Fiction
Related: About this forumTrying to recall a book on forests in Maine
I'm reading a non-fiction book titled "Forest and Crag". It's a history of hiking in the mountains of the Northeast. It has jogged my memory about a book I heard of and may have read years ago. The book was fiction, possibly horror/mystery, about walking or measuring property lines in the deep woods of Maine. I believe I learned about the book through Stephen King. It was either mentioned in a novel, one of his non-fiction works, or maybe a magazine article.
Has anyone heard of the book or remember the title?
Scuba
(53,475 posts)SecularMotion
(7,981 posts)I checked the books by Kenneth Roberts on Amazon. They're historical fiction and look interesting, but he's not the author of the book I'm trying to find.
It was either a horror/mystery or science fiction/fantasy novel. As far as I can recall, it was about someone surveying or walking property lines in deep woods and the measurements were off, which placed the character in a "twilight zone" situation. I think it may have been mentioned in "Danse Macabre", Stephen King's non-fiction work on the history of horror. Unfortunately, I don't have a copy on hand to check.
fadedrose
(10,044 posts)Curmudgeoness
(18,219 posts)I wonder if there is a site like that for horror or sci-fi type books, since that seems to be the genre the OP is looking for.
I am continually blown away by all the resources available online, if you can only find them.
fadedrose
(10,044 posts)but this mystery site covers mysteries of all kinds. I think Stephen King as something listed there..
They have an index for for Science Fiction and Fantasy, but I never saw it before..maybe it's a new addition:
http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/GenreCats/ScienceFiction.html
Curmudgeoness
(18,219 posts)and books. That site is fun---but so many books and not enough time. I don't know how I would choose.
fadedrose
(10,044 posts)the one that comes about the 15th lists all the NEW books..
the one that comes on the first shows some awards, characters added to the site, etc.
Sign up...
SecularMotion
(7,981 posts)I did find another good resource, but couldn't find it there either.
http://librarybooklists.org/mybooklists/setinmaine.htm#adult
I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine it, although it was an older book, probably pre-1980s, and may no longer be available.
Curmudgeoness
(18,219 posts)I know that I have read books that I cannot find again, and I even know the author, so apparently some of them fall off the face of the earth. And I am still haunted by something that I have started to believe I dreamed....it was some movie or other TV program that I saw on the television called "The Last Albatross". It was so terribly sad that I wonder if they destroyed it.
Someone may come along and know the book you are referring to yet.
fadedrose
(10,044 posts)KC
(1,995 posts)SecularMotion
(7,981 posts)I believe it was mentioned or recommended by Stephen King in one of his books.
YankeyMCC
(8,401 posts)I't s a long shot as a match for what you're recalling, not even fiction (maybe embellished) but reads like a novel and has a setting matching your description.
http://www.amazon.com/Took-Woods-Louise-Rich-Dickinson/dp/0892727365
I really wanted to reply just to give say how great it was to see someone else talk about "Forest and Crag" it is one of the few hard cover books that survived and will always survive the purge of ever accumulating physical books. I even take some of the story out around the campfire now and then with my nephews.
If you like F and C you might also check out "Katahdin" http://www.outdoors.org/publications/books/katahdin.cfm
SecularMotion
(7,981 posts)The one I'm trying to find is more like a Stephen King novel, if I remember correctly.
I first came across "Forest and Crag" in the Columbia-Greene Community College Library back in the 90's. I was hiking the Catskill and Adirondack mountains during that time with a large dog who required vigorous exercise. The book was a good resource for discovering new trails to explore. It was out-of-print for awhile and I bought a copy for myself a few years back when it was re-published in paperback. I've used it to look up information but never read the whole book.
I have since re-located to Western Mass and have a young dog who I'm breaking in on some local trails. When I can trust him off-leash, I plan on hiking some New England mountains, so I've started reading F & C cover to cover. I'm sure it will lead to seeking out books with more detail on specific regions.
Thanks for the tip on Katahdin. I just read the chapter about creating the Monument Line in F and C. I'd love to read more details on that story.
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)you can scroll down past the Stephen King books for an extensive list of books he recommends. http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/k/stephen-king/
SecularMotion
(7,981 posts)I scanned the list and didn't see any that looks like the book I'm seeking, but there is an email address to contact the webmaster with questions. I'll give it a shot.
pengillian101
(2,351 posts)but it was written by King. I loved it.
"On a six-mile hike on the Maine-New Hampshire branch of the Appalachian Trail, nine-year-old Trisha McFarland quickly tires of the constant bickering between her older brother, Pete, and her recently divorced mother. But when she wanders off by herself, and then tries to catch up by attempting a shortcut, she becomes lost in a wilderness maze full of peril and terror.
As night falls, Trisha has only her ingenuity as a defense against the elements, and only her courage and faith to withstand her mounting fears. For solace she tunes her Walkman to broadcasts of Boston Red Sox baseball games and follows the gritty performances of her hero, relief pitcher Tom Gordon. And when her radio's reception begins to fade, Trisha imagines that Tom Gordon is with her -- protecting her from an all-too-real enemy who has left a trail of slaughtered animals and mangled trees in the dense, dark woods....
http://www.amazon.com/The-Girl-Who-Loved-Gordon/dp/0671042858"