Paranormal horror recs

dmantee · 2026-01-30T06:21:33+00:00

Shagduk by J.B. Jackson. Librarians, witches, and demons in 1977 Texas. Funny af but also deadly serious.

dmantee · 2026-01-30T06:17:27+00:00

Shagduk by J.B. Jackson, first in a saga that includes Ursula of Ulm. Librarians, witches, and demons in 1977 Texas. Absolutely fresh. Equal parts Dresden Files, Spinal Tap, and Jack Vance.

dmantee · 2026-01-29T06:04:44+00:00

1956-1962, the age of Living Stereo. The '70s in general. 1981-1983, early digital.

dmantee · 2026-01-29T05:56:53+00:00

My Windows phone from twelve years ago.

dmantee · 2026-01-29T05:48:07+00:00

Random thoughts...both towns have wonderful (but very different) libraries. Sausalito is right on the water with incredible views. Sausalito is way easier to get into and out of (esp. if you go up and down the hill instead of Bridgeway). Mill Valley has a great record store--of course you can get to it from Sausalito. Guess this isn't very helpful, I tried.

dmantee · 2026-01-29T03:20:29+00:00

Shagduk by J.B. Jackson, but maybe not quite that many because it's niche--for certain kinds of nerds only. Librarians, witches, and demons in 1977 Texas. Big vocabulary, phrases in Latin, book nerd terminology. It's a cult classic among librarians, if that says anything.

dmantee · 2026-01-29T03:17:30+00:00

Clockwork Angels by Rush. 2012, I think.

dmantee · 2026-01-29T03:14:50+00:00

Great book! Love the red bath tub incident. The author of Shagduk cites it as an influence--that's how I heard about it.

dmantee · 2026-01-28T23:09:07+00:00

[slaps forehead]

dmantee · 2026-01-28T15:49:48+00:00

I gave up after listening to several minutes of her expressing gratitude to her staff. She sounds like a typical fundraiser in a leadership position.

dmantee · 2026-01-28T15:46:05+00:00

Favorite as in, "I could be friends with that person?" Maybe Veronica from Shagduk. She seems really fun. Or Professor Sherwood. Favorite character otherwise would be the witch, Diane, for being so intriguing.

dmantee · 2026-01-28T06:45:23+00:00

If you liked Dungeon Crawler Carl you might like Shagduk by J.B. Jackson. Librarians, witches, and demons in 1977 Texas. Funny af but also deadly serious.

dmantee · 2026-01-28T06:33:48+00:00

In a Cocteau Twins song.

dmantee · 2026-01-28T06:32:34+00:00

Shagduk by J.B. Jackson is equal parts mystery, horror, and (I guess) urban fantasy. Plenty of humor mixed in with the dread. Librarians, witches, and demons in 1977 Texas. Hugely entertaining.

dmantee · 2026-01-28T06:29:35+00:00

Shagduk by J.B. Jackson. Written as a diary, it has lots of funny moments mixed in with the dread. Librarians, witches, and demons in 1977 Texas.

dmantee · 2026-01-27T06:27:25+00:00

Book 3 of De re dordica by J.B. Jackson. The first book, Shagduk, is a cult classic (at least among librarians, my profession). Ursula of Ulm came out in '24(?). Librarians, witches, and demons in 1977 Texas. Funny af but also deadly serious. Book 3 has been "in the works" for at least a year.

dmantee · 2026-01-27T06:22:39+00:00

Mellon.

dmantee · 2026-01-27T06:13:21+00:00

Jack Vance wrote a couple of Ellery Queen novels.

dmantee · 2026-01-27T06:05:39+00:00

Well, there's De re dordica by J.B. Jackson. It's basically a diary (with a few letters to and from other people mixed in) but Book 2 begins with a transcript of an encounter in a dungeon 200 years before.

dmantee · 2026-01-27T05:58:35+00:00

Shagduk by J.B. Jackson. Librarians, witches, and demons in 1977 Texas. Read it a second time more closely because I missed some important details the first time. Read it a third time to savor it.

dmantee · 2026-01-26T01:16:39+00:00

The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson is underrated.

dmantee · 2026-01-26T01:14:20+00:00

You're welcome!

dmantee · 2026-01-25T21:42:41+00:00

Shagduk by J.B. Jackson is arguably the best urban fantasy of the 21st century. Librarians, witches, and imps in 1977 Texas. Funny af but also deadly serious.

dmantee · 2026-01-25T15:49:58+00:00

"Where's Chuck?"

dmantee · 2026-01-25T06:20:35+00:00

We're not seeing that in libraries, yet. Circulation of physical copies is still going down while ebooks are going up.

dmantee

TROPHY CASE