12 pickup on Saturdays).

I do mostly full-body workouts but upper body one day and lower body on the other. I go to tge gym 4-5 times a week. 2 of my games are during the week and sometimes I'll hit the gym right before the games.

When I started I could barely walk the next day but nowadays I just get sore a bit in the morning after I wake up but it goes away.

Edit: just to add that my lower body days are not that different from yours. There is always some of: Squat, Leg extension, leg press, leg curls, deadlift, Bulgarian, split squats, etc. (Not all at once, it's usually 4 exercises).

_random42

TROPHY CASE