I won't tell you that, but I'll tell you the worst thing that ever happened to me...the most dread[image]
What was the worst thing you've ever done?
I won't tell you that, but I'll tell you the worst thing that ever happened to me...the most dreadful thing...
The opening lines of Peter Straub's magnificent paranormal horror, Ghost Story. Boy does this one start as it means to go on.
The story centres around a group of four elderly gentleman, who meet twice a month as members of the Chowder society. The rules are you dress smartly in dinner attire, you don't drink too much and when it's your turn you have to tell a story of something dreadful. This involves the telling of tales of a terrifying and supernatural nature.
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First off, the writing in this one is absolutely top draw. Straub's story telling ability is at the very top end of the horror genre. It's very literary, but never becomes a barrier to the story being told. It was an absolute pleasure to read.
Straub also invests so much time in creating the town of Milburn in which this story is located. He vividly paints the chilling winterland in which our heroes find themselves and breathes life into it. All the goings on and dynamics at play amongst the town's inhabitants are brilliantly described. This creates an absolute sense of realism for the reader, right before the carnage starts. It's very reminiscent of Salem's Lot (my favourite horror novel, no wonder I like it so much).
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The protagonists in this one are also fantastically detailed and it so refreshing to get a group of elderly gents as the main charactes, as oppose to a bunch of young whipper snappers. Each one is expertly detailed, and very distinct and endearing. Superb character development.
I've read a few of the reviews that have been critical and the main gripe is it's slow, boring, takes a while to get going. Let's get this straight, this is a slow burn horror novel but not a single word is wasted. As you get to the mid point in the novel you not only understand that the time spent in setting up the narrative is not only relevant, but absolutely essential to what transpires latter. It really is brilliant and bordering on a work of art. But if you don't have the patience and attention span to stick with it, then seriously, it's your loss.
The payoff toward the end of this novel is massive and there's so many memorable scenes. Scenes which are intense, dark and absolutely chilling.
A massive recommendation from me. My top read from 2021 so far. Essential horror reading for fans of the genre and anyone who loves a fantastically written mystery....more
"Why does our species always have to take our full measure of God-given misery and terror and mortality and then make it worse?"
The Terror [image]
"Why does our species always have to take our full measure of God-given misery and terror and mortality and then make it worse?"
The Terror by Dan Simmons. A fantastic and quite frankly breathtaking feat of writing that takes the historical events of the ill-fated Franklin expedition into the Arctic and adds a unique horror spin. The amount of research that must have went into this one is staggering.
But how does it actually read? Well I've read three books by Dan Simmons so far and they have all been comfortable five star reads. He is without doubt a consummate story teller and up there alongside the very best in the business. I'm talking Robert McCammon and Stephen King. This one however is the pick of the bunch. For such a huge novel, it moves very well. Definitely a lot better than the HMS Terror from which this book takes it's name.
Theres some fantastic characters on show in this one and the turn of events are truly harrowing as the limits of human endeavour are pushed to the very limit. Each character is very realistic, likeable yet fantastically flawed or just downright nasty pieces of work. All are placed in the most dire of circumstances and we get to see just how human they actually are. The reader is constantly pondering what the true horror is in this one. Is it the supernatural, the harsh environment our heroes find themselves in or each other.
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"Francis Crozier believes in nothing. Life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. It has no plan, no point, no hidden mysteries that make up for the oh-so-obvious miseries and banalities."
The way Simmons packages and presents this story is fantastic with a narrative stream, mixed with journal and diary entries. Word of warning though. The timeline jumps about a bit at the beginning so remember to check them dates. The story is initially slow-moving, with many scenes heavy on exposition and detail. But this all helps to build the picture and tension, while heightening the realism. If you can hang in there you reap the reward as the story unfolds.
All in all I was left in awe of this one and it's going down as the number one horror novel I've tackled in 2020. Dan Simmons, take a bow. Not to be confused with the bow of a ship...I'm now fully informed of all those nautical terms. So I've gained an education to boot!
"Once upon a time, man had a love affair with fire."
The best book in terms of pure enjoyment I've ever read. That's all you need to know. B[image]
"Once upon a time, man had a love affair with fire."
The best book in terms of pure enjoyment I've ever read. That's all you need to know. But to not give Swan Song a full review would be doing this book a complete disservice. After all, Mr Robert R McCammon gave us nearly one thousand pages of post apocalyptic goodness. The least I can do in return is spare a few minutes telling you how great this is. So here goes.
I'll start with the only negative point that I have and get that out the way. The premise centres around a catastrophic event brought about by the US government and military that leads to the destruction of most of the world's population. From the remains a group of characters arise that eventually form into two sides, good vs evil. One led by a female, touched by God and the other led by an antichrist figure with supernatural powers that eventually come together for the final battle. Sound familiar? You bet it does. This one follows the same script as the Stand. If that's the kind of thing that really bothers you then this may present a problem.
For me, I read for pure enjoyment and this one is substantially different from the aforementioned book and in many ways superior. It starts with the world's megalomaniac leaders bringing about the nuclear holocaust and McCammon portrays this amazingly in a truly terrifying depiction of what could happen. The writing here is superb with great imagery and description. McCammon is a brilliant writer and in Swan Song he is at the peak of his powers.
