Thanks Glen and Brandon for a great year. Enjoyed the wrap-up episode.
First, I have to thank you for introducing me to Caitlin R. Keirnan. I'm still working my way through her Houses Under The Sea collection, in between other reading.
I also really enjoyed The Ebony Frame. It still flips me that this is the same author who wrote The Railway Children and other kids' books.
I recall reading Jack Vance's Dying Earth a while ago (like 30 years ago, in college). Like your discussion, about Turjan of Miir, I recall the setting as really interesting and saturated, but I don't really remember the actual stories.
Yes, I like Dracula too, but I got this book because I'm now collecting the Wordsworth series 'Tales of Mystery & The Supernatural' (and that book is one of them). According to the introduction 'The Lair of the White Worm' is the second most popular book of Bram Stoker, but doesn't has the quality of Dracula by far. I agree. Some blame it on Stoker's use of drugs at the time. There were pieces in the story I thought weren't contributing to the plot and atmosphere and the characters were far too 'wise' ('Oh, ok, I think it is like this, just because I got it in my head, and - lo! I was right!'). That's also why so many prejudices, racism and sexism had the chance to enter the story, I think.
I haven't finished the other book (The Lady of the Shroud) yet. That story begins with letters about a will (that's not a problem in itself, but it is quite long). Then there is a long midsection (where I am at this moment) - this I like very much: here there is Stoker from Dracula, very gothic and atmospheric. It consists of diary entries of the protagonist. It's also very imperialistic, though. The last section, according to the introduction, is an early piece of science fiction! So, altogether it's a strange thing - but (at this moment) I like it far better than the White Worm, though not as well as Dracula.