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"he was a scream wrapped up in straw, a little, weak, vicious thing gnashing inside a monstrous facade."
Any great story needs great characters and this one has many. Special mention needs to go to the three main characters on each side who are fantastic, original and well fleshed out. We have Josh (Black Frankenstein) an ex wrestler with a heart of gold, Sister Creep, a hobo with PTSD and Sue Wanda (Swan) a fragile young girl with an amazing power who form the foundation of the forces of good. Then Colonel Maklin, an ex war hero with sinister goings on upstairs, Rolland, a boy who has all the makings of a young Adolf Hitler and the man with the Scarlet Eye, a terrifying entity with supernatural powers. Add to this a fantastic cast of support characters and you have a group you fall in love with or learn to hate over the course of this epic tale.
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"take it one step at a time. One step and then the next gets you where you’re going"
The journey in this story is what it's all about in terms of the places the characters travel to and the development of each. It's quite staggering the places Swan Song takes you. Add to that the emotional depth McCammon weaves into the plot, making you laugh one minute, cry the next and you'll understand the greatness of this one. This book also contains some of the most intense action scenes I've ever read and it never lets up for one second. The author is a master of pacing and he creates the paradox of a huge novel that reads like a two hundred page thriller. It really doesn't let up for one second and I can honestly say that not at any point does this novel drag.
Ok, I've gushed enough about how absolutely awesome this book is. If you've read this far then give your self a medal soldier. You have what it takes to join the Army of Excellence and read Swan Song. So jump to it and prepare to be entertained more than you thought was possible....more
Five star read if ever there was. This makes it into my top three books of all time. Joe Hill take a bow. Fantastic protagonist plus amazingly heinous Five star read if ever there was. This makes it into my top three books of all time. Joe Hill take a bow. Fantastic protagonist plus amazingly heinous villain in the midst of a hugely imaginative plot equals one hell of a ride. Now how much am I going to have to pay for a NOS4R2 licence plate?...more
"Living is hard; Death is easy. And there are no answers on either side."
Who said horror novels arn't what they used to be? Not me...not af[image]
"Living is hard; Death is easy. And there are no answers on either side."
Who said horror novels arn't what they used to be? Not me...not after Kealan Patrick Burke's Kin.
I had the pleasure of sharing a few words with the author, after emailing him upon finishing the book. I was informed that this book was a response to criticism he received that he could only write "quiet, subtle ghost stories". Well Kin is anything but quiet and subtle so Kealan has fully succeeded in answering those critics with aplomb.
This book takes the concept of the aftermath of one of those hellacious incidents witnessed in movies like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Deliverance or Wrong Turn and pushes it as far as it can go. Claire Lambert is the survivor who gets away from a crazed and deranged family of killers and it's here our novel picks up. This completely flips the script of starting where almost every slasher movie finishes, giving us the emotional fallout that ensues.
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It's done fantastically, with great writing and some brilliant, well developed characters that really work to make this story unforgettable, in a brutality horrifying kind of way. There's sometimes a problem amongst pulp slasher novels that they can come across as trashy with poorly written characters. Kin is not trashy in the slightest and gives us a very mature interpretation of such a sadistic event.
"Without proof of an afterlife, they were intimately aware of their mortality and the limitations of it."
It also contains one of the most disturbing scenes in all of horror. I really appreciated that lol Honestly, it's such a horrifyingly unique and original situation that had me cringing as I read it.
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I don't like to make these reviews too long, just give you a taste of what's in these blood soaked pages. In this case barbecued human flesh! What I will say is that if you like horror, then you'll love Kin. Five stars, ten stars, whatever you want to call it. Read it now, read it quickly. Before Papa in Gray comes knocking at your door.
"It's the curse of man to have a mind and not have the sense to use it."
Another Robert McCammon book and another five stars. I'm almost at [image]
"It's the curse of man to have a mind and not have the sense to use it."
Another Robert McCammon book and another five stars. I'm almost at the point now where I'd award his books five stars before reading the first page. McCammon is that good. If you like horror, suspense or just good quality fiction, then you absolutely must give this author a try. Why not start with this one?
The Wolf's Hour is especially good, even for McCammon. I'd give it six stars if I could. It follows World War Two British special agent Michael Galletin on his mission to foil an attempt from the Nazis to cause maximum mayhem on the build up to the D day landings. If that doesn't sound enticing enough Galletin has a little secret that gives this one man army a little extra bite. The clues in the title! Think James Bond on steroids and way cooler.
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"If you make friends with pain, you have a friend for life."
The basis for the story is two separate storylines. We have the current spy/espionage plot and flashbacks to when Galletin became a werewolf back in the good old USSR. It provides a brilliant character study for our main hero and even go so far as to say this is one of McCammon's very best. The guy really does write some brilliant characters and there's a number in this one, including some thoroughly nasty villains. That's Nazis for you.
The pacing in this book is also immaculate with some absolutely nail biting action sequences. There's one scene on a train that might be the most exciting thing I've ever read. I was dripping a few bucketfuls of sweat after that part.
If I haven't sold this one then I'm sorry there's no hope for you. Go read some Mills and Boon with a caramel toffee latte and leave this one for the hardcore adrenaline junkies...like me and the rest of the boys in the Night Shift!...more
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